The Ghost System - Chapter 37

“It looks so old.” Georgina murmured as she stared at the stone walls of the Glowry residence hall. “It’s definitely pre-invasion architecture.”

Kataru nodded in agreement, marvelling at the type of building he rarely saw in District 1 where everything was modern.

A tall man in a white lab coat rounded a corner and came face to face with the two students. Professor Killian paused for a moment as he stared at them. A moment later, a knowing smile broke out onto his face as he remembered that two new special students were meant to move into his dorm from Sector 1 .

“Greetings,” He dipped his head low and placed his right hand over his chest to greet the nobles. “You must be Lady Georgina Callahan, and her attendant Kataru Romano.”

“Please, rise.” A proud smile lit up Georgina’s face at Professor Killian’s polite greeting. The solemn way he bowed his head was the type of greeting she had grown used to as a noble lady. Ever since coming to the MCP, the reverence others used to show her had all but disappeared.

“I am Professor Killian Heisenberg.” He raised his head and peered down at the two through his glasses. “I am the head of this residence hall as well as a core researcher investing time into the growth of the students living here.”

“We noticed how small this dorm was compared to the others…” Kataru commented while nodding his head with understanding.

“And it’s so far away from the main buildings too. I see, so this building is for researching particular students. Interesting.”

Kataru was under the impression that the people with the most interesting abilities all lived in Sector 1, so it surprised him to hear of a researcher coming to Sector 5 to do core research. However, after participating in class, he saw that there were students with very unusual abilities. A certain scrawny guy with black hair came to mind.

Professor Killian scrambled back to his office and returned with two parcels in his hands. He gave one to both of the students knowing that each contained everything they would need to move into their dorms.

“Lady Georgina-” He began.

“Call me Georgie, please. I don’t want the other trainees to know about my lineage.” She beamed up at him.

“Sure,” Killian uttered wondering if she would stick by that mentality for very long.

“Georgie, you’ll be sharing a room with Aria Francis. You should have met her already in today’s class, so I hope there won’t be any awkwardness between you two.” Killian turned to the serious-looking Kataru.

“And you’ll be rooming with Archie Hunt.” The Professor frowned slightly thinking about how the goofy easy-going personality of Archie would do with Kataru’s stone-faced seriousness.

“Archie is the only freshman in this dorm who didn’t make it into the A rank, so he should be the only unfamiliar face. He’s a good kid, be it a little silly, but I hope you two can make friends.”

“That’s not why we came here.” Kataru huffed indignantly at the Professor’s suggestion of making friends. They were not in that lowly MCP to make friends, nor were they on vacation. He and Lady Georgina were there because their lives depended on it.

“Of course.” Killian cleared his throat, sensing that their presence there was still a sensitive topic for the two of them.

“That reminds me!” Killian instantly brightened up.

“The General will drop by in a few days to check up on you two, and discuss how you will communicate with your family.”

Georgina’s eyes sparkled at the news. The prospect of speaking to her family again made her hopeful, she was itching to see the General now.

The sound of the door to the entrance hall opening sent all three of their heads turning back to see who was there.

The boy’s fierce eyes became even more lethal when he saw Professor Killian standing among the three. He did not bother holding back his scowl as he closed the door behind him.

“Connor,” Professor Killian called out to him energetically. “It’s quite late, where have you been?”

“Outside,” Connor replied as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Kataru and Georgina instantly recognised the blonde-haired guy with a neck tattoo from their first class of the day. His abrupt and cold way of speaking complimented his unapproachable presence. The guy was one of the few who did not roar with anyone so they did not know what ability he had, but they were awfully curious. Kataru was a little thankful that this guy was not his roommate.

“I presume you’ve all met already.” Killian tried to play off Connor’s rudeness. “I hope you all get along.” He chuckled nervously.

Connor stared at the Sector 1 students in front of the Professor. From what Aria explained to him, he knew they could possibly be nobles who came from District 0, which meant they could have information on the Tardras family, the people who he wanted to learn more about.

He could just ask them, but he did not want any more people in his business than there already were. He only confided in Rhys and Aria because they had opened up to him first, and he somewhat liked them. It was a different situation with the prissy nobles who he already disliked in front of him.

Connor stepped forward, heading for the elevator so he could get back to his room, but the Professor urgently called out to him again.

“Um, Connor. Could I have a word with you in my office?”

“I’m busy.” He wanted nothing to do with that dammed researcher so he kept on walking.

“The General asked me to explain to you a bit about your…” Killian trailed off as he tried to find the right words. “Your situation.”

Connor paused in his tracks. He looked back to gauge whether the Professor was being serious or not. When Connor’s gaze met sincere eyes rimmed with glasses, he decided to put aside his sour feelings towards the Professor and go to his office. If Killian had the information he wanted, then he would have to bite through his dislike for the guy and hear what he had to say.

Connor strode past Georgina and Kataru wordlessly. He couldn’t quite place his finger on why he disliked them, he just knew that he did. Once Connor was inside the Professor’s office, he took a seat on a stool and quietly observed as Killian scrambled to make some space in his cramped office. The place was not messy, it was just packed with well-organised files.

The Professor cleared a little patch on his desk and then leaned against the edge of the wood to look down at Connor.

“As I said before, I’m from Sector 1. District 4 to be exact. Although I definitely wasn’t acquainted with people as high up in the food chain as the Tardras family, my research got me invited to many exclusive parties in District 1 where I learned quite a bit about the upper echelon.”

“Yay for you.” Connor slumped back in the chair, crossing his arms and stared back up at the Professor defiantly.

The Professor sighed with his eyes, feeling wounded by Connor’s continuous sharp remarks.

“Connor, I know I didn’t give off the best first impression—”

“Yes.” Connor glared up at him.

Killian sighed again, wondering how he would ever patch up his relationship with the young man.

“Anyways.” Killian cleared his throat dejectedly.

“The General told me to tell you everything I know about the Tardras family, since the gatherings I went to boost my knowledge on them more than the average District 1 resident. The General’s quite busy at the moment and he regrets not being able to come talk to you himself, so he asked me to answer any questions that you have.”

Connor stared blankly up at the Professor, waiting to see if the guy actually had any valuable information on the Tardras family.

Seeing as Killian was not getting through to Connor, he reached back and pulled out a folder. He slipped a page out of the file and handed the photograph to Connor.

“You learnt in class today that the name ‘Tardras’ is a shared middle name among those who are tied by contract or lineage to the family. At the heart of Tardras is the actual Tardras family who have been well versed in core abilities since way before the Xerserth invasion.” Killian pointed at the photograph in Connor’s hand.

“That man is the current head of the family. Lochlain Tardras Galbraith.”

Connor stared down at the picture and felt something disturbing stir within him, a deeply uncomfortable and familiar ache of his head and heart. He scanned over the man in the photograph’s blonde hair and severe eyes, it felt like he was looking at a doctored image, as if someone had sat down and remastered the photo to make it look like the older version of himself.

Killian did not need to ask to know what Connor was thinking. The resemblance between the young man and the head of the Tardras family was uncanny. If they were to stand side by side, no one would question that the two were related.

Killian slipped out a few other photos from the file and handed them to Connor. “These are pictures of some of his acknowledged children.”

Connor examined the pictures with sharp eyes. He looked like them, undeniably so. He felt like he was staring at different versions of himself, the resemblance was so strong.

“Acknowledged children?” Connor peered up at the Professor confused.

“You see, from what I’ve heard, the Tardras family prioritises producing powerful children from the main family. So Lochlain, and all the previous heads of the family, have multiple wives in order to insure that a powerful successor is born.”

Connor stared down at the pictures of the children and wondered how many of them had different mothers.

“They are considered a noble family because they pass down the lightning ability through their children. However, not every child is guaranteed the ability. Its a widely known fact that children who do not inherit the power are sent away. Their names are changed and they are often adopted out of District 0.”

Connor gripped the picture of his potential father, Lochlain Galbraith, crinkling the paper between his furious fingers. “So, you think that’s what happened to me?”

His face tensed up as he glared down at the pictures. “Did they throw me away because I wasn’t powerful enough?”

Connor’s mind raced with every hardship he faced growing up. He agonised over all the blood, sweat and tears he endured because these people sent him away to District 20. Hell for an orphan.

Killian hunched forward, caressing his frowning temple with his long fingers. “This is where things get confusing.”

A little of his anger cooled as he stared up at Killian waiting for an explanation.

“Acknowledged children are those who strongly inherit the Tardras genes.” Killian gestured to the photos in Connor’s hands. “I’m sure you can see the resemblance with that blonde hair, those straight noses and high cheekbones.”

Connor peered down again at the older and younger versions of himself in the photographs.

“Of course looking like a Tardras is not what gets you acknowledged. What gets you acknowledged is inheriting the lightning attribute. It’s just a coincidence that this group of Tardras children who inherited the lightning attribute also got the Tardras looks. What I’m saying is that any children who are born with lightning abilities are kept, no matter how weak. Only those born without abilities are sent away.”

“But then why was I sent away?” Connor grimaced, struggling to understand.

Killian shook his head slowly and Connor could see that the Professor was deep in thought.

“I have no idea.” Killian gave a deadpan expression.

“You don’t have great control over it now, but I’m sure your lightning ability would still be considered amazing, even for the Tardras family. It makes no sense why they would give up such a gifted child.”

Killian was truly puzzled as to why a talented child like Connor would be sent away. For him, the only reasonable explanation is that the Tardras family didn’t give him away, knowingly. Perhaps he was sent away by mistake? But then again, did it make sense that such a powerful family who practically lived on a fortified private island managed to lose a precious potential heir?

Connor’s frown cleared and the tension in his face all but vanished. He looked up Killian earnestly, with the most innocent expression the Professor had ever seen from the boy. “Then, it could have been a mistake, sending me away?”

The beginnings of a smile started at the tips of his mouth. “They could have given me away by accident, right? Like maybe they thought I didn’t have powers as a baby. Or maybe there was a mixup or something…”

His eyes widened hopefully as he thought of all the ways this could have been a big misunderstanding. “If I contact them, they’d definitely want me back right?”

Killing froze, staring down at Connor’s face. The young man was always abrasive and on guard, yet in that moment he looked so childish and naive. Connor always looked tough with his tattoos and his bad attitude, his overwhelmingly strong ability also made those around him fear him, but underneath all of that was lost child trying to find his way back home. Of course the pictures of a family who resembled him, and the idea of being acknowledged had drawn out this softer version of himself. Killian felt awful that he would have to rip that dream away from him.

“I’m sorry, Connor.” Killian turned around, putting away the file and picking up an electronic tablet.

“The fact is that a baby with their sacred lightning attribute was sent out of the family stronghold, which is basically a fortified castle with better security than most military bases. Tardras making a mistake like that is inconceivable, most likely impossible.”

He stared down at Connor solemnly. “Someone with enough authority wanted you out of there, and the fact that you were sent to District 20 instead of District 1 where they usually send their unwanted children, means that they probably wanted you dead. You being cast out was not a mistake. Contacting them without knowing the full situation would just be putting yourself in harm’s way.”

Connor jerked upwards from his chair, his eyes prickling hot. “But I should still contact them! They’re my family, I have a right to know-”

“You’ve signed away four years of your life to the military college.” Killian’s statement stopped Connor mid-sentence. The gravity of his words hit Connor like a truck.

“The General found you, an impossible talent among the masses of District 20 and got you to sell four years of your life to him. I admit that I don’t know the man very well, but I doubt that he would let go of you so easily.”

Connor gritted his teeth full of frustration. He only came to the Military college in the first place because he wanted answers. Finding his origins and learning his history had always been his top priority. So learning that he had a potential family out there motivated him to go find them, but now hearing that he would be barred from meeting them was so maddening.

“So what?” He snapped at the Professor. “The General won’t let me contact them?”

Killian’s gaze shifted to his tablet screen guiltily. “Not for now…”

“When?” Connor croaked desperately.

Killian averted his eyes to his screen again. “I don’t know when, exactly.”

Connor’s fists balled up at his sides, as frustration and heartbreak wrecked him. He had a family, a real family, a place he belonged to and yet he was being stopped from seeing them. It was infuriating.

“Fuck,” He slumped back into his chair, placing his face in his hands and tugging harshly on his hair. His mind was boiling with plans of escape and ways of threatening the General to make contact with the Tardras family.

“I know you’re probably angry right now, but just watch this.” The electronic tablet was slid onto Connor’s lap below his down turned face.

Connor wanted to shove it off and hurl it at the Professor but he paused when he recognised the person in the video. It was one of the boys from the photographs he had seen. A young teenager with a sharp rueful expression and head of curly blonde hair.

“He is Cimmerian Tardras Galbraith, and he was born with a marvellous lightning ability, just like you. Right now he is being groomed to be the next head.”

Connor watched silently as the boy in the video stared across what looked like an arena to atleast twenty men in full armor, expensive gem gear that would be any raider’s wet dream.

The group of twenty or so soldiers shouted their battle cry and then charged at Cimmerian in unison.

The crackling sizzle of electricity buzzed around the handsome boy, wrapping him in a blanket of energy. Cimmerian’s hair wafted about his head as if he was submerged in water. His feet lifted off of the ground and sparks of lightning dashed between the bottom of his shoes and the arena’s floor. In an instant, the boy was out of sight of the camera.

Connor was wide-eyed as he saw Cimmerian disappear from the screen. The person who was filming seemed just as panic as the frame violently swivelled around trying to refocus on its subject. Off-camera, harrowing screams and shouts were heard from the group of men in gear.

The camera finally panned back and captured the terrific scene. Like a lightning bullet, Cimmerian darted through the soldiers, knocking them meters into the air and creating huge holes in what Connor always thought was impenetrable armour.

Cimmerian moved so quickly that his body was a blur of lightning and the garments he was wearing. In a few seconds, all the soldiers were down, groaning in pain on the floor, completely and utterly bested by the boy. The video ended on a shot of Cimmerian glowering straight back into the camera, his lethal gaze looked all too familiar to Killian.

“He’s strong,” Connor murmured with shadows covering his features. “Stronger than me.”

“Yes,” Killian smiled softly hearing the envy in Connor’s low voice. “But that boy was raised to be strong. Day in and day out, training and honing his skills under the tutelage of experts, all the while being well fed and cared for like a precious heir should be.”

“If you had received the same care, I’m sure you would have been well beyond that level by now.”

Connor stared up at the Professor. The gentle smile and soft gaze that he wore like a mask was gone now, in its stead the true Professor was beaming back at him. Killian’s eyes were too wide and glinted too brightly, he looked like a man drunk on something too good. Connor was still not sure if the Professor was a good man or not, but he knew for sure that the guy was interested in more than just ‘core research’.

“The General can’t keep you locked up here forever. One day you’ll be free to return to your family, but how you return to them is up to you…” Killian grinned wickedly waiting for Connor to bite his bait.

“How I return to them…?” He repeated the words wanting an explanation.

“Do want to return as the poor lost child, weaker and meeker than all your younger siblings? Someone to be pitied. Someone to be looked down on…”

The idea of that irked Connor who was now used to be the strongest everywhere he went. The idea of being weak was so disgusting that is made him shudder in his chair.

“Or do want to return as the miracle child? A young forsaken Tardras heir, coming back to the castle in style, stronger and ready to stake your claim as a rightful successor?”

Connor could not hide the longing in his eyes very well. He knew he was being sold an embellished dream but he could not help but bite his lip in desire for it.

“I can help you Connor,” The Professor lowered himself from the table and crouched down so that he was now looking up into Connor’s eyes. “I’m your best shot at getting to your family, I can also keep you updated on what is going with them as well as what the General is planning. I have sources, you see. And most importantly I can help you get strong before you meet them. I’m not asking you to trust me, I’m asking you to let me help.”

“In exchange for?” Nothing was free in this world, Connor knew that.

“My price is cheap.” Killian chuckled, standing and turning to face his desk again so that Connor could not see his elated expression. “I just want you to keep tabs on Rhys for me.”

Connor’s eyebrow raised at hearing this request. It was an unexpected plea only because Connor was sure that the Professor would not be so transparent about his interest in Rhys. Connor figured it out the day before when they were all introduced to the Professor. The guy made a show of being equally interested in all of them, but Connor could see through that facade. It was clear in the way the Professor’s eyes pinpointed Rhys when he thought no one was looking. Not to mention the files that were scattered across the top of his desk, all of them had a little cursive word written on them in black ink. ‘Rhys’.

“What exactly do you want to know?” Connor eyed his back.

“Nothing specific, anything you find out about him, especially things to do with his power would be useful.” He sounded calmer now as he began to move the files around on his desk.

“Why are you so interested in him?”

“As a researcher, I am interested in all four of you.”

“But you didn’t ask me to spy on Aria or Archie…”

Killian turned around to look at Connor, who he realised was more than just raw power. The young man was insightful and clever beyond his years. Not even the emotional distraction of seeing his family for the first time let the Professor’s hidden motives slip by him.

“I’m not asking you to spy on him. Just keep me updated on him, for his own sake. Rhys is not very forthcoming about himself, so I have to resort to asking his roommate to keep an eye on him for me. That’s all.” It was a convincing lie but not enough to sway Connor’s suspicions.

“Please stop by anytime, Connor.” The Professor smiled gently again, cueing Connor to leave. He left the room, his hands placed firmly in his pockets as he walked, deep in thought.