As Atlas was about to press 'YES' due to curiosity of what would happen he hears the front door downstairs open and close. It was Amber coming back with the groceries.
As she enters, Amber sees that Atlas's shoes are by the staircase and calls out to him.
"Atlas?" She yelled from downstairs.
"Yes," he yelled back from his room, his finger still hovering over 'yes' on the interface. He sighed and decided to get rid of the gloves and have it recede back into the tattoo band on his wrist. He walked out his room, descended the stairs and entered the kitchen.
"Is there more stuff in the car?" Atlas wonders as Amber places some groceries on the counter. Once her hands were free, she turned towards Atlas and walked over to him to give him a hug, which he reciprocated with a smile.
Backing out of the hug, Amber answers Atlas's question.
"Yeah, there's a couple more in the car. Can you grab the rest for me?"
"Sure," he answers as Amber goes back to the groceries on the counter to organize them, while Atlas puts on his shoes before he walks out to her car to grab the rest.
Once Atlas comes back he puts the groceries on the counter before helping Amber. The only thing filling his thoughts was the transformation he experienced and the interface.
Amber saw how he was in his own world, so she tried to get his attention to make small talk but she had to call his name 2 times in different levels of volume before getting his attention.
"Huh, yes?" He turns to Amber while he places some juice and other items in the fridge before closing it.
"How was your day at Blake's? You seem in your own world."
"It's been...eventful," Atlas responds with a brief forced smile.
"Oh, how so?" Amber asks as she leans her backside on the counter crossing her arms.
"Well, I showed Blake and Allison the cube and they helped me figure it out, and they also might know and maybe have seen a couple of things."
"Know a couple of things? Like what?" Amber questioned raising an eyebrow and then squinted her eyes a bit when she asked 'like what.'
Atlas looks down at the floor rubbing the back of his neck and releasing a nervous laugh.
"Atlas, what do they know?" Her tone becoming more stern.
"Weelll...they might know about the mind compulsion."
"Atlas," Amber begins pinching the bridge of her nose and releasing a sigh "I know you have known them for practically your whole life, but there are things you can't let them know."
"I know, Ma. It just...kind of happened," Atlas said walking and leaning on the counter next to her. "But," he continues as he interlocks his hands and twirls his thumbs around each other looking away from Amber "that's not the worst thing that happened."
Amber releases a sigh running her hands across her face.
"What's worse than that, Atlas?"
"Remember when I said that they helped me figure the cube out," Atlas begins and Amber nods her head. "After unlocking it..."
Atlas recounts the story of what happened at Blake's and what Blake and Allison ended up seeing after he had passed out from the pain. He told her how the black cube seemed to be some kind of Artificial Intelligent object as well that left the tattoo like bands on his wrist, which he showed her by bringing down the sleeves of his hoodie and making the glove appear before disappearing again.
Throughout the whole explanation Ambers' expressions changed from shock to worry.
"Atlas," she says his name in a tone of worry. She turns to stand in front of him, pressing the button on the headband sunglasses to have them retract back and uses the headband to keep his locks out of his face.
Placing her hands on his cheeks and looking into his rotating Earth like eyes she continues "you have a great heart, but the world is a scary place. You're a naive 13 year old right now who is too trusting, and that can come back to haunt you, sweetie."
Atlas pouts a bit at being called naive, "I know, Ma."
Amber shakes her head, "You don't, Atlas. You don't know how reckless and lucky you've been." She tells Atlas, dropping her hands from his cheeks. Taking a step backward and turning her back to him while running her right hand through her hair.
"Reckless? I wasn't rec—"
"Yes, you were Atlas!" Amber yelled, turning back around pointing her finger at Atlas causing him to flinch in surprise,
"Did you even know that you would've transformed once you unlocked the cube?"
"N-no? I didn't…" Atlas answers in a whisper looking down at the floor.
"What if you had hurt your friends? Huh? What if, God forbid, you killed them in Blake's house when you went unconscious? What then?"
"I...I don't know," Atlas again says under his breath, still looking at the floor with his hands clenched in a fist. He didn't see it in that perspective.
"Would you have used your ability to try and erase the possibility of blood on your hands?"
"I don't know, Ma," Atlas says a bit louder clenching his fist tighter feeling a small amount of anger rising.
"And what if your friends had run out during your transformation and Blake's mother saw you like that? Do you think she'd keep you around her son? Do you think Allison's parents will have you around her?"
"No…" Atlas responds, this time his rising anger disappearing like it wasn't even there. The idea itself made him feel…worried. Scared even, since he has been with his friends ever since he can remember. Just thinking about losing them cause of a consequence he didn't know would happen weighted on him.
"You've endangered your friends and yourself Atlas. It could've been worse, a lot worse! That's why," Amber releases a sigh to pause her rant and calm down before she continues "That's why you need to have them over tomorrow and make them forget it even happened."
Atlas's head snapped up as he locked eyes with Amber in shock "Wh-what? No."
"It's not up for discussion, Atlas."
"You can't ask me to do that?"
"You transformed in front of them Atlas. Don't you think they're afraid and see you as a monster?"
"Monster?" Atlas scuffs, taking offense to the word. He raises both of his hands up and places the fingertips lightly on his chest. "Me?"
"Don't you think I know that?" Atlas continues with his voice almost strained. His eyes turning glossy as tears welled up in his eyes threatening to fall like an overfilled glass of water.
Amber's heart dropped when she saw the tears welling up in his eyes "Atlas…th—that's not wh—,"
"Look at me, Ma! Look at my eyes! Is this normal to you!?" Atlas yells pointing at his eyes. "Every time I go out, I have to have these sunglasses on. Not just because of my ability but of how they look. People would think I'm a freak, Ma! A freak!"
Amber takes a step forward towards Atlas, but he takes a step back.
"And some gift from my birth parents causes these unknown changes in me. Marks appeared on my skin that felt like a person dragged a knife on it, claws grew from my fingers, while my body felt like I was being burnt alive and branded all at once!"
"Yes you might be right, Yes they probably do think I'm a monster, Yes they probably are scared, and Yes I am lucky that nothing serious happened after " Atlas continued to express his bottled up feelings towards Amber "But what about me? Huh? I went through the dang thing thinking I was going to die!"
Amber takes another step forward, and Atlas tries to take another step back but his waist bumps into the counter keeping him from doing so. She tries to place a hand on his cheek but he slaps it away.
"Don't touch me," he says, avoiding Amber's touch and walking by her.
"And the worst part isn't the fact that I might not even be human," Atlas begins wiping a tear from his cheek using the back of his right hand. "But it's the fact you want me to erase it from their minds like it never happened, so that I'll be the only one confused, and the only one to know that I'm a monster."
Atlas shakes his head, turning around and running up the stairs.
"Atlas!" Amber calls out but gets ignored by Atlas. "Atlas!" She calls again trying to follow him to the stairs which he ascended.
That's when the door opens behind her and a tired-looking James walks throughz
James looks at Atlas's figure running up the stairs before the door of his room slams shaking the wooden sign with his name. Amber stops herself from following when she sees James walk through the door.
"What happened?" James asked, raising an eyebrow after the door slammed and Amber released a stressed sigh releasing air from her mouth.
"I'll explain as I prepare dinner. Maybe you'll help me handle it or help me talk to him."
"Can't I shower first?"
"No," Amber responds, walking back to the kitchen. An exhausted James followed behind her with his head down and briefcase in hand.
In his room, Atlas drops his bag and sits on the floor with his back against the bed frame of his bed. He wipes the couple tears from his cheeks that managed to fall and sniffling before grabbing his phone from his pocket.
He opened up the group chat with his friends looking at the last message he sent.
Atlas: I'm less than a min away
He looked at the time that showed on his phone and it read 5:40. His hands hovered over the keyboard for a bit before he started typing.
Atlas: Hey guys, U doing anything tomorrow?
Allison: I'll prob be working on the summer break homework
Atlas: I see
How about you Blake?
5 minutes had passed, and Blake still hadn't responded yet so Atlas tried checking in again.
Atlas: Blake?
Blake: Sorry lol
Was finishing up some dinner
I'll prob get started on the summer break homework 2…
Atlas: lol it's fine
Nd cool, should we all hang and work on it together.
Allison: I don't think I'll be able tbh.
Blake: I should focus on it. You know how easily distracted I get.
Atlas: Oh, okay lol
The day after tomorrow then?
I was able to interact with Celeste a bit more. I thought I'd show a bit.
Blake: Uhhh, I'm not sure.
Allison: I'll be helping my mom with stuff. Maybe another time?
Atlas: Sure…another time.
Atlas frowns at his phone after sending the message. It was rare for them to not want to hang out together, but what Amber said before rang through his head.
'Don't you think they're afraid and think you're a monster.'
He clicks the power button of the phone turning the screen black and then tightens his hand around it.
'They just need some time. They'll get over it…right?' Atlas thinks to convince himself. He brings his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, and laying his head on his knees turnt to the side.
'What a birthday,' Atlas thinks, forcing a laugh. Now he truly feels like he doesn't belong. Who knows if that might even change in the future.
Atlas turns his head to his room door. Looking at himself in the mirror. Behind the door, he heard the muffled conversation between James and Amber down the stairs.
'Show Status,' Atlas thinks to himself to bring up the interface. 'Realm Walk.' He continues to have Celeste direct it to that tab.
He threw his phone on the bed and grabbed the backpack to take out his summer break assignments while leaving the cookies Allison made. Looking over at the phone on the bed, he contemplates whether to take it or leave it. He sighs and shakes his head.
'There probably won't be service anyway.'
Once he felt ready he turned to look at the screen before him.
—---------------------------------------------------------
ENTORY][QUESTS] [MAP] [REALMWALK]
—---------------------------------------------------------
Harness the power to traverse between worlds, unlocking hidden realms and uncovering ancient mysteries
ELYSIUM ➖
Description: Elysium is a breathtaking world of beauty and wonder. With its lush landscapes, crystal-clear waters, and serene atmosphere
Mana Quality: Mid Grade - Legendary Grade
Significance: Origin of Celeste and great for cultivating and getting stronger. A world similar to Earth with many different Fantastical races.
Would you like to Realm Walk to this realm?
[YES] [NO]
GAIA (Current) ➕
"Yes," Atlas says in a whisper staring at the screen as he materializes the gloves on each hand.
[would you like to be transferred to an access point or a random point] Celeste asked, bringing up a map. In the top right showed a spinning planet that looked like Earth but was bigger. The center was the enlarged version of the planet focusing on a specific continent with many different blue dots, which Atlas guessed were the Access points
To the left was a column with the Access point names, which wasn't much. Maybe around 10-15. It seemed odd compared to how large the planet looked on the screen, and below the list of Access points was a red 'random' button.
As Atlas was still looking at the screen, 2 sets of footsteps ascending the stairs can be heard. James and Amber stopped outside of Atlas's door unaware of what Atlas was planning inside.
Amber knocks on the door, "Atlas, can we come in?"
"No, go away," he answered as he clicked the 'random' button on the screen.
[Initiating Realm Walk...destination: Elysium]
A whirring sound roared to life in Atla's room. A blue colored circle with many different shapes and scribbles emerged from his feet.
"Atlas?" James called out when he heard the whirring sound and saw the blue glow. He opened the door to see a blue circle rotating around Atlas's feet.
"What is going on Atlas? What is this?" Amber questions as the rotating of the circle started to pick up speed causing a gust of wind.
[Selecting random Access Point: Blazing Phoenix Forest has been selected]
"I'm going away for a bit." Atlas says looking at Amber and James with saddened eyes. "Maybe I won't be a monster there."
"Atlas, stop whatever this is now!" James yelled, raising his right arm to block the gust of wind from hitting his eyes.
The circle around Atlas' feet began rotating so rapidly that it just became a colored full blue circle and started to turn Atla's body ethereal.
"Atlas, please!" Amber yells his name taking small steps towards him. However, the gust of wind caused resistance between her and Atlas. Once she got close she couldn't pass the threshold of the circle, serving as a type of barrier.
"I'll be back, I promise," Atlas says in an apologetic tone but loud enough for Amber to hear.
As he disappears, Amber tumbles forward and falls to the floor on her knees. All that was left was a messy room and a shocked James and Amber.
"He...disappeared? He's gone...," Amber whispers with wide eyes looking at where Atlas just was as her body trembles. James walks to his wife and kneels behind her to wrap her in his arms to comfort her.
"I...I just wanted to protect him," Amber says, grabbing onto James' arm tightly with her hands still looking at the empty spot. "I didn't mean to hurt him."
"He'll be back," James tries to reassure Amber. "He promised."
"Back? Back from where? He disappeared James," Amber murmurs, tightening her right hand on her shirt over her pain filled heart. "Our 13 year old just disappeared to God knows where and…it's…its all my fault." Amber said, whispering the end of the sentence to herself." Her eyes widen once she said those words aloud with a guilty feeling rising in her chest." Oh God…James, it's all my fault."