Life in the boring lane

Three weeks had passed since I last hung out with anyone. My days had devolved into a monotonous cycle of classes and relentless training, with my focus solely on one goal: ensuring that Leon was strong enough to confront the impending threat of a Fragment opening during our midterm trip in three months. I couldn't let anything—or anyone—stand in the way of that.

The morning light filtered through the dusty blinds, casting striped shadows across my room as I reluctantly swung my legs over the edge of the bed. My alarm buzzed angrily until I finally silenced it, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and glancing into the mirror. My black hair was a chaotic mess, and as I moved closer, I noticed an eyelash precariously dangling above my right green eye. I hastily brushed it away, but the fatigue still lingered in my reflection.

As I picked up my phone, I was met with an avalanche of notifications—nearly a hundred unread messages from classmates and friends alike, all piling up in my absence. It was as if I had dropped off the face of the earth, and the isolation was starting to weigh heavily on my mind. Despite the number of people reaching out, I found myself unable to respond. I had become a ghost, haunting the halls of the academy while everyone else moved on without me.

With a deep breath, I began to get ready for the day. My uniform had undergone a transformation; I had recently purchased a coat that matched the school's colors, a small rebellion against the drab standards. It felt good to assert my individuality, even in such a restrictive environment. I could have easily bought passing grades or personal lessons from the teachers, but I had chosen instead to absorb the knowledge directly from them, believing that genuine understanding was far more valuable than shortcuts.

Suddenly, the rhythmic knocking on my door interrupted my thoughts. "Levi, we know you're in there! Come out and talk!" It was a familiar refrain, one I had grown tired of. Each day, they attempted to coax me into the light, but I had no desire to engage with them.

Deciding against facing my peers, I slipped out through the window, a move I had perfected during my time of solitude. Rumors had started to swirl about me awakening a Void affinity, an ability that was synonymous with death and danger—especially to the Templars, who hunted those with such powers. However, I knew that those with keen senses would soon realize that my aura was different; I didn't possess such a dangerous affinity, just the remnants of chaos and uncertainty.

As I descended, I spotted Leon waiting for me outside, his body pressed against the wall like a comic book hero. For a moment, I didn't recognize him; his assassin skills cloaked him in shadows until he shifted, the stealth dissipating. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

With a flick of my wrist, I summoned an Obsidian Bloom, adjusting my trajectory just in time to avoid a collision with the ground. The impact was smooth, and I rolled into a sprint, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline surge through my veins. I had trained tirelessly to become one of the fastest in our class; only Zayne could rival my speed.

"Levi, wait! They just want to talk!" Leon called after me, frustration creeping into his voice. I shot him a glance, flipping him the bird in response. My feelings toward him had soured ever since the mall incident three weeks back, and I had no desire to revisit those memories.

As I sprinted, the familiar glow of the system screen flickered to life beside me.

[System Screen]User: Riven ValeHost Body: Levi CrownStatus: StableClass: Chaos Warden [+20% all Damage and 20% resist to all]Class XP: 47/250 Level 1

Affinities: Sound, Fire, Chaos, Arcane, Transmutation

[Bloodline Powers]Angelic Abilities:

Heaven's Grace: Absorb angelic energies more efficiently.God's Light: Envelopes allies in divine radiance, boosting strength and vitality while providing healing over time. (Conflict Warning: Heaven's Grace is incompatible with Hell's Gate.)

Demonic Abilities:

Hell's Gate: Absorb power from weaker demons or ambient demonic energy to enhance strength.Obsidian Rose: Plant seeds that bloom into razor-sharp vines to trap and damage enemies. (Conflict Warning: Hell's Gate is incompatible with Heaven's Grace.)

[Godly Abilities]

Olympus Grace: Communicate with demi-gods and gods without suffering harm.Command: Impose my will on others, increasing effectiveness with higher mana investment.

[Cyrus the Eternal King's Abilities]

Corruptors Will: Spread Cyrus's will to corrupt others, gaining control over those with a lower will stat.Consumption: Consume anything at 25% vitality if its will is lower, gaining stats or affinities.

[Passives]

Enhanced Senses (Sight +10%, Hearing +5%, Smell +1%, Touch +20%)Eternal Memory: Retain all information gained.Pain Enhancement: Feel pain more intensely than anyone else.

[Vitals]

Vitality: 50 (slowly rising)Mana Capacity: 50% Demonic, 50% AngelicMana Impurity: 97.3%Stability Level: 50%

[Stats]

Strength: 115Speed: 116Intelligence: 48Skill: 50Willpower: 28 (Boosted by Verix) +25

[Quests]Main Quest: Verix FormSide Quests: Godkiller: 1/25

Details: 100 push-ups, 50 pull-ups, 5-mile run, 200 squatsReward: 1 Strength point and 1 Speed point + Random Item[System Alerts]

Despite my solitude, I had climbed to a top 50 position in the class due to my stats, a fact that seemed to amuse Verix, who only ever offered me the occasional congratulations on my unique class. I couldn't help but wonder how much I was isolating myself, but I brushed those thoughts aside.

With a determined stride, I leaped back through my already open window, closing it behind me. The air inside was still and quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos of the world outside.

"Hello, Levi," a voice greeted me from the shadows. I turned to find a familiar presence lingering at the edge of my training room.