[POV: Stefan Salvatore]
"What did he just say…" I thought, trying to hold back the wave of emotions from pouring out of my very being. "How does he know that I have a brother? I never met this guy. Could he be one of Damon's friends? No, that can't be. I haven't seen Damon in years, but I know he's still alive. Who else would make my life a living hell?" I thought as I ground my teeth.
Feeling a tap on my shoulder, I turn around to come face to face with my miracle. "Can I help you?" I said, giving her a small smile. "Yes, actually, would you be willing to come to a party with me?" Elena said with a slight smile, making my dead heart skip a beat. "Of course I would, where and when," I said, trying to organize my messy emotions.
"The falls are near the woods, be careful though," Elena said, turning her back to me, getting ready to leave. "W-wait," I said involuntarily, looking flustered. "Huh, you need something?" Elena asked, turning back to me. "Never mind," I said. "Uh, ok then," Elena said, walking away.
"Damn, I folded so hard," I said, holding back a grimace as I walked to my next class. In the halls, I see Theo just leaning against a locker with his eyes closed. At the same moment, my vampiric instincts scream danger. "Just what the hell is he?" I said, struggling to hold myself back from attacking him.
[POV: Theo *****]
Sensing something was wrong, I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Stefan, although he looked like he was struggling. "Is he hungry?" I asked myself, confused, and as a bolt of lightning struck me, I finally realized that he was trying to hold back from attacking me. "Well, I'll be damned, this he can sense danger from me," I thought, holding back a grin.
"What's wrong, Stefan, having trouble with something?" I asked him as I smirked. "Y-you what are you?" Stefan asked me. "Oh, me? Well, I'm just an ordinary human, if I do say so myself. Why are you asking? Are you perhaps not human?" I asked him, chuckling.
"I am human…" Stefan says, narrowing his eyes at me. "Oh, really, then why are your veins turning dark around your eyes? It looks really menacing, you know," I said, standing up straight from the locker I was just leaning on.
Stefan hides his face, trying to hide the odd appearance of veins spreading to his cheekbone. "No need to hide it from me, I'll keep your little secret," I said, already walking to my next class.
Time Skip to the end of the school day.
---
By the time I step outside, the sun is low and warm against my skin. Stefan's presence still lingers behind me like an unsheathed blade that doesn't know where to strike.
I glance towards the woods in the distance. Towards the falls, where tonight's party will be.
A slow smile curves onto my face.
"Let the brothers dance," I whisper. "The game's just getting started."
The walk to the gym takes me through the less-populated streets of Mystic Falls. Leaves crunch under my shoes, the late afternoon air cool and sharp against my skin.
Vampires are subtle when they think they're clever. Stefan wasn't lingering behind me anymore. I pass a group of students laughing too loudly.
"So annoying," I thought as the gym came into view at the end of the block, quiet and unassuming. I roll my shoulders once, loosening my muscles even though they don't need any.
"10 kilometers," I thought. In order to complete that daily quest, the system gave me.
As I reach the doors, I glimpse my reflection in the glass, but it isn't my priority. "Just need to blend in," I murmur, pushing the door open.
Inside, the air reeks of sweat and distraction. I approach the receptionist to register.
"Welcome, how may I help you today?" Random Receptionist (RR) says with a kind smile. "I'm looking forward to purchasing a membership. Can you help me with that?," I said as my muscles twitched under my clothes. "Of course I can, how do you want to pay? Will it be monthly or yearly?" RR said already typing on their keyboard.
"Let's try yearly," I said, suppressing my impatience. "Ok then, sir, that will be $500 every year, hope it's not too high for someone like you," RR says with a smug smile. "They must be hoping to die, huh…" I thought of suppressing my desire to kill this bastard.
"What did you mean when you said 'someone like you" I said, my voice thundering with barely restrained fury. "N-nothing, sir." RR stutters, backing away from the desk. "That's what I thought. Now do your job and get me that membership," I said with my voice still booming with the desire to kill.
"Y-yes, sir, right away, sir," RR says, moving fast, fearing what I would do next. After not waiting long for the damned receptionist to get my membership, I finally looked around the gym, only to find other people staring at me in terror. "That's the first time…I've ever seen people look at me like that," I thought, feeling a sense of emptiness that turned into a small smirk within my mind.
Ignoring them, I glance at the system's quests underneath the quest tab. "What the fuck, that's new…why would I want to get struck by lightning, but if it's for power, I'll do it," I thought, suppressing a smirk.
[MAIN QUEST: TRIAL OF THE FIRST STORM]
[OBJECTIVE: Reach 5% on the current template. Survive a natural lightning strike without dying]
[REWARD: Thunder Core Stabilization]
---
[DAILY QUEST]
[100/100 PUSHUPS]
[100/100 SIT-UPS]
[100/100 SQUATS]
[0/10 KM RUN]
[REWARD: 15 EXP, 0.5% on current template]
With a sigh, I dismiss the system and walk towards the treadmill, still feeling everyone's gazes. Getting onto the treadmill, I increase its speed slowly, starting to jog steadily. To everyone's surprise, I don't stop increasing the speed on the treadmill, maxing it out entirely. My figure is a constant blur that appears to be floating, and my steps are entirely silent, making them grow uneasy.
The treadmill's console for kilometers goes up steadily as I haven't stopped once, not even to take a break. "I'm not even tired…" I thought decreasing the speed on the treadmill until I came to a stop before looking at the quest to see my progress.
[MAIN QUEST: TRIAL OF THE FIRST STORM]
[OBJECTIVE: Reach 5% on the current template. Survive a natural lightning strike without dying]
[REWARD: Thunder Core Stabilization]
---
[DAILY QUEST]
[100/100 PUSHUPS]
[100/100 SIT-UPS]
[100/100 SQUATS]
[10/10 KM RUN]
[REWARD: 15 EXP, 0.5% on current template]
Within an instant, I feel a minuscule amount of power envelop me. "Well, this should be expected after all it's only 0.5%," I thought, looking back at my status.
[NAME: THEO ****]
[LINEAGE: NONE]
[CLASS: NONE]
[TITLE: ANOMALY]
[CURRENT TEMPLATES: MCU THOR]
[MCU THOR: 1.5%]
[LEVEL: 1]
[EXP: 15/100]
[HP: 100/100]
[MP: 50/50]
[STR: 5]
[VIT: 3]
[AGI: 5]
[PER: 4]
"Time to go back home and wait for that party," I thought as I cleaned the treadmill and left the gym.