After spending a few days with Lisa, Lucas began to adapt better to that world. The memories of the old Lucas gradually started to feel like his own, though most of the fragmented memories from that entity were lost. Lucas focused only on the most useful fragments.
Among everything he discovered, the most important was about powers—or rather, the so-called meta abilities.
These abilities awaken at the age of majority, at 17. Both he and Lisa were already that age, and now they just had to wait for the power assessment, which would take place in four months.
Meta abilities were an essential part of that society—they would define the path each person would follow in the future.
Lucas was excited about the idea of gaining powers, but the excitement quickly faded when he remembered the absurdly powerful beings that lived within his memories.
Just imagining being compared to monsters of that caliber sent a chill down his spine. In the end, he was just an ant before those titans, so insignificant that he didn't even deserve to be mentioned.
It was then that a thought carved itself into his heart: "I need to get stronger." With strength, he believed he could survive anything… and maybe, one day, face those beings head-on.
Even if he didn't have those memories to remind him of his insignificance, Lucas would still seek power. After all, even in a society full of heroes, villains continued to emerge, spreading chaos and destruction. And being strong, in this world, meant having a real chance to protect and survive.
Lucas didn't want to wait four long months to become extraordinary. Impatient, he decided to search his memories for some cultivation technique that could help him.
However, since his memories were fragmented and fading over time, he had opted to memorize only the most important information, as it would be impossible to retain everything—among them, a few high-level techniques. The problem was that, although powerful, these techniques required equally absurd conditions.
Diving deeper into his mind, Lucas found a variety of cultivation methods. Most required exceptional talent; others, even without that demand, required absurd amounts of resources or thousands of years of practice to take effect.
After hours of searching, he finally found something promising: a forbidden technique called "Flesh and Bone Demon Body Art." As the name suggests, it was a body technique aimed at pushing the human body to its absolute limit. Its distinguishing feature, however, lay in bodily control—the greater the mastery, the greater the control over one's own body.
At the peak of the technique, the cultivator could control their body on a cellular level, completely altering their appearance. They could become a true demon of flesh and bone.
The most shocking part, however, was that this technique required neither talent nor resources to cultivate. But of course, it wasn't considered forbidden for no reason. Its practice reduced one's lifespan and involved such intense pain that fainting meant certain death. Worse yet, upon the practitioner's death, a creature made of flesh and bones would emerge from their corpse.
Lucas decided to practice this technique immediately. He locked himself in his room and sat cross-legged on the bed.
Lucas read the first chapter of the forbidden technique, which spoke of inhaling the "vitality of the world" to awaken the body's vitality, called blood essence—using this energy to restructure the body and achieve "rebirth."
As soon as Lucas began practicing the technique, nothing happened. It felt like a simple breathing exercise—he didn't sense any so-called "vitality of the world."
After a few hours of practice, without any warning, something inside him seemed to break, releasing a type of energy throughout his body. This energy was somewhere between physical and illusory, something Lucas had never seen before.
Feeling this energy carefully, Lucas said, amazed: "This energy... Is this the so-called blood essence?"
It was like a dam had burst, with the flow of energy running through his veins. Even though it was energy, it somehow had a physical presence, acting like an invisible force ravaging his veins.
Lucas's veins swelled in an attempt to accommodate the energy, bulging like snakes about to burst beneath his skin, revealing bluish and purplish pathways in a frenzy.
Eventually, Lucas's veins couldn't withstand the pressure, and some of them ruptured.
His blood gushed from the broken veins, turning parts of his skin purple.
The worst part was the blood essence, now coursing through his body uninhibited. Even though Lucas tried to control the energy's flow according to the technique, he could only manage to keep it away from his internal organs, as stated in the first chapter.
The blood essence furiously flowed through Lucas's body, an invisible force tearing his flesh and muscles from the inside, grinding bones, restructuring everything with no anesthesia, no mercy. Every cell in his body seemed to scream in agony, as if being sculpted by fire. The pain wasn't just physical—it invaded his mind like a living entity, trying to shatter his sanity and break his focus.
He collapsed to his knees. His body was sweating blood—literally. His pores dilated, expelling dark red threads, a mixture of blood and liquefied flesh.
Lucas wanted to faint, but he couldn't—fainting meant death, and Lucas wouldn't accept death now. Not after being given a second chance. Not when he finally had the opportunity to be unique.
His jaw clenched so tightly it nearly broke. His bones cracked like dry twigs under his own involuntary movements. Every breath was a knife stabbing into his lungs.
After a few hours that felt like an eternity of suffering, a pleasant sensation spread through Lucas's body.
Lucas felt as if his body had been healed from every wound, his cells more energized and alive than ever before, as if he had been reborn.
A true rebirth, that was Lucas's last thought before passing out.
---
Lucas woke to the soft sound of nearby breathing. His eyes opened slowly, heavy, as if sealed for days. The room's light was dim, and the air smelled faintly of herbs and dried blood.
He tried to move—a mistake. His entire body protested with a dull wave of pain. Every muscle felt newly sculpted, tense like cords about to snap.
That's when he felt something touch his forehead. A damp cloth.
"You finally woke up, idiot."
The voice was familiar. Somewhat irritated, but with an undertone of barely disguised relief.
Lucas slowly turned his face and saw Lisa sitting beside the bed, arms crossed, cheeks puffed, and red eyes as if she hadn't slept all night.
"Lisa...?" Lucas murmured, his throat dry. "What...?"
She sighed, looking away.
"You screamed so much yesterday I thought you were being attacked. When I stopped hearing any sound from here..." her voice faltered a bit, "...I broke into your room. What the hell were you doing?"
Lucas tried to smile but only managed a groan.
"Just... cultivating."
"Cultivating my ass!" she yelled. "Your room looked like a crime scene! There was blood on the ceiling, idiot! You were... completely... covered in blood!"
He stared at her for a moment, then looked down at himself. He was clean. Strangely clean, considering what he had been through. His clothes had been changed, and he felt fresh and pleasant, like he'd been bathed.
"Wait..." he frowned. "You... gave me a bath?"
Lisa froze. Her ears turned red, followed by her cheeks.
O-O-OF COURSE I DID, YOU FILTHY PIG! YOU WANNA SMELL LIKE DRIED BLOOD OR WHAT?!"
Lucas tried not to laugh, but failed miserably, which earned him a sharp pain in the chest.
"Wow, you actually take good care of me. Who would've thought... Sweet little Lisa-chan..."
"SHUT UP!"
She turned away, now completely red, yanking the cloth off his forehead with unnecessary force.
"I-It was nothing! I just... don't want an idiot dying on me over some stupid stunt, okay!?"
Even with her back turned, Lucas could see she was trembling—not with anger, but with nervousness.
He smiled—weak, but genuine.
"Thanks, Lisa…"
She didn't reply. She just stood there, fists clenched, face hidden behind her bangs.
But the silence that followed said more than any response.
Lisa was still facing away, visibly irritated... or at least pretending to be. Lucas remained lying down, body exhausted, but heart warmed by the unexpected scene.
"You stayed here the whole time?" he asked, voice hoarse.
She hesitated for a few seconds before answering.
"Of course. You were delirious and saying weird stuff..." She turned her face slightly, just enough for him to catch a glimpse of her worried eyes. "I... thought you were going to die."
Lucas blinked slowly, taking in the weight of those words. Lisa was always stubborn, always explosive, but now... there was something more.
"Sorry," Lucas said sincerely. "I should've told you what I was going to do. I just didn't want to worry you…"
"Idiot," she muttered, still not facing him. "As if hiding things would make me less worried."
Silence. A heavy but comfortable silence.
After a few minutes, she walked to the desk in the room, where there was a tray with food. She picked it up and brought it to the bed with careful steps.
"Here. I brought porridge and herbal tea. It's awful, but at least it'll keep you alive." She held out the spoon haphazardly, but her eyes were still watching every reaction closely.
Lucas looked at the tray, then at her, raising an eyebrow.
"You cooked?"
O-O-OF COURSE NOT!" she answered way too fast. "I mean... just a little. Just the basics. It's not like I put any effort into it or anything!"
"Hm... so that extra pinch of salt was an accident?"
"IF YOU DON'T WANT IT, I'LL THROW IT ALL AWAY!"
"Okay, okay, I'll eat it!"
Despite the teasing, Lucas felt grateful. Not just for the care, but for the presence. Lisa might hide her feelings behind yelling and punches, but deep down... she was the most precious thing he had.
After eating a bit with her help, he lay back down, sighing.
"Lisa... you've always been with me, huh?"
She gave him a sideways glance, suspicious.
"What do you want now?"
"Nothing. Just... wanted to say that even if I become strong, powerful, special... you'll always be my annoying little sister that I love most in this world."
She froze. The spoon she was holding trembled slightly, and her expression wavered for a second. Her cheeks blushed again.
"I-I-IDIOT!" she said, turning her face away once more. "Say that again and I'll drown you with this porridge!"
But even with the threat, she couldn't hide the small smile forming on her lips.
Lucas smiled too, then closed his eyes. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he was exactly where he needed to be.
By her side.
Shaking his head, Lucas thought, "What... This isn't normal... This sudden affection... I don't even know Lisa that well!"
Lucas couldn't understand—Lisa was the sister of Lucas Gracefall... He was... He was... Who was he again?...
Sensing his sudden silence, Lisa turned slowly, worried.
"Hey... are you okay?"
When her eyes met his, she froze.
Lucas was staring at her with a strange intensity. His face was too calm, almost expressionless, almost empty. But what made her hold her breath were his eyes.
They were no longer the same.
Before, they were light blue, ordinary, almost gentle. But now... there was something different. A strange glow danced in his irises, like stars trapped in a sky that didn't belong to this world. Blue, yes, but not the blue of any known sky. It was the blue of something vaster, older, more incomprehensible.
A sky she had seen before.
But where?
Lisa stepped back without realizing it. A shiver ran up her spine, chilling her to the base of her skull. Those eyes...
She didn't know why, but her chest tightened as if she were facing an enemy. Not Lucas. Something behind him. Something that slept... and was now watching.
"W-What... What are you looking at?" Lisa asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Lucas didn't answer right away. He blinked slowly, as if returning to consciousness, and the glow in his eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared. His expression returned to normal—slightly tired, with a faint smile on his lips.
"Sorry. I just... got lost for a moment."
Lisa swallowed hard, her heart still racing. Her hand trembled slightly, and she hid it behind her back while thinking: Those eyes... I've seen them before. I'm sure of it... But why can't I remember?
"You're acting weird today..." she muttered, turning to grab the tray again, trying to sound indifferent. "Must be a side effect of almost turning into human purée."
Lucas let out a weak laugh.
"Yeah... maybe."
But inside, he felt it too—something out of place. As if he had forgotten something important, something he couldn't quite recall now... something his instincts told him to forget...
And in that moment, something ancient within Lisa awakened as well. It wasn't a memory. It was a shadow, a remnant. An echo.
With eyes as blue as a sky that doesn't belong to this world.
---
End of chapter