Raven was enjoying a hot shower; he hadn't taken one since he had transmigrated into this world, and he was in a very sentimental mood. Memories of his friends, his parents, and even his manager, who used to nag him, kept flashing in his mind.
"I will find a way back," he thought, resolving himself.
He was alone in the police station's showers, relaxing under the streams of hot water. After a bit of time had passed, Raven reluctantly turned the tap off and walked over to the towel rack. As he walked, he saw his reflection in the mirror.
The changes in his physique were subtle but noticeable. His pale skin seemed healthier, his muscles a bit more pronounced. He looked slender and lean instead of emaciated and frail, as he did before. There was a slight luster to his raven black hair and a shine in his eyes.
However, he was not exactly a picture of masculine handsomeness, to say the least.
'Not really handsome but 7/10 at least,' Raven thought, smirking.
"Now let's see how I do this," he muttered, willing himself to temporarily forget the memories of his home.
Raven closed his eyes and directed his awareness within, exploring himself for the first time since returning to the real world. He felt the beating of his heart, the steady rising of his chest, and the slight chill of the shower room. He heard droplets of water falling on the tiled floor and felt the movement of filtered air against his skin.
And there, on the verge of his consciousness, was something new.
A completely new sense.
Raven concentrated on it, and suddenly a whole other world opened to him. It was hard to describe with words, just as one would have trouble explaining how hearing or touch feels.
It was as though he could feel the exact position of everything around his body.
The metal sink was a cold, dense anchor of presence to his right. The tiled walls were a grid of uniform, flat presences, and even the soap dispenser was a small, distinct point in space.
This was the manifestation of his Position Control—not just as an ability to use, but as a new way to perceive the world. It was a silent, internal blueprint of reality. He could feel the position of the bar of soap, the individual fall of every single droplet of water from his hair—each one a minuscule point of existence traveling a perfectly mapped trajectory to the floor.
It was an impossible, fundamental awareness of the limited space around him.
Raven opened his eyes and looked toward the towel rack. Focusing on his new sense, he willed it to work. Instantly, a towel disappeared from the rack and appeared in his hand. Then, he felt a bit of his Neula essence being consumed from his Neula core.
"It seems like an evolved version of theft, but it's different. I don't have to swipe my hand; I just have to will it to change the target's position," he thought.
After drying his body, Raven threw the towel and instinctively activated [Blitz]. The towel slowly fell through the air as if time had slowed down. He then concentrated on the towel, trying something he had thought of. The towel stopped falling through the air and hung in mid-air.
Raven had locked the position of the towel in place. Suddenly he felt a pulsing headache and dropped to the ground, clutching his head in pain. The towel fell to the ground without the position lock keeping it in place.
"So I can't keep [Blitz] activated for too long. I have to figure out the duration I can keep it activated for," he thought, still suffering from the headache. He stood up, picked up the towel from the ground, and threw it back onto the rack.
He planned to test out his limitations later. After putting on the police-issued tracksuit, he navigated through the building, arriving at the cafeteria. Ma'am Lyra was waiting at one of the tables with two trays full of steaming synthetic food in front of her.
"Help yourself."
Raven looked at the unappetizing gruel, which reminded him of the food he ate in the slums, and sighed. Somehow, he had expected his first meal after becoming a Stargazer to be more lavish.
Still, it was food.
He sat down and began to wolf down the gruel ravenously. He was very, very hungry.
In the process, his thoughts began to wander. Raven stole a glance at Lyra and wondered if she was stronger than the Desert Reaper. The Desert Reaper was a mindless monster, and she was a human with intelligence, so he knew it wasn't comparable. She probably fought stronger Orbit creatures than the Desert Reaper.
Ma'am Lyra spoke. "What are you thinking about?"
Raven was already done with his food. "About how you would fare against a Spectral creature."
Lyra gave him a weird look. "Alright. Since you're done with your food, I will cleanse your soul."
Raven nodded.
Lyra stretched out her right hand, and bits of light gathered in it. Then, a glass bottle appeared in her hand. There was a blue liquid inside it. She handed him the bottle and said, "Take two sips from it."
Raven brought the glass bottle to his mouth and took a sip. The liquid was like cold water. After another sip. He felt a sudden, strong urge to relieve himself.
Lyra smiled and pointed to the corridor. "The bathroom is that way."
Raven hurried to the bathroom. After some time, he returned to the cafeteria and sat at the table.
Lyra spoke. "The liquid in the bottle makes you expel corruption in that way."
Raven nodded, now completely relaxed.
"I'll begin. As per protocol, I am obligated to inform you of a few things. It is mostly a formality. First of all, concerning your Trial..."
She glanced at him and sighed.
"You are eligible for complimentary mental health support. No matter what traumatic experience you have encountered, there is no shame in asking for help. Your mind is as important as your body—it's only right to keep it healthy. Are you interested?"
Raven shook his head. Lyra shrugged and continued:
"As you wish. You can also talk to me about it. Was it very hard?"
How could he answer? "It was much worse than I expected and exactly as bad as I expected."
She nodded, satisfied with that explanation. "That's a good attitude. I won't pry any further. Us slum rats are way more resilient than people think."
Raven only had memories of the outskirts; but he could still relate to the struggle, even though he was not from this world.
"Ma'am Lyra, you mentioned that a lot of rifts open closer to the lunar year. Why is that?"
Lyra gave him a look and sighed. "Do you not know what happens at the start of the lunar year?"
He replied, "No. I only know that Stargazers get transported to a planet in the Singularity Realm a certain time of the year. Is it the start of the lunar year?"
She nodded. "You have around five weeks before the start of the lunar year."
"I don't have much time; why is my luck so bad?" he thought.
Raven said, "So... what happens now? What else are you obligated to tell me?"
Raven had no idea what he was supposed to do after leaving the police station. The lunar year was just five weeks away.
Lyra leaned back and answered, "That's basically covers the official stuff. There are some paperwork hurdles for others—mostly concerning their families—but your situation cancels those out. The only thing left is to decide how you will be preparing for your first journey into the Singularity Realm."
Raven didn't have any money, nor did he know anyone he could rely on. He was completely at a loss. He had planned to earn some money and learn more about this world before his first visit to the Singularity Realm.