A Path To Omniscience

After the sleepover, and a rather eventful night, Weiss and Whitley joined Asher and his parents for breakfast, marking the final act of their visit.

For the Schnee siblings, it was yet another moment of unfamiliarity. Aside from the occasional dinner, their family rarely ate together. Even when they did, the silence was oppressive. The only exceptions were meals with guests, where they had to put on the polished facade expected of the Schnee Family.

But breakfast with Asher's parents felt entirely different. The atmosphere was light and inviting, with Nillia and Vance casually asking about the sleepover—what they did, what they talked about, things like that. It wasn't the hollow, performative interest Weiss and Whitley were so accustomed to from their father or the circles they moved in.

For the first time in what felt like forever, they experienced a warmth they hadn't realized they were missing. It was the feeling of being part of a family.

And it was with that warmth lingering in their hearts that they were sent off.

At the entrance of Frostvale Manor, Asher and his parents stood together, watching as the limousine pulled away, heading toward the gate. They waved, still dressed in their nightclothes, until the car disappeared down the driveway.

"It was nice having more people to talk to at the breakfast table for a change," Vance remarked as he lowered his hand. His arm was wrapped around Nillia's waist as the pair turned to head back inside, Asher trailing behind them.

"I think I'm starting to get used to having them around."

"I doubt Jacques will be too thrilled that his business partner is influencing his children," Asher commented dryly. His mother was the one to respond, her lips curving into a knowing smirk.

"In that case, he'll be even less thrilled when he learns what our son has been up to."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Asher replied innocently, though his father glanced back at him with a raised brow.

"We're not blind, Asher. Even if we don't interact with the Schnee siblings often, it's clear you're influencing them—trying to integrate them," Vance remarked, his tone calm but deliberate.

Asher responded with a light shrug.

"They're my friends. I'd like to think I'm being a good influence on them." Nillia slipped out of her husband's grasp at that, her expression shifting into something more neutral as she slowly approached Asher. It was a look he knew well—the one she wore when she was trying to gauge someone's intentions.

"Yes," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "but we suspect there's more to it than just friendship."

Asher paused, his eyes flicking up to meet hers before dropping to the floor as if deciding how much to say. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.

"I don't see much hope for the Schnee family as it stands. We've already discussed this—Willow is a lost cause. Fixing her would take more time and effort than it's worth. Jacques, though predictable, is rotting both his family and his company from the inside out. He's too blind to see it." Asher's voice remained steady, almost clinical as if he were delivering a business report rather than speaking about a crumbling family.

"But his children are different. Weiss and Whitley are prodigies in their own right—far more capable than their father. Even Winter has potential, provided she can step out of the Atlesian Military's shadow." He paused there, his expression unreadable, as both of his parents listened in silence.

Nillia was the first to speak.

"So, instead of watching the Schnee Dust Company collapse, you plan to groom Weiss and Whitley to oust their father and take over?" Her tone was idle, though her eyes gleamed with thoughtfulness. Vance, on the other hand, remained quiet, studying his son with an unflinching gaze.

He's undoing Jacques's influence. Filling the role of a friend, someone they trust and look up to, while subtly molding them through that bond. It's clever. Manipulative, but clever.

Still, one thing bothered him.

I didn't teach him that. Neither did Nillia.

Their upbringing in Asher had been rocky. They raised Asher to understand people, but only through the lens of business. He was skilled at managing relationships, but only in transactional terms. Socially they worried for him. Or at least, they used to.

Yet now, he was effectively grooming the Schnee siblings, and that raised a troubling question.

Where did he learn how to do that?

Vance turned to his wife, who met his gaze. A silent exchange passed between them, unspoken but understood. Nillia gave a slow nod before shifting her attention back to Asher.

"But both of them can't take over the Schnee Dust Company. It can only have one heir," Nillia pointed out. Asher nodded, acknowledging the truth in her words.

"Exactly. Weiss is already the designated heiress, so there's no sense in Whitley chasing the same path. That's why I've been working to mend their relationship while steering Whitley toward a different future." He paused, his mind briefly running through the little steps he'd taken—sparking Whitley's interest in his projects, striking deals over dust crystals.

Every move was deliberate. A way to pull Whitley away from the fixation that tied him so tightly to the Schnee Dust Company.

"If things go as planned," Asher continued, "Weiss will take over as CEO of the Schnee Dust Company. And Whitley... Whitley will join me. He'll help run the company I intend to build and eventually merge into Frostvale Enterprises." He needed people around him—people who believed in the vision he was crafting for the future.

Some, like Liv, were already close enough that he barely had to reach for them. But others, the impressionable ones, those who could still be shaped, required more care. It was a slow process, weaving himself into their lives, bit by bit. But maybe, just maybe, in the end, he would have allies he could trust.

Truly trust.

Yet, it wasn't time. Not yet.

No one could know. Not Weiss, not Whitley, not Liv. Not even his parents or General Ironwood.

None of them could learn the truth—not until he was ready. Not until he could reveal that one day, the sky would tear open, and the world would burn.

But that day was still ahead, and until it arrived, the knowledge remained his alone.

"You know..." Nillia muttered, glancing toward Vance after taking in everything Asher had said, "I'm starting to think we raised some kind of charming little monster."

Her words were half a joke, a lighthearted attempt to break the silence that had settled in the manor's main foyer. But beneath the humor was a faint thread of sincerity, one that her husband noticed but chose not to address directly.

"We?" Vance replied, his tone equally teasing.

"If I remember right, someone once told me he got all his charm from her." Nillia rolled her eyes at that, letting out a small sigh as she turned her attention back to Asher.

"Well," she said, her voice softening, "I suppose we're not in any position to judge, given our original plans for the Schnee family. And, all things considered, it's a smart move. But..." She let her words trail off, her gaze steady as she studied her son.

"What is it?" Asher asked, meeting her eyes.

"Weiss," Nillia said simply. "I can tell how she feels about you just by looking at her. But now, it's changed again. I won't pry into what happened overnight, not right now, but..."

Her expression turned thoughtful.

"That look in her eye—it's the same one I had when your father and I first started dating." Asher's brow furrowed slightly as she continued.

"So, tell me," she said, her voice soft but firm, "how do you feel about her? Honestly. I won't judge you, but I want to know—as your mother."

Asher ran a hand through his hair, his gaze drifting before settling again.

"Right now," he began slowly, "I believe this relationship will help Weiss grow. Help her become the kind of person she needs to be... the kind of person I need her to become."

He paused, his expression unreadable.

"As for how I feel about her... she's important to me. But I don't think what I feel for her is anything like what she feels for me." His tone was calm, honest, and free of hesitation. Both his parents recognized the truth in his words, prompting Vance to release a quiet sigh.

"I see," Nillia said at last, her expression softening into a faint, bittersweet smile.

"Well, I can't say I'm not a little sad about that, but I understand. Just... try not to hurt her too badly. She's a good girl." Asher dipped his head slightly, acknowledging her words.

"Of course, Mother," he replied quietly.

=====================================•=====================================

September 18th, 2033

Weeks flew by, and once again, Asher found himself buried in the solitude of his workshop. The deadline for his weapons demonstration with Ironwood loomed closer, leaving no room for distractions. Fortunately, Liv hadn't let him down with his earlier request.

The electronic hum of his holographic keyboard echoed through the workshop, blending with the constant whir of machines and electronics around him.

Asher's hands moved with precision, a blur of motion as half his screen filled with lines of intricate code. Each line acted as the framework and guidelines for two new subsystems running under the S.I.R.E.N. System, the backbone of the Spectre Units, codenamed S.H.A.D.O.W. and P.A.L.A.D.I.N.

On the other half of the monitor, a call was in progress. The interface showed that the call had been initiated moments ago, and after just two rings, it connected.

"Asher?" Liv's voice came through, tinged with surprise. The timestamp on the screen explained why—it was well past midnight.

"Sorry to wake you if you were sleeping, Liv," Asher said, his fingers never pausing their rapid dance across the keyboard. His eyes flicked over the lines of code, writing ten more in the span of a breath.

"Huh? Oh, no, I wasn't sleeping yet," Liv replied, though her voice carried an undertone of weariness.

"I had some organizing to do in my office, so I was planning to sleep here tonight anyway."

"I see," Asher responded smoothly.

"Well, either way, I won't keep you long. I was in contact with Winter earlier—she's been acting as the intermediary between me and Ironwood. She confirmed there wouldn't be an issue with me bringing an extra person, especially given your background. So, your request to join me at the demonstration has been approved." There was a brief silence on the other end before Liv finally spoke, her tone filled with excitement despite her lingering surprise.

"That's... that's amazing!" Even though she had made the request herself, Liv had partially not expected it to be granted. Still, she had taken a chance, and now it had paid off.

"Since we're on the subject," Asher continued, "you know what time you're supposed to arrive at my family's manor, correct?"

"Um, noon on the 21st of this month, right?" Liv answered without hesitation, pulling the date from memory.

"That's correct," Asher confirmed.

"It would be best if you arrived a bit early, though. It'll give us time to clarify and organize everything before heading to the demonstration. The last thing we need is to appear unsynced. Do you understand?" Though his tone remained calm, Liv could sense the underlying firmness in his words—a warning wrapped in advice.

"Right," she replied clearly.

A momentary pause lulled between them before Liv spoke up.

"If you don't mind me asking, what about the ethical guidelines and rules of engagement I sent you?" Liv's voice carried a touch of apprehension. She'd spent countless hours on the task, revising it through more than five drafts before finally sending it to Asher. Yet, aside from his brief acknowledgment of receipt, he hadn't given her any feedback.

The silence had left her feeling a bit anxious.

"I'm actually working on them right now," Asher replied, pausing in his coding to delete a few lines before rewriting them. He resumed speaking without missing a beat.

"I have to admit, you did a lot better than I expected. You covered far more ground than I anticipated. I even had to tweak how GAIA interprets certain commands because of the sheer number of variables you included." Hearing this, Liv let out a small, audible sigh of relief.

"That's good to hear. I was worried I might have overdone it. But are you sure I don't need to shorten anything? There are only three days left. Can you finish everything in that time?" Her voice carried a hint of concern.

"I should be able to manage," Asher reassured her.

"The drones are already built, and most of their programming is complete. Once I integrate the guidelines into the subsystem and connect them to the drones, they'll be fully operational. So far, all simulated testing has been mostly successful, with only minor issues." Everything was going smoothly and according to the schedule Asher had mapped out nearly a month ahead of time in his head.

"I see... so I guess the next time we'll meet is on the 21st," Liv said, her voice quieter now.

"Are you getting cold feet?" Asher asked, pausing his work and finally looking over to the call screen. Liv remained silent for a few seconds before answering.

"In a way," she admitted, "but it also feels like I'm about to be part of something important."

"Good," Asher said, his tone shifting to something more authoritative as he leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on the armrests.

"Keep that feeling in mind. It's something you'll need to get used to. Starting on the 21st, we begin writing history."