System X: Bloodline Awakening System

Will Liam heard the boy speak but struggled to provide answers to his questions, except for one—a piece of information the doctor had already shared with him. He felt it necessary to tell Kaiza now that his memories were starting to return.

"To... to wipe your memory of what happened," Will said cautiously.

"What?!" Kaiza snapped his head up, startled by the revelation. His reaction was sharp, fueled by disbelief.

"The doctor told me that the man from the other night wasn't your father's boss. He was a member of the Workers of Iniquities. He wanted to wipe your memory of what happened, but it seems you're already starting to remember. Which is... strange," Will explained, his voice tinged with unease.

"To wipe my memory? Why?" Kaiza asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"It's a common practice among their members," Will continued. "They inject their victims after completing their dirty work to ensure their identities or operations remain hidden from the world."

"But I didn't do anything wrong to them... did I?" Kaiza pressed, trying to recall if he had encountered anyone from this sinister organization. He had read about them before and knew as much as the internet could provide, but he couldn't remember crossing their path—at least, not intentionally.

The Workers of Iniquity was an organization with a clear goal: to obtain and harness powers. From what Kaiza had read, its members were mostly superhumans with extraordinary abilities. One such example was Sulan, who had impersonated M. Boss to steal the Enzox Briefcase.

Sulan possessed the power to shapeshift and some degree of control over weapons. As one of the X-rank members of the organization, Sulan could perform more advanced feats, having been a member since a young age and undergoing extensive training to reach his current level.

The members of the Workers of Iniquity were predominantly super beings, making them incredibly difficult to apprehend. Even the Abilities Theft Police (ATP) had often fallen short, repeatedly stating that these individuals couldn't be captured with mere abilities alone but required the use of advanced weaponry.

"You didn't. They were after your father!"

"My father?" Kaiza repeated.

The moment he said those words, something shifted inside him, as if this was the key to breaking a mental barrier. More memories began to surface—fragments he had previously forgotten. He recalled his mother answering a call earlier that day. She had only said a single word, one that now echoed clearly in his mind. Then, he remembered the chaotic pursuit that followed, their desperate attempt to escape. After that... a blackout.

Kaiza clutched his head as a sharp pain surged through it, another headache overtaking him.

"Don't force it, Kai. The doctor said you'll recover with time," Will said gently, grabbing Kaiza's hand.

Will had intended to pull Kaiza into a comforting embrace, the way he used to when Kaiza was younger. But the IV line connected to Kaiza's arm, along with the lingering pain his small body must have been feeling, stopped him. All Will could manage was to hold Kaiza's hand and stroke it.

Minutes later, a man dressed in blue, similar to the nurse who had visited earlier, entered the ward, pushing a cot and followed by two other nurses.

By that time, Will had already helped Kaiza back to his bed to rest before the doctors arrived. Concerned about Kaiza's condition, Will had called a nurse to inform the doctor about the boy's state. He explained how Kaiza was struggling to recall certain memories but was met with severe headaches afterward. He also mentioned the unsettling silence from the boy, which had left him deeply worried.

Throughout the wait, Will stayed by Kaiza's side, frequently checking on him as he lay on the bed, drifting in and out of sleep. What worried Will even more was Kaiza's constant tossing and turning, a futile attempt to ease the pain of the headache.

When the doctor arrived, accompanied by additional male nurses, they carefully moved Kaiza onto the cot and wheeled him out of the room for further tests. Meanwhile, one of the female nurses assisted Will to his own ward, which was just two rooms away from Kaiza's.

* * * *

A few minutes later, Kaiza was back in his ward, alone in the room. Will had already come twice to check on him. Each time, he carefully placed his fingers near Kaiza's nostrils to ensure he was still breathing, then leaned down to listen for his heartbeat.

Will Liam's anxiety was palpable—he couldn't bear the thought of his nephew's death being on his hands. The mere idea of watching Kaiza slip away right in front of him was unbearable. His worry drove him to pace between his own ward and Kaiza's, unable to rest. On his third visit, however, the nurse assigned to watch over Kaiza stopped him, gently urging him to let the boy recover. Reluctantly, Will returned to his ward, silently praying for Kaiza's well-being.

Minutes later, Kaiza's eyes flickered open. As he regained consciousness, a strange interface appeared in front of him.

"What is this?" Kaiza murmured as he slowly sat up. His gaze was locked on the glowing screen hovering before him. "This was from earlier! Is this part of the treatment process? Who knew technology had advanced so much in every field?" he thought, studying the information displayed.

[User - Kaiza Lotan]

[Race - Mixed]

[Level - Training Mode]

[HP - 10]

Curious, Kaiza reached out to touch the screen. Unfortunately, his finger landed on the minimize button, and the interface instantly vanished.

"What was that? Am I not supposed to touch it? Or did I press something wrong?" Kaiza wondered, his mind racing with questions.

Determined to see the screen again, Kaiza thought about recreating whatever had triggered it. He lay back down on the bed, closing his eyes, hoping the mysterious interface would reappear.

After a few seconds, Kaiza opened his eyes and slowly sat up, but the interface didn't appear. Frustrated, he lay back down and repeated the process five more times, yet nothing happened.

"This is frustrating!" he muttered, finally giving up. Rising from the bed, he walked to the mini-fridge on the side of the room, grabbed a bottle of water, and took a sip as he returned to his bed. Just then, his attention was drawn to the TV podcast playing in the room.

"Is that me?" Kaiza murmured, lowering the bottle from his lips, his eyes widening as he stared at the screen in astonishment.

Without hesitation, he commanded, "S-TV, increase the volume."

The TV's volume rose instantly, responding to his command. He moved toward the mini living room area within his VIP ward, which was designed for visitors.

Kaiza was familiar with this type of advanced TV, known as S-TV, short for "Sensitive TV." It was programmed to respond to voice commands when its name was mentioned, a common feature in this city and the capital where Kaiza had studied.

The news anchor's voice filled the room:

"A burnt car was discovered in a forest last night, containing two unidentified bodies. Nearby, a young man, identified as Kaiza Lotan, was found near a river, covered in blood.

It has been reported that Kaiza is the son of the renowned technologist Enzox Lotan, widely known as the founder of EnZa Tech under The B-Tech Company."

Kaiza froze as the words sank in, his grip on the water bottle tightening.

"The bodies were reportedly identified as those of Mr. Enzox Lotan and his wife, his business partner. Only their son managed to escape death, reportedly with the help of his parents. May their souls rest in peace.

There has been no confirmation from any hospital regarding the whereabouts of the deceased couple's son. This secrecy appears to be intentional, as the circumstances surrounding their deaths suggest it was no accident.

A colleague from BTech reported that Mr. Enzox was last seen arguing with a rival associate who has since disappeared. It is suspected that this individual may have played a role in the tragedy.

For these reasons, the boy has been kept hidden to protect his life."

The broadcast ended, leaving a heavy silence in the room.

"My parents are dead," Kaiza whispered, the words barely audible.

He sat frozen like a statue, his gaze fixed on the TV, his breathing uneven. The weight of the revelation pressed down on him like a crushing force. He couldn't believe it—he no longer had parents.

The news was too much to process. His memories were still fragmented, but the thought of his parents being gone was unbearable. It felt as though a dagger had been driven into his chest.

Kaiza had been holding on to a fragile hope, expecting his parents to walk through the door at any moment to explain everything and make it all make sense. But now, that hope was shattered, leaving a deep, aching void in its place.