Chapter 20: What's Inside

The computer room door slid open quickly.

Nana stepped in first, her eyes a bit watery from their conversation. Takabi walked in after her and sat in a chair, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Raia shared an uncomfortable glance with Beowulf, the two murmuring quietly to one another. Nana took a seat near them and crossed her legs, resting her hands on her lap and easing her breathing.

Shink was the first to acknowledge him. Placing an aged hand on his shoulder and giving a gentle laugh. "Well my boy, you surely put on an impressive show. I haven't seen someone new fight, move or anything like that in a long while. The last boy with talent that naturally left around fifty years ago. Bright and brilliant boy. He had a strong appetite for blood. Turns out he was feeding on others during the night, just enough so that they were barely alive."

"Sounds like a vampire," Takabi muttered under his breath. He looked up at Shink, blinking. "Am I right?"

"Very," Shink replied, then looked at Raia. "Before I begin rambling about the old days, I want to talk to you, Takabi. About your powers."

"We," Beowulf started with a faintly shaken voice, "Found something odd about you." He spun around in the chair and began typing away at the computer monitor.

"See, everyone in this complex that can use magic has a unique signature to them. One single magic signal is how we identify how powerful someone is or where they are. During your test, which you did pass by the way so congrats," He paused for a moment to clap with Shink and Raia. Nana bit her lip and crossed her arms. "Anyway, during your test, you kind of… exhibited multiple signals."

"So what? Isn't that another thing that comes with being a Fallen Angel?" Takabi leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Toss it on another list of things I don't know about myself."

"Actually," Raia began, placing a hand on his shoulder, "It has nothing to do with your heritage. Can you do us a favor? Just take off your shirt," She said, pulling up a table for him to lay on in the center of the room.

Takabi stood from his seat, sharing a quick glance with Nana before removing his fleece and slipping off his shirt. Moving towards it, he placed his back against the cold metal before resting his legs on the examination table. Beowulf brought over a bright lamp, hanging it on a chain on top of the ceiling. The other lights dimmed, Beowulf taking a scanner and running it slowly over Takabi's body.

"The thing is, Shink thinks those other magic signatures are… Well special jewels that were basically a myth. Jewels capable of power that would make someone a god."

Takabi flicked his eyes to Shink. "No shit," He said in disbelief. "Are you sure that's right?"

The scanner began beeping. At first it started slowly, but the beeps quickly began racing, faster and faster until the metal sparked and caught fire, Beowulf throwing it aside the room. Nana waved a hand, a bubble of air surrounding it before it exploded in a heavy fire ball.

Everyone's eyes fell on Takabi as he sat up, his face slowly draining of color. "What just happened?"

Nana cleared her throat and stepped forward, "Simply put. That scanner picked up something beyond its maximum sensor capabilities. Something far beyond, if it can blow it up just from being found."

"I.. I don't want to frighten you my boy." Shink stroked his beard, moving around Takabi as he put his shirt back on. "But I'm afraid my suspicions came to be true." He placed a withered hand on his shoulder, looking into Takabi's eyes.

"Now, while your kind are known to be powerful but mentally unstable creatures, you seem to be particularly special. The power at your disposal, and the ability you have displayed is beyond anything others your age are capable of."

"So… You're saying I have a…" He felt a splitting headache rush to the surfaces of his brain. Shutting an eye and placing a hand on his forehead. A foggy image appeared in his vision.

A man who had features similar to him was standing over him, holding his child sized body. His shirt was torn open, and when Takabi looked down he spotted two jewels in his body. Something white over his heart, and violet over his right lung.

When his mind came to, and the headache and image passed, Takabi looked up at Shink, taking in slow deep breaths.

"There is something there. My heart and my lung." Pausing, Takabi held his chin between his index finger and thumb. "I remembered something just now." He got to his feet, beginning to pace around the room.

"I was in a room with a man. He looked kinda like me, except he was at least a couple decades older. I was angry about something… Like, really angry and really weak, but strong at the same time."

"Overflow of magic? Your body probably couldn't handle the amount of power you were producing during that time." Shink sat in a chair by the door, rubbing his throat. "If I had to take a guess, no doubt, you have one of the God Gem."

"God Gem? What is that," He asked.

The computer room door slid open quickly, Riki storming inside with a face red with fury. "NO! There's no way he has one of those!"

Nana let her face turn into a scowl. "Who said you can come in here, Riki? Get out."

He ignored Nana, grabbing Takabi by his collar and squeezing tightly. "I refuse to believe he was blessed to have one of those gems, Shink! None of his kind deserve that honor!"

"Who are you to decide what I do and don't deserve?" Takabi gripped Riki's left wrist, his eyes glowing brightly. "You don't even know me."

"No way.. You have the Mystic Eye, too!?"

"You mean that thing that enhances my vision? I guess I do." He meant to shove Riki lightly, but ended up tossing him into the window of the room. It cracked, but didn't shatter as Riki slid down slowly.

No fear.

A strong growing anger was in his eyes, even as he got up, yelling to attack Takabi. They pulled their fists back, fire swirling around Takabi's knuckles and shadows around Riki's.

Everyone in the room rushed to stop the two, but stopped cold in their tracks.

A man appeared between them, his palms covered in a dark mist as their fists slammed into them. Both the boys' eyes widened in shock, the man slowly raising his head as his dark hair dropped in front of his face.

Riki knew him as a mentor and surrogate father.

Takabi knew him as the man from the park.