Abandoned Part 1

--Those who seek power will eventually gain power…

--Those who gain power will need to undergo hardships…

--Those who undergo hardships will one day stand at the top…

--Those who stand at the top will only see that the top is not the end…

Quote from the first ability user: The God Of Lightning, Tang Shen, who had given rise to a new era dubbed TP, the Turning Point of mankind...

"Grandad, you need to eat. If you don't eat, Dad and I will be sad." The young boy let out a sigh. The spoon he was holding to the old man's mouth lowered and was placed back into the bowl full of mush. What this mush was made of was hard to tell. The young boy, who was about fourteen years of age, could only look at the old man who sat still with a depressed expression on his face. Ever since his grandmother died, his grandfather had been stuck in a state of deep depression, unmoving as if time had stopped for him altogether.

The young boy's father, who worked fifteen hours a day, was getting more worried with each passing day. "Tan!" A man's voice could be heard coming from the front door of their small apartment.

The young boy turned his head with a surprised look and got up. He took one last glance at his grandfather before exiting the room. "Dad? Why are you home?"

"Tan! Your father has exciting news!" The man, who looked to be around thirty five years of age, said excitedly.

"Dad, relax. What is so exciting? It looks like you ran all the way home! You are covered in sweat." The young boy named Yi Tan walked over to his father and took the bag that was in his hands. "Sit down and rest. I will get you some water. Whatever it is that you need to say can wait until you have relaxed a bit and cooled off. Your face is bright red."

"Ah? " Yi Tan's father Yi Mo scratched his head and nodded. "Thanks, Tan." He looked like a train wreck. His hair was soaked in sweat, along with his clothes. One could tell from first glance that he had run for a long time.

Yi Tan went to the kitchen and got a glass of water to bring out to his father. Seeing his father gulp it down, he could only sigh. Ever since his mother died, his father had been working hard trying to make ends meet. Not long after, his grandmother died, which caused his Grandfather to enter the state he was in now. It seemed the loss of both his wife and daughter was too much for the old man, and now his father harder to work hard to pay the bills.

After his father's breathing finally went back to normal, Yi Tan asked his father what he was so excited about. He, himself, couldn't help being a little excited as well, although he did not show it on the outside. Normally he was someone who did not talk much to others outside his family. This was because his family was not well off. To even keep living in this small apartment in a neighborhood that was considered the slums of Valant city, His father had to work day and night.

"Ah, that's right! Tan, your father, happened to help a young lady today who came from a rich, prosperous family that lives on the upper levels. For whatever reason, the little girl decided to come down to the slums area and was almost kidnapped in the process." Putting on a proud smug expression, Yi Mo rubbed his hands together and continued: "Hehe, and your father stepped in and helped the little girl out. The family of the little girl was so grateful that they offered me any reward I wanted. So I took this chance and got you a spot in Valant City Royal Academy. This means you can even try to awaken your ability."

Yi Mo looked at his son with expectant eyes, waiting to be praised. But instead of an excited reply telling him he was the most awesomest father in the world, he got a frown, and a finger pointed at him. "Dad, what the hell were you thinking!? You could have asked them for a large sum of money so we could all live easier lives! Why did you waste it on some dumb academy!?"

Yi Tan was not saying this to be mean, he had his reasons. As he saw it, it was already hard for his father to work so much. On top of that, if Yi Tan went to Valant City Royal Academy, his father would be alone since it was a mandatory boarding school. There would be no one at home to take care of his grandfather. "Dad, I am not trying to be mean when I say this, and I know you were only thinking of my future, but I planned to get a job in a few months when I turned fifteen. That way, you can work less with a second income coming in. Plus, who will take care of Grandfather when I am not here?"

"No! You will go to the academy! You do not need to worry about your father, Tan. You can not miss this opportunity. This is your chance to live a life where you do not need to work in the slums, breaking your back day after day, working on some magic reactor. I do not want you to be stuck in the position I am in. Look at me. I am not even forty yet, but I look like a damn sixty year old. Tan, I just want what is best for you." Yi Mo really wanted his son to have new choices in life. The ability to live a life out of the slums. He himself was not getting any younger. He could not burden his son to take care of his old man in a place where money was scarce.

"So you want me to abandon you and grandfather!?" Yi Tan's eyes welled up with tears. He could not abandon his family like this. They have always had a strong bond helping each other every step of the way.

Yi Mo took a deep breath before slowly letting it out. "Yes, I want you to go to the Academy and live a life much better than this. Forget about us old men and live a happy life."

"No, I will not! Family should always stick together. You taught me this from a young age. We never once gave up, even when we barely had any food in the house. I can't leave you two alone." Yi Tan's tears were now streaming down his cheeks. He knew crying was not the manliest thing to do. But he did not care. He loved his family. He even made a promise on his mother's deathbed that he would look after the family in her stead.

Yi Mo stood up and walked over to his son. He understood his son more than anyone. Once he made a decision, he would be so stubborn about it that no one could change his mind. He hugged Yi Tan tightly before saying one simple sentence. "You don't have a choice."

Yi Tan only felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck before he lost consciousness. Yi Mo held his son in his arms, a look of sadness in his eyes. He gently caressed his son's face before lifting him up and bringing him to his room. After placing him on the bed, Yi Mo looked at Yi Tan once more before walking out and closing the door. Only a sentence could be heard before the door closed. "Tan, you will thank me for this some day."

Yi Tan did not wake up until the next morning. When he woke, he felt that his neck was quite sore. "What happened..."

Yi Tan was quite confused, he rubbed his sore neck as he looked around. He did not know why his father would do what he did. He sluggishly got out of bed and stood up. After stretching his body a bit he walked out of the room towards his grandfather's room. "Grandad, it's time to get u..." Yi Tan opened the door to nothing but an empty bed. His grandfather who would always be lying in this bed was nowhere to be seen.

"Grandad!?" Yi Tan called out. "He didn't break out of his depression did he!?"

The absence of his grandfather put Yi Tan into a panic. He quickly ran out of the room and began searching the entire apartment. The place was not big so after a few minutes he had already searched the entire house. "Where is he!? The front door is locked so he didn't leave."

Yi Tan sat down on the couch at a loss of what to do. It was only when he looked at the coffee table in front of him that he noticed an envelope with his name on it sitting there. Yi Tan held the envelope in his trembling hands and slowly opened it…