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(1st POV)
The world around me seemed wrong. Everything was inverted, like a page ripped from a manga, drawn in stark black and white. It felt like I was looking at the world through someone else's eyes, someone who had lost their sense of color. The ground was too close, the sky too far. But more disturbing than the visual shift was the electric current that seemed to hum through my veins. It wasn't normal. Nothing about this was normal for a five-year-old.
I could feel it leaking out of me—this force, this power that I couldn't control. Red, crackling energy sparked at my fingertips, running along my skin like electricity, rippling outward in pulses. It felt… dangerous. And I was just standing here, helpless, watching it leak out like a damn volcano about to erupt.
[Host, leakage of power detected: 0.1%. Immediate caution is advised. The force you're releasing is capable of destroying an entire city if left unchecked.]
"Oh, perfect," I muttered. "A power leak. Just what I needed today." I took a deep breath, trying to reign in the panic building inside me. "So, you're telling me all that karate I learned was for… controlling this?" I looked down at my hands, the electric tendrils crackling, as if mocking me.
[Correct. The host's training was to help regulate the immense power flowing through your body.]
"Well, this is just great," I grumbled. "I can't even tie my shoelaces, and now I'm supposed to control some god-like energy?"
[It will take time, host. Focus on remaining calm.]
Calm, huh? Easier said than done. I didn't even know what the hell was going on. The silver-haired man, Xin Sheng, was standing there, a look of amusement on his face, as though he was witnessing something far more interesting than a five-year-old's freak-out.
"Yes," he said, almost to himself, "the answer to the mystery is unfolding." He glanced at his companion, a figure shrouded in shadows, who was deep in thought, eyes flickering with curiosity.
I didn't need to look at my mom to know she was worried. Her grip on my wrist was tighter than ever, but her expression… it was the kind of fear I had never seen on her face before. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
She turned to me, her voice strained. "Seo, try to relax. The power inside you is too much to control right now. We need to drive them away first."
Her words should've reassured me, but they didn't. She didn't even know that I had this system helping me. I didn't even know what this power was or where it came from. But I had to trust her. And for once, I wished she didn't have to bear the weight of whatever mess we were in.
Mom's eyes flickered to the sky, and suddenly, blue light began to radiate from her body. It shimmered around her like a storm building on the horizon. My breath caught in my throat as a katana appeared in her right hand, the blade glowing faintly in the dim light. Her left hand held the sheath, and for a moment, she looked like she had stepped out of a legend.
I blinked. When did she learn this?
The energy surrounding her was palpable, a living, breathing thing. And for a second, I felt small. Like I didn't even belong in this world anymore.
"Stay behind me," she ordered, her voice cold, calm, commanding.
Before I could respond, she dashed forward with a speed that I couldn't hope to follow. Xin Sheng's eyes narrowed, and he moved just as quickly, his dark sword flashing through the air like a streak of lightning.
The two of them collided in a burst of energy, a shockwave that sent debris flying in every direction. My chest tightened as I watched them battle, their movements a blur. They were fast—too fast. The power radiating from them made the air thick with tension, and the ground cracked under their feet with every clash.
Mom's sword met Xin Sheng's dark blade with a clang that rang out like thunder. The force of their strikes was enough to shatter the pavement beneath them. I tried to focus, tried to see everything clearly, but the energy leaking from me was like a fog in my mind. Every movement, every slash, felt blurry, like I was watching through a haze.
But even through that haze, I could see the beauty of the battle. The fluidity of their strikes, the power in each move, the way they seemed to anticipate each other's next actions. It was like watching two forces of nature clash. And I was just a spectator, standing in the middle of it all, feeling more powerless than ever.
Mom's sword crackled with blue magic again, and this time, it blazed like a comet as she slashed at Xin Sheng. The force of her attack sent sparks flying, and for a moment, it looked like she had the upper hand. The look on Xin Sheng's face shifted, and for a brief moment, I saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
But then… everything changed.
With a speed that made my heart skip a beat, Xin Sheng parried Mom's katana, sending the blade flying out of her grip. In a fluid motion, he thrust his dark sword toward her chest, his movements so precise that I thought he had won.
No!
I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the worst. But it never came.
Mom wasn't there.
She had vanished in an instant, only to reappear behind Xin Sheng. Her hand was gripping the katana she had lost moments before, now back in her grasp as she leveled it at him.
"It's over," she whispered, her voice fierce. And for a moment, it seemed like it really was. She raised the sword, preparing to strike.
But before she could, something shifted in the air.
The ground trembled, and then—BOOM—an explosion of energy erupted, knocking both of them off their feet. The force of it sent me tumbling backwards, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. My vision blurred, my head spinning, but I couldn't focus on the pain. My eyes snapped open, and I saw her.
Mom.
She was standing, barely holding herself together. Her sword was gone, the blue light around her flickering out like a dying flame. Xin Sheng was slowly rising to his feet as well, but his expression had changed. He wasn't smiling anymore. His eyes were cold, calculating.
"Your journey has just begun, Seo Kwan," he said, his voice low and foreboding, as if he were speaking to a greater power than just me.
I wanted to shout, to demand answers, but the words stuck in my throat. Whatever this was, it wasn't over. And I wasn't ready. Not by a long shot.
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