Upon arriving at school, Liam immediately became the center of attention. The students' gazes followed him from the moment he stepped through the gate to the classroom corridors. But as usual, Liam simply wore his headphones and let the world around him fade away behind the thumping music. He didn't really care.
After escorting Hiyana to her new classroom, he hurried to his own classroom. But the atmosphere wasn't much different. In fact, it was even more noticeable. As soon as he entered, all eyes were on him.
An unexpected class star.
Liam began to feel uncomfortable. Even the voice of a girl shouting his name managed to pierce through the music playing in his ears.
"Annoying," he muttered to himself.
He immediately went to his seat, opened his bag, and began organizing his desk. He chose to immerse himself in his textbooks—one of the best ways for him to avoid unnecessary interaction. Liam was known as a smart and diligent student, though he didn't talk much.
Suddenly, a light tap landed on his wrist.
Liam turned around.
It was Vilerri Erlic—or Levi, as he was more commonly known—his best friend since 10th grade. They were almost always seen together, even though their personalities were polar opposites.
"What have you been up to, Liam?" Levi asked, noticing the change in his friend's posture. "Humans can grow that fast, huh?"
Liam slowly removed his headphones.
"Why did my body change?" he said flatly without looking up from his book. "I don't know either. I woke up, and suddenly it was like this. Maybe it was a gift from God."
Levi sat in his chair directly in front of Liam's desk. He turned his body to face backward, toward Liam. But before he could respond, Levi narrowed his eyes, trying to eavesdrop on something from the back of the classroom.
Liam also began to pay attention. Several students were whispering, but their voices were loud enough to be heard by attentive ears.
"Seriously, they say that organization really exists. It's not just a myth from the dark web," whispered an enthusiastic student.
"The one that can track people with... those strange abilities, right?"
"Yeah! Its name is... NEX... NEXA... NEXARIS, right?"
"NEXARIS. I read a bit about it on an overseas forum. They're looking for people like—you know—those who can heal faster or have unrealistic powers."
"Like the 2017 anime Ajin, you know."
"Crazy, but apparently it's real. In one industrial city last week. A worker fell from the fifth floor, bleeding heavily… but got up again two minutes later. The CCTV footage? All gone."
Liam fell silent. His body tensed unconsciously.
NEXARIS.
The name echoed in his head. Not an unfamiliar name.
Not to him.
"Liam," Levi's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "were you eavesdropping?"
Liam turned his head. Too late to hide his surprised expression.
"Yeah," he replied briefly.
Levi narrowed his eyes. "It's an interesting topic. But I feel like you're… familiar with this kind of thing. It's also trending heavily on forums right now."
Liam only responded with a faint smile, without giving an answer.
Deep down, a bad feeling began to grow.
What happened in that dream… wasn't just a dream.
The school bell rang loudly, echoing throughout the building.
Class began.
Everything went smoothly. Too smoothly.
For Liam, the problems that usually required time and focus now felt like child's play. He could solve complex formulas in seconds, read long paragraphs in a single glance. But that wasn't the only thing making him uneasy.
Something had changed. Something besides his now athletic and more muscular body.
His vision.
His field of vision felt… wider.
When his eyes turned toward the window—to the schoolyard far from his classroom—he could see a cat walking slowly behind the fence. Its movements. Its soft fur rustling in the wind. Even the faint scratches on the stone near the cat's paw—everything was clear, as if it were right in front of him.
"What is this…? Is this what they mean by anomalous power?"
Throughout the lesson, his mind kept spinning. He began to realize how his body also felt lighter, more agile. His reflexes grew smoother. His fingers even felt like they could respond before his brain had finished thinking about the action.
Liam leaned back in his chair. His eyes narrowed, pondering.
"I have to test it… after school."
A decision was etched in his mind. No matter how strange this change was, he had to know—he had to understand what was really happening to him.
After school, Liam saw Hiyana standing near the gate, as if waiting for him.
"Hiyana, can you go home by yourself?" Liam asked, his calm voice cutting through the noise.
Hiyana turned quickly, a bit confused. "Do you have something to do?"
Suddenly, Hiyana seemed to remember something. She smiled slightly. "Sure, I happen to have a plan with my friend too. Hehe…"
I need to buy a birthday gift. It's almost my brother's birthday, she thought to herself as she waved at Liam and walked away.
Liam waited until Hiyana was completely out of sight. Once he was sure everything was safe, he turned and ran—without a specific direction—leaving the school and heading toward the forest on the outskirts of the city.
However, without realizing it, Kael, one of Levi's friends, was watching him from a distance.
"Why is he in such a hurry?" Kael muttered, his eyebrows furrowed.
Levi, who was beside him, also watched, then replied softly, "He's not usually like that…"
Meanwhile, Liam kept running. His breathing remained steady, his steps firm, even after nearly half an hour of pushing through the dense forest. But it wasn't fatigue he felt—it was overwhelming anxiety.
Something's off... he thought repeatedly.
Liam stopped at an open area. He placed his bag on the grass, a short distance away but still within reach. His gaze swept the surroundings, ensuring no one was there.
My body... feels light. But... it also feels like it's holding something.
There was a raging power, like it wanted to burst out. What is this...?
He clenched his fist, trying to stay calm. His gaze fell on a large rock beside him. Without much thought, he took aim, then struck the rock with all the strength he felt.
DUARR!
The rock shattered into pieces. Dust and debris flew everywhere. Liam stood still, staring at his hands, which were barely injured—just dirty from the rock dust. No pain, no cuts. Only... a strength that felt ten times greater than usual.
His breath was labored. Not from exhaustion, but from panic.
This... isn't good.
Unlike others who might be thrilled to gain such strange power, Liam felt afraid. Not afraid of the power itself, but of its consequences.
I know... from today onward, everything will change. My aspirations. My future. Even my family.
This power… could be the beginning of destruction.
His hands began to tremble. His thoughts were chaotic.
Calm down. Calm down… he whispered. He tried to take a breath, but his chest remained tight.
What if NEXARIS finds out?
What if they come… to take me away?
Panic gripped his mind. He reached for the water bottle in his bag, sat down under a tree, leaning his body against the cold trunk. His hands trembled as he opened the cap.
Gulp… Gulp… Gulp…
Water flowed down his throat, slightly easing the turmoil in his chest.
He looked up, gazing at the sky through the leaves, then closed his eyes.
And at that moment—something happened.