Nir stepped out of the construction site, wiping the dust of exhaustion from his clothes, muttering in a low voice overcome by hunger:
"I just want something to eat... anything to stop this hollowness in my chest."
As he made his way through the crowd, people suddenly gathered, and screams of terror erupted throughout the area. Someone pointed frantically toward a dark alley, shouting:
"A monster! It's a monster! Stay back before it annihilates us!"
He saw a woman clutching her child tightly to her chest, her eyes drowned in tears as she whispered:
"Don't go near it, my son; it's an omen of doom and destruction!"
Nir lowered his head, pulling up his jacket collar to hide his features, and whispered bitterly to himself:
(I truly don't know where these monsters crawled from into our world... but I can feel them. They are uncannily like me; outcasts, strangers to this system. But what really baffles me... why is the "Dark Core Battalion" in Astron staying silent? Why haven't they crushed them yet despite their legendary power? Are they leaving them free for a reason we don't yet grasp?)
He stepped into a small restaurant smelling of warm soup, and said with a calm that contrasted with the street noise:
"Please, I'll have my usual meal and a cold drink."
The owner greeted him with a friendly smile:
"Welcome, Nir! As usual, you finish your hard work before everyone else."
Nir smiled as he took his seat in the corner:
"You know me, life gives nothing to those who wait... we must seize what we want through our own effort."
The man laughed as he set the drink before him:
"I really admire your positive outlook, son. Even though we live in a state shrouded in darkness, you always seem optimistic."
Nir looked at the plate of food placed before him and replied in a voice devoid of emotion:
"It's not positivity... I've just mastered the art of pretending."
He continued, slowly stirring his food:
"Have you noticed the increase in the number of those monsters recently? It's as if something massive is being cooked up in secret, while the 'Dark Core' battalion maintains the silence of the grave."
The owner said anxiously while wiping the table:
"Yes, they possess supernatural abilities beyond human comprehension, and that is what makes fear penetrate the soul."
Nir replied with deep thought:
"The strange thing is they don't harm humans directly, and they don't seem to crave our flesh... so far."
The man laughed bitterly:
"Maybe they're vegetarians like you think, or they're planning something even more hideous. I haven't seen a real attack yet, but their mere presence makes you feel like prey."
Nir began to eat slowly, diving into his questions:
(Will I be stuck in this routine forever? When will the Science Center take notice of my project? Or will my name remain forgotten in their drawers like scraps of old food?)
After dinner, while on his way back under the dim streetlights, a strange presence stopped him. A girl of mysterious beauty, her dark purple hair flowing like a waterfall, her blue eyes piercing the darkness with a haunting steadiness. She stood directly in front of him and said with a calm that sent a shiver through his body:
"You possess a special ability... don't you?"
Nir hesitated for a second, then decided not to run:
"Yes."
She smiled confidently and said:
"Honest from the start... I like that. I am Serayn; remember that name well."
He raised an eyebrow in wonder:
"And why are you telling me your name?"
She laughed softly:
"I don't know, but my intuition tells me our paths will cross again."
He asked in surprise:
"And how did you know about me?"
She said, taking a step closer:
"I can feel the aura surrounding you. The Mana in your body is unnaturally stable, which is very rare. It seems you control your power with amazing mastery."
His face flushed slightly, and he laughed to hide his embarrassment:
"I'm not that powerful, but thanks for the compliment. I'm Nir, nice to meet you."
She shook his hand with a kind smile, and he asked:
"And what is your ability?"
She replied confidently:
"I control water."
Nir observed her, saying:
"A beautiful ability... as for me, I control a gelatinous substance resembling liquid glass. I can shape it as I wish and pass through mirrors using it."
Her eyes widened in amazement:
"A gelatinous ability? Incredible! You can make anything from it... that's truly a superpower!"
He laughed quietly:
"It's not just for convenience... it's a lethal weapon if necessary."
Serayn said with a calm, analytical tone:
"Perhaps, but I think it's a skill added to you, not your original latent ability."
He asked her:
"Are you a student at the Ability Center?"
She shook her head:
"No, but I was there looking through some files. My abilities are tied to the basic elements... but you, you are completely different."
She suddenly looked at her phone and said curtly:
"I must go, I have an important meeting."
"A meeting? What meeting?"
She placed her finger on her lips with a mysterious wink:
"That's a secret... goodbye, Nir."
Nir returned home, doubts gnawing at his mind. He began preparing lunch for his sister while the television broadcasted scenes of chaos. He went into the bathroom and took out his phone to check the news, but suddenly... everything cut out.
"Strange... the network is completely dead."
As soon as he put the phone back in his pocket, he heard a horrific crashing sound. A distorted, disgusting creature burst through the bathroom wall!
With lightning speed and without a second thought, Nir summoned his gelatinous substance, shaping it in an instant into a sharp silver sword. With one decisive strike, he severed the monster's head from its body.
He ran to his room as the sounds of screaming tore through the neighborhood's silence. He looked out the window, and the scene was a living hell: fire, smoke, monsters slaughtering passersby, and the sound of soldiers' gunfire echoing everywhere.
(What is happening? No internet... and the city is falling? Aika! Please be okay!)
His phone suddenly rang with difficulty. He answered to hear Aika's trembling voice:
"Nir! I'm okay... I'm trapped in the girls' bathroom at school with two of my friends... the monsters are outside... I hear screaming... I'm so scared!"
The sound of a door smashing echoed in the background, and she whispered in terror:
"They're inside!"
Nir shouted firmly:
"Aika! Listen to me carefully! Take out the necklace I gave you and throw it over the door immediately! I'm coming!"
Aika threw the necklace, and the monsters turned toward the source of the sound. At that moment, in his room, Nir raised his hand with resolve and said:
"Time to fight... let's open the gate!"
The air split before Nir, forming a shimmering silver portal across a mirror's surface. He jumped through it, appearing in the heart of the school bathroom in the blink of an eye. With his gelatinous sword, he launched a sweeping attack—swift, deadly movements that shredded the monsters one by one until they were nothing but scraps.
Aika came out crying and threw herself into his arms:
"I thought I'd never see you again!"
He patted her head:
"I won't let anything harm you as long as I'm breathing."
A blonde girl with curly hair approached and asked in terror:
"Mr. Nir... what do we do now?"
He answered seriously:
"Outside is a hellscape. We'll stay here; we'll clear the school and turn it into a fortress."
Another girl with brown braids asked:
"Are you going to fight alone?!"
He looked toward the dark corridor:
"Perhaps... but first, I need a solid plan."
The girl with the braids whispered:
"Are we going to die here? Is this the end of the world?"
Nir fell silent, then said with calm confidence:
"No one is going to die while I'm here. Stay here; I'm going out to scout the hallways."
"But what if they come back?" the blonde asked.
"Aika is with you, and if anything happens, the necklace will tell me your location instantly."
Nir left, walking through corridors stained with blood. The air was heavy with the scent of death and iron. He checked the windows and doors, sealing them tight.
(It's strange... there's only one monster in the distant rooms... things are going suspiciously smoothly... as if something bigger is waiting for us.)
He raised his voice slightly, letting the echo return in the hallway:
"Aika! Come out, the place is safe!"
His sister ran to him and hugged him tightly, tears in her eyes:
"Finally... I was so worried about you."
Nir smiled and wiped away her tears:
"I'm fine, as you can see. Let's go to the cafeteria; we need to find something to eat to regain our strength... the real battle hasn't even begun yet."