In two days, I had pushed the rest of the poison out of my body and was speaking and moving normally again.

My father had just finished taking yet another blood sample. At this point, it felt like the thousandth one.

“Okay… you can start walking around freely again. The poison is gone,” my father said with a smile.

I smiled back. “Finally.”

I got up and stretched, finally able to do the full-body stretch I’d been wanting to do since I first woke up.

My mother exhaled, smiling as well.

I had started speaking again yesterday, which meant I was finally able to explain everything that had happened in detail.

Lion had also come by after hearing I was awake. He told me there was no way Cid was getting out again. He didn’t explain what that meant, only that we wouldn’t be seeing Cid again.

I kept my conversation with Lion vague. Honestly, I was embarrassed. I really thought I could beat Cid.

I had underestimated him badly, and it nearly cost me my life.

“You okay, hun?” My mother’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked over at her and gave her a weak smile.

“I’m fine.”

My father stared at me for a moment before finally speaking.

“Euphoria… it’s time we finally talk.”

————————

I wanted to sit in the living area, if only for the sake of being somewhere other than my bedroom.

My father waited nervously as I settled into my seat.

“I’m ready,” I said eagerly.

My father nodded.

“Okay. Well… as you know, I started working for Space King after I created the primary source of energy that maintains our nations today.”

I nodded.

“In the beginning, his main concern was keeping all the nations alive. At the time, the EyEs were beginning to deplete again. If we didn’t act soon, a majority of the EyEs would have died, and our species would have been forced to start over again… or worse, become extinct.”

I nodded again.

“Yeah, I know. That’s why you’re so well known… and for the gates, obviously.”

“Precisely.”

He paused.

“So while we were figuring out how to maintain civilization, Space King would occasionally ask about mixed EyEs and their potential.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Of course, I thought nothing of it at the time. Once the illnesses stopped spreading and we were able to focus on rebuilding our strength and abilities, Space King started bringing up mixed EyEs more often.”

He looked down for a moment.

“This time, he wanted me to document every mixed EyE in the city. So, me and several of Space King’s men went to each nation. We had the leaders provide us with the names of every known mixed EyE living within their districts.”

My eyebrows furrowed, but I stayed quiet and let him continue.

“After I delivered all the names… including your mother’s… I didn’t hear anything back for a long time. He never brought the list up again.”

I shook my head in frustration.

“Okay, well… that still doesn’t explain why you wanted to keep me hidden.”

“I wasn’t finished, Euphoria.”

I fell silent.

“When we found out your mother was pregnant with you, I was excited. Very excited.”

A small smile crossed his face.

“I was practically walking on air that entire day. I went to see Space King to go over some blueprints, but I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I was too busy thinking about becoming a father.”

He paused.

“I ended up in Space King’s study.”

My father’s expression changed.

“He had several pages scattered across his table. Most of them were written by me.”

I sat up a little straighter.

“The list of names we had given him had been rewritten into two separate lists. And they weren’t alphabetical. They had been ranked.”

“Ranked?”

“Strongest to weakest.”

He looked at me.

“And beside certain names, there were markings. Some were labeled as compatible.”

My expression tightened.

“The second list contained only those marked as compatible. They were ranked separately based on the combinations of abilities they could potentially produce.”

He hesitated.

“And at the top… was a Purple EyE named Sebi.”

My mother went completely still.

“He was the strongest EyE in the Purple District. He had an unusually wide range of abilities, including teleportation.”

My father swallowed.

“Teleportation was extremely rare. At the time, he was the last known single or mixed EyE capable of it.”

I stared at him.

“What happened to him?”

My father looked toward my mother before answering.

“About a month after I saw those pages… he disappeared.”

My mother’s expression hardened.

“It became a huge issue across all the nations. Sebi was well known. He was one of the most influential EyEs in the Purple District.”

My father paused.

“And…”

“He was my brother,” my mother said quietly.

My expression softened as I looked at her.

“Oh…”

The room went quiet.

“So… you guys think Space King had something to do with this?”

Neither of them answered.

They didn’t have to.

Their expressions told me enough.

“But it could still be a coincidence,” I said. “I mean… I get why it looks suspicious, but that doesn’t prove anything.”

“Space King started using teleportation after that…”

My father’s voice was quiet.

“That’s not a coincidence, Euphoria.”

I paused before shaking my head.

“Father, Space King already has several different abilities. We’ve only ever seen the four he chooses to show us… teleportation being one of them.”

“Yes. But I had never seen him use that ability until Sebi disappeared.” He said back 

“And that still doesn’t explain Cid,” I continued. “Space King wasn’t even there either time Cid lost control.”

“I know.”

My father sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“I know.”

He looked exhausted.

“I’m willing to protect you at all costs. I know it seems like I’m being overprotective, but I would much rather be safe than sorry.”

He looked directly at me.

“We shouldn’t overlook Space King simply because he founded these lands and brought our ancestors here. That doesn’t make him incapable of having an ulterior motive.”

I stared back at him.

“Father…”

I hesitated.

“Is there even a way to take someone’s ability? Do you know if Space King is capable of doing that?”

My father’s expression tightened.

“No, Euphoria. I don’t.”

He shook his head.

“But he’s capable of many things. And I refuse to let my guard down simply because it’s more convenient to believe there’s nothing to worry about.”

I frowned.

“You do know you could be wrong, right?”

He looked at me.

“You do know you’re not always right.”

My mother sighed.

“But what if he’s right, Euphoria?!”

My mother’s voice cracked.

“Don’t you understand? My brother would never have just left us. He would never disappear without saying a word.”

Her leg began shaking rhythmically.

“Never.”

I understood where my parents were coming from.

I really did.

But that didn’t mean my father’s theory was proven.

I stood and began pacing the room.

“I don’t know… maybe something really is wrong with certain mixed EyEs.”

My parents immediately turned toward me.

“Euphoria…”

My mother shook her head.

“I’m not saying all of us,” I quickly added. “But maybe some mixed EyEs really are unstable.”

My father stared at me.

“Yet they wouldn’t allow me….

Their most powerful scientist….

to investigate what was wrong with Cid. They refused me and told me I wasn’t needed for this matter.”

I stopped pacing.

“Think about it. You don’t think it’s convenient that your little friend Lion couldn’t get any more information about Cid?”

His expression hardened.

“All he could tell you was that you won’t be seeing Cid again.”

“Dad, I don’t know!”

My voice rose.

“It’s not like what you’re telling me completely adds up either!”

My father’s nostrils flared.

He turned toward the window, staring out for several seconds.

Then he spoke.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been taking a liking to Lion.”

I stared at him.

“You ran after him that night I left, didn’t you?”

I looked at my mother before turning back to him.

“Father, with all due respect, you obviously know I did. Why are you asking?”

He turned back toward me.

“Stay away from him.”

“What?”

“Stay away from Lion.”

His voice became firmer.

“And if you won’t heed my warning, I will change my mind and put you back on lockdown.”

My eyes widened.

“You wanted the truth. You got it.”

He pointed toward me.

“Now listen to me when I tell you to stay away from Lion.”

I stared at my father in disbelief.

I let out a frustrated huff before retreating back toward my room.

Part of me believed my father.

But another part of me couldn’t help wondering if he was only giving me another reason to keep myself hidden.

As far as I knew, no one knew I was a mixed Gold and Purple EyE.

Instead of worrying about who I was talking to, he should have been worried about making sure my mother wasn’t taken in.

Regardless, all of this was telling me one thing.

I needed to lock in and focus on my skills.

I had underestimated Cid and nearly died because of it.

I couldn’t afford to make a mistake that foolish again.