Revelations and Answers (Part 4)

Ethan grappled with a storm of emotions, feeling his anger boiling just beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest provocation. His heart pounded in his chest, each throb in sync with the faint glow of the strange patterns on his wrist. The pulsating light seemed to feed his fury, urging him to unleash his wrath on the boy before him.

Liam, a picture of utter desperation, stared up at Ethan with eyes brimming with fear and plea. His hands, shaking uncontrollably, barely managed to hold onto the knife. "Ethan, please," he begged, his voice quivering, "Just trust me this once. I didn't mean any harm. I did this for you."

Ethan's control snapped. His fist slammed into the wall, leaving a dent in the decaying plaster. Dust particles floated down like silent witnesses to his rage. Liam recoiled, his small frame trembling as he bore the full brunt of Ethan's fury. "Explain. Now." Ethan's voice was a low growl, each word steeped in anger.

Liam gulped his Adam's apple bobbing. "It's … it's a mutant like the ones I've explained. But it's not like the larger creatures; it's more akin to a fungus or algae that's evolved." He hesitated, his eyes darting to Ethan's clenched fist. "It's not harmful, I promise. Any Prime would kill to have this. It's an invaluable ally."

"And how exactly do you know it's not harmful?" Ethan retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What, did it come with an instruction manual or something?"

Liam seemed to shrink further, his figure dwarfed by Ethan's towering anger. "Everyone... everyone uses it," he whispered, his voice almost lost in the quiet room.

Ethan teetered on the edge of his fury, but something in Liam's demeanor, the raw fear and vulnerability, struck a chord in him. 'What am I doing, intimidating a scared child?' He took a deep breath, attempting to rein in his anger. 'Maybe he's trying to help. Maybe.'

Breathing deeply, Ethan held out his arm, the blue patterns on his wrist seeming to dance with a life of their own. "Fine," he grumbled, his voice laced with reluctance. "I'll try it."

"Thank you," Liam breathed out, a visible weight lifting from his shoulders. His gratitude was palpable, and Ethan felt a twinge of remorse for his previous outburst.

As the oppressive tension in the room began to ease, Ethan took a step back, observing as Liam slowly uncurled from his defensive stance. "Have you calmed down?" Liam asked cautiously.

"No," Ethan responded truthfully, his anger still simmering beneath the surface. "But I'm willing to listen. Now, how does this work?" he said, his voice still holding a hint of distaste.

"First, you need to guide the Lumen toward the Symbioth."

Ethan threw him a skeptical glance, his patience wearing thin. "Can you put that in plain English for once?"

Without missing a beat, Liam quickly elaborated, "The Lumen is a unique energy that flows within Primes, making you extraordinary. It's called 'Lumen' as it guided us through our bleakest period, illuminating a path forward."

Ethan rubbed his temples, his frustration evident. "Spare me the history lesson. Just tell me what I need to do."

"You need to meditate," he began, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "and turn your senses inward. That way, you'll be able to feel the Lumen and direct it with your thoughts."

Ethan exhaled slowly, his skepticism remaining. "Are you actually sure about this, or are you just making it up as you go?"

Liam's eyes dropped to the floor, and he admitted quietly, "I'm... not entirely sure. Please don't get angry."

'Wow, I really must have scared the kid,' Ethan thought and took a seat on the makeshift bed. He noticed the bed had been made from multiple blankets carefully folded and stacked together. The arrangement was so well done that Ethan hardly noticed any uncomfortable lumps. 'How many hours did Liam spend to make my rest comfortable,' he thought with conflicting emotions.

Turning his attention to the glowing patterns on his arm, Ethan took a deep breath and decided to give Liam's method a try. "Alright, here goes nothing."

He closed his eyes and concentrated, and tried to keep his mind clear. It felt ridiculous at first. Thoughts like 'this is stupid', and 'he's lying' passed through his mind, but he persisted.

At first, there was nothing, but as he delved deeper into his own consciousness, he felt a subtle, almost sluggish, movement of energy. Grasping onto this newfound sensation, Ethan attempted to guide it towards his wrist. It was a laborious process, like trying to push molasses through a narrow tube. Every ounce of his focus was directed towards the Symbioth, and after what felt like hours, he felt a surge of triumph.

Ethan's eyes fluttered closed, and almost immediately, words and numbers began materializing in the darkness behind his lids, vivid and clear as though projected onto a screen.

[Name]: Ethan

[Race]: Human

[Rank]: None

[Integration]: 10%

[Strength]: 0.8

[Agility]: 0.9

[Constitution]: 1.4

[Focus]: 1.5

[Mind]: 1.3

[Lumen]: 5 

[Symbiote]: Basic

[Strand]: None

[Siphon]: None

[Abilities]: [Power Surge]

"It worked," Ethan muttered, a mixture of astonishment and disbelief filling his voice as he absorbed the surreal display before him.

"You're seeing the Symbiote in its most basic form," Liam explained, his voice tinged with excitement, intent on fueling Ethan's interest. "It's like a seed that grows with you. Right now, you're at the starting line, a Genesis Prime. But as you evolve, so does the Symbiote, transforming and adapting alongside you. Once you become an alpha prime, it'll not only provide you with a wealth of information but will also provide more help. That's when you'll really start to see its full potential."

Ethan's mind whirred, attempting to process and make sense of the barrage of information in front of him. It was overwhelming, like trying to drink from a firehose. Shaking his head slightly, he decided to narrow his focus, honing in on the Abilities section.

[Power Surge [Symbiote]]: Power Surge is designed for rapid accumulation and immediate release of Lumen energy. Users demonstrate proficiency in absorbing ambient Lumen, converting it into a concentrated energy reserve, and subsequently unleashing it as a powerful burst toward a specific target. Optimal execution requires precision and control.

[Attribute: Focus]

Focus enhances the speed of energy accumulation and the intensity of the energy burst, playing a vital role in the successful deployment of Power Surge. Mastery of this attribute ensures a more efficient and impactful execution of the ability, maximizing both speed and force.

The information was dense, and Ethan's eyes darted across the text, absorbing as much as he could. Eventually, though, he felt his attention waning and he lifted his gaze, finding Liam watching him intently, a mixture of anticipation and apprehension in his eyes.

Silence fell between them, thick and tangible. Liam shifted from foot to foot, his eyes darting around the room before he finally blurted out. "Look, I'm sorry if I crossed a line. That wasn't my intention. I just wanted to help, honestly."

Ethan's gaze lingered on Liam, his mind churning as he tried to navigate the complexity of the moment. He could sense a genuine desire to help emanating from Liam, yet he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that there was more to the story. Liam's knowledge about Primes seemed patchy, built more on hearsay than hard facts, and that left room for unintended consequences, for side effects that neither of them might be prepared for. Yet, looming over all these considerations was one pressing question, a question that held the key to Ethan's trust.

"Why did you help me?" Ethan finally voiced out, his tone laced with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. He couldn't fully buy into the idea that Liam's actions were from the goodness of his heart. "You yourself said that Symbiotes are highly coveted, that people would do anything for a Symbiote. So why invest so much in a stranger? What's in it for you?"

Liam's gaze faltered for a moment as if he was grappling with inner doubts, but then he straightened up, trying to muster as much confidence as he could.

"I just… I want to really live, you know?" he finally blurted out, his voice betraying his youthful vulnerability. Ethan scrunched his forehead, thrown off by the intensity in Liam's eyes.

"But you are alive," he responded, genuinely confused. To Ethan, Liam seems as alive as anyone else.

Liam shook his head, his lips curling into a tight, ironic smile. Instead of replying, he moved towards the simmering pot on the stove, where the aroma of the food still lingered warmly in the air. Without hesitation, he scooped up a ladle full and drank it down in one gulp.

Liam met Ethan's shocked gaze, his eyes swirling with determination, and an earnest plea for understanding. "I can't taste it," he whispered, his voice raw and broken. "I don't even feel the heat." He stuck out his tongue, showing the reddened, burned flesh. "See?"

Taking a deep, trembling breath, Liam gingerly traced the rigid scar on his shoulder. The touch seemed to ground him, a reminder of his condition. "Look at this," he whispered, emotion seeping into every syllable, making his voice fragile. "It's numb. Unchanging. Ever-present, like a shadow I can't shake."

"I can't just keep surviving, existing in this perpetual half-life. I want to live." His eyes, pools of earnest desperation, locked onto Ethan's, silently pleading for him to understand, to see the truth in his words, "There are only three escapes from this wretched fate — gaining the King's favor, rising as a Prime, or... becoming a Siphon."

He stepped closer, his desperation palpable, "Ethan, let me be your Siphon. Please."