It's officially been over a week since the promised deal.
All that time, Jin spent with his mother or friends as much as possible.
However, he stayed mostly in bed. He wasn't sure why, but recently his body felt heavy, like gravity had doubled for him. When he did walk, it was with a metal retractable walking stick Taro made.
He hated needing it. He hated being inside this mansion.
And he especially hated that he had to ask Arael just to go outside.
It was during this time, when the sun had barely risen, a voice would call while the sun was still waking.
"Mornin' sunshine!"
From the window, a certain crimson haired girl peaked through with sparkling eyes.
Jin saw her and immediately put down the book he had been reading. His eyes droopier than usual.
"Isis," he softly said. "We have a door, you know. And what are you doing? This is the second floor of the mansion."
"As if we haven't broken through anything taller," Isis rolled her head, creeping herself inside. "How you holding up now. You think you could walk?"
"Oh, well, it's getting better. I still need the stick though. Why are you here?"
"Awesome," Isis smiled. "If so, lets go! I was just exploring the city and found this breathtaking view you've got to see!"
"Hell no. It's early. I'm tired. Maybe in like... 12 hours."
"It'd be dinner time by then! And you're reading right now. You're not tired. There's nothing better for you to do, is there?"
"Not my problem. Stop being a pain..." Jin rubbed his eyes. "I woke up just a bit early so I wanted to read. I was already planning to go back to sleep later."
"Don't be such a stick in the mud. All you've been doing all week is stay stuck up in this room and reading! Lets go hang out!"
Jin curled into his blankets more.
"Ugh... tomorrow. We hung out yesterday at the garden."
"You've been saying that for the past two days! And for your information, that didn't even count. You were just moping on the grass."
"Tch..."
Jin looked at the door. "Alright then, fine. I'll come. But first... How about I go ask if I could? If he doesn't say yes, I won't go."
"Pfft," Isis stiffled a laugh, which confused Jin, as she held her stomach. "You? Asking? Alright, alright. Whatever you say then~ I'll be waiting down at the gate!"
"Ah, wait a second...!"
Just as she finished, she leapt from the window again. Jin didn't even get to tell her she could just use the front door.
He sighed.
That feral child...
He thought about her offer for a moment before hopping out of bed. It's not like he had anything better to do any ways.
Gripping the walking stick that leaned against his bedside, he limped his way to the door.
His hand was about to grip the handle when it swung right open.
Nozomi stood with a surprised gasp. "Jin?" Her expression turned grumpy. Her brows knitting into a frown. "You should be in bed, young man."
He greeted his mother with a tired smile. "Sorry, that was the plan. But Isis came in earlier and mentioned she wanted to show me something. I'm just trying to see if I can get permission from Arael."
"You can't just let yourself get dragged along by that girl," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And It's Lord Arael, Jin. Even if you dislike him, you can't go disrespecting him. He's still a Vassari and he's promised to take care of us."
He still threatened to kill you just last week! Jin clicked his tongue. Not even in a million years. He won't ever show respect to a Vassari. Especially not one like him.
"Regardless, I didn't see Isis around. Did I perhaps miss her?"
Jin forced out a few coughs. "She... crawled in from the window."
"Eh?" Dumbfounded, Nozomi pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're kidding."
Immediately, Nozomi let herself inside and rushed to the window which Isis had allegedly crawled in from. The view led right to the front gates, so when she looked out, she saw Isis waving her hand excitedly.
"Hello Ms. Amakusa!"
"That girl.... honestly."
"It's Isis. She's always crazy," Jin chuckled lightly.
"So, are you planning on going?" Nozomi asked.
"Yeah, I just need to ask Arae— ahem... Lord Arael, if I could first," Jin affirmed.
"You can go on ahead," Nozomi said, reassuringly. "I can handle Lord Arael. Just go play with your friend."
"Really? You seriously don't have to. I can go to his office myself. I might've stayed mostly inside, but I know the layout of the mansion just as well as you do, mum."
Nozomi walked up to Jin and gently patted his head. "You really are sweet. But it's a mother's job to help her son. Now go along before I change my mind."
Jin hesitated — but then gave a silent nod. "Thank you, mum."
Without a moment of waste, he went through the hallway, making his way to the front gates.
"Just don't go about stealing!" Nozomi called.
"Can't make promises I won't keep!"
Had this been the usual case, she would've given him a long lecture. But it's his last week here. She wanted to give her son the freedom to at least do what he wants without making him worry for his poor worrisome mother.
So instead, she could onlys smile at his leaving visage.
I can't tell, Tomoya. He's growing up fast. Almost too fast. And I fear I won't be able to see him again... Nozomi nervously thought to herself. Was it the right choice to try support him? I don't know.
She looked up at the clouds with a longing gaze. Her eyes meeting up at Halcendre. "A faraway place where you disappeared. Is it alright to believe once more?"
Nozomi couldn't believe it when she first heard of the news from Jin. She almost fainted from the shock at first.
"Dad is still alive, according to Arael. And apparently, he'll help me find him if I go along with his plans."
"Jin, I... even still. That didn't mean you had to accept the deal."
"Mum, I accepted that deal to save you. I didn't want to accept it in the beginning either. But, part of me also can't deny he might still be out there. I also want things to return how they used to be... and this is that oppurtunity to make our family whole again."
She thought of his words again.
"Ah, Ms. Amakusa?"
Nozomi turned upon hearing her name called. "Yes?"
The man who stood there was named Beschermen Kyle. He is the man who works directly under Arael himself and is the leader of the enforcer's who roamed throughout Osvain.
Nozomi didn't exactly like the man. He hurt her son on multiple occasions without even a second thought. If only she could see his expressions under that helmet.
Kyle looked at the empty bed.
"Where's Jin?"
"He's gone out with a friend," Nozomi responded.
"Is that so. Has he been granted permission by Lord Arael?"
"I was the one who was going to do that."
"There's no telling on whether or not Lord Arael would let him."
"If he doesn't, then that's a shame. Because I believe he's already started leaving."
Her curt composure left Kyle silent. The man has usually seen her around her son. His initial impression of her was that of a highly emotional women who cared deeply about her family. He wasn't expecting this.
"I see..."
Kyle approached the bed and grabbed a hold of a book that lied there. It was tattered. The edges slightly burnt.
"Hmmm, who was doing this?"
"My son. I managed to retrieve it back while we had been out recovering any of our old items which you so rudely destroyed. He mentioned he wanted to read through it again the other day."
He was reading this before? Kyle thought. Only level 3?
He pushed the thought away, finding it useless to think about.
"Why did you come, Officer Kyle. Did you have any buisness with my son?"
"I did. But, it can wait till a later date."
***
From his office, overlooking the courtyard, Arael watched Jin make his way towards the front gates. One hand on the walking stick. Isis hovering nearby.
"My, when did I give official clearance to him?" he thought. "Oh well, if he's not back by dawn, I'll just get Kyle to fetch him."
There small figures grew increasingly so as they left his view.
"Children these days. Are all so rebellious at this age now?"
Arael's gaze didn't waver as he returned to his work.
His mind drifted off to a week ago when he first saw Jin in action.
Raw tenacity, outstanding levels of focus, and a talent for using Recall. He'll need to catch up academically if he were to compete with the top but... Other than those minor details, he's perfect for the job.
To Arael, Jin's background was nothing he hadn't already seen before. But the reality of him was different. There's this unwavering resolve in him that he can sense.
He couldn't have seen it before in all his research on him.
What defined him?
How does he see the world?
He thought he knew the answer, but it was deeper than that.
Before, he merely felt interested in the boy. An Ordinary who can use a Nexus was unprecedented.
But that unwavering will that boy had was what truly shined. One that'd go as far as to raise his hand against a Vassari.
An Ordinary can never stand against a Vassari.
That was what every Vassari encoded into the Ordinary's for over the past century. That divide growing more evident with the splitting of the two societies into the higher and lower strata.
That belief. That code. It should've become the very law that an Ordinary shouldn't try breaking.
Yet, til the very end, Jin believed he could've won. Does he see Arael as his equal? It left him amused.
It's not just Jin though. The others he keep around him carried that same spark. His friends also showed that sign.
The world... Arael could tell, it's changing. It wasn't until the past decade that more and more reports of Ordinary's starting riots.
I want to see if it's truly possible. Can an Ordinary truly surpass a Vassari?
This academy Arael plans on sending Jin to will show that.