I woke in my bed. I was back home. Thankfully, I'd managed to slip in unnoticed late the previous night after being dropped off by Uncle Wolf. My father was already asleep, along with Vicky, who had taken over the couch in the living room. Sean was nowhere to be found. Not unusual. It was better that way; I hadn't had the energy to deal with an interrogation over where I'd disappeared to after I'd gotten home. I could hear movement down below on the lower floor. I flared my aura, my senses reaching out into the ground floor of the house. I found my father and Vicky in the kitchen.

  Seems they’re up for breakfast.

  My feet slapped lightly against the hardwood floor as I turned to sit on the edge of my bed, dragging a hand down my face. I felt awake, but it was still strange having to sleep again after so long in the Soul-Sheer. Without sleep or a day and night, the days had blurred together strangely. The strangest part by far was not requiring caffeine first thing in the morning to be able to function. I'd been a lifelong caffeine addict up to this point.

  Out of habit, I called up my status sheet. I'd seen some solid gains clearing out that rogue dungeon between the levels, Skill upgrades, and a far better grasp of my Class Skills now that I'd been able to get practical experience with them. The dungeon had also provided me with a few new things to experiment with, thanks to my [Spirit Forge]. That I would look into later, though. For now, there was one thing I wanted to check on before I went down to see my family.

  I withdrew the box that the Vampire, Argyle, had gifted to me the previous night from my [Inventory]. The box was made of a dark wood covered in metallic filigree that shimmered in the morning light that filtered into my room from the nearby window. It was a hefty thing for being not much larger than a fair-sized book; it weighed at least five pounds between the box itself and whatever its contents were. I flexed my will, triggering [Auric Vision] and focusing all my other senses on the box. I couldn't rule out the possibility that the box was a trap of some sort. I'd rather check as thoroughly as I could before I opened it. Unfortunately, I lacked the capabilities to be as thorough as I would have liked. I had no Skills to help me with things on the more esoteric side of things. At the moment, I was a physical powerhouse meant for battle and little else. This left me lacking when it came to information gathering and tasks that required more magical skill. My [Aura manipulation] helped close some of those gaps, but not all of them.

  The box had a strange density to it in my senses, but neither my Skills nor my senses detected anything amiss with the box or its contents.

  Flipping the small silver latch on the side of the box, I turned and dumped its contents onto my bed. It was just a pair of books, both with flat black covers. One carried a silver embossing that almost seemed like it was just a mess of lines and characters jumbled inside a circle. Instinct told me there was a pattern and logic to the design I simply wasn't seeing.

  The other book carried a similar silver embossing, but it was a collection of symbols I couldn't read, almost like runes? On a hunch, I triggered [Analyze] targeting the two books. The results were surprising to say the least.

  Magic.

  I couldn't help the stupid grin that spread over my face as I read through the screens. Sure, I fought monsters and could turn into a giant spider, and also had a giant root-snake creature as a familiar, but still, this was real fantasy-type magic. Both the little kid and the gamer in me were practically squealing with joy as I reached out to pick up the Skill book. The moment my fingers touched the cover of [Ritualism], a screen popped open.

  You’re god damn right I would!

  The book faded from existence; it was fast, a matter of seconds. One moment it was there, the next it was a hazy blur and the moment after that it faded entirely. I blinked as the book vanished, a rush of knowledge flooding into my mind. A pounding ache formed just behind my eyes, and I grimaced at the discomfort. Intricate patterns and symbols danced before my eyes, accompanied by a deep understanding of their significance. I could feel the potential thrumming through my veins, the promise of arcane power at my fingertips.

  I grinned, barely containing my excitement. This was a game-changer. Interestingly, the Skill didn't allow me to cast rituals on its own. The new knowledge floating around in my head informed me that anyone with access to the system and mana could cast a ritual. Though with different levels of efficacy depending on their skill level, knowledge and a host of other factors. What [Ritualism] did was make it easier for me to learn new rituals and enhance any rituals that I cast myself or was a significant part of. That last bit felt a little iffy, like there was more to it that I was missing.

  Turning my attention to the [Ritual Codex], I carefully picked it up. The cover felt warm to the touch, almost alive with latent energy. I flipped it open, eager to see what secrets it held. The pages were filled with intricate diagrams, flowing script, and lists of components. Each ritual was meticulously detailed, including descriptions, steps, diagrams, and ingredient lists for some of the more esoteric ones that required unusual parts.

  All in all, this was a huge boon for someone like me, who lacked utility in my Skill set. I was a killing machine, well and truly by this point, but I had little in the way of tools in my kit, so to speak. [Ritualism] alongside the codex would go a long way to helping bridge that gap for me. In the back of my mind, I was also considering another possibility.

  There might be a way to leverage this to gain even more Skills.

  "Guess I owe him a thank you," I muttered to myself as I rose from the bed and deposited the codex back into my [Inventory]. I wasn't sure if the vampire was just being altruistic or if he thought I'd owe him a favour for this gift, but I'd cross that bridge when I got to it. That or burn the whole thing down.

  Whichever came first.

  —-

  “So, where did you sneak off to yesterday?”

  "Lovely greeting for your long-lost brother, Vicky." I laughed as I entered the kitchen; she and my father were seated at the kitchen table. It seemed breakfast had gotten well underway while I'd had my nose buried in magic books.

  "Grab a plate, eggs and bacon on the stove." My dad grunted from his own seat.

  "Thanks." I quickly set about retrieving a plate and getting my own breakfast. I wasn't about to turn down bacon and eggs I hadn't needed to cook myself. Not a chance. That would be a sin. I settled into my seat at the table, savouring the aroma of crispy bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs. As I took my first bite, I could feel Vicky's eyes boring into me from across the table. She wasn't about to let this go; it wasn't in her nature. She was like a dog with a bone, gnawing away at it until it was gone.

  "You didn't answer my question, Aiden," she pressed, her tone a mix of concern and irritation. "Where were you?"

  I chewed slowly, buying time to formulate a response. The truth was out of the question, of course. How could I explain dungeons, magic, and vampire meetings to my family without sounding completely insane? I didn't think I could. Words were not my strong suit; they never had been.

  "You know, last I checked, Vic, I'm still the eldest, and you're not my keeper," I smirked at my sister. It had always ground her gears to remind her that even if she was the most responsible one and the most successful, she still wasn't the eldest child. I never could resist needling my sister when she got up on her high horse. I understood it came from a place of worry and care, but that didn't mean I had to let her breathe down my neck.

  "I had a very long talk with Uncle Wolf. About where I was and what happened to me." I could feel my father's eyes on me now, too. His fork paused halfway to his mouth as he fixed me with a skeptical look. "I got some of the answers I needed from him, but not everything I'd like. I'm supposed to be meeting with an acquaintance of his sometime in the next few days to get more." I explained. I had to give them something. Otherwise, Vicky wouldn't let it go, and she'd pester me endlessly, which was not what I wanted to spend my time dealing with. Worse, my overly stubborn sister might accidentally poke her nose somewhere it didn't belong and get bitten for her trouble.

  My father's brow furrowed, his skepticism deepening. "An acquaintance of Wolf's? That sounds... interesting." His tone suggested he found it more concerning than interesting.

  "That's putting it mildly, Uncle Wolf knows some interesting characters." I shovelled another forkful of eggs into my mouth.

  "Interesting characters?" Vicky echoed, her eyes narrowing. "Aiden, what exactly are you getting yourself into?"

  "You mean what have I already got myself into?" I said with a sigh. "I'm already hip deep in all this, Vic, there's no backing out at this point."

  My father set his fork down with a soft clink. "Son, I know you've been through something... extraordinary. But I can't help feeling like you're keeping things from us. We're your family. We want to help."

  "I know, and there's a lot I'd like to be able to tell you, but right now I don't have all the answers. And half-baked answers based on shoddy information are more dangerous to you than nothing. So for now you'll just have to trust that I will tell you what I can, when I can." I could feel my voice rising with every word. I was frustrated. Beyond frustrated, really. This was just another rehashing of the family dinner, just without Sean around to be a little snot. My family wanted answers, I wanted to give them those answers, but couldn't for any of a number of different reasons.

  The kitchen fell into an uncomfortable silence. I could feel the tension in the air, thick enough to cut with a knife. My father's jaw clenched, his eyes locked on me with a mix of concern and frustration. Vicky's gaze darted between us, her brow furrowed in worry. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. The last thing I wanted was to start another argument.

  "Look, I promise I'm not doing anything illegal. I'm just trying to figure out what happened to me and why. Uncle Wolf and his... associates are helping me with that."

  Vicky leaned back in her chair, her expression a mix of concern and frustration. "I just don't understand why you can't tell us more. We're worried about you, Aiden. You disappeared for two years, and now you’ve come back acting strange, and now you're running off to meet mysterious people? It's not like you."

  "You're right, it's not like me," I admitted, pushing my half-eaten plate away. "But I'm not the same person I was before... all this happened. I'm trying to navigate this new reality, and sometimes that means doing things that might seem out of character."

  I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. "Look, I know it's not fair to you guys. I get that. But there are things at play here that are bigger than just me or our family. I'm trying to protect you."

  "Protect us from what, Aiden?" Vicky asked, her voice soft but insistent. "How can we help if we don't know what we're up against?"

  I ran a hand through my hair, struggling to find the right words. How could I explain the dangers of the magical world without revealing its existence? "It's... complicated. There are people out there who might want to use me, or use you to get to me. The less you know right now, the safer you are."

  My father leaned forward, his eyes searching mine. "Son, we're not helpless. Whatever you're involved in-" I held up a hand, cutting him off with a deadly serious look. Subtlety was never one of my strong suits, so I decided it was time to go with blunt.

  "The problem is that you are helpless," I said quietly, but firmly. I knew it was true, and it didn't sit well with me. None of my family was System-initiated, none of them had magic. Against a monster or Ranker, it made little difference. To anyone with even a handful of levels, the two of them were completely helpless, as helpless as a child in a fight with an adult, and that was the reality of the situation. That thought sent a thrill of both rage and terror racing up my spine.

  “One of the things I’m going to look into is changing that, but I’m not sure how to go about it yet.”

  My father's eyes widened slightly, a mix of surprise and concern flashing across his face. "What do you mean, we're helpless? Aiden, you're not making any sense." I sighed, realizing I'd said too much.

  Me and my big mouth should have just kept my trap shut.

  But there was no taking it back now. I had to give them something to chew on. I couldn't reveal everything right now, but I could give them something, couldn't I?

  "Look, the world... It's not what we thought it was. There are things out there you don't have the means to protect yourselves from."

  Vicky leaned forward, her voice low and intense. "What kind of dangers are we talking about here, Aiden? Is this why you disappeared for two years?"

  I nodded slowly, trying to choose my words more carefully. "Yes, it's related. But it's not something I can just explain over breakfast. It's... complicated. Frankly, a lot of it would sound insane if I tried to tell you right now, and what little evidence I do have would terrify you."

  "Terrify us?" My father's voice was low, a mix of concern and skepticism. "Son, we've been worried sick about you for two years. I think we can handle whatever it is you're dealing with." I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping my lips.

  "Dad, you really can't. Not yet, anyway." I leaned back in my chair, my eyes darting between my father and Vicky. "Look, I know this is frustrating; it's frustrating for me too. But I need you to trust me. I'm not keeping things from you because I want to, but because I have to. For now."

  Vicky's eyes narrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line. "And when exactly will it be safe for us to know? When will you trust us enough to let us in?" I felt a pang of guilt at her words. They weren't trying to pry out of malice or nosiness - they were genuinely worried about me. But I couldn't risk their safety, or worse, have them think I'd gone completely insane.

  "Soon, a couple of days at most, I think," I promised, meeting Vicky's gaze. "I'm working on it. But there are... protocols. Rules. Things I need to figure out before I can tell you everything."

  My father's brow furrowed. "Rules? What kind of rules prevent you from talking to your own family?"

  I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "The kind that comes with an NDA that'll probably be as thick as my hand," I let out a strained chuckle. "Look, I know this is frustrating. But please, just give me a little more time. I promise I'll explain everything as soon as I can."

  The tension in the room was palpable. I could see the worry and frustration etched on their faces, mixed with a growing sense of unease. Part of me wanted to just spill everything, consequences be damned. But I knew better. The White Banner, the Unseen, the very nature of magic itself - it was all too much to dump on them at once. And who knew what kind of attention it might draw?

  Vicky opened her mouth to argue further, but my father held up a hand, silencing her. He fixed me with a long, hard look. "Two days," he said finally. "You have two days to get whatever this” He gestured at me, “in order and tell us what's going on. After that, we're going to have a very long talk - whether you're ready or not."

  I nodded, relief washing over me. "That's fair. Thank you." The tension in the room eased slightly, but I could still feel their eyes on me as I finished my breakfast. The weight of their expectations hung heavy in the air. I knew I'd have to come up with something substantial to tell them, and soon.

  As I was finishing up my meal, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, seeing a text from an unknown number:

  

  I stared at the message, my mind racing. This was perfect, a little too perfect. I didn't trust it when things lined up this well. My luck wasn't that good. Though that was the past, pre-system. With my Luck now, maybe that wasn't the case anymore. Somehow, I doubted that. I checked the time on my phone. The meeting time was still a little ways off, so I had time to wrap things up here.

   I sent back, tucking my phone away into my pocket.

  "Everything alright?" my father asked.

  "Fine, I've just got a meeting in a couple of hours." I said offhandedly.

  "A meeting?" Vicky raised an eyebrow. "With one of Uncle Wolf's 'interesting characters', I assume?"

  I nodded, pushing back from the table. "Yeah, actually. It's... well, it's related to everything we were just talking about. Hopefully, after this meeting, I'll have some more answers for you both."

  My father's expression tightened, but he gave a curt nod. "Just... be careful, son. I don't like all this secrecy, but I trust you have your reasons."

  "I do," I assured him, standing up. "And I appreciate your patience. Both of you." I looked between them, feeling a mixture of guilt and resolve. "I'm going to head out and prepare for the meeting. I'll be back later, and hopefully with some good news."

  As I made my way upstairs to get ready, I could feel the weight of their gazes on my back. Part of me wanted to turn around, to spill everything right then and there. But I knew better. This meeting with Argyle could be crucial, and I needed to approach it with a clear head.