The streets were quieter than usual that evening, shadows stretching long across cracked sidewalks. I had spent the afternoon practicing, repairing small things, letting the piano melodies linger in my head. For once, I felt… ready.
Then I saw her.
A small girl, no older than seven or eight, trapped on the edge of a broken staircase leading to an abandoned building. She was crying, her foot dangling over the gap. My stomach lurched.
"Observe first," Notice whispered. "Then act. Points are irrelevant; your judgment is the key."
I froze for a second, heart hammering. My hands tingled—Best Welder was ready. Multi-Instrumentalist… not so much for this. I had to fix this physically, not with music.
"Hey! It's okay!" I shouted, stepping closer. "I'm coming!"
The girl whimpered, fear in her eyes. The stairs were unstable, the wood rotting. One wrong step, and she—or I—could fall. My mind raced. I reached out, feeling the metal railing with a strange clarity, tracing each crack, every weak spot.
I pushed, twisted, manipulated, and the railing shivered… then held. Steady. My confidence surged. Slowly, carefully, I edged closer to her, guiding her onto solid ground.
"Th-thank you," she stammered.
I nodded, heart pounding. My hands were shaking from adrenaline, not from failure. I had done it. I had saved her.
"Well done," Notice said. "Your skills are tools, but your choices define their use. Growth is not only mastery—it's courage."
I looked at my hands, still tingling from the effort. I had always thought of myself as broken, incapable. But right now… right now, I had acted. I had used what I could. I had made a difference.
The girl ran off toward her home, waving. I watched her go, feeling something swell inside me. Something I hadn't felt in years: pride.
"Caution," Notice added, "every success will be followed by challenges. Remember the lessons."
I nodded. Lessons… yes. I could feel them sinking in. I could see the path forming. I wasn't fixed—far from it—but maybe, just maybe, I was starting to become someone who could survive this broken world.
And with Notice at my side, guiding me, I felt… capable.