Chapter 4: The Highs of the Sky, the Lows of the Hearth

"Very well, Nico. Let's find out everything about your power."

"Yes, sir!" I gave a military salute. I am learning from someone.

Gustavo and I were outside the house. On the roof of our beloved home. Yes, the roof.

Up here, I can feel the wind hitting my back. It is a relatively clear day; there is not much wind. The sun is already strong for this early in the morning.

Dinner ended less than a day ago. I couldn't sleep last night. Of course, what I wanted so much finally happened. I awakened my powers.

I suppose. I mean, after breaking that plate, I knew it wasn't the time to yell. So I pretended it was a normal accident, and I ended up having to deal with my mother's yelling. It was worth it. Gustavo knew without a word. But since it was already late, after dinner, Eduarda immediately sent me to bed.

It was the longest night of my life.

Whatever. The wait was worth it. I finally awakened my Totalizer!

Now it's time to train.

"So?" I shouted. "What do I do now?"

"Well..." Gustavo's voice carried on the wind. "I am not sure if everything awakens at the same time or if it is one ability at a time."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, you broke a plate, right? I don't know if that means you can also fly, move fast—any of that. Or if you only have super strength."

Those words hurt more than any punch I had ever taken in my life.

"H-Hey, hey, hey, calm down a little." Gustavo stepped closer. "For me, it was everything at the same time. So you should have high hopes!"

"But you were already 8 years old, right? C-Could it be that..." I sobbed. "I-I am not ready? O-Or maybe I just have super strength—"

"Calm down."

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of me. Then he put a hand on my shoulder.

His face was the exact opposite of mine. The calm in his eyes was enough to make you forget your own panic.

It was as if he had more than one power.

"Everything is going to be fine. Even if it is only one power at a time, I don't mind staying here every day until everything awakens. Seriously, it will be really fun trying to make you fly, then—"

"No! I don't want that!"

I wiped the half-tears from my face.

Just imagine crying over something as pathetic as this?! Nicolau Britton never cried and will never cry!

"I am going to have everything at the same time! All the powers, just like you!"

Damn it, I'm being too childish... Whatever, when the topic is superpowers I can't help but look like a kid. Not even the most serene man in the world could be nonchalant!

He sighed, smiling. "You are so selfish... Very well, okay."

He grabbed my shoulder tighter.

Then threw me into the air.

I flew. My back ached from the speed of it. I didn't spin in the air; I just flew in a straight line. It didn't hurt; he'd aimed it clean.

Breathing became a little harder. Did I pass the troposphere? I must be crazy.

Even at this speed, it feels like it never ends. I can no longer see the roof of my house. It was swallowed by the sky a long time ago.

Speaking of which, I am in the clouds.

I can touch them. They are right next to me. I just have to stretch my arm a little bit.

Uh, they are wet. More or less. It is very light. It feels like I am touching tiny drops of water—

I am going to fall.

Of course. "After the rise, only the fall remains."

But now this is literal. I reached the highest point of his throw. Shit, my cheek is flapping backward!

"I am going to die!!!"

"Exaggerator..."

Something grabbed my arm. One hand, iron grip.

It was Gustavo.

I should have been used to it by now, but it was bizarre every time I saw such a sight. My brother with his feet in the sky, floating, without falling.

I really want to be like that.

"W-What is the purpose of this!?" I asked, trembling all over.

"I am going to make you fly. Don't know exactly how, but I'll do it by force if I have to."

"T-Then wait a bit! At least warn me! This is..."

I took a look below. I didn't see any green.

"Pretty scary!"

"Do you trust me, Nico?" he asked.

I swallowed hard.

Gustavo is older now. He is already an adult. He is my brother.

All my fear disappeared for a second. "Yes. I trust you."

"Good."

He threw me.

There are no other words to describe it. It felt like I was a basketball to him.

I flew at speeds never before known to humanity. My hair blew backward like never before, every single strand. This was definitely faster than the ascent.

I cut across the blue sky. Around thirty seconds in, I started to lose altitude. A chill crept down my spine as the ground grew closer with every second.

"W-Wait! This is bad!"

It is the law of gravity. If you go up, you will always end up coming down.

B-But this is terrible. I'm picking up speed every second! A-And I don't have a parachute!!

"S-Shit! What was he thinking!?"

Beneath me, a sea of trees appeared.

I finally noticed: Gustavo threw me so far that I passed the village. I am in the middle of the forest that surrounds it.

A-Ah, I get it... If you fall onto trees or bushes, you have a better chance of surviving a fall. That must be what he was thinking. If I don't awaken my powers here, at least the trees will break my fall.

...W-What the hell am I thinking!?

Bam

Before I knew it, I had already landed in the forest.

GUSTAVO'S POV:

"This is weird..."

I scratched my nose. Staring down at the dense forest, something wasn't right.

Where is Nico?

My plan was to catch him in the air before he fell. If the worst happened, he would fall into the trees, staying alive and forcing his endurance to kick in.

For a Totalizer, falling there wouldn't be a problem at all. Even a normal human might survive that fall.

But he didn't fall.

Did Nico just... disappear?!

Seriously. I'd been watching him every second—and then he was just gone.

S-Shit... Where could he be—

I heard fervent laughter behind me.

Turning around, I saw a little boy with his arms outstretched in the air. A little boy I knew better than anyone.

Nico.

He had tree branches and leaves all over his body that were slowly swept away by the wind.

"Hey, Gustavo! Look here," he shouted with the biggest smile I had ever seen in my life. No exaggeration.

He was doing somersaults in the air. I'd never seen anyone so happy.

"Ah... I guess it worked," I muttered. Something in my chest finally unclenched.

"Yeah! This is the best day of my life!— Whoa!"

He lost control. He dropped.

"Be a little more humble." I grabbed him by one upraised leg.

"This is nothing. Don't think you are bigger than the world already. One step at a time."

"Ah... I was going to ask you if we can go to the moon now."

"To the moon?" I raised an eyebrow. "I never thought about that. But leave that for later."

"Sure..."

Four years old... He is incredibly young. Honestly, a little terrifying.

I think he really is a prodigy. How do I feel about that? Well, very proud! Training every day was worth it!

Younger brothers are made to surpass the older ones, right?

I let go of him. He looked down at his feet, now certain that nothing was holding him. He was flying on his own.

"This is incredible... I really look like a bird! I can feel the wind passing over my face!"

"You have been here before."

"But not on my own! You know, what an overwhelming sensation of freedom! As if the world finally freed me from any bounds! It feels like I can go anywhere, like—"

"One step at a time."

He talks kind of weird sometimes... What four-year-old says that?

Maybe he is just a very smart child.

"Well, Nico." I stretched out my body. Lying in the air. One closed hand in front.

"Follow me. Let's go back."

"Sure!" He quickly copied my position. Then, very slowly, I started to fly forward.

"Take your time." I took a look back at him. "We are heading in the direction of the wind. It should be easier for you."

"Wow..." He kept up with my pace—slow, but safe.

"This is amazing! H-Hey, later can we go visit the moon!? I really want to go—"

"I already said not right now..."

I guess I can't judge him. On the day I also managed to fly, I spent the whole day bombarding my dad with questions and saying how incredible this was.

What nostalgia... It feels like I am living the past in a different way.

"Gustavo, can I ask you something?"

I nodded. "Sure. Go ahead."

"Why do you keep your arm stretched out? Does it have any special meaning?"

"Uh, no... It is just because it looks cool."

"Oh, yeah?" He gave a mischievous grin. And quickly stretched his other arm out in front too. Both with clenched fists.

"Then I am going to be twice as cool as you!!"

And before I could react, he shot off at full speed toward the horizon.

"H-Hey, don't get ahead of yourself!" I went after him.

"Haha, it feels like I am in a lucid dream!"

How the hell does a four-year-old child know what a lucid dream is?!

A few minutes later, we were back at the front door. I was leaning against the wall, one arm propped against it. As for Nico... well.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" He jumped in front of me repeatedly. "Can we do that again?! Please, it was too cool."

"You're a brat sometimes..."

I finally turned to him. Those eyes, ah, those eyes... it is impossible to say no.

"I have some things to take care of. Here's what we'll do. Just train around here. Don't even go near the clouds or the forest. Understood?!"

"Yes, sir, captain!" He gave a salute. Is he really my brother?

I headed inside. I took one last look back. Nico was already at it, flying harder than ever.

How cute. It warms my heart.

But now I have things to deal with.

I closed the door behind me, pulling it tight. I had to make sure no one heard what was about to happen. Especially him.

This is going to be difficult. Very difficult. But I have to do it.

From the kitchen, water ran from the faucet. That was where my target was. My mother.

She was washing dishes. Very well, I just need a little time... She should understand.

"Oh, you're back." She noticed my presence, without looking up from the sink. "How was it?"

"Nothing much..." I sat down in a kitchen chair, behind her.

Here we go...

"Mom. I would like to tell you something."

"What is it, sweetie?"

"I would like to go work at the farm."

She paused. Her voice stayed flat.

"Why?"

"I've had enough... I want to earn my own money."

"Why?"

I took a deep breath for the thousandth time.

"I just think it's time. I am already an adult; I should already be helping out at home."

"But we live well."

"I always knew the day would come when you would have to leave the house. A day when you would earn your wings and try to explore the world out there. But that day is not today."

I expected something like this... I always knew she would say that. But I am not prepared.

She finally looked me in the eyes. She wore a mask of calm. "Why do you want to go work at the farm nearby? I expected that maybe you would want to go to the capital, not something so... trivial."

"So I can stay close to you and Nico. I can't abandon you guys right now."

"Hm, a good mindset you have." She turned back to the front, taking out another plate. "So I don't think we have anything else to discuss—"

I stood up. The chair scraped back loud against the floor. "Why don't you go work there!?"

She didn't answer.

"I... I never understood... Seriously, why live off of support when you can always go and work there?!"

She didn't answer.

I am going to release everything that has been stuck in my throat for four years.

"I never understood. You have two children to raise and you spend most of the time outside the house. You left a 6-month-old baby alone in the care of a 10-year-old boy! So why not spend that time working instead of living off of charity?!—"

A plate broke. She turned around, fierce.

"Are you calling me a bad mother now!? You, my son, are telling me this?!"

I swallowed hard. "Yes. A negligent mother."

"Do you want to know why I spend so much time away from home? Fine. It's for you! If I stop visiting the neighbors, they might end up forgetting about us. They might forget to give us any more money. And I won't let you two starve—"

"But then why not spend that time at the farm!? Damn it, why subject yourself to living like this?!"

"What would be the difference?" she growled.

"Working is honest money... This isn't the right way to raise a family! A-And now I am old enough! I could go there and support all of us! Seriously, I don't mind working all day; I don't even care about exploring the world! I don't mind living my whole life here! As long as it is in an honest way!!!"

She stopped. Looked me in the eyes. The fury just... dropped off her face.

And she laughed.

"Oh, Gustavo... you are so selfish."

She turned back around, ignoring me to wash more dishes.

"Just like your father."

Did I... Did I hear that right?

She compared me to... Selfish!? Me?!

"Don't say that!" I punched the table. "Where did you get that from!? Me, selfish? Me?! And how dare you compare me to that bastard!? I just said I don't mind sacrificing everything for your well-being, I would never abandon everything for—"

"You are just ashamed of receiving support from the village, aren't you? You feel inferior to Bela, don't you? You don't care about our 'well-being,' only about your pride. You are so selfish that you'll do anything but to live at the expense of others." She giggled. "Incredible. Your father would definitely agree with you."

I stayed quiet for a while.

I had never thought of something like that.

Selfish? Me? Because I want to work instead of beg? Is she serious?

Her logic was completely backwards. What does she-

Finally, everything clicked.

"Mom, dad is never coming back."

Even with her back turned, I could feel the shift.

"Get out," she whispered. Her voice had gone completely flat.

And I obeyed.