The afternoon sky burned orange.
On the field, noise still lingered—
laughter, shouts, the hollow thud of a ball hitting the ground.
Dust rose with every step.
Then slowly settled.
Arga stood at the edge of it all.
Still.
Quiet.
His gaze dropped to his shoes.
His mind hadn't left the classroom.
That wasn't normal.
He had never been strong.
Never fast.
During sports class, he was always the last—
breathing hard, dragging his feet, barely keeping up.
But today—
everything felt… wrong.
"Arga!"
Bimo jogged toward him, a ball tucked under his arm.
"One more round. You're the striker."
"I've had enough," Arga muttered.
"Come on, don't be lazy."
Sinta stood at midfield, arms crossed, her sharp eyes already locked onto him.
"If you sit out, we lose."
Arga hesitated.
Something inside him shifted.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
He exhaled.
"…Fine. Just one."
The game resumed.
The ball moved fast.
Voices overlapped—
calling, shouting, chasing.
Then—
a powerful kick.
The ball soared across the field.
Far.
Too far.
"Get it!" someone shouted.
Bimo sprinted first.
Arga followed.
At first—
it felt normal.
Just running.
Just chasing.
Then—
something snapped.
His legs felt light.
Too light.
The wind roared past his ears—
louder.
Sharper.
His pace increased.
Then increased again.
Then—
it surged.
Beyond control.
The ground blurred beneath him.
Arga leaned forward instinctively—
but his body didn't slow.
It accelerated.
"Wait—what?!" Bimo's voice faded behind him.
Sinta stopped mid-run.
"…that's not normal."
But Arga didn't hear them.
His focus locked onto the ball.
Nothing else existed.
Closer.
Closer.
His heartbeat surged—
yet his breathing stayed steady.
Wrong.
Everything about this was wrong.
His body was moving—
without permission.
Without control.
"I… can't stop…"
Panic hit.
Too late.
He reached the ball.
Swung his leg—
THUD!
The impact cracked across the field.
The ball shot forward—
faster than before.
Harder.
Then—
Arga tried to stop.
His foot hit the ground—
but momentum dragged him forward.
Too fast.
"Arga—WATCH OUT!"
Too late.
BANG!
He slammed into the metal goalpost.
The sound rang across the field—
sharp.
Violent.
The post shuddered.
For a single heartbeat—
everything went silent.
Arga staggered back.
Eyes wide.
Waiting for pain.
It didn't come.
That was the worst part.
He wasn't hurt.
Not even a little.
"…what…?"
The field froze.
Bimo ran toward him.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
Sinta followed close behind.
"That should've knocked you out!"
Arga slowly looked down at his hands.
Steady.
Firm.
Unshaken.
"I… didn't feel anything."
Silence.
Bimo took a step back.
"…that's not normal."
"Not even close," Sinta said quietly.
No teasing now.
Only seriousness.
Arga turned.
His eyes fell on the goalpost.
There—
a dent.
Clear.
Deep.
Undeniable.
His breath caught.
"I did that…?"
Inside him—
the warmth pulsed again.
Stronger.
Heavier.
No longer just warmth.
Something active.
Something alive.
Arga stepped back.
"I need to go."
Bimo frowned. "Now?"
Arga grabbed his bag.
"I'm going home."
Sinta didn't stop him.
But her eyes followed him—
sharp.
Observing.
"…something's wrong," she murmured.
Bimo nodded slowly.
"…yeah."
Outside the School
The sky darkened as evening crept in.
The streets grew quieter.
Arga walked fast—
then slowed.
Trying to feel his body.
Trying to understand it.
But the sensation didn't fade.
It stayed.
Persistent.
Unsettling.
He stopped.
Reached into his bag.
Pulled out the lunch box.
Empty.
But the moment he opened it—
his body stiffened.
The symbol was there.
Clearer now.
Brighter.
The grain-shaped mark pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Arga's breath caught.
"…what is this…?"
The light flickered.
And for a brief moment—
it felt like something inside it…
was looking back.
Watching.
Alive.
Arga shut the box immediately.
His heart pounded violently.
And he didn't notice—
he wasn't alone.
Across the street—
a man stood beneath the shadow of a tree.
A hat hid his face.
Dark glasses covered his eyes.
But his attention—
was fixed entirely on Arga.
Slowly, he raised his phone.
"The first subject…"
His voice was low.
Controlled.
"…has activated."
A pause.
Then—
a faint smile formed.
"Nutrition Guardian…"
"…has finally awakened."
The call ended.
Silence returned.
And for the first time—
Arga wasn't just changing.
He was being watched.
And somewhere—
someone else…
was already next.