The Tang family, for all its claims to nobility, hadn’t actually been that well-acclaimed before Seira’s birth. Because of that, their family estate was somewhat small compared to other noble houses. That being said, it was still more than enough to house a sprawling garden that would make any alchemist drool.

Kiro was currently walking through said garden, trying not to grimace. He was the only one in the family with a talent for herbs, and his mother’s failure to hire anyone else to do the work had been made very obvious. His various aunts and uncles had all tried their hand at tending the gardens, preferring to ruin the plants rather than ask for assistance.

How ironic. He had explicitly taught Seira the basics of gardening so that he wouldn’t have to witness this disaster the next time he visited, but apparently the family had collectively told her that her time would be better spent on more ‘noble’ hobbies. Oh well. In the end, even if the dying plants made him shudder, it was their loss. He picked up a dry leaf, trying to make it burst into flames. Nothing happened. He sighed.

He had been trying to manifest his mana for almost half an hour now, to no avail. He still remembered that feeling, the raging energy that boiled from his skin, the world coming to a stop as every ounce of his being focused on that singular goal, and then the abrupt jerk back to reality as Seira broke his concentration.

He smirked at the humor in the situation. She had just about saved his life, but here he was wishing that she would have come just a few moments later. Whatever. Once he found her, he’d be able to ask about it. It turned out that ‘meeting at the estate’ was not the best wording to use when their estate was dozens of times larger than the typical house. At least he only had to scour the gardens, since the servants wouldn’t let him into the actual building. Now, where was Seira?

As if on cue, she appeared, once more tackling him in a hug.

“Kiro!” she screamed. “You unlocked your killing intent!”

He pulled back, looking at her blankly.

“...my what?”

“You know, that big scary aura you had when you were confronting that Torch?”

He shook his head, mentally berating himself. Of course he hadn’t been able to awaken his mana, it was foolish to think that he would’ve been able to. That wasn’t how cultivation worked. Still, subconsciously, he had blocked that out of his mind, clinging onto the hope that he was some sort of exception to the rule.

Realization blossomed in Seira’s face, and seeing his disappointment, she grabbed his shoulders, looking him in the eye.

“Kiro, everyone uses mana. You know that. You just can’t sense it till you hit Level 1. Killing intent, though? I only know maybe a dozen people in the clan that can do that, and half of them are Elders!”

That helped a bit, but he was still a bit wary considering the damn thing was called killing intent. He said as much.

She placed a hand on his back, pushing him forward.

“Cmon, let’s go inside. And to answer your question, killing intent isn’t really about wanting to kill someone. It’s more like… y'know, malice. Aggression. Ferocity. It’s really not that bad, and it can actually be quite helpful.”

“How? Can I use it to actually kill people?”

“No, no, nothing like that. You probably won’t even notice until you master it, but sufficient killing intent can make even the toughest opponents back down. It messes with their minds, seeing so much bloodlust come off of a person. I’ve heard that the matriarch can…

She stopped, a conflicted expression on her face.

“Well, there’s a lot of rumors about the matriarch,” she finished lamely.

They continued their walk in silence, letting Kiro digest this new information. While not as useful as mana, killing intent was an asset that could potentially make his plans go much smoother. The fact that it wasn’t linked to cultivation level was very intriguing. He would have to try and-

His thoughts were cut off as they reached their destination. Seira stepped in front of him, addressing the servants standing in their way.

“Hello Mina, hello Shu. Mind letting us in?”

The Torches moved away from the doors, but didn’t open them. Mina, the woman closest to them, gave them a look.

“Honored Brave, your mother does not approve of his presence here.”

Seira stepped between them, opening the door herself.

“Tell her to take it up with me if having her own son in the building is really that much of a problem. Now, please go back to your stations. He didn’t choose his rank, any more than you two chose yours.”

Kiro stared at her, dumbfounded.

“Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?”

Mina glared at him. A slight pressure emanated from er, what he assumed to be her aura.

“You will not speak to the Brave in such a man-”

The pressure surrounding them increased tenfold, and he recognized the feeling of Seira’s own aura flaring. The woman’s mouth abruptly shut.

“Mina, Shu, go back to your stations. Now.”

***

“What’s gotten into you lately? If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve assumed you’ve finally gotten tired of the clan’s crap.”

They were currently in one of Seira’s many rooms, plopped on the oversized bed like children. It was fitting, considering that the last time Kiro had been allowed into the house, they were in fact children. The room seemed to have gotten even bigger, the elaborate lights and wardrobes giving it a sense of grandeur it had never possessed when he was a kid.

Seira scratched her Brave mark, looking distant.

“No, I’m just… I don’t understand why everyone puts so much weight in rank. It’s just a little symbol on your hand and some red in your hair, it shouldn’t be the difference between living like this,” she gestured around them, “and barely being able to scrape by.”

He sunk deeper into the cushy pillows, raising his left hand.

“Believe me, Seira, I know better than anyone how that feels. But that symbol on your hand, it isn’t just a pretty picture. It represents your latent talent, your potential to reach the Ninth Level. For the clan, that’s extremely important.”

“But all we measure is fire! What if someone had talent with earth or air mana? Heavens, what if you had talent in some foreign mana, but because you weren’t good with fire, the clan locked you out of using mana forever?”

“But I don’t. I wouldn’t. Even without cultivating, my core is already aspected with fire. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Yes, and have you ever wondered why that is?”

“Because of our parents?

“Well, yes, but have you ever wondered why we see non-lightning aspected users in the Huang clan?”

He turned to her, sitting up.

“I’m sorry, but that’s news to me. I’ve always thought that the Huang just used one aspect, like us.”

“Kiro, how did… wait, you don’t know.”

Seira furiously blinked, and he took a moment to move over and hug her.

She mumbled. “Kiro, our dad was killed by a water user.”

He held her, but didn’t say anything. He had never really thought about his dead father that much, because he assumed that he wouldn’t have treated him any different from their mother. Still, apparently the topic meant a lot to Seira, so he would respect that.

“Mother never told you?”

He let go, shaking his head.

“When was the last time our dear mother said a word to me?”

She let out a small chuckle, falling back onto the bed.

“I guess you’re right. Kiro… how are your plans to buy a house?”

The abrupt change in topic surprised him, but if it would take her mind off of more depressing ones, he welcomed it.

“Well, I’m almost there. If it weren’t for Supervisor Ba taking those spirit stones, I’d have been able to afford it in a month.”

She scratched at the back of her hand again, contemplating.

“Hey, if I were to give you enough spirit stones to buy it right now, do you think you’d be able to?”

“Why? You know that our mother would disown you if you did that.”

He stopped, turning to her.

“Seira, you’ve been acting really bold lately, and you still haven’t told me what’s wrong.”

“You know, mother disowning me wouldn’t be the end of the world. There are always other people willing to take me under their wing. And they would be more... accommodating with some things I need. Like giving you a fair chance at life.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, Seira.”

She frowned, then looked out of the window.

“Look, Kiro, it’s a really long story, and I have another appointment at dusk. I promise I’ll tell you, I just can’t right now, ok? It’s a longer walk from here to where I need to be than from your house. I need to go.”

That was a weak excuse. If she wanted to, she could move at twice his running speed without getting out of breath.

“Seira, I don’t want to force you, but I’ve never kept anything from you. The elixirs, my alchemy-”

“Kiro, I promise promise promise I will tell you. I just need to go right now. Ok?”

He sighed.

“Alright. At least walk out with me, or else I don’t think the servants will let me pass.”

“Of course. I’m sorry, Kiro.”

"