Chapter 121: An Aberration
Gramm’s words sent a wave of shock and apprehension through the room.
Aware of the effect he had just produced, he raised a finger, silencing them before any of them could even open their mouths, then declared:
" I will grant each of you one question before we begin. "
A hesitant silence settled in. No one truly dared to speak, until Ronel raised her hand, without the slightest enthusiasm.
" Who dressed me? I was far more undressed than I am now. "
(" Seriously... is this girl insane? At a moment like this, that’s what she’s thinking about. ") Sirius complained inwardly.
Yet, to his surprise, the other girls also seemed eager to hear the answer.
" A woman took care of dressing you, " Gramm replied curtly.
Then, noticing the expressions wavering between joy and embarrassment on the boys’ faces, he immediately added:
" And a man for you. "
The tension dropped slightly. Gramm genuinely seemed willing to answer their questions.
It was Fidri’s turn to speak.
" Could you describe the different steps that led us to this unknown destination? "
(" Clever... he’s forcing him to answer more than one question at once. ")
" First, San neutralized you. Then you were changed, and brought here. "
A chill ran through the group as they realized just how easily they had been subdued and without even being fully aware of it.
For Sirius, it was a genuine shock. If Gramm had wanted them dead, he could have killed them without the slightest difficulty.
Lucy asked the next question.
" Where exactly are we? "
" This is my personal training room, located in one of the Regent’s castle’s underground levels. "
Sirius observed the wooden walls, which seemed abnormally thick compared to what he had seen elsewhere in headquarters.
He assumed they must be reinforced to allow a director to fight inside.
However, another thought crossed his mind.
(" If he secretly kidnapped us to bring us here, that means this basement is forbidden... or that we’re simply not supposed to know it exists. ")
Sirius waited patiently as the remaining questions were asked.
This time, it was Gracia’s turn.
" What is your goal in bringing us here? "
All eyes turned to Gramm.
It was the most important question, and even he seemed to ponder for a moment before answering.
" You were brought here to train. "
" Training... " they all murmured at once, both reassured and now even more frightened, given Gramm’s warning that it would be hell.
However, they were not done being surprised.
" As for the purpose of this training... "
He deliberately paused.
" To reach the intermediate rank within one year. "
The reactions varied: joy, shock, denial.
Even Sirius struggled to believe what he had just heard.
(" Is that even possible? Why us? What does he gain from this... and for what ultimate purpose? ")
Elizir raised his hand.
" It’s impossible to reach the intermediate rank in one year, especially when most of us awakened barely a year ago. "
Gramm, taking it as a question, smiled as he replied:
" It is possible. And you are standing before living proof of that fact. "
Elizir was left speechless. Had anyone else said it, he would never have believed them... but why would Gramm lie?
Sirius remained calm on the outside, but inside, his thoughts churned violently.
" Excuse me... " Ereis said timidly.
" Why am I here? I’m not awakened. Will I be forced to undergo awakening? "
His question was legitimate, and Gramm answered without hesitation.
" No. I do not intend to force you to awaken. As for why you are here, it is simple: to observe. The rest will depend on you. "
" Observe... " Ereis muttered, but his questions were now exhausted.
" Why us? I mean, why were we chosen and not others? " Ana asked.
" Because you possess the potential to reach what I expect of you. "
(" What he expects of us... ") Sirius murmured, unsettled.
" What are your ambitions regarding us? " Kritos asked.
Gramm did not answer immediately.
Raising a finger, a small golden spark burst forth from his index.
He pointed it toward the opposite wooden wall and made a gesture, as if firing a weapon.
The flame advanced slowly, almost lazily, yet it swelled visibly.
It grew from the size of a basketball to that of a colossal fireball, soon occupying half the room and forcing Sirius and the others to step back.
When it reached the wall, the wood was consumed in an instant before the flame vanished.
A stunned silence followed.
Gramm snapped his fingers. The wall, reduced to ashes only moments before, regrew like a tree, reclaiming its original form in a fraction of a second.
" What I expect of you is that one day, you will be able to perform a demonstration similar to mine. "
Confusion reigned, until Kritos spoke.
" Such a display of control, power, and precision would require at least transcendence... perhaps even a level comparable to yours. "
" Wait... it’s just a wooden wall. That flame gave off no heat , we didn’t feel anything. I’m sure I could break it if I got serious, " Elizir protested.
This time, Sirius explained.
" That flame gave off no heat are you sure? Or did he make it so we couldn’t be affected by it? "
" Maintaining such control over an attack of that magnitude is normally impossible.
On top of that, he deliberately slowed its execution so we could observe it.
Without that, we would have only felt a shockwave tearing through the air, and the explosion would have reduced us to ashes.
And that wall... I think , no, I’m certain even a missile would struggle to so much as scratch it. "
" Furthermore " He turned toward Iris, seeking confirmation of a suspicion.
Iris, who had observed the demonstration with her soul’s eyes, added:
" The amount of ether contained within that spark was enormous. Almost equivalent to the rain of fire we saw at the military base. "
" What? You mean that tiny flame was as powerful as the attack that wiped out an entire duchy in a single blow? " Fidri exclaimed, struggling to believe it.
" I felt no heat, and only a small quantity of ether... and yet an attack capable of leveling an entire region... that’s impossible. "
" Indeed, " Kritos added.
" Such mastery would be difficult even for most transcendants. And yet, we just saw it executed with disconcerting ease. "
No one dared to meet Gramm’s gaze anymore.
Their hearts pounded violently as they finally grasped the true meaning of his words:
" I expect you to one day match my level. "
Yet to reach such mastery how many years of training would it take? Twenty years? Fifty?
Would they even manage to reach it at all?
Then, as they all looked at Gramm once more, a question arose.
It was Iris who voiced it for everyone.
" How old are you? "
Gramm inclined his head slightly.
" I am twenty-six years old. "
" Impossible! " Gracia shouted.
" You mean that in ten years, you went from the initiate rank to transcendant, while also becoming a director? "
This time, it was no longer fear of a powerful man... but dread of a true monster.
---
While Gramm was shattering the minds of the younger generation, far above, in the Regent’s apartments...
Diane was playing the piano, her expression serene, immersed in deep concentration.
Her butler, Albert, though accustomed to maintaining a neutral expression, wore a faintly troubled look.
(" Gramm Sigmund, an unparalleled prodigy. In ten years, he broke numerous records of precocity, including the youngest transcendant and the youngest director. Ten years to reach such a level... is it even possible to reproduce such an aberration? ")
" If you have a question, Albert, ask it. There’s no need to make such faces. "
Albert bowed deeply.
" Your Grace... forgive my indiscretion, but it seems impossible for anyone to reach Gramm’s level in only ten years. What you ask of them defies comprehension. "
Diane stopped playing and gazed at the moon through the window for a moment.
" Hard times forge strong men. And the times ahead will be extremely turbulent. It is not impossible that one of them may equal Gramm’s record... and ideally, that the others will not be far behind. "
She then resumed playing the piano.
" Do not underestimate these young ones. They strongly remind me of the heroes from an old story. "
