2025-04-02 22:27:50The alarm clock rings, waking me up.
The morning air was still chilly, but the sunlight streaming through my window made my body feel warmer than it should. My muscles ached from yesterday’s work and school, and every fiber of my being longed to stay in bed just a little longer.
With a groggy sigh, I pushed myself up and stumbled toward the window, pulling the curtain shut. The room dimmed instantly, the invading light replaced by soothing darkness. Satisfied, I collapsed back onto my bed, burying myself under the sheets.
I didn’t want to get up. I wanted to stay home and sleep. Just for today, I wanted a day off.
Almost a month had passed since I met Amber and the other girls, and my life had changed in ways I hadn’t expected. Rest had become a luxury. I wasn’t even an official part of their team yet, which meant I wasn’t going on missions with them. Instead, I was stuck doing menial work—cleaning, running errands, and whatever odd jobs they assigned to me.
It annoyed me.
And yet, despite my frustration, I had more questions than complaints. Who was assigning them these secret missions? Why were they fighting from the shadows? What exactly was a Dark Side Agent?
Neo Silicon Valley had always seemed like a paradise of technology, a utopia of progress. But ever since I got involved with Amber, I realized the city harbored secrets—deep, dark secrets that the ordinary citizens never glimpsed. And worst of all, I had a feeling that the truth was far more terrifying than anyone could imagine.
But I didn’t want to think about any of that right now. I just wanted to sleep.
Forget about them… Forget about the team… Forget about—
Amber’s face flashed in my mind, her playful smile burning into my thoughts.
“Whoa!” I bolted upright, startled by my own subconscious.
What the hell was that?! Just because she kissed me once, I was suddenly thinking about her like this? No way. No way in hell. I wasn’t the type of guy who fell for a girl that easily.
I groaned and flopped back onto my pillow.
Sleep. I just needed to sleep. But I couldn’t. Not with Amber invading my thoughts. The date we had… It was messing with my head, making her live rent-free in my mind.
No way. There was no way I was falling for Amber. She was bossy, arrogant, and selfish. Everything about her is opposite with the type of girl I liked.
This was just a reaction—a side effect of my recent breakup. Heartbroken people were vulnerable, easily mistaking attention for love. That was it. That had to be it.
If I just slept a little longer, I’d wake up feeling normal again.
Right before I drifted off—
RING! RING! RING!
My phone shattered the silence. Groaning, I reached for it and answered.
“Who is this?” I mumbled, still half-asleep.
“Are you awake yet?”
That voice. I recognized it instantly.
“Amber?!”
“Ding, ding! Correct! It’s me, the gorgeous and talented leader of Flames.”
I could hear the smirk in her voice. “Wait… are you still in bed? It’s already nine in the morning! Lazy people don’t go far in life, Noah. Get up before I come over and kick your ass.”
Why was she acting like my mother?
“What do you want?” I grumbled.
“I called to warn you.” Her tone suddenly turned serious. “That terrorist you knocked out? He escaped.”
I shot up, now fully awake. “What?!”
“Yeah. And he might come after you for revenge. Just saying.”
Panic crawled up my spine. “You’re telling me this now? How the hell am I supposed to sleep knowing some lunatic might come after me?!”
“My bad,” she said casually. “Anyway, you can stay at my apartment for a while.”
I blinked. “Your… apartment?”
Me? Staying at Amber’s place?
Did this mean I’d unlock some classic rom-com event? Like accidentally walking in on her while she was changing? Maybe some close-quarters tension, like in those cheesy romance animes?
…Yeah, right. If I so much as looked at her the wrong way, she’d probably punch me through a wall.
“Don’t get any weird ideas,” she warned, as if reading my mind. “You’ll be sleeping in the living room. It’s just safer this way. Since I recruited you, I feel responsible for you.”
“Are you sure about this? I mean, I’m a guy. Having me in your personal space is a bit—”
“If you do anything weird, I’ll break your nose.”
Of course. That was the Amber I knew.
I exhaled, considering my options. The terrorist was loose. I was in danger. Amber’s place was safer. Simple logic.
“Fine. I’ll stay at your place for now.”
“Good. Living with me will be beneficial for you, anyway.”
“…What does that mean?”
“You’ll see.”
Something about the way she said that made me uneasy.
“Anyway,” she continued, “I’ve got school, so I’ll be late. The spare key’s at the hideout. Pick it up after you’re done cleaning.”
Of course. More cleaning. They really were treating me like a housekeeper.
“…Got it.”
“See you later.”
“Yeah. See you.”
With that, the call ended.
I rubbed my temples. Amber was still a high school student—Year 2, if I remembered correctly. The other girls were the same as far as I know. Which made me wonder… was it even legal for me to be hanging around them? I wasn’t that much older, but still… I hoped this wouldn’t get me arrested.
Shaking off the thought, I finally got out of bed. Today was my day off from school, and I had no obligations other than my usual chores for the team. If I was heading to the hideout, I might as well take advantage of the workout equipment there. Maybe even train with Lynn—she was good at hand-to-hand combat.
I needed to focus on self-improvement.
My ability, World Rejector, was powerful—overpowered, even. With a single touch, I could make anything disappear. But raw power wasn’t enough. I needed speed, stamina, and physical strength to wield my ability effectively.
I grabbed my jacket and reached for the doorknob—
And then I froze.
A familiar figure stood in the hallway.
A girl. Nervous. Eyes locked onto mine.
My breath hitched. My chest tightened.
I knew that face.
“…Mio.”
Her lips parted. “Noah…”
I was face-to-face with my ex-girlfriend.
My mind went blank.
Of all days, of all times, why now?
I swallowed hard, bracing myself for whatever was coming next.
Because something told me this wasn’t just a coincidence.
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Chapter 14: Arrival of the hero
Amber was pushed to the edge.At this moment, she had only one option left to survive.“I have to do it..”Ability users like Amber possess a rare potential to reach the full capability of their ability. It’s the ultimate manifestation of their power, a transformation called Awakening.Once awakened, their abilities become drastically stronger, often turning the tide of battle in their favor.For Amber, her awakened ability was called Meteor—a technique that allowed her to summon a massive fireball capable of incinerating everything within a 20-meter radius.She didn’t care about destroying the school anymore.All she wanted now… was to save her childhood friend—Yuki—who had fallen into the delusion that all ability users deserved to die.Amber steadied her breathing and brought both hands together. Her body trembled as she began to channel the power. Her eyes burned bright red, and the very air around her thickened as if gravity itself had grown heavier.“You're serious?” Saint White
Chapter 13: Childhood friend
A normal day had just ended at Valley Technological High School. Most of the students were on their way home. Some stayed behind for club activities. Others walked with friends, laughing and enjoying youth, while a few strolled hand in hand with their lovers.From the window of her classroom, Amber gazed out, admiring the peaceful view.She always wished every day could be like this—quiet, beautiful, untouched by chaos.Today, Amber remained in the classroom because she was on cleaning duty.Normally, another student would be paired with her, but they had to leave early due to an emergency, leaving her alone with the task.Amber played the role of the kind, model student. Always polite, always friendly.Cleaning the classroom was easy work, so she didn’t mind. But what weighed on her heart was something far more serious—the threat of another terrorist attack. Rumors said it would be much bigger than before.If the terrorists attacked again, this peaceful city would be thrown into chao
Chapter 12: Before the White Storm
I was surprised by what I was seeing.The person I had been trying so hard to forget was now standing right in front of me.“Mio…”I called her name softly.“Noah.”She responded. Hearing her say my name—it was something I thought I’d never experience again.Our interaction was stiff. Awkward. There were so many things I wanted to ask, so many things I wanted to say… but my lips wouldn’t move. The silence between us was getting heavy, almost suffocating.“Mio… Why did you come?” I asked, still unable to meet her gaze.Mio glanced slightly to her left, avoiding my eyes the same way I was avoiding hers. This had to be hard for her too. No doubt.I needed to end this awkwardness somehow.“Your little sister still thinks you and I are together,” she said, holding up a paper bag. “She made a mistake and sent a parcel to my place again. I came here to deliver it.”She handed the paper bag over carefully.“Thanks… Sorry for the trouble. I’ll explain everything to my sister soon.”“No need,”
Chapter 11: Improvement
The alarm clock rings, waking me up.The morning air was still chilly, but the sunlight streaming through my window made my body feel warmer than it should. My muscles ached from yesterday’s work and school, and every fiber of my being longed to stay in bed just a little longer.With a groggy sigh, I pushed myself up and stumbled toward the window, pulling the curtain shut. The room dimmed instantly, the invading light replaced by soothing darkness. Satisfied, I collapsed back onto my bed, burying myself under the sheets.I didn’t want to get up. I wanted to stay home and sleep. Just for today, I wanted a day off.Almost a month had passed since I met Amber and the other girls, and my life had changed in ways I hadn’t expected. Rest had become a luxury. I wasn’t even an official part of their team yet, which meant I wasn’t going on missions with them. Instead, I was stuck doing menial work—cleaning, running errands, and whatever odd jobs they assigned to me.It annoyed me.And yet, de
