the twins past

As they walked toward the entrance, Ashen inquired while being in the front, "Did you two try to use the cosmic system?"

Ethan wore an innocent expression as he responded, "Do you mean the glowing screen that appears when I say 'status window'?"

" Yes, I mean that screen, " replied Ashen .

"Well, at first, we didn't know how to use it, but after you entered—" Ethan began, but his sister quickly interrupted him with a poke and a silent signal to stop .

Curious, Ashen turned his head back and asked, "Why did you stop?"

Ethan hesitated and replied with a stutter, "Well, the thing is, I...I don't think I can explain it to you."

Ashen, still puzzled by the kids' response, took a closer look at them and noticed the nervousness in their eyes. It became clear to him what the issue might be.

Ashen came to a halt and turned fully toward the two children. He gestured with his hand, inviting them to come closer. The siblings exchanged glances before taking hesitant steps toward him.

With the children within Ashen's reach, he extended his hands toward them. The two kids, fearing the worst, closed their eyes tightly. However, instead of any harm, they felt a gentle pat on their heads.

The twins slowly opened their eyes to only find Ashen smiling warmly at them, still patting their heads. After a few more seconds of this comforting gesture, Ashen finally stopped and took a step closer to the two kids. He bent his legs, positioning his head at the same level as theirs, and spoke gently while continuing to pat them.

"Don't worry," Ashen reassured them in a gentle tone. "If you don't want to tell me, that's perfectly fine. I won't harm you just for that. You can choose to share or refuse. I'm here to help either way. My life doesn't depend on it. Of course, I would appreciate it if you two told me, but remember, you're in a safe place, and I'll always keep you protected."

After conveying his message, Ashen withdrew his hands, stood upright, and took a step back to avoid pressuring the two kids.

Ethan and Emma exchanged hesitant glances, as if a silent conversation had taken place between them. Finally, Ethan spoke, the hesitation and nervousness fading from his eyes.

"I may have used my unique talent to make you go to the restroom so you could find us," he confessed.

Ashen wore a strange expression upon hearing the little boy's response. He asked, "And what kind of unique talent do you have?"

Ethan replied with the same innocent look he had initially, "My unique talent is called 'mind control,' and it's an SSS rank."

The surprise on Ashen's face replaced the strange look as he processed Ethan's answer.

After a few seconds of processing Ethan's answer, Ashen turned his attention to Emma, asking, "And what about you?"

Emma responded, "I have telekinesis as my unique talent, and it's also an SSS rank."

It took Ashen a few more moments to digest this newfound information. He hadn't anticipated that the two kids he had randomly encountered and saved would possess such extraordinary abilities.

While they might not be as gifted as he was, considering himself a walking peerless genius, in the novels he had read in the past, an S-ranked unique talent was already considered powerful, let alone an SSS rank.

"So, you made me want to go to the toilet with your unique talent ?" Ashen asked Ethan, who nodded in agreement.

Curious, Ashen inquired further, "Couldn't you just make me come to you directly? Why the need for the restroom?"

Ethan explained, "Well, I tried that at first, but I couldn't. It was as if a barrier prevented me from reaching you."

"A barrier?" Ashen asked.

"Yes," Ethan confirmed.

Ashen sighed inwardly, realizing that it could be challenging to communicate with young children. He decided to rephrase his question, saying, "Can you explain to me how your talent works?"

Ethan explained, "I need to close my eyes first to think clearer. Then, I try to sense anyone around me. People appear like balls of light, and I need to connect with them to control them. However, when I connect, it's very exhausting, so I can only do it for a short time. But when I tried to connect with you, I couldn't. I felt something was preventing me. I told my sister about the problem, and she suggested trying to send an idea instead."

Ashen continued to listen carefully, taking in the information about Ethan's unique talent. After Ethan finished explaining, Ashen inquired, "So, you used your unique talent before? On whom? I thought you were hiding all the time?"

Ethan replied, "Yes, but sometimes the zombies come near here, and I make them go away."

Ashen nodded, understanding the situation. Then, he turned to Emma and asked, "What about you, Emma? Did you try to use your unique talent? How did it go?"

Emma sighed in disappointment as she said "I tried it, but it's useless."

"What do you mean?" Ashen inquired.

Emma explained, "Well, I can move things, but only objects lighter than 1 kg. Anything heavier is difficult to control, slow to move, and even with lighter objects, I can only move them at an average speed, without causing any damage."

After hearing Emma's explanation, Ashen remained deep in thought, processing this new information.

The twins watched Ashen's actions with confusion, not entirely sure what he was up to. However, they wisely refrained from interrupting him.

After a few moments of contemplation, Ashen turned his attention to Emma and spoke, "I think I know how to make your unique talent useful. If this works, you'll have a very powerful ability at your disposal. Now, I'm going to throw a punch, and I want you to change its trajectory."

Emma nodded with excitement in her eyes, as if she understood what he wanted to do.

Ashen threw a direct punch, but amid his motion, he felt his hand being dragged down, causing him to miss the place he was aiming at. A look of joy lit up Emma's face when she saw that. Ashen remained silent, allowing her to enjoy her success.

After a moment, Emma returned to her normal state and turned to Ashen with a grateful expression. "Thank you very much for your help," she expressed.

Ashen smiled and replied, "You're welcome."

"Now, let's prepare ourselves to leave. I've already collected a lot of food. You can go and change into better clothes, and don't forget to bring more than one set, in case the one you're wearing gets damaged. I'll wait for you near the exit," Ashen instructed.

Emma and Ethan nodded in agreement and headed off to change into their new clothes while Ashen stood by waiting for them

_________________

After ten minutes, Ashen and the two kids were standing outside the supermarket, each holding a dagger, although the children's daggers were different from Ashen's.

Ethan broke the silence, asking, "Where are we going now?"

Ashen considered his response carefully before offering them two options, "Well, I'll give you two choices, and you can decide which one you prefer. The first option is that I can take you to a safe place where you can find food and shelter, but I can't guarantee your long-term safety, as I'll leave after getting you there. The second option is that you can stay with me here and fight for your own life. I'll do my best to protect you, but it will still be very dangerous and you may die at any moment. However, if you manage to survive, you'll become strong enough to secure a safe spot amid this chaos. The choice is yours; take your time and choose wisely."

The two kids exchanged glances and simultaneously responded, "The second option."

Ashen was surprised by their resolute decision and questioned, "Are you two sure? This is not a game or a fairytale; it's very dangerous."

Emma replied firmly, "We are sure. We will stay with you."

Curious about their determination, Ashen asked, "Why are you two so determined?"

Ethan answered without hesitation, "Because we don't want to be weak."

Ashen was initially taken aback by their response. He commented, "A kid like you shouldn't want to be strong. Why would you be ready to risk your life for strength ? "

Ethan stuttered and seemed frightened by Ashen's words. However, Emma stepped in, placing a reassuring hand on Ethan's shoulder and encouraging him. She took a deep breath and explained, "There is no need to be frightened, tell him we will be together from now on. In addition, we should not hide it if we want to get rid of their shadow."

Emma's words were followed by a confession. She said, "We are sorry we lied to you previously. We didn't lose our parents on the trip; instead, we were the ones who ran away. We ran away because our parents were abusers. Our father is addicted to alcohol, and our mother is addicted to drugs. They would beat us at least once a day, starve us, and wouldn't even provide us with good clothes. We decided to study hard to escape that hell, and after achieving the first and second spots in the whole school, the principal gave us a free trip with our parents. So we decided to run away on this trip." Her tone was apologetic.

Ashen jaws and hands were clenched. And veins were popping on his forehead. And some words run out of his mouth " living pieces of trash." He continued " I noticed that Your clothes were worn and you were skinny but I didn't expect it to be this "

Ashen felt his mind engulfed with rage but what he didn't know was that his eyes were glowing violet and he looked really scary to the point where the two kids felt afraid.

After seeing the look on the twins' faces Ashen calmed himself down and said :

" Don't worry I will make sure to make you strong enough to the point where no one will even dare to think of hurting you "

After hearing his words and seeing his eyes and expression back to normal the two kids felt relief and nodded to Ashen