Infinite Genesis Book 2: Growth: Infinite Genesis, #2

By Adam Pimentel

Following the events of the first book, the young and abnormal Fenris Wolf moves with his family to Central to start a new life. With his hopes raised thanks to his chance meeting with Christopher, the young boy is all too eager to meet him again and is especially looking forward to meeting the other New Geneses as well, all for the sake of getting to 'love' them.

 

However, getting to meet the others will not go as smoothly as the boy may have wished... nor will he remain unchanged by the encounters he will have.

 

Over the course of seven years, witness how Fenris comes to know his fellow New Geneses and learns firsthand just how much more there is for him to learn on what it means to be such an abnormal existence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adam Pimentel
• Release date: Jul 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393956389

Adam Pimentel

Adam Pimentel is a very simple man. He unabashedly loves anime/manga, a few light novels, visual novels, video games and a plethora of novels as well. Said novels more often than not tend to be written by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jonathan Maberry, John Grisham, Micahel Connelly, and Greg Iles. But more than that, he loves to write. Always thinking up stories and tinkering around with ideas until he has something definitive in mind, drawing a good deal of inspiration from the things mentioned above.  It's his hope to not simply write stories, but to gradually improve and write great stories for others to enjoy. "If I'm not writing, then I'm not living. And if I'm not improving and writing good stories, then I'm only doing readers and myself a disservice. May future stories only continue to be better than the previous ones."

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Fenris Wolf took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh breeze – not that he could actually feel it or anything. Still, it was the principle of the matter. After all, the air quality in Central was vastly better than it had ever been back in District 13.

Ah, how hard it was for even him to believe how quickly time has past since his family’s moving. To think it’s already been half a year since they’ve moved into their apartment. In hindsight, however, this really should’ve been expected – time always passes by faster when one is enjoying things.

Indeed, in the months since moving, the young New Genesis has come to really explore his new surroundings, the architecture along with the vastly different environment in general having been more than enough for the all-loving boy to get somewhat lost in, if only due to how overwhelming it all was.

As he’d pointed out to himself back when he, his mother and sister had first come to Central to scope out some apartments, one of the very first things he’d noticed was the substantial number of cars almost always on the road. This wasn’t to say that District 13 didn’t have any cars, but the number was far from noticeable and most didn’t even drive cars back in that District since there’d always been an all too real probability of some people trying to strip them for parts to use or sell. The same could not be said for here in Central, however, and so many people drove around without much worry.

And obviously, another obvious difference was just how pristine everything in general looked – numerous skyscrapers off in the far yet still seeable distance (relative to non-Awakened, that is) in addition to an abundance of stores and market spaces and schools, all of which were far cleaner than any structures back in District 13. The roads were orderly and clean and the material used for most clothing here was made of tougher stuff than what he’s seen back in his now former home, yet still comfortable if he were to judge by how his mom and sister had reacted to buying their first new outfits upon getting fully settled into Central.

It always boggled his mind how just about everyone around him could simply go about life without constantly gawking in awe at the beauty all around him. He understood on a purely intellectual level that they all had lives to lead, some much more busily than others, but still, the beauty that was existence really should warrant some extra attention, yes?

Ah, but in any case, he wasn’t really one to talk, he guessed. After all, having finally discovered his Identity during his battle against dear Christopher all those months ago, the boy has come to understand that given his Identity and status as a New Genesis, he would always be bound to seeing things differently from others.

A pity, really, but that was what it meant to be one’s self, he realized.

Man, individuality was awesome, he belatedly thought.

But he was digressing here.

After all, he was on the job.

It was nothing too strenuous, merely cleaning up the park he was currently in, a task he’s made excellent progress in, if he did say so himself.

Said park, simply named Main Park, was approximately five miles in length and half that in width, overflowing with wild plant life and greenery. There were numerous walkways, small bridges, and streetlamps in place for people to take advantage of in order to traverse said enormous park and it was often easy for newcomers to get lost here and there, even with a map.

It was truly a massive park, especially to Fenris who’d never seen a park before starting this job. To be expected though considering just how large Central itself is. It only made sense it would have equally massive landmarks, really.

Now, despite how lovely a place Central was, there were clearly numerous laws in place, many of which weren’t anything too serious from what he’s read through so far in his time here but loitering and littering were certainly frowned upon within Main Park. Speaking purely from his experience thus far, people here genuinely cared about their surroundings, but people were inherently flawed and as such there were times where some would forget to pick up after themselves or overshoot a trashcan and not notice this. As such, there was a considerable amount of trash littered about if one knew where to look.

There were also laws in place that obviously prevented child labor, which had really thrown him and his family for a loop when they’d first come here if only because of how much ‘work’ kids did back in District 13 in one form or another. But of course, there was nothing against kids obtaining some workplace experience early on in their lives. Plus, upon seeing him, Fenris’ interviewer had discerned right away he wasn’t exactly a normal kid and had bent the rules a bit in order to hire him.

And so, for the past few months, this is what he’s been doing to occupy himself every day, in addition to familiarizing himself with the surroundings and people.

There we go, he said to himself in his usually chipper voice as he picked up the last bit of litter within this section of the park, masterfully tying up the trash bag he held as he threw in the final bit of litter, which had been a rolled up paper bad that had been blown about by the wind a fair bit.

That dealt with, he now proceeded to make his way back to the park’s nearest station, where he’d dispose of the trash bag properly and report in so that he could move onto the next section of Main Park.

Normally, due to the ridiculous size of the park, workers were only really required to just focus on relatively small areas to carry out their duties, but thanks to a liberal usage of his natural speed and agility, Fenris could effortlessly cover the whole park all by himself if he so desired. But to do so would only put the others out of a job and that wasn’t fair to them – after all, they were working to support themselves and their families, much like himself. So, instead, he just took to covering roughly a third of the park during each shift.

His status as an Awakened wasn’t something he ever actually talked about to others in Central, but something about him made it somewhat apparent, which may have been why there’d been no real issue with him being hired in the first place. Covering so much ground in so short a time had only made it more obvious, though his status as an Awakened still wasn’t spoken of. He was absolutely certain, however, that his boss knew he was one. Same thing goes for his coworkers.

In any case, there was certain understanding between him and others, a ‘don’t ask and don’t tell’ sort of thing. It wasn’t that they held any sort of hatred towards Awakened individuals or anything, but there was certainly something akin to an underlying fear. Given all that was known about Awakened individuals and their shared characteristics, this was understandable.

Not that he was going to complain – after all, he was literally incapable of anger and annoyance. And besides, even he could understand that it was just natural for others to fear those that hold such immense power and potential.

He’s also come to learn that the existence of New Geneses was completely unknown to the public at large. Having gone to the nearest library and spent a day there not long after moving to Central, he’d made sure to do his research and there had been absolutely no mentions of the state of New Genesis though there had been plenty about the existence of the Awakened, all of which had been most fascinating. Considering just how powerful a New Genesis was compared to even an Awakened with a Distortion, it made sense that such knowledge would be so readily available to others. If people were already so naturally wary of ‘normal’ Awakened, then finding out about the New Geneses and what they could potentially do would scare them completely shitless.

That said, it seemed as if the other New Geneses whose identities he could only guess at right now, were still technically known to the public, it’s just that said public merely viewed them as being exceptionally powerful Awakened, which wasn’t technically wrong.

Still... the fact that Christopher had known about being a New Genesis himself as well as the existence of the other New Geneses was now quite odd in hindsight. Fenris supposed another New Genesis had contacted Christopher back whenever the blond boy had Awakened or something, but if that was the case, then how did the very first New Genesis in existence ever figure out all this stuff?

Oh well, not like he was in a rush to figure out the answers or anything. He was more than content to live life as it comes right now.

Dumping the trash bag he held in a shockingly clean and non-smelly dumpster (yet another thing about Central that had surprised him), he reported to the supervisor he just finished clearing out the southeast sectors. The supervisor nodded and then directed him to head a bit up to the northeast now and deal with those sectors.

With a big smile on his face, Fenris proceeded to do just that, swiftly leaving the station and skipping along the rocks in a nearby stream as he made his way to what were to be the final sectors he was to cover for the day.

I wonder how mom and Sophie are doing. He hummed in thought.

His mom had managed to get a job at a small diner not too long after they’d settled into their apartment. Initially, she’d worked as a waitress where her naturally kind, gentle, and highly feminine mannerisms sort of clashed against her ridiculously over-developed figure, the resulting dichotomy having done wonders in attracting a lot of attention. The number of customers the diner had started to get ever since she was hired has grown substantially, so much so that the resulting influx of money had gone towards revamping the place a bit, cleaning it up a bit more.

And one time, where a customer’s baby had been particularly upset over something, his mom had managed to calm the infant down with her always lovely singing voice. Since then, his mom had gone from being a waitress to also doubling as the diner’s very own singer on regular occasion.

Considering just how much she enjoyed music and the like, the rather sudden promotion to part-time singer had been a very welcome surprise for his mom and the family of three had celebrated that day.

As for his sister, their mom had been able to enroll her in kindergarten at the school closest to their apartment. Thanks to the money earned by both their mom and by him, they were able to afford what thankfully little supplies needed for her, including a backpack and other miscellaneous items. All other essential items were provided by the school itself, which allowed the rest of their money to go towards their rent and other necessities, a true godsend since even with their combined incomes, things have so far looked kind of tight depending on how they wish to spend it.

So far, Sophie was really enjoying kindergarten and had even made a handful of friends... though due to how hilariously different things are between District 13 and Central, there’d been a few times where Sophie had said some things that had caused her teacher no small amount of shock. Thankfully, the teacher had taken it pretty well, all things considered, and when she’d informed their mom of what had happened, she’d quickly spoken to her daughter and had done her best to explain what was and wasn’t appropriate to say here in Central. Sophie had been confused at the time but had thankfully acquiesced much to the teacher’s relief.

All in all, things had really been going well for them all. Sure, there’d been some metaphorical bumps along the way in the beginning – their new neighbors hadn’t reacted too well to finding out they were from ‘that den of crime and debauchery’ as they’d called District 13, and that had been to say nothing of the many judgmental stares his mom’s figure had gotten initially – but now things were stabilizing.

Change was truly a thing of wonder, Fenris thought. It had a habit of occurring so damned suddenly that even he could almost feel the whiplash from it.

Ah well, all’s well that ends well, he figured.

Focusing back on the job at hand, as he swiftly arrived at the sector and began to search around for any trash that may have been forgotten, he began to ponder what else needed to be done.

He wasn’t referring to what had to be done later today or even the next day or anything ‘normal’ like that. No, instead he found himself once again thinking about what he personally wanted to do at some point in the foreseeable future.

That is, to eventually go out and meet the other New Geneses and just other Awakened in general. Ever since his battle and conversation with Christopher, he’s done a lot of pontificating and now it was only all these months later that he finally had his head on straight, or so it felt like.

He wouldn’t dare say he was suddenly bequeathed a new level of clarity – he wasn’t that smart an individual in his own opinion – but he’s come to sort of realize how things worked.

Though relatively few in number, the power of Awakened wasn’t something to be underestimated at all. In fact, according to some of the history books he’s briefly read at Central’s main library had been quite detailed when it had come to listing out notable individuals that have Awakened in the past and used their power to achieve all sorts of things.

Some had used their power to make a positive impact, such as having helped form local governments in smaller and more isolated parts of the world or helping the poor and downtrodden amongst a number of other things. Others had lost themselves in their desires and practically wreaked havoc throughout various cities and countries over the past few thousand years or so. But of course, these ‘good’ and ‘evil’ Awakened were labeled as such by society at large, which had a unified sense of morality and ethics. Obviously, whatever reasons these Awakened did what they did were not really mentioned.

In any case, the history books were quite detailed about Awakened in general. Though who could officially be considered the first Awakened to appear in recorded history is unknown, the books have chronicled the initial period in which Awakened did begin to appear in the world, not long after the ‘calamity’ happened, to be exact. And it had been through painstaking efforts, such as observation, interviewing more amicable Awakened and performing autopsies on whatever was left of the ones that died of unnatural causes that the details now regarded as common sense were initially learned.

As a result of his studies, Fenris had come to learn what else the Awakened and subsequently the New Geneses were capable of and would hopefully prove most helpful to him when he began to train himself in the usage of these other abilities. Sadly, however, this training is something he’d have to hold off on doing for the time being – though his family’s new life here in Central had certainly stabilized to a significant degree in short order, there was still plenty of room for things to go to shit. And that wouldn’t do; his mom and sister should not have to suffer any more discomfort than what they’ve already endured so far in life. Until things fully settle down, he will just have to keep working such as now and do what he can to help out his mom and sister.

Not only that, but he would still need to find a spot where he could train without causing anyone any undue disturbances.

Thinking on this was enough to sadden him a bit. After all, had he not promised himself to be the best he can possibly be so that he may properly show everything how much he ‘loves’ them? Kind of hard to do that if he’s intentionally impeding his own progress in growth, even if he did have a valid reason.

Oh well, if nothing else, he could still carry out the usual exercises he’d been doing back in District 13 here without much issue. Plus, patrolling a park this big gave him plenty of space and time to practice more acrobatic motions and the like.

...Hmm. Was this how soldiers train in order to be effective at guerilla tactics or something? Just a random thought right now. Stalking silently through trees and bushes, crawling quietly yet rapidly over all types of terrain... it seemed to fit.

But again, he was digressing.

In addition to holding off on his more advanced training for a while, he’d also have to hold off on his intended plans to go and try finding the other New Geneses. He knew not their identities nor their Identities or much else really. Again, the very existence of New Geneses wasn’t exactly public knowledge from what he’s discerned so far. And he doubted any of them were in any of the history books he’s read so far, but that was assuming they all lived lifespans similar to non-Awakened people, which he highly doubted.

Fenris did figure though that if he could come up with a list of the most powerful Awakened in the world right now, at least those whose existences are generally known to the public, then he could go around meeting them. With any luck, at least one or two of said powerful Awakened could be a New Genesis simply downplaying their power for the sake of not giving away their true might away. And even if he turned out to be completely wrong, well he would at least still be able to fight the most powerful Awakened in the world. That alone would be like a dream come true.

But this was all assumption. With no knowledge on how many New Geneses there were exactly nor what they were generally like as individuals, he could be horribly wrong in how they go about their own lives. For all he knew, some of them may be pretending to be a very weak Awakened or even a non-Awakened entirely. Of course, his conversation with Christopher after their fight would hint otherwise, but in hindsight the details he’d learned on that day had been very general and vague.

And speaking of Christopher...

Fenris paused in his trash collecting to let out a long and rather melancholy sigh.

He really did want to meet that blond boy again. And from their brief non-violent interaction with one another, the feeling certainly felt mutual, but alas here he was, just a bit more than half a year later, having not seen or spoken to the blond boy since. And it certainly wasn’t as if there was anything that could (probably) stop Christopher from tracking him down. After all, he kind of doubted there were many people with the name of Fenris Wolf running around. If there were though then... well, Fenris would end up losing his only source of pride. If nothing else, his name was unique.

As he continued to get lost in his thoughts, the boy turned his pupil-less blue eyes to the metaphysical hole that always loomed above the world.

Staring into the veritable abyss and promptly getting lost within it, he wondered just what the blond boy was up to right now.

xxxxxxx

Christopher let out a long and rather melancholy sigh as he stood up and stretched.

It was the final break of the day now during classes and he used this time to walk on over to the nearest window and look outside.

Ever since birth, his Identity of ‘Victorious Hero’ had been unlocked and with it came a truly immense amount of power, but without any skill. To correct this, when his family had noted just how unique he was even for an Awakened, they’d made sure to put him through his paces.

Thanks to his power and prodigious learning curve, he’s been trained in various martial arts and other disciplines ever since he even learned how to walk, all for the sake of providing him the control he so desperately needed to keep his power in check.

And this school was no exception.

It was simply called the Central Military Academy, one where people in their mid to late teens came to be trained and taught in the ways of warfare. Unlike the police who were meant to keep the peace, these individuals were trained for the express purpose of going against Awakened, well, the weaker ones that is. Even then, the weakest of Awakened made even the strongest of normal people look as weak as a newborn ant in comparison, and so the recent invention of power armor and equally powerful equipment was made the primary focus of this academy, where all the lessons were meant to ensure these future soldiers would have the know-how needed to effectively use the equipment given to them.

The irony of him, an Awakened, going to this academy wasn’t lost on anyone.

In any case, he was going to this academy so that me too may benefit from the knowledge to be gleamed from the military to combat Awakened. Though there was still plenty to be learned from the more generalized military academies and bootcamps that Central had to offer, as a New Genesis, this one simply held the most relevance.

It was all in order to not only further help him hone his control but to also eventually aid him in becoming the hero his Identity all but guaranteed him to be.

But in order to do that, he as the Hero would naturally need a Villain to face off against. And it was on that note that he once more thought of the boy who he fought not so many months ago.

Truly, what a battle it had been. It was true pity it had been cut so short, but it was what it was. He was just glad to have found his perfect match – a Destroyer that he must one day try to stop.

Oh, certainly, the other New Geneses were far more powerful and skilled as of now, but they were too chaotic and sometimes lax a bunch to be considered proper Villains, hence his general disinterest in them as opponents. Though if a clear-cut opportunity ever came to fight them, well, he wouldn’t turn it down...

But in all honesty, the fact Fenris Wolf was around his age – younger, sure, but still the same general age group – somehow made their meeting seem like fate and he’d be a fool to just ignore it.

Of course, ever since his meeting with the king, he’s had to do just that, much to his chagrin. Sure, the king had his reasons, reasons that he’d explained to the boy, but even then Christopher couldn’t help but feel increasingly impatient, a sure sign of his immaturity still.

However, his family, despite having thrown him against the grindstone known as life, cared deeply for his mental-wellbeing and that included acting like the kid that he still was. Though doing just that was hard to do given the all-consuming nature of his status as a New Genesis, it was still something he greatly appreciated. It meant that he wasn’t a complete slave to his Identity, something that the other New Geneses he’s met so far have mentioned is an important lesson to learn.

But he was digressing a little.

Anyways, to focus back on the main topic, he was growing truly impatient with what the king had planned. Though he’s come to understand the benefits of long-term planning, the waiting required was practically killing him.

There was an ever-growing part of him that kind of wanted to defy the king, to just go and meet with Fenris and let things progress naturally, but this part of him was stifled by the knowledge of the consequences that would befall him should he disobey.

Though fear was an emotion unknown to him, even Christopher knew better than to disrupt whatever grand plan king Urizen had. Really now, it was just simple pragmatism; obey the king and he shall one day be able to meet Fenris again and they can pick up from where they left off. Disobey, however, and the king can ensure through any number of ways that the two of them never get to meet again. Again, fear wasn’t something he could feel, but even so, this unspoken ‘threat’ was one hell of a motivator for him to keep ignoring his baser instincts.

So, with increasing reluctance he obeyed. And it... sucked. Yeah, there really wasn’t another word for it. It just sucked.

As a result, going through his every day life was becoming slowly irritating and it was only by looking out the nearest window upon Central that he seemed to calm down at all nowadays.

Running a hand through his neatly combed blond hair, Christopher genuinely prayed to the king for his little plan to begin to soon.

For he wasn’t sure just how much longer he could wait for the action to begin.

xxxxxxx

There exists a realm that completely transcends Creation. Despite Creation itself being comprised of infinite universes, possibilities, and dimensions, despite it being infinitely complex in all forms, next to this realm, Creation might as well hold a value of 0 in comparison in all respects. Furthermore, despite infinitely transcending Creation, this realm still grew in size and complexity, something that it has been doing ever since its formation and something it will continue to do forever.

All for the sake of housing and containing the king himself, whose might even transcended this realm. For the most part, that is; as it was of his own creation, he was constantly adjusting it as to better contain his own existence, which went beyond all confines of the archetypal infinity itself.

It was here where he’s resided, ever his ascension, his apotheosis into a Creation all his own.

A New Genesis, fully realized. The very first one, to be exact, not that the people of the world he considered his own kingdom knew.

As a being who held truly infinite and transcendent power, all concepts that govern Creation had absolutely meaning to him. Because of this infinitely absurd difference between what he is and what Creation is, it can often be hard for him to remain focused on any part of Creation at all.

Nonetheless, this was something he endeavored to do the best he could. After all, the world he was currently monitoring was his place of origin. And that was to say nothing of the fact that its current state was a direct result of his own actions thousands of years ago as far as said world was concerned.

He held a certain level of regret over how things have played out, but this was an emotion that was completely stamped out by other emotions at work right now. Emotions such as surprise and anticipation, for example.

In the very beginning, he hadn’t imagined there being any other beings exactly like himself, a New Genesis... but much to his surprise, over the course of time other New Geneses were born into existence.

And in their births, he saw possibility.

He recalled how it all had started, when society had first started to reform following the calamity his actions had initially caused, when the first New Genesis to be born after himself first began to develop their powers and tap into their potential. He’d been there to reach out to him and explain to him about what he really was and what heights he will reach and what could be accomplished if he were to work with him.

This was something he repeated with the next few New Geneses to be born, resulting in the formation of what could be described as an inner circle comprised entirely of New Geneses. It was one that currently had five members.

This was excluding himself, of course, as well as the two – no, three, he amended – New Geneses that had been born in much more recent years.

The Victorious Hero, Christopher Wagner.

Destruction itself, Fenris Wolf.

And one other...

He was rather amazed at the three New Geneses’ ages; Christopher being thirteen as of now whilst Fenris was nine. And the last one was just about a year younger than Fenris too.

One could easily describe the king as omnipotent and they wouldn’t quite be wrong. But omnipotence didn’t necessarily bring with it omniscience. He knew not why there was now three New Geneses running around and born so closely to one another, but as the phrase went, it was best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

What mattered, however, was that he could use this. But to do that, he would first need them all to grow much more.

And so, to this end, he’s concocted a very simple plan, painfully simple really. While he was able to reach his full potential through his own self-study and the like, it had taken him decades to do so. Time may not have much meaning to him anymore, but decades wasn’t something he was feeling interested in waiting through. Certainly, though affecting time itself would be the height of child’s play, it wouldn’t speed up the New Geneses’ development – they had an extreme resistance to such pathetic shows of force as a result of what they were.

Therefore, the only real way they could reliably grow into their own in short order was through the same exact way many other beings have done so throughout countless eons in this universe and infinite others – through pushing and breaking past their limits.

Limits that could only be tested through challenge. And in the case of New Geneses, challenge was always in the form of battle.

He’s already explained his little plan to Indrajit as well as to Alisa and Nyah and even the oldest of the three young New Geneses, Christopher. The others he has yet to tell but doing so would serve little purpose – they were too free spirited or rigid to spare even him much of their time. Forcing them to listen would be effortless to do, but he felt no need to do so; even without him telling them, the others would act in accordance to his wishes without even knowing they were doing so. They were predictable like that.

Soon, it would be time to begin, he thought in silence. Now that young Fenris had moved out of District 13 and into Central, it would soon only be a matter of time until he eventually feels comfortable enough with his family’s new life to seek out the others. It would then be a truly simple matter of guiding the boy’s path so that he may then be led to the third and currently final New Genesis, the one even younger than him.

And once that fateful encounter occurred, the battles can truly begin.

It hurt him to know that there may very well be casualties during the crossfire... but for the sake of his goal, it must be accomplished.

Only then, can he establish true balance across all of existence.

CHAPTER 2

After getting off work a little early, Milla headed right over to the elementary school and picked up her daughter to being their walk back home in earnest.

With the sun already setting by the time she’d even picked up Sophie, the young mother was once more thankful for the afterschool daycare the school offered, and for free too.

It honestly hurt her to leave her child there for so long, but it had to be done in order for money to be earned to sustain their new lifestyle.

It was once again a true gift to have such understanding children, what with her daughter remaining upbeat as always, smiling and humming as they walked home hand in hand.

How was school today, sweetie? Milla gently asked.

It was great! Today we got to go around and-! Sophie began, launching into a veritable tirade of everything she and her classmates did.

Despite not actually being quite that much in content, Sophie was able to make it sound as if she and the other kids did days worth of study and activity in the span of a single school day. Nonetheless, Milla listened in rapt silence, thoroughly enjoying the fact that her daughter was happy.

By all means, it certainly wasn’t easy, living here in Central now, but she’d come here knowing that to start with.

It was truly good fortune that she’d been able to get her current job in the first place in such short order – she’d been nervous about the fact she had no formal education or work history beyond prostitution to jot down on her application, but even then she’d still been given a shot at an interview and she’d done her best to appeal to the interviewer at the time. And boy, had it worked. To think, the social skills that came naturally with prostitution would work so well for her elsewhere.

Now, being a waitress certainly hadn’t been her intended goal per say, but she was by no means ungrateful. After all, the mere fact she was working at all was a true blessing. And besides, her coworkers as well as her supervisor were genuinely nice people. Sure, they’d all gawked at her figure the first week or so, especially when her age became known, but that had been expected since it was now evident that that most if not all women in Central weren’t quite so, ah, gifted. This was, of course, only relative in comparison to her and by extension the women back at the brothel in District 13.

And just semi-recently, she’d become something of a singer as well at the diner. And while she wasn’t exactly getting paid extra for it, she didn’t mind it so much. Singing was something she enjoyed just as much as she enjoyed playing piano or violin though sadly those were instruments she didn’t exactly have access to here in Central. Perhaps one day in the distant future, when she could truly afford to splurge without worry, she could try purchasing a violin and take up playing it again, but she was more than happy to take what she can get right now. In any case, though she didn’t sing quite as often as she used to prior to this job, it was a good thing she hadn’t lost her edge whilst doing so. And now that she was doing so on a regular basis, that would be something she could now put on her resume for future opportunities.

Oh! Looks like big brother is home! Sophie suddenly said, snapping Milla out of her thoughts. She pointed energetically towards their apartment, which was on the second floor of the four-story complex. The lights within were on, clearly visible through the apartment’s front window.

It would seem so, she commented with a soft smile. He must have already started dinner too.

It made her feel bad to know her own son had to work to further supplement their income, his status as a New Genesis be damned. Alas, if not for said additional income, their finances certainly would be tighter. Not dangerously so, but enough to be noticeable.

Oh well, if nothing else, at least his work was nothing too strenuous, not that any conventional job would ever be able to strain an Awakened, much less one like Fenris. And an additional upside was that it got him out of the apartment and helped him get familiar with Central’s park, which was a great thing considering just how absurdly huge said park was; the first time she’d gone there with her children, she’d feared getting lost.

Walking up the stairs nearby and saying a quick hello to one of her neighbors, Milla and Sophie swiftly entered their apartment.

Though she supposed it was somewhat on the small side by Central’s standards, to her, it was like an actual home in terms of size when compared to their original room back at the brothel. It was nice and spacious and very cool during the day, but the heat coming from the kitchen was currently counteracting that last part somewhat.

Hi mom, hi Sophie! Fenris called out as he then rounded the kitchen counter, carrying two plates of grilled fish, seasoned with some recently bought spices, and rice towards the dining table.

Hi honey, Milla replied with a smile before approaching her son and giving him a quick peck on his forehead. She also took the plates from him and set them down on the table. As she did so, Fenris spread out his arms and Sophie took this as a signal to essentially tackle her big brother in a hug. How was work?

Same as always, Fenris responded as the family of three then quickly went to wash up before returning to the dining table, which gave the food just enough time to cool to more bearable temperatures. Would you believe me though if I said I found some paper plates that were apparently blown up into trees at some point and made into the primary parts of a bird’s nest?

Normally, such litter might put most people off, but to Milla and her kids, who grew up in District 13 which was far dirtier and, to be blunt, much more fucked up a place than Central could ever be, such a thing was nothing in comparison.

This was shown in Milla’s mild surprise and amusement. Oh? That’s certainly something new. She giggled lightly as she tried to imagine how that must have looked like. I bet the birds were rather upset when you had to clean it up.

Her son laughed as he picked up Sophie and placed her in her seat at the table. They were – they tried pecking at me a little, but shooing them away was easy as could be, he replied. But then he hummed as another thought clearly hit him. Still, I’m a bit surprised that I’ve yet to find even one couple having sex in the bushes or near a stream. I mean, it is a park, after all – surely that has to appeal to some fetishists out there.

Milla hummed thoughtfully too. That’s actually a good point... she murmured.

Once again, their upbringing in District 13 made their way of thinking much different from the more conservative ways of thinking here in Central. That isn’t to say the people of Central are averse to sex or anything, but compared yet again to District 13, there was a certain level of tactfulness and censorship regarding sex and other ‘controversial topics’ that District 13 severely lacked. Hence why her son could make such an observation and speak of it so casually with her. Same thing goes for Sophie too, though the girl having made such comments at school of all places had required Milla to give her daughter a hasty talking to on what was appropriate to say at school and what wasn’t.

E-Eh, really? Case in point, Sophie sounded surprised by what her brother had just said too, the young girl comprehending a topic here that kids here in Central clearly weren’t meant to understand at so young an age. What about at schools then?

Now at that, Milla’s smile became quite strained. Ah, sweetie... it’d be quite worrisome if sex was occurring at schools. Elementary schools, that is...

What was that, mom? Sophie asked, having not quite heard that last bit.

Nothing, Milla lied smoothly, though inwardly the mere thought of sex occurring at her daughter’s school of all places naturally wasn’t sitting well with her. And a quick glance to her son as he sat showed that he wasn’t quite okay with it either, having clearly been thinking of the same thing as well.

As casual a thing it was for them to even remotely speak of sex in such a normal setting, the very possibility of kids being involved in sex for any reason was upsetting. However, she imagined that the reason why it was upsetting for Fenris differed from why it was upsetting to her and to any other non-Awakened person.

In any case, it was silently agreed upon by both mother and son to now shift topics. And fast at that too, lest her daughter continue somehow making things uncomfortable.

Other than that, anything else happen? Milla asked as she began to sit and dig into her meal. See any litter in some other normally impossible to reach places?

She was bemused now as she said that. In the time her son has been working at this job, since his status as an Awakened much less a New Genesis was kept hidden, none of his coworkers had the slightest clue as to how he could always find litter and clean it out of spots that they would need much more time to even reach, assuming they would even spot said litter in the first place.

Fenris laughed a bit. Not really, no. Not today, at least. But it’ll only be a matter of time until I find a cup or shoe lost under a rock or up in the highest of trees. But how about you, mom? Work was okay?

And from there, their conversation went, routine as it had become ever since the two of them had started working here in Central.

Though it was now the very definition of mundane for the most part, it was something Milla very much cherished. After everything that’s happened back in District 13, mundanity was something she certainly felt the three of them could use more of.

Alas... she knew that it would only last so long. It would only be a matter of time until either her son took off to do who knows what or someone came knocking at their door to inquire about him. After all, while it wasn’t exactly common for others to approach someone that is suspected of being an Awakened, it wasn’t exactly uncommon either. Though her firstborn was doing a good job at acting normal, that was only relative to his usual behavior. As it is, their neighbors along with some people at his workplace knew something was off with her son, but for now they were remaining quiet on the matter.

Milla knew not how long exactly said silence would last, but it was better to try and enjoy this time of peace and tranquility while it lasted.

In any case, it still didn’t change the fact she and her son would have to keep working hard for a long while in order to eventually achieve financial security. This was a task she wouldn’t fail to achieve – as a mother, it was only natural to ensure her children were taken care of.

Even if that meant one day having to...

The twenty-two year old mother tried not to feel too down at such a thought lest her son notice.

So, putting on a calm and delightful expression, Milla continued her dinner conversation with her children, taking solace in their moments of happiness.

She could only pray said happiness would never ever be robbed from them.

xxxxxxx

Sometime later, after having finished dinner and cleaning up, Fenris was by himself in the apartment’s living room space.

Though it was still a little early in the evening, both his mother and sister had already freshened up for the night, the former taking a nice and relaxing shower while the latter was already put to bed – she did have school tomorrow, after all.

As for himself, he was simply standing there in the center of the room, staring out the nearest window and up at the shining moon, a beautiful sight that seemed only enhanced by the metaphysical hole in reality itself, the surreal thing serving as quite a contrast to the otherwise natural beauty of the lunar object.

Then, on autopilot, he suddenly went from being completely motionless to throwing some practice punches, jab after jab lashing out rapidly as he practically glided forward.

After several dozen punches whilst moving forward, his final blow seemed to nearly connect with the window itself – only for his left fist to stop just millimeters short of the glass, his knuckles so close to said glass that even up close it would seem as if he was touching it.

Obviously, he’d been massively holding back – if he were to even remotely go all out in terms of strength or speed, forget the window, the whole of Central would’ve paid a horrible price.

But that had been the point – to hold back.

He’d practically had a lifetime of experience doing just that, up until his battle with Christopher, where he’d truly cut loose for the first time ever. Even then, he’s come to realize some time after that fight that there was still much to learn.

Since doing his usual muscle training and self-taught katas were impossible until he found a spot to train in without causing a ruckus for others, the only thing he could focus on for the time being was technique and control.

From what he understood, such refinement was something some people found boring or troublesome. However, he was among the other group that found said refining quite fascinating and fulfilling. Aside from the mental disciplining that taking the time to refine his moves did, it was simply fun to be able to improve his skill.

Oh, and again, it went without saying that no one liked a sloppy person. And as someone who fully intended to one day love all in existence, Fenris also intended to show everyone and everything his very best, thus it was only natural and even inevitable for him to refine himself.

That all said... it was weird.

Retracting his fist and then bending backwards into a handstand by using only his index fingers, the boy narrowed his eyes in mild confusion.

Though he’d forsaken his muscle training for the time being, it still somehow felt like his physical capabilities were still growing. Granted, that’s always been the case, he belatedly realized. However, ever since his battle with Christopher, it’s felt as if his unnatural growth rate had received a seemingly permanent boost.

It wasn’t as if he could test this out or anything, but just deep within his soul, Fenris knew his power was steadily growing even without him seemingly doing anything. That he could even feel such a thing despite being incapable of physically feeling anything was honestly weird, even by his rather liberal standards.

In all likelihood, this had to do with him being a New Genesis, a thought that once again got him wondering what exactly a New Genesis was truly capable of. And again, this wasn’t a question he could reasonably expect an answer to anytime soon, though he wished it were otherwise.

Humming deeply in thought whilst keeping perfectly balanced, he moved back several feet using only his index fingers and thumbs to move before then bending forward again, plopping his bare feet against the nearest wall.

Gripping the slightest of ridges within the otherwise smooth wall with the very soles of his feet, Fenris began to walk right up said wall and towards the ceiling, right hand in his pajama bottom’s pocket while rubbing his chin with his other hand.

It wasn’t until he reached the ceiling and started walking across it that he finally spoke up. It really feels like I’m not going to be getting any answers at this rate, he mumbled to himself with just a hint of a humor.

No matter how many times he’s told himself to just take things slow and await a proper opportunity to truly begin his search for answers, he always ended up thinking about this stuff, a sure sign of his childish need to know everything possible.

Man, he really had to get better at that.

Letting go of the ceiling, he started to fall towards the couch below headfirst, until he effortlessly flipped around in midair and landed gracefully and silently upon the couch. Yet another thing he’s learned to do – only a complete amateur went around making a crap ton of noise with every little movement.

As he now sat and stared at the TV, currently off, Fenris let out a slight whine, something uncharacteristic of him, except the whine wasn’t aimed at anything other than himself.

Really now, he ought to be better than this. What would his mom say? Or Christopher? They’d think him as some dumbass and impulsive kid and they’d be right to do so. He really needed to get a grip on himself here.

...Thinking again?

Fenris blinked and he turned to see his mom now approaching him from the small hallway their apartment had. Having just finished her shower and drying off, she had changed into a simple nightgown that she’d had to buy custom made to fit her frame without being too uncomfortable or loose.

He smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. Y-Yeah. Sorry if I was making any noise, mom.

His mother just smiled a bit. Only you would ever think you’re being loud, honey... she said with a light laugh as she walked behind the couch and gently ruffled his spiky hair. Ah, it was times like this where he actually found himself wishing he could physically feel. Ah well. If nothing else, it was the principle of the gesture that really mattered.

So, his mom began. Wondering about what you are?

Fenris now winced under her soft grip. I’m that obvious...?

Well, not really, she replied. I just know you, is all. His mom then circled around the couch and sat on the right side of it, twisting her upper body so that she was more or less directly facing him.

She said nothing further, but her kind blue eyes and inviting smile were enough to prompt him to speak.

It’s just that, well, I really want to know more about what exact I, a New Genesis, am. About what I’m truly capable of... and what the other ones are capable of too.

So that you can fight them? His mom’s tone wasn’t accusing nor angry. She didn’t sound amused either per say. She’d merely been asking without any real emotion behind the words at all.

Even so, it was enough to get the pupil-less and vibrant blue-eyed boy to wince again. Um, y-yes. Though going up against Christopher and eventually the other New Geneses would be a dream come true, in this moment he was made aware of how such a thing must bother his mom.

Indeed, his mom has always been bothered by his actions thus far in life. Though she’s never actually been truly upset by all his fighting and destroying nor fully supportive of him fulfilling his impulses, it was something she’s come to somewhat accept, if only because destroying in order to show affection made him happy, fulfilled him. And as a mother, it seemed only natural for her to want her children to be happy.

But by that same token, it was precisely because she was a mother that she feared so much for their safety and well-being.

...Fenris knew well that should he go up against another New Genesis, there would be a possibility of him dying. He was by no means the smartest person around, but he understood this much. That said, he felt no fear of death – if anything, the very possibility that he could die in battle against another New Genesis made him that much more eager to trade blows with one.

However, the same could not be said for his dear mother. Even though he was hardly an ordinary child, it was painfully obvious that his mom still feared for his well-being and life. She knew exactly how powerful he is and even then, she feared for him.

And that... that unsettled him. He would give anything to make his mom and sister forever happy and be at ease. But in this case, doing that would mean giving up any and all chances at meeting and combatting other New Geneses, since to do so would only cause them worry and potential heartache. But at that same time, he wanted more than anything to love the other New Geneses with all he had and that could obviously only be done by fighting and attempting to destroy them. Adding onto that, his mom had told him not long after the incident with Erik and Markus that it wasn’t wrong per say to do what made him happy, provided it was done in moderation.

With all this suddenly in mind, Fenris was seriously flummoxed as he realized the metaphorical pickle he was in.

Just what exactly was he to do in this situation?

His inner turmoil must have shown through on his face because his mom then reached out for him. I see, she began neutrally. Then she smiled rather bitterly, making for a sight that hurt him spiritually. This really means a lot to you, doesn’t it?

Not trusting himself to speak again, he merely nodded as he looked at her.

She could only nod back. She then took a deep breath, an action that threatened the integrity of her nightgown before speaking again. Just... Just make sure to know when to pull back, okay? Like I told you before, it’s okay to do what will make you happy... but never get too lost in that feeling. That’s always how things go wrong.

Because too much of a good thing can be bad, he mumbled seconds afterwards.

That’s right. His mother paused. I know better than anyone how you think. I know what it is you want, honey. And that’s not your fault, really, it isn’t. And even while knowing this, I want you to be happy, just as I want your sister to be happy when she’s older too. But please, try to be mindful of others, okay?

There was a long moment of silence immediately thereafter, Fenris staring up at his mother while she seemed to be patiently awaiting an answer.

It was another moment before the boy was able to speak. Even after all that’s changed since you’ve told me that, he began hesitantly. You still approve of what I want to do? Even though it clearly worries you?

To say he was confused was an understatement. He was outright taken aback, gobsmacked.

His mother laughed at his expression. I wouldn’t be a very good mother if I didn’t support what it is you want to do in life.

Even though what I want goes against the norm?

In this world where Awakened exist, I’ve come to realize that the ‘norm’ doesn’t really apply that strongly for them, she said. "That naturally includes you too. I wouldn’t exactly say I wholeheartedly approve of you destroying things and people, but I know all too well that love comes in many forms and in varying intensities... and to restrict or even outright deny how my own children show their affection is one thing I will never approve of."

For a long while, the two of them sat there, Fenris staring at his mother in stunned silence. He loves her dearly and has always looked up to her. She and his sister meant the world to him and he’s always thought highly of them. But even so, just how much time had his mom must have spent dwelling on all this? Just how often and how intensely had she pondered over his actions and mentality and pontificated over her involvement in all this?

True, her message may ultimately boil down to ‘just be careful and don’t get too swept up in your desires,’ but still... once again, he was left touched.

He nodded resolutely. I... I understand, mom. I swear I’ll be careful.

Her expression brightened considerably in response and she kissed him again on the forehead and ran a hand through his hair. That’s all I ask for, okay? Now, how about you head to bed? I know you don’t need sleep but being up all the time isn’t good for you. She said this in a gentle and slightly admonishing tone, but there was also a hint of playfulness to her voice too.

Fenris let out a quick laugh, but obediently got up. Okay. Good night, mom. And thank you. It means mores to me than I can ever express in words.

Giving her a quick but firm hug, he walked off to his room, his mood considerably better than it had been just moments ago.

As weird as this may sound even to himself, Fenris felt he now possessed a sense of clarity that he’d been lacking just a while ago.

Invigorated now despite heading to bed, he resolved to make the most of his day tomorrow. Though it wasn’t as if he was going to suddenly track down Christopher or another New Genesis in the span of a day, the boy now intended to do what he can to at least find something to work with regarding his fellow New Geneses .

With his mother’s understanding, blessing, and caution, he looked forward to what the immediate future may hold for him.

xxxxxxx

Sure enough, morning came quickly enough. It was truly amazing how quickly time seemed to fly when he forced himself asleep. Hmm, come to think of it, how weird it was that he was even capable of sleep despite never feeling fatigued in the slightest. Yet another small oddity to note.

But he was already digressing here, heh.

After having an early breakfast alongside his mother and sister, he and Sophie bid their mother goodbye as she left for her morning shift. As for the two siblings, Fenris was to walk his dear sister to school.

This was yet another thing that had become routine enough during their time in Central so far, what with their mom often working the morning to the afternoon, which required him to walk his sister to school due to the difference in their start times.

As for him, his work shift today wasn’t going to start until noon, so that gave him plenty of time to not only walk Sophie to school but also do his own thing.

And so, hand in hand with his sister, he tried to plan out his day. Not exactly an easy thing to do what with his excitement at what could happen – he was always so easily distracted like this – but he was doing his best.

What are you going to do today, big brother? Sophie asked him, interrupting his thinking.

Hmm, do a little walking around Central, I suppose, he said, intentionally cryptic. Technically, he wasn’t lying – lying was one of the very few things he actually didn’t like