Chapter 3 - the first step into the unknown
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The sky was dark, the moon hidden behind thick clouds. A cold wind passed through the empty streets, carrying the distant scent of the sea. The city had settled into its usual silence—at least, in the areas where people followed the law.
Rein sat in the abandoned clearing behind the orphanage, Sector 7, Street 14. His body ached, his breathing was heavy, and sweat dripped down his forehead. He had done fifty push-ups, fifty sit-ups, and several short sprints. His muscles burned, but he wasn't finished yet.
Beside him, a worn-out notebook lay open. He picked it up, flipping through pages filled with equations and notes. The government exam wasn't just about physical strength—it had a written test too. If he wanted to pass, he had to train his mind as well as his body. Each night, after exhausting his body, he read newspapers and studied mathematics under the dim streetlights near the orphanage.
(Orin wouldn't struggle with this… but I can't afford to be left behind.)
With a sharp exhale, he crouched down and prepared to sprint again. His legs burned, his muscles ached, but he forced himself forward.
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A Night That Changed Everything
Hours later, Rein found himself wandering the dimly lit streets, his mind lost in thought. Orin had left. The orphanage felt emptier without him. The silence of the night only amplified his loneliness.
As he turned into a narrow back alley, the sound of voices pulled him from his thoughts. Angry shouting. The sound of fists hitting flesh. He pressed himself against a wall and peered ahead.
Several gang members—at least five or six—were surrounding two men. The victims were bloodied, barely able to stand, yet the beating didn't stop.
Rein's fists clenched.
(A gang…)
He didn't know these two men, but that didn't matter. His parents had died because of a gang fight. The mere sight of these criminals made his blood boil.
Before he could think—before he could stop himself—his legs moved.
He ran straight into the fight.
The first thing he did was land a solid kick to the back of one of the gang members. The man stumbled forward, caught off guard. Another attacker turned toward Rein, swinging wildly.
Rein dodged, stepping to the side before countering with a punch. His fist connected with the man's jaw, a sickening crunch sounding as teeth shattered.
For a moment, Rein thought he had a chance.
Then—three men came at him at once.
He managed to block one strike, but the others grabbed him, holding his arms in place.
The gang members gathered around, their faces twisted with amusement and rage.
"You think you're a hero?" one of them sneered. "Coming here to save these bastards?"
One of the men picked up a thick metal rod from the ground. Without hesitation, he swung it at one of the victims—the blow was so powerful that the man's nose, teeth, and jaw shattered instantly. The body slumped lifelessly to the ground.
Rein's eyes widened in horror.
Another gang member grabbed the second victim, wrapping his arms around the man's neck. Rein struggled against the ones holding him, but it was useless.
With a sickening crack, the second man's body went limp.
Rein froze. He had just watched two people die in front of him.
A surge of rage and desperation flooded his veins. With all the strength he had, he kicked one of the men holding him in the leg. It wasn't enough to do serious damage, but it was enough to make the gang furious.
"Little bastard!"
The one with the rod stepped forward and, without hesitation, brought it down on Rein's arm. A sharp, unbearable pain shot through him as the bone cracked. He gasped, vision blurring, body trembling in agony.
"He saw everything," another gang member muttered. "If we let him live, he'll talk."
"You're right," someone agreed.
A knife gleamed in the dim alley light. Rein barely had time to register it before the cold steel was driven into his side. A sharp pain spread through his torso, and everything faded into darkness.
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The Awakening
Time passed. Minutes? Hours? Rein didn't know.
Then—
His body moved.
His eyes fluttered open. He was lying on the cold alley floor, the metallic scent of blood thick in the air. His fingers twitched, then curled into fists.
(…I'm alive?)
Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself upright. His hand went to his side—where the knife had pierced him. There was… nothing. No wound. No blood. It was as if it had never happened.
(What the hell…?)
His heartbeat pounded in his ears. He turned his gaze to the ground.
The two men were still there.
Dead.
It wasn't a dream.
His hands trembled. Fear, confusion, and a strange exhilaration clashed inside him. He had been stabbed. He should be dead.
But he wasn't.
His mind screamed for answers, but his instincts told him one thing—he had to leave. If someone found him here, with two corpses, he would be blamed.
He turned and ran.
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A New Ability
His feet pounded against the pavement, but something felt different. His movements were too fast, too light. He was moving at a speed he had never experienced before.
Then—
He lost control.
His body slammed into a nearby wall, the impact jarring his bones. He groaned, pushing himself up, trying to understand what had just happened.
(That speed… it wasn't normal.)
He looked at his hands again, then back to the alley he had fled from. Everything inside him told him something had changed.
Something inside him had awakened.
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The Aftermath
Rein stood outside the orphanage, his chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths.
(That wasn't just speed.)
He clenched his fingers into a fist.
(I was stabbed… but there's no wound. I moved… but it wasn't normal movement.)
A slow, sharp realization crept into his mind.
Something had awakened inside him.
Something
different.
Something powerful.
A mix of fear and excitement stirred in his chest.
(This… this changes everything.)
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End of Chapter 3