Razealâs voice returned, calm, anchoring. "So... what ability do you have?" He nodded faintly, as if already certain of the answer but unwilling to leave it unspoken.
The old manâs eyes glinted faintly. His lips curved into a crooked smile. "I can take any three abilities from any being," he said, pausing deliberately. "One ability from one being, no more. But once I take it..." His gaze flicked to the dead marlin still sprawled on the deck. "...they die."
The words hung heavy in the salt-stained air.
Yograj turned his head back to the fish, his tone dropping into something almost thoughtful, almost casual. "I should catch another of these black marlins. Theyâre one of the fastest swimmers in the sea. This one.." he lifted his palm briefly, flexing his thick fingers, "I only absorbed its ability to breathe underwater. But next time? Its speed would be useful."
He spoke of killing and harvesting abilities as though he were discussing the weather. As though it were just another errand.
Razeal nodded silently, his face composed, his dark eyes reflecting only quiet calculation. As expected, he thought. The old manâs words aligned with what heâd read his ability, his curse, his power. Overpowered. Terrifying. Dangerous.
And now, undeniably real.
Maria, however, was nearly trembling with frustration. She gawked at Yograj, her brows furrowing so deeply they nearly met. "He must be joking," she muttered under her breath, though loud enough that Levy and Aurora both caught it. "Absorbing abilities?" She shook her head sharply, her lips curling. "This is... this is just bullshit. Doesnât even make sense. Itâs like some fantasy from a drunk storyteller"
But her voice cracked as she said it. Because even as her words tried to deny it, her eyes betrayed her. She had seen that fish. Seen its body collapse under his hand, seen its life vanish with no wound, no damage. She had felt the shift in the air when its vitality was drained.
Still, she resisted. She refused to believe it. Her rationality screamed that such an ability shouldnât exist. That the world couldnât allow something this unnatural.
Levy, meanwhile, hadnât spoken. His usually calm face was taut, his green eyes reflecting something darker than disbelief. Unlike Maria, his attention hadnât fixed on the immortality claim or even on Yograjâs demonstration. It had locked onto the phrase divine boon.
That phrase gnawed at him, digging into places heâd never allowed light before. His jaw flexed, his knuckles white, his thoughts hidden even as his eyes burned with an intensity none of them had seen from him before.
Aurora, on the other hand, stood rigid. Her lips pressed together tightly, her eyes unwavering as she stared at her father. She had known he might be strong. But this?
Surprise. Envy. Even a trace of longing.
Such good ability.
Then Mariaâs voice cut again, sharp and demanding, though her confusion still showed. "Wait..if what youâre saying is true..." Her eyes darted toward Aurora, a sudden gleam of suspicion cutting through her disbelief. "...then does she" her finger jabbed slightly in Auroraâs direction, "as your daughter, have some powerful ability like yours? And..." her voice hesitated for only a second, "...how about immortality?"
Auroraâs head snapped toward Maria instantly, her pink eyes hardening. For the briefest flicker of a moment, her body stiffened, her composure cracking. The word immortal hitting her like a thorn in her chest.
Still
She didnât answer. Her lips pressed tighter, her eyes lowering slightly, retreating into shadowed thought.
"Ohh, yes? Whatâs your ability, daughter? I almost didnât get the chance to ask."
Yograjâs voice, though carrying its usual blunt curiosity, carried a faint thread of hope. He had heard Mariaâs doubt, and for the first time since this conversation began, his attention shifted fully onto Aurora. His deep eyes settled on her, searching, Very curious.
Aurora raised her head and met his gaze. Her expression was composed ..too composed. But beneath the stillness, frustration simmered, regrets rippled. Her lips trembled ever so slightly before she pressed them flat, as though swallowing the words she truly wanted to hurl at him.
"It never said one would receive a powerful ability," she said at last, her voice steady but hollow, her eyes flicking between Maria and Yograj. "The ability given is only what suits the person. He had something strong. I do not."
She didnât call him father. She referred to him as he, as though he were nothing more than a stranger occupying space on the deck.
The word cut deeper than a blade, though Yograj gave no outward sign of pain. He only sighed, his broad shoulders sinking. Sheâs not wrong, he thought bitterly. Itâll take time. After all, Iâm the one in the wrong, not her.
"Itâs alright, girl," he said finally, his voice quieter now, stripped of its usual arrogance. "The ability you have is best for you. If itâs chosen by Him, then it will be best.. no matter how it looks. So, tell me... what is your ability?"
His curiosity wasnât just curiosity anymore. It was an attempt to reach her.
Razeal, who had been standing casually, tilted his head too, his eyes narrowing with quiet calculation. He turned toward Aurora as well. He didnât know much about her ability sheâd barely been shown in the fragments of knowledge he carried from before. Only hints. Something to do with objects, control, or animation. But what it truly was... he wasnât really sure.
Levyâs gaze followed, calm and unreadable, while Maria openly leaned forward, brows furrowed, waiting for an answer.
Auroraâs fingers clenched at her sides. The air seemed to tighten around her, as though she were bracing against invisible chains. At last, she extended her hand slowly.
"I...I donât really know" She hesitated, her voice catching in her throat. Her eyes darted away briefly, but she forced them back. "But i think.. i.. I can... give emotions to non-living objects."
As if to prove it, she lifted her sunflower-colored hairpin. It twitched, almost as if alive, and then its surface shifted. A small face appeared eyes, teeth, even brows stretching into full expressions. The tiny pin blinked, then twisted into a mischievous grin, before its features scrunched into a scowl.
Maria blinked. Levy blinked. Even Yograj blinked. For a long moment, the four of them just stared at the thing in her hand.
"Give... emotions?" they murmured together, their voices layered in disbelief.
Razeal, however, didnât dismiss it so quickly. His eyes sharpened, his mind racing in silence. He leaned forward slightly, studying the hairpin with unusual interest. His gaze grew darker, thoughtful, as if he were searching beneath the surface for something others couldnât see. Itâs not just a toy trick. Thereâs something more. But what?
Mariaâs lips parted in confusion, her mind spinning. Levyâs green eyes, on the other hand, took on a deeper gleam, something thoughtful but also cold but more like deeply confused.
Finally, he broke the silence as he couldnât take it anymore. "Then why..." his voice carried a rare weight, sharp and unyielding as he looked at Aurora. "...why do you still look sad about it? Even if, letâs say, your ability isnât as strong as his... youâve already gained everything others could only dream of. Youâre immortal.. I am not."
His words cut through the air like a blade. "Iâd say youâre very lucky. Most people would kill for what youâve been given. And you?" His voice dropped into something darker, almost accusing. "You already have what countless people wish for. Immortality. You could rip your own heart out.." his hand pressed against his chest as his voice sharpened and complicated "and youâd still live. I canât.. so why isnât that enough?"
Auroraâs body stiffened. Her lips parted, trembling, her pink eyes flashing with emotion she could no longer suppress.
"Immortality for a limited time," she snapped back, her voice trembling with anger. The words came out faster, harsher, than she intended. "Itâs not.." She bit her tongue, choking mid-sentence. She faltered, but her eyes glistened with unspoken rage.
"Theyâre lucky," she hissed, her voice shaking as she gestured vaguely toward the others. "Heâs lucky." Her finger shot forward suddenly, trembling but steady in its aim, pointing directly at Yograj. "But me? Iâm not." Her words cracked like glass shattering. "Iâm cursed. And itâs all because of him."
The atmosphere froze. The weight of her voice dragged everyone into silence.
Yograj, who had been watching with his usual rugged calm, visibly flinched. For once, his posture faltered. He looked at his daughter, truly looked at her, and his chest tightened. Slowly sighing, he raised a hand and pressed it against his face, dragging it down as though trying to wipe away the guilt etched into his features.
His throat bobbed, words rising and dying before they could leave. The sight of her eyes burning with grief and hatred all at once robbed him of every excuse he wanted to give. He opened his mouth, then shut it. The silence that followed was crushing, suffocating.
Razealâs eyes narrowed faintly, a dark glint flickering across them. So thatâs what it is, he thought, piecing together the unspoken truth. He said nothing, but the shadow of understanding settled on his face.
Levy, however, was utterly lost. His brows furrowed, and he tilted his head, baffled. "What are they even talking about?" he muttered under his breath, his green eyes darting between Aurora and Yograj.
Mariaâs confusion mirrored his own. She looked at the pair, her mouth slightly parted, trying to make sense of the cryptic exchange. What kind of code language are they even speaking in?
But Yograj finally broke the silence. His voice was rough, strained, but steady.
"Thatâs why I didnât want to have kids," he admitted, every word sounding like a blade cutting through him. "It was a mistake... Believe me"
The words werenât shouted. They werenât defiant. They were flat, hollow, and deeply human.
Auroraâs expression twisted further, her lips curling into a bitter smile that didnât reach her eyes. She shook her head slowly, her voice slicing through the air.
"I wish you hadnât. I wish youâd never brought me into this world. Because now, because of you, I will carry this destiny. I will pay the price. You knew the consequences, and you did it anyway." Her teeth clenched, her pink eyes shimmering, and she turned sharply, her hair whipping behind her as she started walking away.
Yograjâs heart sank. His lips trembled as he forced the words out.
"Iâm sorry. I really... I..." His voice cracked, and he surged forward, panic in his tone. "Hey.. daughter, donât. Donât turn away from me. You know it.. Didnât i explained everything."
Before she could take another step, his figure blurred, disappearing from where he stood and reappearing directly in front of her, blocking her path. His rough hands twitched, wanting to reach for her but unsure if he had the right.
Aurora stopped, but she didnât look at him. Her gaze was cold, sharp, cutting straight past him as though he werenât even there.
Behind them, Levy crossed his arms, shaking his head with clear judgment. Sheâs angry? Over this? She has immortality.. she has power without doing anything... Inherited And sheâs still mad? People would kill for this. And she spits on it. His green eyes darkened as he stared at her back, silently branding her as ungrateful.
Maria shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the two of them again. Her brows pressed together, her face still filled with confusion. None of this makes sense. Whyâs she so angry? Whyâs he apologizing? What even is going on?
But Razeal... Razeal said nothing. He only shook his head, the faintest flicker of something heavy in his eyes.
Divine blessings may shine on the surface, he thought grimly, but at the core, someone always suffers. Always. What looks like a gift is nothing but a curse in disguise. And it is always the child who bleeds for the sins of the parent.
His lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes lowering faintly. Never trust blessings. Never take them, no matter how bright they seem. Because in the end... the cost is never worth it.
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Handsome Author Asking for daily rent.. Take out powerstones and golden tickets đȘ đȘ
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