BAB3 -Chapter 1

# Chapter 1: Brutal Impact

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Rox punched forward with devastating force. Xay met the tough redhead’s fist with his own, knuckle to knuckle, refusing to yield an inch.

He wasn’t relying on psionics or intricate martial forms—just raw, bare-knuckle brawling, matching his advisor blow for blow.

Xay kicked out, his foot catching her toned thigh just as she drove an elbow into his chin.

Xay’s Bloodline had given him a flat 5,000 across all stats at 50% manifestation—more than Rox’s base Might and Grit.

However, two of her Bloodline Abilities granted those particular stats 50% boosts, pushing each north of 6,000.

Worse, her Skill Talent, *Juggernaut Drive*, was downright ridiculous.

***Juggernaut Drive** - Enter juggernaut state, increasing physical stats as momentum builds.*

The more she moved, the stronger she became. Xay had no idea what her upper limits were.

Rox seized his shoulders and slammed her forehead into his, making him see stars.

But he didn’t stop—he drove a knee into her sculpted abs even as his head snapped back.

They were alone in the simulation room, sparring aggressively so Xay could blow off some steam. He needed to vent physically, and he knew she could handle it better than anyone else.

It had only been two days since the explosion at the Aero Cup Opening Ceremony. The bomb detonated mid-air, directly over center field, but the total number of injuries had soared into the thousands.

Xay and Dragon, his now more-than-essence butterfly dragon companion, had only managed to save a handful of people and the media corner.

Xay spent the rest of that day being questioned. Then Joan Thaxton from the A.S.I.U. grilled him for the entire next day, like she actually thought he had something to do with the explosion.

She claimed witnesses saw him flare white just seconds before the blast. As if that actually meant anything.

Xay lowered his center of gravity, slid around, and punched Rox between her rib bones—just beneath the cut-off of her signature combat jacket.

Rox pivoted on the balls of her feet and launched a flying roundhouse at his temple.

He took the hit, grabbed her leg, rolled over it, and hurled her to the side.

But she caught herself in midair—her Bloodline Ability, *Heavy Mettle*, letting her manipulate gravity as she shifted back into the fight.

***Heavy Mettle** - Command of gravity and complete immunity to external manipulations of personal gravitational field. (+50%) to Grit.*

*Serene Gait*, Xay’s Bloodline Talent, let him meet her halfway, fist to fist in midair. The impact triggered a small shockwave that reverberated through the space around them.

***Serene Gait** - Tread with serene grace. Walk upon air, glide across water, and pass over land with empty footsteps.*

The entire city was left in shock after witnessing the explosion live.

The Aero Cup was postponed indefinitely, and the mayor vowed swift, aggressive justice.

A prerecorded propaganda video from Humanity First surfaced immediately after the bomb went off.

According to the message, the bombing was retribution for Virgil Diamond seizing control of everyone’s minds during the candlelit vigil.

But soon after, dozens of other members publicly denied involvement, insisting a rogue cell had acted alone and that they were no longer affiliated.

Police cracked down hard anyway, arresting dozens from known watchlists within hours.

The name Axel Reeves had also hit the media cycle quickly after—along with other names..

Rox raised her leg high and brought it down in a gravity-assisted axe kick.

Xay leaned just far enough to avoid the worst of it, but the blow clipped his shoulder, nearly dropping him to his knees.

He grit his teeth and drove a knuckle punch into her inner thigh. It felt like punching a brick wall, her stats were climbing by the second.

Humanity First had crumbled overnight. Most of its members were too afraid to claim affiliation, and Reeves had vanished underground.

Rox cocked back and punched Xay square in the chest. It was the hardest she’d hit all day—and the hardest he’d ever been hit directly.

The air blasted from his lungs, but he powered through it, flaring his white aura, flooding his Might with mana, and throwing a wild haymaker.

Rox didn’t even try to dodge. She took the punch across the chin with a wince and kneed him in the thigh in the same motion.

Classes at Cosmos Academy were canceled for the next two weeks. Combined with an already scheduled six-week break, the students suddenly had two months off.

The tower would remain open, however. In case students had no plans or nowhere else to go.

Xay hadn’t planned anything himself and wasn’t in the best mindset to think about a vacation currently.

On their next clash, Xay activated *Burst Flurry*, pairing explosive kinetic bursts at the apex of his strikes.

***Burst Flurry (Striker Sphere)** - Launch a series of rapid, mana-enhanced strikes that release kinetic bursts of psychic force.*

His attacks sped up, and he chained heavy impacts across Rox’s taut frame.

She only grinned, absorbing the blows as she pumped more mana into her stats and fought back with increasing brutality.

Rox was a well-trained fighter. Her strikes and combos were simpler than the martial styles Xay usually employed, but there was power in that simplicity.

She didn’t rely on finesse, sweeping movements, or flashy parries. She hit savagely hard and stayed aggressive, absorbing just as many blows as she dished out.

Thanks to Xay’s Innate Talent, *Adaptability*, he adjusted to her fighting style on the fly.

***Adaptability** - Wield any weapon type, adopt any fighting style, and learn any technique.*

And with his new second Sphere Skill, *Psionic Monk*, he could break down her style and more easily integrate its elements without adopting it wholly.

***Psionic Monk (Striker Sphere) (S-Rank)** - Master martial artist capable of channeling psychic force.*

It wasn’t anything as specialized as a Skill Talent, just a general perk of a martial arts-based Sphere Skill.

Even so, with all that working for him, Xay could barely land three or four hits before Rox shattered his rhythm with a bone-rattling counter.

She was both an unstoppable force and an immovable object.

Their strikes kept gaining power as they viciously kickboxed in midair, each clash rippling through the space around them.

The two wailed on each other, their blows powerful enough to level a mundane building. But after a few more minutes, Xay found himself waning.

His limbs shook, his bones were lined with hairline fractures, his whole body was bruised, his eyes were swelling shut, and blood dripped steadily from his nose.

The air beneath his feet felt unstable—*Serene Gait* was faltering. His Bloodline Talent couldn’t sustain him much longer in this condition.

Rox only grew stronger, hammering away at him until he finally raised a trembling hand in surrender.

The punch aimed at his bloodied mouth stopped half an inch from another devastating impact. “Feeling better, Sunshine?” she asked, smiling beautifully.

Xay snorted, instantly regretting it as pain lanced through his body.

Neither of them had truly gone all out, but she hurt him far more than he’d managed to injure her.

Though she was sporting a few new bruises that weren’t there that morning.

“Yeah, actually,” Xay said with a bloody grin. “That really helped. Your Skill Talent is absolute bullshit, by the way.”

Rox laughed as they descended to the ground. “And your Bloodline stuff is bullshit. So we’re even.”

“Fair,” he muttered, pulling out Restoration Pills for both of them.

His vitality was already working overtime.

“Your Innate Talent probably doubles your momentum or something broken like that,” Xay probed.

In the past, she’d never told him what her Innate Talent was, which only made him want to know more.

“My dad’s changing the monthly dinner,” she said, expertly dodging the bait. “He wants to have it tonight.”

Xay sighed and nodded. Honestly, it was a good idea. It would help take his mind off everything.

He’d started going to Rox’s parents’ house for dinner once a month. Her dad, Theo, was an incredible cook and surprisingly fun to be around.

Her mom, Vice Headmistress Belladonna Blake, was also far less intense at home than she was at the academy.

Xay and Rox took a few moments to let their internal injuries begin healing before leaving the simulation room.

With enough vitality, an Awakened could recover from nearly any injury that didn’t kill them outright. And the more vitality they had, the faster that recovery came.

“I’ll see you tonight,” Rox said, heading toward a different elevator. “I’ve got something to take care of.”

“Sure,” Xay shrugged, tying his box braids back into a loose ponytail.

Rox had hit him so hard, that they came undone at one point.

Xay rode up to the 40th floor of the central tower, to the shared apartment he now called home.

He lived there with Lexi—his childhood best friend turned lover, Kimi—his crush turned lover, and Tyra—the vibrant ex-nomad he was planning to ask to bond with soon.

His *Essence Bond* Bloodline Ability had upgraded to now allow a total of six bonds during his second awakening.

***Essence Bond** - Form symbiotic bonds with willing entities. (max: 6). Bonded entities gain stat boosts based on bond level. (Emergent: 15%) (Strong: 25%) (Unbreakable: 35%).*

The four of them shared a massive suite that had once been four separate apartments.

After earning top first-year placements and becoming the F4, they were granted some of the best living spaces in the tower and allowed to combine them into one.

As soon as the door slid open, Dragon slammed into Xay’s chest, licking his face and forcing him to take a step back to brace himself.

She was only a foot and a half long at the moment. *Adaptive Size* let her grow and shrink at will now.

***Adaptive Size** - Adapt and alter physical size freely.*

But her serpentine body was heavier as well, denser from all the changes she’d undergone after consuming the byproducts of legendary beasts.

Her scales shimmered like crystalline metal, glowing with a pearlescent luster. Her horns, claws, and fangs gleamed with a viscous sharpness.

Large, iridescent white butterfly wings flapped behind her, their folds etched with mesmerizing detail. Her aura was hazy and clear, but thrummed with energy.

Her face, though, remained mostly the same—unreasonably cute, with silver, slitted eyes that blinked out of sync.

Xay grinned down at her as he walked into the kitchen. “You were worried about me?”

“We all were,” Lexi scoffed from the hall, folding her arms under her large chest. “You stormed out this morning without saying a word.”

The sassy platinum blonde narrowed her bright blue eyes. “You’re lucky Rox told us you were with her.”

Xay rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah.. sorry about that. I just needed to clear my head.”

Lexi’s expression softened as she took in the state he was in.

Tyra gasped from across the room and rushed over, noticing his still-healing injuries. She quickly activated *Nature’s Touch*, mending his wounds directly.

***Nature’s Touch (Mender Sphere)** - Heal wounds and cure ailments by channeling the energy of the natural world.*

Her technique healed faster than Xay’s natural vitality could manage on its own—especially now that it had grown stronger after her second awakening.

The glow had even shifted from green to teal, matching Tyra’s eyes and long hair.

“Thanks,” Xay mumbled as the healing energy worked through him.

“You asked her to beat you up to clear your mind?” Tyra asked, wide-eyed and innocent.

Xay chuckled, releasing Dragon to fly around. “I guess so.”

“It’s cathartic,” Kimi said, stepping out of her room, “to just let go of everything and fight freely.”

The crimson-eyed, raven-haired beauty walked over with a soft smile. “I hope you’re feeling better. But don’t forget—we always have your back.”

“No matter what,” Xay replied, making her smile widen.

“Still, I didn’t know you were into that sort of thing,” Tyra muttered. “It’s the first time I’ve heard getting stepped on called cathartic.”

“Wait, what?” Xay asked urgently.

Lexi burst out laughing while Kimi just shook her head, refusing to engage.

Willow, Tyra’s mana beast owl companion, swooped in and landed on the counter—silently judging him.

“You too?” Xay asked.

She stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly rotated her head 270 degrees away in pure disapproval.

Xay narrowed his eyes. “Sorry, I don’t know what that means. Can you spell it out for me?”

Willow took off and flew away without a sound. Xay sighed dramatically.

Willow had grown stronger through her connection with Tyra, gaining access to her abilities, including *Full Glamor*.

***Full Glamor** - Fully alter appearance and change form. (+50%) to Mana.*

Even when taking the form of people, she still hadn’t spoken a word.

But after meeting her ego in the Dream World, Xay had a sneaking suspicion she could—she was just choosing not to.

And he was determined to make her crack.

Fully healed, Xay was about to leave the kitchen when Lexi stopped him.

“Come here,” she said, taking his hand and guiding him to the couch. “You need to see this.”

Lexi turned on a previously aired news stream from Stacy Vega.

Stacy sat behind a muted desk, wearing a crisp white button-down, with the top few buttons left open.

She’d used a GenoMorph reversal, swapping her cat ears for small, round bear ears that blended seamlessly into her chestnut brown hair.

Xay pursed his lips, turning away. “I’m all news’d out right now.”

“No, you should watch it,” Lexi replied, her voice gentle but firm. “Please.”

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Xay sighed and turned back to the holo screen.

*“This is Stacy Vega, bringing you breaking Awakened news in the wake of the devastating Aero Cup tragedy.”*

*“The city is still reeling from the horrific bombing that claimed the lives of over thirty on the field, and the four hundred more who were trampled in the stands.”*

*”Thousands remain injured, and recovery efforts are expected to stretch well into the coming weeks.”*

Stacy’s expression shifted, her lips thinning, and her voice sharpening.

*“In the fallout, accusations theories have been flying freely—and not all of them have been fair, or even logical.*

*”A manhunt is underway for Axel Reeves, but a growing number of critics have begun pointing fingers at someone else as well: Xavyer X.”*

Xay grimaced.

This was exactly why he needed that sparring match with Rox. His name had been repeated on the news almost as often as Axel Reeves’.

More and more people kept finding ways to blame him in new and creative ways.

*“Some say the fire came from his dragon companion. Others argue he didn’t do enough—that with his level of power, he should’ve saved more.”*

*”A few have even claimed he let it happen.. just to look heroic in the aftermath.”*

Xay hah never seen Stacy this animated before. She was practically vibrating with emotion, nearly bouncing in her seat as she worked herself up.

*“I’ve seen the headlines. I’ve read the posts. I’ve even heard fellow journalists—people I used to respect—repeating crackpot theories as talking points.”*

Stacy exhaled slowly, comparing herself as she looked directly into the camera.

*“But I was there. Not in the safety of my own home. Not behind a screen. I was on the field, in the media corner, when the bomb went off.”*

*“I saw him move before anyone else. I saw him lower the crumbling stage to safety. I saw him teleport wounded to medical personnel. I saw his little dragon wipe out the purple flames that were literally burning people alive.”*

Her expression hardened, her eyes filling with conviction.

*“I refuse to sensationalize. I refuse to smear a hero for clicks or views. Xavyer X didn’t cause that explosion.”*

*”He fought to save as many lives as he could. He saved mine. He even saved several of the people now spreading these lies.”*

She paused for a moment, letting her words linger before continuing.

*“So let me say this—on the record, live, and unedited: Thank you, Xavyer X. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. And this entire city should be thanking you too.”*

Stacy straightened, regaining her professional composure.

*“We’ll continue covering the fast-moving investigation surrounding the bombing. But for now, this is Stacy Vega reminding you that not everything trending is true.”*

The stream ended, and Xay just stared blankly ahead.

He hadn’t even realized his eyes had gone misty until Kimi gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ve always said she was the best reporter,” he chuckled awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

“Sure you did,” Lexi grinned.

“That was so nice,” Tyra added happily. “All those other people are idiots.”

“Thank you,” Xay said, turning to kiss Lexi and lingering in her cool embrace.

“Of course,” she replied, once they finally broke apart.

“I’m glad she released that,” Kimi said softly. “You saved people, Xay. No one can take that from you.”

Xay just nodded along. He didn’t realize how much he’d needed to see that not everyone was against him.

He knew Lexi, Kimi, and Tyra weren’t, but all the negative headlines had been taking a toll on him.

The sensational journalism wasn’t the only unwanted attention Xay had attracted in recent days either.

The entire city had seen him use psionic techniques live. Most viewers didn’t recognize what they were, assuming it was just another type of magic.

But the Diamond Group wasn’t most. The details of psychic force and psionics were secrets they guarded closely.

Xay had only learned the basics from Sasha and Sophia Diamond—the twins his group had rescued during the lab incident months ago.

Their abilities were dream-based, and the Diamond Group had basically abandoned them for not being traditionally powerful.

The Diamond Group reached out to Xay the same day as the explosion, inviting him to their main campus for “discussions.”

He declined immediately and ignored the follow-up messages. But he doubted they’d let it go easily.

If pressed, he planned to blame it all on his technically unidentified Bloodline. Only his inner circle knew it was actually a Qilin Bloodline.

The True Qilin was one of the Primordial Gods, and seemingly the most mysterious of them all.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Xay sat down and pulled out his puzzle box from his dimensional storage.

He’d originally had it made to help him practice *Psychokinesis*, but over time, working on it had become a form of meditation in its own right.

Before he did anything else, Lexi sat down next to him and pulled his head into her lap, gently running her fingers through his braids.

Then, Kimi sat on his other side, pulling his legs onto her lap, and massaging his calves.

Xay let out a contented sigh as Tyra giggled from across the room, shaking her head at the display.

He focused on relaxing with his ladies and his puzzle, letting his worries slip away for the moment.