Chapter 52: Family secrets

Before Nero could look around for a chair, the sound of a door opening alerted him that someone was coming in his room so he immediately deactivated Luminalink. That was when he realised that, despite standing in the vision, he was actually sitting in real life. He had nearly been tricked by his father again. He clicked his teeth and looked up, just in time to see an exhausted Gabriel coming in.

"What happened to you?" Nero couldn't help but ask. It was not common to see him so spent.

"Field survival class. We were unexpectedly targeted by several back-to-back curses, but since the level was low, the teachers let us take care of it ourselves. In the end, it turned out that it's hard to remember everything you learnt in class when you're fighting for your life."

Although Gabriel did not elaborate further, Nero could conclude that the class had not gone well.

"Well, get some rest. When you're feeling better, we have some things we need to discuss. I heard a rumour that the KMA recruitment exam might be held in Aetherpeak. We need to look into it."

"That rumour has been going around for a week," Gabriel said dismissively. "Until there's a shred of proof, such as exam site preparations or the arrival of staff members, it's best to ignore it."

"I heard it from Ms. Zim."

That gave Gabriel pause, and then he groaned.

"I'm going to go take a shower. I'll look into these things in the morning."

"Her maiden name was Soren. Does it ring a bell? I'd be genuinely surprised if it did. I will not reveal the history behind that name - I'll leave it as a little side project for you to discover on your own. What I will tell you, however, is that the Soren family is an old family, with very strong traditions. Sometimes, that can be a good thing, and sometimes, it can be bad.

In your mothers case, it is a bad thing.

"Right now, she is in Lorilem getting treated by an Orchardist, but I can tell you in advance that the result of that treatment is going to be a failure. It's not surprising, since Orchardists don't specialise in healing the way Ayurvedists do. At least, that's what the official story is going to be.

No matter what, news of your mothers recovery cannot be made public knowledge, at least until she breaks through to the Mystic realm. Preferably, even then, it's best to keep it a secret.

"That's because the Soren family has many enemies, and many people who do not want to see it rise. Your mother strongly suspects that... that the incident with Patrick is also a result of her background. Although there's no proof of it yet, if it's true, then chances are you are also going to be targeted.

The same way her brother was forced to escape Kolar, the same way her cultivation path was crippled."

By this point, Edwards' charismatic smile had faded completely, and he could not help but let out a deep sigh. But he did not stay silent for long, and continued speaking.

"But, while you should stay vigilant, you should also know that I have also learnt from my mistakes. I have arranged for protection for you, in case you are targeted. I will tell you their identities, but you cannot reveal that you know their purpose, since they're also from the Whisper Guard. One of them is called Harvey, and the other is called Zim.

I believe, by now, you should already be familiar with them."