Kai Lane: Beginning

"Casualties... How many died?"

In the main meeting hall of Atlantia City, a few chairs surrounded a round table. Sitting in those seats were people covered in bandages or missing limbs. They were proud Geniuses. Any academy, family, or military unit in the outside world had to treat them with respect. They were Unique Under Heaven. But now, they all had their heads bowed and were speaking in whispers.

One of them glanced at the paper on the table. A momentary gust of wind shook him as he picked it up. He turned his head and saw the large hole in the meeting hall's window. Who knew how it had happened?

He turned back to the report and began reading.

"Of over 150,000 people... That leaves around 5,000. Over 200,000 hunters are dead. There are no survivors."

The young man's words caused the people in the room to take a deep breath. Such a number. How large was it? Some of them had joined the army. Even a tenth of that number of casualties would have been above average.

The Second Sky War... Yes, it was large enough to deserve a name.

"What about the wounded?"

The person holding the report tossed it back onto the table and leaned back.

"You don't think anyone was seriously injured, do you?"

Everyone was on the front lines in this battle. John was perhaps the only one who wasn't seriously wounded. He had stayed behind to protect them.

The person who had asked about the wounded was momentarily surprised but then shook his head. He was missing an arm and a leg. If he were an ordinary person, he wouldn't have been able to walk to this room on his own.

"We have to make a decision. We can't stay here any longer. We don't know what will happen."

The speaker had no significant injuries. He had brown hair. His eyes were deep-set, and traces of energy surrounded his body. Clearly, these were traces of the energy he had absorbed.

This person was Jack. The Misty Thief had drained a lot of his energy. Because of this, he was already very tired. He could barely keep his eyes open. That was his only major "wound."

"Three months. Three months, and then we can leave once we've healed enough. In three months, we can devise a new plan and acquire the Hunters' flight jets."

The blond-haired youth with an amputated arm spoke up. His former noble aura was gone. He looked weak, and his face had turned white. The pale sea blue of his eyes was now the color of a pale flower. He might not have been the most severely injured person in the room, but he looked the worst. Not even his master's horns could fix Kai's appearance. This wasn't a physical injury.

The others nodded at Kai's words. They all looked at him hesitantly. He had suddenly appeared on the battlefield and split the Skylands in two. This was a level of power that was anything but simple.

At his peak, he was undoubtedly the most powerful and greatest genius in the Skylands. That was undeniable. Even Isaac would have been defeated by him.

Yet Kai appeared languid right now, as if he were aging by the minute. He seemed to have lost his soul.

"Kai, are you okay?"

Everyone at the meeting deserved to be asked that question, but Kai was the best person to start with.

However, Kai involuntarily raised his hand to his eye. His other eye was bandaged. Healers were more important to those on the brink of death. That's why Kai had bandaged his eye. His wounds weren't fatal and were healing.

"Years ago, I dueled Zaheer. I was too arrogant and was actually killed by him. Even though I was brought back to life with an unknown technique, it wasn't free."

"The price of emotional resurrection was my emotions. If they fell into a chaotic state, they would be lost. In my fight with Ryuga, when I split Sky Island in two, and when I touched my Master's Horn... it took effect three times."

Kai raised his head and lightning appeared in his eyes. The lightning was pale and lonely. Only excitement, love, and curiosity remained.

"I have lost fear, anger, and peace. Because of this, my body is weakening and my lifespan is shortening. But that's none of your concern. So, there's no need to worry. Even if you were concerned, there's nothing you could do."

Yes, that was exactly the situation. There was nothing to be done. They were just young people in Half Step 2 who weren't even 40 years old yet. Even in the mortal world, there were countless people older than them. As for the way to heal Kai... It was certain that they didn't have it.

As Kai's emotions decayed, his lifespan diminished. His 12 billion years were dwindling to 11 billion... 10 billion... 9... 8... 7... 6...

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He only had one million years left, but he was still falling. He would continue to fall until he had only 100,000 years left.

That was the lifespan of someone with three emotions.

The meeting continued, but Kai's mind was elsewhere. He turned his gaze outside. He stared out the window and watched the sky darken. His teary eyes watched as people's bodies were thrown into the abyss until only petrified statues with fearful faces remained. All the while, Kai thought. When? When would another one of his emotions disappear, reducing his lifespan to ten thousand years? Would he have a thousand years left when he only had one emotion?

But what would happen when all his emotions were gone?

***

The meeting ended. As everyone slowly left the room, they glanced at Kai but didn't think much of it. They knew what he was thinking. He was responsible, but he made mistakes. No one blamed him, though. After all, Kai was only 19, and many here were almost twice his age. They should have shared the responsibility with him instead of dumping it all on him just because he was strong.

Jack glanced at Kai but said nothing. Only Fatty and Kai remained. Kai was still looking outside. It had already grown dark. Quentin had lit a warm fire outside, and the others had gathered around it. The space was only a few tens of meters wide, so everyone fit inside.

"It's pointless to blame yourself, Kai. What can we do after this is over? We can only learn from what happened."

With these words, Fatty stood up and walked over to the fire, leaving Kai alone.

Left alone, Kai stared outside for a moment, then turned and looked at the table in front of him. He was reading the report.

'150,000...'

Kai shook his head and sighed.

A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. Two crests brushed his shoulders. Her blonde hair was soft. She had a flawless face and skin that grew more beautiful over time. Anyone in Kai's shoes would have shivered with embarrassment. But Kai just turned his head slightly to look at her face.

"Was that you... Emma..."

"You need to get up now, Kai. It's getting cold. And you're hurt."

"Hmmm... Okay, then."

Emma supported Kai's good arm and helped him up. Clearly, his arm wasn't in a condition to heal quickly. So Emma moved very carefully.

"My legs are fine. Don't worry."

As Kai spoke, Emma nodded, and they started walking together. Kai was expressionless. Emma's head was bowed, hiding her face. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. Was she upset? Or was it even worse?

'Are you willing to make sacrifices?'

When Kai suddenly stopped walking, Emma did too. She looked at him. He had a confused expression on his face. He stood there for a few seconds. Startled by the voice he'd heard in his mind, he remembered.

"Is something wrong?"

Kai stood there for a few more seconds. Then he shook his head and looked at Emma. A momentary sadness settled into his eyes, but it quickly faded.

"Let's go."

As the two continued walking, Emma seemed to want to say something. They never went to the fire. Kai headed directly for the room in the main building where he could be alone.

"You know, Emma, I feel different. I'm not afraid or angry, but I'm not at peace either. It's like my emotions have completely disappeared. It's different from how normal people feel."

Emma turned her head and looked at Kai. He usually got along well with people and was always smiling. Now, however, he radiated a slightly cold air. Emma noticed. She could see that the Kai she'd known for years was different today.

"I don't know when it will happen, but my other feelings will fade, too. I wonder, Emma... What will be left when they're all gone?"

Kai's eyes rested on Emma's. There was a pressure in his eyes that wasn't there before. His lips weren't moving, but the pressure spoke.

'Don't lie to me.'

Emma broke out in a cold sweat. This pressure wasn't something Kai did on purpose. It was spreading because of his mood. Emma couldn't lie.

Finally, she turned back around. With a determined expression, she placed her hand on the doorknob.

"That won't happen. I won't let our love fade. I will love you forever."

As Emma opened the door, Kai's expression was complex. How could this be explained? Incomprehension. Yes, Kai's expression was incomprehension.

He said nothing and, with Emma's help, climbed into bed. He laid his head on the pillow. He fell asleep instantly, as if he had been holding back a thousand years of sleep. Emma remained there for a while. She sat next to him, stroking his hair. Her voice was like a sweet lullaby. She whispered softly,

"I'll never leave you."

She came to the door, took one last look at Kai, and then reluctantly left the room.

When she left, Kai's eyes snapped open. One eye was bandaged, and three lightning bolts had appeared in the other.

'I can't read your thoughts, Emma.'

'You said you'd never leave me...'

'But I know... It's a lie.'

Even though the lightning bolts had faded from Kai's eyes, they were still there. Unlike the others, there were three. But that changed the next moment.

'I know this isn't true, Emma... Because...'

At that moment, a bolt of lightning disappeared from Kai's lips. The sign of those Oracles... It was curiosity.

"I saw you."

***

That night, while everyone else was asleep, Kai slowly got out of bed and put on the soft, fluffy slippers next to it. After glancing at the wall a few times, he sat down at the table on the far side of the room and lit a candle with a flame from his fingertip.

He picked up a piece of paper for writing long-distance messages. After thinking for a while, he began to write, going with the flow. Meanwhile, Little Tiger had also gotten up and tried to see what Kai had written.

Finally, he couldn't see anything, so Kai put the paper in an envelope. He smiled, patted Little Tiger's head, and showed him the letter.

"Give this to Emma after you leave the island, okay?"

Little Tiger shook his head to show that he didn't understand, then rubbed his head forcefully against Kai's hand. It was as if he were saying, 'Pet my head, come on.'

Kai smiled and continued petting Little Tiger's head before putting the letter in the dimensional ring around his neck. Finally, Little Tiger fell asleep again.

Kai looked out the window next to the table. Then, without a word, he returned to his bed.

***

Meanwhile, someone else was in the meeting hall. He had brown hair and carried a sharp, waist-high sword. He was thin and tall. Even though the sword was sheathed, there was still a sense of danger about him.

The young man held a white cloak. It was folded and bore a badge. The badge had a distinct, though hard-to-read, inscription.

Legendary Leader

The young man laughed bitterly. A hint of desperation crossed his eyes. He stood there for a moment. He let the cold air wash over him as he placed the cloak and badge beside him.

"It would be better if Ariel saw these things."

His thoughts flashed back to the deaths and events of nearly a year ago. He laughed helplessly. He stifled his laughter. He covered his face with his hands as if to hide his despair. He didn't see the woman at the door or the eyes watching him from the shadows. He had stopped laughing without realizing it.

"I'm sorry, Alan. I did my best."