MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 715: Unnecessary Weight

Vega sat quietly and calmly, her posture straight, her expression composed. Her parents hardly ever asked her to be serious unless it concerned training or something of grave importance. Whenever they needed her undivided attention, it was always for a matter that could not be taken lightly. And so, she sat before them now, her purple eyes steady and unblinking, waiting patiently for their words.

Klaus and Amara exchanged a brief glance, a silent conversation passing between them. With a subtle nod, each gestured for the other to begin, though neither truly knew how or where to start. The weight of what they needed to say pressed upon them, heavy and difficult to give shape to, yet unavoidable.

For a few moments, silence filled the air like an invisible fog. Then, finally, Klaus drew in a breath, resolved to cut through the hesitation. His voice, calm but firm, carried directly to his daughter without unnecessary preamble.

“On your birthday, tomorrow, you will awaken a bloodline,” he said gently.

The words struck Vega with the force of thunder. Her eyes instantly narrowed, her thoughts unraveling and racing at lightning speed. ‘Awaken a bloodline? What does that mean?’ The question blazed in her mind before a darker suspicion clawed its way to the surface. ‘I’m not… human?’

“Don’t misunderstand,” Amara interjected quickly, as though plucking the doubt straight from her daughter’s mind. “You are very much human.”

Vega’s gaze shifted to her mother. “Are you reading my mind?” she asked with sharp suspicion.

Amara shook her head lightly, a faint smile curving her lips. “No. It’s just that your thoughts are written plainly across your face. And with the way your father phrased his words, it is entirely natural that you would jump to such a conclusion.” Her tone was calm, her explanation carrying a quiet assurance.

Vega exhaled slowly, her suspicion fading. She nodded once, deciding to trust her mother’s words. Amara had never given her a reason to doubt her before, and even if she truly had been reading her mind, Vega knew there was nothing she could have done to resist.

“Let me explain from the very beginning,” Amara continued, her tone soft but deliberate, as though unraveling a long-guarded truth.

“What you will awaken is a higher version of the Human Bloodline,” she began. “Among humans, bloodlines are ranked in tiers: Low, High, Supreme, Perfect, and at the pinnacle, Primordial. The Low-rank bloodline is what every human is born with by default. Beyond that, the higher ranks grant extraordinary abilities, enhancing one’s natural talent and potential. They elevate what a person is capable of achieving.”

Amara paused deliberately, allowing her daughter a moment to digest the words before continuing.

“At this very moment, what you possess within your veins is no different from any other human across the galaxy or universe,” Klaus added from his place beside Amara. “You have only the Low-rank bloodline.”

“Then why am I going to awaken something higher?” Vega asked, her voice steady though curiosity sharpened every word. “There must be a reason, right?” She had already begun turning possibilities over in her mind, but instead of drowning herself in speculation, she chose to ask directly.

“Indeed, there is a reason,” Amara said softly. “Your father possesses the Primordial Human Bloodline, while I carry the Supreme Human Bloodline. At your birth, it was expected that you would inherit at least the Supreme rank. But the whispers of Cause and Effect revealed to me a vision: that your bloodline would not awaken immediately. Instead, it would surface only on your twentieth birthday. And that time… is now upon us.”

For once, Anthony, who had been present nearby, remained silent, fading into the background. This was a private family moment, one not meant for his voice.

Vega absorbed the revelation, and slowly, a smile spread across her face. Though she knew little of these bloodline rankings and was hearing of them for the very first time, she instinctively understood what it meant: she was about to receive a monumental upgrade to her existence. She had no idea what abilities or gifts would manifest, but that didn’t matter. The promise alone filled her with a quiet excitement.

“For the first time in a while,” she admitted with a small smile, “I’m actually looking forward to my birthday.” Her eyes, luminous and eager, shifted back to her parents. “So this is why the two of you are so strong, isn’t it? You’ve been… cheating with your bloodlines.”

Klaus laughed heartily, his amusement rumbling through the room. “Not quite. It’s not as simple as you think. We weren’t born with these bloodlines either. Like you, we started with nothing more than the Low-rank. The story of how we acquired ours is… long and complicated, not something I’ll burden you with right now.”

Vega arched a brow but refrained from pressing further. She had no desire to be buried beneath ancient tales of hardship and history. If she truly wanted to know later, she could always ask.

“So,” she asked instead, her voice level, “what bloodlne rank am I going to awaken?”

At her question, the air shifted. Klaus and Amara exchanged another heavy glance. Silence lingered, thick and uneasy, before Amara finally spoke. Her tone carried subtle traces of sadness, even guilt.

“We don’t know exactly,” she admitted. “But given that I possess the Supreme rank, your chances of awakening at least that much are very high. As for Perfect or even Primordial… the likelihood is very slim.”

Vega remained quiet for a moment, her gaze distant. Then she smiled softly and replied, “I understand.”

Klaus exhaled heavily, the sound almost like a sigh. His voice lowered, weighted with a burden he had carried for years. “This… is the reason your mother and I would often disappear for long stretches of time. We weren’t simply busy, as you thought. We were searching, endlessly, for treasures, artifacts, anything at all that could ensure you awakened at least a Perfect Human Bloodline. But it seems… even some things lie beyond our reach.”

Vega’s mind churned as his words sank in. Memories resurfaced, of her parents vanishing, sometimes for months, sometimes for years, always returning one after the other as if bound to some secret duty. She had convinced herself that they were simply burdened with endless responsibilities, with workloads so heavy they barely had time for her.

But now she knew the truth. All of it had been for her sake. She was the reason for their absence. She was the weight behind their tireless quest.

She didn’t know how to feel. Anger flickered faintly at the edges of her thoughts, anger that they had kept her in the dark, anger that she had been left wondering all those years. But, she was not foolish enough to give in to that impulse.

What good would it do to rage at them now? Would it change the past? Even if they had told her back then, what difference would it have made? She could not have helped them. She could not have shared in their burden.

From a parent’s perspective, she realized, they had made the only choice that made sense: to shield her from unnecessary weight until the time was right.

And so, Vega sat in silence, the turmoil within her chest masked by a composed exterior.