The evening had fallen quietly over Johnson's residence. Within the warmly lit living room, the air was thick with tension.
Mary's gaze lingered on the boy sitting opposite her. Her voice was calm, but firm, as she spoke.
"Enough." She cut through the silence, stopping him before he could argue further. "I understand your determination, your willpower—believe me, I see it. But listen carefully, Johnson. Having just a strong reserve won't cut it in this world." She paused, her tone softening but her eyes unrelenting. "I need you to withdraw from this field."
Johnson clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening as he lowered his head. When he raised it again, his voice trembled with desperation.
"Aunt Mary, I beg of you. Just give me this last chance. Allow me to participate in this last battle. Please."
Mary leaned back, folding her arms. "Even if I let you, you'll only be placed at the lowest rank of students. You'll be bullied, discriminated against, pushed aside. Are you still sure? Do you realize your own sister is a 'heaven ladder' above you in rank?"
"I know," Johnson admitted, his jaw tightening. "And I don't care. As long as I can protect my sister at all costs, nothing else matters. I will become stronger—through any and every means necessary. I must get stronger. I must move faster."
Mary raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering at the edge of her stern expression. "What's driving you this hard, boy? Why do you really want to become stronger?"
Johnson's reply was low, steady, and burning with conviction. "I must get stronger… so I can protect those I love. And so that I can kill the man who murdered my parents." His eyes narrowed into steel. "I must find him—and end him."
Mary's composure faltered. Shock widened her eyes as her breath caught. "Why would you say that? Their deaths were an accident. Forensics experts confirmed it. After the autopsy… their bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. It wasn't murder, Johnson—it was the fire that killed them."
"Don't you ever say that!" Johnson exploded, his voice thunderous with rage as he shot to his feet. "My father and mother were murdered right in front of my eyes!"
Rose flinched but quickly interjected, her voice trembling. "Johnny, calm down! They weren't… you never saw that. You weren't even there when they died. All we saw was fire. But even if you do get stronger, finding him won't be easy." Her fists balled as she bit her lip. "Even I want to punch him in the face… but what if you never find him?"
"I will find him." Johnson's eyes burned with resolve. "I have a hunch, a strong one. And if I don't… then I'll search to the edge of the earth, the end of time, the farthest reaches of the universe—and back—until I do. And when I find him…" His voice dropped into a growl. "…I will kill him."
With that, he stormed off into his room, the door slamming shut behind him.
Silence swallowed the room. Mary exhaled heavily, pressing a hand against her chest. "Well… that explains the many late-night trainings, the endless weight lifting in the garden, the running around the house." Her voice softened, almost a whisper. "I just hope he understands the weight of what he's choosing to bear."
Rose sat curled on the couch, tears streaming down her face. "You can't blame him. It's our parents we're talking about. And…" her voice cracked as she broke down, "my mom was pregnant when she died. I never got to meet my younger brother or sister…" She buried her face in her palms and sobbed.
Mary's expression melted. She leaned forward, wrapping an arm around Rose and patting her head gently. "It's alright, sweetie. Don't cry… John!"
The door creaked open, and Johnson appeared again, his expression guarded but calmer. "Yes, ma'am?"
Mary gestured for him to sit beside them. He hesitated, then obeyed. She reached out and patted both their heads, her lips trembling as she tried to smile. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up something so painful. I… I understand how you both feel. Rosemary was my elder sister. Losing her…" Her voice cracked, and tears spilled freely down her cheeks. "…it still hurts."
Johnson's face softened. He wiped her tears gently. "It's okay, ma. I'm not angry. I can't be angry at you."
Mary sniffed, straightening up as Rose wiped her eyes too. "Y-yeah. You're right." She managed a smile, though her voice still wavered.
Johnson leaned back, attempting to lighten the mood. "So… what's for dinner?"
Mary chuckled faintly. "Actually, I ordered some pizzas earlier on my way back from work. I'll need you to pick them up for me."
Rose immediately perked up. "Let me come with you!"
"Nope." Mary playfully chopped her on the head.
"Ouch! What was that for?" Rose pouted, rubbing the spot.
"That's for releasing your full limiters in public."
Rose froze. "B-but I thought…"
Mary smirked, cutting her off. "What? That I wouldn't find out? Never underestimate me, Rose. Besides, I was watching that fight."
"You… you were watching?"
"Of course." Mary shrugged casually.
Rose puffed her cheeks in frustration. "Then why did you bother asking us what happened at school?"
"Because I wanted to see if I was raising liars." Mary winked. "And also… I was curious about how you'd describe it."
"That's not fair!" Rose pouted harder, her face scrunching up.
Johnson laughed as he packed his backpack, slipping on his cap and earplugs. "You look cute when you're mad, Rose. Absolutely adorable."
Her face turned red as she pushed him toward the door. "Don't make fun of me!"
He laughed again, dodging her playful shove, and finally stepped outside.
The city of voyage city glistened under a transparent glass dome, neon lights casting a lively glow across bustling streets. Johnson walked steadily along the crowded sidewalk, his backpack slung casually over his shoulder and the scent of pizza teasing his nose.
Then he heard it.
From a dark alley nearby came a harsh voice.
"Give me your money, old man!"
Johnson turned his head sharply. Inside, a robber had cornered a frail elder.
"Please, I don't have much," the old man stammered, pulling out two coins from his worn wallet.
"You think I'm joking!?" the robber barked, raising his gun.
A shot rang out and at that same moment, a little girl sprinted across the street ahead, a massive truck bearing down on her.
"Watch out!" her mother screamed, horror etched on her face.
Time slowed.
Johnson's eyes glowed faintly, his body moving before thought could catch up. In the span of a heartbeat, he blurred across the street, snatching the girl out of harm's way. In the same motion, he reappeared in the alley, disarming and tying up the robber with rope torn from a nearby stand. The bullet that had been fired hung suspended in mid-air—until Johnson plucked it effortlessly and let it fall to the ground. He gently escorted the old man back to the safety of the crowd, then blurred again to collect the pizzas as if nothing had happened.
By the time the world returned to motion, Johnson was gasping, coughing into his hand as he stumbled down the street—blood staining his palm.
The girl blinked, confused. "Huh… I was just crossing the street…?"
Her mother hugged her tight, sobbing in relief. "Thank God you're safe! I thought—"
The old man clutched his chest, bewildered. "What just happened? I was… I was just…"
Johnson passed by silently, adjusting his cap. "Sir, you need to be careful of dark alleys. Please… take care of yourself." He pressed money into the man's hands and bowed slightly before continuing on his way.
The old man's lips trembled. "God bless you, my son. May heaven watch over you."
Johnson gave a small laugh as he turned away with his pizza box. "God, huh? If He really exists, then maybe He'll bless me with abilities tomorrow… ones strong enough to help people like you." He glanced at the smiling child and the grateful old man. His lips curved faintly. "Maybe… saving people isn't so bad after all."
Back at home, Rose sat cross-legged on the couch, still sulking. "But seriously, why didn't you let me go pick up the pizza?"
Mary chuckled, sipping her tea. "Your brother needed time to cool off. And besides… consider it part of his training."
"Training? Oh, you mean running?"
"Not just that," Mary said, her eyes thoughtful. "I have a hunch… that your brother has a unique skill. One nobody has ever seen in this world."
Rose blinked, then scoffed. "That's impossible. We've seen every ability there is! Gravity manipulation, brute strength, thought alteration, elemental control, super speed, flight—you name it. The world is overflowing with abilities."
"Super speed, you say?" Mary's lips curled faintly. "I thought that didn't exist."
Rose laughed. "It doesn't! Come on, is there anyone who can move at the speed of light? Nobody's ever been discovered with that kind of ability."
Mary leaned back with a mysterious smile. "Then remember this, Rose. There's always a first time for everything."
Rose fell silent, her gaze softening as she whispered, "I pray you're right."
The room quieted, the fading light of dusk settling in as their voices trailed off into the night.
End of Chapter