Faux Energy is the force that courses through the universe, binding all living beings together. Over millennia, humanity learned to harness it. Shaping it into spells that made life easier, safer and more meaningful.

Yet for some, it remains out of reach.

Eleven years ago.

A small family gathered in their living room in the boonies—a child and his parents.

The child stood in front of his parents while they sat on the sofa.

"Are you ready, Isaac?" his father asked, patting his head.

Isaac hesitated. A small, uncertain chuckle slipped out of him. His mother knelt beside him and pulled him into a gentle embrace.

"It'll be fine. Don't worry," she reassured him.

Isaac tensed. "Ready."

A smile spread across his father's face. Then his pupils began to change. Slowly, they shifted from rounded to four-pointed stars—the Eyes of Nebula. His vision went dark. Yet within that darkness, Isaac's figure appeared clearly in white, along with countless floating orbs drifting through the space around him.

His smile faded. He clicked his tongue as his vision returned to normal. A quiet sigh escaped him as he rested a hand on Isaac's shoulder.

"Your nodes are still blocked," his father said.

Tears welled in Isaac's eyes as he tried to hold back from crying.

"Micheal, should we try to wait another week?" His mother turned to his father.

Sorry Renae. He should've already started assimilating when he turned four two weeks ago," Micheal replied.

He released a soft breath. "I'm afraid waiting any longer would simply be wishful thinking on our part."

The words echoed through Isaac's ears, they replayed like a hellish nightmare. Tears gushed from his eyes as he wiped sporadically. Micheal stood up and placed Isaac on the sofa then crouched before him.

"Don't worry, this is something a faux specialist could easily take care of. I'll head to the city tomorrow bright and early." He told him.

Isaac's eyes lit up and his tears subdued.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Overjoyed, he ran off with his arms extended.

"Thanks dad!" He yelled.

"Hey, slow down." Renae rose up.

He ignored her and kept pressing on, only to fall after tripping on a toy he had laying around.

"I warned you, you know." She pinched his cheeks.

Onlooking the scene from the sofa Micheal chuckled as a smile tugs his lips.

The next day.

 The sun is yet to rise above the horizon and Micheal was heading out in a black suit. Before he could properly close the gate, an overwhelming force pressed down on him. Sweat trailed down his body as he tried to locate the source with his Eyes of Nebula. All he saw however, was a scene drenched in blood.

"Who is this?!" the words escaped his breath in terror.

"Hi there," a voice called out to him.

Seated before him on the bench across the street, was an elderly lady gowned in a green frock wearing a dazzling smile. Even with his Eyes of Nebula activated her presence was completely hidden from him.

He took a step back, panting heavily.

"Who…are you?" Micheal asked.

"Have a seat." She patted the space beside her.

"Sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush." Sweat trickled down his face.

The old lady let out a laugh. "Go on, give those eyes of yours another try."

Micheal pupils turned into a four-pointed star, his mouth opened slightly and his eyes softened. The faux orbs are floating around her instead of being absorbed. 

"She's just like Isaac," he thought.

"There isn't another person other than myself who'd be able to help that child of yours, I'm sure you're already aware of this." She boasted a smile. 

The bus headed for the city that Micheal was waiting on was just up ahead, if he missed this there wouldn't be another one for the next twelve hours. He stood there as the bus drew closer, until it eventually passed. He made his way across the street and sat beside the old lady.

"So…can you really help me?" Micheal asked.

"Skipping introductions now, are we?" She teased him.

"Sorry, I'm Micheal."

"Samantha."

"A lucky one you are." She continued.

"Huh?"

"Your child was blessed with a Divine Seed."

Micheal's eyes widened, that was the last thing he expected from her mouth. At this point he started believing he made the wrong judgement by trusting her, but the force she exerted earlier replayed in his mind. At the very least she was someone worth hearing out.

Samantha explained the whole situation with Isaac to Micheal. He had given his full faith to her as they stood at his front door. He knocked on the door a few times before someone finally answered.

"Coming." Renae hurried to the door.

She pulled it open, and to her surprise Micheal was behind the door.

"Didn't think you'd be back so soon," she said.

"Same here." Micheal awkwardly rubs his finger on the side of his head.

As if she had been invisible the entire time, Renae suddenly noticed Samantha standing there. 

"Oh, oops! Sorry, I didn't notice you there." Renae apologised to her. "Come on in." She stepped aside and let her in.

"I'm Renae, pleased to meet you." She nodded.

"Samantha. Just say Sam." 

"Where's Isaac?" Micheal whispered to Renae.

"In the living room. He's been chirping ever since he woke up." She chuckled. 

Samantha made her way towards the living room, as if she's a dog following a scent. There, she saw Isaac, quietly seated on the sofa. 

"Well, aren't you well-behaved?" Samantha rubbed his head.

"Hehe" he chuckled, blushing slightly.

"Alright, let us begin. This shouldn't take more than a minute." She turned to his parents. 

Micheal activated his Eyes of Nebula, and saw streams of faux energy oozing from Samantha. The streams intensified and combined into a coarse aura that began cracking the floor beneath her feet.

"The floor!" Renae cried to Micheal.

"It should be fine…I think." He replied uncertainly.

A concentrate of faux energy then gathered to her right hand.

"Hope you're not ticklish," she smiled at Isaac before placing her right hand on his forehead.

Isaac began laughing uncontrollably as Samantha pulsed faux energy throughout his Faux network. The foreign energy entering his body started displacing the impure residues he's been accumulating since birth. The displaced energy ejects from his body as a blinding light, shooting upwards—piercing through the roof of the house and leaving a hole behind.

"The roof too." Renae cried..

The light was so intense it could be seen from every corner of the world, as if signaling to the depths of outer space—yet it remained invisible without the heightened perception of the Eyes of Nebula.

Unknown location.

"How unfortunate, mortals!" The figure laughed maniacally.

He resides in a space with no true form, seated on a throne with his right leg atop his left and his right fist pressed against his cheek. 

Back in the house, Samantha turned to Renae and Micheal with a wide smile.

"Perfectly executed." She hoisted her two thumbs.

"But the house is falling apart." Renae cries quietly.

Micheal turned his gaze to Isaac laying unconscious on the sofa.

"He's just tired from the sudden release of impure energy. He'll wake up once he's replenished." Samantha explained.

"Replenished?" Renae asked.

A tear ran down Micheal's left eye, using his Eyes of Nebula, he saw faux orbs being absorbed by Isaac.

"He's really absorbing them. H…His nodes are opened." He wiped his face.

He recalled his earlier conversation on the bench with Samantha regarding Isaac's situation.

"A divine seed?" Micheal asked. 

"An incredibly rare birth trait shared by mortals and gods alike. Every millennia only one being at any given time can possess this seed."

"Every thousand—He's that special?" Micheals mind spined at the thought.

Samantha continued, "Your child's nodes weren't blocked. The seed was simply rejecting mortal energy since it doesn't contribute to its nourishment. Without the right energy, the seed won't sprout."

"What happens when it sprouts?"

Samantha's cheerful demeanor shifted slightly, she paused before replying.

"Once the seed sprouts, the being evolves into something far greater—a higher being. In the case of a mortal like your child—a god."

"You don't seriously expect me to believe all of this do you?" Micheal clashed with her, irritated by her remarks. "How would you even know something like this?"

""How," you asked?" she laughed. "Because I am a god myself of course"

She turned her gaze to Micheal. "I can see that this all sounds crazy to you—"

"No." He cut her off. "You clearly possess far greater power than I do. Sure it sounded a bit crazy, but…for Isaac."

Tears began dripping from his face. "I trust you with everything I've got. Besides, I already knew quite well that a faux specialist would be of no help. So please, tell me everything."

"Very well."

Samantha continued. "There's a lot of impurities that build up within him, think of it like a diaper filled with waste. The procedure itself is rather simple, I'll seal the seed to nullify its influence on your child's body, while flushing out the slag from his system."

"Could it really be this simple?"

"For someone of my caliber? Absolutely! The thing is that's not all there is to it." 

"Huh?"

"Your child will be targeted by the gods." She kept explaining. "I'll be frank, you don't stand a chance, but—"

"Please do it." Micheal said with his full chest.

Samantha drifted her eyes to his direction without much change in her expression.

"Isaac has been longing to use spells his entire life. I can't bear to see him hurt any longer, so please. I beg of you, go through with this procedure." Micheal pleaded to Samantha, it was not paired with tears, but rather conviction.

"I'm not so weak that I'd lose to some god," he added.

Samantha lets out a sigh. "You went ahead and said all of that, but, you'd really just die a pointless death." 

Her body began oozing energy and she reached her arm out to Micheal's chest. 

"I've granted you the power to somewhat contend with them, however it'll take some time to kick in. I'll place a barrier around the planet to buy you some time as well."

Samantha looked at her arms, they were becoming transparent. "We don't have much time, take me to your child." She urged him.

"Micheal?" Renae's voice pulls him from his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry." He glanced at Samantha.

"And, this is where I take my leave," Samantha told them.

"Goodbye you two," she saw them off with a bright smile.

She made her way outside and closed the door behind her. Suddenly, her body began separating into particles with each speck floating to the skies. Meanwhile, all damage done to the house had vanished, leaving Micheal and Renae momentarily stunned.