The door clicked behind Negan. Kyrie finally got a moment of silence, one to himself, and in truth, this silence felt deafening if the hum of distant machines muffled voices and the squeaking gear-coupled fan wasn't present. He finally sighed with the weight of maintaining normalcy being lifted off him at least momentarily.
Staring at his palm, where the flame had been mere minutes ago. There were no burns. No marks. No scars. Just the lingering memory of heat that shouldn't have existed in the first place.
"Alright," he thought, flexing his fingers. "Time to figure out what the hell I'm working with here."
As if responding to his intentions, the translucent screen soon materialized in front of him at eye level, still keeping the mysterious nuance that came with it. This time, Kyrie could focus on it without Lois's curvaceous distractions.
The screen soon pulsed, flickering momentarily to present a new batch of information.
[ TUTORIAL MODE ACTIVATED]
" Hmm," Kyrie muttered, paying attention to these ominously appearing texts, which he had to consciously read through instead of immediate absorption.
[THE QUEST SYSTEM]
The host progress is tracked through four main categories
[DAILY QUESTS] - Regular tasks designed to develop fundamental skills. Refreshes every 24 hours. Completion grants Experience Points and potentially base attribute stats.
[MISSIONS]- Objectives tied to your occupation of choice and immediate circumstances. Completion grants a fair amount of rewards.
[ SPECIAL QUESTS] - System-driven quests with High risk and high rewards.
Usually come without time limits unless specified.
[ EMERGENCY QUESTS ] Time-sensitive tasks triggered by immediate threats. Failure may be detrimental to the host.
"Okay," he muttered, "My life is literally a game now, huh? How lovely"
He was barely finished when a new screen appeared, even as the previous set of information dispersed.
[ SYSTEM GROWTH REQUIREMENTS]
Tier level upgrade [ lvl 5 > 6]
Requirements: 1500xp
Benefits: Smoother utilization and potency of skills and abilities
Class Upgrade [ Epsilon > Delta ]
Requirements: 3000xp
Attributes Upgrade ( Granted via Quests )
" Great clarity, " he mocked while he scanned through, getting accustomed to the game-like terms but amidst this one question lingered in his mind.
" How do I use and unlock Sovereignties? " he asked, but much to his dismay, the screen only remained stagnant, not giving him an apparent response.
" Just what I thought, cosmic A.I with selective hearing, " he scoffed.
The screen pulsed again, as if acknowledging his sarcasm, as a new set of instructions appeared, causing a vein to bulge on Kyrie's head.
[ Daily Quest Unlocked]
Objective: Successfully use Skill: Empath Sense on 5 different individuals
Progress: 1/5
Reward: +250 EXP, +1 Intelligence, +1 Fortitude
Time Limit: 24 hours
" Can't take a joke, huh? " Kyrie smirked, reading through the information. "One down already?" he thought back, realizing the emotions of Lois, Flirtatious. Confident and very unprofessional, it did count for something after all. The screen soon became morbidly transparent, just hovering at the side of his gaze.
He stood up, testing his legs, hoping to get more familiarity, Steady. His body felt great, actually. Whatever state it had been during those two days of unconsciousness, he'd come out of it remarkably intact.
The system showed 96% health, and he sure believed it wasn't bullshiting now. There was no lingering pain. Just the odd feeling of inhabiting a body that was both familiar and foreign.
The memories helped. Kyrie's memories, though not completely thorough,streamed through his consciousness. He remembered other episodes, other awakenings. Remembered Lois's concerned face hovering over him more times than he could count. Remembered Negan's steady presence, always there when he opened his eyes.
It was basically these two individuals registered within his psyche, and everything that came with them seemed to have been pieced together and made more sense than anything else and truly he felt a bit bad deceiving them like this, like they were still dealing with the Kyrie they knew.
Suddenly, the door hissed again, opening up, cutting short his moment of reflection when Negan walked in, an ever-present sly smirk on his face as he held in one hand a set of clothes.
"Good news, K-Y," Negan announced, tossing the clothes onto the bed. " You are. The nurses and doctor were quite adamant about you leaving, but I proved too persuasive to reject," he winked. "Basically, you've been cleared to leave, provided you can walk and dress yourself."
"I'll do my best not to disappoint," Kyrie replied snarkily, reaching for the clothes. The fabric felt familiar under his fingers, worn leather, cotton that felt like they have seen its fair share of life's struggles.
Negan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching with that same penetrative look he'd worn earlier. "Take your time. We've got food waiting, and I can imagine you're starving."
"Actually!" Kyrie's stomach chose that moment to growl audibly, giving a clear show of his internal situation. "Two days without eating will do that."
Kyrie kept his expression neutral, focusing on the clothes in front of him with one hand, rubbing his growling stomach. That was definitely where the remaining 4% to full health was hidden.
Negan remained still all this while studying him for another long moment, then nodded. "Good. Get dressed. I'll be outside."
The door closed again, and Kyrie exhaled. That man was definitely more than the eyes could see. Why hadn't I tried empath sense on him or even the ability activating passively like it did with Lois?
" There is something with that man for sure " he mumbled while rubbing his chin
Not dwelling on it any further, after all, he would get his chance while outside, he turned his attention to the clothes laid out on the bed.
A black undershirt, worn but clean. Trousers that looked practical, reinforced at the knees. A coat similar in style to Negan's but definitely less extravagant, the leather rumpled in places that implied frequent use. And there, sitting atop the pile like a crown: a pair of brass-trimmed goggles and boots.
Kyrie picked them up, memory stirring. These weren't just a fit to his attire; these were actually important.
He dressed quickly, his body moving on autopilot as Kyrie's muscle memory guided his movements, it felt like his intelligence was forced to align with instinct.
The coat came settling over his shoulders with a sense of familiarity. Everything fit perfectly, tailored to this body.
Only then did he turn toward the small mirror mounted by his bedside; he seemed to have ignored it all this while.
He froze in place.
The face that stared back should have been familiar, memories say there were Kyrie's but there was just something off about it, Handsome for sure but too perfect felt almost artificial.
He had sharp cheekbones, a defined jaw, and lips that seemed to glow at intervals. Dark hair fell across his forehead, black as soot, slightly scattered due to his bed rest.
The most peculiar aspect was his eyes!
They were red. Not bloodshot. Just pure Red, Crimson irises that seemed picture perfect and in their centers, pupils that weren't round. They were vertical slits, like a snake's or a cat's, narrowing as he focused on his reflection.
"Well, Damn," Kyrie breathed, leaning closer. The slitted pupils contracted further, sharpening his vision. "No wonder people would be nervous around me."
He understood now why the goggles were necessary. In Stria, where psions existed but kept themselves hidden, where the government denied the existence of psionic abilities, eyes like these were a definite sign that he wasn't your average strian.
Kyrie reached for the goggles but stopped for a moment as his eyes closed, and with his hand still stretched out, a crimson aura engulfed the hand while he kept his breath consistent and slow with a warm fuzzy feeling circulating through his brain.
Skill >>> Emperor's Hand
The goggles wobbled slightly and soon were lifted off the bed into the air, still a bit shaky.
He controlled the path it took aiming them in the direction of his head with a smile on his face as it seemed he was definitely better at this than playing with fire.
Knock!
" Are you still alive in there?" Negan's voice called from behind the door.
The sudden knock startled Kyrie who immediately lost control of his telekinetic hold leaving the goggles failing but luckily enough, the body's reflexes came to play and his speed was no joke even to the surprise of Kyrie who was swiftly able to catch the goggles before it fell any further.
" Damn " he mumbled to himself. " I will be out in a second, these boots seem to have a mind of their own " he lied through his teeth.
Behind the door, Negan chuckled
" Just hurry, wouldn't want you to die of starvation"
With the goggles still in hand, he soon balanced them on his head, and when he needed them, he could just pull them over his eyes. Simple and Effective!
He took one last look at himself in the mirror. The coat complemented his frame, giving him a roguish drip. The dark colors suited him, made the red of his eyes less alarming when the goggles were up.
He looked like someone who could move through Stria's streets without drawing too much attention as long as those eyes stayed hidden in populated spaces.
" Not bad, Kyrie," he thought. "Not bad at all." he said while rubbing on his temples, it seems he would have to get more comfortable with his skills. Even the failed attempt at telekinesis felt slightly draining.
[Daily Quest Progress: 1/5]
The notification flickered at the edge of his vision, reminding him he still had work to do. Four more individuals to read. Four more emotional rollercoasters to intentionally jump on.
He turned away from the mirror, approaching the door with his hand hovering over the knob while he swallowed hard.
" I hope I survive my first day "