Henry was elated. "This would be perfect," he murmured.
[Then take it] Miley urged.
But Henry hesitated, his hand hovering over the display case.
[What's wrong?] Miley asked.
"I don't know," Henry admitted. "It just feels… wrong. Taking something without asking."
[What?!] Miley sounded genuinely confused. [Just minutes ago you were planning to steal a weapon]
"A weapon is small. Mum might not notice. But a whole armor set?" Henry shook his head. "That's obvious. She'd know someone took it."
Miley wasn't satisfied with his excuse. [And?]
"And… I don't want her to know I was here," Henry said. "She's extremely powerful, and kinda terrifying. If she finds out I broke into her armory…"
[She'll probably ground you] Miley chuckled.
"Or worse." Henry pulled his hand back. "No. I'll wait. Get stronger first. Earn the right to ask her properly."
Miley scoffed. [You're being ridiculous, y'know]
"Maybe," Henry shrugged. "But I'm not crossing the line. Not yet."
Miley sighed. [You're too soft-hearted for your own good]
Henry chuckled. "Yeah, well, I guess that's my weakness."
Then he turned to leave, but something caught his eye… a small display case near the exit, filled with what looked like crystalline orbs. They glowed faintly, each one a different color.
"What are those?" Henry asked.
[Beast Crystal Grenades] Miley explained. [Compressed magical energy stored in crystalline form. When activated, they detonate with a significant explosive force]
Henry leaned closer, examining the orbs. There were dozens of them… red, blue, green, yellow. All neatly organized.
"Think she'd notice if one went missing?" Henry asked.
[There are at least fifty in that case] Miley said. [It's unlikely anyone would notice]
Henry grinned. "Perfect."
He reached out and carefully plucked a red orb from the collection… about the size of a baseball, and warm to the touch.
"How do I store this in my inventory?" Henry asked.
[Just focus on the orb and mentally command it to be stored] Miley replied.
Henry did as instructed, focusing on the red crystal in his hand. Then mentally, he willed it to be stored in the Inventory.
Instantly, the orb shimmered and vanished from his palm.
Henry blinked. "Whoa."
[Your Inventory is a dimensional storage space] Miley explained. [Items stored within are held in stasis and can be retrieved at any time. To access it, simply open the Inventory tab in your system interface]
Henry pulled up the interface and accessed his Inventory.
< Inventory >
*Items:
- Beast Crystal Grenade (Fire) x1
"This is so cool," Henry said, grinning. "So I can just store stuff in my own personal pocket dimension?"
[Yes. Though there's a weight and volume limit. As you level up, your Inventory capacity will increase]
"Still," he breathed. "This is awesome."
[Yes, it is. Now, can we leave before you get caught?] Miley said impatiently.
Henry chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go," he muttered. He took one last look around the armory, committing the layout to memory. Then he turned and headed back up the stairs.
After leaving the inventory, Henry made it back to the main floor without incident. He was almost home free… just one more hallway and he'd be back in his room.
But as he turned the corner, his heart almost skipped a beat.
Emily stood in the middle of the hallway, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
"Going somewhere?" she asked.
Henry's heart sank. "Shit,"
"I, uh—" He forced a smile. "Couldn't sleep. So I was just wandering around."
Emily's eyes narrowed. "In the lower levels?"
"Oh… I got lost looking for the kitchen," Henry said, his mind fishing out the perfect lie. "I wanted to get a late-night snack."
Emily stared at him, clearly unconvinced. "The kitchen is on the second floor. You were on the first sublevel."
Henry kept his smile. "Like I said… I got Lost."
Emily took a step closer, her gaze piercing. "I don't trust you."
Henry blinked. "What?"
"You heard me… I don't trust you," Emily repeated coldly. "You used to be a loner. You never spoke to anyone, and you never left your room. But now suddenly you're smiling and sneaking around the mansion in the middle of the night." She crossed her arms tighter. "Even with memory loss, people don't change this much."
Henry's mind raced. She was onto him.
"I don't know what to tell you," he said carefully. "I just… I don't remember being that person. Maybe losing my memories changed me in more ways than you think."
"Or maybe you're faking it," Emily shot back.
Henry's stomach dropped. "I'm not…"
"I don't care," Emily interrupted. "Whatever game you're playing, just stay out of my way. And stay out of trouble for mom's sake. She's been through enough because of you."
Then without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing down the hall.
Henry stood there, frozen, his heart pounding.
[Well. That was dramatic] Miley said.
Henry sighed. "Yeah. No kidding," he murmured, then continued back to his room.
When Henry returned to his room, he locked the door behind him and collapsed onto the bed, exhaling slowly.
"That was really close," he muttered. "Running into Emily."
[You're lucky it was Emily and not Felicity] Miley said. [If your mother had caught you, this conversation would've gone very differently]
Henry sighed. "Yeah. I know," he murmured. He lay there for a moment, staring at the glowing ceiling. Then he sat up.
"Alright. So. What's the plan?" he asked. "Till I can gather enough shop points for a weapon skill."
[That's simple] Miley said. [Train. Run. Push yourself. The more you move, the faster you'll become]
Henry lay back down, exhaustion finally catching up to him. "Alright. Tomorrow. I'll start training. Complete the daily quest. Figure out this whole speedster thing."
[Good. Now get some rest. You'll need it] Miley said.
Henry exhaled. "Yeah. It's been a long first day," he said and closed his eyes, his mind buzzing with plans and possibilities.
And slowly, he drifted off to sleep.
...…..
Later that night, in the Glacier Palace.
Felicity sat alone in her study, the room dimly lit by the soft glow of a single lamp. The walls were lined with bookshelves, filled with ancient tomes and modern research journals. A holographic display hovered above her desk, showing surveillance feeds from various parts of the mansion.
She waved her hand, and the feeds minimized.
Then she closed her eyes, her breathing slowing. And in the quiet of her mind, she reached out to an unseen presence.
"Hey. Are you there?" she asked.
A moment passed. Then, a voice responded in her mind like a telepathic message… it was deep, ancient, and masculine.
"I am. What news do you bring?"
Felicity's lips curved into a faint smile. "He's back. Just as you said he would be."
The man hummed. "And the system?" he asked.
"It's activated," Felicity replied. "He's already begun exploring its functions."
The man exhaled. "Good. Everything is proceeding as written."
Felicity's smile faded slightly. "He's a lot different though. More open. More… alive. It's almost strange."
"That is not the boy you knew for seventeen years, Jade," the man said. "He is a different soul. A new being."
"I know. But he's my son…" Felicity murmured. "…my actual son. And he doesn't even know that truth."
There was a pause.
Then the man spoke. "And he mustn't," he said sharply. "He is not ready for the truth. Let him discover his path first, get used this new world. And when the time comes, he will learn everything that he needs to learn."
Felicity let out a small scoff. "And when exactly will that time come?" she asked in amusement.
"You will know when it does," the man said. "For now, make sure he is trained well and prepared in time for what's coming. I believe I can trust you with this task?"
Felicity sighed. "Yes. You can."
"Good," the man muttered. "You should also keep a close eye on him. The boy's soul is one we do not understand yet. And that makes him… unpredictable."
Felicity nodded slowly. "I understand."
"Alright," the man said, his voice softening. "But… take care of yourself as well, Jade. I will be in touch with you again soon. I promise. Farewell, daughter."
Then, his presence faded, leaving Felicity alone once more.
She opened her eyes slowly, her voice soft and almost somber. "Farewell, dad."