We have just proclaimed our decision loud and clear. Now that we have chosen to become heroes, the rest and everything that lies ahead remains unknown to us.
"Well, what should we do now?" Aria said to the hologram.
"First of all, I would like to know if you are sure of your decision."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you made your decision very quickly. Are you fully aware of the danger and responsibility that this entails? If I am here today in front of you, it is thanks to your parents for guiding you in your early days as heroes, but they have left the choice up to you because, above all, they want you to be happy. So please think carefully, consider what this means, and give me your answer. "
We were silent after these words. What does it mean? At that moment, we didn't know how to respond. Why did we make our decision so quickly? That's the question I asked myself. But Kael spoke up.
Personally, I have always had this feeling inside me that something is missing. A feeling of discomfort, as if I didn't belong. I had to adapt at school; I was never really myself. It's ironic, but I wasn't acting like my real self, yet at the same time I didn't know who or what my real self was. When I heard our parents' voices, it was like returning to our roots, coming home after a long day. And when you talked about the real world, the universe, my heart started beating faster than ever before. So yes, I don't know about the danger and misfortune that will befall us later. I don't know about all the trials we will have to endure. In fact, I don't know anything. But as someone taught us, I'm going to take my time to discover this world that is open to us and learn to appreciate it. I want, or rather we want, to become heroes because I feel that this is where we belong."
Perhaps it's because we are brother and sister, but we all thought and felt the same way. Kael spoke on behalf of everyone and, at the same time, gave our answer to everyone.
"Well, I see that you are all determined, and I respect your choice. I wanted to dispel my fears. Many trials await you, but I promise I will guide you as best I can."
"What should we do now?" I asked.
"First, I'll explain how your power works. I'm talking about the energy within you. We call it Aetherium."
Aetherium is the main source of energy for people in the universe, materialized by a core. It is present in each of us to a greater or lesser extent. Aetherium strengthens our physical and mental abilities, which are essential for combat and in an individual's life. It symbolizes the basics of heroes: mastering Aetherium gives heroes physical reinforcement in terms of striking power, reaction and analysis speed, and development of the five senses—smell, touch, sight, hearing, and taste.
But most importantly, Aetherium represents a person's life. Each of us has Aetherium within us, in varying degrees of strength. The first rule is to never run out of Aetherium in your body. If an individual has no Aetherium left, they will immediately lose their life. It is therefore essential to always keep a minimum amount of Aetherium within us.
However, heroes mainly use the elements. There are several types of energy in the universe. A total of five have been discovered and are used or mastered to varying degrees.
The main one is Aetherium, which is materialized by a core located within each of us, but most heroes combine Aetherium with elemental energy.
Elemental Aetherium is a source of energy that comes from elemental particles scattered throughout the universe. At birth, depending on our affinities, elemental particles enter our bodies and develop, making the individual stronger. The main elemental Aetherium forms the five primal elements. Fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning are the five primal elemental Aetherium, the five most common and most used and developed by individuals.
But over time, several varieties of elemental Aetherium have been discovered, less common than the five primal ones, such as metal, magnetism, and nature. Furthermore, it is much more complicated to master these elemental Aetherium due to their complexity and the lack of discoveries and information about them.
Heroes have learned to merge the abilities of Aetherium and elemental Aetherium. First of all, this is based on the amount of Aetherium within us, which represents the power we deploy during our attacks. The principle is simple. It was discovered and developed to allow heroes to fight for longer. Elemental Aetherium depletes quickly compared to Aetherium, which is dangerous because we no longer have enough power and strength to continue fighting. Researchers later discovered similarities between Aetherium and Elemental Aetherium, allowing them to be combined. The principle is to accumulate a large amount of Aetherium, which is found in greater quantities within us, and then mix it with a small amount of elemental Aetherium. This mixture transforms all the accumulated Aetherium into elemental Aetherium. Thanks to this technique, individuals can prolong battles while using powerful abilities. They must therefore master both their Aetherium and the elemental Aetherium with which they have an affinity.
These two sources of energy are found and grow within individuals with training. But there are two other types of energy in the universe. The first has been named Core, and is abundant throughout the universe, while the second is called the Void, located in specific places in the universe.
First, Core is the representation of light. It appeared at the very beginning, long before the appearance of Aetherium. Although it is abundant in the universe, individuals cannot normally sense or perceive this energy. Special training is required to perceive and use Core. However, the training is complex and difficult, which is why very few people have mastered this art.
The second is the Void, the opposite of the Core. If the Core represents light, then the Void represents darkness. This energy is the opposite of the Core. Instead of being abundant, this energy has the particularity of condensing in places in the universe and then forming artifacts condensed into Void. If an individual possesses this artifact, it is easy for them to use the energy of Void. However, these objects are very rare and almost impossible to obtain.
"Well, you now have information about the energy that shapes the universe. For the moment, you are able to use Aetherium and elemental Aetherium. Unfortunately, until now you have lived without developing your Aetherium core. The amount of Aetherium in your possession is virtually zero, and as you know, if you run out of Aetherium, you will die. It is therefore unthinkable that you could fight in your current state. To begin with, you will need to develop your core so that you have enough Aetherium for future battles."
"It's going to take a long time, since we haven't done anything since we were born. It's not going to be complicated, but it will take longer than normal," Aria asked the hologram.
"You're right. Under normal circumstances, it would have taken you a very long time. According to my analysis, more than five years, since your cores have been inactive since birth."
"Normally? What does that mean?"
"You are the children of powerful heroes. Your father and mother were considered geniuses, so I think that despite your delay, you have the ability to quickly develop a sufficiently suitable Aetherium core. To be honest, I think that in a little over a year, you will have caught up."
"When do we start our training?"
"First, I will scan your body to detect the elemental Aetherium with which you had an affinity at birth. Even if your Aetherium core is very weak, it is still possible to detect your elemental Aetherium. It is very important to know your elemental Aetherium so that you know what type of power you have mastered."
We agreed, and one by one we went through a machine that apparently scanned us and collected information about our genetics, DNA, and body type in order to detect our type of elemental Aetherium.
"Good, we've collected the data, we now have your Aetherium affinities."
"Master Kael, according to the information, you have an affinity for the Force. It's a very special affinity, characterized by a large amount of Aetherium for its user. Those who master the Force possess so much Aetherium that they can condense it in their fists to deliver extraordinary striking power."
Kael, with a big smile: "The Force! I like that, I think it suits me well!"
Princess Aria, it seems that you share the same characteristics as your brother Kael, as you also possess a large amount of Aetherium. However, in your case, we have found compatibility with your mother, as you appear to use the same powers as your mother and her clan. Using Aetherium in its original form will open the doors to a very rare form of magic.
Aria was very happy to learn that she had something in common with our mother.
"Master Harris, it seems that you have mastered one of the primordial elemental Aetheriums, more specifically, you have mastered the Aetherium of wind. It is a common form of magic, but it has its advantages since it is one of the primordial elements. If you master it well, you will be able to wield extraordinary power. In addition, it is a form of magic that has been studied extensively, like the other four primordial elemental Aetheriums. Many techniques have been developed, and you have a wide range of techniques at your disposal."
"Wind? Not bad, I'll do my best."
"Master Shinrei, you possess a rare elemental Aetherium. That of speed, it will give you extraordinary speed, but unfortunately very little has been discovered about this type of Aetherium. However, it is said that its potential is enormous."
"I will be the one to discover all the secrets of the Aetherium of speed. I will become the greatest user of the Aetherium of speed."
"And now, Master Nozomi, your analysis has taken longer than the others. But it seems that you have an affinity for the five primordial elemental Aetheriums. You can use fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning. That's a wide range of techniques at your disposal. Few people have mastered all five primordial elements."
"I've mastered all five!?"
"But that's not all. We've observed an unknown source of energy within you. To be precise, I would say that you have two Aetherium cores within you. After advanced research in our database, there is no possible error; the compatibility is 100%. This second core is the same as that possessed by the elementary masters!"