Genesis (Erityian Tribes Novella, #7)

06 : ҁѫҩ•ͼϭϫҁᴥϫ

Intelligence had always been the reason for humanity's evolution.

When the earliest humans decided to walk and spend more time on the ground, they had distinguished themselves from the rest of the ancestral primates. But what marked the clear distinction between these genera was the evolution of human's brain. And when humans learned to talk and use tools, their brains grew to accommodate the changes.

However, among modern humans, some did not stop evolving.

Edda knew something was strange in her family since she was a child. They wouldn't let her play with other children nor go out by herself. At first, she thought it was because of her mother's bizarre appearance—white hair, skin as pale as snow, and eyes with hues varying from oranges to pinks to reds. She only inherited the unusual streaks of warm hues in her eyes, but other than that, she looked normal just like her father. Edda remembered getting upset and mad for her mother whenever people talked about her as if she was a monster, and those insults would often extend to her, too.

Ethedred, her mother, was trained to be an espion, as their family was from a long line of reconnaissance experts, but she had to retire early due to the complications from her condition. The advisors suggested she was not fit to be an espion because of her striking physical appearance, and her worsening vision.

"Edda, take care of your mother for me," his father, Gosse, said after Ethedred was pulled out from her group and work. He was a cryptographer and an intelligence gatherer who had worked for several people in high positions, hence he was always away.

Due to the nature of their works, she grew up mostly alone, but after her mother's condition worsened, Ethedred was confined in their own home. Now twelve, Edda knew she was not as close to her mother as she was before, so she wanted to use this time to rebuild that connection.

For the first few weeks, it was uncomfortable. She did not know how to approach her own mother and it was hard to talk to her about anything. Because of the unfamiliarity and awkwardness, they could only converse when they needed each other.

"My child, are you there?" her mother would always call whenever she had to do something.

One thing she learned about her mother's strange condition was that her vision was slowly deteriorating. In addition, Ethedred's skin was more sensitive to sunlight, hence they had to live with the curtains closed.

Perhaps it was how her mother would try to move constantly that made them quite close. Ethedred would execute combat actions, and sometimes, acrobatics. She thought it might be her espion instincts as they were always on the move. It was a habit that was hard to break after doing it for years, and it also helped her mother ease the stress of doing nothing at home.

She would quietly watch Ethedred do her routine and somehow, she realized the moves were quite easy to mimic. Edda also got more curious about the nature of her job as an espion. She wondered if she could be like that in the future, too.

"Mother?" she called as soon as her mother finished her drill. "May I ask about something?"

Ethedred's face lit up, albeit subtle. "What is it, Edda?"

She sat beside her mother. "Being an espion . . . is it hard?"

Edda could sense the gears in her mother's head turning, as if she had just triggered something that was buried deep.

A faint smile crossed her mother's lips. "It is, my child," she said while reaching for Edda's head. The sudden gesture made her body tensed, but her mother's hand caressing her head was something she thought she would never experience again.