2025-04-04 23:34:57I 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,” she replied quickly. “I already told her about our situation.” Her voice was flustered, and she looked at me again. “Seems like you’re always in a hurry these days… looks like you're really busy.”
“Well, I’ve found a few things to keep myself occupied,” I said vaguely. I couldn’t exactly tell her about the Dark Side agents. If I did, she’d probably think I’d lost my mind—some wild conspiracy nut.
Even there is a chance that she’ll believe me. Still, I’m not telling her.
“Is that so? Then… that’s great,” she said with a bittersweet smile. But then her eyes changed. They clouded over with something more melancholic. “I always thought you were someone who had trouble forgetting things… but it seems I was wrong.”
Then she turned and began to walk away.
What did she mean by that?
I haven’t forgotten anything. I still think… I still think I love her. But the words won’t come out. I’m scared. What if I say how I feel, and she rejects me again?
That kind of heartbreak is the worst. I never want to feel that pain again.
“Mio!” I called out without thinking.
She stopped, slowly turned her head toward me.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She curled her lips into a small smile and nodded. “Yup. I’m fine. I’ve always been fine. So please… don’t worry about me.”
She gave me one last smile… then she was gone.
…
I went straight to the hideout after that.
But Mio's appearance lingered in my mind, deeply engraved. Her smile didn’t feel real. It was like she was forcing it. I could tell—something was wrong. Something was hurting her. I wanted to know more, but… I didn’t have the right to pry in her life anymore.
At the hideout, I went straight into my workout routine. Did some sparring with Lynn too. She’s a combat expert. When she first offered to teach me hand-to-hand combat, I was hesitant. She’s a girl, and I’m a guy. A gentleman will never dare to hurt a girl.
But Lynn isn’t just anyone. She can throw me like a ragdoll if she wants.
She is very strong.
“Take this!” Lynn grabbed me by the waist and slammed me hard onto the floor.
Ouch! I feel like my back is breaking.
She wiped the sweat off her brow and looked down at me. “You’re improving, but still too slow. You have to stay focused.” She tossed me a towel.
“Thanks.”
“You look distracted. Something bothering you?”
“Well…”
I didn’t want to talk about Mio. Talking about your ex-girlfriend during training? Super uncool. And I was supposed to be moving on, wasn’t I?
“I heard from Amber that you and her are living together now,” Lynn said casually. “Are you two dating?”
“That’s not a funny joke.” I shook my head. “I’m just staying at her place for protection. After the terrorist escaped, I became a target. Amber’s offering me shelter because she feels responsible.”
“Pathetic,” said a new voice.
It was Mei—another member of the Dark Side agents. She walked in with her usual confident stride and judgmental tone. Mei always acted like she was better than everyone else. Arrogant, cold, untouchable.
“Hiding under a woman’s protection? That’s pretty unmanly.”
I clenched my jaw. I hated that she had a point. I hated that I couldn’t protect myself.
“That’s why I’m training,” I said. “I’ll get stronger. Strong enough to protect everyone.”
Lynn gave me an encouraging clap.
“Please,” Mei scoffed. “I don’t need anyone’s protection. I can handle myself. And a reminder—Dark Agents aren’t heroes. Don’t start spouting heroic lines you can’t back up.”
With that, Mei left the hideout, a bottle of water in her hand.
“She just came in for drinks?” I blinked.
“Don’t overthink it,” Lynn said, sighing. “That’s just Mei. Her life’s been rough. Survival of the fittest is the only thing she’s ever known. But deep down, she’s kind. If you get to know her.”
I don’t feel like getting along with her at all.
She changed the subject. “Anyway—about your ability. You said your power, World Rejector, can erase anything, right?”
I froze.
“I guess you could say that,” I said slowly. “But it’s not that simple. Its dangerous so I keep in mind to make some rules to follow when using it.”
Lynn raised an eyebrow. “Couldn’t you just use it in battle? Make someone vanish?”
“That’s basically the same as killing,” I muttered, staring at my right hand. “And I’ve never used it on a living being before.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m afraid of it,” I admitted. “There’s no limit to what I can erase. That kind of power… scares me. I’ve set my own rules. If I don’t, I might lose something important inside me—something I’ll never get back.”
Lynn’s tone turned serious. “But as a Dark Agent, there might come a time when you’re forced to kill. What will you do then?”
I took a deep breath. “If that time comes… I’ll still try not to kill. Because the moment I question the value of life… I’ll start to question the lives of those I care about. And that terrifies me.”
Lynn nodded and sat down on the couch.
“I thought you were just pretending to be a hero,” she said softly. “But maybe Amber was right recruiting you. I look forward to the day when you can protect all of us.”
She placed a note and a set of keys on the table.
“These are for Amber’s apartment key. She’ll be late today because of school. She said you should do the groceries and wait there.”
“She’s really treating me like an errand boy,” I grumbled.
Still… she was giving me shelter and protection. This was the least I could do.
“Before you go,” Lynn said, grabbing her phone, “I sent you a document. Check it out.”
“A mission?”
“Not exactly,” she replied. “It’s a briefing on what we’re up against. You remember the religious extremists who caused the recent attacks? Their leader is sending more operatives to Neo Silicon Valley. We need to be ready.”
I opened the file.
A picture appeared—a pretty ashen-haired girl with sharp eyes. She looked around my age. The name on the document: Saint White.
“She’s the current leader of the terrorist group,” Lynn explained. “Her ability is unknown. She’s already moving within the city.”
Saint White.
What made her choose Neo Silicon Valley as her target?
What’s her story?
And… will I have the strength to face her?
Previous Chapter
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For some reason, I felt uncomfortably dense as I walked side by side with Fina down the crowded streets of Neo Silicon Valley.Now that I think about it, this is my first time being alone with Fina. She was beautiful—just like the other girls in the team—but maybe that was the reason I felt this strange pressure. No... that’s not it.Fina was attractive, sure, but her looks alone didn’t affect me much. This uneasiness was different.It was the kind of discomfort you feel when you're with someone you don’t really know.Aside from being the organization’s data analyst, I knew next to nothing about her. I wasn’t here to flirt or impress—just to guard her. That’s my job. I needed to stay focused.I glanced around the street, trying to stay alert.Multiple boys in school uniforms shot me sharp glares, and some even looked like they were on the verge of tears. Wait... were they crying?I reevaluated my earlier deduction. That dense feeling wasn’t from nervousness—it was the eerie sensation
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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
