Apotheosis (Song of Sophangence Book 3)

by E. I. McAllistair

  Yefferson began to wonder if it was possible someone else like him existed. With his facial hair almost fully grown in and his size, he could pass for an adult. It was then he decided he was done simply wasting away as a ward, and he would escape to make a life for himself on his own.

  Escape was not an accurate term for what Yefferson accomplished. With the trouble he caused, both for the system and families he was put with, it was more accurate to describe it as relieving the system of a burden. No longer did they need to feed him with his voracious appetite, or deal with his whims. He simply jumped out a fourth story window with what possessions he owned and started his new life. He would never know if they put forth any effort to find him, he never heard of any, and it was not all that uncommon for children his age to abandon the system.

  Yefferson had a number of beneficial factors that other children like him who had given up on the lackadaisical and overcrowded child services system did not possess. His inability to be harmed was the most invaluable of these factors. Whereas most children had to constantly fear for their safety and that of the few items they managed to acquire, it never once crossed his mind. For those who did cross him, thinking he might be an easy target, they met a gruesome end, him quite literally beating them to a pulp, or rescinding them to ash. Their fate was often determined by if they potentially had something worth salvaging on their person.

  He never needed to worry much where his next meal would come from. He felt nothing for others, so killing them for their food seemed as much a staple for him as others might would have rummaged through dumpsters for discarded food. He preferred to take from other people, he enjoyed the feel of taking another life, for whatever the reason might be. If no one had any food, his strength gave him access to any building, though once he realized alarms spoiled his feast, he began utilizing his Flame Form to infiltrate stores and restaurants without tripping the alarms so that he could eat his fill and take what money was available to him.

  He had a body most people could only dream of, even with the best of technology. Muscular without being overbearing, while also extremely lean, his Fire attunement gave him the gift of a metabolism to eat anything and everything he wanted without the slightest chance of gaining fat. It also gave him immense strength that could never be rivaled by weight training alone. Even at only age 15 he was almost 6' with a full, lush beard. This allowed him to travel with impunity, as no one ever questioned his age. Thanks to his Earth attunement, he could travel long distances without rest when he was forced to go by foot.

  Even if the system was not looking for him, it became evident putting distance between him and the greater area where he had spent most of his life would be for the best. If he was going to truly start a new life, he would need to leave his old one behind. He eventually found his way to Houston, Texas where he first encountered the place where he would eventually settle down. After a few months of his antics, word had gotten around about a ruggedly handsome man who answered to no one and had no regard for the ‘rules’ of the land.

  He had begun to make many enemies, not that it bothered him as most who crossed him never lived to tell of their encounter. He was not a loner by nature, he quite liked the company of others, but he had never been accepted beyond a shallow level. When he was younger, he was ostracized because he was different from everyone else. Now that he had grown, he was envied for what he had. His beauty even in worn clothes and unkempt shone like stars in the night, which most people did not appreciate. Had he been in a different world, he might have been much more popular, but in his reality, the more you had that people felt you did not earn, the greater their hatred of you became.

  After running afoul of the largest criminal enterprise in the area one too many times, the boss of the group, a man named Arcelious, but went by Ace, came to see the boy with his own eyes. Charismatic and cunning, Ace had not climbed to where he was without decades of hard work. He was known to be the most ruthless of all the crime bosses in the Houston, so when he met Yefferson for the first time, everyone was shocked at how things transpired.

  Though they felt he was cornered, Yefferson stood unconcerned and indifferent to the swarm of men with guns trained on him. When Ace stepped from his car and made his way through the throng, he immediately saw something in Yefferson, something only his years of being on top and seeing men and women come and go could have taught him. While everyone else feared for their boss’ safety from the unstable element that was Yefferson, Ace strode confidently up to the boy, never breaking eye contact until he was but inches from his face.

  “Look at this, we got us a real pretty one right here. How old are you kid?”

  “Fuck you old man.”

  “He’s got some balls on him, don’t he?! If I wanted to fuck you I could. I have had so many pretty ones like you over the years I can’t begin to count.”

  “I don’t fuck dudes. It won’t matter what you try since I’m going to kill you anyway.”

  Looking around at all his goons, Ace laughs deep from his stomach. He was genuinely amused. “You got an attitude problem, that’s for damn sure. You’ve done a lot of my boys in. I should drop you where you stand, but I have a thing about killing kids, despite how they look.”

  “I’m no kid, and you don’t know dick about me.”

  “I know no man would have the disrespect to come into my turf and do the things you have done. My guess, you ain’t more than 16, you just got some good genes.”

  Yefferson looked away from the man’s piercing stare, not used to being seen for what he really was. He felt a hand go across his face, a loud wail coming from Ace as he shook his hand vigorously.

  “Holy fuck kid, you are as solid as they come! Shit, I ain’t felt something like that in a long time.”

  Ace was immediately more interested in the fearless boy in front of him. Though he was not a Quintessence, he knew that he boasted an echelon high enough to be one and a resilience that was the key factor to why he had survived so long and gotten to his position. This boy in front of him had power and he knew it. What he did not know was where to direct that power. He had seen many kids like him, abandoned with nowhere to go. They all wanted one thing above everything else: a place to belong.

  “You know what kid? I like you. I like you so much I’ll make you a deal. Come work for me, and get off the streets. You’ll have good food, a place to stay, and clothes that don’t look like shit. A kid as much a looker as you will never be suspected if we clean you up. I’ll personally take you under my wing and show you what it is like to live, not just scrape by. What do you say?”

  Yefferson had his doubts. He knew enough to understand the large force around him meant this man genuinely had power. He also knew the man was not a saint who extended a hand to poor unfortunate souls in need just to do the right thing. This man was a predator like him. School had been a waste for him, he never had the patience nor talent for it. What this man could teach him though, it felt like what he was meant to do.

  His life was not exactly uncomfortable, it was just tiring. If he did not feel like sleeping outside, he just broke into a hotel. His abilities were well suited for such, and there had only been a few times he had to kill a maid who questioned him being in the room. He could never accumulate much though, as everything he held dear he had to keep on his person. If this man was offering him a place to stop his wandering and purpose he could focus on, perhaps the trade off would not be so bad.

  Though he could not explain it, he knew somewhere deep inside him he was searching for something. He wished many nights he knew what is was so the nagging feeling would go away, but he never had much to begin with. What he desired could be any number of things. He doubted the man would be able to ask him to do anything he found shocking or disagreeable, so if nothing else it was an opportunity. If all else failed, he could kill everyone and start fresh.

  Yefferson looked the man in the eyes, something about him already more paternal than anyone he had ever come in contact with.
“What do you want me to do?”

  27

  Emerging from the portal, Anaar approaches the sliding door with his usual apprehension. Opening it, rather than the one to three knives he had become accustomed to, instead there were a deluge of what appeared to be over twenty knives, showcasing the old Master’s ability. A mighty gust of wind swirls around Anaar, sending the knife storm far from their intended trajectory.

  Such a maneuver was much more instinct for Anaar than carefully crafted defense. Typically he would need to repress his natural response to such assaults. In this particular case his entire goal was to act in the best and most natural manner, rather than one informed by the need for guise. As he suspected, the old man was not at all surprised, indeed he actually looked amused, and if Anaar was reading it correctly, excited.

  “That was much different experiencing it person.”

  Closing the door as he placed a palm to his forehead, “So you did know.”

  “Of course I knew. I thought when you opened up about the true nature of your abilities, you would be completely forthright. Instead you decided to divulge only half of your truth.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because it is everyone’s right to their secrets and privacy. Though I am not a mind reader, I suspect it has similar implications for them. Information obtained through means not hindered by normal defenses to keep them hidden is best left until the circumstances change.”

  “It sounds like it is somewhat similar to what I employ in my own life. I suppose I would be a hypocrite if I tried to cast blame or imply it was a deception.”

  With the scene playing out about how he expected, Anaar decided it was time to reverse the roles. All of the daggers rose from the floor in unison, seemingly of their own accord. Together they struck forward toward the old man, who in a delicate series of movements, lacking any inefficiencies of motion, he either dodged or repelled the very knives he had thrown. Retaking his seat as if he had only just leisurely strolled across the room, he looked back into Anaar’s eyes, a fire there that was unfamiliar.

  “I did not have much to go on, but it comes as no surprise your hold a similar mastery over your Aerokinetics as you do your other abilities. A less informed person would perceive it as Telekinesis, unless you too have that ability.”

  “Nope, no dice. What made you aware of the difference?”

  “I suspect you already know the answer to that question.”

  “Your enhanced senses allowed you to feel the wind propelling their movement rather than a completely intangible force.”

  With only a nod from his head, Anaar sighed with a shrug and came to sit in front of him. “What is the cause of your visit? It surely could not be to let me know about something you suspected I was already aware of.”

  “To be honest, that really was a big part of it. The way you speak of your Foresight intrigues me. It always makes me wonder if it is worth the burden.”

  “From your words, one could believe you had active control over what abilities you manifest.”

  “Nothing gets past you… To an extent, I think I do. Are you familiar with the theory that True Quintessences exist because they are an indication that they have the capacity to manifest any ability of their attunement?”

  “I cannot say I devote much of my studies to such a topic.”

  “Well basically it was thought that True Quintessences were inherently a more concentrated version of the typical person. As such their abilities were stronger even if their echelon was lower. Then it was thought that True Quintessences represented a small percentage of the population with unlimited potential to increase their echelon. Gramps and I have been working on this theory debunking both of those, and instead focusing on the True Quintessence aptitude for manifestation.”

  “But what of your elemental forms?”

  “From what we can tell, they are a necessary byproduct rather than being something that sets us apart.”

  “How does this tie back to you being able to choose your manifestations?”

  “Well, that is because I have succeeded in doing so. Of course Gramps doesn’t know about me, so everything I say is from a theoretical standpoint, but I wanted the ability to make portals bad enough and was able to train myself to do so. The scientist in me has to account for the distinct possibility that I was going to manifest that ability anyway, thus ruining my entire experiment, but for now I would like to believe I forced the manifestation.”

  “If you can now create portals, why utilize the door rather than travel directly into this space?”

  “Dramatic effect? Plus if I come by the door, there is only one angle you can throw knives at me.”

  “Your defense is all encompassing. A simple shield could protect you from any angle.”

  “True, but despite what people might think, I don’t revel in using my abilities. It is often said we desire what we do not have, and covet what we cannot have. I will never know a life without my abilities. As it stands, I don’t know if I will be doomed to wander the earth for eternity or if I will eventually just die. As such, that means I have a long life of hiding ahead of me. After meeting someone like you, it would be nice to get to a level where even the possibilities of what I would do won’t reveal me, and instead I can just handle it without my abilities.”

  “You think that because of weakness, abilities like mine leave you prone to exposure?”

  “In a sense. It is more accurate to say I would like to get to a point where I am not worried about exposure because it would not be an involuntary action I have to actively combat. Does that sound arrogant or selfish? I have been made fun of before because I spend more time trying to hold back than just give it my all.”

  “I believe it definitely has room to be perceived as those things. I also believe it is testament to your overwhelming dedication to being considerate to others. People tend to despair, losing any shred of hope when in the face of someone with your power. Even with the ability you are known for which is to make explosions, you would rather give a fighting chance to others instead of utterly crushing them into submission.”

  “I kinda feel like that is only at school though. In scenarios where people do not know me, I can’t say I show the most restraint.”

  “You have stared down many more deadly situations than most as well.”

  Giving an awkward chuckle, “Yeah… And they don’t seem to be ending anytime soon.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Have you not seen what is going on in Haxby?!”

  “I am aware. I do not need to tell you how loud an explosion is. Whilst meditating I did pick up the sounds of explosions much farther away than campus.”

  “Holy crap, I suck. I don’t think I could ever pick up something that far away.”

  “I have many years of practice. Are you a Grand Synestate as I am?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is that how you were able identify me?”

  “Nope, that was Affinity Detection.” He see’s Master Shin’s eyes go wide for a moment, but he does not say anything. “I guess Foresight can’t discern those type of abilities unless they are indicated aloud. Speaking of which, how do you not just know what it is I am about to say? Sometimes you are surprised when we talk.”

  “I have told you there are many possibilities to sift through. It is a tiresome process. Many people who have this ability are lost to madness from it all. That is why I meditate so frequently. I have become quite adept at ignoring the information. Think of it like closing your eyes so you do not see something unpleasant approaching.”

  “Interesting. That makes sense. I wonder why I haven’t asked that before.”

  “It was only a matter of time. I would like to return to why you feel Haxby’s plight is your responsibility. Ixnes has made it clear that though anyone seeking shelter is welcome here, students are not to get involved with such issues.”

  Anaar sits quiet for a moment, piquing Master Shin’s curios
ity though he remains patient. “You remember last year when Phavian was attacked? How he almost died and it was thought I was the culprit?”

  “That is something I could never forget. You brought him back from the very brink of death.”

  “Yeah well as nice as it would be to dwell in our success, despite their circumstances, it turns out there is a reason for why that rumor came about in the first place.”

  “How does this relate to Haxby?”

  “It relates to Haxby because apparently I have an evil twin who is my opposite in attunement. He is the one responsible for what happened in Haxby and it was all to get my attention. I just don’t know how much more of this I can take. I feel as if my life is a movie, or some comic book for people’s enjoyment. How cliché is it that I have an evil twin? Where is the originality? Though I guess I can just say twin since we are both evil.”

  “Do you still consider yourself a bad person? You have been struggling with this since Seles came into your life.”

  “I know what you have said, but I just can’t hang my hat on the misplaced synesthetic understanding of a child. The world is not black and white, I get that. I also have to be honest with myself and admit I have made some pretty morally bankrupt choices in my life. I have killed far more people than I have helped, and surely care to admit. I could spend eternity trying to atone and do good deeds and I would still have a negative balance. If I am being completely honest, it is much more likely that I would just continue to rack up my negative tab, all while I play at doing good things.”

  “If you have one place of arrogance, it is in your idea of what significance your actions play in the flow of life.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “To you, doing ‘good’ only registers if it is a grand gesture. If you are not saving a life, or protecting an area from danger, you feel as if it is not important. Do you not realize most people in the world go their full existence never faced with the opportunity to make a large impact, be it ‘good’ or ‘bad’? Most people judge themselves on how they treat their family and friends, the general content of their character, and what small sphere of control they have. You seek to elevate yourself above those around you when you treat their concerns and contributions as insignificant.”