Malakai's gaze shifted back to the panel before him, his thoughts sharpening as he analyzed everything displayed.
'My talent is unlimited… I'm still human, and I already have vita circulating through my body, and I can absorb even more… My physical stats are just below the Genesis stage. And my nodes…'
His eyes drifted downward, stopping at the twelve glowing symbols displayed on the interface, the twelve nodes.
A strange silence filled the air. Then, Malakai started laughing.
It wasn't the laugh of a child or a boy filled with joy. No, this laughter was deep and unsettling, carrying with it the kind of weight that chilled the skin.
Valentine, who had been observing from the side, stiffened as a shiver ran down his spine.
'Why is he laughing…?'
He didn't dare ask. And even if he had, Malakai wouldn't have answered.
Because the reason for his laughter… was another revelation he just discovered.
To understand why he laughed, one would need to understand how every clan within the Dome had gained their unique powers.
Decades after the formation of the Dome, through countless experiments and research, humanity had discovered the foundation of these powers:
Every human possessed exactly twelve vita nodes, each one tied to a different aspect of the body. The Blood Node, Muscle Node, Nerve Node, Bone Node… and so on.
But here was the problem, no human had ever awakened all twelve.
In fact, it was rare for anyone to fully awaken even one. Most could only tap into fragments, gaining partial control over a single aspect.
Some could split their potential across several nodes, awakening parts of each. Others reached halfway in one node, gaining moderate control over that aspect.
It was why the families were so specialized.
It was with this understanding that Malakai knew the truth of what had happened to him that night he lost his parents.
His mother had shattered his nodes.
Ever since, Malakai had fought tooth and nail, killing countless darkness creatures in hopes of absorbing enough vita to see if he could heal even one.
But it had never worked. His nodes had remained broken… until now.
Malakai's laughter grew louder, more unhinged. His shoulders shook with exhilaration.
Because now… now he could feel it.
He didn't know how, but he knew. Not only had his nodes been restored…
But he could also awaken all of them!
His laughter rang out, and Valentine instinctively backed away until his back hit the cold wall.
He watched the boy in front of him as if staring at something terrifying.
But Malakai didn't care.
Soon enough, the laughter faded, and silence descended as Malakai calmly began to plan his next course of action without a care in the world.
He turned to Valentine. "How do I awaken my Blood Node?"
Awakening his Blood Node would let him enter the Genesis stage and begin his evolution journey.
In the Dome, awakening was a simple enough process, at least on the surface. When a child turned twelve, their body would have acclimated enough to the ambient vita to begin the evolution process.
They were usually placed in a high-density vita zone or given a Devil's Fruit, which would start the evolution process.
Valentine rubbed his neck, still shaken from the laughter, then shook his head. "I think… it's best you let the essence guide you."
He gestured vaguely. "Close your eyes, focus again, and reach out to the essence with your intention. That's what I did. I didn't know anything at the time, so I just… begged it to give me power, haha."
Valentine gave a nervous chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
But when he looked at Malakai again, the boy already had his eyes closed, his breathing slow and deep, completely tuned out.
He was focused, ignoring him.
Valentine blinked. Then frowned.
He muttered something under his breath and crossed his arms, huffing quietly as he watched Malakai sitting still.
Within the silence, Malakai's mind returned to the only anchor he'd ever truly had, the Sanguine's Creed.
He sang it silently, word for word, letting each line echo through his mind, calming him.
And as the final verse faded, Malakai silenced his thoughts and reached inward, toward the essence resting within his chest.
This time, it was more fluid, and easier. It responded almost eagerly.
A spark ignited, spreading a warmth across his limbs. As Malakai felt this, he quickly thought:
'My intent… I want to awaken my Blood Node.'
The warmth flared at his command, pulsing through his body. The heat rose gradually.
Just as Malakai was beginning to wonder what was happening, a jolt rocked him.
And then, a world unfolded before him.
It was no longer darkness he saw when he closed his eyelids, but a vast expanse illuminated by green lights, suspended in endless black.
One orb of vibrant green glowed at the center, pulsing, brilliant, calling to him.
Malakai didn't need an explanation.
He knew where he was.
He could feel the truth in his bones.
This was him. And that light…
'Is that the Blood Node?'
The orb pulsed brighter as he acknowledged it, humming. Aside from this, there was nothing else around him.
So he reached for it.
And the moment his essence touched the node…
The orb erupted, unleashing a blinding light that devoured the darkness whole.
Outside, an explosion of green light burst from Malakai's body, cracking the floor beneath him with sheer force.
Energy spiraled out, forming rings of pulsing light before collapsing inward, shaping itself into a cocoon that wrapped tightly around him.
Valentine stared at the scene playing out in silence.
"…He's evolving," he muttered under his breath.
It should have been a moment of excitement. He should feel fulfilled.
He had imagined this day countless times, the day he would finally meet the next successor. The one who would save the last of humanity. He had even rehearsed what he would say.
As Valentine stood in the hall, watching the green cocoon pulse like a living heart, he felt something far different.
He found his own heart was pounding, loud and fast.
But not with excitement.
Something felt wrong.
'It feels like we're unleashing a monster into the world…'