System Reboot

"Argh!"

A young man's scream shattered the stillness of the night as he threw a punch at his sister, his raven-black hair glinting with a green sheen under the moonlight.

"Come on, Liam. Don't be a coward—hit like a man," Ava teased her younger brother, her chocolate eyes—matching her long, thick, slightly wavy hair tied in a high ponytail—tracking his fist with precision.

She waited until the last moment to move. Had she moved earlier, Liam could have easily adjusted his attack.

It was a special technique she had developed just to counter his pesky abilities. Staying completely still until the last moment before making an explosive movement had turned out to be the best solution.

Groaning, Liam made a fist with his other hand. He stepped forward and aimed at Ava's solar plexus.

He could see the tiniest movements: specks of dust rising from the ground of their backyard where grass used to sprout, a fruit fly passing by, and Ava's muscles tensing under her skin, alerting Liam to her next move.

The problem was that she always stayed relaxed until the last second.

"And you miss!" Ava giggled, grabbing his fist and pulling him forward. She raised her knee with a grin, aiming for his chin.

After being beaten time and time again, the ability to finally come out on top felt exhilarating.

Liam gasped, and before Ava could make contact, he got closer, throwing himself at her.

Due to the weight of Liam's body, Ava lost her balance, and both of them fell onto the ground, dirtying the upper part of her baby-pink sweater with its white zipper.

Without wasting a second, Liam flung his fist into the air, frustration clouding his judgment as he let loose.

'I'm the stronger one,' he thought, throwing a fist fueled by rage and desire toward Ava's face. 'So why can't I beat you now?!'

There was a specific yearning, a strong instinct, coursing through Liam's being—a drive to prove himself and stand above the rest.

If he wasn't able to achieve this, then what would his purpose be? His pupils widened, and his breath quickened at the thought of being abandoned, even though he knew his family would never leave him behind.

No matter how much they cared and sacrificed for him, there would always be a certain distance from time to time, invoking a feeling of being an outsider, someone who didn't belong.

Ava took a short breath, her heart racing as she saw the attack, this time twice as fast as the previous ones.

She scooped up a handful of fine dirt and moved her head to the side, causing Liam's punch to hit the ground right next to her, creating a tiny crater.

As he prepared for another attack, Ava used the moment to throw the dust into Liam's eyes before kicking him off herself and quickly getting up.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Liam complained, standing back onto his feet with his eyes closed. But just because he couldn't see didn't mean he couldn't fight.

He could tell whenever Ava made a move, regardless of his temporary lack of vision.

Her steps were like droplets of rain falling into a vast lake.

"Is it?" Ava asked after Liam ducked under her fist, proving her point.

"Enough!" their mother commanded, her voice cutting through the night like a whip as she stomped the ground with her foot. Her long, brown hair waved behind her, appearing as a mature version of her daughter.

The air grew heavy, and an invisible force pressed down on Liam and Ava's shoulders.

"I did not give up my career so you two could play. Again," Ella ordered sternly, crossing her arms and straightening her posture.

"Yes, ma'am!" Liam and Ava shouted in unison, turning toward their mother before resuming their training.

Every night was the same, regardless of whether they had a fever or a stomachache. If they ever found themselves on the battlefield, no one would care about such minor details.

Ella sighed, leaning against the house wall and bending her knee as she exhaled deeply, her eyes never leaving the sparring match.

She wasn't worried about her biological daughter; after all, Ava had inherited all her skills and abilities. It was Liam who concerned her...

"You're worrying too much about them, Ella..." a gentle male voice said beside her.

As she turned her head toward the sound, Ella saw a blonde man with sea-blue eyes carrying a tray with four glasses of water and a bowl of apples cut into tiny pieces—a rare treat in this ruined, empty world.

Ella glanced at him before closing her eyes and taking a glass from the gray metal tray.

"Yeah, I know," she admitted, swirling the water in her cup before taking a sip.

Kevin set the tray on the rusty table and leaned beside her, watching as Ava threw a high kick at Liam, who blocked it with his forearm before countering.

"You know, when you first brought Liam home, I was kind of afraid of him," Kevin admitted, recalling the rainy night when his wife returned home from a mission, carrying a random three-year-old child wrapped in a red blanket. But the real shock came later.

When Ella placed the child on the table and removed the blanket, revealing his naked body, two features stood out: two pairs of insectoid wings and tiny antennae protruding from his hairline.

She explained how she had found him in one of the insectoids' nests, alongside other similar children. There were orders to kill them all, but Liam was already outside the chambers, and she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Kevin, like any normal adult, had wanted to get rid of the child the moment Ella revealed the truth. But now, he carried a heavy heart, regretting his words from back then.

"Wait, we'll continue this in a moment," Ella interrupted, sensing where the conversation was headed.

She stepped forward and clapped her hands to get the children's attention.

"Dad brought a treat for you! Go for three more rounds, and then you can wrap it up for the night," she announced. "Oh, and feel free to use your abilities," she added before returning to her husband.

"Finally!" Ava exclaimed, her lips forming a small smirk.

She removed her sweater and revealed a black T-shirt with white letters that read, "Free Earth!" and a crossed-out image of an insectoid lying dead on its back.

"Now we're talking!" Liam cracked his neck and stretched his arms, getting back into a battle stance after blinking a few times. His eyes were tearing up, trying to remove the foreign objects.

Whatever it took, he was determined to take her down tonight.

He clapped his hands together, and when he opened them, a light green orb of energy with golden swirls appeared.

In the meantime, Ava punched her palm with her fist before charging at Liam, who hurled a few energy spheres at her, aiming for her legs to throw her off balance.

But Ava didn't stop. Her knuckles crackled with dark purple energy as she slammed the ground in front of Liam, who backed away to avoid the hit.

"Whoa! Watch it, you gorilla. One day, you're going to kill me!" He stared at the small crater Ava had made in the dirt, recalling how it felt to be on the receiving end of her punches.

"What did you call me?" Ava's body temperature rose, a gust of mist escaping her mouth as her face turned red with anger.

'Crap...' Liam regretted his words, but it was too late. His only option was to pray he wouldn't get beaten too badly after Ava decided to turn on her destroyer mode.

"Stand still and let me punch you!" Ava growled, unleashing a flurry of punches at her rude brother.

Liam dodged her attacks. Luckily, avoiding her was easier than landing a hit.

'Whatever you do, don't let her hit you. Don't block; just move out of the way,' he repeated in his head like a mantra.

But then, something unexpected happened.

A splitting headache struck out of nowhere, sharp and blinding, like a knife driving through his skull.

A small energy sphere that he held above his palm fell to his feet as he dropped to his knees.

As the red holographic screen flickered, Liam's vision blurred.

'Not now. Not now!' he thought, gritting his teeth as panic rose in his chest.

[Sy$t@m Ree¶o©ting]

[Syst€m Rebooting]

[Error]

[Err0r]

[Error]

[Sys!em on Sta£dby]

The final message lingered for a few seconds before it disappeared. The headache vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Ugh..." Liam rubbed his forehead, now covered in sweat.

'This stupid system!' A hot wave of frustration rose in his throat as he sensed something approaching fast.

He looked up, only to see Ava's fist hurtling toward his face. The air crackled with energy, a faint line of purple light trailing behind it.

Liam's heart skipped a beat, the sound of his own pulse roaring in his ears.

"Liam!" Ella shouted in fear, dropping her glass. It shattered, spilling water everywhere.

A brown cloud of dirt rose around the two, obscuring the view. Only a faint outline of something massive emerging from Liam's back could be seen.

Ella's heart pounded as she ran closer to the two, calling out their names and straining her eyes.