Kaz hoped this commandment wasn't what he thought it was.
"What's this...?"
Commandment: [Rest]Description: [You must have eight hours of sleep.]
He stared at the text, expression unreadable.
Eight hours? Seriously?
What would happen if he didn't get them? Would he collapse? Be cursed? Die a slow, painful death? The system didn't say—but the silence only made it worse.
Sin: [Greed]Description: [Like a beast driven by insatiable hunger, you are marked by the Sin of Greed. Each time you saturate your Soul Crystal, you gain additional Soul Crystals beyond the norm.]
This changed everything. He had a Sin. It was a low-tier Sin, but still—a Sin. No Evolved had ever received a Sin with their trait before. That alone showed how much more potential Prime Traits had compared to the others.
The thought almost made Kaz leap for joyUntil he bumped into the glass. He'd forgotten he was still in the capsule.
He looked around from inside the capsule. It was a sight to behold—home, his world.
Anyone else wouldn't have thought twice about their surroundings: the soft, tiled floor, the gentle white lights, the peaceful stillness of it all. But to Kaz, it was everything.
He had been tortured by the Scorching Isles, but that was behind him now. It was over.
Now, he had to focus on his next move—escaping Eden as quickly as possible. After that, he'd do everything in his power to live a quiet life, alone.
Solitude sounded like heaven.
But just as the thought of solitude settled into his mind, someone walked in, shattering the moment and ruining his mood.
Bitterness quickly took hold.
A woman entered through the door. Her skin was a warm tan, and her curly amber hair flowed down like a river.
It was Elsie.
Kaz smiled mockingly. "Sad that I didn't join the rest of our family?"
Her expression remained even, unaffected by his mocking remark, as if she didn't care at all.
But Kaz noticed the government uniform. That alone was enough to reignite the bitterness. It reminded him of everything: how she had left him behind with nothing, how she had abandoned him.
His voice came out sharp, clipped.
"What do you want?"
Elsie sat down on the metal chair beside the capsule, as if she were planning to ignore his question altogether.
But just as Kaz opened his mouth to send her away, she calmly pressed the release button. The capsule hissed softly. She sighed, her voice flat and emotionless.
"I work for the government. A clan member contacted the office—I was sent here in case you died."
How heartless can you be? Kaz thought bitterly. In case I died?
Not to help. Not to support. Just… in case.
She didn't care whether he lived or died. That much was clear.
Kaz's voice rose almost to a shout but quickly leveled out to something more neutral.
"Well, I didn't die."
He stood up, only to stumble over himself, nearly falling.
His body felt lighter. His bones are stronger. For a moment, a faint smile crept across his face—until Elsie spoke again, wiping it away.
"You've just come out of a Rift. You'll need time to adjust to your new body and abilities."
Kaz didn't respond. He walked past her, ignoring her calm, even tone.
That was his mistake.
For the first time in a very long time, he sensed irritation from her. It caught him off guard. An emotion. Real, raw.
Then, suddenly, he was airborne—locked in place, suspended midair, limbs outstretched. He couldn't move an inch.
Her face remained even. Or at least, that's what he thought at the time.
He hadn't been around his sister in a long time—a very long time. But he didn't care anymore.
Fury twisted across his face. After all these years... and you can't even show an ounce of empathy?
He struggled in the air, thrashing against the invisible force that held him.
"Let me go!" he cried, frustration flaring into his voice.
She sighed a bit and tried to show her best smile, but Kaz knew this was fake
"I'm not keeping you long," she said calmly. "I just have to inform you that the government requires all Novices to report to a designated facility. Think of it like… school."
With that, she released her ability, and Kaz dropped to the floor with a soft thud.
She continued speaking as if nothing had happened—cold, detached, treating him like everyone else.
So, Kaz made a decision.
If she was going to treat him like a stranger, then he'd return the favor.
He wanted to know more about the government facility—it was important. But more than that, he wanted the conversation to end. He wanted nothing more to do with Elsie.
"Where can I find out more?" he asked, voice flat.
Elsie smirked.
Kaz wasn't sure what that was about. It was strange—out of place. Why would she smirk now? But her expression quickly returned to its usual blankness, as dull and lifeless as the hospital room around them.
Her voice stayed even.
"The government will provide more information once they arrive at your residence. I'll make sure they have the details."
She turned to leave, pausing only for a moment.
"Novice Kazeem Steel, we'll be in contact. Have a nice day."
Kaz was still slightly irritated after seeing his sister for the first time in forever, and by her complete indifference.
But, if he was being honest, it felt good to get under her skin… even if it was just a little.
And she addressed him as Novice.
That's how people were going to start addressing him now. It was a strange thought.
He'd grown up hearing members of high clans addressed by their rank and name, but even those with less status were spoken to the same way once they awakened.
It was surreal.
He had been so sure he would die in the Scorching Isles. Whether in the dark caves, at the hands of monsters, or by losing his mind, he thought he'd be lost to the dark forever.
He never once believed he'd survive.
Well, since he did, he had to figure out how to maneuver through his new life as a novice or what the general public likes to as an evolved
Kaz stepped out of the hospital room and into the long, sterile hallway, the fluorescent lights buzzing faintly overhead. Each step echoed off the cold tile floor as he made his way to the elevator, the silence pressing in around him like a weight.
By the time he reached the street outside, the air felt different—cleaner, quieter, but strangely distant. His home wasn't far from the hospital, but the walk felt endless. Every footfall felt heavier than the last, his body still adjusting to whatever changes the Rift had carved into him.
When he finally arrived, he kicked off his shoes and peeled away the torn remnants of his clothes. The fabric clung to his skin, stiff with dried sweat and dirt.
He stood under the steaming water of the shower for what felt like forever, letting the heat soak into his bones. Muscles loosened. Thoughts slowed. He needed this—needed something normal, something grounding—before he even thought about packing his things.
The truth was, he didn't have much to pack. His last set of public clothes had been shredded during the Rift.
All he had left now was a pair of worn-out sweatpants and a faded white T-shirt, printed with the face of some fictional character he used to love as a kid.
It felt like a relic from another life.
When Kaz stepped into the living room, a wave of memory hit him like a slow, heavy tide. He sank into the old couch—the same one where his whole family used to gather, laughing, shouting over movies, or just sitting in silence after long days.
His two brothers. His mom. Even Elsie, back when she'd come home late from work and still made time to join them.
The flatscreen TV, once a prized purchase, now sat like an outdated monument—dusty, silent, forgotten. On the coffee table beside it sat an old video game controller and a framed photo of them all, crammed together on that very couch, smiling like nothing in the world could touch them.
Kaz stared at the picture.
A flicker of sadness stirred in his chest—brief but sharp.
But the past was the past. That photo wouldn't bring them back, and it wouldn't make Elsie care again. Not really.
With a quiet sigh, he turned away from the living room and headed for his bedroom, deciding to end the night early.