Chapter 17

The Changing World (II)

“... I thought it was supposed to be a family dinner.” Cain said.

“It is.” Emma replied.

“... damn,” he added, taking a puff of the cigarette and glancing at her. “I did not know you gave birth to thirty fucking children when you were fourteen. Impressive, Em’. Quite impressive.”

"Oh, shut it," she rolled her eyes and growled at him, turning to leave. "What's wrong with it? The more the merrier, right?" he merely smiled faintly as he watched her leave, turning his gaze to the 'family dinner' in front of him.

The rough count put the number of souls at nearly sixty, spread about a massive courtyard of Rick's mansion. There were tables upon tables of food, barbecue still burning hot in the background, drinks of endless varieties, and an entire playground well in the back for the kids. It included a bouncing castle, a trampoline, a pool -- with waves -- a basketball hoop, an entire section dedicated to video games... sweet Christ...

Cain groaned at the sight of it all, feeling depleted. Besides Emma, Rick, Amelia, Justin, and the other three from the Tower, it looked like their entire class had gathered here. That was in addition to Rick's wife, their kids, nephews, and some parents of the teens, as well as some of their immediate family.

There was, also, a DJ blasting some songs, and a massive projection in the back playing Terminator 2. How in God's name did he organize all this shit within a few fucking hours?

Taking another puff of the cigarette, Cain sat down onto a lawn chair, reaching over to a nearby, wooden table and picking up a glass of whiskey and coke.

The world had already begun undergoing the initial changes, he'd realized almost immediately upon leaving the Tower. The truth behind the Classes slowly began to seep out, and the fact that all those who survived inside were afforded the supernatural ability to use magic enticed millions to rush into the Towers across the world yesterday.

The story played out the same way it did the last time, with governments and armies generally being unable to maintain their hold on the Towers’ entrances. Well, naturally with a few exceptions.

He didn’t care much for it, as his goals had little to do with preventing others from chasing their own destiny. Instead, it would serve him better if people continued pouring in, pursuing their heart’s desires. Talents, at the moment, are buried virtually everywhere. If he could serendipitously unearth at least a few before they shot into the stardom, it would lessen his burdens exponentially.

“... dad?” a mellow, familiar voice jolted his heart as he quickly tossed the butt of the cigarette aside and put down the glass of whiskey, shooting to his feet and spinning around.

There, he saw Lana next to a muddy, but the still familiar face of Jennifer, Emma's older sister. She was in her early forties, the only apparent similarity between her and Emma being the color of their eyes. Though she was a pleasant woman, the few memories of her Cain could recall all depicted her yelling at him over being 'a pathetic cunt'.

"Dad!" Lana cried out, a beaming smile sprouting on her face as she ripped her hand from Jennifer's, racing over toward him. He reached down with a chortle, grabbing her by her armpits and lifting her high into the sky while the young girl laughed.

“Ha ha ha, you missed your dad, kiddo?”

“Yes...” she replied shyly.

“Ha ha ha, good! I’ve missed you so, so, so much, firefly!” he pulled her back down and began showering her with kisses, causing her to laugh at being prickled by his bear.

“Stop it, dad! It tickles! Ha ha ha...”

“No, no, grr~~ I can’t, my love for you is taking a hold of me, aaagh!”

"... Cain." Jennifer slowly walked up and greeted him coldly, her eyes warily eyeing him.

"... Jennifer," calming down and letting Lana rest in his arm, he turned toward her and greeted her back. "How was the trip?"

“Expensive,” Jenifer said. “Emma told me... to bring everyone.”

“... hm.” Cain nodded. “Where’s Lyde and the kids?”

“... outside, waiting. Confused,” she replied pensively. “What’s going on, Cain?”

“... uhh-- Reny?” Cain called out to a nearby maid of sorts, who spun quickly toward him and walked over.

“Yes, sir?”

"A few people are waiting outside, friends of mine," he said. "Can you have someone escort them in?"

“Of course, sir. Right away.”

"Emma's somewhere in there," Cain said, pointing back, "Mingling, I suppose. She can explain everything. Don't worry, Jen. All's good."

“...” she merely nodded at his smile and walked past him, searching for Emma, while Cain remained back, sitting down and sliding Lana onto his lap.

“How was the flight, princess?” he asked with a smile.

“Amazing!!” the little girl suddenly exclaimed. “When we flew up, my head hurt though! And when we started falling...”

“Ah, yes. The first time your dad flew, I passed out. So, you’re already a hundred times cooler than me.”

“He he he...”

“... wanna see a cool magic trick?” he grinned at her while she looked at him oddly, almost with pity. “Hi hi, just you keep lookin’ like that. Watch this,” he added, extending his free arm out and opening up his hand. “You looking?”

“Yes, yes, I’m looking dad...”

“... woosh!” Cain blew air through his teeth, a spark of fire suddenly birthing on top of his palm, startling Lana who jumped up. Hadn’t he been prepared for it and held a tighter grip on her, she would have definitely fallen over.

The spark turned into an almost candle-like flame, jostling and wiggling about, bending left and right, swirling in the air. Lana stared at it mesmerized, her eyes wide open like saucers. Her tiny hand reached out, pensively tucking her finger toward the fire. She quickly realized it didn't burn or hurt, causing her to swirl her finger about, using the flames as a brush to paint on top of the canvas that was the world itself.

“He he, told you, didn’t I?” Cain chuckled at her reaction, retracting the flames, causing disappointment to swell in the girl’s eyes.

“How’d you do that?!” she asked immediately.

“A magician never reveals his tricks...”

“Dad!! Tell me! Tell me!! Tell me!!” a kid’s stubbornness was something else, Cain realized at that moment. She yanked at his sleeves, pouting, her eyes growing teary. “Tell me! How did you do it?! Tell me!”

"..." Cain smiled bitterly, feeling himself shaking. "Fine, fine, I'll tell you..." the girl calmed down for a moment, an expectant look in her eyes. "It was... magic!"

“...” she blanked out for a moment before her expression suddenly darkened, turning angry. Tears swelled in her eyes as she jumped from his lap. “I hate you, dad!!” she ran off like the wind, no doubt looking for Emma to complain about him.

“Ha ha...” he chuckled bitterly, shaking his head and reaching toward the table, taking the glass of whiskey back, having a sip.

He'd only now registered that the musing was blaring and that dozens of people were dancing on the makeshift 'dance floor'. Rather than a 'dinner', it had turned into a first-ballot hall of fame party. How would the world churning with anxiety, impatience, and worry over the Towers react if they could see this place now? The mere thought caused him to laugh hollowly.

"... hey." his drinking binge was interrupted once again by Justin's arrival. The boy loomed about for a moment before approaching. Cain noted the beer in his hand, one he'd tried to hide terribly, but said nothing. Compared to Cain at his age, a kid being ashamed of having one beer when sixteen-seventeen was saintly.

“What are you doing here?” Cain asked. “All your friends are having the time of their lives.”

“... Jessica also came.”

“Jessica?”

“...”

“Oh, the brilliant angel that had smitten you into stupidity?” Cain said with a grin, taking a sip of whiskey, barely holding back laughter at Justin’s flushed face.

“Shut up,” he growled. “What... what do I do?”

“... I dunno,” Cain shrugged. “There’s music, there’s a dance floor.”

“... I can’t dance.”

“The only people that can dance are those getting paid to do it,” Cain scoffed. “The rest of us wing that shit, but what separates us is whether we wing it with confidence or without it.”

“... how?”

“How what?”

“... how do... you know... ask her?”

“... with words?” Cain looked at the boy dumbly, causing the latter’s eyebrows to twitch in anger.

“Oh wow, thank you for sharing such a monumentally remarkable idea, you assbag!”

“... idiot,” Cain sighed, standing up and slapping the back of the boy’s head, causing the latter to cry out lowly in pain. “What? Do you think there are some ‘magical words’ that will floor her into smoking the steam vaporizing from your skin while you’re dancing?”

“...”

“There’s no magic in the world that will make someone like you, J’,” Cain added with a mellower tone. “All you can do... is your best, and hope it all works out. If even then you find yourself without her... it’s fine. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

“...” the kid mulled over his words for a moment, appearing still undecided as his gaze wandered from him onto the group in the distance.

“Walk over there,” Cain slapped his back and pushed him forward. “Like you own this place. Right up next to her. Grab her hand... and ask her for a dance. Don’t make me slap you again, got it?”

“... got it.” Justin mumbled, taking a deep breath and walking forward. Though his steps were still uncertain, at the very least he was moving forward.

Cain smiled faintly and finished off his drink, retreating into his seat. His fingers reached into the ether and pulled something out from seemingly another dimension. It was feather-shaped, roughly six inches long, crescent, appearing to be on fire yet not burning his skin off. It was the only item he'd taken from Escthew's 'lair', and the one that would exponentially increase his chances of reaching the end of the Molten Cave.

// Phoenix’s Feather (A-) -- Accessory

+15 to Main Stats

+100% to all Fire-related abilities

A decrease in the time needed to coalesce Fire

Active: consume 1/2 of the entire Mana pool to activate Phoenix's Feather, temporarily turning it back into its original form and increasing its rank to S+. The effect lasts 2 minutes, during which the user is entirely immune to flames, but takes extra damage from opposing Elements. In addition, damage of Fire-related abilities is increased twofold while ignoring all Elemental Armors/Shields. //

A faint smile crept upon Cain's lips as he fiddled with the feather. Though it appeared soft, touching it felt more like touching plastic rather than an actual feather. Sighing, he withdrew it back into the inventory, noticing that Rick was watching him in the distance. The old man tossed his head to the side, pointing at the massive mansion to their right that was currently acting like Christmas lights, what with each of its windows sporting a different hue of light.

Cain chuckled and walked over, passing the party-on-fire. In the distance, he spotted a familiar figure awkwardly trying to match the beat of the music with his limbs, while the girl standing opposite of him appeared to be holding back her laughter. Eh, when he’s not trying to be edgy, Cain mused with a smile. He can be quite cute...

Rick was waiting for him in front of the mansion, two glasses in his hands. He handed one to Cain as the latter walked up, the two sitting down onto the massive stairs leading up to the entrance.

“... you are effectively dead,” Rick said after both took a sip of the whiskey. “I’ve erased all your records from existence, as well as Emma’s, Lana’s, and the two’s immediate family.”

“...”

“I’ve also made sure no photos of you made it onto any database,” the old man continued.

“... thanks,” Cain said, smiling faintly. “What about you?”

“Eh, I don’t mind the limelight,” Rick grinned. “Especially now.”

“... tsk, attention whore.”

"Ha ha ha, don't judge until you've lived it," Rick chortled, nearly spilling his glass of whiskey. "Anyway, I've already set up a line for renting the properties around the Towers. Quite a few people who also seemed to have realized something reached out, but everyone backed away when I told them I'll only be accepting Tower-exclusive items."

“Give it a few days,” Cain said. “They’ll reach out.”

“I know,” Rick nodded. “They’re likely testing out my purpose for buying. If I had happened to buy it just on a whim or a business opportunity, they might hope I’d get desperate with no offers and sell out.”

“... w-what? Really?” Cain glanced at Rick with a strange look. “Fuck. That’s one weird world man...”

“... tell me about it,” Rick shrugged. “But I’m used to it. Anyway... onto the big question...”

“...” Cain smiled momentarily, letting Rick stew in uncertainty for a few moments before replying. “I’m planning on heading back the day after tomorrow, first thing in the morning. May I inquire whether your highness will be joining me?”

“... I’ll kill you if you don’t drag me along.” Rick grinned back at him as the two clanked their glasses together. “Will you bring Emma along?”

“Most-likely,” Cain said. “She’s an athletic freak. In some ways, even worse than you.”

“What about the others?” Rick asked, eyeing the group of teens as well as Amelia.

“... unlikely,” Cain shook his head. “Besides, they’re a bit too young. Impulsive, even more so than your old ass. Of them... maybe... Justin? I doubt it, though. I don’t have a complete read on his personality... so, everything’s possible.”

“... should I reach out and look for a Bard?”

“... if it would be possible,” Cain said, realizing something. “I think there might be a job for you where you get to utilize the decades worth of wealth and connections.”

“Oh?” Rick raised his brow in interest. “Go on.”

“There is someone I have in mind," Can said. "But... I only know her first name and the fact that she is somewhere in India right now. Likely near the Tower there, however. What do you think?”

“... do you know what she looks like at least?” Rick asked after a moment’s silence. Cain closed his eyes and tried really, really hard to remember, but only a few fading images remained. After all, Diya that he remembered the best was over twenty years older than she was now.

“... she has green eyes,” Cain said. “And... I think... she’s above six feet. Her name’s Diya.”

“... should be enough,” Rick nodded, startling Cain. Wait, really?! What the fuck?! "Ha ha, don't look at me like that. I have a lot of businesses in India, and I've even managed to buy some properties there around the Tower before the rest flew to others. If she's near the Tower, I'll find her. When I do...?"

“Make her an offer she can’t refuse.”

“... an offer she can’t refuse, huh? I’m pretty confident in those.” Rick said.

"Until then, though, you should probably secure a Bard," Cain said. "And just feel out if there's anyone else that's interested. They don't need to be loyal or anything of the sort; I won't be showing off too much this time around. Give out decent pay."

“... how many do we need?” Rick asked.

“... ten should suffice, I think,” Cain replied. “Classes outside of at least two Bards don’t matter much. You’ll also finally be able to tank something. Unless you piss yourself and pass out, that is.”

“...” Rick flipped him as he got up, finishing the glass of whiskey. “Do you believe in fate, C’?”

“... hm?”

"Think about it -- what are the chances?" he added, glancing down at Cain. "That our first meeting was when I, one of the richest people in the world, didn't have a cigarette on me. And that we'd reconnect on the other end of the country and become friends. If that isn't fate... then what is?"

“... coincidence, old man,” Cain chuckled, standing up as well. “It’s something Emma taught me. While a good billion things seem impossible from our perspective, they’ve already happened to someone else. It’s the law of limited perspective or something, where cosmic coincidences are taken as miracles or ‘works of fate’ ‘cause they just seem so utterly impossible.”

“... please, don’t ever butcher what I’m sure was a beautiful lecture from her by trying to retell it,” Rick gently placed his hand on Cain’s shoulder and smiled painfully at him. “Stick to your dad jokes and other nonsense.”

“... looks like I’m in need of a tank--”

“Don’t play with my heart. I’m old.”

“... let’s go mingle as well,” Cain chuckled, heaving his arm around Rick’s shoulder and pulling him down the stairs. “The energy of the young really is infectious, isn’t it? I almost feel like breaking out my extraordinary breakdancing skills.”

“Don’t.”

"... tsk, keep shooting my dreams, old man." Cain clicked his tongue. "But there ain't the number of bullets in the entire world to match the number of the dreams I have."

"..." Rick rolled his eyes in silence, stealthily glancing at a man walking next to him casually. He couldn't help but smile and thank the lucky stars he not only recognized him that day on the airport but also had the whim to walk over and strike up a conversation. To him, no matter what... it was all the gears of fate spinning, sewing threads that bound people together regardless of the circumstances.