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Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Morning Rush

It was morning, a few days after the examination. The golden sun shone gently on the Johnson's residence, casting its warm rays across the neighborhood. Birds chirped in harmony, fluttering from branch to branch, while the rest of the ecosystem stirred to life.

Inside the house, Rose Stonehart was preparing for school while her older brother still slept soundly in his room. She tied her hair quickly and headed for the door.

"Bye, Ma!" she called out, waving at her aunt.

Mary waved back with a faint smile, then returned inside.

With her aura glowing faintly, Rose lifted herself into the sky, flying gracefully toward school. The wind whistled past her as she thought to herself with pride, Now my brother can't beat me in first place when it comes to reaching school.

Meanwhile, Mary let out a heavy sigh in the kitchen.

"Ugh, where is this boy? Hope he ain't still sleeping."

With growing suspicion, she made her way down the hall and pushed open Johnson's door.

"Johnny, Johnny! Where are you? You're gonna be late for school, Johnson!"

The moment her voice rang, everything shifted.

In a blur of motion, Johnson immediately activated his unique ability: hyperspeed.

The world around him slowed as he darted across the room, cleaning it in seconds, arranging the bed twice over, dashing into the bathroom for a quick bath, brushing his teeth, dressing himself, and—most importantly—shoving his erotic Xbox under the bed where Mary couldn't see it.

By the time Mary's hand touched the doorknob, Johnson was already at the door, combing his hair lazily.

"I'm awake," he yawned.

Mary folded her arms, suspicion clear in her sharp eyes.

"Oh, really? Watcha doing all this time?"

"I… was getting ready. I just came back to get something."

At that exact moment, his stomach growled loudly. Johnson clutched it with a pained look.

"Food. Yes, I'm hungry. God, I'm starving…"

Mary sighed, already aware of his antics. She rolled her eyes, unimpressed by his attempt to escape with excuses.

"I thought you ate over twenty-two packs of pizza, six fries, and twelve hamburgers. Where did all the food go to? And again—you're not even getting fatter with all the food you're eating?"

Johnson shrugged, looking away.

"Well… I burn out energy every day. I mean, I'm a growing child after all."

Mary let out another sigh and, with a small wave of her hand, used her telekinesis to float a large lunchbox and some folded bills toward him.

"Here. I don't really have much money. Here's two hundred dollars—it should cover your lunch, right?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Johnson's face brightened as he snatched the items.

"Yes, Ma! Thank you very much, Mary!"

He leaned forward, pecking her on the cheek before vanishing from sight in a split second. A trail of wind brushed past as he sped outside.

Within moments, he caught up to Rose in the sky.

"Hey, Rose!" Johnson called, waving at her.

Rose frowned, clearly annoyed. Ugh, you caught up with me, she thought, ignoring him as she continued flying forward.

"Oh, come on, Rose. I know you can hear me," Johnson whined, jogging casually while somehow keeping up with her flight speed.

Rose's mischievous side lit up. Hovering slightly above him, she smirked.

"Let's do a race. I fly, you run."

Johnson squinted, reluctant.

"Nah, I don't wanna. But…" His curiosity piqued, and a sly grin spread across his lips. "What does the loser get?"

Rose's eyes glimmered playfully.

"If you lose, I'm gonna tell Mary about yesterday's match haha!"

Stopping midair, she charged her aura and blasted a point on the ground beneath her, leaving a scorched crater.

"We're gonna start from here till the school gate!"

Johnson stretched his arms and legs, cracking his muscles as he crouched into a sprinter's stance.

"Well, I don't mind doing a little exercise."

"Ready… set… GO!!"

Both siblings exploded into motion. Rose streaked across the sky like a glowing comet, while Johnson tore through the ground with blinding speed. Buildings, alleys, and city streets blurred past them.

But only halfway to the gate, Johnson's vision wavered. His knees buckled, his body screaming from exhaustion. With a final, desperate step, he collapsed onto the ground.

"Johnny!" Rose gasped, halting in midair. She dove down, panic filling her chest as she caught him before he hit the pavement.

"Dude, you okay? Ugh, why are you like this? Why did you even agree to run when you haven't eaten? Johnny!"

Her voice shook with both frustration and fear as she cradled him. Without hesitation, she carried him to the school infirmary.

Inside, the familiar sound of humming greeted her.

"Oh my, oh my, what's this? Is he dead yet?"

Sasha, the school nurse, asked with an unsettling spark of excitement in her voice as she rushed over, analyzing Johnson's body immediately.

"He fainted," Rose explained quickly, worry etched on her face as she handed him over.

"Oh, I see…" Sasha's enthusiasm dimmed as her expression shifted to disappointment. She gave a casual wave of her hand. "Well, don't worry. He's gonna be fine."

She assured Rose as she carried Johnson deeper into the ward.

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