The First Gate

A long time ticked in the cell; for how long? Joseph did not know as he sat observing. 

The few conversations that occurred did not reveal much of importance, yet it was info nonetheless. 

Joseph's mental journal:

____________________________

Zephyr (The New Me)

Appearance: Little boy, age 11 to 12 (In terms of earth looks), wooden left arm, dark silver/ ashen hair, other features unknown (need mirror or reflection)

Personality: I wish I knew

Strength: Ant level

Other info: Slave to Rayah

Rayah:

Appearance: Little girl, white hair, blue eyes, looks around 12 years old 

Personality: Sadistic with a pea-sized brain

Strength: Much stronger than me

Other info: My 'Master', someone of importance, swore to "The High Priestess"?

Arthur:

Appearance: Boy, delicate features, (almost girly), blonde hair and hazel eyes, looks around 12 years old

Personality: Calm, logical

Strength: Stronger than Rayah, or of higher status (probably)

Other info: Someone of importance, possibility of being close to Rayah

Skylar:

Appearance: Small, frail girl, green eyes, long red hair and pale skin, looks around 13 years old.

Personality: Unusually kind and thoughtful, shy and quiet, trys to break conflict at every corner. Pure of heart (seemingly).

Strength: unknown

Other: Status unknown

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As for the new ones:

Gwyn:

Appearance: Wild brown curls and a roguish grin, orange eyes, looks around 12 or 13 years old.

Personality: Hasn't stopped talking and whispering to his neighbours. Most info I got was picking up a few words from him when I can. Most find him annoying. Looks like the only one with hope of escaping (Although he should try harder to keep it secret from the guards).

Strength: At least stronger than me

Other: Family of wind whisperers, and his father is a gear-binder (No idea what that means, probably a kid with high status)

Flynn:

Appearance: Tall, unusually muscular and physically intimidating, short brown hair, green eyes, angry annoyed look always on his face, looks at least 15 years old and clearly the eldest.

Personality: Stern, commanding

Strength: Definitely much stronger than me

Other: Son of the knight captain for his clan (No idea what that means, probably a kid with high status)

And lastly…

??????

Appearance: ??????

Personality: ??????

Strength: ??????

Other: ?????????

____________________________

That last person was a complete anomaly. They still sat far from everyone else in their own corner, and no one made any effort to communicate or even get near them.

He made sure to keep an extra close eye. Every few minutes he would peak, yet there they stayed motionless, not noticing a single thing. 

Eventually, the lights in the prison halls dimmed further, and his cellmates grabbed their thin blankets and slept on the cold floor, all but him who took his own corner and simply pretended to sleep.

'This should be long enough…' Off the ground he rose in a cross-legged stance, taking in a deep breath as he looked around, confirming all were asleep. 

The day had ended for them, but it had only just begun for him. The info he gathered was not substantial— he did not even know why he and the others were children in prison— yet it made one thing abundantly clear. He was stupidly weak, the very bottom of the pecking order.

He looked down at his puny, stick-like body completely devoid of any muscle or definition. A pathetic sight that not even he in his previous life had stooped to. But it did not matter, since he had his previous life's knowledge.

Taking yet another deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused— focused on the well of primal energy flowing through his veins, enveloping his body in an invisible white light.

He centred himself, concentrating on the gentle, rhythmic flow of Ki within him. It was a familiar sensation, like welcoming an old friend back. His consciousness drifted, settling into a peaceful state where his physical surroundings faded into the background, replaced by an infinite expanse of tranquillity and potential.

He could feel the energy circulating through his meridians, the pathways within his body through which Ki flowed. The energy was weak, barely a trickle compared to what he was used to, but it was there, a flickering flame amidst the darkness within him.

'I can work with this…' Joseph's mental voice was a soft murmur within the expansive space of his meditative state.

He began to guide the Ki, directing it to flow through specific pathways, stimulating and nourishing his muscles and internal organs. It was a slow, painstaking process, particularly given the weakened state of his body and the limited amount of Ki available to him.

It wasn't much, but it was a start, a small step on the path to rebuilding his strength.

"It's truely been activated… the first gate…" He spoke in a whisper. He could not believe it.

In his last life, Ki was the primal energy found within every living being. Owl was the only person he currently knew who was able to use it, and the reason he seemed like a god among men.

Ki was a well-kept secret only the elites of the world knew about, hidden from the general public. At least that was what his mentor told him. The rest of the details he did not know, or maybe did not remember. Though, it was probably the former as he seemed to retain knowledge of all general and academic subjects which reached or even exceeded the university level. 

Though not fully adapted to this new body, his fighting knowledge, training methods, techniques, instincts, all of that was retained.

And with that knowledge, he had already broken through to the first Ki gate which had taken him many months of training and dedication in his previous life.

'It seems I released my first gate when I was fighting that guard,' He could not help but inwardly smile. 

Fighting him— perhaps that was all a blessing in disguise. 'No it fucking wasn't' he immediately threw that thought in the trash.

Ki, and the magic used in this world were two different entities. That he had no doubt. Whether Ki and magic were compatible or could be used by the same person was a different question, that and if Ki was even known or widespread in this world.

He had not planned to show off his Ki so early, but it all happened somehow without his consent so it could not be helped.

Luckily for him, it seemed no one noticed. This made sense as only a high-level Ki master was able to detect its use by others, and the chances that one of these kids had reached such a mastery of Ki was highly unlikely, if not impossible, at least by the standards of his previous life.

But even still, for now, it was best if he trained his Ki in secret, at night when all were sleeping. 

He felt a small hint of delight creep into his heart knowing his knowledge and experience of Ki from his previous life had not gone to waste.

The real problem now was Magic. It was a spectacle beyond his wildest imagination— so beautiful yet so malignant. 

He began recalling the flames of the guard, and the healing rain of the warden.

Although he had seen it used first hand, Joseph had not the slightest clue where to even begin, or what magic even was. While meditating, he attempted to reach any hint of an unknown aura— he used his entire mental capacity yet nothing worked.

Perhaps his aptitude for magic was horrendous, or he was one of those unable to use magic. That was a high possibility considering how everyone saw him as trash.

Or, perhaps he had inadvertently blocked his means of using magic when he unlocked his Ki meridians. 

He did not dwell on that thought for too long, what was done was done. His current goal was to gather strength and information as fast as possible, and if that meant to forgo magic then it was a sacrifice he'd be more than willing to make for his survival. 

He felt fatigue finally creeping in, and thus stopped his search for magic powers for now.

"Good enough…" He whispered under his breath. 

There was always tomorrow to continue, and if it came to it, he could try and ask Skylar. She had treated his wounds and seemed so far quite nice. If she rejected him, he could just play it off as a failed flirting attempt or joke.

'If I gain the trust of one of them, it would make my life so much easier…' His mind wandered.

But for now, this was far too early as he had not explored his relationship with anyone and what boundaries he could push without raising suspicion. Although it was mostly out of his control, he had already done far too much talking and acting for the first day.

It was best he kept the truth of his reincarnation a secret for as long as he coul—

"Who are you? You're not really Zephyr? Are you?"