The restaurant was surprisingly lively.
Warm golden lights hung from the ceiling. Soft music drifted through the air while initiates, awakened humans, and ordinary citizens enjoyed their meals.
Jade sat beside Aaron while Henry, Ella, and Blake occupied the remaining seats around the circular table.
For the first time since returning from the Trial, they looked almost normal.
Almost.
No matter how relaxed they appeared, each of them had changed.
Each of them had survived hell.
Blake lazily leaned back in his chair and stretched.
"You know," he said, breaking the silence, "if we're going to keep fighting together in the future, shouldn't we tell each other our powers?"
Everyone looked toward him.
Henry nodded immediately.
"That actually makes sense."
Ella agreed.
"If we don't know what each other can do, teamwork becomes impossible."
Aaron remained silent while stirring his drink.
Jade simply listened.
Then Blake pointed directly at him.
"You first."
Jade sighed.
"Why me?"
"Because you're the strongest."
"No."
"Because you're the most suspicious."
"That's even worse."
Blake grinned.
"Exactly."
Everyone laughed.
Jade shook his head before finally speaking.
"Fine."
The table immediately became quiet.
Jade leaned back slightly.
"I have two powers."
Everyone's eyes widened.
Even Aaron looked interested.
"Two?" Henry asked.
Jade nodded.
"Blood Control and Shadow Control."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Even among initiates, having two powers was rare.
Jade continued.
"I haven't fully tested them yet, so I don't know their limits."
That wasn't exactly a lie.
He certainly wasn't about to explain Divine Lineage, Beast God's blessing, or the fact that he possessed enough secrets to give everyone at the table a heart attack.
"What about your flaw?" Ella asked.
Jade's expression became serious.
"When my essence becomes depleted, everyone starts looking like an enemy."
The table fell silent.
Henry blinked.
"That's terrifying."
"It is."
Blake slowly moved his chair away from Jade.
Jade stared at him.
"What are you doing?"
"Creating a safe distance."
Everyone laughed again.
Even Jade couldn't stop himself from smiling.
Henry was next.
"My power is called Wing Step."
He snapped his fingers.
A small ripple distorted the air.
"I can teleport within twenty meters."
"Useful," Aaron commented.
Henry nodded.
"It gets better."
Everyone waited.
"The more I use it, the lighter my body becomes."
"That sounds good."
"It isn't."
Henry sighed.
"If I overuse my power, I literally start floating."
Blake nearly choked on his drink.
"You're kidding."
"I'm not."
Aaron smirked.
"You could become the first initiate accidentally launched into space."
The table erupted into laughter.
Henry looked offended.
"I hate all of you."
"Understandable," Aaron replied.
Blake immediately volunteered next.
"My power is Dead Soul."
The table became quiet.
Blake smiled proudly.
"I can communicate with dead people."
Jade raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Blake pointed toward an empty chair.
"I could literally talk to a dead person right now if I wanted."
Jade suddenly looked uncomfortable.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You look uncomfortable."
"I just realized that's creepy."
Blake ignored him and continued.
"My flaw is strange."
Everyone listened carefully.
"I die."
Silence.
Aaron blinked.
"What?"
"I die."
The table remained silent.
Blake continued calmly.
"My heart stops."
"My body becomes a corpse."
"I stay dead for a period of time."
Henry nearly dropped his drink.
"What kind of flaw is that?!"
Blake shrugged.
"Then I wake up again."
Everyone stared.
"So you're immortal?" Ella asked.
"Not exactly."
"My essence rebuilds my body."
Aaron frowned.
"That is absurdly powerful."
Blake grinned proudly.
"I know."
Ella was next.
She took a deep breath.
"My power is Spirits."
The table became attentive.
"I can summon dead spirits."
"Powerful," Jade said.
"Very."
Ella sighed.
"But my flaw ruins everything."
Everyone waited.
"When my spirits have nobody else to fight..."
She paused.
"They attack me."
Silence.
Then Blake burst into laughter.
"You get bullied by your own summons?"
Ella threw a spoon at him.
Blake barely dodged.
Aaron looked amused.
"That's unfortunate."
"Thank you, Aaron."
"You're welcome."
Finally all eyes turned toward Aaron.
Aaron sighed.
"I only have one power."
Nobody believed him.
Aaron smirked.
"It just happens to have three abilities."
"That's cheating," Henry complained.
Aaron ignored him.
"First."
"I can store weapons and data inside mirrors."
Jade's eyes widened slightly.
Aaron continued.
"Once something is stored, the owner can't dismiss it or summon it."
Everyone stared.
That ability alone was terrifying.
"Second."
"I can travel through mirrors."
"Third."
Aaron's smile widened.
"If I perfectly reflect someone's physique, I can predict and evade most of their attacks."
Jade immediately understood.
That was how Aaron had embarrassed him the previous night.
Aaron noticed Jade staring.
"You finally figured it out?"
Jade rolled his eyes.
"You could have just told me."
"And miss watching you panic?"
"Fair point."
"What about your flaw?" Henry asked.
Aaron took a sip from his drink.
"I'd rather not discuss it."
Nobody pushed further.
Everyone understood.
Flaws were personal.
Sometimes very personal.
At that moment, a waiter approached.
"Good afternoon."
He handed menus to everyone.
Jade accepted his menu.
The moment his fingers touched the paper—
CRACKLE.
The menu turned crimson.
Then disintegrated into ashes.
Silence.
The waiter froze.
Jade froze.
The entire table froze.
A pile of ash landed on the table.
Aaron looked at the remains.
Then looked at Jade.
Then looked back at the remains.
"Jade."
"Yes?"
"Try not to murder the menu."
Blake immediately burst into laughter.
Henry nearly fell out of his chair.
Even Ella couldn't stop smiling.
The embarrassed waiter quickly brought another menu.
Thankfully, nothing happened this time.
Jade silently prayed nobody would ask questions.
Several hours later, the group finally left the restaurant.
The streets of Planet Diamond shimmered beneath countless crystal lights.
Everything reflected light.
Roads.
Buildings.
Statues.
Even trees.
It felt like walking through a world built from stars.
Eventually they separated.
Henry returned to his room.
Ella and Blake went exploring.
Aaron headed toward his residence.
Jade walked back toward the government residential complex.
Night was approaching.
And tonight was the Initiate Ball.
A celebration for those who survived their first Trial.
Jade entered a government clothing center.
Rows of outfits filled the room.
Most were free for newly awakened initiates.
His eyes immediately landed on a black suit.
Simple.
Elegant.
Practical.
Exactly what he liked.
A clean white shirt
Black trousers.
Formal shoes.
Jade picked them up and headed toward the fitting room.
Meanwhile...
Several streets away...
The restaurant doors opened once again.
Four familiar figures entered.
Nora.
Sophia.
John.
And Mark.
None of them knew Jade had been there less than twenty minutes ago.
Nora glanced around the restaurant.
Something felt strange.
As if she had narrowly missed something important.
She frowned.
A brief vision flashed through her mind.
Black hair.
Crimson eyes.
A familiar smile.
Then the vision vanished.
Sophia immediately noticed.
"Nora?"
Nora blinked.
"What?"
"You look distracted."
Nora shook her head.
"It's nothing."
But deep inside, she knew it wasn't nothing.
Far away, Jade was preparing for the Ball.
While Nora sat inside the very restaurant he had just left.
The distance between them was only a few streets.
Only a few minutes.
Only a few choices.
Yet they did not meet.
Because Fate itself seemed determined to keep brother and sister apart.
For now.