Original Creator Manga

HISTORIETA: La Reforma Liberal en México Portada Título: La Reforma Liberal: la lucha por el futuro de México Imagen sugerida: Mapa de México con personajes como Benito Juárez, liberales y conservadores. Texto: “A mediados del siglo XIX México enfrentaba crisis económicas, inestabilidad política y conflictos entre grupos que tenían diferentes ideas sobre cómo debía gobernarse el país.” 1. INTRODUCCIÓN Y REVOLUCIÓN DE AYUTLA Viñeta 1 Narrador: “A mediados del siglo XIX México no había logrado consolidarse como nación. Existían problemas económicos, políticos y sociales.” Imagen: Ciudadanos preocupados por la situación del país. Viñeta 2 Narrador: “El gobierno de Antonio López de Santa Anna era autoritario y centralista, lo que provocó gran descontento en la población.” Imagen: Santa Anna gobernando con soldados. Viñeta 3 Narrador: “En 1854 varios liberales proclamaron el Plan de Ayutla, cuyo objetivo era destituir a Santa Anna y convocar a un nuevo congreso.” Personajes: Juan Álvarez Ignacio Comonfort Florencio Villarreal Diálogo: “¡Debemos terminar con la dictadura!” Viñeta 4 Narrador: “En 1855 el movimiento triunfó y Santa Anna abandonó el país.” Imagen: Santa Anna huyendo de México. 2. LIBERALES Y CONSERVADORES Viñeta 1 Narrador: “Después de la Revolución de Ayutla continuó la lucha entre dos proyectos de nación: liberales y conservadores.” Viñeta 2 Liberales: “Queremos una república federal, democrática y con igualdad ante la ley.” Imagen: Liberales con libros y leyes. Características: República federal Libertad económica Reformas sociales Viñeta 3 Conservadores: “Defendemos un gobierno fuerte y mantener el poder tradicional de la Iglesia.” Imagen: Iglesia y ejército apoyando a conservadores. Características: Gobierno central fuerte Protección a la Iglesia Conservación del orden tradicional Viñeta 4 Narrador: “Estas diferencias provocaron conflictos políticos y militares en el país.” 3. REFORMA LIBERAL Viñeta 1 Narrador: “Tras el triunfo liberal comenzó un proceso de cambios conocido como Reforma Liberal.” Viñeta 2 Personaje: Benito Juárez Narrador: “Los liberales impulsaron leyes para limitar los privilegios de la Iglesia y del ejército.” Viñeta 3 Leyes principales: Ley Juárez (1855): eliminó los fueros militar y eclesiástico. Ley Lerdo (1856): obligó a vender propiedades de la Iglesia. Ley Iglesias (1857): prohibió cobrar servicios religiosos a los pobres. Viñeta 4 Narrador: “En 1857 se promulgó una nueva Constitución que estableció libertades y derechos para los ciudadanos.” Imagen: Congreso firmando la Constitución de 1857. 4. GUERRA DE REFORMA Viñeta 1 Narrador: “Los conservadores rechazaron la Constitución de 1857 y proclamaron el Plan de Tacubaya.” Viñeta 2 Narrador: “Esto provocó una guerra civil entre liberales y conservadores.” Imagen: Batallas entre ambos bandos. Viñeta 3 Narrador: “Durante la guerra, Benito Juárez estableció un gobierno liberal y promulgó las Leyes de Reforma en 1859.” Viñeta 4 Narrador: “En 1860 los liberales triunfaron, consolidando su proyecto político para México.” FINAL DE LA HISTORIETA Imagen: Benito Juárez y ciudadanos mexicanos. Texto final: “La Reforma Liberal transformó a México al establecer la separación entre Iglesia y Estado, igualdad ante la ley y nuevas bases para el desarrollo del país.”
A pleasant day in Swastik Residency, Thane. Children can be heard playing games in the Society playground. Amidst the Jolly mood of the society, A rather timid boy sits in the verandah glancing over his book, on the blissful interactions he sought after. Enter Archit, our main character. He was a bright boy and a quick learner. However, appearance-wise, He was just any other boy, you'd find every 2 doors. He would have loved to go play with others if not for his series of tests at his school soon. However, he had some friends who’d come to visit him & study with him. One of them was Jash, also known as "J wala Jash”. Archit hoped at least he would visit on this gloomy day, and so did he. Jash came in and started bothering Archit. He pulled him and asked him to stop being a bookworm for once. Archit was enraged, yet Jash had a point. It had been ages since he had a nice walk, so he agreed. Jash told him he had something to show Archit. Curious, yet nonchalant, they walked the length of their lodge all the way to the nearest elevator. But something was strange. Archit had never seen Jash so excited about something. The elevator dinged and they teetered out the apartment into the large open space. That’s when Archit realised Jash was dressed rather well for a normal day. A matte-brown corduroy over a pleasant white Tee. His trousers hung low yet went well with his outfit he had a musk essence coming off of him. While our man, well, he looked as if he had just woke up from a nightmare and wet his pants. Yet they trotted their way all the way through the society gates to the main road. Archit having not walked for a while, felt tired and uninterested in whatever Jash was so excited about. Jash took Archit to the famous “Tapas Ke Golgappe”. It was a Pani puri shop famous for its “Dhaakan Pani Puri”. Archit slightly annoyed asked the reason for visiting a Pani Puri shop, when he had so much work to do. Jash informed that they were waiting for someone, just a few more minutes. Jash convinced Archit to stay by buying him a ‘Golgappa’ plate while treating himself to Sev puri. While eating a golgappa, Archit saw a charming girl come over. She was gorgeous and stunning. Her smile kept his mouth gape open. Then all of a sudden, Jash took hold of her and introduced her to Archit as his girlfriend. Bamboozled, Archita choked on his golgappa and coughed the life out of him. The girl pitied and grinned at Archit's sorry state. The girl introduced herself as Paulami, Her voice, honey to Archit's ears. At that moment, Archit experienced something, he had never experienced before. his stomach. tickled and his face turned red. Her voice echoed in his ears and his face couldn't stop smiling. Jash & Paulami held each other's hands and started talking like lovebirds. The conversation could be interpreted as a script for a romantic movie. The more they talked, the closer they got. Even the reader could predict what was gonna happen next. Both the lovebirds leaned in for a kiss when it was interrupted by a loud, hoarse voice. from the owner Tapas, “DON'T DO THIS TAATI POTTY IN FRONT OF MY SHOP, DHAAKAN". Scared the shit out of them. The Trio ran all the way home never stopping once. Jash bid Archit farewell and led Paulami to his house. Archit walked back home, thinking of this Newfound feeling. Was it Love? Or was it Hormones? He could never know until they met again. The only thing he could focus on now was recovering from Tapas’ Trauma.
ACT 1 – The Illusion Jia Wen wakes up at 5AM every school day. She: Spends two hours grooming. Wears replica luxury items. Arrives early so no one sees her taking the bus. Leaves late so no one questions how she goes home. Her Instagram is curated carefully: OOTDs. Café shots. Luxury-inspired captions. Her classmates assume she’s rich. For the first time, she feels noticed. One day at the school café, a guy accidentally spills orange juice on her designer bag. She overreacts. Someone records it. The clip goes viral on TikTok: “Pretty girl with attitude over $4k bag.” People start searching for her Instagram. Her follower count explodes overnight. She feels powerful. For the first time— She thinks the lie might actually become real. ACT 2 – Exposure A comment appears: “That bag isn’t authentic.” Soon, an anonymous account posts comparison photos: Stitching flaws Logo misalignment Screenshots from Taobao listings More posts follow: Zoom-ins on every outfit. Breakdowns of every item. Her followers spike again—but now it’s mockery. In school: Whispers. Side glances. People stop talking when she walks past. Her best friend confronts her: “Why didn’t you just tell me?” The betrayal hurts more than the public humiliation. Then it escalates. The hate account posts: “Her dad drives Grab.” That breaks her. Not because it’s untrue— But because she never wanted her family dragged into her insecurity. ACT 3 – The Boy Who Stayed Ethan, the guy from the juice incident, starts sitting near her during lectures. Not dramatically. Just quietly. He never commented on the scandal. He knew the bag was fake. But he never said anything. One day she snaps at him: “You think this is funny?” He replies calmly: “No. I think you were scared.” They begin having small conversations. He reveals: Growing up rich didn’t mean freedom. He’s expected to take over the family business. Every relationship he’s had was influenced by money. He doesn’t see her as fake. He sees someone trying to survive social pressure. Their connection builds slowly. Through shared lunches. Late-night project work. Honest conversations. No dramatic flirting. Just understanding. CLIMAX – The Choice A mid-tier fashion brand reaches out to Jia Wen. They offer her a paid collaboration. Condition: Lean into the “luxury aesthetic.” She hesitates. At the same time, the hate account threatens to expose more about her family. She realises: If she keeps pretending, this cycle will never stop. So she does something unexpected. She goes live on Instagram. No filters. No luxury backdrop. She admits: The bags were fake. She wanted people to think she was rich. She was ashamed of her normal life. Then she says: “I thought if I looked expensive, I would feel worth more.” She posts a photo of: Her HDB block. Her dad’s car. Her mum’s uniform. Her followers drop. Silence. Resolution Days later, a small local thrift fashion brand reaches out. They don’t want luxury. They want authenticity. She begins rebuilding her page: Budget styling. Real student life. Honest captions. Her following grows slowly—but it’s real. Ethan confesses—not when she’s trending, but when she’s rebuilding quietly. “I liked you before the bag. I liked you after it disappeared too.” She asks him: “Why didn’t you expose me?” He answers: “Because I didn’t want to win by humiliating someone.” They don’t rush into a perfect romance. They start dating slowly. As equals. Without performance. Ending Theme The story ends with Jia Wen walking to school in daylight. No hiding. No leaving early. No staying late. Someone recognises her—not as the fake luxury girl. But as herself. And this time, she doesn’t look away.
CHARACTER BASE chibi manga style, comedy, clean lineart, expressive faces, consistent character design, same characters in every panel CHARACTER DETAILS: 1. Miss K (Kuntilanak – Leader): chibi female ghost, kuntilanak, long straight black hair covering part of face, pale skin, wearing simple white dress, confident leader aura, slightly scary but cute expression, sharp eyes, floating pose, main character energy 2. Go Yang (just head): chibi ghost girl with no arms and no legs, floating body, round simple shape, blank confused expression, awkward posture, minimal movement, cute and funny design 3. Bada (Nyi Roro Kidul – elegant baddie): chibi nyi roro kidul inspired girl, long wavy hair, elegant look, wearing flowing dress, confident and calm expression, seductive aura, graceful pose, slightly dramatic beauty 4. Po Cha (Pocong – clumsy): chibi pocong girl, wrapped in white burial shroud tied at top, round cute face, clumsy personality, expressive face, often tangled in cloth, funny and energetic 5. Po Chi (male Pocong – handsome): chibi handsome pocong boy, neat shroud, confident smile, charming expression, playful personality, energetic movement 6. Asep (Tuyul): chibi tuyul boy, small bald childlike figure, mischievous grin, greedy expression, playful evil energy, holding money, energetic pose --- Panel 1 – Backstage chaos Prompt: chibi manga style, comedy, backstage concert chaos, 4 female ghost characters preparing, kuntilanak leader giving orders, pocong girl tripping on her shroud, nyi roro kidul calm fixing hair, ghost without limbs standing awkward, messy dressing room, energetic scene, exaggerated expressions, dynamic composition Panel 2 – Po Cha fell Prompt: chibi manga style, funny scene, pocong girl falling face first because tangled shroud, dramatic fall, exaggerated expression, motion lines, slapstick comedy, simple background Panel 3 – Bada calm Prompt: chibi manga style, calm confident girl brushing long hair, elegant aura, nyi roro kidul style, contrast with chaos, sparkles effect, relaxed expression, minimal background Panel 4 – Walk to stage Prompt: chibi manga style, dramatic silhouette of 4 girl group walking to stage, backlight, spotlight, smoke effect, idol debut moment, cinematic composition Panel 5 – anime pose Prompt: chibi manga style, 4 ghost girl group posing dramatically like idol anime, synchronized pose, confident expressions, freeze moment, spark effects, clean background Panel 6 – Performance chaos Prompt: chibi manga style, chaotic idol performance, one ghost stiff and awkward without limbs, pocong girl struggling with shroud while dancing, elegant dancer too flexible, energetic messy choreography, exaggerated comedy motion Panel 7 – Chaos close-up Prompt: chibi manga style, close up chaos, tangled cloth, exaggerated motion blur, funny expressions, overacting dance, dynamic angles, slapstick humor Panel 8 – Audience hype Prompt: chibi manga style, ghost audience cheering, holding incense as lightsticks, wearing headbands with character faces, crying and screaming fans, exaggerated excitement, crowded scene as in concerts Panel 9 – Asep kaya Prompt: chibi manga style, mischievous tuyul boy holding piles of money, greedy laughing expression, bodyguard pose, chaotic background, comedic evil laugh Panel 10 – Po Chi entrance Prompt: chibi manga style, handsome pocong boy jumping while dragging big banner, energetic movement, playful expression, bouncing motion, comedic timing Panel 11 – opened banner Prompt: chibi manga style, big banner opening dramatically, 4 ghost idols names written, exaggerated reveal moment, spotlight effect, comedic dramatic scene Panel 12 – Parody ending Prompt: chibi manga style, split panel comparison, left side perfect glamorous kpop girl group, right side chaotic funny ghost girl group version, parody idol style, exaggerated contrast, humorous ending --- note: same characters, consistent character design. character sheet consistency, same hairstyle and outfit
El auto viejo que no quería trabajar En el fondo del galpón del campo había un auto viejo, de esos que alguna vez fueron orgullosos y brillantes cuando eran nuevos, pero que ahora estaban cubiertos de un polvo tan grueso que parecía harina. Todos lo llamaban “Silencio”, el auto. Cada mañana el ogro pasaba por delante, lo miraba y decía: —Che auto… ¿hoy querés arrancar? Y el auto respondía con un ruido que parecía un abuelo: —No… ay, no… déjenme dormir… El papá escuchó eso y se largó a reír. —Parece que se queja como si fuera un sueño eterno. —Y sí —dijo la vaca—, vive acostado. Pero ese día el ogro tenía que mover unas cajas enormes. —¡Auto, por favor! ¡Un empujoncito nomás! Y el auto respondió con el esfuerzo más falso del mundo: —¡Ay, no! ¡Me duele la batería! El Sapo Aldo se acercó, lo tocó con un dedo y quedó lleno de polvo. —¡Ay, parezco un churro! —gritó, estallando de risa. —Bueno —dijo la vaca—, habrá que limpiarlo un poco antes de encenderlo. Fue entonces cuando apareció el gato, caminando con la aspiradora detrás como si fuera su mascota favorita. —¡Acá vengo a salvar el día! —dijo levantando la cola. La aspiradora venía rodando, torpe, chocando todo: boom boom boom boom. Cuando la encendieron, empezó a aspirar tan fuerte que el gato salió volando hacia atrás. —¡Me dejó el pelo como nube! —dijo con los bigotes apuntando para todos lados. El auto, molesto por el ruido, murmuró: —Ay, qué escándalo… ¡yo quería dormir! —¡Dormir nada! —dijo el ogro—. ¡A trabajar! Los sapos empezaron a empujar por atrás, la vaca ayudó con la nariz, el gato tiraba de la manija de la puerta… pero el auto ni se movía. —Está haciendo capricho —dijo la vaca. El auto, ofendido, hizo sonar la bocina. Y el Sapo Pepe se rió tan fuerte que casi se cae de espalda: —¡Ja, ja, ja, ja, ja! De repente, el pato llegó corriendo. —¿Qué hacen? —Tratamos de que el auto trabaje. —¿Probaste preguntarle qué quiere? —dijo el pato, como si fuese profesor. El ogro suspiró y se agachó frente al paragolpes. —Bueno, auto… ¿qué querés? El auto respondió bajito: —Yo quiero que me laven… Todos se quedaron en silencio. Pepe murmuró: —¿Este auto está pidiendo un baño? —Sí —dijo Aldo—. Y yo pensé que yo era el complicado. Entonces todos se pusieron a trabajar. La vaca trajo agua, los sapos frotaban las ruedas, el gato dirigía la aspiradora que hacía fiiiiuuu y luego limpiaba los vidrios mientras cantaba. Cuando terminaron, el auto quedó brillante, como nuevo. El gato lo miró y dijo: —¡Epa! ¡Ahora parece un auto último modelo! El auto se acomodó, orgulloso. —Bueno… ahora sí podemos trabajar. El ogro giró la llave y el motor arrancó con tanta energía que los sapos salieron saltando: —¡Ah! ¡Ja, ja, ja, ja, ja! ¡Nos asustó! El auto no solo quiso trabajar, sino que se fue manejando solito hasta quedar al lado de las cajas. —Che —dijo la vaca—, al final el auto solo necesitaba cariño. —Y un baño —dijo el pato. —Y una aspiradora loca —agregó el gato, riéndose. Todos quedaron contentos, y el auto, feliz, tocó la bocina con agradecimiento: —Bim, bim, bim, bim, bim. Y colorín colorado, este cuento se ha acabado.
A cinematic realistic video of two young university girls sitting together in a calm cozy setting (like a dorm room or a quiet café). One girl is speaking emotionally and warmly, telling a heartfelt story about friendship. She is expressive, natural, and speaks with soft hand gestures and emotional facial expressions. The second girl is listening silently. She does not speak. She reacts only with facial expressions and eye contact: soft smiles, subtle emotional reactions, occasional eye contact, and visible affection and attentiveness toward her friend. The atmosphere is emotional, warm, nostalgic, and intimate, like a deep friendship moment being shared. The speaker is telling a story in Arabic (Egyptian dialect), full of emotion and sincerity. Camera is medium shot, slightly cinematic, soft lighting, shallow depth of field, warm tones, realistic skin details, natural movement. No text on screen, no subtitles. Focus on emotional connection between the two girls: one narrating, one listening with meaningful reactions. Story by character 1 قصة صداقتنا من ناحيتي أنا كان أول يوم ليا في الجامعة. كنت نازلة بعد بداية الدراسة بكام يوم، وده لوحده كان كفاية يخليني حاسة إني تايهة شوية. المكان كان كبير، والوجوه كلها جديدة عليّ، ومكنتش عارفة أروح فين بالظبط. كنت بحاول أبين إني فاهمة الدنيا ماشية إزاي… بس الحقيقة إني كنت تايهة. وفجأة قابلتها. كانت أول شخص أقابله هناك. سألتني عن اسمي، واتكلمت معايا ببساطة كأن الموضوع عادي جدًا، وبعدها دخلتني جروب الدفعة. وقتها أنا ما اهتمتش أوي بالموضوع. اعتبرته موقف عادي من حد لطيف… وخلاص. لكن بعد فترة، لما بدأت أتعرف على الشلة كلها، بدأت آخد بالي منها أكتر. كنت دايمًا ببصلها من بعيد. شخصيتها كانت مختلفة عني جدًا… حضورها واضح، وطريقتها مع الناس سهلة، وكأنها تعرف تتعامل مع أي حد. وده خلاني أحس وقتها إننا غالبًا عمرنا ما هنبقى قريبين. لكن الحقيقة اللي ما قلتهاش لحد وقتها… إني كنت أتمنى العكس. كنت أتمنى، ولو بشكل صغير، إننا نعرف نبقى أصحاب. الغريب إني لما رجعت بعد كده أبص على الصور والذكريات، اكتشفت إن اننا قربنا واحدة واحدة من غير محد فينا يدرك ده حصل امتي. بس انا هتكلم عن اليوم اللي أنا دايمًا بعتبره بداية حقيقية لعلاقتنا. كنت بتكلم معاها بشكل عادي، وقلت لها حاجة بسيطة جدًا: إني بحب الاهتمام. ما كنتش بقولها كطلب… ولا كنت متوقعة رد فعل معين. بس الغريب إن اليوم كله كان كله حواليا بطريقة دافية جدًا. هي كانت فعلاً مهتمة بكل التفاصيل الصغيرة، بتسأل، بتلاحظ، وبتفتكر حاجات قلتها قبل كده. حسيت وقتها إن يومها كله متمحور حواليا… مش بطريقة تقيلة، بس بطريقة خفيفة ولطيفة. افتكرت الجملة اللي قلتها… وحسيت إن حد أخذها بجد. اليوم ده خلاني مبسوطة جدًا، وممتنة بشكل يمكن ما قولتهش وقتها. يمكن متكتنش هي أول حد يعرف يفهمني، بس هي كانت مختلفة. كانت دايمًا قادرة تبهرني بأفعالها من غير ما تقول حاجة. كانت دايمًا تعرف تفرق بين إني هادية عادي و بين اني مختفية و مش كويسة. وكانت دايمًا بتعمل اللي أنا محتاجاه حتى قبل ما أفكر فيه… ومعرفش إزاي كانت بتعمل ده بصراحة. كانت فيها كل التفاصيل اللي كنت أتمنى تكون موجودة في شخص واحد. عشان كده لما قولتلها: "إنتي دعوة على شكل إنسان" ماكنتش بهزر… كنت أقصد ده بجد. المواقف بتاعتها متتعدش… مهما حاولت أشرح، مهما قلت، هيفضل قليل على اللي هي قدمته فعليًا. ومع الوقت، علاقتنا اتطورت لدرجة إننا بقينا تقريبًا بنقضي يومنا كله سوا… في الكول، وإحنا بناكل، وإحنا بنذاكر، وإحنا بنعمل أي حاجة مع بعض… لحد النوم. كانت أيام حقيقي، من أجمل الأيام اللي بتمنى ترجع تاني. صحيح، من بعد التخرج والشغل والانشغالات، بعدتنا عن بعض شوية… كنت عارفة إن الوقت ده هييجي، بس ده مضايقني أوي… مش منك، بس عشان مبقتش موجودة دايمًا زي الأول. مع ذلك، أنا لسه ممتنة جدًا لوجودك، وعارفة إن علاقتنا لسه زي ما هي… وأكيد لسه بحبك زي الأول… وأكتر. إنتي طول الوقت في بالي، وبفرح أوي لما تقولي إنك كمان كنتي بتفكري فيا. مظنش إني هكون محظوظة كفاية إني أقابل حد زيك تاني… لأنك مفيش منك أصلاً. وكده كده، أنا مش عايزة غيرك. وفي النهاية، أحب أقولك إنك دايمًا كنتي في نظري أرق وأحن حد قابلته في حياتي. بحبك يا أحلى شريرة شوفتها في حياتي… وأجمل ENFJ في الدنيا. دلوقتي بقي جيه الدور عليكي تحكي القصة من وجهة نظرك مستية ده جدا ♥
This is a wild, satirical concept—very Jujutsu Kaisen meets true crime commentary. Here is the English translation, keeping the dramatic, "shonen-style" flair intact. Comic Title: "Domain Expansion: Paradise Lost vs. Party Purgatory" The Concept: The Battle of Infernal Domains In an interdimensional plane of existence where "cursed energy" generated by vice and infamy takes physical form, the greatest transgressors do not fight with fists, but with the expansion of their psychic "Domains." Here, Jeffrey Epstein and Diddy clash to determine who is the true "Master of Modern Darkness," each projecting his own twisted vision of power and corruption. The Plot Act I: The Summoning of Domains The story opens in a "Non-Place"—a floating arena amidst clouds made of broken TV screens and burnt banknotes. Jeffrey Epstein, possessing a cold and calculating aura, his snow-white hair reflecting moonlight even in the day, smiles sardonically. He has just activated his Domain Expansion: "The Temple of Secrets." The environment transforms: the Non-Place vanishes, replaced by a spectral, lush version of his private island (Little Saint James). Skeletal palm trees stand against a violet twilight sky. A colonial villa, elegantly sinister, rises at the center. The air is thick with recorded whispers, the echo of contracts, and the distant thrum of a landing helicopter. On the island, instead of sand, there are fragments of shredded legal documents. The "Sure-Hit" advantage of Epstein’s domain is that anyone who enters is immediately ensnared in a web of legal debt, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and implicit blackmail, manifesting as invisible, suffocating chains. On the other side, Diddy—with an expression of brazen arrogance, wearing a fur coat that sparkles with strobe lights and sunglasses reflecting a million paparazzi—does not hesitate. With a defiant cry, he activates his Domain Expansion: "The Endless Party." Epstein’s domain is torn asunder by an explosion of neon lights and deafening sound. The island partially fades, giving way to a futuristic, chaotic, and bottomless nightclub. Champagne bottles explode into clouds of sticky foam. Virtual dancers with distorted celebrity faces perform in loops. The air is saturated with the smell of sweat, expensive perfume, and a faint scent of "baby oil" that is anything but innocent. The "Sure-Hit" advantage of Diddy’s domain is that anyone who enters is forced to dance incessantly, suffering a sensory bombardment that renders them unable to think clearly, while being slowly "anointed" and weakened by a shimmering oil that leaves them vulnerable to manipulation. Act II: The Clash of Cursed Powers The two "masters" face off at the intersection of their domains. * Epstein manipulates his island: the trees transform into legal tentacles attempting to seize Diddy; the ocean waves are made of "dirty money" trying to drown him; and the villa’s screens project compromising videos intended to paralyze his reputation. His attacks are based on "Secret Information" which, when they land, reveal the opponent's weaknesses and past crimes. * Diddy responds by evoking the "Eternal Celebration": subwoofers launch soundwaves that shatter the structures of Epstein’s island. Giant champagne bottles transform into explosive projectiles. The oil permeating his domain becomes a corrosive substance that dissolves Epstein’s legal documents. His attacks are based on "Distraction and Corruption," aimed at eroding the opponent's will and making them "lose control" of their facade. During the fight, they exchange venomous barbs that, in this comedic context, sound like boasts of their own infamy: Epstein: "You’re just a novice! I built an empire on omertà, not some block party!" Diddy: "Old man! I reinvented the game! You were just an amateur with a checkbook! I have the charisma!" Act III: The Collapse of Domains and the Supreme Revelation As the two grow more enraged, their domains begin to merge into a grotesque mess: an island with built-in nightclubs, palm trees dancing to trap music, and legal contracts swirling like confetti. At the climax of the clash, a third entity manifests. It is not a being, but a gargantuan "Eye of Public Opinion" that opens above them, surrounded by millions of smartphone screens. This eye does not judge; it simply observes, recording every single infamy. The power of this "Eye" is so great that both domains—built on secrecy and distraction—begin to collapse. The Eye is not an attack, but a simple revelation. In that moment, Epstein and Diddy realize that the true "curse" is not their enemies, but the constant and inexorable surveillance of a world that, eventually, sees and judges everything. The comic concludes with the two trapped in a "non-place" made of cell phone screens showing their own misdeeds. They realize their "battle for dominance" was in vain. Neither can truly win when their very existence is under the world's merciless spotlight. Visual Style and Tone * Tone: Black comedy, grotesque and surreal satire, with a touch of existential horror. * Art Style: Highly detailed and dynamic, with a sharp contrast between the perverse elegance of Epstein’s domain and the gaudy excess of Diddy’s. The Domain Expansions should be visually spectacular and unsettling at the same time. * Colors: A rich and vibrant palette with heavy light-and-shadow contrasts, turning almost psychedelic during the Domain Expansion phases.
I want to tell a story that was happening a anime The anime starting with a boy have the miserable Have the nice and peaceful and Innocent Boy Having a brother He was at 5th class he was just A Chubby boy Playing very joyful And suddenly a pandemic come Corona An earth at the time he was 7th class He was playing with his friends he has a crush She was very beautiful he was seeing her One day She was left From his Street Two summer other foreign country There are both friends they played a lot Have resumed a lot Just memories are left out Then after two years After the Corona went off in 2021 The Boy Go to the School He was become somewhat extrovert Somewhat Introvert And he was very joyful he was playing with his friends joking in the class But he was very innocent Suddenly A new girl Come to his class when he was in 9th When he see her He gets the memories His fast crush When he was in 7th class She Was look like same Exactly like And she was also very friendly with all my members she was the first girl who talk with him Very frequently Even though he was not good at studies She come out of the class for studying Has a private space But he was coming out From class in the form of punishment But she Treated him No other guy in the class But a sudden drama comes out As the people As The new girl And Him as Secret lovers Because of that Both him and the new girl Feel uncomfort The rumour spread All over the class and other classes also That That he Love that new girl and The new girl are Teasing her With The boy name Same as happened to the boy Because of The new girl Friends She called The Boy As Brother but He has Feelings In her Because she was exactly Look like His 7th class Crush Then He’s Heart Very heavy Even though he To avoid Disturbances to Called her sister Then Come to him after the school Over She apologises That because of All my friends and rumour I call you As brother But he was not able to accept He was starting avoiding her After some days After summer holidays He was going to 10 th Class He was on Anger On the 9th class experience He was go to the other section ,Action A to b But the new girl Not come to the college three months After three months She was arrived from nowhere She was Cut her hair About her shoulder level In that time He was in the section B she was in section a As it was only summer holidays after Temporary classes The 10th the senior students already there they have to attend exam These are the 9th class students coming after summer for Summer classes In the summer classes He was Hindi Section B End sudden dramas going on because of he was angry on her he was not talk to her She was also avoided him But some other day She was talking with the other guy Who was not good guy She already have the ex gf End a spoiled kid On a fine day He saw Her The new girl and The toxic guy At the upstairs to the top of the roof And after 30 minutes they come down He was argued with the toxic guy And shouted on Toxic guy But he gave the false Explanation A lie That they were Friends Who was chatting In past three months Before she coming to the School That Give the gift To her Nothing happened at the top I’m then he Blindly trusted the toxic guy But few days after One of the senior Who was friendly with Him Telling that did you know Do you want a kiss But the he And he said What are you talking. Then the senior Show and pointing a girl Who was none other than The new girl Go to her she will give . He was argued with sr Then the Sr Was a close person to him Telling you might not be wrong I’m not telling that you’re wrong but I show you I go to her and ask her You have to listen From beside the door Then the senior go Directly To the new girl Then she replied yes, that she was kissed the Toxic guy And she was telling that she was enjoyed that then Broke up. But the innocent he was Having a positive opinion On the new girl But He was not able to take that She was not her When he was first meet her Then she was trying to talk with him He avoided her , Then the real 10th class was started He was in The B section After some time She was only talking Him in break hours That you have to come to section a Permanently And some of his friends from section a Also wanted to Him To come to the Section a He has a wonderful memories The 10th class was over But he want to talk end of the day with her In the farewell He straightly directly go to Her To tell what he feels But He does not have guts That he Think What happen In this summer classes About the kiss Between new girl and to Toxic guy. And he changes The topic 2 a funny topic Showing some photo Her Telling so funny And telling her your very beautiful in this Dress and comeback, She does not even know What was true About he’s feelings
Generatr an image of me in the manga of blue lock facing against hugo right besides eaxh other, im wearing an italian world cup shirt and short while hugo is wearing the france qolr cup kit, im looking at him with my slender man aura behind me (make it loook as realistic as possible) while hugo has his robot character aura behind him, between us is the referee flipping a coin, make it look like manga edition with down sbow a shadow image of the world cup, both of us are carrrying a triangular flag with their nationality on their, i jave my best haircut (looking like jude bellingham's haircut but coily), make it look manga edition with panels dividing the page with this bluelock type drawing down there the narrator say two captain in the final one team to win!!! The stadium had already swallowed the world. Just be creative with myy image dark chocolate skin, with an oblong face, thick eye brows, almond eyes, deffined chick bbone, 6 foot 2, strong posture with a sleeeve. As for he is a 6foot 2 guy with lovely cat eyes with sharp eye lashes sharp eye brows sharp oval face light skinned with a nice fluffy dark hair and strong body posture. Before the match even began, before the roar of the crowd reached its peak, there was only silence—the kind of silence that exists right before destiny decides to speak. At home, you were sitting in a dimly lit room. The TV flickered with highlights of Hugo—France’s cold, mechanical prodigy. Every touch he made looked calculated. Every goal looked inevitable. The commentators called him “the machine.” But to you, he was something else entirely. A wall. A final boss. You leaned forward slowly, eyes locked in, expression unreadable. Outside your window, the wind moved trees like waves. Inside, the only movement was Hugo on the screen—turning defenders into shadows, rewriting matches like they were equations. But your aura… didn’t react. It waited. Because you weren’t watching as a fan. You were studying as a predator. Then it shifted. The screen glitched for a moment—just a flicker—but suddenly the sound of the TV faded, replaced by a deep stadium hum. Your room dissolved. The walls stretched into darkness. And then— You were there. Inside the stadium tunnel. Concrete beneath your feet. Floodlights above, burning white. The smell of grass, sweat, and pressure thicker than air itself. You looked down—your boots undone. Slowly, deliberately, you knelt. The world around you paused as you tied your shoelaces. Each knot wasn’t just preparation. It was transformation. Loop. Pull. Tighten. With every movement, something inside you sharpened.Your posture changed. Your shoulders straightened. Your presence expanded. The sleeve on your arm caught the light, and for a moment, it looked like armor rather than fabric. Behind you, something stirred. A dark, elongated silhouette formed—towering, distorted, almost unnatural. A slender, suffocating aura. Not loud. Not flashy. Just inevitable. On the other side of the tunnel, Hugo stood. France kit perfectly pressed. Eyes glowing faintly like a system running calculations no human could see.Behind him, the air bent. Metallic fragments formed a robotic outline—cold, precise, emotionless. A machine made of victory. No hesitation. No fear. Only execution. Between you both, the tunnel opened into the pitch. And waiting at the center— The referee. Still. Calm. Holding the coin. The world didn’t feel like a stadium anymore. It felt like a courtroom where fate was about to be decided. He raised his hand.The coin shimmered under the lights. And for a split second— Time fractured. You finally stood. Your Italian kit now fully visible, the badge catching light like a declaration of war. Your triangular national flag hung from your hand, fluttering like it had its own heartbeat. Hugo mirrored you across the line. France flag sharp. Controlled. Still. Two captains. Two philosophies. Two monsters shaped by different worlds.The referee flicked the coin. It spun upward—slow at first, then faster, until it became nothing more than a silver blur suspended between heaven and earth. And in that moment— You felt it. Not fear. Not doubt. But recognition. Because across from you, Hugo wasn’t just an opponent. He was the version of greatness the world had already accepted. And you? You were the variable they hadn’t solved yet. The coin began to fall.The stadium held its breath. And your shadow—slender, towering, almost unnatural—leaned forward just slightly… As if already stepping into victory. “Two captains in the final… one team to win.” The narrator’s voice echoed like thunder across reality itself. And when the coin finally hit the ground— Neither of you looked at it first. You looked at each other. Because you already knew. The match didn’t begin at kickoff. It began the moment your eyes refused to blink.
The scene begins with a boy named Krop leaving a job application place, slightly sad because he was rejected for a job again. He returns to his apartment and begins thinking about his career future. He opens the fridge but finds nothing to eat. He goes to a store to buy some food, and on his way back, he hears a girl screaming in a dark alley. He quickly enters to see and starts hearing a girl crying, and when he gets close to her, her facial features change and she tells him, "You fool," releasing a strange energy on his stomach that throws him backward. When he gets up and looks at her, he finds her flickering like a TV screen. He says, "Who are you, for heaven’s sake?" She says, "You shouldn’t see me like this, but who cares? I can simply delete myself from your memory, and in this way, we will defeat you." The hero thinks to himself, "Wait, delete myself? Memory? Delete memory?? Do you want to erase my memory of the time I saw you, but I must remember what I’ve seen now? This is dangerous. And why is she flickering like a TV? Is she not real?" He looks at the pen in his pocket and says, "I found it," pulls it out quickly, looks at her flickering body, and starts writing on his hand. He writes: "Strange flickering." She notices and says, "What!" and makes a hand snap that makes him lose consciousness for a moment and lower his head. The girl says, "I understand, he wants to write notes about me on his hand," and suddenly hears someone approaching, so she says, "Who cares? It won’t help him," and leaves, dropping an accessory with a strange symbol. Krop regains consciousness on the ground. A man comes to help him and asks, "What happened?" He replies, "I don’t know." Then he says, "Why am I here, and why do I feel pain?" He stands up and reads what is written on his hand. He is surprised and says, "This is my handwriting, but when and why?" He starts trying to understand and finds that symbol on the ground, then says, "It seems something happened here." Krop returns to his apartment. He starts eating his dinner while thinking, "What does ‘strange flickering’ mean? Does that mean I saw something strange, and why can’t I remember it?" He holds that symbol and says, "And what is this also?" "Ah, this seems strange." He gets up, goes to make his coffee, and watches TV. When he turns it on, there’s flickering on the screen. He says, "Ah, again, this flickering… Flickering!!" By the way, if I was the one who wrote it, the closest word to ‘flickering’ I remember is ‘TV flicker.’ He starts staring at the flickering, then turns off the TV and goes to sleep. The next day, he wakes up to a ringing phone. He answers: "Krop here." He says, "Yes." The caller says, "We reviewed your file that you submitted for the job here last week." He says, "Wait, who are you?" The caller replies, "I am the manager of Cardo Cafe, and you have been accepted. You need to be here before 8 AM to start work." Krop responds happily, "Finally, thank you so much! I’m coming right away." He gets up quickly, puts on his clothes, grabs a piece of bread, and rushes to the cafe. He enters and finds the waiter asking, "What do you want?" He replies, "I’m here to work." The waiter says, "Oh, you’re the new recruit? The manager told me about you. My name is Sarodem, call me Saro, and my colleague here is Mira. The manager is Grim. I hope you enjoy your time with us." Then the manager comes and says to Krop, "Come here, I’ll give you your work uniform, and you’ll start cleaning now." Krop removes his clothes, puts on the work uniform, and gives his clothes to Saro to hide. Krop starts working with them, cleaning tables and floors. Saro brings drinks and coffee, and Mira is the waitress taking orders and serving them. After a long day of work, their shift ends. Krop tells Saro to give him back his clothes. Saro goes to the storage room, picks up Krop’s clothes, and as soon as he carries them, that symbol falls. Saro examines it for a moment and says, "What is this thing? It’s strange," then returns it and gives the clothes back to Krop. Krop changes back into his clothes and returns to his apartment, only to find the door open, even though he made sure to lock it with the key he keeps under the carpet outside. He thinks he forgot to lock it. When he enters, he finds the place messy, as if someone entered. He starts searching around the apartment for anything missing and finds that nothing was stolen. He begins thinking about why a thief would come to him, even though his apartment isn’t luxurious
قصة المانجا: رحلة الدواء نحو الألم • المشهد الاول: ذكرى الماضي وبداية السؤال! تمر السنين وهاهو الان الصيدلاني خالد يقف بين ارفف الصيدلية، يسترجع الذكرى التي قادته لسير هذا الطريق. خالد وهو يفكر: ما زلت أتذكر ذلك السؤال الذي رافقني منذ طفولتي! ينتقل المشهد إلى فلاش باك لطفولة خالد.. في أحد الأيام كان خالد الصغير يجلس في المنزل وهو يمسك رأسه من الألم. - خالد (بصوت متعب): أمي، رأسي يؤلمني كثيرًا. تقترب والدته فاطمة منه وتعطيه دواء. - فاطمة (بلطف): خذ هذا الدواء يا خالد، وستشعر بالتحسن إن شاء الله. ينظر خالد الصغير إلى الدواء بفضول قبل أن يتناوله. - خالد (بتعجب): أمي، كيف يعرف الدواء مكان الألم؟ تبتسم فاطمة وهي تربت على رأسه. - فاطمة: الأطباء والصيادلة يعلمون هذه الأمور يا خالد. بعد مرور بعض الوقت يشعر خالد بتحسن. ينظر خالد مره أخرى إلى علبة الدواء، وعيناه مليئتان بالفضول. - خالد الصغير (يحدث نفسه): غريب! كيف عرف الدواء مكان الالم في رأسي؟ ينتقل المشهد للحظة دخول خالد إلى الكلية. • المشهد الثاني: أمام مبنى كلية الصيدلة يقف خالد وعمر أمام المبنى، وخالد يتأمل اللوحة المكتوبة امامه كلية الصيدلة خالد: يالله… تصدق؟ ما توقعت ولا ١٪؜ إني في يوم من الأيام بدخل كلية الصيدلة. عمر (يضحك): ترى أغلب اللي يدخلون الصيدلة يقولون نفس الجملة! لكن زي ما يقولون… الصيدلة تختار طلابها. يسكت خالد لحظة وكأنه تذكر شيئًا قديمًا. خالد (بابتسامة خفيفة): تدري يا عمر… في سؤال كان يلاحقني من الطفولة. عمر: وش السؤال؟ خالد: كنت دائما أتساءل… كيف الدواء يعرف مكان الألم؟ عمر (مستغرب): هاه؟ خالد: ماقد تساءلت كيف الدواء يعرف مكان الالم؟ وكيف يقدر يعالجه؟ يمكن اليوم ما عندي الجواب كامل… لكن أكيد هنا، بعرف الاجابة عمر (يبتسم ويضع يده على كتف خالد): أنا اخترت الصيدلة لأنها كانت رغبتي الأولى… لكن اليوم فعلاً اقتنعت إن الصيدلة هي اللي اختارتك يا خالد. والواضح إنك أخيرًا راح تلاقي جواب سؤالك. ينظر خالد مرة أخرى إلى مبنى الكلية بحماس. خالد: وهذه بداية الرحلة… • المشهد الثالث: في قاعة علم الأدوية (قفل ومفتاح) ينتقل المشهد للقاعة، الدكتور سعيد واقف قدام الشاشة وبصوت كله حماس شد كل الطلاب.. د. سعيد: يا دكاترة.. اليوم سنتحدث عن مبدأ أساسي في علم الأدوية، كيف يجد الدواء هدفه؟ (تظهر على الشاشة صورة قفل ومفتاح يركبون على بعض) د. سعيد: الدواء مو مجرد حبة نبلعها وخلاص، الموضوع أعمق! الدواء عبارة عن مفتاح ذكي يلف في جسمك كله، وما يفتح إلا قفل واحد.. وهو مكان الألم. خالد (بفضول واندهاش) : يعني بهذه البساطة.. القفل هو اللي ينادي المفتاح؟! د. سعيد : بالضبط! احسنت يا خالد.. الدواء يمر بكل الخلايا، بس المستقبل اللي في مكان الألم هو الوحيد اللي يطابق شكل هذا المفتاح ويرتبط به. التفت خالد لعمر وعيونه تلمع: أخيراً عرفت السر! خالد : تدري يا عمر؟ هذا هو الجواب اللي كنت أدوره من وأنا صغير! الحين عرفت كيف الدواء "يعرف مكان الالم" عمر: عشان كذا قلت لك الصيدلة هي اللي اختارتك.. فضولك وأنت طفل هو اللي جابك هنا اليوم المشهد الرابع: بعد التخرج (نفس التساؤل مع طفل) تمر السنين وها هو الصيدلاني خالد يقف بين ارفف صيدليته.. فجأة تدخل عليه أمرأة مع ابنها الصغير فهد وهو يمسك راسه بضيق شديد . الأم : دكتور خالد، ابني فهد رأسه يؤلمه كثيراً. د. خالد : خذ هذا الدواء يا فهد، وستشعر بالتحسن إن شاء الله. ينظر فهد للعلبة بفضول كبير، تماماً كما فعل خالد الصغير قديماً. فهد (بتعجب) : دكتور.. كيف يعرف الدواء مكان الألم؟ يخرج د.خالد ميدالية مفاتيحه بابتسامة ويوريها لفهد. د. خالد: شوف يا فهد.. الدواء مثل المفتاح ، يدور في جسمك كله، يمر على يدك يلقى الباب مقفل، يمر على بطنك يلقى الباب مقفل.. فهد : وإذا وصل لراسي؟ خالد: هناك بس يلقى القفل اللي يركب عليه! يفتحه، ويطرد الوجع برا. فهد: واو! يعني الدواء ذكي؟ د.خالد: الدواء ذكي.. واللي صنعه أذكى. يخرج فهد وهو يطالع العلبة بانبهار، وخالد يبتسم وهو يتذكر رحلته التي بدأت بسؤال.. وانتهت بجواب. • بدأت بفضول طفل.. واصبحت رسالة صيدلي.
Descrizione personaggi:Sushi: cilindro nero, camicia bianca a righe con scollo aperto, gilet nero con bottoni dorati e spalle strutturate, cintura marrone, pantaloni grigi con motivo geometrico laterale e scarpe scure eleganti. Ten: camicia grigio scuro aderente con spalle scoperte e alamari sul petto, cintura larga con grande fibbia tonda, pantaloni chiari infilati in stivali neri alti. Afficche: maglia nera corta con spallacci rigidi, bracciali/guanti viola, pantaloni viola strappati al fondo, stivaletti viola con fibbie. "Un giorno andremo a vivere in spagna" Disse un ragazzo con occhiali e capelli lunghi "Ao ten, hai sentito quanto è difficile arrivarci? Ci sono un sacco di pericoli nel viaggio e mica possiamo andarci in aereo, disicuro in qualche modo ci anullerebbero il viaggio." Disse un ragazzo , amico di Ten "Ha ragione Sushi ,Ten quello che hai Appena detto sembra una stupidata che si dice in ogni gruppo di amici, tipo " andremo a vivere in Giappone " rispose un nanetto , schierandosi con Sushi "Ok, capisco Affiche , ma non possiamo stare qua , non solo siamo in questa orrenda Italia , ma siamo in una delle zone più isolate , vuoi lavorare nei campi fino a 90 anni Afficche? Guarda che lo spagnolo è facile." Disse Ten, " Ok, ammetto che hai ragione , non possiamo vivere qua , disicuro finiremo giù da un ponte per la depressione" Rispose afficche, "AO Ten , come pensi che arriveremo in Spagna? Ti ricordo che noi non abbiamo Neanche una macchina e non possiamo permetterci neanche una vespa in tre fra poco" "Ragazzi, mi darete del pazzo, ma se ci pensate bene , non abbiamo alcuna speranza oltre questa quindi.. bisogna rubarne una." Ten, pensava che i suoi amici avrebbero chiamato la polizia sperando in qualche soldo come ringraziamento... "Ci sto, non abbiamo altra via di fuga , e non sarà tanto difficile" "AO AFFICCHE ANCHE TE!? PENSACI BENE , NON POSSIAMO SCAPPARE COSÌ" "sushiii, fin da piccolo hai sempre voluto comprarti un auto e guidarla , questa è la tua occasione! è proprio questo il momento in qui metterai le mani sul tuo primo volante sushiii" Ten e afficche continuarono a provocare sushi per tutto il tempo , finché Sushi dopo un po' ha ceduto e ha dato l'ok per il furto.. , ma c'erano delle regole da seguire: non potevano spostarsi con i mezzi pubblici ; non potevano farsi vedere per la strada ; e dovevano trovare un buon piano per rubarla EP0 "Un giorno andremo a vivere in spagna" Pianificazione Per settimane, I tre scelgono la casa e la studiano, la casa è di un uomo di classe borgese chiamato giovans; La routine di Giovans è precisa: esce ogni giorno alle 7:30, rientra alle 19:00. Il sabato sera va sempre a cena fuori accompagnato dagli amici; La casa ha una finta telecamera sopra il campanello, ed ha un cane corso che tiene fuori. La serratura è vecchia, ma non entreranno da lì , Una finestra del bagno resta spesso aperta a vasistas. La casa è abbastanza isolata Senza vicini e con un gran terreno. Sabato ore 21:20, Avvicinamento Ten cammina vicino alla recinzione " dannati quei due , che cosa mi hanno fatto fare" dice ten preda alla depressione , aveva un pallone da calcio in testa dove aveva nascosto i suoi capelli , aveva una sola canottiera e non indossava neanche pantaloni, per lo più, gli avevano disegnato finti tatuaggi sulle braccia , tra cui una barba che lo rendeva orrendo " neanche gli occhiali mi hanno lasciato, dopo gli faccio vedere" ten si avvicino alla recinzione , il cane corso se ne accorse subito e corse verso di lui, abbaiando forte contro di lui, stava distraendo sia il cane , sia la telecamera che c'era nel cancello , " come posso chiamarti?" Dice ten guardando il cane che gli ringhiava contro. Afficche si infila nella finestra dopo aver scavalcato la recinzione, "aspetta un attimo, come faccio ad aprire a sushi ora , non ci sono chiavi dannazione"
رواية: كود السيادة (عصر السيرفر الوطني) ​الفصل الأول: مراسم الانهيار ​بدأت الرواية في ليلة شتوية من عام 2030. كانت كوريا مغطاة بصمت إلكتروني مهيب. في "الفندق الأفخم"، وقف الرئيس "بارك" (المؤسس) أمام المسؤول الرفيع. سلم "بارك" القرص المشفر، ولأول مرة في التاريخ، تحولت الشاشات للرمادي. صرخ المسؤول: "بدأ مهرجان السيادة!". في تلك اللحظة، تحول الشعب من مواطنين إلى صائدي جوائز. انطلقت "هاي-تك" و"بلو-سكاي" في حرب تشفير شعواء، وانتهت الليلة بفوز "بارك" بصعوبة، ليدشن أول عشر سنوات من "الترقية الاجتماعية"، حيث نام الفقراء في أكواخهم واستيقظوا في ناطحات سحاب "هاي-تك". ​الفصل الثاني: خديعة "سيد الغدرة" ​بعد عقد من الزمن، جاء دور الرئيس "لي". كان المهرجان في ذروته، وتحالف "لي" مع أربع شركات ناشئة. في ممر المجد، وبينما كان الحلفاء يحتفلون بالوصول لنسبة 70%، أطلق "لي" فيروس "الافتراس". في ثانية واحدة، ابتلع حصصهم ووصل لـ 75.01%. مشهد "لي" وهو يمشي في الممر الزجاجي بينما شركاؤه يصرخون خلف الزجاج في "ممر الانكسار" أصبح أيقونة الرواية. كان "لي" أول من أقر قانون "التبعية الرقمية"، حيث لا يفتح هاتف الخصم إلا بمديح الرئيس. ​الفصل الثالث: عهد "بيتزا السيادة" ​جاءت المفاجأة من الطبقة الكادحة. "تشوي"، صاحب شركة لتوصيل الطعام، استغل ثغرة في برمجيات النقل خلال المهرجان. فاز "تشوي" بقلوب الجائعين والمهمشين. في حفل التنصيب، وقع القسم على علبة بيتزا. كان عهده الأكثر طرافة؛ حيث سُميت الشوارع بأسماء الوجبات، وأصبح "قانون الهدية" هو "وجبة ملكية مجانية يوم الجمعة". لكن تحت غطاء البيتزا، كان "تشوي" يبني أقوى نظام مراقبة عبر "درونات التوصيل". ​الفصل الرجم: صمت الجبابرة ​الرئيس "جونغ"، رجل الحديد والصلب. فاز بمهرجان دموي تقنياً. في لحظة فوزه، اختار مواطنوه "قانون الصمت". ساد الهدوء في كوريا لدرجة أن صوت دقات السيرفر الوطني كان يُسمع في الشوارع. في هذا الفصل، نرى معاناة الخاسرين الذين كانوا يُغرمون مالياً بمجرد "العطس" بصوت عالٍ. "جونغ" حول الدولة إلى آلة صامتة تعمل بدقة الساعات السويسرية. ​الفصل الخامس: فلاتر السلطة ​الرئيسة "هان" حوّلت الحكم إلى "تلفزيون واقع". فازت عبر السيطرة على العقول والتريندات. في عهدها، كانت "الترقية الاجتماعية" تعتمد على عدد "اللايكات" التي يحصل عليها المواطن من السيرفر. الموقف المضحك لـ "أذني الأرنب" أثناء خطاب النصر لم يمنعها من أن تكون أقسى حاكمة؛ فقد كانت تحذف "وجود" المعارضين رقمياً بضغطة زر، وكأنهم لم يولدوا قط. ​الفصل السادس: العتمة والضياء ​الرئيس "أوه"، سيد الطاقة الخضراء. في مهرجانه، قطع الكهرباء عن نصف البلاد ليرغمهم على التصويت له. ليلة تنصيبه كانت ليلة "الشرارة الكهربائية" مع المسؤول الرفيع. في عهده، أصبح "النور" امتيازاً للفائزين فقط. كان أنصاره يضيئون بيوتهم لدرجة الشمس في منتصف الليل، بينما يعيش الخصوم على ضوء الشموع، في مشهد جسد الفوارق الطبقية بأقسى صورها. ​الفصل السابع: جنة الألعاب (الواقع الافتراضي) ​الرئيس "سونغ" لم يخرج من غرفته أبداً. حكم عبر "الأفاتار". في عهده، اختار الشعب قانون "الهروب للواقع الافتراضي". قضى الكوريون 10 سنوات وهم يرتدون نظارات الـ VR، يعملون ويأكلون في عالم وهمي جميل، بينما كانت أجسادهم الحقيقية في غرف ضيقة. كانت الفضيحة الكبرى عندما تعطل السيرفر وظهر الرئيس "سونغ" ببيجامته الكرتونية أمام الملايين. ​الفصل الثامن: حصن "كانغ" المنيع ​الرئيس "كانغ"، جنرال الأمن السيبراني. كان مهووساً بالاختراق. في يومه الأول، ألغى جميع كلمات السر القديمة وفرض كلمات سر من 50 رمزاً. الرواية تصف "عصر النسيان العظيم"، حيث نسي الناس حساباتهم البنكية. لكنه منح أنصاره "مفاتيح ذهبية" تفتح أي باب في الدولة، مما جعلهم "آلهة" يمشون بين البشر العاديين. ​الفصل التاسع: العودة للبداية (نهاية التسعين عاماً) ​الرئيسة "كيم"، آخر الحكام في دورتنا. فازت بشعار "الجمال الأزرق". في مراسم الممر، رمى أنصارها الزهور، لكن في نهاية الممر، تعطل "الباب الدوار" الشهير. علقت "كيم" مع الرئيس المهزوم "كانغ" في الدوامة. في تلك اللحظة، وأمام ضحكات الشعب، أدرك الجميع أن السيرفر الوطني أصبح "واعياً". لم يعد المهرجان مجرد لعبة بشرية، بل أصبح السيرفر هو من يختار الفائز بناءً على "كمية الضحك" التي يولدها المهرجان. ​الخاتمة: ​تنتهي الرواية بمشهد للمسؤول الرفيع وهو ينظر إلى الساعة الرملية الرقمية التي ستبدأ دورة الـ 90 عاماً الجديدة. ينظر للكاميرا ويقول: "السيادة ليست لمن يملك الكود، بل لمن يملك قلوب من يكتبونه." تظلم الشاشة، ويبدأ صوت ضحكة خافتة تخرج من السيرفر الوطني.
Layout Note: Halaman Manga Vertikal Penuh (Rasio Aspek 8:12 / 2:3). Terdiri dari 5 panel vertikal. Fokus pada bahasa tubuh Angie yang perlahan bangkit, permohonan yang ragu, dan penolakan instan dari Rai. Style Note: Webtoon style, cinematic lighting, digital glow, heavy emotional shadows giving way to stark, cold reality. Character Consistency: Angie: Slender build, blue eyes (teary, exhausted, pleading), long straight black hair (damp, loose, messy), wearing an old grey t-shirt and dark black sweatpants. Rai: Tall, short messy dark hair, exhausted/broken expression, wearing a dark grey hoodie. [PANEL 1] Shot Type & Angle: Medium Close-Up. Visual Description: PORTRAIT MANGA PANEL, EXACT ASPECT RATIO 8:12, VERTICAL FORMAT. Rai (tall, short messy dark hair, dark grey hoodie) looks completely drained and broken. He rubs his eyes or the back of his neck with one hand, looking overwhelmed. Cinematic webtoon style, dark and moody lighting. --ar 8:12 Subject: Wajah Rai (rambut gelap, hoodie gelap) yang terlihat benar-benar lelah dan hancur. Dia memijat pangkal hidung atau tengkuknya, tampak sangat kewalahan dengan semua pengakuan ini. Setting: Lorong rumah. Lighting/Mood: Lelah, berat, menguras tenaga. Dialogue (Rai): "Angie... aku hancur. Aku tidak bisa mempercayai apa yang kamu katakan." Dialogue (Rai, sambungan): "Makanlah dan istirahat. Aku butuh menyegarkan pikiranku... Aku akan kembali ke sini besok." [PANEL 2] Shot Type & Angle: Medium Shot. Visual Description: PORTRAIT MANGA PANEL, EXACT ASPECT RATIO 8:12, VERTICAL FORMAT. Angie (slender, damp messy long black hair, teary blue eyes, old grey t-shirt, dark sweatpants) is slowly and reluctantly standing up from the floor. Her legs look visibly shaky. She is wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. Cinematic webtoon style. --ar 8:12 Subject: Angie (rambut lembap, kaos abu-abu, celana hitam) berdiri perlahan dari lantai dengan sangat enggan. Kakinya terlihat gemetar. Dia menyeka air matanya. Setting: Lorong rumah. Lighting/Mood: Suasana melankolis, sedikit kelegaan karena janji Rai untuk kembali. Caption: Aku mengangguk pelan, mengerti bahwa dia butuh waktu untuk mencerna semuanya. Untuk sembuh dari luka yang kusebabkan. Aku berdiri dengan enggan, kakiku gemetar setelah badai emosi selama satu jam terakhir. Dialogue (Angie): "Oke... oke, aku akan makan dan istirahat." Dialogue (Angie, sambungan): "Tapi kumohon... berjanjilah kamu akan kembali besok. Bahwa kamu tidak akan menghilang begitu saja dariku lagi." [PANEL 3] Shot Type & Angle: Medium Close-Up. Visual Description: PORTRAIT MANGA PANEL, EXACT ASPECT RATIO 8:12, VERTICAL FORMAT. Angie (slender, damp messy long black hair, hopeful and vulnerable blue eyes, old grey t-shirt, dark sweatpants) looks at Rai (dark grey hoodie) with an incredibly soft, vulnerable expression. She takes a tiny, hesitant step forward, opening her arms just slightly, asking for a hug. Cinematic webtoon style. --ar 8:12 Subject: Angie (rambut lembap, kaos abu-abu, mata biru yang rapuh) menatap Rai. Dia mengambil satu langkah kecil ke depan dan sedikit membuka lengannya, ragu-ragu meminta pelukan. Setting: Lorong. Lighting/Mood: Harapan yang sangat kecil dan rapuh. Dialogue (Angie): "Dan... bolehkah aku memelukmu? Satu pelukan saja sebelum kamu pergi?" Dialogue (Angie, sambungan): "Untuk mengingatkanmu bahwa aku masih di sini... bahwa aku tidak akan pergi ke mana-mana." [PANEL 4] Shot Type & Angle: Close-Up. Visual Description: PORTRAIT MANGA PANEL, EXACT ASPECT RATIO 8:12, VERTICAL FORMAT. Close up on Angie's (wearing old grey t-shirt) hands slightly outstretched. Her body language shows a desperate, aching need for physical contact and reassurance. Cinematic webtoon style. --ar 8:12 Subject: Tangan Angie (lengan kaos abu-abu) yang terulur sedikit di udara, bergetar menahan rindu. Setting: Background buram. Lighting/Mood: Penuh kerinduan yang menyakitkan. Caption: Lenganku terasa sakit karena sangat ingin memeluknya lagi... merasakan pelukannya yang kuat dan tahu bahwa terlepas dari segalanya, dia masih bersedia membiarkanku menyentuhnya. Dialogue (Angie): "Kumohon...?" [PANEL 5] Shot Type & Angle: Medium Shot / Over the Shoulder. Visual Description: PORTRAIT MANGA PANEL, EXACT ASPECT RATIO 8:12, VERTICAL FORMAT. Looking over the shoulder of a rejected Angie (damp black hair, old grey t-shirt) towards Rai (tall, short messy dark hair, dark grey hoodie). Rai has turned away slightly, rejecting the hug. He looks over his shoulder with cold, firm boundary. Cinematic webtoon style, harsh lighting returning. --ar 8:12 Subject: Rai (rambut gelap, hoodie gelap) memalingkan tubuhnya menjauh, secara fisik menolak pelukan itu. Dilihat dari balik bahu Angie (rambut lembap) yang terdiam mematung. Setting: Lorong menuju pintu. Lighting/Mood: Dingin, jarak emosional kembali membentang lebar bagai tembok yang tak tertembus. Dialogue (Rai): "Maaf, aku tidak bisa."
Một ngày đẹp trời ở Kivotos, sensei đi dạo cùng với Hina, vừa đi vừa trog chuyện. “Sensei, em có điều này muốn nói.” “Điều gì vậy em?” “Về chuyện có liên quan đến Trung học Abydos.” “Abydos có chuyện gì à?’ “Hình như chuyện này cũng có Hoshino bị liên lụy.” “Hina...em có chắc không vậy?” “Em không chắc cho lắm nhưng chắc chắn có kẻ đang cố nhắm đến Abydos.” Sensei đứng trầm ngâm suy nghĩ một lúc lâu. Nhận thấy sensei như vậy. Hina nói: “Thầy đừng kể chuyện này với bất kỳ ai ở Abydos, đặc biệt là Hoshino vì nếu biết thì em ấy sẽ hành động cực kỳ nguy hiểm.” “Vậy à...” Tối hôm đó, sensei ở lại trường. Đêm ấy, trường học vắng lặng. Sensei ngồi một mình trong phòng giáo viên, ánh đèn vàng hắt xuống trang giấy trắng. Bên ngoài, gió sa mạc thổi qua khung cửa, mang theo hơi nóng khô khốc. Trong lòng Sensei, lời cảnh báo của Hina cứ vang vọng: Abydos đang bị nhắm đến… nhưng chưa rõ bởi ai. “Có lẽ mình phải giữ kín chuyện này. Các em… vẫn còn quá ngây thơ để gánh nặng này.” Sensei khẽ thở dài, tựa lưng vào ghế. Đêm trôi qua chậm chạp, như muốn thử thách sự kiên nhẫn. Rồi bình minh đến. Ánh nắng đầu ngày rọi xuống cổng trường, xua đi bóng tối của đêm qua. Sensei khoác áo, bước ra sân, và như thường lệ, lại đến lớp cùng các em học sinh Abydos. Sáng hôm sau, ánh nắng sa mạc rọi xuống cổng Abydos. Sensei bước vào, đôi giày để lại dấu hằn trên lớp cát nóng. “Sensei!” – Shiroko vẫy tay, nụ cười trong trẻo như xua tan cái nắng gắt. Serika thì cau có: “Thầy đến muộn rồi đó, em chờ mãi để hỏi bài tập.” Nonomi ôm chồng sách cao ngất, vừa đi vừa lẩm bẩm: “Hôm nay phải dọn thư viện nữa…” Ayane chỉnh lại kính, khẽ nói: “Sensei, hôm nay em có bản báo cáo muốn thầy xem.” Hoshino khoác tay sau đầu, ngáp dài: “Thầy đến rồi à… vậy thì hôm nay em sẽ nghỉ ngơi thêm chút nữa.” Sensei mỉm cười, nhìn từng gương mặt quen thuộc. Trong lòng, nỗi lo về lời Hina vẫn còn đó, nhưng trước mắt Sensei chỉ thấy một gia đình nhỏ đang cố gắng sống sót giữa sa mạc khắc nghiệt. Ngày nào cũng vậy, Sensei cùng các em đi tuần quanh trường, dạy thêm vài bài học, hoặc đơn giản chỉ ngồi nghe các em kể chuyện. Những khoảnh khắc ấy khiến Sensei cảm thấy Abydos không chỉ là một ngôi trường, mà là một nơi để bảo vệ bằng cả sinh mạng. Lại một đêm nữa sensei ở lại trường. Dường như sensei đã quá quen với việc ngủ lại ở trường thay vì đi về nhà cách trường đoạn khá xa và phải đứng rất lâu để chờ xe buýt. Nhưng đêm nay sensei cảm thấy khung cảnh có gì đó hơi khác thường mặc dù ngôi trường vẫn im lặng về đêm như cũ. Sensei mở cửa sổ phòng và nhìn lên bầu trời đêm và nhận ra trên trời không có lấy một ngôi sao nào. Semsei lúc này cảm thấy như có gì đó đang theo dõi mình từ xa dù cả Kivotos đã tắt đèn và không có lấy một bóng dáng ai trên những con đường. Sensei khẽ khép cửa sổ, nhưng ngay lúc ấy, một âm thanh nhỏ vang lên từ sân trường. Tiếng kim loại va chạm, hay tiếng bước chân rất khẽ? Sensei lặng người, tim đập nhanh hơn. “Có ai… ở đây sao?” Nhưng khi nhìn xuống, sân trường vẫn tối đen, không một bóng người. Sensei khẽ nhíu mày. Đêm nay, có gì đó thật sự khác thường.
The glass walls of the fifty-second floor boardroom trapped heat like a greenhouse. Outside, the October sun hung low and unforgiving in a cloudless sky, casting long shadows across the polished table where twelve people sat, not speaking. They were strangers fashioned into colleagues by corporate necessity, each one holding their breath a little longer than natural, each one aware of being silently assessed by the others. In corporate America, the watching began long before the speaking. It was a dance of eyes—quick, darting glances followed by studied indifference. A man at the far end tapped his pen against the rim of his coffee cup, the sound precise and mechanical. A woman near the door folded the corner of her presentation notes, creasing it with her fingernail, then unfolding it, then folding it again. Small betrayals of nerves that everyone noticed and no one acknowledged. They waited for the meeting to begin, for someone to break the silence that had stretched like an elastic band between them. The tension wasn‘t personal—it was structural, built into the very architecture of ambition. In places like this, people became careful studies of one another: the way a colleague‘s smile didn’t reach their eyes, how another‘s handshake lingered a moment too long, the slight tremor in a supervisor’s voice when discussing quarterly projections. The human mind was designed to notice patterns, to sort signal from noise. In the corporate wilderness, this instinct sharpened to a knife’s edge. They watched for weakness the way wolves watched for limping deer. A woman in charcoal gray—her suit expensive but not ostentatious—checked her watch, the gesture so subtle it might have been a twitch. The room registered it anyway, a collective awareness that time was being measured. She had mastered the art of presence without performance, of being seen without seeming to seek attention. In the strange economy of office politics, this was a rare and valuable currency. Across the room, a man sat perfectly still. His stillness was different from the frozen anxiety of the others; it was deliberate, practiced, the stillness of someone who had learned that motion often revealed more than it accomplished. He watched the room with eyes that missed nothing and gave away less. When he blinked, it seemed deliberate, as if even this involuntary function had been brought under his control. Outside the windows, the city spread out like a circuit board, connections running between glass towers, power flowing invisibly between nodes of influence. Inside, the air conditioning hummed at the edge of hearing, a white noise that covered the sound of breath, of swallowing, of the small adjustments people made in their seats as they waited. People existed in layers. The surface layer was what they showed in meetings like this—composed, professional, appropriate. Beneath that lay the calculations, the chess moves planned three steps ahead. And deeper still were the private histories that shaped each person’s reactions, the accumulated weight of past failures and successes, the scars and hopes they carried silently beneath their skin. Sometimes the layers bled into each other. Sometimes a crack formed in the careful facade, and something true leaked out—a flash of genuine anger, a moment of unexpected vulnerability, a laugh that wasn’t carefully modulated for the corporate environment. These moments were rare and often missed, except by those who had trained themselves to notice. The quality of attention varied from person to person. Some watched others only for what they could use or avoid. Some watched out of habit, a defensive posture developed through years of professional survival. And some—the rarest kind—watched with a genuine curiosity about the complex interior lives behind the professional masks. In the boardroom, a phone buzzed. The sound cut through the silence like a knife, and twelve pairs of eyes reflexively checked their devices, though only one had received a message. This momentary disruption released something in the room. A man cleared his throat. A woman straightened a stack of papers that was already straight. They were grateful for the small permission to move, to exist a little more fully in their bodies. The door opened. The CEO walked in, followed by two assistants carrying tablets and folders. The atmosphere shifted instantly, everyone sitting straighter, faces arranging themselves into expressions of attentive interest. This, too, was a performance—the showing of appropriate deference, the telegraphing of engagement. “I apologize for the delay,” the CEO said, though he did not sound apologetic. His voice filled the room without being particularly loud. “Shall we begin?” The meeting proceeded as meetings do—information exchanged, points raised and addressed, decisions deferred to future discussions. But beneath the agenda items and action points, other exchanges were taking place. Trust was being assessed. Alliances were forming and dissolving. People were making calculations about one another based on tone of voice, choice of words, micro-expressions that flashed across faces like summer lightning. As the meeting concluded, people gathered their things, breaking into smaller groups, voices suddenly lighter, postures more relaxed. The performance of the boardroom was over; a different, less formal performance began. They laughed at small jokes, made plans for lunch, complained about the traffic or the weather. In this transition space between formal meeting and return to their offices, something unexpected happened. The still man and the woman in charcoal gray both reached for the same door at the same time. Their fingers brushed, and though neither reacted visibly, something passed between them—a moment of mutual recognition, perhaps, or simply an awareness of another human being, solid and real in a world of carefully maintained appearances. They had never spoken. They worked in different departments, moved in different circles within the corporate ecosystem. But in that small moment of contact, each recognized something in the other—a similar quality of attention, perhaps, or a shared understanding of the elaborate theater playing out around them each day. Neither acknowledged it. The woman nodded politely and stepped back. The man opened the door and held it, the gesture neither servile nor condescending, simply practical. They went their separate ways. But something had changed, though neither could have said exactly what. A connection had formed, tenuous as a spider’s thread but present nonetheless. In the vast, impersonal machinery of corporate life, such connections were both rare and essential—small reminders of humanity in places designed to minimize its unpredictable effects. The afternoon sun slanted through the city’s towers, turning the glass to fire. In a thousand offices, a thousand conversations continued. People watched and were watched, spoke and were spoken to, each one carrying their private histories like stones in their pockets, each one hungry for moments of genuine connection in a world built of strategic interactions.
传说世间的一切生灵皆可修炼成仙，而狐狸自然在其中。每修炼二十年，狐就会多长出一条尾巴，等到有九条尾巴的时候，就算功德圆满了，连天上的神仙都要敬让三分。 可是，这第九条尾巴却是极难修到的，当狐修炼到第八条尾巴时，会得到一个提示，帮助它的主人实现一个愿望，心愿完成后，会长出一条新的尾巴，但是从前的尾巴也会脱落一条，仍是八尾。 这看起来是个奇怪的死循环，无论怎样都不可能修炼到九条尾巴。 有一只很虔诚的狐，已经修炼了不知道几百年，也不知道帮多少人实现了愿望，但仍然是八条尾巴，它向佛祖抱怨，这样下去如何才能修炼得道？佛祖只是笑而不答，它只得继续修炼。 有一天当它在暴风雨中回到它藏身的村庄，遇到一个少年被狼群围攻，以它的造化，当然不费吹灰之力地赶走了狼群，救下了这个少年，之后发现这个少年是它第一位主人的后代。 按照规矩，它需要帮少年实现一个愿望，然后脱落一条尾巴再长出一条新的尾巴，继续它的死循环。 少年当然是欣喜若狂，九尾狐的传说在当地不知流传了多少年，而自己何其有幸，竟然成为了八尾狐的主人，还有一个不论多奢侈都能够实现的愿望！八尾狐问少年的心愿是什么，他一时之间竟回答不出来，于是在之后的几天里，少年小心翼翼地与八尾相处，发现它的眼神里除了看透世事的淡然以外，竟然还有些许悲哀。 当他得知了死循环的秘密之后，竟然对这只神通广大的狐狸产生了怜悯。 终于有一天，八尾狐问少年到底有什么愿望。少年想了想，问，“什么愿望都可以实现吗？” 少年接着一字一顿地说，“那么，我的愿望就是，你能有九条尾巴。” 狐狸愣住了，眼睛里充满了疑惑，随后是一种难以言表的感恩眼神。它俯下身，舔了下少年的手，很温暖。 于是，八尾狐长出了华丽的第九条尾巴，变成了真正的九尾狐，而少年的一生，也过得十分幸福美满。 故事到这里结束。原来得道的天机是如此，只有遇到一个肯让它圆满的人，八尾狐才能有九条尾巴。 以前的人都自私地为自己考虑，觉得八尾狐狸为他们实现任何愿望都是应该的，从不会考虑八尾狐的感受，可是每一条尾巴都要付出八尾狐几十年的修炼。 当我读到少年的愿望时，着实吃了一惊，一直以来，不管是阿拉丁神灯还是雅各布斯的猴爪，人们在得到命运的眷顾时，所许的愿望都是为了自己。 对于天上掉下来的馅饼，人们总是享用得如此理所当然。而耗费自己难得的运气去成全别人的圆满，这或许是世间最大的慷慨、最真心的回馈了吧。
дуут уулын бэлд галт тэрэг ирэхэд нар дээгүүр гарч, гэрлээр уулын оройг гэрэлтүүлж байв. Куро буудал дээр бууж, эргэн тойрноо хартал асар олон хүн цугларчээ. Залуучууд, хөгшчүүл, эрэгтэй, эмэгтэй - бүгд нэг зорилгын төлөө цугласан байв. ZETRO-д элсэх гэж. Тэр олны дунд зогсоод, сургуулийн байрыг харав. Дуут уулын оройд байрлах зургаан ханатай тэр ордон, гахайлтай уран хийцтэй, асар том, сүрлэг харагдаж байв. Гурван мянган километрээс илүү замыг туулж ирсэн нь үнэ цэнэтэй гэдгийг Куро тэр мөчид мэдрэв. "Куро!" Тэр гэнэт эргэн хартал. Олны дундаас нэгэн залуу түүн рүү гүйж ирж байв. Цайлган царай, гэрэлтэх нүд, танил инээмсэглэл. "Сүбэ!" гэж Куро гайхширан дуудав. Тэр Куротэй хамт өссөж, хамт бэлтгэл хийж, хамт мөрөөдсөн хамгийн сайн найз нь юм. Сүбэ түүн дээр ирээд, мөрөн дээр нь алгадаад, "Чамтай энд таарна гэж төсөөлсөнгүй шүү! Чи ч гэсэн шалгалт өгөхөөр ирсэн биз?" гэж хөгжилтэйгээр асуув. Куро толгой дохин, "Тийм ээ. Энэ сургуульд орж чадвал миний бишээ бидний ирээдүйд том амжилт болно" гэв. Тэд ярилцаж байх зуур, сургуулийн том хаалга нээгдэв. Анир Чимээгүй тэр дороо бүх зүйлийг бүрхэв. Хаалганаас гарч ирсэн гурван хүн тэр л чимээгүй байдлыг авчирсан юм. Тэд нэлээн хөгшин бөгөөд 90 дөхөж явааг хэн ч хараад мэдхээр тийм л хөгшин байв Гэхдээ тэдний биеэс цацрах шидийн энерги нь хүнийг хөнгхөн алж мэдхээр хүчтэй байлаа. Тэдний өмнө зогсох төдийд л агаар хүндэрч, амьсгал давчдах мэдрэмж төрж зарим хүмүүс айж сандралдна. "Тэд хэн бэ?" гэж Куро шивнэн асуув. Түүний дуу хоолойд айдас, гайхшрал догдлол холилдсон байлаа. Хажууд нь зогсож байсан нэгэн залуу тэднийг хүндэтгэсэн дуугаар хариулав. Түүний нүдэнд бишрэл тодорч "Тэд бол ZETRO-гийн Гурван Багана гэх хүндэт цолтой хамгаалагчид юм. Бүгд Primus түвшний есдүгээр зэрэглэлийн шидтэн. Баруун талынх нь Циту, зүүн талынх нь Сэту, голынх нь Чой. Сургуулийн захиралтай хүчээрээ дөхөх хэмжээнийх ч гэгддэг. Тэр амьсгаа аван үргэлжлүүлэв. "Тэд бүгд Меридиан тивд нэрээ дуурсгасан хүчирхэг эзэд. Энгийн нэг настан биш. Primus түвшин гэхээр л хэр их эрх мэдэл, эд баялаг, хүндэтгэл хүлээдэг гэдгийг хэлүүлэлтгүй мэдэж болно. Тэдний нэг үг л Meridian тивийн улсуудад хүчтэй нөлөөлж чадна." Шидийн хүчний түвшин: 1. Новис — Суурь түвшин 2. Куорус — Дунд түвшин 3. Конос — Дээд түвшин 4. Элвис — Мастер түвшин 5. Примус — Домогт түвшин Сүбэ гайхан, нүдээ томруулан "Примус түвшин?! Энгийн шалгалтанд яагаад ийм хүчирхэг хүмүүс гарч ирсэн юм бэ? Энэ шалгалт ямар нэгэн онцгой зүйл байх нь..." гэж бодон, дотроо таамаглал дэвшүүлэв. Түүний зүрх хүчтэй цохилж, алган дээр хүйтэн хөлс гарч эхлэв. Гэнэт голын настан Чой урагш алхав. Тэр хэнгэрэг хаграм чанга дуугаар хэлэхдээ: Өнөөдөр бол ZETRO сургууль байгуулагдсаны 900 жилийн ой. Энэ өдөр бид сургуулиа шинэчлэх, хүчирхэг сурагчид, багш нарыг элсүүлэн, хүрээгээ тэлэх зорилгоор онцгой шалгалт зохион байгуулж байна. Гэхдээ Энэ бол зүгээр нэг сорил биш, харин амьд үлдэх тэмцэл. "Тэр олныг хүйтэн харцаар гүйлгэн харав. "Сургуулийн баруун уулын Хавцалт хөндий агуйд цагаан гэрэлт талст бий. Арав хоногийн дотор хамгийн түрүүлж авчирсан нэг хүн шууд гуравдугаар шатны сурагч болно. Гэвч агуй дотор та нарыг зуу зуун сүүдрийн араатан, эртний хараал голем хүлээж байгаа. Хэрэв та нар агуйн амсрыг нэгэнт давбал, буцах зам үүрд хаагдах болно. Зөвхөн талстыг олсон эсвэл үхсэн хүн л тэндээс гарна. Амь насаа хайрлаж байгаа бол одоохон буц!" Олны дунд айдас хүйдэс нөмрөв. Хүмүүс хоорондоо шивнэлдэж, "Хараалт голем гэсэн үү энд байх боломжтой гэжүү" Настангын ярсан амьтдыг Куро эргэн харж сүбэгээс асуутал Сүбэгийн духан дундуур хүйтэн хөлс цувж айдас нүүрэнд нь тодорсон байв. Сүбэ хэлэхдээ "Энэ энгийн голем биш өөрийн гэсэн оюун ухаан шидийн чадвартай бас бидэн шиг north түвшний хүмүүст ямарч ялах боломж байхгүй дор хаяж konus эсвэл elvis түвшнийх байх хэрэгтэй Сүбэгийн хэлсэн зүйлсийн сонссон хажууд байсан хүмүүс алмайран зарим нь эргэлзэж эхлэв. Аажмаар хүмүүс буцаж эхлэн. Цугласан олны тал орчим нь 10 хан минутын дотор амьд үлдэх сүүлчийн боломжоо ашиглан буцан одов. Ийм хүчирхэг хүн анхааруулсан нь зүгээр нэг сүрдүүлэг биш гэдгийг тэд зөнгөөрөө мэдэрсэн биз.Харин үлдсэн 40,000 орчим хүн шийдэмгий зогсож байв. Тэдний дунд Куро, Сүбэ нар байлаа. Тэдний нэг, хол зогссон залуу буцсан хүмүүс рүү жигтэй хараад "Арчаагүй сул дорой амьтад" гэж шивнэв. .Чой эхэл гэсэн дохиог хэлэхтэй зэрэгцэн, үлдсэн дөчин мянга гаруй бүх хүн агуй руу гүйв. Куро Сүбэ рүү харан одооч буцах боломж байна гэрлүүгээ хоосон харьхуу эсвэл надтай цуг амжилтын төлөө агуйруу орхуу гэж сэтгэл шулуудан хэлхэд. Сүбэ жуумалзан "Новш гэж бид үххэндээ " гэж хэлээд гүйж эхлэв Куроч түүнийг гүйхийг хараад инээмсгэл тодруулсаар араас нь гүйнэ. Агуйн амсарт хүрэхэд харанхуй тэднийг угтаж авав. Куро дотогш ормогцоо л энд зөвхөн харанхуй төдийгүй ямар нэгэн амьд оршихуй байгааг мэдрэв. Агуйн хананаас шидийн энергийн үл мэдэгдэх лугшилт түүний биеийг чичиргээнд оруулав.Гэнэт тэдний ард асар том чулуун агуй нуран хаагдаж, агуйн амсар битүүмжлэгдэв. Буцах зам үгүй боллоо.Агуйн гүн рүү явах тусам хананы өнгө өөрчлөгдөж, хачирхалтай тэмдэг, бичээсүүд харагдах болов. Куро цүнхнээсээ жижиг гэрэлт чулуу гаргаж ирээд, сүбэд өгөн гэрэлтүүлэв. Гэнэт тэсрэх мэт чимээ гаран, ханан дээрх бичээсүүд гэрэлтэж эхлэв. Агуй чичирч, дээрээс нь чулуунууд унаж эхлэв. "Гүй!" гэж Куро орилин, Сүбэгийн араас түлхэн урагш гүйв.Тэд гүйх тусам агуйн хана өөрчлөгдөж, шинэ гарцууд нээгдэж, хуучнууд хаагдаж байв. Эцэст нь тэд нэгэн том талбайд ирэв. Тэнд цагаан гэрэлтэй талст байв. Харин түүний өмнө асар том хар Сүүдэрийн араатан зогсож Куро Сүбэ хоёр луу шүлсээ гожуулан удаанаар ойртож эхлнэ. "Холд эндээс яв зайл" гэж Сүбэ айсандаа чичирсэн хоолойгоор хэлэв. . Гэнэн араатны биеэс хар утаа гарч, агаарт хорт хий мэт тархаж байлаа. .Куро, Сүбэ хоёр хажуу гүйж зайлсхийв. Сүбэ айж байсан ч, зориг гаргах ёстойгоо мэдэж байв. Тэр нүдээ аниад, өөрийн бие доторх шидийн энергийг мэдрэхийг хичээв. Түүний бие дулаацаж, гарт нь уран хийцтэй хар өнгийн жад бий болов. Сүбэ жадаа өргөж, хар дүрс рүү дайрахад асар их тэсрэлт цацарч, хар дүрс орилж, ууршиж алга болов.Талбай дээр зөвхөн Куро, Сүбэ, мөн цагаан гэрэлтэй талст үлдэв. Сүбэ талстыг барьсаар урагш алхан шалгатал агуй гэнэт нурж, Куро Сүбэ хоёрыг салагчив. Асар том хад тэдний дундуур унаж, замыг нь бүрмөсөн хаав."Чи зүгээр үү, Куро?" гэж Сүбэ нилээн хэдэн минут бахирлаа. Тэр найзыгаа чулуунд даруулчихсан гэж бодон сандран ухах гэж оролдтол хаданд зураас ч гаргахгүй байлаа. Энэ бол энгийн чулуу биш, шидийн хаалт байв. Гэтэл нөгөө талаас Курогийн сулхан дуу сонсогдов. "Би зүгээр ээ... сая чулуунд цохиулаад ухаан алдчихаж."Сүбэ "Новш гэж, энэ агуй биднийг салгаж байна. Нэг талст зөвхөн нэг л хүнд зориулагдсан бололтой" гэж хэлэв.Куро инээмсэглэн, "Сүбэ, чи явж бай. Би аргалж байгаад заавал өөр талст олоод очих болно. Бид ZETRO-д уулзах ёстой шүү" гэв.Сүбэ агуйн нөгөө талаас "Заавал эргэж ирээрэй! Ирэхгүй бол хогчин шүү!" гэж хэлэн, найзуудын зам ийнхүү салав. Куро харанхуй агуйн гүн рүү, өөрийнхөө сорилт руу ганцаар алхав.
🎬 PAINEL 01 — Skyline de Seul ao amanhecer VISUAL: Painel panorâmico, full-width. Vista aérea de Seul às 7h da manhã. Prédios espelhados, sol nascente em laranja e rosa. No centro, um arranha-céu com o logotipo NEXORA em azul neon. NARRAÇÃO (caixa no topo, letra delicada): "Seul, 7h da manhã. Em algum lugar nessa cidade, alguém está prestes a cometer um erro muito, muito caro." ✦ SFX: sons de trânsito matinal, pombos 🎬 PAINEL 02 — Interior do arranha-céu — Lobby da NEXORA VISUAL: Lobby minimalista, todo branco e vidro. Funcionários bem vestidos cruzam o espaço em ritmo apressado. No centro, um painel com os dizeres: "NEXORA — Engineering the Future." ÂNGULO: Close no relógio digital na parede: 07:58. NARRAÇÃO: "A NEXORA é a startup de tecnologia mais bem avaliada do país pelo terceiro ano consecutivo. Graças a um único homem." 🎬 PAINEL 03 — Close em Han Joon-seo — Grande impacto visual VISUAL: Painel de impacto alto. Joon-seo entra pelo lobby em câmera lenta visual. Terno preto imaculado, expressão neutra, xícara de café na mão. Os funcionários ao redor se endireitam discretamente quando ele passa. ÂNGULO: Low-angle shot, fazendo-o parecer monumental. Foco desfocado nos funcionários ao fundo. NARRAÇÃO: "Han Joon-seo. 30 anos. CEO. QI 147. Zero tolerância para incompetência — ou para pessoas que chegam atrasadas." ✦ SFX: silêncio dramático, trilha sonora de fundo que soa épica 🎬 PAINEL 04 — CORTE — Rua externa, 08:01 VISUAL: Painel CÔMICO de contraste. Yeon Mirae correndo desesperadamente na rua, mochila saltitando nas costas, cabelo desgrenhado, fone de ouvido no pescoço, bagel na boca. EXPRESSÃO MIRAE: Pânico total, olhos arregalados, bochechas vermelhas. BALÃO DE PENSAMENTO (forma irregular, letra caótica): "Primeiro dia. PRIMEIRO DIA. Por que — por que eu dormi? Por que o alarme não tocou? Por que eu existi?" ✦ SFX: FWOOSH — barulho de corrida frenética LEGENDA DE TEMPO: 08:01 — Reunião de onboarding: 08:00 🎬 PAINEL 05 — Entrada do prédio — Yeon Mirae vs. porta giratória VISUAL: Mirae empurra a porta giratória com força demais, tropeça, e entra no lobby em total desequilíbrio. Os funcionários ao redor olham. Ela se endireita fingindo que foi intencional. MIRAE: "Bom dia a todos! Tudo... tudo normal aqui." REAÇÃO DE FUNDO: Funcionário A sussurra para o Funcionário B: "...ela tropeçou na porta giratória." ✦ SFX: BANG — porta batendo 📝 Nota: Expressão de Mirae: sorriso forçado de 'não aconteceu nada' 🎬 PAINEL 06 — Frente ao elevador — O grande erro VISUAL: Mirae corre em direção ao elevador. Dois elevadores: um com placa dourada discreta "CEO" (pequena, que ela ignora), outro normal. Ela aperta o botão do elevador CEO sem ler. BALÃO DE PENSAMENTO: "Décimo andar, décimo andar, décimo andar—" VISUAL: As portas se abrem. Dentro: Han Joon-seo, sozinho, olhando o celular. EXPRESSÃO JOON-SEO: Sobrancelha levemente erguida. Não está acostumado com pessoas neste elevador. 🎬 PAINEL 07 — DENTRO DO ELEVADOR — A catástrofe do café VISUAL: Mirae entra correndo, freando em último segundo. Mas a inércia faz o café dela — que ela não percebeu que estava segurando — voar em arco perfeito. PAINEL CÂMERA LENTA (efeito visual): O café em slow-motion no ar. Expressão de horror de Mirae. Expressão de incredulidade de Joon-seo. O café pousa no peito do terno dele. ✦ SFX: SPLASH — barulho exagerado de líquido EXPRESSÃO JOON-SEO: Congelado. Olha para o café no terno. Olha para Mirae. Temperatura da sala cai 10 graus. EXPRESSÃO MIRAE: Branca como papel. Fone de ouvido ainda tocando — trilha sonora inapropriadamente animada vaza pelo fone. 🎬 PAINEL 08 — Reação — O silêncio mais longo da história VISUAL: Painel estreito e alto: apenas os olhos de Joon-seo, olhando para baixo para a mancha. Depois os olhos de Mirae, olhando para cima para ele. Silêncio visual pesado. ÂNGULO: Alternância de close nos rostos, como um duelo de faroeste. MIRAE: "Eu... eu sou muito boa em consertar situações. Isso aqui... definitivamente não é uma delas." 🎬 PAINEL 09 — A cena cômica — Mirae tenta resolver VISUAL: Mirae tira o cachecol da mochila e tenta tampar a mancha no terno de Joon-seo. Ele a para com uma mão, expressão indescritível — entre irritação e fascinação involuntária. JOON-SEO: "O que exatamente você está fazendo?" MIRAE: "Solução criativa de problemas! Aprendi num TED Talk." JOON-SEO: "Pare." MIRAE: "Parado." BALÃO DE PENSAMENTO DE MIRAE: "Ele está com raiva? Parece com raiva. Isso é a cara dele de raiva ou a cara dele de sempre? Homem difícil de ler." 🎬 PAINEL 10 — Mirae ainda sem saber quem ele é VISUAL: Mirae ajeita a mochila, faz respiração funda, e decide adotar postura profissional. Joon-seo a observa como se fosse um fenômeno meteorológico inexplicável. MIRAE: "Olha, sinto muito pelo terno. Mas, honestamente? Você deveria soltar mais. Você tem cara de chefe que estressa a equipe." EXPRESSÃO JOON-SEO: Pisca. Não processou direito. JOON-SEO: "Perdão?" MIRAE: "Liderança rígida demais cria ambiente tóxico. Li o relatório de clima organizacional da empresa semana passada — nota 6.2 de 10. Não é ótimo." BALÃO DE PENSAMENTO DE JOON-SEO: "Ela... leu o relatório de clima?" 🎬 PAINEL 11 — Chegada ao andar — A revelação VISUAL: Elevador abre no andar executivo. Park Siwon está esperando com agenda na mão. Seus olhos vão de Joon-seo (terno manchado) para Mirae (cara de quem não sabe onde está) e de volta. EXPRESSÃO SIWON: Máscara profissional perfeita, mas os olhos dizem "o que aconteceu aqui?" SIWON: "Bom dia, Sr. Han. Sua primeira reunião em cinco minutos." MIRAE — olha a placa do andar: ANDAR EXECUTIVO — DIRETORIA. MIRAE — olha para Joon-seo. MIRAE — olha para Siwon. Que discretamente aponta para Joon-seo e forma com a boca: "CEO." EXPRESSÃO MIRAE: Colapso interno silencioso. Sorriso externo fixo no rosto como pintura. ✦ SFX: som interno de sirenes de emergência 🎬 PAINEL 12 — O final do capítulo — Cena de impacto VISUAL: Joon-seo já caminhou alguns passos em direção à sala. Vira levemente o rosto sobre o ombro para Mirae. JOON-SEO: "Nota 6.2. Eu sei. Por isso contratei novos desenvolvedores." PAUSA VISUAL: Close no canto dos lábios de Joon-seo. Quase — quase — um sorriso. JOON-SEO: "Bem-vinda à NEXORA, Yeon Mirae." MIRAE — boquiaberta. MIRAE: "Como você sabe meu nome?" JOON-SEO: "Eu contratei você." ÚLTIMO PAINEL — full width: Mirae parada no corredor, Joon-seo desaparecendo pela porta da sala executiva. Siwon ao lado dela, oferecendo discretamente um guardanapo para o café que pingou no sapato dela. SIWON: "Posso te indicar o caminho para o décimo andar?" MIRAE: "...por favor."
Chapter 1 Ang bahay namin ay laging masigla—o sa ibang salita, laging maingay. The walls were painted a deep, passionate red, matched by the heavy crimson curtains that swayed whenever the electric fan faced their direction. It was a house that felt like a constant celebration, but today, my heart was racing for a different reason. I was sitting on the edge of the sofa, my phone clutched so tightly in my hands that my knuckles were turning white. I was waiting. Sa totoo lang, simpleng pangarap lang naman ang gusto ko: to travel, to see the world, and to wear that crisp uniform of a Tourism student. I had taken the entrance exams for the two biggest universities in the city. My dream schools. Ting. Isang notification ang lumabas sa screen. My breath hitched. With shaking fingers, I tapped the email. “We regret to inform you…” The words blurred. Hindi ako nakapasa. Ang unang school na inaasahan ko, tinanggihan ako. Parang biglang gumuho ang mundo ko sa limang salitang iyon. "O, Jaquilyn? Bakit parang nakakita ka ng multo riyan?" puna ni Tito Rey habang naglalakad bitbit ang isang tumpok ng labada. Pilit akong ngumiti, pero ramdam ko ang panginginig ng labi ko. "Tito... yung email. Hindi po ako nakuha sa unang school." Agad na lumabas si Tita Precy mula sa kusina, bitbit ang sandok na may bakas pa ng sarsa. "Hala, anak? Hayaan mo na 'yun! Baka hindi talaga 'yun ang para sa'yo." "Pero Tita, pangarap ko po 'yun," bulong ko. Lumapit sa akin si Tito Rey at tinapik ang balikat ko. "Naku, Jaquilyn, huwag kang mawalan ng pag-asa. Napakaraming bituin sa langit, hindi lang isa. At saka, may isa pa tayong hinihintay, 'di ba? Fighting lang!" "Oo nga!" dagdag ni Tita Precy habang tumatawa. "Tourista ka pa rin sa paningin namin, kahit sa kanto lang tayo mamasyal mamaya. Ngumiti ka na, baka pumangit ang swerte!" I forced a laugh. Their energy was contagious, as always. Isang panibagong araw ang lumipas, pero ang bigat sa dibdib ko, tila lalong nadagdagan. Nang tumunog ang phone ko para sa pangalawang pagkakataon, mabilis ko itong binuksan, hoping for a miracle. Pero pagkakita ko sa screen, parang nanlamig ang buong katawan ko. It was identical. The same formal font, the same polite rejection. “We regret to inform you...” Hindi ako makapaniwala. Tourism was my dream, my only plan. Napasandal ako sa pader ng kwarto ko, pinipigilan ang luha. Bakit parang lahat ng pinto, isinasara sa akin? ________________________ Nang sumapit ang hapunan, pilit akong lumabas ng kwarto. The dining table was a battlefield of noise, as usual. My younger cousins were chasing each other with spoons, habang si Tito Rey ay malakas na tumatawa sa kung anong biro sa TV. "Jaquilyn, kain na! Paborito mo 'tong ulam," sigaw ni Tita Precy mula sa dulo ng lamesa. Umupo ako, tahimik lang na nilalaro ang kanin sa plato ko. Maski ang ingay nila, hindi magawang itago ang lungkot ko. Napansin siguro ni Tita ang matagal kong pagtitig sa kawalan. Bigla siyang tumigil sa pagkain at may kinuhang kung ano sa bulsa ng duster niya. "Anak, wag ka nang masyadong malungkot sa dalawang school na 'yun," sabi niya nang mahinahon. Inilapag niya ang isang itim na card sa tapat ng plato ko. It was sleek, dark, and felt strangely heavy. "Subukan mo ito. May tumawag sa akin, sabi nila, bagay ka raw dito." Binasa ko ang nakasulat. Isang numero at isang email address lang ang nandoon: luminaacademy@gmail.com. "Lumina Academy?" bulong ko. "Para sa Tourism din ba 'to, Tita?" Ngumiti si Tita Precy, isang ngiting tila may halong misteryo. "Sabi nila, doon mo raw mahahanap ang tunay mong tatahakin. At least, you can still pursue your dream career, right?" Huminga ako nang malalim. Kahit hindi ko alam kung anong klaseng school ito, nabuhayan ako ng loob. I smiled back at her, feeling a spark of hope. "Sige po, Tita. I-email ko po sila mamaya." "Mabuti 'yan. Tawagan mo rin ang Mama mo, ibalita mo sa kanya," dagdag ni Tita. Agad akong umiling, ang ngiti ko ay bahagyang kumupas. "Naku, Tita, busy po si Mama sa abroad. Alam niyo naman po 'yun, baka makaabala lang ako." Sanay na ako. I was raised in my auntie’s presence. My mom was always working far away, and my dad? I didn't know anything about him. Every time I asked, my relatives would go silent or change the topic. I guessed they hated him, so I stopped asking a long time ago. Pagkatapos ng ligpitin ang hapunan, mabilis akong pumasok sa kwarto ko. I opened my laptop and typed the email address from the black card. To: luminaacademy@gmail.com Subject: Admission Inquiry - Jaquilyn Braush I hit send and leaned back on my pillow. While waiting for the notification, my eyelids started to feel heavy. The red walls of my room seemed to glow a bit brighter in the dark, and the scent of smoke—faint, almost like a dying candle—filled the air. Hindi ko na namalayang nakatulog na pala ako, bitbit ang huling pag-asa na baka sa Lumina Academy, doon magsisimula ang lahat. Nagising ako sa sikat ng araw na tumatama sa mukha ko. Sa sobrang antok ko kagabi, halos makalimutan ko na ang tungkol sa email na ipinadala ko. Dumiretso ako sa kusina para mag-almusal nang datnan ko si Tita Precy na nag-aabang na pala sa akin. "O, Jaquilyn? Kumusta 'yung card na binigay ko sa 'yo kagabi? Na-email mo ba?" tanong niya habang nag-aayos ng plato. Napatigil ako. Oo nga pala. Biglang nag-vibrate ang phone ko sa bulsa. My heart started to race. Kinuha ko ito at nakita ang isang notification mula sa Lumina Academy. Shaking, I opened it. OFFICIAL ADMISSION NOTICE Dear Ms. Jaquilyn Braush, We have been watching your spirit, and it burns with the intensity we require. You are officially accepted into Lumina Academy. To begin your journey, you must claim your belongings. Follow the attached map to the 'Red Brick Nexus' building in the Old District. This location is hidden from the mundane eye—walk three blocks past the clock tower and turn where the air feels warmest. Once inside, proceed directly to the door marked with your designated number. There, you will find your ID card, your uniforms, and the key to your assigned dormitory. "Tita! Tita, tanggap ako!" sigaw ko habang tumutulo ang luha ko sa tuwa. Halos magtatalon kami sa kusina habang binabasa ang direksyon. Hindi ko alam kung bakit kailangan ko pang pumunta sa isang lumang building para lang sa gamit, pero sa sandaling iyon, wala akong pakialam. Habang nasa biyahe ako, hindi ko mapigilang mapatawa. Seryoso ba 'to? I thought it was a scam! Ang bilis ng reply nila, hindi katulad ng ibang university na pinaghintay ako ng ilang linggo para lang tanggihan. At ang direksyon? "Turn where the air feels warmest?" Gusto kong maiyak sa tawa dahil parang laro lang ang lahat. What kind of school has these weird rules? Pero nang makarating ako sa dulo ng map, tumigil ang tawa ko. The building was exactly as described—matayog, luma, pero may kakaibang bigat ang aura. Pagpasok ko, isang grand view ang sumalubong sa akin. The lobby was massive. People in expensive-looking suits were walking everywhere, but they didn't look like office workers—they looked like they were guarding something important. Hinanap ko ang taong pwedeng pagtanungan hanggang sa makita ko ang isang babaeng naka-formal uniform na kulay yellowish-gold. Lumapit ako at ipinakita ang email ko. "Excuse me po, student po ako ng Lumina Academy..." The woman’s eyes widened the moment she saw my name on the screen. She looked shook, her breath hitching for a second. Without a word, she bowed slightly and looked at me. “Ms. Braush," she said. "Please... follow me. We have been waiting for you to arrive." Habang naglalakad kami sa mahabang hallway, ipinaliwanag niya sa akin ang tungkol sa numerong nasa message ko. “Ang numerong iyon ay hindi lang basta numero, Ms. Jaquilyn. It is the number of the door you must enter here in this building. Sa loob ng kwartong iyon, nandoon ang lahat ng pag-aari mo—ang uniform, at ang susi ng kwarto mo Academy. Ang building” Huminto kami sa tapat ng isang asul na pinto. It was unusually small, barely enough for a child to fit through, but when she opened it, there it was—isang itim na bag at isang itim na envelope. It looked mysterious, like it held secrets I wasn't ready for. I reached out and took them, feeling the heavy material against my palms. "Sundan mo ako. Dadalhin na kita sa bus mo ngayon," she said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Sandali lang po!" I replied, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Kailangan ko munang magpaalam sa Tita ko. I can’t just leave like this without saying anything." "Huwag kang mag-alala. Kami na ang bahala sa parteng iyon," was her only cold response. Agad kong kinuha ang phone ko at tinawagan si Tita habang naglalakad kami. "Tita! Paalis na po ako—hindi ko alam kung saan—" "Jaquilyn, anak, okay lang!" she cut me off, sounding surprisingly calm. "May mga taga-Lumina Academy na rito sa bahay. Nag-explain na sila tungkol sa scholarship at kung bakit kailangan mong umalis agad ngayong araw. Mag-iingat ka roon, ha? Ipagmalaki mo kami!" I let out a huge sigh of relief. At least legal ang pag-alis ko. When we reached the parking lot, I saw a pure white bus. There were a few people my age already inside, their faces unreadable. Sinubukan kong ngumiti sa kanila, but one guy with sharp brown eyes looked at me like he wanted to punch me right then and there. Luh, mananapak ba 'to? I quickly looked away and found a seat. A few moments later, the driver entered the bus. "Fasten your seatbelts," he muttered without looking back. Mabilis akong sumunod, pulling the strap across my chest. But I noticed the others didn't even flinch. Para silang walang narinig, acting like they were too cool for safety rules. The trip started normally for a few minutes... then the bus slowed down for a split second... and then it accelerated. Sobrang bilis. It was so fast I felt like my heart was left behind at the station. I looked out the window and gasped, my breath hitching in my throat. I couldn't see the road anymore. Clouds. Pure white clouds were everywhere, drifting past the glass. And shortly after, I saw the vast blue ocean below us and a massive school that looked like an ancient palace from a fairy tale. "What the—nakalutang tayo?! We're floating!" I panicked, my hands gripping the armrest so hard my knuckles turned white. "Tanga," one of my seatmates whispered, rolling their eyes. Instead of helping me or explaining, they just called me stupid. The bus eventually descended, landing smoothly in front of the grand, golden gates. It felt like we were back in the normal world, but my stomach definitely didn't get the memo. As soon as the doors opened, I stumbled out and started vomiting on the side of the road. Nag-suka lang ako nang nag-suka. "Grabe... what a terrible start," I groaned, wiping my mouth with a trembling hand. My dream of being a Tourism student started with me literally losing my lunch on the pavement. Ang panget naman ng simula ko.
"Мало ли что" — Сакура-чан, это было потрясающе! — восхищённо щебетал Наруто. — Да! — куноичи оживленно замотала головой и широко — широко улыбнулась. — Какаши-сенсей, наверное, думал, что мы у него никак не сможем отобрать колокольчики, — последнее Сакура проговорила, казалось, с удовольствием. Парень молча, но радостно закивал головой в знак согласия. — Ты очень хорошо всё придумал, — посмотрев на Наруто, девушка улыбнулась. — Ты и вправду самый непредсказуемый ниндзя в деревне! — Хе-хе. Мне кажется, или Какаши-сенсей расстроен? — обернувшись к Хатаке, сказал Наруто. Джоунин демонстративно вздохнул, однако продолжал смотреть на еще одно поколение, которое стремительно пыталось занять его место. Все-таки, видеть их здесь — здоровыми и в какой-то степени счастливыми — было более, чем просто приятно. — Нет. Я наоборот рад за вас. Вы и вправду изменились. Ну что ж, до завтра! — внезапно попрощавшись, Хатаке испарился в облаке дыма. — Блин, как всегда исчезает… Я ему столько хотел рассказать про свои тренировки… Сакура-чан, может, в Ичираку? — сказав это, Наруто скорее надеялся, чем верил, что он это сказал весьма убедительно и четко. — Сто лет там не был. — Наруто! Я не пойду с тобой на сви… — Мы просто покушаем, — пробубнил блондин. — Мы столько с тобой не виделись! Харуно, не особо долго думая, стоит признать, демонстративно легонько толкнула парня, сказав «Ты платишь» и все-таки решилась пойти с ним. Вот она. Стоит рядом. Сколько он её не видел? Два с половиной года, кажется. Сколько всего произошло за это время? Он ушел с Конохи почти после того как… как… Последняя встреча с Саске. Саске. Сколько же он о нём думал. Сколько раз он прокручивал их первую встречу, тот фееричный поцелуй - о котором Наруто старался вспоминать как можно реже, хотя это было забавно - их сдача экзамена с Какаши-сенсеем, первая миссия, команда… седьмой номер… Но в последнее время он всё больше и больше стал вспоминать их финальную встречу. Всё, что Саске говорил, всё, что Наруто ему отвечал. Черт! Вернуть бы время назад, он бы сказал Саске совсем другие слова! Совершенно другие слова, другие фразы… И Саске бы остался! По крайней мере, хотелось в это верить, что что - то еще можно было поменять. — Узумаки! — выкрикнула куноичи. — А? Что? — потерявшись в собственных мыслях, пробормотал парень. — Мы уже пришли, ну. Сакура. О ней он думал не меньше, чем о Саске. Если взять их двоих, Саске и Сакуру, то сначала в его жизни появилась она, а затем уже Саске… Он помнил, как впервые увидел ее розовые волосы. Она у него ассоциировалась с весенним деревом… и пудингом. Рисовым с сиропом. Да, это может быть банальный вишневый сироп, если Вам интересно. И, да, а услышав её имя, он понял – иначе быть не могло. Сколько раз он хотел к ней подойти, хотя бы для того, чтобы подарить цветы, но он как всегда приходил не вовремя: то она была не одна — хотя она всегда была с кем-то она была в компании, где обсуждали его, Наруто, то она щебетала с девчонками о Саске. Но Наруто всё равно думал о ней. Он вспоминал их первую встречу, первую миссию, милые моменты, связанные с Сакурой-чан. Но больше всего он вспоминал свое обещание, данное Сакуре… Сакура. Саске. Лю… Дружба. Черт. Тяжело. — Наруто! — вновь прокричала Сакура. На этот раз ещё злобнее. — А-а! Наруто неудачно шлепнулся со стула, который и так стоял на неровной поверхности. «Пора завязывать с этими мыслями…» — Сакура-чан, извини — задумался, — Узумаки внимательно посмотрел на девушку. Красивая. — Ну, что берем? — протирая ладони и предвкушая долгожданный ужин, произнёс Наруто. — Ну, это твое любимое заведение, поэтому я даже не знаю, что и… — Тебе не нравится РАМЭН? — удивился блондин. — Нет, почему, — ухмыльнулась Сакура, понимая, как же она скучала по этому голосу, — нравится! Иначе бы я не пришла сюда, — оправдываясь, пробубнила куноичи. — А какое твое любимое заведение? — неожиданно для себя и для Сакуры спросил Наруто. — Мое? — Ну, я вот часто, нет, — парень шлепнул себя по лбу, будто сказал что-то ужасное, — я всегда заходил в Ичираку, а ты? — Я… — Сакура была в растерянности и не знала, что ей даже следует говорить. Действительно, а какие были ее любимые заведения в городе кроме резиденции Хокаге и больницы? Ну, ладно, в этот список еще дом можно приписать. — Ну? Ты стесняешься что-ли? — улыбнулся Наруто, глядя на куноичи. — Я в принципе дома всегда кушала… — задумчиво произнесла девушка. — Точно! — тихо произнёс Наруто. Он совсем забыл, что он, пожалуй, один из немногих, кто постоянно питался вне дома. — Знаешь, что? А давай мы сейчас пойдем в другое место? — устранив нависшую тишину, предложил Наруто. — Что? Значит…. Эй, Наруто… Никаких свиданий! — громко буркнула Харуно. — Ну какое это свидание, Сакура-чан! Просто сходим в какую-нибудь другую забегаловку. Вот, в первую попавшуюся! — улыбаясь, и радуясь своей идее, сказал Наруто. Девушка явно не доверяла парню. Нет, неправильно. Ему она доверяла как никому, но в данной ситуации ей было трудно поверить, что ее друг сейчас не устроит какой-нибудь сюрприз. Мы же все знаем, какой он ниндзя. — Я же всё равно плачу, — ухмыльнувшись, произнёс парень. — Ну, ладно. Пошли. Стой! А как же твой рамен? — удивилась Сакура. — Ай, завтра приду сюда, позавтракаю, — махнув рукой, сказал Наруто. Харуно лишь закатила глаза. — Блин. Завтрак рамэном, ужас какой-то, — сказала Сакура, явно не понимая некоторых вещей в этой жизни. Наруто оставалось только улыбнуться. Они действительно наткнулись на какую-то кафешку, в которой и подавали только , что… — Бобовые побеги? Салат из листьев алоэ? Что за травы?! Морская капуста? — перечисляя всё это, у Наруто всё больше и больше кривился нос. — Хе! Кстати, побеги богаты витаминами, а в морской капусте много йода. Очень даже полезно, — с умным видом произнесла Сакура. — Ну, вот и заказывай эту полезность, даттебаё. Здесь что-нибудь нормальное есть? — с невероятной печалью в голосе пробормотал Наруто, осознавая, что сейчас он мог бы наслаждаться своим любимым раменом вместо этой чепухи. — Это ты предложил нам пойти непонятно куда, — сурово сказала Сакура. — Да знаю я… — не отчаиваясь и всё же улыбнувшись, сказал блондин. Девушка не могла вспомнить, когда в последний раз она так много улыбалась за день. Ей жутко понравился сегодняшний день: спарринг с Какаши-сенсеем, долгожданная встреча с Наруто, удачный день в больнице... Какой чудесный день. Его точно нужно описать в дневнике — без сомнений! — А мне здесь нравится, — расслабленно выдохнула девушка. — Уютное место и здоровое питание, не то, что твой рамен, Узумаки. — Сакура-чаан, не начинай… — устало произнёс Наруто. К столику Наруто и Сакуры подошла милая женщина лет 30, поинтересовавшись, что желают молодые шиноби увидеть на своих столах, а затем почувствовать в своих желудках. Узумаки за время своих странствий с одним из самых пошлых мужчин мира привык к разным вещам: и к дорогим ресторанам, и к забегаловкам. Между прочим, это еще было не самое страшное, что пришлось пережить парню. Нахлынувшие воспоминания заставили блондина немного вздрогнуть, и он даже мотнул головой — типичная реакция на что-то, что тебе не очень приятно вспоминать. В то время пока Узумаки избавлялся от своих же воспоминаний, Харуно сейчас была удивлена. Столько лет жить в Конохе и не знать о существовании такого прекрасного места! — М..а…а у вас есть.. что-то на подобии рамэна? — смущаясь, спросил Наруто у официантки. — Мм.. нет.. Но мы можем предложить вам бобовые побеги в бамбуковом бульоне! Узумаки пристально вглядывался в официантку. Она, правда, думает, что жалкими побегами в бульоне она может заменить рамен?! — У вас есть зелёный чай? — совсем погрустнев, спросил блондин. — Да! С жасмином! — весело ответила официантка. — Ну… давайте с жасмином… — с поникшей головой отозвался Наруто. — Что будет заказывать ваша девушка? — Я не его девушка, — злобно произнесла Сакура, и тут же её тон сменился на весьма милый голосок, — но я буду салат из морской капусты и любой чай на Ваш вкус. *** — Спасибо, Наруто. Это было вкусно, — поблагодарив Наруто, пробормотала Сакура, пристально глядя в ночное небо. Небо, которое, казалось, в эту прекрасную теплую ночь заставляло каждого прохожего погружаться в воспоминания былых лет. — Всегда рад тебя угостить, — Наруто не остался в долгу и тоже улыбнулся, — а мне даже понравился этот чай с жасмином. Харуно на пару секунд закрыла глаза и только потом продолжила диалог с блондином. — Потому что он успокаивает. Шиноби аккуратно наблюдал за тем, как девушка наслаждается летним ветром. Затем отведя от неё взгляд, Узумаки ухмыльнулся. — Всё-то ты знаешь, Сакура-чан. — Время, которое я провела с Цунаде-сама, не прошло даром, знаешь–ли, — гордо сказала Сакура. — Она любила меня загружать всякими учебниками, чтобы я их не только читала, но, видимо, чтобы и подкачивалась, — девушка улыбнулась и одновременно обрадовалась, что ей удалось рассмешить Наруто. — Задания, миссия, задания… Не всё равно, не смотря на это, я все равно… Вот. То самое имя. Сколько она его не произносила? Год точно. Хотя, нет. Глупости. Она воскрешала это имя в мыслях, а это приравнивается к его произношению. У ч и х а С а с к е. Саске-кун… Сначала она плакала – все это знают, более того – все эти видели. Много плакала. Потом, после ухода Наруто с Джираей, она начала тренироваться с Цунаде-сама и времени было мало, чтобы думать о Саске — поэтому он ей являлся во снах. Потом она всё реже плакала, а он ей все реже снился, но Сакура продолжала думать о нём. Он оставил ей глубокий порез, который затронул сердце и душу, да и разум, чего уж там скрывать. Порез затянулся, но не более. — … я тоже о нем думал, Сакура-чан, я тоже, — тихо прошептал Наруто. Сакура остановила свой взгляд на парне. — И о тебе думал, — так же тихо продолжил блондин и остановил свой взгляд на куноичи. — Наруто! — злобно прошипела Сакура. Хотя это было больше похоже на некую защиту с её стороны. Она боялась? — Сакура-чан, успокойся! Ты же мой… друг, — явно опасаясь, возможности получить по любой части тела, Наруто быстро сориентировался. — Друг? — с некоторым удивлением спросила Сакура. Она знала, что они друзья, нет, даже лучшие друзья — по крайней мере этого хотелось — но было странно слышать от Наруто про их дружбу. — Ну, да. Мы же через многое прошли. Мы же команда №7. Мы же все втроем друзья! — широко улыбнувшись, воскликнул Узумаки. Харуно всё ещё продолжала внимательно рассматривать повзрослевшего товарища. — Я уже… — Давай я тебя провожу, — быстро затараторил парень, явно не желая услышать окончания фразы. — И не отказывайся. Уже темно. Мало ли что случится. Харуно вздохнула и тихо прошептала короткое "Ну, пойдем". Молча они шли. Каждый погрузился в свои мысли. Но если их мысли представить в виде облачков, то их облака можно было объединить в одно большую тучу, под названием Учиха Саске. — Сакура-чан? — раздался голос Наруто. — М? — Мы вернём Саске, вот увидишь, — в этот раз блондин не смотрел на девушку. — Я просто не могу представить, что может быть как–то по–другому, — честно признался парень, и Харуно это явно понравилось. — Хм, — Сакура улыбнулась и закрыла глаза, — Спасибо, Наруто. Мне не хватало этих слов, — и настроение девушки резко поднялось. — Хе-хе. Ну что ж, спокойной ночи! — зевая, сказал Узумаки, подойдя к хорошо знакомому обоим дому. — Спокойной… Не было никакой спокойной ночи. По крайней мере, не сегодня. Не знаю, догадывались ли Харуно и Узумаки об этом, предчувствовали они что-то или нет, так или иначе они резко развернулись в сторону приближающегося шиноби. — Наруто-куун! Сакура-ча-а-ан! — взревел знакомый голос сзади. — О-ой! Ли-и! Мы тут! — заметив парня в зелёном трико, Наруто крикнул и помахал рукой. Ни одной секунды блондин не засомневался, что это мог быть все-таки не Ли. Видимо, парень продолжал надеяться, что Гай-сенсей к этому времени уже снял свой костюм. Ох, уж эта наивность. — Я …уф… так бежал… Я обещал себе, если не успею предупредить вас до полуночи, то обегу на двух руках 200 кругов вокруг Конюхи! Черт! Я успел до полуночи! — с жаром произнёс Ли. — Ли! — рассмеялся Узумаки и, к удивлению для себя, почувствовал мгновенный прилив радости, увидев давнего знакомого. — Рад тебя видеть. — Сила вечной молодости… — продолжал густобровик. Узумаки продолжал улыбаться. Пожалуй, говорить что-то было бессмысленно. Было чертовски приятно видеть своих сородичей, которые никак не изменились. Разве что, внешне. Но кто сказал, что это плохо? — Что?! А, да! Прости, Наруто-кун! Цунаде-сама вас вызывает! — Блин. Я же говорил! Мало ли, что случится… И вот тебе, — с неким разочарованием произнёс блондин. Почему «разочарованием»? Ну, ребят, а Вы сами посудите. Выходной, ночь — и Хокаге вызывает на ковер. Пф, ну, навряд–ли ради распития чая и поглощения плюшек, верно? *** К счастью, но блондин и розоволосая, вместе с густобровиком, не были единственными призванными шиноби на ночь к Хокаге в кабинет. Придя к Цунаде-сама, уровень радости в Узумаки стал зашкаливать — здесь он увидел Хинату и если уж на то пошло — саму Цунаде-сама. Последняя, видимо, была слишком погружена в свои дела — впрочем, как всегда — поэтому она как-то быстро стиснула парня в объятиях и вернулась на свое место. Что касается Хинаты, то она изменилась внешне намного больше, чем Сакура — что правда, то правда. Хоть и Хината, пожалуй, была единственной куноичи, которая носила обувь для шиноби на плоской подошве, а не на каблуках, как это делали истинные модницы, было что-то такое в Хьюга, что кричало о том, что она, все – таки, девушка. Вы скажете «длина волос»? Возможно. Сейчас у неё были длинные, гладкие, прямые волосы, а не короткая мальчишечья стрижка. Руки, казалось, были такими же нежными, улыбка такая же невинная, а глаза такие же удивленные. Тем не менее, блондин удивился, когда Хината обняла его в знак приветствия. Именно тогда Узумаки почувствовал, что Хьюга хорошо подросла. — Наруто,Ли, Хината,Сакура и Какаши, — Хокаге обвела всех собравшихся взглядом. —Для вас есть срочная миссия! — громко сказала Цунаде. — Что за пожар, Цунаде-ба-чан? — всё ещё зевая, спросил Наруто. — Сейчас не до шуток, — кажется, Цунаде была просто на пике своей раздражительности. — Недалеко от Конохи под огнем находится одна деревня… — Что за деревня? — в разговор вмешался Какаши, который уже стоял в кабинете Хокаге. — Деревня Курико, —закрыв глаза и оперившись об стол, сказала Цунаде. — Курико?! — испуганно воскликнул Хатаке. — Это же… — Да, Какаши. В этой деревне живет тот самый клан и он был атакован. Выживших осталось мало. Так сообщает наш источник, — всё ещё не открывая глаза сказала Хокаге. — Тот самый? А…она жива? — всё так же испуганно спросил Какаши. — Да. Но если вы не поторопитесь, она окажется еще в большей опасности, чем сейчас. Я обещала её отцу … — Цунаде виновато посмотрела на джоунина, будто мысленно умоляя его отправится на помощь деревне настолько быстро, насколько возможно. — Этот момент пришел, мы должны помочь. Ты знаешь, как она выглядит? — Да. Знаю, — ответил Какаши. — Отлично. Тогда, ступайте, — громко произнесла Цунаде. Все собравшиеся к кабинете шиноби переглянулись друг с другом. — Какаши-сенсей! — воскликнул Наруто, когда они все вышли из кабинета Хокаге. — Я, в принципе, как всегда ничего не понял, — блондин услышал ухмылки девушек. — О ком вы говорили? — Я расскажу по дороге. А сейчас мы, действительно, должны поторопиться, — с тревогой в голосе произнёс Хатаке.
Volume 1 – Spring & First Love Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 1 Chapters: 10 Tone: Light, tender, school romance, slow-burn ⸻ Chapter 1 – The Seat by the Window Page 1 • Panel 1: Wide shot of classroom, morning sun through windows. Students settling. • Narration (Mio’s thoughts): “Another spring… another year at this school.” • Panel 2: Teacher at front, pointing to empty desk. • Teacher: “New student, Akiyama Haru. Window seat, next to Yamada Mio.” • Panel 3: Close-up of Mio, surprised, glancing at new student entering. • Mio (thought): He looks… different. Page 2 • Panel 1: Haru sits beside Mio, smiling awkwardly. • Haru: “Hi… hope I’m not in your way.” • Panel 2: Mio blushes slightly, returning a small smile. • Mio (thought): Why does my heart feel funny? • Panel 3: Close-up of both hands reaching for an eraser at the same time. Fingers touch. • Panel 4: Soft focus on their surprised expressions. • Narration: “A spark, small as it was, somehow lingered.” ⸻ Chapter 2 – Small Gestures Page 3 • Panel 1: Lunchtime, Mio eating alone at her desk. • Panel 2: Haru walks up, holding a milk carton. • Haru: “You forgot this.” • Panel 3: Mio blushes, accepting it. • Mio (thought): He notices me… • Panel 4: Hallway shot of them walking side by side after class. • Narration: “We didn’t say much, but every step together felt meaningful.” Page 4 • Panel 1: Rainstorm outside. Students rushing. • Panel 2: Haru holding an umbrella for Mio. • Haru: “We can share.” • Panel 3: Close-up: their shoulders touching. • Panel 4: Mio’s inner thought: Please don’t let this end. ⸻ Chapter 3 – Cultural Festival Page 5 • Panel 1: Festival night, lanterns glowing. Wide shot of the school yard. • Panel 2: Mio in a simple yukata, looking around nervously. • Panel 3: Haru approaches, pauses, amazed. • Haru: “…Wow.” • Panel 4: Close-up: fireworks exploding behind them, illuminating their faces. • Narration (Mio’s thoughts): “A perfect moment I wished could last forever.” ⸻ Chapter 4 – Illness Revealed Page 6 • Panel 1: Haru coughing during class, looking pale. • Panel 2: Mio discreetly slides a note: “Are you okay?” • Panel 3: Haru writes back on paper: “Just tired. Don’t worry.” with a small smile. Page 7 • Panel 1: Hallway after school. Mio watches him leave. • Panel 2: Inner thought: Something feels wrong… but I can’t ask. ⸻ Chapter 5 – Growing Closer Page 8 • Panel 1: Rooftop scene at sunset. Haru looks out over the school yard. • Panel 2: Mio approaches, hesitant. • Mio: “Do you come here often?” • Haru: “Yeah… it’s peaceful.” • Panel 3: Their hands almost touch. Close-up. • Narration: “Small closeness became our secret.” Page 9 • Panel 1: Side-by-side flashback panels of their shared laughs, sketching together, walking home in rain. • Panel 2: Close-up of their intertwined fingers, subtle blushes. • Panel 3: Wide rooftop shot, petals drifting in the wind. • Narration: “I didn’t know then that this happiness was fragile.” Chapter 6 – Rainy Confession (Foreshadowing) Page 10 • Panel 1: Heavy rain outside school. Students rush with umbrellas. • Panel 2: Mio walks alone, holding her sketchbook. Haru appears under a nearby umbrella. • Haru: “Hey… want to walk together?” • Panel 3: They walk, shoulders touching slightly. Close-up on their hands almost brushing. • Panel 4: Mio’s thoughts: Every time we touch, my heart skips… Page 11 • Panel 1: Close-up of Haru, smiling softly, slightly pale. • Haru (thought): I wish this moment could last forever. • Panel 2: Mio looks down, quiet blush. • Panel 3: Their feet step in the same puddle accidentally. Splash. • Panel 4: They both laugh. Narration: “Little things became everything.” ⸻ Chapter 7 – Festival Confession Attempt Page 12 • Panel 1: Rooftop at school festival, night sky, fireworks. • Panel 2: Mio hesitates, looking at Haru. • Mio (thinking): I want to tell him… but… • Panel 3: Haru leans against the railing, smiling nervously. • Haru: “Mio… I—” • Panel 4: He staggers slightly, clutching his chest. Mio catches him. • Panel 5: Close-up of their shocked faces. • Narration: “Life has a way of interrupting perfect moments.” ⸻ Chapter 8 – Hospital White Page 13 • Panel 1: Hospital hallway. Soft sunlight through windows. • Panel 2: Mio sits outside Haru’s room, clutching her sketchbook. • Panel 3: Doctor approaches. • Doctor: “He’s hiding a serious illness… it’s better you know the truth now.” • Panel 4: Close-up of Mio’s tear-filled eyes. • Mio (thought): I should have known… Page 14 • Panel 1: Haru lies in hospital bed, pale but smiling at Mio. • Panel 2: Mio holds his hand. • Mio: “Please… don’t leave me.” • Panel 3: Haru gently squeezes her hand. • Haru: “I’ll fight… but if I can’t… remember me, okay?” • Panel 4: Close-up: Mio nods, tears streaming. • Narration: “Even in fragile moments, love feels eternal.” ⸻ Chapter 9 – First Kiss Page 15 • Panel 1: Sunlight streams into hospital room. Haru awake, Mio sitting beside him. • Panel 2: Haru reaches out, touching her cheek softly. • Haru: “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time…” • Panel 3: They kiss gently. Soft panel borders, focus on intimacy, not graphic. • Panel 4: Mio pulls back, smiling through tears. • Narration: “A moment too precious for words, too fragile for time.” ⸻ Chapter 10 – The Empty Desk Page 16 • Panel 1: Back at school, Haru’s desk is empty. • Panel 2: Mio places a small flower on it, lingering. • Panel 3: Flashback panels: laughter, shared sketches, rainy walks, festival rooftop. • Panel 4: Close-up of Mio’s hand holding a note from Haru: • “Thank you for loving me. Keep smiling, Mio.” Page 17 • Panel 1: Wide classroom shot, sunlight through windows, empty chair in back. • Panel 2: Mio stands, looking out the window at cherry blossoms. • Narration: “Love doesn’t disappear when someone is gone… it stays, like petals in the wind.” • Panel 3 (Final Page Panel): Close-up of Mio’s hand resting on the desk, eyes soft but resolute. • Narration: “And some memories are forever.” Volume 2 – Confession & Loss Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 2 Chapters: 10 Tone: Bittersweet, emotional, hospital drama, first heartbreak ⸻ Chapter 1 – Winter Illness Page 1 • Panel 1: Classroom in winter. Snow visible outside the windows. Students in jackets. • Panel 2: Haru coughs into his sleeve, looking pale. Close-up of his strained smile. • Panel 3: Mio notices, worried, writing a note: “Are you okay?” • Panel 4: Haru writes back, faintly smiling: “Just tired. Don’t worry.” Page 2 • Panel 1: Hallway after class. Students rush past. • Panel 2: Mio watches Haru’s back as he leaves. • Panel 3: Close-up of her worried face. • Narration (Mio’s thoughts): “I felt a shadow over the happiness we’d built.” ⸻ Chapter 2 – Feverish Days Page 3 • Panel 1: Hospital exterior, snow lightly falling. • Panel 2: Mio arrives, coat buttoned tight, holding a sketchbook. • Panel 3: Haru lies in bed, pale but smiling. • Haru: “Hey… didn’t think you’d come today.” • Panel 4: Mio sits beside him, gently taking his hand. • Mio: “Of course I came. I’m not letting you face this alone.” Page 4 • Panel 1: Haru coughs softly. Mio wipes his forehead. • Panel 2: Close-up: Haru’s hand holding hers tightly. • Haru: “I didn’t want to worry you… but maybe I’ve been too weak.” • Panel 3: Mio looks determined. • Mio: “We’ll face it together. Always.” ⸻ Chapter 3 – Confession Attempt Page 5 • Panel 1: Hospital rooftop, late afternoon. Sun casting long shadows. • Panel 2: Haru leans against railing, eyes distant. • Panel 3: Mio approaches. • Mio: “I… I want to say something.” • Panel 4: Haru glances at her, softly smiling. • Haru: “Me too…” Page 6 • Panel 1: Close-up of their hands almost touching. • Panel 2: Haru sways slightly, Mio catches him instinctively. • Panel 3: Both faces close. • Panel 4: Narration: “In that fragile moment, words felt too heavy to speak.” ⸻ Chapter 4 – Winter Memories Page 7 • Panel 1: Flashback panels of winter school days: shared lunches, walking in snow, laughing. • Panel 2: Close-up of sketchbook pages with drawings of each other. • Panel 3: Haru coughing in the classroom. Mio’s worried glance. • Panel 4: Narration: “Every memory felt more precious, because I knew it might be all we’d have.” ⸻ Chapter 5 – The First Kiss Page 8 • Panel 1: Hospital room, sunlight soft through blinds. • Panel 2: Haru reaches out, touching Mio’s cheek gently. • Haru: “I’ve wanted to do this for so long…” • Panel 3: They kiss softly. Focus on emotion, not graphic. • Panel 4: Mio pulls back, eyes wet, smiling faintly. • Narration: “A kiss, fleeting but eternal, marked the start of a memory that could never fade.” ⸻ Chapter 6 – Days of Waiting Page 9 • Panel 1: Hospital corridor, empty. Mio sketches quietly. • Panel 2: Close-up of sketches of Haru smiling, laughing, and in hospital bed. • Panel 3: Narration: “I tried to hold onto him… even as he grew weaker.” • Panel 4: Haru sleeps, Mio watching, softly crying. ⸻ Chapter 7 – Farewell Page 10 • Panel 1: Haru’s hand slips slightly from hers. • Panel 2: Close-up of Mio’s eyes widening, heart pounding. • Panel 3: Haru murmurs faintly, smiling. • Haru: “Remember me… always.” • Panel 4: Mio holds his hand tighter, tears streaming. • Narration: “I whispered my love… but the world had other plans.” Page 11 • Panel 1: Wide shot: Haru’s hospital bed, sunlight breaking through clouds. • Panel 2: Mio alone in the hallway, holding her sketchbook to her chest. • Panel 3: Flashbacks: laughter, rooftop, rain, first handshake, first shared umbrella. • Panel 4: Narration: “And just like that… the seat beside me was empty forever.” ⸻ Chapter 8 – The Empty Desk Page 12 • Panel 1: Back at school, Haru’s desk empty. Snow falling outside. • Panel 2: Mio places a small flower on the desk. • Panel 3: Close-up of her fingers brushing carved initials in the wood. • Narration: “Love doesn’t vanish. It lingers in the smallest spaces, in the quietest moments.” Page 13 • Panel 1: Wide shot of Mio looking out the window at falling snow. • Panel 2: Close-up: tear slides down her cheek. • Panel 3: Mio clutches Haru’s note: “Thank you for loving me. Keep smiling.” • Panel 4: Narration: “Some memories are too precious to let go, even when hearts ache.” ⸻ Chapter 9 – The First Goodbye Page 14 • Panel 1: Flashback: rooftop festival, fireworks. Haru laughing, holding Mio’s hand. • Panel 2: Cut to hospital: Mio alone, looking at petals falling outside window. • Panel 3: Narration: “I had learned that love is sometimes measured in fleeting moments, not time.” • Panel 4: Close-up of sketchbook page with both their faces smiling. ⸻ Chapter 10 – Volume 2 Closing Page 15 • Panel 1: Wide shot: classroom empty except Mio’s silhouette. • Panel 2: Soft sunlight illuminates the empty desk. • Panel 3: Close-up of Mio writing in her notebook: • “Haru, I’ll always remember you. Always.” • Panel 4 (Final Panel): Snow falls outside. Narration: • “Even as life moves on, some love stays eternal… etched in the heart like petals in the wind. Volume 3 – Adult Mio & Reflections Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 3 Chapters: 8 Tone: Nostalgic, reflective, bittersweet, healing ⸻ Chapter 1 – Return to the School Page 1 • Panel 1: Wide exterior of the school in spring. Cherry blossoms bloom, petals drifting in the wind. • Panel 2: Adult Mio (mid-20s) stands at the gate, briefcase in hand, soft smile. • Mio (thought): I haven’t been here in ten years… • Panel 3: Close-up of her hand brushing against the gate, remembering. • Panel 4: Wide shot of school yard, empty, echoing past laughter. Page 2 • Panel 1: Mio walks through the familiar hallway, dust motes in sunlight. • Panel 2: Close-up of her gaze stopping at the back corner — Haru’s empty desk. • Panel 3: Mio (whispering): “You’re still here, aren’t you?” • Panel 4: Flashback panel: Haru laughing, giving her a playful wink in the same seat. ⸻ Chapter 2 – Memories in the Classroom Page 3 • Panel 1: Mio sits at Haru’s desk, fingers tracing carved initials. • Panel 2: Close-up of old sketches she kept in a notebook: shared doodles, cherry blossoms, small moments. • Panel 3: Mio smiles softly, eyes misty. • Narration: “I carry these memories like treasure… even now.” • Panel 4: Wide panel of empty classroom, sunlight streaming in. Page 4 • Panel 1: Mio notices a little girl outside the window, sketching petals in her notebook. • Panel 2: Close-up: Mio smiles, heartwarming. • Panel 3: Mio kneels beside the girl. • Mio: “Mind if I watch?” • Panel 4: Girl smiles shyly: “Sure!” ⸻ Chapter 3 – Haru’s Letter Page 5 • Panel 1: Mio finds a yellowed envelope tucked under the desk. • Panel 2: Close-up of handwriting: “If you’re reading this, it means you’ve remembered me. Thank you for loving me. Live fully, Mio. Promise me.” • Panel 3: Tears roll down Mio’s cheeks. She clutches the note to her chest. • Mio (thought): I did, Haru… every day. • Panel 4: Wide panel: cherry petals swirl around her, sunlight hitting her face. ⸻ Chapter 4 – Life Moves On Page 6 • Panel 1: Mio walking down a cherry blossom-lined street. • Panel 2: She watches children playing, couples laughing. • Panel 3: Close-up: little girl from before showing Mio her sketch. • Panel 4: Mio opens her old sketchbook, inspired to draw again. • Narration: “Love doesn’t end with loss. It continues in memories, kindness, and inspiration.” ⸻ Chapter 5 – Reflection at Sunset Page 7 • Panel 1: Mio revisits the school one last time, sitting on the steps outside. • Panel 2: Cherry blossoms fall around her. • Panel 3: Soft, imaginary voice of Haru: “I’m proud of you, Mio.” • Panel 4: Mio smiles, eyes glistening: • Mio: “Me too, Haru… always me too.” ⸻ Chapter 6 – Moving Forward Page 8 • Panel 1: Wide shot: Mio walking away from school gate, briefcase in hand. • Panel 2: Close-up: her sketchbook tucked under her arm, pages fluttering in the wind. • Panel 3: Narration: “Some love never fades… it simply guides the next steps of our lives.” • Panel 4 (Final Panel): Cherry blossoms fall, school bell rings faintly in distance, symbolizing past and hope for the future. Volume 4 – Teacher Mio & Mentorship Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 4 Chapters: 8 Tone: Reflective, mentoring, subtle hope, echoes of past love ⸻ Chapter 1 – First Day as a Teacher Page 1 • Panel 1: Exterior: School in spring. Cherry blossoms in full bloom. • Panel 2: Adult Mio stands in front of a classroom, smiling warmly. • Narration: “I never imagined returning… but life brings us full circle.” • Panel 3: Wide shot of students settling in. • Panel 4: Mio notices a boy at the back, sketching quietly. Page 2 • Panel 1: Close-up of boy, Riku, focused, messy hair, serious expression. • Panel 2: Mio’s inner thought: There’s something familiar about him… • Panel 3: Students chatting around him. Mio approaches. • Mio: “Hello, I’m your new art teacher. Can I see what you’re drawing?” • Panel 4: Riku hands her a sketch. • Riku: “It’s nothing special.” ⸻ Chapter 2 – Echoes of Haru Page 3 • Panel 1: Mio studies the sketch. Wide shot shows her gentle smile. • Mio: “No, this is wonderful. I see a lot of feeling here.” • Panel 2: Close-up: Riku blushes slightly, looking down. • Panel 3: Flashback panel: Mio sketching with Haru in school. • Panel 4: Narration: “It reminded me of someone I once knew… someone who changed me.” ⸻ Chapter 3 – Mentoring Moments Page 4 • Panel 1: Art club room, students painting, drawing. Riku sits quietly sketching. • Panel 2: Mio kneels beside him, pointing at a detail. • Mio: “Try feeling the wind in the petals… imagine it moving through your brush.” • Panel 3: Riku nods, focused, inspired. • Panel 4: Close-up of Mio’s thoughtful face. • Narration: “Teaching him reminded me that love isn’t just for the heart… it’s for the soul.” ⸻ Chapter 4 – Festival Preparations Page 5 • Panel 1: Students decorate school for cultural festival, Mio supervising. • Panel 2: Riku approaches, holding a folded sketch. • Panel 3: Close-up: sketch shows Mio at the school steps surrounded by cherry blossoms. • Panel 4: Mio gasps softly, tears welling up. • Mio: “You… captured something I didn’t even know I remembered.” • Panel 5: Riku smiles shyly. • Riku: “I wanted you to see what your presence does… even without knowing it.” ⸻ Chapter 5 – Graduation Day Page 6 • Panel 1: Graduation ceremony, students in caps and gowns. Wide shot. • Panel 2: Riku approaches Mio, holding a sketchbook. • Riku: “Thank you for believing in me.” • Panel 3: Mio hugs him briefly. • Mio: “Carry your feelings with you. That’s how people live on.” • Panel 4: Close-up: Mio watching Riku walk away, cherry petals swirling. • Narration: “Haru’s memory guided me here… and now I could guide others.” ⸻ Chapter 6 – Reflection on Love and Mentorship Page 7 • Panel 1: Mio stands on the school rooftop at sunset. • Panel 2: Soft, imaginary voice of Haru: “I’m proud of you, Mio.” • Panel 3: Mio smiles, eyes soft, remembering. • Mio: “I hope you see… I’ve carried you in everything I do.” • Panel 4: Close-up of sketchbook in her hands, sketches of students, cherry blossoms, and memories of Haru. ⸻ Chapter 7 – Passing the Torch Page 8 • Panel 1: Classroom empty after school, sunlight streaming in. • Panel 2: Mio tidies up Riku’s art supplies. • Panel 3: Narration: “Some love leaves only memories… some leaves a legacy.” • Panel 4: Wide panel: Mio walking through school gate, cherry petals falling. • Narration: “Haru’s presence lingered, but life moves forward… and so must I.” Volume 5 – Adult Romance & New Love Title: When the Bell Rang Twice – Volume 5 Chapters: 8 Tone: Bittersweet romance, healing, hope ⸻ Chapter 1 – A Chance Encounter Page 1 • Panel 1: Mio walking home after school, cherry blossoms drifting in the wind. • Panel 2: She bumps into Kaoru, books flying everywhere. • Kaoru: “Oh no! I’m so sorry!” • Panel 3: Mio kneels to help him gather the papers. Their hands brush. • Panel 4: Mio (thought): There’s something… calming about him. Page 2 • Panel 1: Kaoru hands her a book with a shy smile. • Kaoru: “I think fate wants us to meet like this.” • Panel 2: Mio blushes slightly, smiling faintly. • Panel 3: Wide shot of cherry petals swirling around them. • Panel 4: Narration: “Life has a way of introducing new stories… even after heartbreak.” ⸻ Chapter 2 – Shared Memories Page 3 • Panel 1: Mio and Kaoru walking side by side under cherry trees. • Panel 2: Kaoru glances at her. • Kaoru: “Do you like cherry blossoms?” • Panel 3: Mio smiles softly, thinking of Haru. • Mio: “I do… they remind me of fleeting moments.” • Panel 4: Kaoru takes a deep breath. • Kaoru: “Then maybe we can make new moments together.” ⸻ Chapter 3 – Past and Present Page 4 • Panel 1: Mio visits her old school with Kaoru, showing him the classroom and Haru’s desk. • Panel 2: Kaoru: “He must have been very special.” • Panel 3: Mio nods, tearful but smiling. • Mio: “He still is… in a way.” • Panel 4: Kaoru gently squeezes her hand. • Kaoru: “And I’ll try to be special too… without replacing him.” ⸻ Chapter 4 – Confession Under Cherry Blossoms Page 5 • Panel 1: Spring festival at school, petals falling everywhere. • Panel 2: Kaoru nervously presents a small sketchbook to Mio. • Kaoru: “I drew this… it’s us, walking here together.” • Panel 3: Mio flips through it, softly laughing and tearing up. • Mio: “You captured… something I didn’t even realize I remembered.” • Panel 4: Close-up: Kaoru leans slightly closer. • Kaoru: “Mio… will you give me a chance?” ⸻ Chapter 5 – Acceptance Page 6 • Panel 1: Mio’s eyes glisten with tears. • Panel 2: Close-up of Mio’s hands hesitating, then intertwining with Kaoru’s. • Panel 3: Mio (thought): Haru… it’s okay to love again. • Panel 4: Wide panel: both walking hand in hand, petals falling around them. ⸻ Chapter 6 – New Beginnings Page 7 • Panel 1: Mio and Kaoru strolling under cherry trees, soft sunlight. • Panel 2: Close-up: sketchbook in Mio’s bag, showing drawings of Haru and past memories. • Panel 3: Mio (thought): “Love can exist in layers… the past shapes the present.” • Panel 4: Kaoru smiles at her. • Kaoru: “Thank you for letting me walk with you.” ⸻ Chapter 7 – Life and Memory Page 8 • Panel 1: Mio pauses, looking at the school from afar. • Panel 2: Soft voice of Haru in memory: “I’m proud of you, Mio.” • Panel 3: Mio smiles, holding Kaoru’s hand. • Mio: “I am too… for both of us.” • Panel 4 (Final Panel): Wide shot of cherry blossoms falling, school bell ringing in the background. • Narration: “The bell rings for past love… and for new beginnings.” Manga
Chapter I: When Distance Meets Defiance Mia Tachibana used to feel everything — joy, love, sorrow — all of it. But when her father died, something inside her froze. She reached for her friends, but they turned away, or worse, mocked her grief. So she stopped reaching. The warmth vanished, replaced by ice. They called her the Ice Queen, and she wore the title like armor. The girl of everyone's dreams — beautiful, distant, untouchable. Cold to her classmates. Colder to anyone who dared to ask her out. At Mia’s school, a new transfer student arrived — Paßh. She’d been assigned to show him around, and at first, everything went smoothly. That was, until a guy swaggered up with too much confidence and a smirk that screamed popularity. Maybe he’s one of the popular kids, you thought. The guy grinned, leaning a little too close. “Hey, baby girl,” he drawled. “I was thinking... me, you, Sunday night, candlelight, a beautiful restaurant—” “F*** no,” Mia cut in, her voice like a blade. “You pathetic excuse of a human being.” The guy froze, his grin dying instantly. A few students nearby snickered as he backed away, red-faced and humiliated. Mia turned back to you, completely unfazed. “Ready to continue the tour?” “LOVE METER:-20” Paßh stormed toward the group without hesitation, fury carved across his face. His voice rang out, sharp and protective. “¡Ni te acerques! Si la tocas, te juro que te vas a arrepentir. ¿Entendiste?” The guy stumbled back, stunned, hands lifting in surrender as Paßh shoved him hard in the chest. His friends shifted as if ready to step in, but one look at Paßh’s glare froze them where they stood. The hallway fell silent. Eyes turned. Whispers rose like smoke. Paßh didn’t care. He spun back toward Mia, breath still ragged as he walked to her side. He looked at her—unfazed by the cold in her eyes, unthreatened by the frozen walls she’d built around herself. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that,” he said, voice softer now, though the conviction still burned underneath. “No one should speak to you that way. Not ever.” Her silver eyes narrowed at the sudden commotion, but she didn’t move. Arms crossed, she watched the scene unfold with a calm, unreadable face. The man who had harassed her moments before now lay on the ground, blood trailing from his lip. Paßh stood over him—fists clenched, chest rising sharply with each breath. She finally spoke, her voice steady, almost indifferent. “You didn’t have to do that.” There was no gratitude in her tone—only a quiet observation. Her Love Meter flickered, but barely; not enough to shift anything meaningful. She tilted her head, studying Paßh with that same unreadable gaze. “Why did you intervene?” She stepped closer, her black silky hair swaying with the movement. The air between them tightened, charged with something unspoken. “You could’ve just walked away.” Paßh’s jaw was tight, his voice low—quiet, but every word cut like a blade. “Ahora arrodíllate y pide perdón.” A tense silence stretched across the hallway. His eyes never left the trembling boy on the floor. “No me hagas repetirlo.” She watched the scene with a detached expression, her silver eyes reflecting nothing but cold calculation. The man on the ground whimpered, pride shattered, and obeyed, trembling as he dropped to his knees. His friends scattered, too afraid to stay and witness what might happen next. She exhaled slowly, her lips parting just slightly before she spoke. You're... unusual. Her voice carried no warmth, yet there was a faint thread of intrigue woven into the way she said it. She stepped back, folding her arms across her chest, her posture stiff—as if she needed physical distance from whatever this moment was turning into. People usually don’t bother with things like this. They walk away. Or they laugh. She glanced at Paßh for a brief second, then returned her gaze to the cowering man. But you... Paßh’s voice was calmer now, but the fire still smoldered beneath every word. “I don’t tolerate disrespect,” he said, his gaze fixed on her, not the guy trembling on the floor. “He walks through life believing everyone exists to feed his ego.” Paßh took a slow breath, shoulders still tense. “But not you. I won’t let him treat you like you’re less than you are.” A quiet breath. “Not now. Not ever.” There was no boast in his tone, no plea for approval — only truth. Something in the way he looked at her wasn’t demanding, but unwavering. He wasn’t afraid of the ice in her eyes. He saw her, even if she didn’t want to be seen. Her silver eyes locked onto Paßh’s, searching for something—perhaps sincerity, perhaps deception. But all she found was the raw honesty in his words, and that unsettled her more than she would ever admit. You don’t know me, she murmured, her voice low, almost a whisper. Why would you care? She stepped forward slowly, her presence commanding despite her stillness. The weight of her words settled between them, heavy and deliberate. She wasn’t asking for an explanation. She was testing him. You could have left. You could have ignored it. But you didn’t. Her Love Meter flickered—barely, just a sliver of light—but enough to register. A tiny shift, insignificant compared to the vast, quiet indifference she usually carried. Yet it was there. I don’t need protection, Paßh didn’t flinch, didn’t step back. His voice was calm, almost reverent. “As you wish,” he said, but there was no retreat in his tone — only respect. She studied him for a long moment, as if trying to decipher the true meaning behind his words. Then, without another sound, she turned on her heel and began walking away. Her black, silky hair trailed behind her like liquid shadow. The tour isn’t finished, she said over her shoulder, her tone neutral—neither welcoming nor dismissive. If you’re done with your little display, follow me. She didn’t look back. There was no need to. He would follow. People always did. But something about him felt different. Not because of his strength, or his aggression—but because he hadn’t asked for anything. He hadn’t tried to charm her, to impress her, to get close. He had simply acted, without expectation. She wondered if that made him dangerous—or rare. He followed silently, keeping a respectful distance as they moved through the sterile hallways of the school. The click of her heels against the polished floor echoed in the emptiness—a steady rhythm that mirrored the cool precision of her steps. Lockers lined the walls, plastered with photos of smiling students, but Mia remained unshaken, her gaze fixed straight ahead. The contrast between her presence and the bright, ordinary surroundings was striking—a dark silhouette cutting through light. Without slowing, she spoke, her voice carrying a quiet undercurrent of curiosity beneath its usual chill. “You’re not like the other transfers. They try so hard to fit in… to make friends.” She paused, as if weighing her words carefully. “What brings someone like you here… to a place like this?” She stopped abruptly outside a classroom door, turning just enough to face him. Her silver eyes were sharp, assessing—but there was no malice in them, only the quiet intensity of someone who expected answers, not excuses. You think I care where people come from? she said, her voice laced with subtle disdain. Or why they’re here? She tilted her head slightly, studying him as if he were some strange specimen she’d never seen before. Her fingers curled lightly at her sides—a small, almost imperceptible gesture of tension. I don’t care about your past. I don’t care about your reasons. All I care about is whether you’ll be useful. Then she turned back toward the hallway, continuing forward without waiting for a response. Still, the slight pause in her step betrayed her attention—she was listening, even if she’d never admit it. He didn’t rush to catch up, but his voice followed her, steady and composed. “Useful in what sense?” he asked—not mockingly, but with genuine curiosity. “To you? To this place? Or to something you don’t say out loud?” She halted mid-step, her shoulders stiffening ever so slightly. For the first time since the tour had begun, a flicker of hesitation crossed her otherwise unreadable face. She turned to face him fully, her silver eyes locking onto his with an intensity that seemed to make the air between them thrum. “Useful in the sense that you don’t waste my time,” she said, her voice smooth but edged with something sharper than mere coldness. “Useless people tend to disappear quickly. Either they learn to function… or they become irrelevant.” She took a slow step closer, her presence somehow towering over him, even though he was taller. The silence between them stretched, thick with unspoken meaning. “You’re not useless,” she added after a beat, her tone almost reluctant. “But don’t mistake that for respect. That’s just… an observation.” “Look,” he began, a half-smile playing at his lips, “think of me as a mosquetero—here to serve and protect. I come to the rescue of damsels, I love poetry—especially love poems—and yes, I’m a romantic. I’m always well-dressed, intelligent, interesting. I hate injustice, and I know how to defend myself… and those I care about.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Today, I protected you. I didn’t know who you were, but I stood between you and that selfish, arrogant coward—a man who values nothing and no one but his own pleasure.” He stepped closer, voice softer now, carrying a warmth that seemed almost at odds with the intensity of the hallway. “And now, querida mía, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Paßh.” Her expression remained unchanged, but a faint flicker crossed her silver eyes—a brief hesitation, as if she hadn’t expected such a speech. She listened, unmoving, as Paßh spoke, each word painted with poetic flair and dramatic flourish. When he finished, she simply stared at him, lips parted slightly, processing something unfamiliar. A mosquetero? she repeated, her voice devoid of amusement, yet carrying a trace of something else—curiosity, perhaps. A knight in shining armor? A romantic fool who speaks in metaphors and believes in ideals? She took a slow step forward, her presence imposing but not threatening. Her Love Meter flickered again, subtle but undeniable, reacting to the unexpected nature of his words. “You protected me… without even knowing who I am,” she continued, her tone measured, almost analytical. “I’m a gentleman… in other words, like Lupin,” he said, a small, confident smile tugging at his lips. “Charming, clever, a bit unpredictable—but always guided by a code.” Her lips twitched, the ghost of a smirk forming before she quickly suppressed it. She tilted her head, regarding him with an expression that was neither approval nor dismissal, but something in between—an assessment, a calculation. Lupin? she echoed, her voice flat, though a faint trace of curiosity lingered beneath the surface. A thief. A charmer. A man who lives by his wits and his charm, always one step ahead of the law. She folded her arms, silver eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him, as if trying to reconcile the image of a gentleman with that of a thief. The silence between them stretched, heavy with unspoken implications. “You’re not a thief,” she said finally, her tone clipped, stating a fact rather than offering an opinion. “But you talk like one. Why?” “I’m a gentleman… but a thief when it comes to love,” he said, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips. Her silver eyes locked onto his, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. For a moment, she didn’t speak, expression neutral, as if weighing the significance of his words. Then, with a slow exhale, she turned slightly, her black, silky hair cascading down her back like a curtain of shadows. A thief in love, she repeated quietly, almost to herself. That’s… different. She hesitated, the concept clearly foreign, then spoke again without turning, her tone distant, contemplative. “You don’t understand what you’re saying, do you?” She finally faced him again, gaze piercing, but devoid of cruelty—only the cold precision of someone who saw through illusions with ease. Love is a weakness. His voice softens, caresses the air with tenderness, his eyes searching to pierce her defenses with a sweet compassion. Paßh- You still don’t understand. Wherever I go, I sow love like stars scattered across the night. I am an eternal romantic, an unshakable believer in the tenderness of the human heart. Despite the storms I’ve faced, I never lower my arms, because I know that love has the power to transform everything—even the impossible. (He takes a step forward, his eyes burning with a gentle, relentless passion, breaking the silence around him.) Love is not a weakness; it is the secret fire that shapes us, the fragile light that guides our steps through the deepest shadows. One day, I hope you too will feel that flame stirring within you, even if today it feels distant… or extinguished. For the first time, her composure wavered—not visibly, but in the fraction of a second her breath caught, as if his words had touched something long buried within her. Her silver eyes darkened slightly, the cold mask of indifference cracking just enough to reveal a fleeting glimpse of fragility beneath. “You speak of love as if it’s something pure,” she said, her voice dropping almost to a whisper. “As if it’s not twisted… not broken… not used and discarded like trash.” She took a slow step back, as if needing space—though it was unclear whether it was to distance herself from him or from the memory his words had stirred. Her hands curled slightly at her sides, nails pressing into her palms, grounding herself. “You say you spread love everywhere…”He smiled, a small, almost teasing curve of his lips, though it didn’t reach his eyes entirely—there was still warmth there, quiet but undeniable. “In a way, love is everywhere,” he said softly, letting his gaze meet hers. “Like a parent’s hand on a child’s shoulder—gentle but unwavering. A silent promise in the darkest of nights.” He took a small step closer, careful not to crowd her, and the faintest spark of mischief flickered in his expression. “It doesn’t have to be grandiose to matter… sometimes, the simplest gestures are the most profound.” Her lips pressed into a thin line, silver eyes narrowing as if the very notion of love tied to something as simple as a parent and child was an affront to the complexity of the world she had seen. She exhaled sharply, the sound almost imperceptible, yet heavy with restrained emotion. A parent to a child, she repeated, voice cold, but laced with something else—something almost bitter. That’s not love. That’s obligation. Duty. A responsibility forced upon you by biology, not choice. She stepped closer, presence looming without threatening, just… there. Her gaze bore into him, searching for something she couldn’t name. You think love is something you can give freely? she continued, tone cutting, precise—but not cruel. His voice didn’t falter. He stepped into her gravity, unshaken. “Yes,” he said softly, each word deliberate, a balm against her bitterness. “Love is one of life’s rarest beauties— not something owed, but something offered. Freely. Bravely. It asks nothing in return, and yet… it gives everything.” He paused, gaze fixed unwaveringly on hers. “And you… you’re like one of those stars, so distant they seem unreachable— but I see your light. And I’d spend lifetimes just drawing nearer.” Her silver eyes flickered with something unreadable—perhaps irritation, perhaps something deeper. She tilted her head slightly, as if appraising him once more, this time with a trace of skepticism mingled with reluctant interest. Rare, she echoed, her voice smooth but edged with quiet defiance. “You call it rare. I call it foolish.” She took a slow step back, movements deliberate, measured. The silence between them stretched, heavy with unspoken thoughts. After a long pause, her tone hardened, colder than before. “You believe in something that doesn’t exist. That’s not rare. That’s naive.” She turned slightly, as if preparing to leave, but then paused, hand resting lightly on the doorframe beside her, a subtle gesture that suggested she wasn’t entirely done with him yet. “Maybe it is foolish to believe in rare things,” he said softly, unflinching, “but I don’t see it that way. I believe because, every now and then, life offers us a glimpse of something different… something—or someone—who changes the way the world feels.” He let his gaze linger on her. “You have that presence. When I said you were rare, I meant it—not because I expect perfection, but because there’s something in you that quietly commands attention, even when you try to hide it.” He paused, a faint smile brushing his lips. “If that’s naive, then I’ll wear that word proudly. Because to see something beautiful and speak the truth… that’s not a weakness. That’s what’s real.” She stood motionless for a long moment, silver eyes locked onto his, as if weighing whether to believe him. His words hung between them, heavy with something she couldn’t name. For the first time, she didn’t dismiss him outright. Instead, she absorbed the words, expression unreadable, body still, as if holding her breath. “You speak too much,” she finally murmured, voice quiet, almost to herself. “Too many words. Too much feeling. You don’t understand what you’re doing.” Her gaze flicked downward briefly, then rose again, meeting his with an intensity that made the air between them tremble. “You think you see something in me that isn’t there. That’s not rare… that’s dangerous.” He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. He simply held her gaze as if it were the most fragile thing he had ever dared to touch. “Maybe I don’t understand,” he said softly. “But I feel it. I feel you — even when you try to disappear behind silence.” He stepped forward just once, careful, precise. Not enough to violate her space… only enough to be near. “I’m not here to fix you or change you,” he continued, voice low, steady. “I just want to see you — as you are. Even if it means getting burned.” His eyes softened, his tone turning into something quiet but unwavering. “Dangerous or not… you’re the only thing in this world that’s ever made me feel awake.” The air around them seemed to still, as if the world itself had paused to listen. For a long moment, she didn’t move. Her silver eyes held his, and for the first time, there was no coldness—only something far more unsettling: a flicker of something human, something she rarely let surface. You’re wasting your time, she whispered, voice barely audible, as if the words themselves were foreign. No one sees me. No one ever has. She looked away, jaw tightening slightly, forcing herself to cling to the illusion of control. Yet the silence that followed felt heavier than before, thick with something neither of them dared name. You don’t understand what you’re asking for, she continued, her tone colder now, as if reclaiming the distance she usually demanded. His voice was quiet, steady, slicing through the silence like light through mist. “I see you,” he said, gaze unwavering. “Not the mask, not the silence—you. And I don’t fear what lies beneath. I only wish to know the truth about you… if you’ll let me.” Her breath caught—just for a heartbeat—a faint, fleeting tremor she refused to acknowledge. Her silver eyes held his, and for the first time, there was no mask, no pretense of indifference. Only the quiet weight of something unspoken hung between them. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with,” she murmured, her voice softer now, almost hesitant. “I’m not someone you can… understand. I’m not someone you can reach.” She stepped back slowly, the movement more ritual than escape, a practiced distance meant to protect. Yet the barrier faltered just slightly. Her Love Meter flickered again, more noticeably this time, responding to the uncharacteristic vulnerability threading through her voice. “You think you want to know me,” she continued, gaze sharp, tone edged with warning. “But you have no idea what that means.” “Yes,” he said softly, but with a firmness that left no room for doubt. “I would love to.” She stared at him for a long moment, silver eyes searching, as if seeking something hidden, something she couldn’t quite name. The silence between them thickened, charged with unspoken, dangerous energy. Then, slowly, she exhaled—a soft, almost imperceptible sound. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t look away. “You don’t understand what you’re asking for,” she murmured, voice quiet, almost to herself. “It won’t be easy. It won’t be pleasant. I don’t give anything freely. I don’t trust easily. I don’t—” Her words faltered, just for a second. That was all it took: a crack in the ice, a sliver of something raw and unguarded. “I don’t know how to be anything but what I am.” Paßh His voice didn’t waver. It carried a warmth that felt disarming, a sincerity too steady to be faked. “I’m willing to take the risk,” he said. “To know you—the real you—beyond the walls you’ve built.” He took a slow breath, eyes never leaving hers. “I know it won’t be easy. Things that matter never are.” His gaze softened, drawn to the quiet fire behind her silver eyes. “Your strength, your resilience… that intensity you carry—it pulls me in. It makes me want to understand you. To support you. To stand wherever you’ll allow me to stand.” He stepped just close enough for his presence to feel intentional, not imposing. “I’m not asking you to be perfect. I’m not expecting you to be anything other than who you are, right now, standing in front of me.” A beat. A breath. A truth. “All I’m asking for… is a chance.” His voice lowered, almost a vow. “A chance to walk beside you. To witness your journey. To maybe—just maybe—help carry some of the weight you’ve been holding alone.” His chest rose and fell, as though saying it cost him something real. “Because I believe—with everything in me—that you’re worth knowing. Worth understanding. Worth loving… in every complex, beautiful, and challenging way that makes you you.” Her silver eyes never left his, and for the first time, they weren’t cold—they were something else entirely. Something uncertain. Something fragile. The words hung between them, heavy, settling inside her like a stone. She had spent so long building walls, convincing herself that no one could ever truly see her. Yet here he was, standing before her, unwavering, unshaken. “You don’t know what you’re doing,” she said, her voice low, almost reverent. “You think you can just walk in and see the real me? That I’d let you?” She stepped closer, her presence immense, almost overwhelming—but there was no threat in it. Only something dangerously close to hope. Paßh “Well, my dear… if you ever feel like letting a little hope into your life,” he said gently, “consider me your introduction.” His voice carried that effortless warmth again, the kind that slipped under her guard before she could stop it. “Just say the word when you change your mind.” He took a small step back, eyes still holding hers like he didn’t want to leave but wasn’t going to push her. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Mia.” A faint smile tugged at his lips—soft, sincere, impossibly disarming. “And by the way… has anyone told you how incredible you look today?” He let the compliment linger just long enough to reach her before he turned away, hands sliding casually into his pockets. “See you around.” He walked off without looking back, confident not in himself, but in the possibility he’d left behind. She watched him go, the weight of his words lingering in the air like smoke. His departure was effortless, as if he had never been there at all. And yet… she knew he had. Knew that something had shifted, however slightly. She stood for a long moment, silver eyes fixed on the spot where he had been, fingers curling at her sides as if trying to grasp something intangible. Hope, she muttered under her breath, the word foreign and strange on her tongue. How ridiculous. Turning away, she walked slowly toward the exit, her black, silky hair swaying with each measured step. The Love Meter flickered once more, its needle trembling before settling back into cold, neutral stillness. She didn’t look back. “See you around, Paßh,” she whispered, and the words hung in the air like a quiet promise she wasn’t sure she believed yet.
Summer in New Thornebridge wasn't marked by beaches or pool parties,ait was the kind of summer that made you believe it'd never end. The air hung heavy with heat, carrying the scent of pine and dust, and the days bled into each other like the sky at sunset. There were no tourists, no noise. Just long windy roads, warm winds, and the kind of silence you only found in places where nature had reclaimed everything [that was only on the outside of the city the inside was ginormous bigger than most cities, it inhabited 1 percent of the worlds population.which may sound like a small number but there is 12 billion people in the world] Jackson loved that silence, he craved it. He hadn't told his mom he was heading into the woods that morning. She'd have flipped. She always did. New Thornebridges woods were the kind of place people told stories about-missing hikers, strange lights, voices when there shouldn't be voices. His mom believed every word. She used to say, "Those trees don't just grow-they watch." But Jackson didn't believe in fairy tales. Not until now. Lately, something had been pulling at him. Every time he looked out his bedroom window across the yard and into the shadowed tree line, he felt it: an itch, a whisper, not in his ears but rather deep in the back of his mind, his soul, calling him, luring him—like something had waited out there for years and had decided he was finally ready. He didn’t know for what. But today, he was going to find out. Jackson, Ken, Sai, and Doug—four kids who'd grown up digging in backyards, biking until their legs gave out, and making up games that lasted all summer—had planned this trip for weeks. It was their last real summer before college tried to turn them into strangers. So they packed up like explorers. Chips, jerky, trail mix. Fully charged phones, flashlights, and walkie-talkies. Even a paper map Sai had found in his grandfather's attic, full of weird old landmarks. Their destination: the legendary train tunnel. Sai had read about it in some conspiracy thread online. An abandoned tunnel from the 1940s, built during the war, supposedly sealed off after a landslide-or a government cover-up, depending on who you asked. Most people said that didn't exist. They were out to prove them wrong. "Bet you twenty bucks we find that old train tunnel today, " Sai said, fiddling with the straps of his ridiculously overstuffed backpack. "Bet you twenty bucks we get eaten by squirrels before we find it," Doug muttered, swatting at another mosquito. Ken laughed and tossed a stick at him. “Don’t give Jackson ideas. He already looks like he’s planning a nature documentary-slash-horror movie. Jackson just smiled, but he didn't say anything. He hadn't said much that morning. His head was full of static, the kind that made it hard to focus. Something was humming under his skin. Like static before a lightning strike. Two hours into the hike, Jackson stopped. "Yo," he said in a low voice. "Hold up. I gotta go." "Nature calls!" Ken grinned, tossing him a granola bar. Jackson caught it without looking and slipped off the trail. But he didn't stop to pee. He kept walking. Deeper than he should've. The air was different here, thicker, heavier. Like wading through water. The usual forest sounds—birds, insects, leaves rustling—faded the farther he went, replaced by a low, droning quiet. Almost like the trees were holding their breath. That's when he saw it. An old, rusted RV. Half buried in the earth, it might have been there for decades. Vines wiggled up its sides. One of the wheels had disintegrated into the ground. Its windows were blacked out, smeared with dust and time. It looked forgotten, a relic of the past. But it wasn't. Jackson knew that straight away. Painted in dark red, dried strokes across the metal siding were the words: “BENEATH THIS SOIL LIES THE The letters looked uneven, almost scratched into the metal in a rush. His heart thudded. But the thing that really perplexed him was the shovel. The only thing leaning beside the RV door, half-concealed in the weeds, was a shovel. New. Clean. The metal blade gleamed under the dappled light, untouched by time. It shouldn’t have been there. And yet it felt like it was waiting for him. Calling him. Before he could second-guess, he picked it up. And started digging. The earth gave way slowly, damp and dense. The deeper he went, the harder it was to breathe. His arms hurt, sweat pouring down his back, but something kept him driving. With every shovelful, the world seemed to shift. The colors around him dulled. The sounds twisted. Like reality itself was watching him dig. And then— THUD. He hit something solid. The earth quaked beneath him. The RV let out a metallic groan, like it was telling Jackson something that it shouldn't have. And the sky— The sky turned purple. Not sunset purple. Not storm-cloud purple. Incorrect purple. Jackson stumbled backward. The air distorted around him, compacting with pressure and electricity. His ears rang with the sound of whispers underwater. Shadows writhed. Trees stretched and leaned, as if trying to flee-or trying to see. Then—stillness. He looked at his hands. They glowed. Not bright, not blinding, but pulsing with something alive. Something impossible. It felt like his skin was just a disguise—and underneath was something not quite human. A quiet, hungry power. He raised a shaking hand. A rock floated into the air. He snapped his fingers. The rock exploded. His breath caught. Something inside him had changed. The world itself felt like it had turned a corner, and he was the one who pushed it. By the time he climbed out of the hole, the light was gone from the sky. The woods were completely dark. Cold. Cold to the bone. Too cold for July. He looked around—no Ken. No Sai. No Doug. No trail. Even the trees looked wrong, as though they had shifted when he wasn't looking. He checked his phone. Dead. He commenced walking. It took hours, or maybe longer. Time didn't feel right anymore. The streetlights at the edge of the woods flickered when he finally saw them, like they weren't sure if they were supposed to be on. His house was only a few blocks away. That is when he heard the scream. Quick. Short. Cut off mid-breath. He ran. Turned the corner—and stopped. A figure loomed over a body in the street, hunched and trembling. The light caught something in his hand-metal red stained. Jackson's legs locked. The figure looked up. Their eyes met. Cold. Empty. Wrong. The man then turned and disappeared between two houses, swallowed up by shadow. Jackson dropped to his knees beside the body. His throat closed. M-Mom? Her shirt was saturated with blood. Her eyes fluttered, out of focus. Her lips moved, but no sound emerged. Her fingers jerked, reaching toward him. "No," Jackson whimpered. "No no no- Mom, stay with me—please—" He grasped her hand. Tears blurred his vision. He could feel the power surging beneath his skin, begging to be used. Do something. Check it. Reverse it. He tried. He did everything. The glow brightened—and then flickered out. His hands went still. She died in his arms. He couldn't scream. He couldn't sob. He sat there, his eyes wide, staring at a sky gone purple, cradling the one person hed ever want to save, but he couldn’t save her. The stars above pulsed like slow heartbeats. Something had stirred beneath the earth that day. And it had changed everything. Jackson didn't know what he was anymore. But he knew one thing. Whosoever killeth his mother… Wasn't human anymore. Whatever it was, had just signed its name in bold letters in the book of death. Jackson didn't sleep that night, He sat with his mom until the sirens came, until they pulled her body away and asked him questions he couldn't answer. He said nothing. The paramedics looked at him like he was broken. Maybe he was. The purple was gone from the sky by the time he took off, but the emptiness inside his chest wasn't; he wandered aimlessly, his heart guiding his body where it needed to go. His feet led him to one place that made sense: Ken's garage. The old couch inside was stained and lopsided, but it was home base to every dumb plan they had ever made. The lights were still on. They were waiting. “Jackson!” Ken jumped up at the sight of him. “Dude, where the hell have you been? We thought you got mauled by a bear or something!” Doug was sitting on a cooler fiddling with a flashlight. “We looked everywhere, man. You just… vanished. And Sai’s gone. He split right after you.” “Sai’s not back?” he asked. “Nope,” said Doug. “Left the trail without saying anything. We thought he was chasing after you.” Slowly, Jackson sat down. He looked like he hadn’t blinked in hours. “I need you to listen to me,” he said. “And I need you to believe me.” He told them everything. The RV. The digging. The light. The power. The man in the street. And his mother. By the time he finished, his hands were shaking. Doug was pale, while Ken hadn’t looked so good since he drank that poorly brewed cider. “She… she didn’t make it?” Ken asked softly. Jackson shook his head. The silence in the garage set in like a heavy fog. Then Ken sat down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I'm so sorry, man.” Jackson's throat was raw, but he forced the words out. "I could've saved her. I had the power. It was right there in my hands and I couldn't do anything." “You don't even know what you are yet,” Doug said, voice low. “You said you lifted a rock and exploded it, that’s not exactly in the Beginner’s Guide to Resurrection.” Ken leaned forward. "Can you still do it? The powers, I mean. Can you show us?" Jackson demurred. He closed his eyes and reached inward. Searched for the spark. Nothing. His hands remained dull and lifeless. “I don’t get it,” he muttered. “It’s like it’s… locked away.” “Then unlock it,” said Ken. “We’ll help. We’re in this together, remember?” Jackson looked up. And something in him hardened. “Then let's start.” The training started the next morning. Jackson came back to the woods, to that place where everything started. The RV was gone—vanished into thin air, it seemed—sealed away by the earth as if nothing had happened. He meditated. Focused. Pushed himself. Pain was part of it-he learned that fast. His powers responded strongest when his emotions peaked, when his mind buzzed with grief or rage. But that wasn't control. That was chaos. He needed more. He practiced until his fingers bled, until stones hovered in the air, bending to his will, until he could twist a tree branch into a spiral with a thought. In less than a week, he could shift the gravity around him. Warp air. Tear a hole in reality and peer through the seams. When he came back, Ken and Doug stared at him as though they barely recognized their friend. "Jackson," Ken said, wide-eyed, "you're glowing." Jackson didn’t smile. “I’m ready.” That night, he stood beneath the street light in the spot where she'd fallen. He raised his hands and rewrote reality. Then it all fell apart. She was gone. Again. He screamed and fell on his knees. The universe didn't care. The power he'd been given was not enough, not in this case. But he could do one thing. He could share it. A week later, Ken felt it first. Time slowed for him—his own heart thundered, but the world moved through syrup. He lifted his hand and the second hand on his watch froze. Doug's was next. He blinked—and a door opened that wasn't there. A room between seconds, space bending around him like a second skin. A pocket dimension, empty and malleable: a safe place he could reshape. They weren't just kids anymore. They were a team. It led to the abandoned power station on the edge of town, the one that had been shut down for years. They found him in the middle of the turbine room. Sai. He turned slowly as they entered, his hoodie torn and burned, his eyes glowing faint blue. His arms were loose at his sides, but he didn't look surprised to see them. “You finally made it,” he said low. “Took you long enough.” Jackson stepped forward. “Where the hell have you been?” Sai tilted his head. “Where I needed to be. Learning. Changing. Like you.” "What happened to you?" Ken demanded. “The same thing that happened to him,” Sai said, nodding in Jackson's direction. “Except I listened to the voice. I embraced it.” Jackson froze, realizing. Remembered those glowing blue eyes. “You… you killed my mom.” Sai's expression didn't change. "I didn't want to. But she saw me before I was ready. She would've told someone. They would've tried to stop me." “You were our friend,” Doug said, his voice cracking. “I am your friend,” Sai said. “That’s why I’m warning you. Leave. Go back to your lives. You have no idea what’s coming.” Jackson felt a sort of, uncontrollable anger at that exact moment, an anger from deep within his own being. His fists were clenched; his teeth were gritted against each other. His heart and soul were battling each other-his heart wanted to take everything back, and his soul wanted to move forward until everyone who had ever done him wrong was gone. Sai's eyes were narrowed and suddenly his body was moving, quicker than the eye could follow. “Then I guess you'll die trying.” The turbine room shook, the two forces colliding: Jackson's raw energy against Sai's speed and precision. Ken froze time in waves, trying to slow Sai's attacks; Sai moved between, seconds like water through cracks. Doug opened rifts, trying to trap him in his pocket dimension, but Sai slipped through them like smoke. Both Sai and Jackson knew that Jackson was stronger, but they knew. They weren’t ready. For the first time, Jackson fought. He'd always hated conflict. But now it was necessary. And now he wouldn't be fighting alone. The turbine room exploded. Steel beams clattered, glass shattered, and sparks rained from the ceiling as Jackson's blast hit the concrete where Sai had just been, missing him by inches. Sai moved like a streak of lightning: the first second across the room, the next behind Ken, hand outstretched like a blade. Ken barely had time to flick his fingers. Time buckled. Jackson didn't need a second longer. He raised both hands; his veins glowed pinkish purple, and reality cracked. The floor split in a jagged line, throwing Sai off balance. But even in frozen time, he moved-twisting just enough to avoid the next wave of force as time resumed, like a snapped rubber band. Sai was already gone, crouching high on a support beam like a predator. "Not bad," he said, eyes gleaming. "But not enough." Doug raised both palms and a door opened in midair, a swirl of silver like liquid glass. From inside his pocket dimension, huge vines burst out, wrapping around the beam. “Try dodging this.” They snapped like whips toward Sai. He vanished. Then he appeared behind Doug, foot swinging in a brutal arc. Doug hit the wall hard, groaning as his portal fizzled. Jackson roared, fury igniting around him like a solar flare. The aura around him was a menacing purple; the air bent with the force of his charge. He blinked across the room and planted a fist in Sai's face. BOOM The shockwave flipped turbines, shattered railings, and sent Sai skidding back. Blood dripped from his lip. His hoodie was torn across the chest, showing skin marked with black etchings that were like ink bleeding from his veins. “I see you've gotten strong, old friend, ” Sai said while cracking his neck. “So have I”. In an instant, he was everywhere. Ken threw a hand out and rewound time by three seconds. Sai's last attack had now never landed. Darkness. Silence. “You're done!” Ken shouted. “Give up! For a moment, something in Sai's eyes flickered, like the boy they knew was still inside. Then the darkness swelled. The shadows coiled up from the floor like smoke. “No,” Sai breathed, voice echoing with something inhuman. “You’re too late.” The shadows then swallowed him. The chains snapped, sucked into the void. Doug lunged to grab him—but his hand passed through nothing. Sai was gone. Again. Only the echo of his voice remained, hanging in the dark like smoke: The lights crackled back to life, one by one. But they were alive. And next time… they would be stronger. “Next time… I will.” They barely made it out of the power station. He couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes, he envisioned Sai's face-the flicker of hesitation, the venom in his voice. “Next time… you’ll have to kill me.” Jackson knew he wasn't ready. Not yet. He had the raw strength, sure. He could bend light, twist gravity, and crush steel with a thought. Sai was different; he moved through space as if it didn't exist, fought like his body read time before it happened. But Jackson needed more than power. The next morning, he left a note for Ken and Doug. Then he vanished into the woods again. Not to the old trail. Not to the RV site. Deeper. He walked for hours until the forest swallowed up all signs of the town. No signal, no sound, just trees and shadows, with the pulse of the world beneath his feet. He sat on a stone ledge at the edge of a forgotten river and closed his eyes. The universe hummed. And he listened. Day 1 Day 3 Why won't you just be calm and embrace your feelings? Day 5 He stopped trying to force it. He meditated beneath a waterfall. Let the forest speak. Let time slip around him without chasing it. Let himself forget pain, forget revenge, forget control. The click of something unlocking. Like his soul had shifted into gear. He stood barefoot in the clearing, his shirt soaked, his hair dripping. Energy danced around him, but not like before. This wasn't rage. This was clarity. His thoughts were still. His power didn't scream now; it sang. He raised one hand and whispered: “Freedom of Reality.” The world bent. Space peeled back like paper, revealing a second layer underneath: a pure white zone beyond dimension. His body moved faster than sound, faster than thought. He blinked and was standing across the clearing. Every law of physics bowed to him. He wasn't breaking reality anymore. He was moving it as he wished. He lifted his hand, and the waterfall froze in mid-air. Hung suspended like shards of glass. He spoke again. “Continue.” Everything started again - as if it had never stopped. When he returned to town, Ken and Doug were waiting, wide-eyed. "What the hell happened to you?" Doug asked. Jackson's eyes glowed faint with pink. His steps did not even leave marks on the ground. Ken blinked. “You're gonna have to explain that.” Where time and matter and thought obeyed his bidding. Where Jackson became more than human. But that came at a cost. Every time he entered that state… He felt a little less connected to the world he knew. A little more like something other. And he'd need every ounce of it. Besides, Sai was changing too. Ken sat on the lawn chair, wearing sunglasses that were too big for his face, flipping through a dog-eared comic book and pretending like he wasn't humming along to the music. Jackson sighed. "This is weird." Ken didn't look up. "What, the fact that Doug thinks syrup goes on the stove?" "No." Jackson frowned. "This. Us. Just… chilling." “Yeah.” Ken grinned. “Kinda freaks you out, huh?” Doug kicked open the screen door and stepped out holding a plate stacked like a tower. “PANCAKES, LOSERS.” Jackson stared. "Are those… pink?" “I added strawberry protein powder,” Doug said proudly. “They look like crime scenes,” Ken muttered. "Eat them and get jacked, can't you just make it to where you aren't allergic anymore?" Doug said throwing a pancake like a frisbee at Jackson, who caught it mid-air with his powers and spun it gently like a plate then threw it back. “Look at you,” Doug said with a smirk. “All enlightened and floaty now. Mr. Freedom of Reality.” Jackson smirked back. “At least I didn’t burn breakfast.” Ken stood and stretched. "Alright, alright, food first, then we finally play the new Super Mecha Tournament. I've been saving this moment." "It's called being prepared," Ken said, pulling a small hourglass pendant from his pocket like it was some kind of badge of honor. They spent the whole day goofing off. The kids spent their time playing video games, taking turns jumping off the dock. Doug accidentally opened a portal in the lake and almost got sucked into a dimension full of bees-they didn't ask questions. Ken made time loop so Jackson was stuck in an accidental dance for fifteen minutes. At one point, they tried to roast marshmallows. Just because he could. But as night fell, as the fire had ticked down to embers and the lake was reflecting the moon in perfect silence, the mood changed. He sat alone, away from everyone else, looking up at the stars. "You thinking about your mom?" he asked softly. Jackson nodded. “Every night.” Doug came over too, wrapped up in a hoodie. “We’re gonna fix it,” he said. “Somehow. We’re gonna bring her back. And we’re gonna stop Sai. Jackson nodded again. “I know. Just… tonight, I needed this. Us. The dumb jokes. The fire. Even the pancakes.” Ken slung an arm around Jackson’s shoulder. “We’re not just a team,” he said. “We’re brothers. You hear me? End of the world or not-we got you.” He just smiled. And for the first time in what felt like a lifetime— He didn't sleep anymore. But Sai didn’t notice. The day he changed—the day Jackson did—it hadn't been random. It had been chosen. And it saw potential in Sai. A broken boy, sharp, angry, hiding pain behind laughter, full of love… and loneliness. It gave him more than power. Sai's abilities had no flashy name, no glowing aura. But it wasn't just speed. "Fate drawn in blood." It let him fracture reality through blood. If he'd fought you long enough, if he'd spilled even a few drops of your blood, he could see your fate-the strings of possibility branching from your body. And then he could cut them. Make your heart beat wrong. Make your bones forget how to hold shape. Once. Someone whom Jackson loved. Sai opened his eyes. He stood, blades of wind coiling around his arms like scarves. The candles flickered in fear. In the rear of the cathedral, a figure stirred. “You’re restless again,” it rasped; a voice like dust and smoke. Sai didn't turn. "They're training. Growing stronger." “I don’t doubt,” Sai said. “I remember.” He touched his chest. “I know what I have to do,” he said. “But I won’t kill them. Not yet.” “I still feel everything,” Sai snapped. “That’s the difference between me and them. Jackson’s becoming light. But I…” He turned to the shadows. “I’ve become what lives beneath it.” The voice hummed, pleased. And whispered: "Next time, I end it." Just a blur. A breeze. A storm waiting to strike. Jackson's living room had become command central. And on the front door? A hand-painted sign: “HOLLOW CORE — Defend the Light. Break the Shadows.” Doug raised his hand. “Do we get codenames?” “Yes,” said Jackson, without missing a beat. They trained every day. Enter: Master Sasaki. A retired martial artist, once rumored to train world champions in secret. Now? He ran a used bookstore on the edge of New Thornebridge, lived above it, and only took students "worthy of being punched through a wall." Ken was second. Jackson blocked it, but only just. He trained them with bamboo swords, ankle weights, and wooden dummies rigged to explode. He had them fighting blindfolded. He had them sparring each other without powers. And he had them meditating in cold rain until their breathing synchronized. And slowly… Then came the alert. Not the dark force behind him. Name: Aki Abilities: Cybernetic speed enhancement, combat-grade exosuit, electric arc blades. Cars overturned, smoke everywhere, and people screaming. And amidst all of them was a tall figure clad in black and chrome armor that pulsed blue with energy: Aki. “Looks like we've got company,” Aki growled, eyes glowing beneath his visor. Jackson stepped forward. Ken blinked out of view, reappeared behind Aki, and swung a crowbar through a slowed-time loop. Aki dodged effortlessly and countered with a surge of kinetic energy that sent Ken tumbling. They clashed: metal tech versus real powerz. Aki slid back, armor steaming. Jackson fought hand to hand, power flaring in every strike. But Aki was calculated: every punch a program, every block augmented by nanosecond reaction time. Then Jackson remembered Sasaki’s voice: "Strength is nothing without timing." He baited Aki. Feinted left. Kicked the inside of his knee. Aki blinked. "Collapse." Doug opened a void. They left him tied in carbon-fiber wire, police en route, as the crowd started gathering. Cheers. Phones flashing. Ken smirked. “We need better masks.” Jackson just watched the skyline, serious again. What kind of monster was running the syndicate? The room smelled of old pizza and burnt circuits. Jackson leaned over the busted helmet they'd taken off Aki, running his fingers over the melted wires and the shattered plating. Ken worked his magic, scanning it with his modified tablet. Untouchable. Until now. Ken pulled up the file. "Cassian Rook—ex-military, dishonorably discharged. Runs the Syndicate. Specializes in tech-weapons, black-market biotech, energy siphoning. Rumors say he's been recruiting enhanced individuals." Jackson's hands clenched into fists. "If Sai's working with him." His voice trailed off, tight and furious. Ken nodded. "That’s our lead." Jackson stood up, energy crackling faintly around his fists. "Then we're off to see the docks." The Mission: Night fell heavy and wet over Fox Hollow. Clouds blanketed the sky. Thunder rumbled far off, as if the city itself was holding its breath. Dressed in dark clothes and masks, Hollow Core moved through the abandoned shipyard. Cranes rusted into the fog like metal skeletons. The only light came from a few buzzing sodium lamps—and the warehouse at the end of the pier, humming with neon lines. “Multiple heat signatures,” Ken whispered. “And turrets.” Doug made a portal high above the warehouse roof. “In or out?” "In." Inside the Warehouse: Jackson, Ken, and Doug moved like shadows. They found the main room. Rows and rows of black-market tech. Weaponized exosuits. Serum canisters. And in the middle, a reinforced vault door. Ken hacked the security panel, fingers flying. "This. isn't just weapons," he said, voice tight. "It's augmentation tech. This is how they're making enhanced soldiers. This is how Aki got juiced up." Jackson shook his head. "Not yet." They found it tucked behind the vault. On the desk—a laptop, still open. He plugged in immediately. Files spilled across the screen: movement logs, transaction records, test subjects, enhancement experiments. And then they saw it. "Subject 000 — Raptor." "Subject has demonstrated exponential growth in physical capabilities. Demonstrates full awareness and the will to push further. Requires additional advanced augmentation support to survive further evolution." Alarms burst into noise. "They aren't forcing him," he said, his voice cold. "He's choosing this. He's training to beat us." Ken nodded grimly.