CHAPTER 8: DISTORTION

CHAPTER 8: DISTORTION

"And why don't you want to join the specialist forces?" Dexter asked.

Marko responded. "It's not like everyone wants to join anyway, as long as I can stay here and protect my home I'm good."

Sylvia snorted. "What an half-assed reason to say that."

Marko glared at her then turned to face his mother who was staring at him. "I don't want to find my mom or Shayla hurt or the village when I can finally protect them."

Shayla lost her composure a bit. "What? Me?!"

Market continued. "My whole life people always ignored me, I don't have a father. I'm not strong or smart, I'm just me. And now I can do a whole bunch of things and help people because I want to. If the village protectors did not have me.to help then the life of everyone would have been endangered. I saved them and I will continue doing so."

Teresa and Shayla were moved by his words but. Dexter still had a point to relay.

"I admire you Marko, I really do." He started in a calm voice. "Let's suppose you face another terror, perhaps a level four and won. Then you fell into coma again because you can't handle your own power, what then if another terror comes during that time? You would not be able to protect your mother or yourself. You have to learn how to control your abilities to become more useful to yourself and this village."

Marko could not argue with that part but still he wanted to stay.

"Son?" Teresa placed her hand on his shoulder and said in a reassuring voice. "I think you should go with them. You need to control your gifts so you don't keep hurting yourself to save us."

Marko responded. "Mom, I can stay here."

Shayla cut in. "Don't be dummy, we both know the tall guy has a point. What kind of hero would you be if you kept passing out after every fight."

Dexter spoke. "We are in a world where Terrors are always laying waste to humanity, we gifteds are the only light in this world. We are soldiers but it would be fun if he had an actual hero too. Marko Rivers don't wase this opportunity, with you training at the academy there is a bigger chance of saving more lives in future."

Marko bowed his head and pondered a bit on joining the gifted academy.

"It's true I don't know the first thing about being a gifted but I want to help as many people as I can."

Dexter stepped forward. "So you'll accept our invitation?"

Marko raised his head and locked eyes with Dexter. "On the conditions that there will be capable gifteds protecting the village in my absence." Taking into account that the village protectors had been done in by the last terror attack.

Dexter smiled for the first time. "That can be arranged."

Marko smiled back, "Well now that that is sorted I'm starving and mom who is this guy? You seem to know him!"

Teresa smiled. "Dexter Knox is your distant cousin."

Marko could not contain his joy. "I have a cousin? When? How?"

Sylvia stamped her feet on the ground, drawing all their attention to her angry face. "Hey ash head. You know we did not have a proper challenge now."

Dexter frowned at her. "Slyvia?"

Slyvia responded. "Don't worry Dexter! It's just a light spar, we can choose one of the hills out there. Besides the world of gifteds is a competitive one, if we don't test each other's strength how do we grow. I need to know his real power."

Marko shrugged. "Really lady? But I'm sorta low on battery so I might not be as intimidating as I should be."

Slyvia smiled deeply. "Don't worry, I'll manage."

They left the physician house and relocated to a nearby hilltop that was uninhabited. Marko and Sylvia styood apart from each other. Teresa, Shayla and Dexter stood a bit away.

Dexter walked forward.

"As per the rules of gifted duels, you have no idea what your opponent's gift is. Remember this is just a light spar, since both parties are ready. You make begin."

Sylvia held out her right hand where icicles sytrted to form and a bit later a ice spear hovering there. Marko gulped down. "Now that explains your cold personality."

"Ice Spear, 20% charge!" She screamed as she sent the ice spear zooming for his neck.

"Woah!!" Marko gasped as he swerved out if the way sharply. Because of his already acquired battle sense and his advanced muscle structure, he had become faster than a normal human.

But would it be enough…?

"Now let's get serious!" She held out her hand causing hundreds of ice spears to form above her head. "ICE SPEAR RAIN, 40% CHARGE!!"

GOLLUM!

Marko gulped down as the spears came at him at an impossible to believe speed.

"So this is the power of a specialist gifted?" He muttered. "Frightening!"

"System! Activated eye of power!"

[YOUR BODY IS UNABLE TO HANDLE THE CHOSEN TALENT]

"Common!" Marko found no way to avoid the rain of spears.

[WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY ANOTHER EYE?]

"Um-- yes! Please!"

[YOU HAVE ACTIVATED A NEW TALENT]

[EYE OF SPACE (WHITE) IS NOW ACTIVE]

"Woah!" Marko muttered as his eyes became white and so did his vision. "What's can this eye do?"

[YOU CAN NOW DISTORT SPACE AND CAUSE TIME MANIPULATION]

"What?" Marko gasped as the number of spears reached him. "What do I do…?"

[COMMAND THE SPACE WITH A SINGLE WORD!]

"DISTORT!!" On Marko's command the space before him where the spears entered shattered like glass in the air. "What?!"

Marko moved his hand slightly to the right causing the hill to shatter to pieces and start to floating away.

"Hey!" Slyvia screamed as she floated away. "What's going on here? You can manipulate space?"

Marko's hair danced in waves, even he was surprised by this new ability. And it was limitless too.

"System how do I put everything back together?"

[RESET!]

"RESET!" On command the fragmented spaces started to fly back to their original position and becoming a complete hill again. Sylvia collapsed on the ground with her hair scattered over her face, her glass spears all shattered on the ground. The faces of everyone filled with bewilderment.

"Whoa?" Marko exclaimed as his hair died down and his eye colour returned. "That was freaky."

[3 MONTHS HAS BEEN DEDUCTED FROM YOUR LIFESPAN]

"Whoa!" He said with a sigh.

Sylvia hissed as she rose to her feet. "Can you stop saying that, it's annoying."

Marko watched her walk past him saying nothing till she reached Dexter. "Kid's okay. I think he'll do great."

Dexter smiled. "Having two gifts huh? It's not uncommon but it's rare too!"

Teresa also smiled.

Shayla sighed. "Hey, do you want to become a menace by blowing up everything ya see? You big dimwitty hero!"

Marko turned at her and said. "Oh sorry! I guess I really do need to control my gifts a bit more."

"A bit more? More like a more, more control there." She screamed back as they walked down the hill.

"Sheesh! I said I'm sorry!" Marko complained.

Shayla lashed out again at him. "Don't sheesh me young man."

"Shaddup!!" Marko cried. "I'm hungry!"

…

In the deepest regions of the earth was a dark cave filled with a number of shiny crystals on the roof. The surrounds of the cave were filled with over three trillion Terrors.

In the heart of the cave were six high pillars set above the greatest darkness of an endless pit. On this six pillars were six thrones, seated there were the strongest Terror in the world. The only reason humanity still existed was because they had no interest in purging it.

"So we are all here and accounted for!" Said a dark skinned female wearing an ash coloured dress. "I am Hempholm, the immortal time!"

The next person that spoke was a white skinned male wearing a black suit and a gold crown seated on his head. "I am Kigraal, the immortal wind!"

"WHAT NONSENSE!!" Boomed a third figure who was a huge towering figure with skin rippling with pure muscles. "I HATON, THE IMMORTAL HATE WAS HAVING A GOOD TIME AT THE DEPTHS BELOW ONLY TO HAVE MY TIME DISRUPT BY THIS MEETING!!"

Hempholm cut in. "Haton, the immortal hate. We all know that this is our first meeting since the great purge a millenia ago."

"WHY HAVE WE BEEN SUMMONED THEN?!" He boomed in annoyance.

Hempholm continued. "We are the highest level of Terrors, the highest species. Each controlling a primordial power, a limitless power incomparable in this world. We have been summoned by out god to finish his will and purge the vile human race from the face of the world. It is our holy calling!"

The bottom of the pit rumbled as a huge eye appeared there. They all bowed down in reverence to it and chanting.

"Our god has returned to us!! What is your command!?"

"PURGE THE WORLD!! DESTROY HUMANITY MY CHILDREN!!"

"NOTHING IN THIS WORLD WILL STAND OUT MIGHT!"