Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 100: Flight Turbulence

The boarding process moved quicker than Aren expected.

Within minutes, the line of passengers slowly funneled through the narrow aircraft door, each person squeezing past the greeting flight attendants before searching for their assigned rows.

Daniel dropped into his seat with an exaggerated groan. "Remind me again why we didn’t take a private jet?"

Emily laughed as she buckled her seatbelt. "Because you said you already maxed out your black credit card."

"Right...I really do need to keep some for contingencies like this."

Marcus slid into the aisle seat nearby, pretty much taking up the two inside seats, while Iris settled on the aisle chair.

Luna took the seat beside Aren while Professor Sterling in the aisle seat of their row. Just so she could keep the entire group in her peripheral vision.

She’s awfully serious today?

But his brain reminded him that she was likely a Line 6 Mystic—her playful personality before was likely just a half-truth.

Soon enough, with all passengers settled, the plane began to take off. Some passengers leaned back to rest while others pulled out tablets or headphones. Aren rested his arm against the window, watching the endless white clouds drift past outside.

Then the flight attendants returned.

This time, they pushed small metal carts down the aisle, neatly stacked with folded white towels.

"Warm towels," one of them said politely as she stopped beside their row.

Emily accepted one immediately.

"Ooh, thank you."

Marcus took one as well, briefly wiping his hands before passing another toward Iris. She accepted it without much thought, casually dabbing her fingers before tossing the towel onto the tray table. Daniel took one without thinking.

The attendant finally made it to their row before handing them some towels. But that was when he caught it.

Professor Sterling’s eyes seemed to narrow at the basket before refusing to take one.

Beside him, Luna had also noticed her gaze and refused a towel.

The attendant turned to Aren next, offering the last folded towel. He glanced at it for a moment before putting up a hand.

"I’m good, thanks."

The attendant nodded politely before moving further down the aisle. Several hours passed without much happening.

But that was when the plane started to dip, just a tiny bit. No one seemed to notice..except Professor Sterling.

They met each other’s gaze and seemed to be thinking about the same thing.

"I’ll go check on the cabin," the professor said as she unbuckled her safety belt and stood up.

Daniel lifted his sleeping mask from the middle aisle.

"Everything good?"

"Probably turbulence," Sterling replied calmly as she stepped into the aisle. "Stay seated."

She walked toward the front of the aircraft, disappearing past the curtain that separated the cabin from the cockpit.

For a moment, everything seemed normal again. Then Iris stood up.

"Bathroom," she muttered to Marcus before stepping into the aisle.

The plane dipped slightly again as she walked past the row in front of them. Just enough for her shoulder to bump lightly against a passenger sitting at the edge of his seat.

"Sorry," she said automatically as she kept moving.

The man suddenly shot up from his seat. "Watch where you’re going!"

Iris blinked and turned around.

"...It was a bump."

"That didn’t feel like a bump," the man snapped, stepping into the aisle. "You did that on purpose."

Marcus stood up instantly.

"Hey," he said sharply. "Back off."

The man turned toward him, eyes narrowing. "Mind your own business."

Marcus’s expression hardened as his eyebrows narrowed.

"She said it was an accident."

"Oh yeah?" the passenger scoffed. "And what are you going to do about it?"

Marcus took a step forward. Across the aisle, Daniel leaned forward immediately.

"Hey, relax," he said. "It’s not that serious."

"That’s what I’m saying!" the man shouted. "Why are all of you staring at me like that?"

Emily stood halfway from her seat.

"Because you’re yelling at her over nothing!"

"And now you’re yelling too!"

Voices around them were starting to rise. Passengers further down the cabin started chiming in and arguing as well.

Someone slammed a tray table shut. Another passenger stood up, pointing angrily at the person beside him.

And before long...Marcus took a swing at the guy.

THUD!

The punch landed square against the man’s jaw, sending him stumbling into another crowd of passengers. Gasps erupted around them as the man’s wife stood up...and slapped Marcus.

Then it was all-out war.

Another passenger lunged forward. Two people further down the aisle started shoving each other violently. Someone else threw a bag across the aisle and hit somebody else square in the head.

Within seconds, the entire cabin had devolved into chaos.

Beside him, Luna remained seated, watching the scene unfold with her mouth completely open.

"What the hell is going on?" she muttered slowly.

Aren didn’t answer right away, eyes fixed on something. At the top of everyone’s tray table...a warm towel lay folded neatly.

Could it be...?

Aren stared at it for a moment before slowly reaching forward.

"What are you doing?" Luna asked quietly.

"Just...checking something."

He grabbed the plastic fork from Daniel’s meal tray and gently prodded the towel.

The towel rolled across the tray. For a moment, nothing was there until—

Aren’s eyes widened. A thin black sigil ignited briefly across the surface like oil catching fire before fading again.

"Shit..." he muttered. "It’s a wide-application Curse."

Luna’s expression darkened. Before she could respond, a figure suddenly pushed through the aisle.

Professor Sterling.

Her usually composed expression was gone. Her breathing was slightly uneven and her eyes were wide as she took in the chaos unfolding across the cabin.

Two men had slammed into the overhead compartments. A flight attendant was trying desperately to separate them while another passenger shoved past her toward the front.

Sterling didn’t waste a second.

Her Bloodline activated immediately as thin translucent threads suddenly spread from her fingertips.

One by one, they latched onto the members of their group: Marcus, Iris, Emily, and Daniel.

The Psychic Element...so she really was an Ascendant-Grade Mystic.

The moment the threads touched them, a sudden clarity snapped back, like a heavy fog ripped away.

Marcus blinked and looked down at his clenched fists.

"...What the hell?"

Emily shook her head as if trying to clear it.

"Why was I so angry just now?"

Daniel ran a hand through his hair.

"Okay, something is seriously wrong."

Sterling looked at all of them before she announced sharply.

"Everyone, the pilots are down..."

"We need to jump."