Chapter 3: A Morning Without Monsters
Jade woke up slowly.
For a moment, he did not move.
The soft mattress beneath him felt unfamiliar.
The clean scent of the room felt unfamiliar.
Even the silence felt unfamiliar.
For over a year, every time he had opened his eyes, there had been danger.
A monster.
An ambush.
A nightmare.
The possibility of death.
Now there was nothing.
Just peace.
Jade stared at the ceiling.
Then memories came flooding back.
The mirror.
Aaron.
The fight.
The corruption.
The blood.
His eyes widened.
He immediately sat upright.
His heart began beating faster.
"I almost killed Aaron..."
The realization struck him harder than any attack from the Trial.
Jade lowered his head.
His hands trembled slightly.
Yesterday he had lost control.
Completely.
He had become a monster.
Not the type that walked the Trial.
Not the type created by the System.
A monster wearing a human face.
His flaw was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
During the Trial, there had always been enemies nearby.
Creatures.
Nightmares.
Threats.
His instincts had adapted to that life.
But now he was back among humans.
Back among friends.
And yet his instincts still treated everything as danger.
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
Slowly, Jade turned his head.
A familiar figure was sleeping beside the bed.
Aaron.
The black -haired teenager was leaning against the wall.
His arms were folded.
His breathing was calm.
Jade stared at him for several seconds.
Then guilt filled his chest.
Aaron had trusted him.
Even after everyone had forgotten him.
Even after fate itself had erased him.
Aaron had still stood beside him.
And Jade had nearly repaid that trust by killing him.
Jade sighed heavily.
"Idiot."
Aaron opened one eye.
"I heard that."
Jade jumped.
"You were awake?"
Aaron yawned.
"I've been awake for twenty minutes."
Jade blinked.
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
Aaron shrugged.
"I was checking my Soul Sea."
Jade rolled his eyes.
Only Aaron would casually say something like that.
The black-haired boy opened both eyes and stretched.
Then he looked at Jade carefully.
"You look terrible."
Jade frowned.
"You look worse."
Aaron nodded.
"Fair."
For a few seconds neither spoke.
Finally Jade looked away.
"I'm sorry."
Aaron raised an eyebrow.
"For what?"
Jade clenched his fists.
"You know what."
Aaron remained silent.
Jade continued.
"I nearly killed you."
Still silence.
Then Aaron suddenly laughed.
Jade looked up.
Aaron was actually laughing.
The kind of laugh that made his shoulders shake.
Jade stared at him.
"What's funny?"
Aaron wiped away a tear.
"You look like someone attending his own funeral."
Jade groaned.
"I'm serious."
Aaron's laughter slowly faded.
Then his expression softened.
"Jade."
"Hm?"
"You weren't yourself."
Jade looked away.
Aaron continued.
"We spent over a year fighting monsters."
"We survived by suspecting everything."
"You saw someone crawling out of a mirror."
"What did you think?"
Jade sighed.
"That you were a nightmare creature."
"Exactly."
Aaron nodded.
"So stop looking like someone stole your soul."
Jade chuckled despite himself.
Aaron smirked.
"There we go."
For the first time that morning, Jade felt a little better.
He climbed off the bed.
"I need a bath."
"You definitely do."
Jade threw a pillow at him.
Aaron vanished into a mirror.
The pillow hit the wall.
Aaron's voice came from another mirror.
"You missed."
"Get back here."
"No."
Jade laughed.
For the first time since returning to reality, things felt normal.
---
A few minutes later, Jade stood before the bathroom mirror.
Water flowed over his body.
Years of dirt, blood, and exhaustion seemed to wash away.
When he finally looked into the mirror, he almost failed to recognize himself.
The teenager staring back looked nothing like the boy who had entered the Trial.
He was taller now.
Much taller.
His broad shoulders filled most of the mirror.
Dense muscles covered his body.
Not exaggerated muscles.
Not the type built in a gym.
These were muscles forged through survival.
Every scar.
Every battle.
Every drop of blood.
Had shaped them.
His chest looked like carved stone.
His arms were powerful enough to crush ordinary humans.
His waist remained lean.
Perfectly balanced.
Not a single ounce of unnecessary weight existed on his body.
The most shocking part was his abdomen.
Ten perfectly defined abdominal muscles stretched across his stomach.
Jade stared at them.
Then blinked.
Jade suddenly understood why monsters kept trying to kill him.
Reality couldn't tolerate perfection.
His black hair rested upon his shoulders.
His crimson eyes appeared sharper than before.
More dangerous.
More mature.
More intimidating.
The boy had disappeared.
A warrior remained.
Then his gaze landed on something else.
The tattoo.
The mark of Beast God.
It rested upon his chest like a living symbol.
Jade touched it.
The mark felt warm.
Almost alive.
He quickly looked away.
That thing still creeped him out.
After finishing his bath, Jade opened the wardrobe.
Inside rested the government uniform.
A dark pair of trousers.
A white sleeveless singlet.
A blue jacket.
The government emblem shone upon the chest.
Jade wore the trousers.
Then the singlet.
He looked at the jacket.
Looked away.
Looked back.
Then sighed.
"No."
Too hot.
The jacket remained inside.
When he stepped out of the bathroom, Aaron immediately pointed.
"Finally."
Jade frowned.
"What?"
Aaron pointed again.
"You actually look human."
Jade nearly punched him.
Before he could reply—
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The door opened.
Henry walked inside.
The large teenager froze.
His eyes widened.
Then he looked at Jade.
Then looked again.
Then again.
Jade became uncomfortable.
"What?"
Henry pointed.
"What happened to you?"
Jade blinked.
"What do you mean?"
Henry looked offended.
"I suffered for over a year."
"You suffered for over a year."
"So why do you look like a legendary warrior and I look like an exhausted farmer?"
Aaron immediately started laughing.
Jade almost choked.
Before Henry could continue complaining, another voice appeared.
"Wow."
Ella entered.
Blake followed behind her.
The moment Blake saw Jade, he froze.
Then he narrowed his eyes.
Then he looked down at himself.
Then back at Jade.
Then sighed.
"Life isn't fair."
Ella nodded.
"For once, I agree."
Blake pointed dramatically.
"Look at him."
"He's Stronger."
"More handsome."
"More mysterious."
Aaron raised a hand.
"Less intelligent."
Blake nodded.
"True."
Jade immediately threw a towel at Aaron.
---
The group eventually left the residence together.
For the first time since returning to reality, the entire cohort was together again.
As they walked through the halls, many Initiates turned to stare.
Jade noticed.
Aaron noticed.
Henry noticed.
Blake definitely noticed.
"People are staring."
Aaron nodded.
"Probably because we're attractive."
"No."
Ella pointed at Jade.
"It's because he looks like someone who escaped from a fantasy novel."
Jade rolled his eyes.
Yet secretly he was happy.
For the first time in a long time.
He was surrounded by friends.
No monsters.
No battles.
No nightmares.
Just people.
Eventually Blake stretched.
"I'm hungry."
Everyone immediately agreed.
Even Aaron.
And so the group headed toward a nearby restaurant.
Jade then wore the academy shirt.
Ready to enjoy their first peaceful meal in over a year.