The moment Layla affirmed her choice, a sensation unlike anything she had ever experienced exploded within her. It wasn't pain, not truly, but a profound, overwhelming awakening. It was like trying to explain what colors are to a man born blind, or describing sound to someone born deaf. Her very essence vibrated, a symphony of unseen energies now accessible to her senses. Her mind reeled as invisible currents swirled around her, through her.
[Ping: Elemental Affinity Alignment found.]
[Ping: Feedback: Primary Alignment: Fire (43%). Secondary Alignment: Earth (29%). Remaining affinity shared among other elements, with Wood being prominently higher than Water, Air, and Metal.]
The words coalesced in her mind even as the profound feeling settled. Fire. Earth. Wood. She felt the subtle tremor of the red earth beneath her bare feet, the deep, resonant pulse of the very ground connecting to her. She felt the fierce, insistent heat of the blazing sun on her dark skin, a warmth that seemed to now hum within her, not just on her surface. It was a terrifying, exhilarating connection to the world around her, a constant whisper of power she had never known existed.
[Ping: X2 Chance to Increase Elemental Affinity detected. Would Host like to use it now to further boost primary affinities?]
Layla didn't hesitate. She thought about it for only a second, the image of numbers one and two Vanguards flashing in her mind, the cold fascination still echoing. A head start. This was a head start.
Yes.
The upgrade didn't feel like another explosion, or a sudden, overwhelming surge. It was more subtle, a quiet intensification. She thought it was okay, adequate, but not world-shattering. Yet, she could feel the energy clearly more. The earth's heartbeat beneath her soles was now a strong, steady rhythm, almost like her own pulse. The sun's heat became a living, breathing thing within her, a silent furnace. The latent hum of energy in the nearby shrubs and distant trees, the essence of wood, was now a distinct, vibrant thrum.
[Ping: Status calibrating. Additional fields activated.]
A new section materialized in her vision, flickering into place beneath her existing stats.
[Class: Nill]
* [Note: Class can be purchased using Heim Coins.]
[Spells: Nill]
* [Note: Spells can be learned using Heim Coins or acquired through specific methods.]
Her fingers, still tingling from the elemental awakening, twitched with an almost irresistible urge to tap the phantom prompts and dive into the system store. Classes? Spells? More power? The possibilities, even seen through the blood-streaked lens of her goggles, seemed endless, intoxicating. She couldn't wait to jump in and see for herself.
But then, the practical reality of her situation cut through the digital lure. She stopped. The crowd, though no longer screaming, was still very much there, a dense, silent circle of wide eyes and trembling lips. And from its center, her father, Baba, was moving towards her.
She looked at him, not with the lenses of years of "do" and "don't," of "duty" and "disappointment" that had clouded her vision for so long. She saw him now, for the first time, as just a man. A man caught in a system, bound by the traditions he himself had been raised in. She didn't think he hated her, not truly. It was just how he was, a piece of the rigid framework that had defined their lives. But she... she would not be. She had broken free.
"Layla, are y—" Baba's voice stuttered, thick with confusion, fear, and something that might have been dawning concern. He reached a hand out, tentative, then drew it back as if burned.
Behind him, she could see Yusuf, his face pale, his eyes wide and fixed on her like she was a specter. He was the snake who had tried to ruin her, the catalyst for so much of her past suffering. She could hear the whispers, clearer now beneath the commotions – "ghost," "demon," the words clinging to her like dust. Yet, looking at Yusuf, she couldn't bring herself to feel the surge of hatred, the desire for revenge that would have consumed her before. He was insignificant. Her journey had taken her beyond him, beyond this place, beyond such petty grievances.
Slowly, deliberately, Layla turned her head, pulling her gaze from Yusuf, from the silent, terrified villagers, and finally from her father. He stood frozen, his hand still half-extended, his reluctance palpable even from this distance. They belonged to different worlds now, separated by more than just space.
As she turned, a faint, almost reverent murmur reached her ears from a different part of the crowd, cutting through the fearful whispers of "ghost" and "demon."
"Angel."
The air in the presidential suite was heavy with the scent of expensive incense and imported cigar smoke, clashing oddly with the cloying sweetness of a cheap room freshener. President Obasi, a man whose pot belly strained the seams of his silk robes, grunted contentedly as a young woman with nimble fingers worked on his shoulders. Her touch was skilled, practiced, designed to both soothe and subtly provoke. A uniformed military general, General Rilwanu, stood stiffly by the ornate window, his gaze fixed on the bustling, dusty capital city below, a silent sentinel to his commander's leisure.
The heavy mahogany door swung open with a soft click, and a female secretary, Ms. Adisa, bustled in. She was sharp, efficient, and dressed impeccably in a crisp, if slightly too tight, skirt suit. Her usual composed demeanor was replaced by an eager urgency.
"Mr. President," she began, her voice a rapid-fire burst, "urgent communication from the UN. Another global summit just concluded. The consensus is that all world leaders are to immediately identify and establish contact with any individuals involved in the recent thunder phenomena. They stressed maintaining contact, and not to be overly forceful in approach."
President Obasi waved a dismissive hand, not opening his eyes. "Yes, yes, the thunder. Unfortunate business. Almost spilled my cognac." He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrated through his ample frame. His focus remained on the masseuse. "That's a good spot, my dear. Right there."
Ms. Adisa's eagerness deflated slightly, but she persisted. "Sir, this is unprecedented. Tens of thousands of people globally, reappearing as suddenly as they vanished. The UN is requesting immediate, delicate engagement. They're particularly concerned about individuals showing... unusual characteristics."
The president finally cracked open one eye, not at the news, but at Ms. Adisa. He allowed his gaze to linger on her, taking in her curves, the way her blouse stretched just so across her chest. A slow, predatory smile spread across his lips. Always so eager, this one. Eventually, my little bird. "Unusual characteristics, you say? Like a sudden inability to locate one's personal jet?" He chuckled again, a different, more knowing sound this time.
The masseuse continued her work, her face a mask of polite indifference. General Rilwanu, however, shifted subtly by the window, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.
"Sir, this is a matter of global security," Ms. Adisa pressed, her voice gaining a slight edge, oblivious to the president's true thoughts. "The UN wants cooperation, data sharing. They believe these returnees might be... valuable."
President Obasi sighed, a put-upon sound. He slowly lifted his head, finally disengaging from the massage. His eyes, however, were still on Ms. Adisa, a glimmer of a promise he wouldn't articulate hidden within their depths. "Valuable, you say? Hmm. Very well." He waved a dismissive hand towards General Rilwanu. "General! You heard the lady. Global security. Find these 'valuable' people. All of them. And bring them in. Immediately." He clapped his hands together, a sudden, final gesture. "Consider it a priority. And no 'overly forceful' nonsense. Just... capture them." His emphasis on "capture" was a silent command, a clear deviation from the UN's soft approach.
General Rilwanu turned from the window. His eyes, usually unreadable, held a fleeting flicker of something that could have been weary resignation, or perhaps a grim understanding. He simply nodded, his back already turning to issue orders before President Obasi had even settled back into his massage.