Kieran laughed hysterically, although the situation was far from hilarious. Madness is what he would call it. His body had awakened a power he couldn’t wield without having a terrifying brush with death.

He stared at his hands where the skin had fallen off as if tender meat. The muscle remained, but there were small holes through which he could see ivory bone that shone with an almost metallic luster.

Kieran had always been curious how an Inhuman’s body was being reforged as they were stronger than average humans, evidenced by how much load and strain they could endure. The current equipment would quickly become obsolete at this rate if Bastion and the other’s physical prowess continued to make drastic strides.

As for Kieran, he was no longer keen on how much weight he could move, how fast he could run, what his reflexes were like, or how much force he could generate. His recent transformation had muddied the specifics, but the revelation that his Inhuman Manifestation couldn’t be touched was even more devastating than not understanding his physical might.

Granted, there were other explanations that Kieran had not considered. He and Lillian both assumed his power was to be condemned and remained unused because it would be the death of him. But what if it wasn’t a death wish but an impetus?

Perspective was everything, and in the heat of the moment, Kieran tended to have a one-track mind, and Lillian feared for his safety and nothing else. Neither outlook would bode well for a positive outlook.

Lillian didn’t dissuade him from chasing renown and power, but above all, she wished for his safety. Having once worked for the elite, who constituted a large part of a criminal world, she understood the dangers that accompanied a rise in power.

Lillian moved aside the imagery device and looked at the dazed Kieran, grabbing his arms to avoid his damaged hands. Up close, she realized just how horrifying it all was. Her eyes seemed curious and pained like she could estimate but also failed to fathom his agony.

Of course, she didn’t know Kieran’s mind hadn’t even registered the pain. His thoughts were too preoccupied with understanding what aspect of his powers in Xenith this represented.

Then, it hit him. ‘Fiend’s Carnage. I’ve yet to look over the specifics of its change.’

Eventually, his mind awoke from his stupor to see Lillian gingerly applying ointment to his hands and wrapping them in gauze. She wore a saddened frown as she did it.

“I can’t say for certain, but your injuries are extensive and consistent with third-degree burns, which is insane considering you inflicted these wounds in less than five seconds. Imagine if it went on for any longer…”

Lillian covered her mouth, gasped, and shook her head.

“No… I don’t even want to think about that.”

Kieran watched her in a strange, brooding silence. He seemed conflicted and let down but also hateful. This situation went against what he had promised to everyone and left him feeling not powerless but bridled. He had never physically employed such an ability, but who was to say he wouldn’t need its help in the future? The future looked bizarre from his perspective, like the number of Inhumans would blossom rapidly as more people gained access to X-hancers.

…If they could gain access to it.

Kieran couldn’t surmise that outcome because he didn’t know the creator’s intentions, and there were too many anomalies to account for. He alone brought a few to the table: being a Blood Fiend, being the Myth of the End, and bringing together people that were not aligned from what he vaguely remembered.

Not to his knowledge, which… he had learned not to trust. Too many holes in the linen and too many screws loose in the shed. Ah, but he wasn’t crazy, no.

Surely not.

Kieran shook his head and gazed at his cloudy-white hands wrapped in a generous layer of gauze. “Two oven mitts.”

Altair looked over, stifling a laugh as Kieran raised his hands with a defeated look. He knew laughing was an impolite reaction, but something about Kieran’s wronged visage was utterly comical.

Lillian rapped Altair’s shoulder and hushed his laughter.

“Stop it, you. The fact that he looks like he has been in a kitchen accident isn’t hilarious, nor is my heavy-handedness with the gauze.”

After a silent exchange, the two erupted in laughter, leaving Kieran even more disconsolate and embittered. “Haha… very funny, you two.”

Afterward, Kieran and Altair exchanged places, with the latter going through the same initial process. There was a pause in between as Lillian switched out fresh vials and the like to create a unique set for Altair. Then, she calibrated the machine based on the readings it gave her.

Compared to when she was doing Kieran’s scans, Lillian appeared more flummoxed this go around, perplexed by what she saw. That’s when Kieran was taken aback, too.

“What exactly are we looking at here?”

“They’re… his cells. When in a dormant state. I can barely discern what is what. It’s like they’re producing a shroud that blocks out or maybe devours light?”

Here, Kieran felt it prudent to begin cluing Lillian into their abilities inside Zenith Online. They had already started to permeate the deepest levels of their being here on Earth.

“Altair, why don’t you go on and describe your ability to Lillian.”

However, instead of answering immediately, Altair shot him an accusatory look. One Kieran didn’t return, simply looking away amused.

“We’re in the presence of eavesdropping ears and a meddlesome devil attempting to glean all of my ability. Little does he know, I will creep up behind him regardless. Anyhow, to make a long story short, I wield darkness by perverting light within my ability. I convert all light into darkness, creating a shroud of lightlessness to operate in the Shadows of the Night.”

Kieran squinted with eyes of flames. Altair had used the knowledge he was privy to all for the sake of keeping him on his tippy-toes. A guessing game that infuriated him. Lillian, meanwhile, made a sound that conveyed bafflement above understanding.

“I see. Do you care to give us a demonstration like our friend over here? Don’t kill yourself though. Please don’t.”

Altair had no intention of ending up like Kieran because, in the end, they wielded utterly different abilities. That was not to say Altair’s powers didn’t come with their own undisclosed costs.

That thought, however, sparked a question in Kieran’s mind.

‘What if I’m not the only one? What if every Inhuman that manifests an ability has to pay a price to use it? That would make sense! Earth isn’t Xenith. It lacks Mana and perhaps a number of other things.’

If their abilities, which presumably cost Mana as they did in Zenith Online, could not feed off of Mana — their primary fuel source — what alternative did they have?

Well, the vessel. Or, more precisely, the energy tucked away inside one’s body. That was the only other viable source for the ability to exact its cost. If many of Kieran’s blood abilities were discounted, the only option left was to draw sustenance from the vessel. It was a mere thought, but Kieran wished to either confirm or debunk it. Should it be true, Kieran’s situation suddenly didn’t seem so bleak and hopeless. It was by no means good, but it could decidedly make a turn for the better.

And that started with learning if Altair had some insane restriction, too.