In the future, after Drew Wess had created the weapon that stripped evolved beings of their superpowers and handed it over to the anomalies, the world was consumed by chaos. The streets, once vibrant with the energy of the powerful, now lay in silence, a silence that screamed the loss of hope. The weapon, seen as a key to balance, became the trigger for an era of darkness.
And after an invasion of the last stronghold of the heroes, Neo, who was inside at the time of the invasion, had to witness all his friends dying. One by one, they fell, their screams echoing off the walls of the fortress that once symbolized resistance. Neo, powerless, watched the light of resistance extinguish before his eyes, the pain of each loss etched into his soul.
He tried to stop it, but there was nothing he could do. When his turn finally came, his vision darkened, and Neo woke up in his old room, in the past. He had returned to the past. The shock of the transition was palpable, as if every cell in his body screamed in denial. But the reality was undeniable; he was back at the beginning, a chance to change everything… or to relive the nightmare.
He thought it was all an illusion, but it wasn't. Everything was identical to how it was before. With his photographic memory, he memorized the smallest details. Whenever he saw something, he never forgot. Every crack in the wall, every shadow cast by the sunlight, was an exact copy of what his mind held.
And now, in the present moment, he looked upon his old class, his former classmates. His old enemy, Viktor Frankl, and noticed someone he had never seen in his past life. A boy with black hair and black eyes entering. Someone so ordinary, it made him question what the hell he was doing there. This boy was an enigma, an unknown variable in a carefully memorized equation. Neo knew that the presence of this boy could be the key to avoiding the dark future he so feared.
In the classroom, the buzz of the students filled the air with a mix of anxiety and excitement. Neo, the unexpected protagonist of an epic showdown, sat distant, immersed in his thoughts, while the echoes of the recent fight with Taiho still reverberated through the walls. The furtive glances directed at him carried a new gleam of admiration, a silent testimony to his newly revealed prowess.
Jade, whose usual indifference seemed like an impenetrable armor, occasionally let her gaze rest on Neo. There was a spark of curiosity in her eyes, a tacit acknowledgment that Neo was more than he seemed. And Viktor, with his characteristic arrogance, gave Neo nothing but a sidelong glance. In his mind, if Neo could defeat Taiho, he, Viktor, could do the same, or even better.
Professor Peter, a figure of authority and knowledge, entered the room with the presence that only an experienced educator possesses. With a nod of his head and a gesture for everyone to quiet down, he began the first-year A class.
The class proceeded, but for Neo, every word, every concept presented, was tinged with the colors of a past he desperately wished to change. As the professor lectured on the subject, Neo pondered the actions he should take, the decisions that would shape a new future. He knew that every move he made was crucial, and he could not afford to make a mistake. Not now that he had the chance to rewrite history.
***
After the class finally ended, a theoretical lesson with Professor Peter explaining more about how superpowers act on the body, I felt a bit more integrated into this new world. For me, every piece of information is a treasure, as all of this is novel. But, looking around, I realized that not everyone shares my enthusiasm. Some classmates openly slept, while others were lost in their cellphones, indifferent to the professor's words.
Leaving the classroom with the rest of the class, it was now lunchtime. Two hours of free time stretched out before me like an invitation to explore or simply breathe outside the academic environment.
During the lunch break, the campus transforms. All years are free to wander, and the epicenter of this freedom is the 'Coliseum'. It's not just a battle arena; it's the stage where reputations are made and unmade. The fights are scheduled events, watched by evolved beings from all years and rankings. From the top 500 to the top 1, all eyes are on the combatants. It's a place where you can stand out or simply get lost in the crowd, watching the spectacle of strength and skill.
As I blended into the tide of hungry students heading to the cafeteria, Neo approached with the casualness that only intimacy allows. "Shall we go to the coliseum later?" He tossed the question into the air as if it were an invitation for a casual stroll.
I knew Neo well enough to know that the Coliseum was his favorite playground. "You just want to go there to fight, don't you?" I retorted, half-knowing the answer already. The smile he gave was all the confirmation I needed.
In the battle academy, non-ranked duels are a tradition, almost a rite of passage. The second-year veterans hunt the freshmen, seeking to challenge the most promising in battles that are more spectacle than sport. And Neo, well, he's the grand prize, the target everyone wants to take down. Not just the second-year, but also the third-year students are watching him, observing 'the new generation' with a mix of interest and perhaps, just perhaps, a hint of apprehension. After all, in the Coliseum, reputations can be built or destroyed in a matter of minutes.
"Okay, I guess watching some fights wouldn't be bad," I said, trying to appear disinterested, but the truth is that the idea of watching a good fight always excites me a bit. Neo, with the gleam of someone who lives for the challenge, continued: "And you? Don't you want to fight? I'm sure you'd cause quite a stir, since you're probably the first to use firearms in the history of the battle academy."
He was right, of course. I would be the center of attention, for better or worse. "Hmm, I would definitely cause a stir. But the chance of me losing is pretty high, right? And I don't want to lose and risk my position in the top 230," I replied, trying to maintain a facade of indifference.
Neo looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if he couldn't understand my hesitation. "Are you afraid of losing?"
"It's not fear, it's just…" I paused, internally struggling with the truth. It is fear, yes, but who would admit that so easily? "Let's just say I'm the type who eats quietly. I'm in a good position. There's no reason for me to risk it."
"Hmm, but what if the top 231 challenges you to a ranked duel today, what will you do?" Neo asked, casting a look that said he already knew the answer before I even opened my mouth.
"So I wouldn't have a choice, right? I would have to fight him," I said, resigned. The academy's system is relentless and, in a way, fair. Being in the top 500 means being on the radar, and wielding firearms makes me an even more attractive target. The rule is clear: the challenge from the top 231 is undeniable, and refusal is not an option.
My reflection was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Say, with her blonde hair and blue streaks, who pounced on Neo with the agility of a feline. She clung to him with an intimacy that made me question the nature of their relationship. "So, Neo, are we going to fight later?" she asked, hanging on his back.
Neo, unflappable as always, didn't even move with the added weight. "We always fight, today I want to face someone different," he replied, his voice calm, but with a trace of anticipation for the unknown.
"Boring," Say grumbled, giving me a look that could make an alien feel at home. "Are you walking with this guy?"
"He's my friend," Neo intervened, his voice firm, but the teasing smile on his face softened his words. "If you have a problem with him, I invite you to leave."
"Boring! Are you dismissing me that easily?" She retorted while squeezing Neo's ears and twisting them. "Listen here, Neo, we need to go to the coliseum now."
"No, let's go to lunch," he said, determined, while Say, still mounted on his back, began to grumble like a child who had their favorite toy taken away. "But the duel of the century is going to happen!" she insisted, trying to instigate the same excitement in Neo.
The mention of the duel between the top 1 and top 2 of the second year really caught Neo's attention. It was the kind of event that made the whole academy stop and watch, a battle that could change the rankings and power dynamics within the school. I knew that, despite my reluctance to get involved, curiosity would eventually win out. "Maybe we'll stop by there after lunch," I admitted, already mentally preparing for the spectacle to come.
"We can't, the duel is starting in a few minutes. If we don't go now, we'll be left without a place to sit," Say insisted with an urgency that made me reconsider my initial plan to have lunch first.
Neo, with that look that weighs options and consequences, stared at me, and I knew what he wanted before he even said anything. "Alright, let's go straight to the coliseum," I agreed, feeling the adrenaline of anticipation for the duel.
Neo smiled, pleased that he didn't have to convince anyone, and turned to move forward. Say, with the enthusiasm of someone about to witness the most anticipated event of the year, raised her arm and ordered: "Come on Neo, run!"
Neo's reaction was instantaneous, a throbbing vein on his forehead betraying his irritation. He raised his hand, ready to fling Say away, but before he could touch her, she disappeared with a sound reminiscent of a time machine's hum. And, as quickly as she had vanished, Say reappeared by my side, walking calmly. Teleportation, her superpower, was as impressive as it was unpredictable.
"I don't like being thrown," Say declared, a trace of disdain in her voice. She stared at me with those blue eyes that seemed to capture the daylight, and I, still surprised by her sudden appearance at my side, returned the gaze.
"What's your name?" she inquired, and for a moment, I was speechless. The reality of the situation was still settling in my mind - the difficulty of accepting that all this was real, that they were real.
With a dramatic sigh, I finally answered: "It's Nam-Sam."
"Nam-Sam," she repeated, pondering the name. "For Neo to want to be your friend, I believe you must be someone strong or, at the very least, interesting…" A mischievous smile formed on her lips as she introduced herself.
"Anyway, I'm Say." Her hand was outstretched, waiting for mine.
I hesitated, but only for a moment. After all, what did a handshake mean? An alliance, a truce, or a prelude to battle? With a sigh that carried the weight of a thousand possibilities, I shook her hand. It was firm and warm, a promise of camaraderie or future conflicts.
"Nam-Sam," she repeated, and there was something almost reverent in the way she spoke my name. "I hope you live up to the expectations."