Aiden Cross woke up earlier than usual.
For once, he wasn't exhausted. His mind felt unusually sharp, as if every loose strand of thought had been neatly organized overnight. Numbers floated effortlessly in his head; ideas clicked instantly into place. The system notification from the night before echoed clearly in his memory:
[Ability Acquired: Rapid Cognitive Expansion]
[Source: Emma Cross — verbal assertion: "My brother is smarter than a genius."]
Aiden rubbed his temples, half-wondering if he had dreamed the entire thing. Yet the clarity in his mind wasn't something he could ignore. It was real—dangerously real.
He glanced sideways at Emma, who was curled up on the mattress beside him, hugging her worn-out rabbit plushie. Her breathing was soft, steady, innocent.
She had no idea that her childish lie had rewritten the laws of reality.
Aiden quietly got out of bed and prepared breakfast—instant noodles again. The last package. Before, that would have filled him with dread. But now… now he could feel something different. A sense of possibility. As if the world wasn't a locked door anymore, but a key he could finally turn.
Emma stirred awake as the smell of broth filled the room.
"Aiden…" She rubbed her eyes. "Morning."
"Morning, Em," he said gently. "Breakfast is ready."
She sat up slowly, stretching like a sleepy kitten. But as soon as she saw the instant noodles, her expression darkened.
"We're eating that again?" she whispered.
Aiden felt his chest tighten. She wasn't complaining—Emma never complained. That was what hurt him the most.
He kneeled beside her. "I'll make things better. Soon. I promise."
Emma nodded silently and began eating. Halfway through, she said:
"My classmate Mia asked if I have a family car… I didn't know what to say. I told her we have a… um… maybe a small broken one? But I said it doesn't work anymore. I didn't want to lie too big…"
Aiden stiffened.
She lied again.
And yet—
nothing changed in the room.
No keys appeared.
No engine roared to life outside.
So the effect wasn't random. It wasn't every lie. There were conditions.
Before Aiden could think further, Emma looked up again with hesitant eyes.
"Aiden… am I causing you trouble?"
He froze.
"No," he said quickly. "Never."
But inside, a storm churned. This system—this bizarre ability—seemed to activate only when Emma said something good about him. Something she believed, even if it wasn't true.
Her lies weren't malicious; they were wishes wearing the coat of imagination.
Aiden swallowed the rising emotion.
If he handled this wrong, he could ruin her life.
If he handled this right…
He could rewrite both their futures.
Later that morning, he walked Emma to school. The weather was humid, the streets noisy with the sounds of honking motorcycles and vendors setting up their stalls.
Emma held his hand tightly. "Aiden… will you come pick me up today?"
He hesitated.
He needed to find work. A stable income—any income—was crucial. The new abilities from the system might help him. He needed to test them.
But Emma's hopeful eyes made the decision for him.
"Yes," he said. "I'll come."
Her smile lit up her entire face. "Then I'll tell my friends my brother is the best brother! Better than all their brothers!"
Aiden choked.
"Oh god—Em, maybe don't—"
But she had already let go of his hand and ran toward the school gate.
"Emma—wait—don't say—"
Too late.
She turned back and yelled at the top of her lungs:
"My brother is the most amazing brother in the whole world! Nothing is impossible for him!"
Aiden froze.
The world didn't shake.
Lightning didn't strike.
But inside him, something vibrated—deep, powerful, terrifying.
[System Reaction Detected]
[Verbal Assertion Received: "My brother is the most amazing brother in the whole world!"]
[Trait Manifestation Initiated…]
[New Ability Acquired: Unyielding Resolve]
[New Ability Acquired: Enhanced Physical Recovery]
A wave of strength pulsed through his body. His sore muscles relaxed instantly. The fatigue of months vanished as if erased by an invisible hand.
Aiden stared in shock.
He had just gained two more abilities.
Because a ten-year-old girl believed in him.
But the system wasn't done.
[Secondary Interpretation Triggered]
[Emma Cross's belief: "Nothing is impossible for my brother."]
[Ability Seed Generated: Potential Skill Tree — Limitless Progression]
[Status: Locked — Requires further belief activation]
Aiden nearly swayed.
Limitless…
A potential skill tree tied to Emma's faith?
This was no simple system.
It was a miracle
built on the fragile foundation of a child's innocent imagination.
And that made it dangerous.
After Emma disappeared into the school building, Aiden walked to a quiet alley and leaned against a wall, breathing hard.
He needed answers.
He needed a plan.
He needed control.
But most of all—
He needed to protect Emma from knowing the truth.
If she found out her words could bend reality, she might be terrified… or worse, used by others.
Aiden clenched his fists.
No one will ever use her.
No one will ever hurt her.
I'll build a better life for us both.
No matter what.
He straightened.
Time to test his abilities.
He spent the next two hours walking through the city, analyzing job postings, small businesses, and financial opportunities. With his new mind, patterns appeared effortlessly. He saw profits, risks, and strategies like a map laid out before him.
By noon, he had a notebook full of calculations and potential money-making routes.
He wasn't just smarter.
He was evolving.
Thanks to Emma.
But then—
as he passed a plaza, he overheard something that made his blood run cold.
Two teachers from Emma's school stood by the sidewalk, whispering:
"Did you hear? Emma Cross fainted in class."
"What? Again? Poor girl… her family situation is so bad."
Aiden didn't hear the rest.
He was already running.
His lungs didn't burn. His legs didn't ache. His body moved like a machine powered by pure instinct and fear.
He reached the school office in under a minute.
"Aiden Cross?" the receptionist asked, startled. "Your sister is inside."
He burst through the door—
"Emma!"
She sat on a chair, pale, expression dazed but awake.
"Aiden… I'm okay…" she whispered weakly.
He knelt before her and held her small hands.
"What happened?"
"She skipped breakfast too many times," the nurse said. "Her body is exhausted."
Aiden trembled.
This was his fault.
He thought gaining those new abilities was a blessing—
But none of it mattered if Emma continued suffering.
He carried her home on his back, her small arms wrapped around his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Aiden…" she murmured.
"No," he said softly. "I'm the one who's sorry."
And in that moment, Aiden made a silent vow:
He would never let her go hungry again.
He would never let her collapse again.
He would use every ability, every miracle, every gift—
to build a future where she could smile without fear.
Whatever it took.
The system had chosen him.
And he would choose Emma—
every single time.