Time gradually marched on, as days after reawakening, Vance prepared for his departure to what the group called a Warp gate, some magical construct that the trio shared very little information on.
It was during this time that he also gained a deeper understanding of these people. Even now, a sardonic smile still hung on his lips as he recalled those initial interactions.
Through some of these small talks with Ares,he gained information on where he was currently located: It was a small resource planet named Gharst-84, currently under the dominion of an Interstellar Human Empire.
From what Astre told him this place was without a doubt, a reality just as teeming with supernatural giants, and eldritch horrors as the absurd science fiction his late comrade from Earth used to rave about wherever they went.
This reality—so starkly different from his mundane existence back on Earth, served as a harsh reminder of his current state. A melancholy smile crept over his face as he thought of his past. However, for some strange reason he found a large hole everytime he got past a certain point. Where everything was void. He only had memory of his first 19 years. While he was sure he had lived for twenty.
Exiting the flimsy tent, he eyed the "inhuman": the term he'd begrudgingly adopted for the group after witnessing the extent of their abilities.
He still remembered vividly the first time he'd witnessed Astre, deceptively frail-looking, effortlessly manipulate a massive log with a flick of his wrist. At first he was in disbelief, even though he had seen it already. It was no less shocking. It was after a few too many displays of such feats that he finally confronted them, his initial trepidation slowly yielding to a fascination.
After painstakingly examining their personalities, he decided to approach the most talkative of the group. Astre. Unlike the reserved Cecilia, who spent most of her waking hours in sword practice, and Balgur, who seemed permanently preoccupied with hunting, Astre was the most loquacious and, oddly, the most normal.
He approached the waiting cohort, leaving behind the crude tent he'd surprisingly grown fond of, and the silent remains of the forgotten city. Memories of their previous conversation played in his mind, as sharp and clear as the evening it occurred.
*****
It was during a quiet evening on the second day, when he decided to approach Astre, who at the time was preoccupied with the meticulously sharpening of his shortsword outside his makeshift shelter, Vance had cautiously took a seat beside the blond figure.
He then delicately initiated his information gathering, steering the conversation to a subject of his choosing: "Where are Cecilia and Balgur? I don't see them."
Astre's face immediately soured upon hearing Vance's question, a clear sign of recent friction between them. Vance inwardly chuckled; the answer he anticipated was not surprising.
"Balgur? Probably off hunting something. That's all he ever does. And Cecilia? Honestly, who cares? Probably off somewhere brooding. She could be dead for all I know, and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it," Astre muttered, his tone laced with disdain when speaking of Cecilia.
But he continued his rant, something Vance was becoming accustomed to. It was at this time that Vance decided to throw his question out there. Almost casually. "Where did you guys learn to... do those super-human stuff?"
A momentary silence hung in the air before Astre finally responded, "Not learned, but gained as a byproduct of ascension," Astre smiled.
"Ascension?" Vance mused aloud.
Astre furrowed his brow, looking up from his blade. "You're kidding, right? You don't know about ascension? It isn't exactly classified information or a rare event."
Vance shrugged.
"You really don't know?" Astre glanced at him, brows furrowed. "Figures. Must be weird, coming from a place where conflict isn't so common." He exhaled sharply through his nose.
"It's not something we study, Vance. It's just… something that happens. One second you're normal, and then," he snapped his fingers—"something inside you shifts. A distinct change. And suddenly, you're not. There are, however, small signs before it happens—though most people dismiss them."
Vance narrowed his eyes. "Change?"
"Yeah," Astre muttered, turning back to his blade."A moment of clarity. Or a moment of madness. No one really knows what triggers it. Sometimes, it's a revelation. Sometimes, it's desperation. And sometimes," he chuckled dryly,"Sometimes it's just dumb luck."
"I see." Vance let out a short, dry exclamation of understanding.
"Let me let you in on a little secret about the captain." Astre lowered his voice, glancing around before continuing. "Actually, Balgur is, uh… different from me and Cecilia. Matter of fact, just sending him alone would have been enough to take out all the orcs. While me and Cecilia are still within the realm of the superhuman, Balgur… well, he's gone way beyond that."
From the strained breath that Astre took when discussing Balgur to the bright gleam that ignited in his eyes as he described Balgur's power… and slight twitching, Vance gained a slightly deeper understanding of Astre's nature.
This chatterbox both admired and, possibly, desired such power.It was not weird though. Which sane man didn't want to lift boulders and scale trees effortlessly. "Is this Ascension common?" Vance asked, his eyes fixed on Astre, who even at this point, was still meticulously polishing his blade.
"Very much so," Astre muttered, the words almost a dismissive afterthought. He turned slightly, eyeing the distant, ruined city. His body language gaining a touch of violence mixed with regret in the process.
"It's a sign of power, prestige, and honour after all," he continued "anyways, if you're really interested in the process, you can ask Cecilia when she returns in a few hours. If she's in the mood then high chance the bub will tell you. She's much more knowledgeable than I am about this stuff," Astre muttered after quietly turning to more attentively polish his blade.
Marking this as his cue to leave, Vance lingered for a moment, he had continued to talk about minor stuff before he decided to leave, "Thank you."
Heading towards the tent to sleep, he quickly made himself comfortable before he began reflecting.
"This place couldn't be any stranger," Vance murmured, a slight smile playing on his lips. However, his eyes gained a tint of pain, as based on the brief experience and his understanding so far, he knew this place was not sunshine and rainbows. He had already seen it after all. It was reminiscent of places that he shared a bittersweet relationship with.
A figure gradually fading into his mind the more he thought about it.
His breath gained an uneven quality as his chest contracted and retracted rapidly, inviting a concerned inquiry from Astre outside.
"Vance?" Astre's voice cut through the night."You good?"
"Yes," answering barely audible, Vance quickly shuffled into the tent before laying down and closing his eyes. He never wanted to experience such feelings of powerlessness and grievance again. And he wouldn't. He would make sure of it.
Amidst the glow of his new pale brown eyes and messy black hair, he once more swore this oath.
For now, he would rest. They were leaving tomorrow, after all.
*****
"Are you ready, Vance?" Curiously observing the teenager, Balgur decided to interrupt his thought process as he was ready to begin their journey towards the warp gate 9 miles south, where he, Astre, and Cecilia claimed they had initially arrived from.
"Yes, I'm ready," Vance muttered as he approached the three that had been patiently waiting for him a few steps ahead.
"Good. You should also take this time to say goodbye to your home planet," Balgur voiced after nodding.
"No need," Vance replied, as he gazed at a tree; located right at the outskirts of the ruined town. From his position, he was just able see it. And, he did no know why, but for some reason ee had a lingering sense of loss watching its leafless branches stare back blankly.
"Ok. Now, let's depart." Balgur said. "Towards the gate."