A crimson-haired munchkin, with small prestigious streaks of enigmatic silver, was drenched in sweat, his small body performing a sequence of strikes that could make Earth's best fighters reconsider their training.
He moved with an almost preternatural grace, each hit against the training dummy perfectly timed, precise, and filled with lethal intent.
**Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!**
The rhythmic pounding echoed through the room, almost musical in its intensity, with each strike landing harder than the last.
Kallen, despite his age and size, attacked with a ruthless precision.
His movements were fluid and unpredictable, a storm of tiny fists and kicks hammering the dummy in a way that suggested years of experience—well beyond the mere six years he had spent in this new life.
"His martial arts...they're unlike anything I've ever seen," murmured one of the instructors, a tall, athletic built man, with mahogany-red hair, watching in awe.
He folded his arms, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"I've never seen anything like this style. It looks like a mix of different techniques—blended, but still unrefined. It's... beautifully dangerous."
Standing next to him was a stockier man, his biceps bulging even when relaxed, as if his muscles were forever on the verge of snapping into action.
He grunted in agreement, rubbing his bearded chin thoughtfully.
"You're right. There's no recorded martial art like this in any of the known archives. Where on Ares could the young master have learned it?"
"Maybe he invented it," the taller man suggested, his eyes glinting with admiration. "The young master is a genius, after all."
The stocky man rolled his eyes in response, then sighed a second later, a slight frown crossing his face.
"Genius or not, he still lags behind his cousins. Look at young masters Elyon and Eliot, they're only two years older than he is. And even though they're less talented, they've already awakened their cores and are even in level three.
Williams is ten and he's at Level 7 already! And Atticus...he's practically a legend now at nine, sitting at Level 10 and battling beasts twice his size. Far ahead of his senior brother Williams."
"Fearsome indeed," the taller one added, shaking his head with a mixture of awe and pity. "A true Crimson prodigy, just like his father."
They exchanged glances, both their eyes drifting back to the relentless flurry of strikes Kallen was dishing out on the dummy.
The kid was undeniably talented, his technique sharp, his dedication unyielding—but even they could sense an invisible aura of misfortune surrounding him.
"And then there's...her," the stocky man whispered, his voice dropping several octaves lower, as if uttering the name might summon the person in question. "The she-devil herself, young miss Alita."
The taller man visibly shuddered at the mention of her name. "She's already Level 15 at eleven years old. She's slaying beasts ten levels above her like they're insects. What a monster."
"Truly a demon," the stocky man added with a shudder, imagining the kind of terror Alita must be inflicting on Ares' monstrous inhabitants.
They both fell into a contemplative silence, watching Kallen train with a fierce determination that seemed almost heartbreaking. He pushed himself so hard, but the gap between him and his cousins seemed insurmountable.
"It's no surprise his father... well..." The tall one trailed off, glancing at Kallen with a sad look. "You know why Lord Luiz doesn't favor him, right?"
"Yeah," the stocky man said, his voice grim.
"The storm during his birth is rumored to have damaged his core...and almost killed his mother.
Lady Lyra's been bedridden for six years now, ever since that day. Luiz hasn't forgiven him for that. He may act indifferent, but I think deep down... he resents him for it."
"That aside," the taller man said quietly, "Since the young master can't naturally awaken his core, he'll need to for the Existential Compendium to forcefully awaken it for him.
Forcefully awakened cores are always of a poor grade... The disappointments are just adding up, Lord Luiz had awakened at four! A blue grade core no less."
"Lord Kallen!," a powerful female voice cut through the air, causing both men to freeze. If there were a meter for fear, theirs would have gone off the charts.
They could feel sweat pricking at the back of their necks, and the sheer coldness of the voice almost made them want to flee.
Kallen paused in his training, his face unreadable, except for the glistening sheen of sweat on his forehead. He turned to face the woman who stood at the entrance, her presence commanding and formidable.
"Your mother calls for you," she said, her voice softer now, but still holding an edge that could slice through steel.
Kallen nodded lazily, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. Without a word, he followed her out of the training hall, not even bothering to acknowledge the two gossiping instructors.
The woman, Veronica, shot them a frosty glare that had the same chilling effect as being dunked in a freezing lake and they stood there, stiff as statues, until the two had disappeared from sight.
---
As they walked, Kallen's thoughts wandered back over the past six years, a small, almost imperceptible curl tugging at the corner of his lips.
Life as a child had been... an adventure, to say the least. On one hand, it had been relaxing. No one expected much from him—he was just a baby, after all.
On the other hand, being coddled by his mother had been a torment all on its own. Lyra had smothered him with love, her doting almost unbearable at times.
Those first few weeks had made him uncomfortable, being breastfed and all that. The sheer embarrassment and helplessness of the situation was new in a certain way, but also good? If he should put it that way.
The language here, was slightly reminiscent of Ancient Greek, and had been a challenge at first, but Kallen had learned it quickly.
##
They approached a large waterfall, and Veronica extended her hand, runic symbols glowing along her palm.
She pressed her hand against the stone face near the water, and the rock rumbled before parting at one side, revealing a utopia beyond. They stepped inside, and the mountain sealed itself shut behind them with a low "thud".
Beyond the waterfall lay a secret grove, a wonderland of vibrant colors and intoxicating fragrances.
Exotic flowers bloomed in every corner, their petals shimmering in the light of the hidden sunstones embedded in the walls. The air smelled fresh and sweet, a calming fragrance permeating everything.
In the center of this Eden sat a small, futuristic cottage. Its pristine white walls stood in stark contrast to the surrounding vegetation, and its metallic doors slid open silently as they approached, granting them access.
Inside, the cottage was a strange mix of the ordinary and the extraordinary. Small orbs floated about, performing cleaning tasks with mechanical precision. The furniture was sleek and modern, yet cozy, inviting one to sit and relax.
Kallen barely glanced at the high-tech wonders as they made their way to Lyra's room. This was a sight he was already used to.
They made their way to a room and Kallen stepped in. Inside, the sight of his mother lying in bed made Kallen's heart clench.
Lyra's long caramel hair was splayed out across the bed like silk, and her skin had a pallor to it that had never quite faded since his birth. Yet despite her frailty, her beauty was radiant, and her lips curled with warmth when she felt his presence.
"Mom," Kallen whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Lyra opened her eyes and smiled, reaching up to return the kiss on his chin. "You came," she said softly, her voice filled with love.
"You called," Kallen replied, a rare smile crossing his usually stoic face—a sight only his mother was ever fortunate to see.
"Sit with me," she said, patting the bed next to her. Kallen obliged, sitting beside her with a quiet grace.
Wrinkling her nose in playful disgust, she scrunched up her face. "You've been training again, haven't you? You smell like a dirty little pig."
Kallen blinked twice, then looked down on his lithe body, and grinned.
She took great joy in his reaction to her teasing. It wasn't often that she got to see her cold-faced son look embarrassed, but when he did, it was a small victory for her.
After all, he'd earned the nickname "the cold-faced training maniac" within the Crimson family for a reason.
"Speaking of which," Lyra said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Tell me more stories about Earth."
Kallen stared at her for a second, and began.
"Well...."