Pain, Death and Determination

The captain's eyes widened, he hadn't heard of it before, a beastman... or human turning into an animal, it was impossible.

"Are you sure about this?" the captain asked

"Positive sir, a large four legged wolf. And none of our abilities or weapons could harm her," she replied

"So how were you able to neutralize her?" he asked curiously

"Sir, a cadet used a personal made energy pistol whose energy bullet seemed to be made of another element," she explained

"Hmm, i see. Wait! What element was that?" the captain asked once again, his thoughts hinting towards multiple things.

"Sir, it was mecury," the woman replied and left

The captain's eye widened in shock. "Large humanoid wolf becoming full wolf... Vulnerable to Quicksilver... Could it be?" he pondered, his mind racing with different thoughts. But he only had one plausible one, one that only be found in the myths.

"It can't be, are they back?" he thought as his gaze shifted to the little boy who was hugging his dying mother. "I have to inform the higher ups,"

Meanwhile, Jayden was sobbing quietly in his mother's embrace. "Mum please, you can't leave me as well," he pleaded

"It's okay my little cub, I'm not going anywhere. Anytime you look at the moon, I'll be there with you," she smiled and rubbed her hands on his back

"You will grow to become a strong man, i promise you," she added, releasing Jayden from her embrace and smiling at him

"I can't mum... I won't," Jayden said while crying profusely

His mother stared at him for a while and tears began to stream down her face as well, she kissed his forehead

"You will, I know you will. All remember your training Jayden, you are the child of the moon. And don't forget to always speak the mantra when you get angry. My presence will always be with you, i promise," she replied and looked into Jayden's eyes.

She smiled. "I love you Jayden, and if you ever see Jasmine again, tell her I love her as well..."

His mother said and closed her eyes, her chest wasn't moving anymore and she didn't seem to be breathing. She was dead.

Jayden clenched his fist, he looked at her lifeless body and stood up. "Mum I promise you, I will avenge you! And I will find Jasmine, no matter what it takes!" he resolved in his mind

The captain walked forward and tried to console Jayden, but he couldn't speak. The expression he was carrying was too deadly, he looked like he could kill everyone in that area, including himself. Like a suicidal psychopath.

"We were just living peacefully," he whispered. "We didn't pose any threat or even reveal ourselves, it's not fair," Jayden muttered to himself and looked at the Captain, who was standing beside him.

The captain face was filled with regret as well, he didn't want to do any of these, but an order was an order.

"I'm sorry kid, we didn't mean for her to die. This is all my fault," he said

Jayden gritted his teeth. "You didn't mean to? Then what about the other beastmen, did you plan on sparing them as well?"

The captain remained silent, he knew that Jayden was right, they were guilty on that charge as they had zero intentions on leaving any oneiri alive.

"That was inevitable kid. In this world, only those with power call the shots," he muttered

"I can't say I'm a good person, and I can't also tell you sorry. But I knew your mother," he continued

Jayden wasn't surprised, afterall these were the EVA, the same people his mother worked for. He never knew why his mother choose to work with them but he figured since it made her happy, he had no right to object.

His mother would spend the weekdays on the island with him and his sister and would go to the outside world, to the city and pose as a worker for the EVA. She managed to hide where she was from throughout the years and would even bring different kinds of technology to the island, while at the same time making sure the EVA never located it.

Which is why how they discovered the island was very mysterious and shocking to her and she thought about it before she died, because she was very sure they didn't find out through her. It was a mystery she wouldn't get to unravel.

"She was a very smart person, and very very strong. But we never knew she was... Living here," the captain continued

Jayden didn't respond, he was thinking about how he could get back to his sister and how he would get his revenge on everyone here, Infact he was thinking of how to destroy the EVA in general.

"Don't worry, since she was an employee, you'll receive all the appropriate compensations, that is ofcourse if you're not like your sister," the captain explained

Jayden nodded but he knew that was impossible, the test they had put him and his sister through had said it all. He wasn't like his mother or sister, and he had accepted this already.

"I just need to find another way, it might take years but I promise, I will have my revenge and I will find you Jasmine," he thought

Later his mother's body was carried away probably for experiments but it wasn't like he had a say on it, he was taken back to one the cities, one where the EVA headquarters was located.

He went through series of tests and was found out to be human, this didn't bug him much as he had expected it already. But ever since that night, he never saw Jasmine again. And on the day he was to be taken to an orphanage home, Jacob showed up and claimed him.

On the day Jayden left the with Jacob, which was only a day after his mother died. Inside a large office, a man sat on a chair wearing a black suit. He had long white hair and seemed to be in his late 40s, he was going through a piece of information on the holographic screen in front of him.

"Are all the information accurate?" he asked, shifting his gaze to a man who sat opposite him

"Yes sir, it's all correct. She was a staff here, working with the planetary research division," the second man replied. He was wearing an army green shirt and camo pants. It was the captain who lead the operation on the beastmen island.

"Good work Davis. You shall be rewarded for your efforts. But what about her kids?" the man asked

"Cyllene Starrk had two children sir, twins," the captain replied. "One seemed to be able to switch forms between human and beastman, while the other is a total human," he explained

"Hmm, that's strange. And you're sure about this?" the man asked

"It's confirmed sir, the boy has even been taken in by one of our officials as well," the captain replied

"That's good, make sure to keep an eye on him. And as for the other one, send her to Geneva for proper assessment," the man ordered

"Alright sir, we'll do that immediately. But sir I think there's something else you should know," the captain said

The man raised his eyebrow and his interest piqued. "Hmm, do tell."

********

"Uhm... Okay," Jayden replied to what Jacob had just told him

Jacob was confused. "Didn't he hear what i said?" he thought

"Aren't you excited? This is what you have always wanted right?" he asked, confirming if Jayden was in the right state of mind

"Yeah... I guess," Jayden replied calmly in his usual indifferent expression

Jacob sighed. "I really thought that near death experience could change his behavior... But atleast it changed something," he said inwardly.

Jacob had told Jayden about what he had discussed with the doctors. They said Jayden seemed to have developed an ability after recovering from the lightning strike.

Although they don't know exactly what the ability... or abilities are, they believed that it might have been due to an Evolution serum he must have taken some time ago as it was the only possible explanation.

But Jayden didn't seem to be fazed, afterall the system had already told him about an unknown ability. This made him relieved that the system couldn't be detected and it made him excited as well, but he put on an uncaring face.

"You know this changes things, you can participate in the tournaments and get into the EVA like you have always wanted," Jacob stated with excitement, he was truly happy for Jayden. Because he knew that not being an Evolved human in the world couldn't get you far.

Jayden clenched his fist at the mention of the EVA, he furrowed his brows and looked at Jacob. "I'm not interested anymore," he said

Jacob nearly flinched at Jayden's sudden glance. "Oh... OKay, i hope you make the right decisions then. But first you have to discover what the ability is and get yourself assessed and given a level so you can monitor your progress," he said after recovering

Jayden simply nodded and stood up from the chair, he was already thinking about how his life would be now that he had an ability and at the same time the mysterious system.

"This means I have to change my plans, starting with the joining of the EVA as a mecha user. Now that i have this power, i don't need to work with them to destroy them, i would do it directly," he thought

"But how sure are those doctors that i took an Evolution serum? I don't remember taking any serum as a kid, afterall they said i was incompatible. And the system didn't say i was an Evolved human which means I'm not, but if the ability wasn't from an Evolution serum and neither was it from the system then... Where did it come from?" Jayden pondered in his mind

"I should leave you to your thoughts, I'll let the girls know as well, get enough rest. We'll continue our discussion later," Jacob said before standing up and leaving the room.

But Jayden didn't even pay him any attention, he was too busy with his many thoughts. He remained rotted on the spot for a while before suddenly coming to a realization. "Wait a minute! Did lightening give me abilities