"Who will tell him?" Sigil's voice broke the silence as he rose from his seat, stretching slightly, though the stiffness in his body had nothing to do with fatigue.
Vexer didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on the untouched tea before him, as if the answer had already been decided long ago.
"I will."
Sigil glanced at him, and Vexer added calmly, "I'll tell him everything that needs to be said, including my departure."
Sigil walked toward the window, resting a hand against the frame as he looked out into the distance. The world outside moved as it always had, calm and unaware.
"I hope you won't burden him with everything," he said quietly. "He's still a child."
"I know," Vexer replied without hesitation. "I know exactly what to say."
Later that day, pain was the first thing Three felt. A dull ache throbbed behind his eyes, spreading through his head like something was pressing against his skull from the inside.
"Ouch... ouch..." His voice came out weak.
The moment the sound left him, the door burst open.
"Three!"
Khate rushed in, her movements quick and unrestrained. Before he could even react, she pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Mom?" Three blinked, confused and still half-dazed.
Her grip tightened slightly, as if letting go wasn't an option.
"I missed you," she said, her voice softer now.
Three frowned slightly because something about it felt off. Before he could think further, Khate's expression shifted for just a brief moment. Her eyes unfocused, as if listening to something far away, but then it passed and she pulled back, smoothing his hair gently.
"You gave me a scare."
"I did?" Three muttered, still trying to piece things together.
Before either could say more, the air in the room shifted. Three's body tensed instinctively as two figures appeared without warning.
"Grandpa? Dad?"
Vexer stepped forward, his expression steady.
"We need to talk."
There was no smile and no teasing, and something in his tone made Three sit up straighter.
"Now?"
Vexer didn't answer. Instead, he reached out and placed a hand on Three's shoulder, and the world blurred.
The mountain stood as it had before, silent and unmoving. The cave entrance loomed in the distance, but they didn't go inside. Instead, Vexer brought them to a quiet spot just below the slope where the wind passed gently and nothing else stirred.
Three looked around, his confusion quickly turning into unease.
"Why are we here?"
No answer came, so his gaze shifted to Vexer.
"...What did I awaken?"
Silence followed, the kind that avoided rather than came from thinking. Three's chest tightened slightly.
"Did I get something weak?" he pressed, forcing a small laugh. "Like... I don't know, mud control or leaf bending?"
Nothing changed, and the silence stretched.
"Grandpa," his voice sharpened. "What did I awaken?"
Vexer exhaled quietly. With a small motion of his hand, a wooden seat formed behind him. He sat down slowly, his gaze still fixed on Three.
"Sit."
Three didn't move.
"I'm not sitting."
His voice came out firm.
"Not until you answer me."
Another pause passed, longer this time, before Vexer spoke.
"You didn't awaken."
The words were simple, like a final judgment given to a death row inmate.
Three blinked, not understanding for a moment, and then he laughed. It was a short, uncertain sound.
"...That's not funny. You're joking, right?" he continued, the words coming quicker now. "This is one of your tricks. You always say something serious and then laugh after."
Vexer didn't laugh, and Three's smile faltered.
"You're just testing me," he said, more quietly now. "I probably awakened something big, right? Something like yours, like space manipulation."
He stopped because Vexer's face hadn't changed even slightly. The silence answered for him.
Three's throat tightened.
"...No."
The word came out barely above a whisper.
"That's not possible."
His head shook slowly, rejecting the thought itself.
"It doesn't make sense, since everyone awakens. You said it yourself, so I should have something."
The ground beneath him felt unsteady.
"Why? Why didn't I awaken?"
No answer came, and that was worse than anything else.
Three took a step forward, then another.
"You can fix it, right?"
His voice rose, desperate now.
"You're the strongest. You said it yourself that there's nothing you can't do, so just fix it! Fix it!"
His hands clenched into fists, and then he moved. The first hit landed weakly against Vexer's chest, then another followed.
"It's not fair! I did everything right! I waited and trained, so why do I get this?!"
His voice cracked completely.
"Why me?!"
The blows didn't stop, but they grew weaker with each strike as his strength drained faster than his anger.
Vexer didn't block them or step back. He simply stood there and took them until he reached forward, pulling Three into an embrace. The movement was firm and steady.
Three struggled at first, then the strength left him. His hands clenched against Vexer's robes, his breathing uneven as he broke apart.
"It's not fair..." he repeated, quieter now.
Vexer's hand rested gently against the back of his head.
"No," he said softly. "It isn't. Life has never been fair."
Three didn't respond. He just stood there, held in place, as everything he had believed in quietly collapsed around him while the wind passed through the mountain once more.