The bell rang.
Everyone stood up at once, chairs scraping the floor.
Another normal school day was ending.
For everyone except me.
I was packing my bag when I felt it.
The air around me trembled.
My heartbeat grew louder.
Something inside me was waking up.
I packed my bag and left the classroom.
The hallway was loud, filled with laughter and footsteps.
Students talked about homework, games, and weekend plans.
I walked past them in silence.
Something felt… different in my body.
With every step toward the school gate, my chest grew heavier.
Outside, the sun was already low.
The walk home was familiar.
Same road. Same houses. Same street corner.
Yet my reflection in the shop windows looked different.
Tired.
Uneasy.
When I reached my house, I quickly knocked on the door.
"Sian, is that you?" Mom's voice came from inside.
"Yeah, I'm home," Sian said.
"I'm really tired. I'm going to sleep," Sian said.
"Okay, but don't forget to eat dinner," Mom said.
"Of course I won't."
I went to my room and dropped my bag on the floor.
The bed looked more inviting than usual.
I lay down and stared at the ceiling.
My body was tired, but my mind wasn't.
Something about today wouldn't leave me alone.
It was probably just my imagination.
My eyes slowly grew heavy.
Before I realized it—
I fell asleep.
I suddenly woke up.
My breath was heavy.
My heart was racing.
I sat up, panic rushing through me.
"I'm late!"
I jumped out of bed and reached for my bag.
"Sian?" Mom's voice came from outside my room. "What happened?"
I froze.
"I—I thought I was late for school," I said.
There was a short pause.
Then she sighed softly.
"It's still early morning," Mom said. "Go back to sleep."
I looked toward the window.
The sky was pale blue.
Morning hadn't even started properly yet.
"…Oh."
My body slowly relaxed.
But for some reason—
I didn't feel the same as before.
I couldn't fall asleep again.
So I changed my clothes and stepped outside.
The morning air was cool and quiet.
I started jogging down the empty street.
At first, everything felt normal.
Then I noticed it.
My steps felt lighter.
Faster.
Like my body was moving on its own.
I picked up the pace.
My breathing stayed steady.
No pain.
No heaviness.
Just a strange sense of ease.
"…That's weird."
I slowed down and stopped.
For a moment, I looked at my hands.
Nothing looked different.
But it felt different.
I headed back home before thinking too much about it.
The smell of breakfast greeted me as I stepped inside.
"Good timing," Mom said. "Come eat."
I sat down and ate quietly.
The food tasted the same.
Normal.
After breakfast, I got ready for school.
Bag packed.
Shoes on.
As I stepped out the door, one thought crossed my mind.
Maybe today really would be different.
It's a world of Slayers.
Powerful Slayers live among us.
We are normal people.
Everyone wants to become a Slayer.
It's everyone's dream.
Everyone—
Except me.
I want to live a normal life.
Why would I choose danger when I can live peacefully?
But there's a problem.
Even if someone wants to become a Slayer…
They can't.
Only a few are chosen.
The chance of becoming one is extremely low.
The streets grew busier as I walked toward school.
Students in uniforms passed by, laughing and talking like it was any other morning.
"Did you hear about the Slayer exam this year?"
"Yeah, they say someone awakened last week."
Their voices faded as I walked past them.
I kept my hands in my pockets, staring straight ahead.
Slayers.
Monsters.
Danger.
All things I wanted nothing to do with.
I just wanted a normal day.
Then—
A scream cut through the air.
"What was that?" someone shouted.
I stopped.
People began running.
Not walking.
Running.
"Get out of the way!"
"Run!"
Fear spread in an instant.
The ground trembled beneath my feet, sending a shock through my body as a heavy sound echoed down the street, each step slow but powerful.
I turned around.
And saw it.
A monster stood there, towering over the road, its presence alone enough to make my mind go blank.
My body refused to move.
I tried to step back.
Too late.
Something hit me hard, lifting me off the ground as the world spun violently around me.
As darkness closed in, one thought echoed in my mind.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Not to me.