Inside the gravity room, silence held weight.
I sat cross-legged at the center, spine straight, body aligned with the breath of the universe. The air was dense, layered with invisible pressure.
Gravity Level: x10, the monitor read in dull green letters.
Yoga wasn't just balance and breath—it was awareness. And under ten times Earth's gravity, each breath became discipline, each motion a test of spirit.
Outside the reinforced glass, my mother stood with arms folded, watching through the observation panel. Elira Nox—the woman who never missed a detail.
She frowned. "His pulse is steady… but this kind of strain…"
The AI responded, "All vital signs remain within optimal parameters. Subject is adapting."
She didn't reply. Because deep down, she knew this wasn't ordinary.
But how could she understand?
I wasn't ordinary.
I opened my eyes and summoned the interface with a single thought.
<< SYSTEM INTERFACE >>
Name: Lyraen Nox
Age: 12
Species/Bloodline: Unknown Apex Species – Classification Incomplete
Combat Power: 2079
Abilities:
- Haki
- Transparent World
- Navy Six Style
- Fist of Flowing Water
- Complete Hypnosis (Self-Mastered: Derived from Kyōka Suigetsu)
The last one—Complete Hypnosis—was still in development.
Kyōka Suigetsu had shown me an illusion born from spiritual energy. But I didn't want to rely on the blade itself. With my mind sharpened through Gluttony, I analyzed every function, every wavelength, until I could begin replicating its phenomenon with willpower alone.
This practice had elevated my Conqueror's Haki. To suppress the senses of others, to distort reality, required immense spiritual force. Haki and illusion are now intertwined.
I exhaled slowly.
"I'm close," I muttered.
Later that evening, I stood outside the gravity room. My mother waited by the door, holding a nutrient shake.
"You're pushing yourself harder," she noted.
I took the drink without a word.
"Why the yoga?" she added. "You're usually all fists and shadows."
"It helps with control," I said simply.
She gave me a long look. "Twelve years, Lyraen. You've done nothing but train, study, and push limits most adults can't even comprehend."
I didn't respond right away. Then:
"It wasn't time before. Now it is."
She raised a brow. "Time for what?"
I stared into the sky above West City.
"To step beyond this estate. To explore the world. To begin my journey."
Seris appeared around the corner, hands tucked in the pockets of her jacket.
"So you're finally going, huh?" she said casually, but her eyes lingered too long. "I could tag along, you know. Someone needs to make sure you don't end up living in a cave or challenging gods on day one."
I arched a brow. "You'd slow me down."
She snorted. "Please. I'd keep you human."
But before either of us could say more, Elira's voice cut through the moment—gentle, but firm.
"No."
Seris turned. "What? Why not? I'm not just some brat, I—"
"You're not him," Elira said, her tone softened with something deeper—concern, perhaps even fear. "And his path… isn't meant to be shared. Not yet."
Seris stared at her mother. Then at me. "You better not die out there, freak."
I gave her a rare grin. "I'll bring you a souvenir."
She rolled her eyes and disappeared back into the house, muttering something about "space weirdos."
She sighed but nodded. "I figured this day would come."
A pause.
"Just… don't forget your way back home."
I gave a faint smile.
That night, I sat under the stars, cross-legged once more.
If I've judged it right, I thought, Son Goku should be my age now.
The Dragon Ball timeline was beginning.
The legends were stirring.
And I, Lyraen Nox, would carve my mark into it—not as a bystander… but as a storm.