Journey to Discovery

"Rei! Are you alright?" Thomas called out, his voice filled with genuine concern. His hands were quick to move, helping Rei to his feet as Rei groaned slightly, rubbing Rei's backside where he had landed. The force of the blast had thrown Rei further than he had anticipated, but he quickly recovered his composure.

"I'm fine, Dad," Rei said nonchalantly, despite the sting in his back. Rei straightened himself up, trying to hide any signs of discomfort. "I just... I didn't expect it to be so strong." he glanced around at the damage, noting how the ground had been torn apart by the wind's power. It was clear that the force had been intense, even if it hadn't reached the deadly range he was capable of.

Thomas looked over at the damaged ground, his eyes still wide in surprise, but his expression now tinged with a sense of concern and realization. The wind blast had caused enough damage to make him question the extent of Rei's abilities. He knew that Rei had talent, but this... this was something he hadn't fully expected. "I don't believe it," he muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. "That was incredible. But you need to learn control, Rei. You can't keep pushing yourself like this."

Rei's mother Lily, who had been standing back, now approached as well, her gaze scanning the surrounding area. Her eyes softened as she looked at Rei, her face filled with admiration and worry. "That was... impressive, Rei," she said, her voice gentle but filled with a sense of concern. "But it's clear you still have much to learn about controlling your power." She stepped closer, inspecting the ground that had been torn apart. "If you continue using your powers like this, you could seriously hurt yourself, or worse, someone else."

Thomas sighed, his hand rubbing his chin as he absorbed his thoughts. His voice became more serious as he spoke. "You're right Lily. We need to be careful with this. We can't afford for Rei to hurt himself, and more importantly, we can't risk him harming others. There's no telling what kind of consequences that could have." He paused, looking down at Rei, his gaze filled with a mix of pride for Rei's abilities, but also concern about the responsibility that came with such power. "This is why we need to focus on training. If we can get a handle on your powers, you'll be able to use them safely and effectively. But for now, you have to learn control."

Lily nodded in agreement, a soft smile crossing her face as she placed her hand on Rei's shoulder. "That's right, Rei. Your father is right. We can't let this power go untamed. You're still growing, and your body needs to be strong to handle the energy you're working with. You need a solid foundation." She took a step back, gazing at Rei with a combination of pride and concern. "You're doing well, but this is just the beginning. We'll help you along the way, together."

Thomas looked at him again, his expression more focused now, his gaze serious but also supportive. "From now on, we'll train together," he said firmly. "I'll help you learn how to control your powers. We'll take it slow, step by step, so that you can grow stronger and more disciplined. It won't be easy, but I believe you can do it. With the right guidance, we can make sure you don't hurt yourself or others."

Lily smiled gently at Rei, her eyes filled with love and admiration. "And I'll make sure you're eating right, getting plenty of rest. We want to make sure your body is as strong as your mind. You need the energy and the stamina to handle all this power."

Rei stood by his father's side, feeling a deep sense of fear as he looked at his mother, Lily. The grudge from his past life was like a weight on his chest, a suffocating reminder of the distrust he had for women. It wasn't something he had consciously worked on or even thought about, but the emotional scars from a past he couldn't fully remember had left him with an almost irrational fear of them. He didn't want Lily to think he was rejecting her, but it was difficult to suppress the uneasy feeling that settled in his heart every time she came near.

In a soft, almost defeated voice, Rei spoke, hoping to deflect the attention from his anxiety. "Father, I guess I still did something after that, but I don't remember what now. I'll remember it soon, though," he lied, not wanting to reveal that he had known exactly what the next steps of the wind blast were. He had intentionally avoided showing the full extent of his abilities, pretending to be a clueless prodigy who was still figuring things out. And it worked—his father believed him. They both believed him, and Rei needed that, at least for now.

His father, noticing the unease in Rei's posture and the distant way he kept looking at Lily, glanced down at him with concern. His brow furrowed slightly, but there was a tenderness in his gaze. He could see the fear in Rei's eyes, the subtle way he recoiled when his mother tried to approach him. He knew there was something deeper at play, but he wasn't entirely sure what it was. Still, he has his suspicions. He placed a gentle hand on Rei's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly, a gesture meant to comfort him and let him know that, no matter what, he was there.

"It's alright, Rei," he said, his voice soft, trying to calm the unease that Rei was feeling. "I know this is all a lot to take in. And it's okay if you don't remember everything right now. We'll figure it out together, one step at a time for now go in your room and rest." His words, though meant to reassure Rei, were also an acknowledgment of how difficult it must be to process all the things happening around him—the powers, the strange abilities, and the emotions that Rei was trying to navigate in his young mind. Rei said "Okay Father" Then Rei went to his room to rest a little

Thomas glanced over at Lily, who was still standing a few feet away, her arms crossed tightly against her chest. Her brow was furrowed, her face a mix of confusion and concern as she tried to process everything she had just witnessed. She didn't know what to make of it all. Seeing Rei, her son, look at her with such distance, almost like a stranger, had unsettled her. She didn't understand why he seemed to hate her. What had she done to cause Rei to be so distant, to treat her with such wariness? The truth was, that Lily had never done anything to make Rei feel this way. She had always been kind, loving, and supportive. There was no reason for him to fear her, and yet, every time she tried to reach out to him, he recoiled, as if her presence was something to avoid.

Lily's confusion only grew. She couldn't comprehend why Rei treated her like this. There had been nothing in her life that would justify such a response. She had been a good mother, as far as she was concerned. She had done everything for him, giving him love, care, and support. So why, then, did Rei act like she was a threat? What had caused him to build this wall between the two of them? She didn't understand. The more she tried to reach him, the more he pushed her away. And that hurt. It hurt her deeply, more than she could express. Her heart ached, not from any malicious intent or selfish desire, but from the sheer sadness of it all.

Thomas, noticing the sadness in Lily's eyes, took a deep breath and tried to ease the tension. "Don't worry, Lily," he said, his voice steady but tinged with a note of concern. "I just think Rei is emotionally unstable, as any child would be in his position. It's all a lot for him to process, and I'm sure that, as he grows older, he'll come to love you more. He just needs time." He spoke with a softness in his voice, trying to reassure both Lily and himself that this wasn't something they couldn't overcome. But deep down, he knew there was more going on than just normal childhood behavior. He could sense the fear in Rei's eyes, the way he avoided looking at Lily, and he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something deeper beneath the surface.

Lily, still standing a few feet away, looked at her husband with a mix of disbelief and sadness. "You're telling me this because he loves you, but not me?" she asked, her voice soft but filled with a hint of hurt. There was no malice in her words, just a deep sense of confusion and sadness. "He's afraid of me, Thomas. He won't even let me get close to him." The words were barely above a whisper, but they carried a weight that made Thomas wince. He knew Lily's heart was breaking, but he wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't seen this side of Rei before, and it troubled him deeply.

Thomas shifted uncomfortably, his face flushing slightly as he tried to reassure Lily. "Oh, come on, don't be like that," he said, offering a half-hearted smile. "You know that's not it. He's just... confused, that's all." But his voice faltered as he spoke, unsure of how to explain Rei's behavior. How could he make Lily understand that there was more going on than just the fear of a child who had not yet learned to trust?

Lily shook her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she crossed her arms. "It's not just confusion, Thomas. He's acting like I'm a threat. He won't let me near him, and I don't understand why." Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke, the pain evident in her words. "What happened to my son? Why won't he love me?"

Seeing Lily's distress, Thomas sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her as best as he could. "I don't know, Lily," he admitted, his voice heavy with concern. "But we'll figure it out. Just give him time. He's going through a lot right now. I'll talk to him more, and try to understand what's going on in his head. But don't worry—he'll come around. He's still just a kid."

Lily sighed, her frustration and sadness becoming too much to bear. She walked toward the house, her footsteps slow and heavy, her heart weighed down by the uncertainty of it all. "Kisanllie for you during dinner," she called back over her shoulder, the words sharp but laced with a hint of hurt. Kisanllie, or capsicum, was something Thomas disliked, and it was Lily's way of telling him that she was preparing it for dinner, even if it was something she knew he didn't like.

Thomas shook his head, a weak smile on his face as he watched Lily walk into the house. "I'm trying, but he's stubborn," he muttered to himself, though it was unclear whether he was talking about Rei or himself.