Jake: “Just a bit more touches to the side and…Done. Well, that was easy enough. What do you think?” Jarvis: “Hmm, I think it looks fine.” Jake: “Really, not even a compliment?” Jarvis: “Dude, I live on your wrist.” Jake: “Fair enough.” After fixing up the house with the mimicked ability, physical restoration. Jake goes into the house to check for any defects, and he then restores them with his mimicked ability or does it manually if the issue is minor. Jarvis: “Are you really comfortable showing your powers?” Jake: “Sorry, come again.” Jarvis: “I said, are you okay with using your powers in the open where everyone could see you?” Jake: “I guess so; not many people here go out of their houses, let alone watch me use my powers. Besides, I rarely see anyone out in the open. It always just feels like a deserted area. Like I’m in a game or something.” After successfully fixing his house, Jake enters the kitchen and grabs a cold soda beverage. Jake sits on the living room sofa, puts his leg on the coffee table, opens the can, and turns on the television news. News Reporter #1: “Hello, and welcome to Daily News Network. We are here today to discuss the anonymous global broadcast that happened yesterday at six in the evening. Several reporters who had witnessed the broadcast showed that it was a battle of what seemed to be superhumans fighting each other. We also got intel that what was broadcast happened and took place at Malevin during a comic convention.” News Reporter #2: “I’m here at Seralin Mall, where the citizens were unknowingly evacuated here. Some citizens claimed they were carried here one by one by a mysterious figure. Ambulances have arrived and are conducting their protocols to ensure the safety and well-being of the citizens.” News Reporter #3: “We are currently in a helicopter investigating the area of Malevin. Structures were all destroyed, and a large crater can be seen at the centre. The fire department and police will soon arrive at the scene to search for survivors in the rubble.” News Reporter #1: “Regarding the two supernatural beings, we still have yet to confirm their true identities. But rest assured that we would do everything in our power to find out who they are and their intentions….Thanks for watching; we’ll see you on the next news update.” Jake: “Welp, I’m kinda fucked now. At least they don’t know how I look from the video.” Jarvis: “I can only imagine the police at your door banging it down.” Jake: “Man, shut up.” Jake turned off the television, threw away the finished can, and entered his room. Jake then dresses himself in a training outfit to train in the Astral Realm. But before doing so, Jake decided to take a walk in his neighborhood. With the smell of fresh air and the quietness of the area, Jake walks to a local convenience store to buy a can of beer. He then walks towards a big park with a hill beside it; Jake walks up the hill, sits on a bench at the top, opens his can of beer, and takes a sip while enjoying the peaceful environment. Jarvis: “Huh, not many people your age would do something like this. Something going on inside of that head of yours?” Jake: “You see this tree here.” Jarvis: “Yeah, I remember it. You buried your mother at this exact location. Her body immediately grew into this gigantic tree, leaving nothing of her body behind.” Jake: “I could’ve saved her……” Jarvis: “Are you still thinking about that?” Tears slowly drip down Jake’s eyes, but he tries to remain strong. Jake: “Met her for almost 30 minutes, and then….she was dead…right in front of me….” Jarvis: “If you really have to cry, just cry. No one is here to judge you.” Jake: “There’s only me to judge. Besides, there’s no point in crying to begin with, and no one truly cares about what you feel.” Jarvis: “Well, you can’t hold it to yourself.” Jake: “I can….it just….hurts one in a while….” Jake stands up, crushing the can of his finished drink and throwing it at a nearby bin. Jake presses his hands together, facing the tree and bowing. Jake: “Thank you, Ma. And I’m sorry I couldn’t save you back there.” One last tear fell from Jake’s cheek. Jake wiped it off before laughing at himself. Jake: “Maybe I’m just overthinking about stuff.” Jarvis: “You overthink about much stuff.” Jake: “I guess so.” Jarvis: “Wait, you agreed with me?” Jake remains silent. He then opens a portal to the Astral realm. Jarvis: “Did you actually agree with me?” Jake: “Yes….” Jake looks back at the tree once more. Jake: “Goodbye, Ma.” Jake enters the portal to the Astral realm. Upon arriving, he was greeted by his master meditating near the cherry blossom tree. Darden: “I see that you’ve gotten rid of the chaos that was lingering within you. And I thought I had to put you down myself if it got too strong.” Jake: “You were going to what?” Daeden: “Nothing important; it’s good you got rid of it. Not only that, I sense you’ve grown a bit stronger the last time I saw you. Did the rage of a lost one cause it?” Jake: “I guess you can say it like that…Wait, how did you know? The last time I checked, there wasn’t any signal here.” Daeden: “Read your mind about the fight you had.” Jake: “Huh, guess there is something new to learn about you every time.” Daeden: “Enough chatting; I’ve prepared your training course for you today. You may begin once you’ve entered those gates.” Jake: “You keeping something out with those gates?” Daeden: “Those are the Gates of Verklempt, built using ancient sorcery. I made it a long time ago.” Jake: “What for?” Daeden: “Call it a testing ground for my past students. Now, you will be next to take on this test.” Jake: “Ok…” Jake hesitates briefly; he touches the gate’s metallic structure before pushing it open and entering it. Then, a bright light shone, and it disappeared slowly afterward. Jake opens his eyes, finding himself in a very familiar place. Jake: “This is where I live…But….why does it feel…different…” Jake walked around, looking at the area. He was suddenly stopped by a child running by; the kid was trying to grab the dog from the middle of the street. Jake looked to the side and saw a car coming by. Jake grabbed the kid before he ran out into the street; the kid wouldn’t stop moving around, crying and begging for Jake to let him go and save his dog. The car soon comes by, running over the dog and killing it. The driver did not stop; he continued driving as if it was just a bump. The kid ran over to the dog, and he soon ran out of the house to check on him. The kid held on tightly to the deceased dog. The kid looks at Jake, his eyes teary and his face full of hatred. Jake immediately notices who the kid was….it was him. Kid Jake: “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! ALL YOUR FAULT!” Jake: “No, I….I didn’t want this to happen….I….” A sharp, sudden headache erupts within Jake’s mind; Jake grabs his head with both hands, screaming in pain before passing out. Moments later, Jake wakes up. He wiped the tears from his face and looked around to find where he ended up. It was the Astral realm. Jake saw his master standing beside him. Jake stood up quickly, questioning his master. Jake: “What the fuck was that?” Daeden: “That would be The Gates of Verklempt. What you saw was only but a fraction of what it could do.” Jake: “Why! Why are you putting me up to these tests when I should be focusing on my training!” Daeden: “This is your training. This training involves the mental state of being a hero.” Jake: “What does this have to do with me getting stronger? Tell me!” Daeden: “The Gates of Verklempt is a set of trials made based on your past, your emotions towards an event, your fears. It is to train your body and spirit.” Jake remains silent for a while, looking at his master. Daeden slowly walks back to the cherry blossom tree and sits down. Daeden: “A hero must not rely on strength alone; his mind and spirit are too as important. You may have the strength to fight, but do you have the mindset to overcome obstacles? Now, keep asking yourself that question. And until you can answer that question to yourself and complete the trials beyond that gate, no further training will be conducted.” Daeden sits back down, leaning on the tree to take a nap. Jake was left there, asking himself the question. His master’s training angers Jake; he then opens a portal to his world. After Jake left, Daeden sighed for a bit; he then said to himself. Daeden: “The kid is still young; only when the time comes will he understand.”
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