---
The alarm buzzed softly at 6:00 A.M., though Kyler had already been awake for an hour.
He wasn't tired — in fact, he hadn't felt this alive in years. His body was light, his mind clear, his heartbeat calm.
Last night, as the clock struck 2:47 A.M., the System had whispered its familiar line:
> [Skill creation available.]
Kyler didn't hesitate this time.
He knew exactly what he needed.
> "Create skill: Everrest — removes all forms of fatigue, instantly restores physical and mental state."
There was a brief silence, followed by that serene tone.
> [Skill creation complete.]
A warm pulse spread through him — subtle but divine. His back pain, his stiff wrists from endless typing, the dull exhaustion behind his eyes — gone.
It was like waking from years of sleep deprivation in one perfect breath.
Now, sitting quietly in the kitchen with the early sun pouring in, he realized what true energy felt like.
Not the jitter of caffeine. Not adrenaline. Just pure, effortless vitality.
Ashley stirred awake, rubbing her eyes as she walked in.
"You're up early again," she mumbled, smiling.
Kyler grinned softly. "Guess I'm just… done being tired."
She laughed, half-asleep. "Wish I could do that."
He chuckled, pouring her coffee. "Maybe someday."
---
The day went on like any other. Hazel practiced writing her name at the table, Nicko built towers with his toys, and Kyler sat at his desk for his shift — headset on, fingers flying.
But there was a difference.
He could feel the difference.
Normally, by the seventh or eighth hour, his mind would haze over. Calls would blur together. Scripts would slip. But not today.
His focus was constant — sharp and calm, like the rhythm of his breathing.
He finished every call with perfect timing, every detail remembered, every customer satisfied. His supervisor messaged him twice:
> [Bro, you okay? You're on fire this week.]
[Yeah. Just… feeling good. Finally sleeping right, I guess.]
He smiled at his own reply. If only they knew.
---
That evening, after tucking Hazel and Nicko into bed, he sat with Ashley on the couch. She leaned against him, scrolling through her phone, reading about a viral story of someone quitting their job and earning millions online.
"You ever think about doing something else?" she asked softly.
Kyler's gaze lingered on the TV — a news anchor talking about the rising cost of living.
He thought for a moment before answering.
"I used to. Now… maybe I will."
Ashley tilted her head. "When?"
He smiled faintly, his eyes half-closed — no fatigue, no rush.
"When the time feels right."
---
Later that night, when the house was quiet again, he opened his laptop — not for work, but for curiosity.
Videos of online trading, crypto graphs, digital markets.
Numbers moving like the pulse of a living world.
He wasn't sure why it caught his attention, but something about it called to him.
Predictability. Patterns. Precision.
Things his mind could now see clearer than most.
--
Kyler leaned back, letting the glow of the screen reflect in his calm, steady eyes.
For the first time, he wasn't tired, he wasn't overwhelmed — just present.
The weight of years of exhaustion had finally lifted.
Outside, the city lights flickered quietly — unaware that somewhere among them sat a man who could never be worn down again.