Chapter 8: Hale Name
"Grandpa?" Isaac slowly opened his eyes as his view became clearer.
"Isaac! Stay with me, you'll be just fine alright." Said the man as he held Isaac's head up. Isaac stared at him for a few seconds before tears started to form in his eyes. He mustered all the strength he had and leapt into the man, hugging him.
"Grandpa! I thought I died! I thought I was never going to see you again!" Said the boy, his wails echoing through the alleyway.
Derek was taken aback by the sudden embrace. He could only imagine what the boy had gone through.
"It's alright, mate. You're alive." Said the man, hugging him back.
"Save your energy, lad. Let's go home." Said the man before he lifted the boy and turned around to leave the alleyway.
Isaac rubbed the tears from his eyes, however, before he could, something behind them caught his eyes.
Blood, bones and corpses laid on the ground. He recognized the individuals as the gang members that were chasing him. They were dead. Blood flooded the alleyway as the men laid lifeless on the concrete, their arms and legs, some even their necks mangled and turning in unusual directions. Isaac unknowingly held his breath as his heart started to race.
"Don't look, Isaac. Keep your eyes straight." Said his grandfather as he looked ahead with a straight face. Isaac stared at the man as he gulped, doing as he was told.
***
Isaac and his grandfather stood in front of their apartment as the man grabbed the door and swung it open. They entered and he placed Isaac on the couch. Isaac looked around as he appreciated his home. Although in the real world, it seemed that time hadn't passed that much, to him it had been 2 months. Being here gave him a slight sense of nostalgia.
As he admired the apartment, he noticed a piece of paper on the kitchen table.
'Is that an eviction notice?' He thought. His thoughts were quickly cut off as another surprise was presented to him.
"Here. Swallow this. I gave you one when you were unconscious. Take this second one just in case." Said the old man, handing Isaac a pill. Isaac widened his eyes and looked at the pill. He recognised it.
"Isn't that a VitaFlow Capsule? Grandpa, two of those cost more than a house." Said Isaac, his heart almost stopping at the sight.
"Don't worry about that. Quickly eat it." Said the man as he handed the pill to Isaac. Isaac admired the capsule. Every single person knew what a VitaFlow Capsule was. He had never dreamed of coming close to this, yet here it was in his hands. Although he had never seen one before, the vibrant and luminescent colours set it apart from normal medicine.
The pill validated a soft, ethereal glow, akin to a shimmering pearl. Its hue was a mesmerising blend of pale turquoise and iridescent silver. It was hard to believe it was man-made.
Isaac closed his eyes and shoved the pill in his mouth, quickly swallowing it in one go. After a few seconds, Isaac felt a warm and calm sensation run through his body. The healing vitality entered his body and felt as though it was mending every sore, bruise, injury, hunger and exhaustion in his body. He closed his eyes as he started to feel a sense of nostalgia. He wondered where he had experienced this feeling before.
After the feeling subsided, he took a deep breath as he tested something.
'Just as I thought. Even the great VitaFlow isn't enough to cure my condition.' He said with a defeated smile.
"Isaac, take it slow and tell me everything that happened to you today." Said his grandfather as he took a seat beside him.
Isaac sighed as he started. He told him about the fight in the school and how he had an attack from the syndrome. He explained how it had depleted him which made his next situation with the gang members even worse.
"I'm Sorry, Grandpa." His grandpa had always taught him to think before he acted and what the outcome could be. However, during those situations, he acted without a care in the world about what would happen next.
"Don't be sorry, boy. You did what was right. Never be sorry for what you think is right. You almost died today, but to me, you'd have died a hero." Said his Grandpa.
"How did you even find me?"
"Don't worry about that. For now, get some rest. Do you think you'll be fine for a few hours? I have some things to do."
"Yes. I'm quite tired anyway so I think I'll get some sleep." Replied Isaac as the old man smiled. He stood up and left the apartment after grabbing a jacket.
The old man shut the door and as he did, Isaac jumped off the couch.
"Was it all a dream? It couldn't have been. It was so real." He pondered about whether his experience in the other world was real or not as he appreciated finally having a body he could move and talk in.
As he reminisced, a thought struck him.
"The pill. I remember where I felt that sensation. It was Qi." Despite only having a taste of Qi in the past, it was a phenomenon that his body would never forget. Despite the pill being a bit different to the one the host cultivated, it was definitely Qi.
Isaac felt a range of emotions. Happiness at the thought that he now had his own body and that Qi existed in this world. Excitement at the thought of finally cultivating Qi. However, the most prominent was confusion. Confusion at the fact that Qi did in fact exist on Earth. But this was all overshadowed by the hope of him finally finding a way to cure himself. This condition had been a curse that had been embedded into his soul since the day he was born. Even the thought of him being cured made his heart race.
According to Master Subhuti, Qi exists in every living thing. Humans, animals, plants and even in the air. Therefore it wasn't outlandish for Qi to exist on Earth too. However, this brought more questions than it answered.
For example, did people on Earth know about Qi? And if so do they know how to utilise it and control it? Clearly, Qi played a role in this world since there was Qi inside the VitaFlow Capsule he swallowed. Isaac didn't know much about VitaFlow, but according to them, the leading company in pharmaceuticals, they use a blend of potent bioactive compounds derived from natural ingredients carefully selected for their therapeutic properties. This was the most he knew about them, also the fact that it was founded by the great Elijah Blackwood.
A man who inherited his family's countless billion-dollar companies and lives discreetly. That was the myth surrounding the man and his family. The truth is, his name and occupation was the only thing people knew of him. He and his family were known for never showing their face in public, leaving people to make stories and myths of them.
He'd have to do more research into them, however, it was clear they were hiding more than they let on.
"Alright, enough thinking, time to test this out." Said Isaac as he sat in a lotus position. He concentrated deeply and started to breathe rhythmically. Before he knew it, he started to repeat the words of Master Subhuti.
"Find a comfortable seated position, either on a chair or on the floor with your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed." He slowly started to perform a specific breathing technique, The Serenity Breath.
"Close your eyes and take a few deep, calming breaths to relax your body and mind."
"Begin by inhaling slowly and deeply through your nose. As you inhale, imagine that you are drawing in pure, vibrant energy from the universe into your body. Visualise this energy as a bright, warm light that fills your entire being…" Isaac snapped his eyes open after feeling a piercing feeling in his chest. He jolted to his knees, vomiting a mouth full of blood. His eyes almost popped out of his skull as the violent retching was too much for him to handle. Everything was going well until the 'energy' had reached his heart.
'Of course. Why am I not surprised this curse is the thing standing in the way of my freedom.'
It seemed his heart was too weak and fragile to endure the weight of Qi. Isaac laid on the ground as he condemned his awful luck.
'I can do this. I'm not giving up on the only chance I have at a cure. I'll make it happen. I refuse to give up.'
***
A loud and vibrant club roared as people danced, chatted, drunk and some even got physical. Various dizzying colours and lights lit up the establishment as a few people could be seen handing each other a few pills.
A familiar grey-haired man sat at the bar as he was accompanied by a beautifully majestic female.
"So, what's your name? And aren't you a little too old to be in a place like this?" Asked the female.
"My name is Derek. And although I may seem old, I'm still full of energy and life. Enough to still participate in certain… activities." Replied the old man.
The female smiled at him before she decided to tease him a little.
"What kind of activities?" She asked.
"Well, there are a few exercises I can still perform despite leaving my prime. There's one I especially enjoy called the 'Missionary Drill'. Quite the heavy exercise. It requires two people and my partner usually always leaves satisfied."
The female laughed as they ordered a few drinks and continued to chat. However, what the female didn't notice was the old man's eyes often darting to the other side of the club, keeping his gaze on a certain individual.
"Why don't we get out of here? You can show me those…exercises." Said the female.
The old man looked off to the side again and noticed the person he had been eyeing had gotten up and started to head for the exit.
"Not tonight. I have somewhere to be." The female stared at him before frowning slightly, not liking the feeling of being abandoned.
"Abandoning someone like me? Take your chance while you still can. You won't get a second."
"I'm sorry. I do have to go. Although, I would like to make a reservation. What time are your legs open?"
***
A well-dressed, yet distinctively muscular man with slick blond hair and blue eyes lit a cigarette in an alleyway after exiting a familiar club.
"Uncle Magnus, it's nice to see you haven't lost your touch with the women." Said the man as he blew some smoke.
"Hahaha, you flatter me, Colt. The truth is I'm a bit rusty. It's been a while since I've gone out there." Said the old man with a thick British accent as he laughed.
"We better make this quick. We've been having too much contact this past month. It's especially easy to track you since you've barely changed your last name." Said the man. The old man's face suddenly changed to that of a serious one as he started to talk.
"There seems to be a certain group of individuals making trouble for us. At first, I thought it was 'them', but if they knew where we were we'd be dead already." The individual named Colt stared at Derek and after a few seconds, he continued.
"I'll look into it. Until then, try to stay off the radar. If you need any more VitaFlow capsules for that boy of yours I'll be happy to send over some more."
"Thank you, mate. You've been a real help to us these past few years." Said Derek.
"It's no problem at all. After all, what are families for? I just need you to keep the promise you made me all those years ago. The day is near." Saying this, Derek's demeanour changed.
"I'll keep my promise. I swear it to you on the Hale name."
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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