"Mr. Lin, we're almost at headquarters. Once we get there..." The soldier beside me tried to talk me into it.
"Even if I go to headquarters, I can't help you. There's nothing I can do for you," I interrupted. "My abilities aren't meant for this."
My abilities had never been meant for this.
This wasn't what I wanted to do.
More than twenty years had passed. I was no longer the child who'd lost control when my parents died suddenly, no longer the boy who understood nothing and acted on instinct alone.
And I shouldn't be acting on instinct alone anymore.
I had responsibilities I needed to shoulder.
From the very first day I'd had these abilities, I should have taken responsibility.
But in the past, my parents, the world at large, and Ye Qing had all protected me. I hadn't needed to face any of this, think about what I should do, or shoulder any burdens.
It wasn't enough to think only about protecting the people close to me.
I remembered the man in the video. He, too, had been blessed with extraordinary abilities. Yet his powers had brought little more than a bit of comfort to him and those around him, and in the end, they'd become a nightmare.
There was nothing wrong with that.
When the whole world was peaceful and warm, there was nothing wrong with keeping to yourself and focusing on your own little family.
But when that was no longer true, trying to hide away in the comfort of your home was just self-deception.
I stood up and headed straight for the armored vehicle's door.
"Mr. Lin!" Several soldiers tried to stop me.
I halted and met their eyes. "My family and friends are dead. I'm all that's left. I know what I'm doing."