Sorry for the super short chapter. This is how it ended up after my final re-write of chapter 18, and I didn't want to conflict with chapters 20 and 21. Normal sized chapters will come back with chapter 20, with some occasional longer chapters.

EDIT: Actually, I didn't realize how short this chapter really was. I'll be putting out chapter 20 in a few minutes.

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---One month later---

Dan entered the apartment with a few bags of groceries in his hands. Akina was still unconscious but some color had returned to her face. The white aura surrounding her body also diminished quite a bit. It was currently the last day of November and the air outside was beginning to be increasingly cold. People outside wore thick coats, hoods, gloves, scarfs, and other things to keep warm. In the mornings there would be frost on car windows, a shade of white would be covering grass, and small puddles of water would be frozen over.

Kyte was currently in his bed sleeping in with three thick blankets on top of him. Wrapped in his arms was a similarly big figure with deep red hair. A continuous flow of heat and energy was being circulated between the two in a rhythmic beat, almost like a heart. Their steady breathing was also in tune, showing how much deep sleep and the energy connection can go.

After that day one month ago, Rose stuck to Kyte like a moth to a flame. After finding what she had been searching for for the last several years, she was always happy. Everyone else found it quite weird that Rose would be happy all the time, but when they saw how close she and Kyte were, they guessed what happened.

Dan, especially, felt quite troubled about it at first. He knew from personal experience how enchanting and manipulative women can be. However, after seeing Rose's true happiness, which didn't look fake at all, he relaxed a little. He knew Kyte was eighteen as well, so he couldn't do much about it. He wanted to stop everything at first, but he thought it over before concluding that it's better to just leave them alone. Besides, it's not like Rose can get pregnant...though Dan would prefer the two of them not doing that kind of thing in the apartment.

Kyte slowly opened his eyes and saw a head full of red hair in-front of him. He could smell the sweet scent of shampoo along with Rose's regular smell which for some reason naturally attracts him. Besides that point, Kyte realized that it was way too warm under the blankets for him. Sure it was nearing winter and it was freezing outside, but sleeping with another person with so many blankets may be too much.

"Hey, wake up." Kyte slightly shook Rose's shoulder.

"Hm...? Ah, good morning." Rose turned over to face Kyte and looked into his eyes.

"Are you ready?"

"For what?"

"For...this!" Kyte quickly removed the blankets which made the colder air outside rush in to where they were laying.

"Ah!" Rose sucked in air as the cold wind enveloped her body. Not only her though, Kyte also felt the abnormally cold air hit his body.

"You're so mean! Why would you do that!" Rose rolled over onto Kyte to try to reach for the blanket but her attempts proved to be futile.

"Come on, just give me the blanket already!"

"Heh, you're gonna have to try harder than that."

"Seriously, give me the freakin' blanket back!"

"Alright, alright."

Kyte swiftly moved the blanket to cover them again. The warmth from the blanket was still there so it felt quite good after feeling that cold air. Rose quickly snuggled up into Kyte's embrace, but then Kyte once again ripped the blanket off.

"Why are you doing it again?!"

Rose climbed over Kyte to reach for the blanket, but just at that time...

"Hey, breakfast is ready so come on out-"

Dan opened the door and saw Rose reaching for the blanket with her butt facing Kyte's face. She was still struggling to reach for it and Kyte was just laying there with a weird grin on his face, seemingly satisfied. Rose saw Dan standing in the door way which instantly surprised her, making her fall off the bed and landing on her back.

"...That wasn't my fault."

"Hahaha, don't worry about it Dan. Only Rose would be stupid enough to fall off the bed-"

Kyte felt himself being dragged downward, and the next thing he knew he was faceplanting on the floor.

"Ow, the heck was that for?!"

"You called me stupid."

"Yea? Well I was speaking the truth-"

Rose pushed Kyte's face down onto the floor being turning to Dan and, while smiling, saying:

"We'll be right out."

"...Right..."

Dan had a weird look on his face as he slowly closed the door. He softly sighed as he scratched his head in a tired manner before walking back to the kitchen.

Back in the room, Kyte was currently putting on some comfortable clothes before walking to the door. By the way, both Rose and Kyte were half-clothed while they slept. They rarely sleep naked, if at all.

"I'll be having breakfast since I know how long it takes for women to get ready. I'll probably be finished by the time you're done."

"At least I care about how I look."

"Ha, what do you mean? I always look great."

Kyte walked out and toward the kitchen. There were several plates full of eggs and hash browns, and the delicious smell was beginning to spread through the apartment. Dan had already taken his food and went to eat it in the room Akina was staying in. No one could do anything to her since the white aura was like a shield protecting her body. Also, no one dared to seriously try to attack the aura just in case.

After breakfast was finished, Dan called everyone to the dinner table to discuss something important.

"Alright everyone, this is mainly for Kyte since all of us have already done this before. Every three years GG creates a rank-up test. It's technically a test but everyone thinks of it as a tournament, because multiple branches participate.

The first test is a test within each League. Every branch within their own League participates in their own rank-up test. The top three winners will have the option of leaving for the core rank-up test to try to join a Core League."

"Ok, hold on. How do these rank-up tests even work? Won't there be any people left in each sector?"

"That's why the leader rank-up tests are on a different schedule. Each leader rank-up test is every five years instead of three. Plus, there are some people that won't be participating in the rank-up tournaments. Also, it's not like we have to defend against anything."

"I have another question. What's the layout of AHAD and GG? I don't get how these all works out."

"Oh yea, we never did explain it. Well, here's a map but I'll also explain it.

Our country of Gaet has forty sectors drawn out. These are GG's drawn sectors around each known AHAD headquarters. GG has the most power in the south and AHAD has the most power in the north. We still have Leagues stationed in the north, but those are usually the Core Leagues. Core League members are at least Silver A rank or higher. Only problem is that we don't have enough Core Leagues in the north. GG only has four Core Leagues and each of them has five members."

"So, that means that AHAD has less influence here in the south?"

"Correct. GG's main headquarters is in the city of Thest. There are no Guardians in Thest or in the surrounding cities. Thomas White and T.D. completely destroyed all of the Guardians in those areas. There were originally forty-five AHAD headquarters, but due to them taking some out, there's forty."

"Who's Thomas White and T.D.?"

"Thomas White is the Gifted that can control time and space. He's the head of the White family that specializes in gravity control and a few of his descendants obtained his unique ability, although it's not as strong. T.D. is short for 'The Destroyer', and he's the Gifted that has the strongest telekinesis. He's the head of the Dawn family that specializes in manipulating the elements. Only very few Gifted have shown up with the power of telekinesis. Jol is one of those few, but he's a Special Gifted so Akina and I don't know how much his power can grow."

"Wait, wait. There's families? I don't get that at all. Are Gifted powers hereditary?"

"Yes, but only if both parents are Gifted. The chance of a child being Special or regular Gifted is equally the same, which is fifty-fifty. There's also a chance of a child being born a Gifted if only one parent is Gifted, although the chance is quite low. The hereditary powers are the strongest. It's sort of like a bloodline with the purest blood having the strongest power."

"I see...alright, that all makes sense. Once I get out there I'll naturally learn more about it."

"Yea. You just have to watch out though. The young heads of the important families in this League are pretty arrogant. They were born into a very rich family and given the best training and resources. You can't expect much else from someone born having everything given to them for free."

"Hahaha, don't worry, I have full confidence that I'll be able to handle it."

"...Well, we'll see about that. Finally, we'll be leaving tomorrow morning. Actually, I'll be staying here to keep an eye on Akina. Rose will be leading you guys to the rank-up test."

""Ok.""

"Also, Rose, try to focus during this time. Since Akina and I aren't going to be there, you're the temporary leader."

"I know, don't worry about me. I've been to the rank-up tests three times already. I know what I'm doing."

"Alright, good...Kyte, when you guys get there, things will naturally be explained to you. The tests change every three years so it wouldn't make a difference anyway."

"Ok, so I'll go ahead and take it easy for the rest of the day. Till tomorrow morning."

Kyte walked back to his room with Rose sticking to his side.