The Ancient Genes

It had slowly started to turn dark. The weather was cold as usual. In fact, it was only getting freezing with each passing day.

"Get me something warm…." Wilson said as he fell on the couch and ordered Lear.

Max just calmly took a seat without making any demands.

"Do you think I am a guy who makes anything on my own? I can only give you boiled water…" Lear said as he sat on the floor.

The trio had moved to Lear's dorm. After what had happened this past few days, the Capital had been under curfew after 6 in the evening…. The Academy too had asked students not to leave their dorms…

Earlier, they were interrupted by the Academy's security guards for loitering around and hence came to Lear's dorm to calmly have a conversation.

"So about what you said earlier…." Max spoke urging Wilson to continue.

"Huff...you talked about Naze's diary right...I was the one to have written the thing about James and his lackeys planning to do something on the cultural night…."

Max looked at him in bewilderment and surprise at the same time.

"Why will you do that?" Lear asked in surprise.

"Because, I didn't want to see the two brothers breaking apart…" Wilson replied before continuing further.

"I met Naze 3 months before his disappearance. He was surrounded by James's lackeys.."

"Oh! Did you rescue him from them?" Lear asked.

"No, I rescued them from him…" Wilson said as he shook his head. "I am sure he would have killed them if I didn't interfere…"

"He was that strong?" Lear asked in surprise.

"A variant versus an unawakened, do you even need to ask?" Wilson asked.

Obviously there wasn't a need to ask…

"That surely is unlike you though….wouldn't you just sit back and watch in normal circumstances?" Max asked with a calm look.

"Well, I hadn't fought in a long time back then….there weren't any awakened around after all. So when I caught him, I just couldn't help it…" Wilson replied as he shook his head.

"That makes sense…" Max nodded. That was indeed Wilson-like.

"That makes sense? You kidding me? We are still in Mistellin, right?" Lear just couldn't believe these two.

"So who won?" Max ignored Lear and asked Wilson.

"I beat him up…"

"Thought so…" Max nodded not surprised a bit.

"I actually helped him though. If he really killed them, he would have been in for trouble…" Wilson said, trying to say he was right here.

"He didn't seem like the type to lose control…" Max spoke remembering the way Naze acted.

"He would sure do when it came to Axel. I remember the guys seemed to had mistaken him as his brother…. "

"That's when it became clear what was going on. It seems Axel did something which attracted James attention. He was a small fry so obviously James left him to his followers to deal with."

"That was when it all began, even though I hate to admit it. James and I are technically cousins. That b*stard is not the one you would like to keep any contact with...everything about him seems fake…"

"So, I decided to get involved. Besides, I had taken him as a training partner during that time so I took that as a form of repayment."

"So, you didn't like his way of doing things?" Max asked.

"Of course, that guy was trying to draw all the attention towards him and planned to disappear along with that. Besides, I just can't believe he went ahead and just shut Axel's feeling….even making preparation so that there won't be any chance of anything between him and Lisa…"

"He really did what he thought was right. He knew Axel would be in trouble if he pursued someone like Lisa….but it was partly Axel's fault. You should have just seen that otaku in the early days. He had nothing special about him except his ability with formation….honestly he was just a weak disgusting fool….even that feels like a praise when I think about it…"

"He really was that bad?" Lear asked with a bit of hesitation.

Wilson nodded.

"I just wanted to stop things….I sneaked into his dorm and wrote that thing after having obtained the information, hoping that Axel would read it since that was what Naze had planned the diary for."

"That's the reason, I used the alcohol after finding it. Since it would make thing go smoother. I didn't want the two girls to be interrupting the brothers. My only attempt was to bring Axel into the scene which would force Naze to abandon his plan and go for a new one since Axel could no longer stay out of the mess. But I never expected that he wouldn't even react to it."

"I just didn't know what was going through his head. I honestly didn't want to spoil Naze's strategy. But, I didn't want them to end up in separation either….isn't that just sad…" Wilson asked with a depreciating smile.

Max knew that Wilson was obviously a bit sensitive to such things. He had experienced a fair bit of painful separations in his life as well. With his mother at an early stage and then with Anna….

But this guy was practically doing what he wanted too....

"In the end, Naze did as he wished. I couldn't blame him though." Wilson said with a sigh. It was an usual gesture for him.

"He left the Academy that very night in front of my eyes. He had caused chaos and alerted the Academy forcing those guys to retreat."

"Lisa was picked up by James who was the first one to arrive and get her to the dorms…I bet he was somewhere nearby…"

"I accompanied Naze to Academy gates who just bid me farewell with a smile and left…"

"Later, the footage from the Naze carrying the subconscious Lisa went viral and that's how the story and accusation came into being. I didn't know why Lisa didn't back Naze up but after hearing you, I understand. That b*stard was thorough with his preparations…."

"Later, I heard his body was discovered....but I am really hot sure about it....." Wilson said with a calm look.

"How does this involve Kevin?" Max asked since there was no place where Kevin's name came into place.

"Naze never told her that it was his brother right? But just referred to him as a friend…."

"I can't believe it but, Axel didn't even go to Lisa seeking answers like Naze had thought….he totally broke down after the incident… it was Kevin who did so.."

"I am afraid that Lisa misunderstood that person to be Kevin….I even heard that she had beaten him once...I don't know if it was due to her promise with Naze or the idiot really did something to deserve it...but I am sure that is what had happened….."

"So, that's the reason that Lisa let her guard down around Axel and ended up like this…." Lear mumbled.

"Why don't we just bring those two together and try to sort things out?" Lear suggested.

Max immediately shook his head, "I am afraid Axel would collapse."

"What do you mean?" Lear asked.

"If Axel really was a fool and had broken down after the incident. There must be something which has made him what he is today...and I believe that is hatred…."

"His hatred for both Lisa and James…" Max remembered what Axel had done back then to get revenge. It was true that his hatred for Lisa was something he kept in his heart now. He didn't want revenge on her. But he wouldn't let it go…

"Let's say that if you tell him the truth and he realises it as well. But can you control how he feels. He had spent all the time probably accumulating his hatred for Lisa. Would it really just go away? Even if they end up together in that situation, they would be just destroying each other's happiness…"

Lear could imagine that to be a pretty bad situation.

"So, I want Axel to overcome his hatred on his own if possible. That's why I provoked him with those words. He has to at least show that much of resolve…..if not, he can forget her…"

Max wouldn't let them get together in this situation. In fact he would break them apart unless Axel didn't show he was qualified enough. With Lisa's crystal heart, Max definitely wouldn't want her to go through any unnecessary suffering, especially when he still didn't have a proper grasp of how her powers worked. Besides, that girl had some terrible things happen to her...Max would definitely wish for her to be happy for real.

"Well then, I am going." Max got up to leave.

"Wait!" Wilson's voice stopped him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He further asked.

"What?" Max asked.

"Anna…" Wilson spoke and Max finally realised he still didn't hadn't told him about it.

"Now that I remember, this guy was Anna's boyfriend. Can't believe she has such a bad taste." Lear said casually surprising Wilson who didn't know that this guy knew about her as well.

"Why do you know her?" Wilson asked.

"Why do I know? You idiot! If she is your girlfriend, you better take care of her! She almost killed herself…."

Max looked at Lear with a troubled look.

'That is not where you are supposed to start at….'