It was early morning 04:30 AM. The city still slept under a blanket of silence, bathed in the pale glow of the moon. After the kind of ungrateful night that left my chest feeling hollow, I laced up my shoes and went for a run.
The streets were dim, barely lit, with shadows dancing along the pavement. The path was cracked in places, almost invisible at times, but my feet knew the way. I passed by The Meridian, then cut through the edge of Wister Hollow Park, and soon found myself looping around the quiet veins of the city.
This had become my routine my ritual.
I remember something my father once told me when I was a kid "Son, never come home beaten until you've hit them back tenfold. To do that, you've got to build your body and your mind."
He said it with a smile, that usual fire in his voice. And me? I just giggled behind his back, too young to understand the weight of those words.
Ironically, I didn't live by them. I held back. I endured until they crossed the line I had set.
And once they did... That's when I made them regret it.
✦ Flashback The Move to The Meridian
It wasn't long after that incident… Those memories. The accident that took my parents, the mess I left on the boys' bathroom wall in the aftermath, and the silence that followed.
I needed an escape. So, I moved. Hoping desperately for a fresh start.
My new destination Eastpoint City Core District, specifically The Meridian Building.
It was massive. Elegant and overwhelming beautiful both inside and out. For someone like me, who had only known cramped apartments and peeling wallpaper, The Meridian felt like something out of someone else's life.
The moment I saw it, I froze. The only thing I could say was "...The hell?"
It felt too good to be real.
And maybe it wasn't. Maybe it really was a scam. Because the room I got 19th floor, Room 1902 wasn't what I expected.
Just a single bed. A cheap study table. A wall-sized one way see glass window looking out over the city, as if trying to convince me I was someone important. A small bathroom. A compact kitchen. No curtains. No warmth. Just... space.
I stood there and whispered my honest reaction "Fvck."
✦ Life at The Meridian
I settled in anyway. What choice did I have?
I didn't go to college. Instead, I wandered around Eastpoint looking for work, filling the time with games, low-effort workouts, and half-hearted applications.
A "proper" job? Took too much time for someone like me.
Eventually, I took what I could a part-time billing job at a local counter. Boring, repetitive, and soul-numbing… but it paid enough to get me by.
Six months. That job paid the bills for six months.
And during those six months… I saw things. I tried things. And slowly, I began to notice the kind of city Eastpoint really was.
✦ Miss Kaoru Shigeno 29 — The Landlord
Let's start with her Miss Kaoru Shigeno, the landlord of The Meridian.
She's probably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in that age bracket. Refined, poised, graceful. The kind of beauty that makes you second guess whether she belongs in a building like this.
But behind that perfect exterior... the rumors spoke louder.
They say she orchestrated her parents' death. That she planned everything just to get their property, their inheritance, their empire. Murder hidden beneath red lipstick and flawless paperwork.
I don't believe it. Not yet, anyway. Because a rumor is just that words without proof.
Besides, I've seen her help the workers downstairs whenever she's free. Carrying crates. Fixing cables. Serving coffee like it's second nature.
So I never judged her.
Because really who the hell am I to judge anyone? I barely know her. And even if I did… what right do I have?
✦ A Shift in Life 1
I'd heard of NGTube a growing platform where people uploaded gameplay content and, like YouTube, made a decent living through ad revenue.
It sounded like a gamble. But then again, what wasn't?
So I gave it a try.
Over the past six months, I managed to gather around 10,000 followers, mostly from playing FPS games. It wasn't groundbreaking… but it paid the rent. That alone made it more than a hobby.
I didn't have anything better to do with my time anyway, Just surviving.
Then, one random day, something strange happened.
One of my videos blew up.
It was the usual a standard FPS match except this time I threw in some sarcastic jokes, a bit of dry humor, a detached tone.
I didn't think much of it.
But the audience loved it.
Overnight, my reach shot up to 680,000 views. Comments poured in. Follows stacked. My inbox didn't stop.
Just like that, NGTube wasn't a side hustle anymore. It became my main income, my career, my identity.
✦ A Shift in Life 2
My routine started to change. I wasn't living like a ghost anymore.
Sure, I wasn't rich. But I began to take care of myself.
I ate better. Bought clothes that were practical, not flashy. Enough to feel clean. Sharp. Present.
I understood just enough about money how it moves, how it multiplies, how the system favors those who already hold power. Why the rich get richer. Why most people spend their first real paycheck trying to look rich instead of learning to invest in peace of mind.
I didn't fall for that.
Instead, I chose discipline.
I focused on rest, health and time.
No shortcuts, No hacks. Just strategy.
And yet... even with stability, success, and structure there was still that one thing I couldn't fix Emptiness.
Until I met her.
✦ The Street That Crossed Fates
It was going well.
Dinner outside felt like a rare treat warm rice, grilled meat, and the kind of peace that comes only when you're not alone in your own thoughts.
I was walking home, checking NGTube stats on my phone as usual. The street was dark, barely lit by flickering orange lamps. The time read 11:05 PM.
Then I saw them.
Two girls walking ahead. And a black sedan creeping beside them, moving just fast enough to match their pace.
Inside, I could see four guys, windows down, voices low but rising.
I slowed my pace of walking.
I already knew what this was.
Not a coincidence. Not a friendly group of guys offering directions.
Predators.
My first reaction wasn't heroic, though.
Why the hell are they even out here this late… and alone?
But that thought faded fast the moment my eyes met the girl on the left the taller one. Toned legs, jet-black hair, a striking curve to her silhouette.
Same age as me, maybe a year younger.
Beautiful.
I caught myself staring and quickly rubbed my forehead.
"What the hell am I thinking…?"
I knew the reason the guys were following them. That beauty it was dangerous in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
"Yo babe!" one of the guys called out, leaning halfway out the passenger side. His voice was laced with sleaze and confidence that had never been earned.
"You're way too sexy to be walking around like this. Why don't you come over to my place instead of wasting all that on the streets?"
The girls kept walking, but the taller one didn't hold back.
"Go home, freaks. Where I waste my beauty is none of your damn concern."
There was venom in her tone. But the kind of venom that only delays predators doesn't scare them off.
The shorter girl tried to pull her arm.
"Let's just go. Don't talk to them just ignore them."
The boys laughed.
"Feisty. I like that," another one chimed in. "Bet you act tough now, but I bet you're real sweet behind closed doors."
"Seriously," the driver smirked, "you two even legal? Doesn't matter you look legal enough for me."
That was it.
The girls picked up their pace. But so did the car rolling beside them like a shadow that wouldn't let go.
"C'mon, just a ride. You scared? We're nice guys. Real nice when you behave."
The taller girl snapped back "Even if the world was ending tomorrow, I wouldn't waste my last second on a single one of you creeps."
Silence fell for a moment. Then laughter. Mocking, layered, and thick.
Those last words struck the guy's ego like a blade across his pride.
His smirk dropped.
With a grunt, the boss of the group kicked the car door open and stormed toward the taller girl like a bull charging at red. But before his hand could reach her, she spun, leg slicing the air
Crack!
A clean, precise spinning kick slammed into his ribs, sending him crashing backward into the side of the car with a loud metallic thud.
He groaned, grabbing his side.
Taekwondo? She knows how to fight...?
"Boss!" The other two thugs scrambled out, pulling him back up before charging at her.
But she was ready.
Her fists flew. One elbowed the first guy in the nose blood splattered across his cheek. The other caught a knee to the stomach and crumpled, gasping.
She moved like a storm quick, sharp, furious. But even the strongest storms slow under pressure.
In the background, the smaller girl cheered, fists clenched "Beat 'em all, big sister!!"
Her sister did. But fighting numbers alone… was never fair.
They came again, three against one. She blocked and struck, dodged and kicked, but exhaustion was creeping in.
Soon, they had her cornered back against a cold brick wall, gasping.
Two of them grabbed her arms. One hooked her leg. She struggled, teeth clenched, breathing heavy.
And the boss grinning now limped forward, bruised but burning with rage.
"Not bad for someone who looks so delicate," he spat. "But this is where it ends, bitch."
That's when the smaller girl jumped in, fists trembling with courage.
"Don't you dare touch her!!"
She pushed him aside but she was too small, too light.
He turned, eyes blazing, and swung the back of his hand at her.
Smack!
It hit her cheek, hard. She fell to the ground, holding her face, tears spilling.
"Y-Yuehhh…" the older sister gasped, pinned by the others.
The boss loomed closer.
"Or else what?" he sneered, stepping over the little one like garbage.
The pinned girl met his gaze, eyes burning not with fear, but fury.
She didn't scream. She didn't beg.
She promised "I'll kill you."
✦ Just Keep Walking
I almost caught up to them The boys. The girls. The chaos unfolding in real time.
For a split second, our eyes met.
Them... and me.
Their faces twisted in aggression. The girls desperate, defiant, afraid.
I did nothing.
I hadn't planned to. And honestly? I didn't want to.
My life was finally starting to make sense. Quiet days, stable income, a body that wasn't breaking down anymore. I was healing.
And I didn't want that to change.
So... I kept walking.
As I passed behind them, I felt something shift something small, but heavy.
Like a thread snapping.
There had been a flicker in the girls' eyes. A brief, burning hope.
And when I didn't stop… that hope died.
The taller girl struggled harder, her voice rising, defiant but trembling "Let go of me…!"
The younger one was curled on the ground, eyes wide, bruised but watching.
Then it came A sound that wasn't loud, but wasn't quiet either "...Help…"
It wasn't a scream. Not a whisper either. Just one word.
Spoken into the night air, halfway between desperation and resignation.
I kept walking.
But that voice…
That single word...
It followed me.
And somehow, I knew it wouldn't leave me alone.
✦ The Moment That Breaks You
The boss turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing at the smaller girl on the ground Yueh, clutching her reddened cheek.
"Get the kid," he ordered, nodding at the musclehead holding the older girl's right arm.
The bulky guy smirked, letting go of the girl for a moment. She struggled, but the other thug still had her pinned.
His boots crunched against the pavement as he walked toward Yueh slowly. Like a predator savoring the moment.
The boss, meanwhile, stepped closer to the older sister, cracking his knuckles.
"Tch. You should've just played nice," he sneered, reaching for her face.
Her eyes didn't blink. Her teeth gritted. But her body still trapped.
"Don't touch me."
"Or what?" he taunted.
His hand hovered inches from her skin grimy fingers aching to steal whatever dignity she had left.
Yueh pushed herself up on one elbow, backing away on the asphalt.
"D-Don't come near me…"
The muscle guy didn't stop. He smiled, slow and twisted "C'mon now, little kitten. You tried to scratch the boss. You gotta pay for that, yeah?"
She whimpered, scooting until her back hit the wall behind her.
Nowhere left to go.
Her eyes searched the street wild, desperate until they landed on me again.
Still standing. Still watching. Still... silent.
She didn't say anything this time.
Not even "help."
She just looked at me, like maybe I was the last card in a deck that was already burning.
✦ When Silence Strikes Back
The muscle guy loomed over Yueh, his shadow swallowing her small frame. His hand reached down, fingers twitching like claws ready to grab.
"N-No… stop, please—!"
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Then, I moved.
Fast.
My hand shot forward, catching his wrist mid-air.
His skin was rough. His wrist huge. But big doesn't always mean strong.
I tightened my grip, Crack.
Something inside snapped. His scream tore through the street.
I leaned in, still holding his broken wrist in my grasp, and muttered with a smirk "Damn. For someone that huge, you scream like a toddler dropped his ice cream."
That sarcasm wasn't just for laughs. I was changing the atmosphere taking control, shifting the fear away from them.
I wasn't just me anymore.
I was the kind of person they could believe in. Even just for tonight.
He staggered, trying to pull back, but I didn't let go. Instead, I yanked his arm down, forcing his upper body to dip.
And then, BAM.
My knee collided with his face.
A sickening thud. His head snapped back. He dropped to the ground screaming, blood spilling from his nose, breath ragged.
I exhaled.
Then crouched slightly, turning to Yueh still frozen, eyes wide.
"You okay?" I asked, voice lower now, softer.
She didn't answer. Didn't nod. Didn't move.
I reached out gently and took her hand.
It trembled as I helped her to her feet.
"You're safe now," I said. "I promise."
For now, that's all I could give her.
✦ Make Me Regret It
The boss glared at me, lips curling into a sneer.
"Wow… tryna play the hero, huh? This'll be the worst mistake you've ever made and will regret it, kid."
I looked at him, head slightly tilted, like I'd just spotted a mosquito that learned how to talk.
"Make me regret it," I said, flat and unbothered.
That wiped half the smirk off his face.
"Get him!"
The guy who'd been holding the tall girl stepped forward. He looked tough lean muscle, sharp shoulders, probably skipped leg day, but at least he wasn't posing like the last one.
The tall girl wiped blood off her lip, narrowed her eyes.
"That's the one who had me," she muttered coldly.
Yueh instinctively moved closer. I felt her small hands grab the back of my shirt, trembling.
Well, now I've got a backpack full of trauma. Perfect.
The guy drew a knife. The streetlight made it gleam dramatic, sure, but it didn't change the fact that he held it like a drunk cosplaying an assassin.
He lunged.
Messy, Panicked, Predictable.
He swung the blade down toward my chest.
I sidestepped casually, catching his wrist and shoving it away.
Then, CRACK.
My elbow slammed into his throat.
He choked, stumbled, but came back again, slashing wildly.
This time I ducked under the arc, slid in close.
Hook, Twist, POP.
His shoulder dislocated.
The scream was deliciously pathetic.
"Whoa," I said. "Is that the sound of your confidence dislocating too?"
The knife dropped.
He tried to backpedal.
Nope.
I clocked him in the jaw. His head snapped back like a bobblehead on caffeine.
One clean kick to the back of his knee. He dropped like bad Wi-Fi.
I caught his collar before he hit the pavement and leaned in.
"Tell your boss… I'm just getting warmed up."
Then I slammed his head into the ground like dropping a mic.
He didn't get up.
I stood, exhaled, and rolled my neck.
"Two down," I muttered. "At this rate, I'll need a punch card."
I looked at the boss.
Not smiling now, huh?
His stance shifted.
No more cool guy routine. No more "I run the streets."
Just clenched fists and regret marinating in silence.
Yueh still clung to my back like an overloaded school bag.
And the tall girl?
She stood straighter. Eyes locked on me.
Probably wondering what kind of psycho throws quips mid-fight.
Spoiler: this one does.
✦ Heavy Is the Fist That Falls
The boss didn't speak much now.
His fake swagger melted into quiet fury as he nodded toward the car "Oi. Go crush him."
The last one stepped out.
He didn't yell. Didn't rush. Just… walked.
A human slab of meat with a scar slicing across his eye, wearing a hoodie like it was stitched out of gym mats.
He wasn't shaking.
We were.
The ground vibrated a little with each step.
He shut his phone camera off.
Oh. So the fun part wasn't worth filming, huh?
I could feel Yueh clinging tightly behind me, her small hands gripping my shirt like life support.
The guy stopped.
Just stood there built like a siege weapon.
"You broke my boys," he said. "I respect that."
"Thanks," I said. "Let's skip the weird flirting though."
He cracked his neck once left, once right.
"But now you break."
He lunged.
I moved well, tried to.
Oh right.
"Yueh," I muttered over my shoulder, twisting. "I love the support, but unless you want your spine turned into concrete art, let go!"
She blinked froze and immediately let go, stumbling behind the tall girl, who pulled her back protectively.
Just in time.
BOOM.
His fist struck where I had stood not my body, but the ground.
The entire sidewalk cracked like shattered ice.
Dust exploded upward.
Chunks of stone flew into parked cars, one of which blared its alarm like a dying animal.
I whistled.
"Damn, bro. You punch like you're trying to dig to hell. You got beef with the Earth's crust?"
He didn't reply. Just came again.
Another punch I ducked.
His fist hit a lamppost.
BZZZT—SPARK!
The light burst above us, showering sparks. The post tilted, groaning.
I kicked his shin. It was like kicking a moving bike rack.
He threw a backhand grazed my shoulder I flew three steps back, skidding.
Yueh gasped. The tall girl flinched, ready to step in.
I raised a hand.
"Nope. I got this. It's just a hug... delivered at Mach 2."
He charged again. Too direct.
I dashed forward at the last second slid low like a baseball player under a train.
I popped up behind him, grabbed his hoodie, and yanked.
He staggered I wrapped my arm around his neck
He spun, slamming me into a car hood Metal caved in.
"Okay," I coughed. "That's one way to total a Hyundai."
He grabbed my leg. Tried to throw me.
I let him.
Mid-air, I twisted landed on the wall behind him. Pushed off.
Flying knee STRAIGHT to his jaw.
His head snapped back He roared, arms flailing.
I landed. Kicked his kneecap. Swept his other leg.
He staggered. I grabbed him by the collar and whispered:
"Hey. Fun fact. Gravity still works."
I flipped him over my shoulder.
BOOM.
The pavement gave in. A crater formed under his body like he'd been meteor-dropped.
He didn't get up.
I stood over him, panting.
Dust settled. Sparks fizzled in the air.
I turned to the girls both wide eyed, speechless.
"Sorry about the mess. He started it."
Silence.
"Also," I added, wiping blood off my lip, "don't cling next time unless you want VIP seats to a suplex."
The boss stared, his whole body tight.
But he wasn't stupid.
"We're done here," he muttered. "Let's go."
They dragged the unconscious brute back into the car.
As they sped off, tires squealing, I waved halfheartedly.
"Come back when your ego finishes therapy."
I finally exhaled.
The street was wrecked. One lamppost still flickering. Half a car hood crushed. And in the middle of it all me.
Alive.
Still standing.
"So," I muttered, turning to Yueh. "Ice cream?"
✦ New Neighbours, Same Floor... Seriously?
The taller girl stepped forward, still keeping Yueh close to her side. Her arms were scraped, her jacket half-torn but her posture was steady.
"Thank you... so much for saving us," she said, voice sincere.
No overreaction. No dramatics.
Just quiet gratitude.
She met my eyes and finally introduced herself.
"I'm Lin."
Yueh peeked out from behind her arm and gave a small nod. Still shaken, but present.
Lin 20. Around my height. About 5'11", lean and toned but with curves that didn't lie. She moved like someone who knew exactly what she was capable of.
Yueh 14, 5'6", built similarly. Smaller frame, but same sharp bone structure and striking presence.
I could tell all that from one glance.
Maybe that's what happens after years of gaming and character creation: you start mentally assigning people stats.
They gave just their first names.
So I did the same.
"Yuu. Just Yuu."
Lin gave a soft smile.
"Just Lin. This trouble magnet's Yueh."
"I heard that," Yueh muttered, frowning at her sister's arm.
We started walking.
Streets were quiet now. Wind whistled through broken alley fences. Yueh clung tightly to Lin's arm. I walked just beside them close enough to talk, far enough to breathe.
"So," I said, keeping it casual. "You take martial arts seriously?"
"Taekwondo. Since I was nine," Lin replied, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.
I glanced at her. Replayed the kick in my mind.
"That spinning kick back there? You looked seriously cool pulling that off."
She raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Cool, huh?"
"Yeah. The type of move that plays right before a health bar shows up on screen."
She gave a laugh short but real.
"Thanks. Didn't think I looked cool when I'm bleeding."
"Most people don't," I said, smirking. "But you're not most people."
The silence after that wasn't awkward.
It was... balanced.
We moved through a side path near the park, the earlier fight still echoing in my joints. But strangely, I didn't mind the company.
"Where do you guys live?" I asked.
"Eastpoint Core," Lin replied. "The Meridian."
I blinked.
"...Wait. The Meridian building?"
"Yeah?"
"No way."
Of course. The night wasn't done throwing clichés at me.
We reached the building lobby, took the elevator me on the right, Lin on the left, Yueh in between.
A quiet ding.
Floor 19.
We stepped out in sync.
Walked down the hallway.
I stopped at 1902. Lin pulled out a key to 1901.
We both looked at each other.
"You're kidding," I muttered.
Lin stared for a beat, then laughed under her breath.
"Guess fate ships us now."
Yueh blinked between us.
I shook my head and unlocked my door.
"Great. Neighbours. Just what a peaceful loner like me needed."
But even I could tell... I didn't sound annoyed.
Just surprised.
And maybe maybe a little less empty than I'd been just an hour ago.
✦ Morning Peace, Incoming Storm
This is where the flashbacks end. Two beautiful girls. One surreal night. A broken routine stitched together by coincidence and bloodied knuckles.
I ended my half hearted morning workout it's three sets of push ups and a jog that nearly killed my lungs counted and trudged back home.
Room 1902.
Same door. Different life now.
I opened it.
"Welcome back," Yueh chirped, already lounging on my beanbag chair like she paid rent.
Lin stood behind her, tying her hair into a bun, sleeves rolled up, casual and oddly domestic.
"You're late," she said flatly. "Breakfast is almost cold."
"You guys sleep well?" I asked, kicking off my shoes and heading in.
We had grown… close. Not enough to sleep in the same room not like I'd survive it anyway, considering the size of this apartment. Still, they had their own place right next door.
They just… kinda stayed here. All the time.
"We crashed fine," Lin said, plating scrambled eggs and toast. "Yueh snored like an old man."
"I did not!" Yueh whined, clinging to my arm like a sloth. "She's just mad because I kept kicking her."
"You did kick me. In the stomach."
"I was dreaming of karate."
"You don't know karate."
"Doesn't mean I can't dream it!"
They bickered like actual siblings. And weirdly, I found myself smiling through it.
By now, Yueh was like a clingy little sister. And Lin…
Yeah. Still complicated.
I sat at my desk and booted up my PC.
"You better not be skipping breakfast," Lin warned, setting the plate beside my keyboard.
"Multitasking," I said, sliding a bite of toast into my mouth while my game loaded. "Professional gamer nutrition. Keyboard crumbs taste like victory."
"You're going to die of sodium."
"Yeah, but I'll top the leaderboard before I go."
Yueh giggled, still latched onto my shoulder like I was her personal pillow.
"Why do you even like him?" she asked Lin suddenly.
Both of us froze.
"Wha— Yueh, what?" I coughed.
"I didn't say I liked him," Lin replied coolly, though her chopsticks paused in midair for a beat too long.
"You so do," Yueh grinned. "You watch him when he's not looking."
"I watch everyone."
"Creepy."
"You're talking while holding onto him like a koala."
"Yeah, he's warm."
I was just... existing at this point.
"I'm literally just trying to survive and play an FPS match, why am I the battleground here?"
They ignored me.
Like usual.
Lin sipped her coffee by the window, watching the skyline like a soldier waiting for gunfire.
We were normal.
Stupidly normal.
Three people who shouldn't have belonged together, and somehow did.
They colored my lifeless, hopeless existence. And I didn't even realize how empty it'd been until they showed up.
The world was still a mess. My problems weren't gone. But I had something now.
A routine, Warmth, Noise.
But the little we knew.
Something was coming.
A storm big enough to shatter the glass.
Something not even god could stop if he exists, that is.