- Imbuers those who can imbue and coat their body with Tion
- Blasters those who can use Tion purely externally and as ranged attacks
- Manipulators those who are a hybrid between the two mentioned types and can also manipulate Tion freely
Of these types, manipulators are the rarest and many users find it hard to control their powers even to a basic level. You can say that again….” Jace Kess sighed as he read from the book History of Tion “Those who are lucky or unlucky enough to be born a manipulator never end up using their powers for a higher purpose, because of it’s difficulty to control them beyond the basics, but nothing is impossible with the right training.” Jace finished reading the section he was looking through and sighed once more before leaning back in his chair. Jace got up from his chair and slipped on his black bomber jacket as he stopped by the mirror. He looked into the reflective glass and back at him stared a clean shaven boy with the amber eyes that were so familiar to him and messy black hair which hung down onto his tanned skin. He messed around with his hair for a bit before giving up and making his way downstairs.
“Jace! Dinner is ready!” Jace’s mum Mani Kess called out to him from the kitchen. At the sound of this Jace rushed to the kitchen with his stomach rumbling wildy at the thought of food. “What’ve you got cooking?” he asked, peeking over her shoulder with growing interest.
“Chicken mac ‘n cheese!” he exclaimed, eyes wide with joy. “Wait, I thought we only had this on special occasions!” he said grinning wildly as he attempted to reach for the pot and pick a piece of chicken out.
Mani slapped his hand away as he tried to sneak a piece of chicken from the pot. "It is a special occasion! You're taking the Lazarus Corps test tomorrow, remember? Now go set the table. With your appetite, I’ve made enough to last us through the winter," she teased, smiling warmly.
Jace loved this about his mother; she was able to get excited about anything for anyone. She was kind and caring like that. Always looking out for the next person and wanting to help where she could. Jace admired her with a grin looking at her black hair with streaks of grey which appeared from age. Her hair was done in a braid along her back. She had the same amber eyes that Jace knew so well and her eyes looked tired but full of life and joy all at the same time. Jace wondered if her joy was real or if it was a front she put on for his sake. He wondered if he shared any attributes with his father. He'd never really known his father, so he didn’t know how much of his appearance he’d inherited from him. This thought brought a twinge of sadness, but Jace pushed it aside and set about laying the table.
There were 5 chairs seated around the table but Jace only laid out a dinner set for two. "Not expecting company, are we?" Jace asked, his tone a bit melancholic.
“How many times do I have to remind you?” Mani’s voice turned stern. “Put out three extra plates for your father, brother, and sister.”
Jace rolled his eyes but complied, not wanting to upset her. His father and siblings had been away with the Lazarus Corps for years, and he barely remembered them. His mother, however, insisted that they cared deeply for him. To Jace, they were little more than distant figures, people he couldn’t truly connect with. “I plan to keep my promise to you mom. I’ll join the corps and bring them back. With force if I have to..” Jace said his tone dark and serious
“You’ll have to get much stronger then won’t you” Mani chuckled. Jace simply pouted and continued setting the table.
After setting the table, Jace took his seat waiting hungrily his stomach rumbling in anticipation as his mother brought the large pot to the table and set it in the middle. She put a portion on Jace’s plate as he salivated before putting any on her own plate. She served him first, watching fondly as he dug in.
"Nothing beats your chicken mac ‘n cheese, Mom," he mumbled between mouthfuls.
"Don’t eat so fast—you’ll choke!" Mani scolded, though her tone was filled with affection.
Jace grinned but slowed down, savoring the meal. After several helpings, he sat back with a satisfied sigh, his hunger fully appeased. Mani had hardly touched her own plate, too focused on making sure he was happy.
"Alright, I’m off for one last training session with Orion before tomorrow," Jace said, standing up and grabbing his jacket. I’ll be back later."
"Just don’t be too late," Mani replied, her smile fading slightly. "And wrap up—it's cold outside."
Jace waved her off, but as he left, Mani’s expression grew somber. She watched him go, muttering to herself, "He doesn’t realize it yet... but he’ll be gone soon, just like the others."
Outside, Jace stepped into the bustling streets of Neon Verge, the city alive with flashing billboards and neon signs. Hovercars zoomed past overhead, and the streets were filled with couples, vendors, and shadowy figures lingering in alleyways. He pulled his hood up, flicking through his hover watch to start his favorite lofi playlist, letting the calming beats fill his ears as he made his way to his usual training spot.
The hover train roared above him, momentarily snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned down a dimly lit alleyway, heading towards an old, rundown basketball court. The court had long since fallen into disuse, but it served as the perfect spot for his late-night training sessions with Orion.
Orion was an old friend of his dad’s and a retired officer of the Lazarus corps. He was apart of the same company as his father and they both climbed the ranks together until Jace’s father left him in the dust. Jace had known Orion ever since he was young and always trained with him whenever he could. He always looked out for Jace and his Mother ever since his father spent more time in the corps. Jace heard running from behind him snapping him out of his thoughts. He put his arm up to block a punch just in time.
“Well, well. You managed to block me this time,” Orion said with a smirk. "Looks like all that training is paying off." He said smugly. Jace rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure, old man. I’ve been doing all the work—you’re just here for moral support.”
There was a pause between the two before they both broke into laughter. As the two of them laughed, Jace noticed the deep lines etched into Orion’s face. For the first time, he realized how much his mentor had aged. Orion’s brown eyes, once sharp and full of energy, now reflected a weariness that reminded Jace of his mother. He always thought of him as a fun loving Uncle that was always there for him. Despite looking so old he was still well built and looked like someone you wouldn’t want to mess with. "So, the big test is tomorrow," Orion said, his voice softening. "How’re you feeling?"
Jace hesitated. “I’m just worried….. They’ll see I have no control of my Tion and reject me…” he said, his voice getting quiter and sadder as he looked down at his hands. Orion clapped his hands on Jace’s shoulders
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Hey! Don’t be so stiff and snap out of it! Now, show me that technique we’ve been working on and don’t worry, you’ll be just fine Jace. I trained you after all” He grinned trying to uplift his mood.
Jace nodded as he opened his palms and let out a deep breath before closing his eyes and focusing on collecting energy into his outstretched palms. He groaned slightly as he forced the tingly sensation he had felt several times before to manifest. A faint glow appeared flickering slightly. Then more flickers appeared in his palm gradually building up to eventually envelop his hands. When he opened his eyes he saw it. The bright light of Tion blaring from his palms. His mastery while still immature was still progress for him. He stared down at his hands in joy as the Tion coated his palms. While he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pass the test with this it was better than nothing. “I-I did it!” Jace exclaimed with a grin “That you have!” Orion chuckled back
“Well this is our final lesson so there’s only one thing left to do” Orion spoke but his tone was sadder this time. He reached into his pocket and produced two items, a small black cylinder about the size of his hand and a pair of black gloves with red dots on the knuckles and in the palms. “These are relics from the past so I expect you to take good care of them” He spoke in a serious tone “These gloves were your father’s from back when we were recruits and this cylinder was mine” He handed them over to Jace who was stood in awe at the two items. He had never seen his father nor had anything to remember him by and now Orion was giving something he could attach the thought of him to. “Arkhan used these gloves in his recruitment test too…. But once he got stronger he never found a use for them or someone to pass them onto” Orion spoke still holding the items.
Jace simply continued staring at them in awe as if they were museum artifacts. The name Arkhan rung deep in his head. It was one of the infrequent times his father’s name was used. It was as if it were dangerous to say it out loud.“Go on, take them Jace their yours now”. Jace apprehensively reached out to take the small black cylinder and gloves from Orion. He put on the gloves before observing the cylinder “What’s this fo-” Jace was cut off as he accidentally clicked a button on the bottom of the cylinder causing it to extend into a sleek black staff.
Orion chuckled "That staff saved my life more times than I can count," he said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "Take care of it."
Jace nodded, still processing the weight of the gifts. “I don’t know what to say… Thank you.”
Orion grinned. “There it is! I was wondering when you’d get around to that.”
They shared a brief laugh, but soon enough, Orion’s expression grew serious again. "Now, let me show you how the gloves work."
“They store Tion for use in sticky situations. Aim one your index fingers towards that wall over there and tap the red circle on your knuckle” Orion instructed
Jace looked down at the gloves and saw that every one of the knuckles had a red button on it. He raised his hand and aimed his index finger at the wall as Orion said to do before he pressed down on the red circle. As soon as he did so a massive beam of charged Tion came spurting out and zoomed towards the wall blasting a hole in it whilst leaving a burnt mark around the edges.
“Wow…” Jace said as he looked at the destruction he caused
“Exactly my thoughts too… They’re still in good shape despite collecting dust for so long. Now as you’ve probably noticed you have a red circle on each knuckle and so you have 10 of those shots careful, though," Orion warned. "The gloves need time to recharge, and they’ll draw on your own Tion reserves, so don’t go wasting shots like they're infinite. If you look at the palm of your hand you’ll see a red circle too. Try pressing that” Orion watched as Jace followed his instructions.
Jace raised his hand towards the same wall he had shot and aimed all his fingers at the wall before pressing the red circle in his palm. Suddenly, all of his fingers released their charges and zipped towards the wall completely obliterating it leaving only a cloud of smoke.
“Now that’s cool” Jace said in awe while staring at his hands.
He felt light headed at the large use of Tion from the gloves but was still smiling in awe.
“And as you’ll notice that can be draining, especially for someone of your level with untrained skills” Orion said with a slight smile.
“Well, that’s it for today," Orion said, patting him on the back. "Rest up for tomorrow. You’ve got a big day ahead of you. Come tell me how it goes” Orion grinned as Jace thanked him once more before walking back home. Orion’s smile faded as he watched Jace walk off and realised his time with Jace was coming to a close and soon enough he’d be too busy to see Orion as often.
Jace looked up at the sky, now dark and cloudy, mirroring his inner emotions. Life was about to change drastically for him, and the road ahead felt uncertain. He walked home slowly, taking the long route on purpose, touring his neighborhood one last time for nostalgia. Finally, he arrived back home.
“Mom, I’m home,” Jace called from the door.
“Oh good, you're just in time for dessert,” Mani smirked, stepping around the corner.
“If I’d known there was dessert, I would’ve come home faster,” Jace grinned as he hurried into the kitchen.
Mani had placed a bowl of custard on the table, and Jace sat down eagerly. As always, she served him first before taking her own.
“Jace, listen…” Mani began as she sat across from him. Her face grew somber, and her tone softened. “Things are about to change, and I want you to remember—I’m your mother.” She paused, her expression heavy with unspoken thoughts. “I’ll always be here, waiting for you, whenever you need me.”
Jace stopped eating and looked up at her. “Mom, I know. Do you think I’m like the others? I’d never leave you,” he said, his voice firm. “I’m going to keep my promise. I will bring them back, no matter what it takes. You don’t deserve to be alone like this.”
He held her gaze with a seriousness that left her momentarily speechless. She managed a small, solemn smile, hiding the deeper sadness that lingered in her eyes. After a moment, she turned away and busied herself at the counter.
“Now, get to bed,” she said, her back still to him. “You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
Jace nodded, finishing his custard. As he stood up and moved toward the doorway, he paused.
“Mom,” he said quietly, turning to look at her. “I know I don’t say this enough, but thank you. For everything. I’ll never be able to truly express how much I love you. Just know—I’ll never leave your side.”
With that, he headed to his bedroom.
Mani stood in the kitchen, her back still turned, tears silently spilling onto the countertop. Her heart ached as her last child, her only remaining loved one, was preparing to leave. She had dreaded this day for so long, and now, it felt like it had come too soon.
As Jace made his way up the stairs, a wave of dizziness and nausea hit him like never before. He tried to chalk it up to exhaustion from training and nerves, but this felt far worse. Stumbling drunkenly, he finally managed to reach his door. He pushed it open, only to be greeted by the sight of a cloaked figure crouched on the windowsill, rain pouring in from the open window. Outside, the storm had arrived in full force, with flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder.
“W-who are you?” Jace stammered, barely able to speak.
“Reclaimer... resonance... balance,” the figure said in a deep, guttural voice. Between the cryptic words, Jace could hear a growling undertone, almost like an ancient language. He narrowed his eyes, struggling to focus as his vision blurred. The figure’s face remained hidden in the shadows beneath the hood.
Jace instinctively reached out, but before he could make contact, his blaring alarm yanked him back to reality. He shot upright, blinking in confusion, and glanced at the clock.
“JACE, GET UP! YOU’RE LATE!” Mani’s voice screamed from downstairs.
Panic hit him—he was late for his test.