I created my own system

The night was young the snow that was supposed to freeze everything was strangely absent at the falls that Apollo and his friends are staying in. It was the only spot with such greenery that could easily be seen in the white and cold nature of winter. With the sound of the water falling from the cliff Apollo and his friends find themselves looking at the night sky. It was clear and absent of tany clouds making the stars more prominently seen.

"How pretty" Agnes mumbles as she lay flatly at the fluffy floor of grass.

"So," Braiden said, leaning back on a chair, "Still having mysterious headaches and visions?"

"Surprisingly, not today," I said, also lying on the floor unlike him.

"But seriously," Alya chimed in, "If all of this is tied to being an Apollo, shouldn't you talk to someone who knows what that means? Like, oh—I don't know—your mom?"

I blinked. "You mean…"

"She is still a mage in the tower, right?"

I sighed. "Fine. I'll ask."

---

That night, I visited her. My friends were still in the forest resting without a worry about the cold brought by the season.

As I arrive at her door I knocked which was answered with come in from her.

She was sitting in her study, flipping through a thin book filled with glowing runes when I entered.

"What did my so obedient son did this time," she said without looking up. I know she was teasing me though.

"I've been thinking." I started of probing her reaction.

"Thinking is something we always do as mages Apollo," she teased finally looking at me, "The proper question however should probably be what is making you think? What reason? Or it could also why do even need to think"

I only shook my head, then sat across from her. "Can I ask something serious?"

She closed her book. "Of course."

"…Why was I named Apollo?"

The question must've hit something, because her smile faltered for just a moment.

She stopped looking at me and instead shifted her gaze at the flames at the fire place, which I have no idea how did she put inside her study.

"Sigh"

I heard from her then she finally talk.

"…When I gave birth to you, the physicians noticed something strange with your soul. Unstable, flickering. Not dangerous, but fragile. The family had an old tradition—those born with such souls were given the name Apollo. Be cause every Apollo has the best chance to… stabilize. As long as they fulfiled a certain task."

I said nothing. She stood, walked over, and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Seeing you are asking me about that you must have ann idea why. I never wanted you to go chasing fragments," she said softly. "Because I've study all the files, so my son I already know what happened to the others. They all died young. Brilliant, but cursed by the weight they carried. The elders of the Lionheart family never told me the cruuel fate that fell on those children that bears our name"

I looked at her.

"What if I say I already collected some of them?"

"Then keep them it will heal you but collect no more, you dont need to acknowledge a tradition that only brought death to those who follows it. You must follow your own path, not the once set by others"

I was happy hearing her say that, it seems whatever I decided on she will support me.

"Mother I am very right now"

"I already know my dear," she admitted. "When I saw you laugh again… when you made friends… I thought, maybe I was right on not telling you about your duty as Apollo. You don't really need to fulfill that duty."

I sigh,"I really don't know what to choose," I said.

She pulled me into a hug. "Whatever you do I will support it. Just don't lose yourself in the legacy. You're my son. Power is always within in your hand."

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.

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Morning came and I waited for my friends to wake up, the wind was warm despite the cold season. It was really extraordinary how such falls exist inside this forest. But aside from marveling this place I started to keenly track Nero. I began to map the place he he goes and the duration he stays there. And slowing I was able to understand where he is going next.

"It seems Alicia is right, he really his collecting the fragments by housing them inside objects" Then I remember the foreign energy he is using.

"Its good that I know something that an counter that"

I move my hand the energy from the stars that I stored last night glow.

"Its been a while since I last fought I should really settle my fight with Nero. Since I started this I should really end it"

"So that is your decision" I jolted when someone suddenly spoke that even Jeremiah and didn't detected.

"I'm sorry I didn't know you will be this surprised, I didn't mean it"

She added looking as cold as ever, her red eyes was still how they usually look, undisturbed and calm.

"Alicia you are awake"

"Yes, what's the next plan"

I only smiled though I don't know if I should gather the fragments but I know one thing. Catching Nero will definitely solve many of my questions.

I need the secrets Elias had disclose to him, perhaps one of them is how being an Apollo works.

With my mind already set on its path I looked at Alicia and said, "Alicia this winter break I'm gonna hunt Nero"

As my words sink in to her, the cold expression she has began to melt away replaced by a sweet smile that strangely accompany the raise of the sun.

For some reason I smiled too and so dawn came. The sun gave the warm that was missing throughout the night. And as it basked the forest with its light one by one my friends began to wake up from each of their sleeping bags. I quiely remained sitting near the bonfire we used last night waiting for them to settle.

"Apollo..."

McKenzie tugged my sleeve, his red spiky hair was messier than before, his pajamas were all wrinkled he looked at me like a lost child. Then with his eyes looking drowsy he asked, "What's our breakfast?"

I only chuckled then I pointed the table by the shade of the tree.

"I went to the tower, they gave me lots of food so we can all eat to our hearts content"

Usually the day starts in the tower by 3 in the morning so the food was prepared much earlier than that time.

"Well the food has preservation magic so it wont get cold, it will taste the same just like it was newly cooked"

Like zombies that rises from the dead, my friends move from their beddings some of them even fell into the water which of course I film. I could only shook my head while Alicia who already done fix herself sat beside me. Her head resting on my shoulder. The two of us watch our friends fell one by one into the water.

"Sigh....what a quiet morning"

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.

.

I kept on thinking about what others thought of me at that time.

I just felt confused because they always told me that magic as its ways to create miracle yet when I present my idea I was labeled next to madness. A crazy wizard that wanted to defy logic, for a young mage at that time I took thier words as encouragement to do better. To discover the things they call impossible. I wanted to show them that what I'm doing is all worth it. That it could give them a glimpse of the future they had never seen before.

I just need something, an ingredient capable of not just any normal mutation but something that can grant evolution. I wanted it, it has to be mine. The core to evolution should be held by my hands.

However what kind of power can force an evolution to a species such as demon. There has to be something, I need it where could I find it!

"Dominos?"

"!?"

A voice startled me but more than my heart my body froze upon the realization on who was the owner of the voice.

"What are you doing in my room?" He asked again, and in that moment, I realized what I had done.

In the four corners of this room, I am rummaging through my teacher's important documents and research.

"I.....I ....master.....this is..."

Why am I even doing this?

I wasn't supposed to be here

No, but it was my chance to see if there was something I could use here

But this is wrong, I shouldn't act like a rat, like a thief that scavenging for something

I don't know, I just wanted to prove that I was right, that it was no madness!

That my vision was driven by curiosity and not obsession, which could harm me.

"Teacher, I just wanted to learn"

My teacher, my guardian, gave me a look that i could not comprehend