Beep! Beep! Beep!
Aria groaned, rolling over and slapping blindly at the alarm clock. "Five more minutes," he muttered into his pillow. But the beeping persisted, pulling him out of his dreams and back into reality.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
He sighed, giving in. "Fine, fine, I'm up. Happy now?" With a final groan, he dragged himself upright, squinting at the ceiling in silent hope. Maybe today's the day I'll wake up with superpowers, he thought wistfully, knowing it was a joke. As usual, he felt no different.
"Of course," he said to himself with a smirk, "I get a peaceful, power-free life."
"Who needs superpowers when you've got a brilliant sense of sarcasm and the ability to trip over thin air?" he thought dryly. It was a joke he told himself every morning—a sort of pep talk, maybe. But deep down, he couldn't ignore that tiny, annoying wish for something more.
He slipped on a faded hoodie and padded downstairs, making a mental note to get through another day of high school without too many reminders that he was one of the few people in this world born completely powerless. But hey, who needs superpowers when you have… sarcasm?
Aria was, by all definitions, a normal 16-year-old boy in an extraordinary world. Slender, a bit too tall and skinny for his liking, with dark brown shaggy hair that tended to cover his dull grey eyes, he didn't exactly radiate confidence. His posture was laid-back, almost lazy, his personality much the same: reserved, clever, and laced with a dry wit that only a few people got to hear.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked around to make sure the coast was clear. No Mom, no Dad, he thought, a relieved smile tugging at his lips. And, most importantly, no—
"Aria!" a familiar voice chimed behind him.
Aria's shoulders slumped as he turned around to see his older sister, Ski, materialise out of thin air with her usual dramatic flair. She grinned, giving him that all-too-knowing look.
"What's that about 'no Ski?'" she teased, already closing in for one of her signature bear hugs.
"S-Ski!" Aria yelped, bracing himself as she wrapped him in a hug that could likely crush a bear. "I missed you too, but maybe a little less strength?"
Ski let out a laugh, loosening her grip just slightly. Ski, at 23, was the total opposite of Aria. Slender but with muscle, tall with a powerful stance, her dark hair and bright grey eyes seemed to radiate strength and confidence. She was one of the strongest people in existence, an unstoppable force who was, unfortunately, also an overly doting sister.
"Oh, Aria, it's my job to protect you!" she beamed, giving him another squeeze. "Just took down a guy who was about to destroy the planet."
Aria blinked, staring at her in disbelief. "Yup. Monster in human form. Got it."
"What was that?" she asked, grinning as if she didn't already know.
"Nothing," he said, rolling his eyes as he tried to slip out of her arms. "Aren't you supposed to be off saving the world or something?"
"Already did," Ski replied, crossing her arms proudly. "But I'll always be here to make sure you're safe."
Aria sighed. "Thanks, sis, but I'll manage. I mean, summer's almost here—just six weeks to go, and I'll be free from the daily dose of bullying."
Ski grabbed his shoulders, her expression shifting to one of intense seriousness. "You're so brave, Aria. Facing all that without powers…"
"Right. Thanks for the… encouragement." Aria said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
With one last look of determination, Ski finally let him go, and Aria headed out the door, hoping the day wouldn't be too painful.
When Aria arrived at school, he stood at the main entrance, taking a deep breath. From a distance, it looked like any other high school. But for him, it was more like a gauntlet where nearly everyone had some incredible ability—and nearly everyone saw him as an easy target.
Barely had he taken three steps when he felt something strange at his feet. A second later, he was on the ground, his books scattered around him.
"Of course," he muttered, glancing up to see the culprit smirking down at him. Should have known.
Lucas, his main tormentor, stood towering over him, his bulky frame casting a shadow that only made him look more intimidating. Standing at 6'3" with spiky blonde hair, Lucas had a powerful ability to control gravity—a skill he used to bully Aria with alarming frequency.
Lucas burst into laughter. "Oh, did the little powerless kid trip? How sad."
Aria rolled his eyes, forcing himself to his feet. "You know, it's not really fun to pick on the weak," he replied, voice steady even as his nerves were on edge.
Lucas's smirk widened. "Oh yeah? Want to find out how fun it is?"
Just then, Aria heard familiar voices approaching. "Hey, Aria!" came a cheerful shout. He looked over to see his friends, Roy and Alice, walking toward him.
Roy, a cheerful 5'9" with bright blue hair, was all smiles as usual, the optimist, the one who could brush off any challenge and laugh in the face of danger, while Alice, 5' 8" with fiery red hair and a calm, confident expression, looked ready for a fight. Both were among the strongest kids in their grade, and both had saved Aria from countless encounters like this.
Roy had always been the first to stand up for him, the kind of friend who didn't care if Aria was the weakest guy around. And Alice? She just hated bullies on principle. Aria knew he'd lucked out with these two—and maybe a bit of that was why he hadn't given up completely on the whole 'high school' thing
Alice's eyes narrowed as she looked at Lucas. "Which one of us is about to teach you a lesson?"
Lucas's confidence faltered, but he sneered. "Why do you two even bother with him? He's powerless."
Alice stepped closer, her eyes blazing. "Because he's one of our best friends. You mess with him, you mess with us."
Roy, meanwhile, cracked his knuckles, adding with a grin, "And trust me, you don't want to mess with us."
Aria sighed, shaking his head with a smirk. "This is straight out of a cliché anime."
Lucas, sensing defeat, mumbled something about making them pay and stormed off with his friends in tow. Roy grinned, shadowboxing the air. "Man, I felt like a total powerhouse back there!"
Alice rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if you even have a brain cell, Roy."
Roy scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Uh… thanks?"
Alice sighed, then turned to Aria, helping him up. "You okay?"
"Yeah, thanks," Aria said, dusting himself off. "You two saved me—again."
Roy slung an arm around Aria, ruffling his hair. "Don't sweat it, dude. That's what friends are for!"
Aria chuckled. "Thanks, Roy. Maybe next time, ease up on the hair, though."
Lunchtime couldn't come soon enough. With Roy and Alice busy in another class, Aria found a quiet spot by himself, scrolling through his phone. He scanned the usual posts—new game releases, random memes, and, of course, a constant stream of posts about his friends' heroic exploits.
"Must be nice," he thought, seeing the hundreds of likes and comments on their posts, calling them amazing and powerful. It was a reminder of how far he was from anything remotely like them.
"Wouldn't it be nice," he thought, "if I could just… be like that for once?"
That night, back at home, Aria was aimlessly browsing the internet, still thinking about his friends. Suddenly, a pop-up ad appeared. The bold text read, "Become OP in Real Life!"
Aria snorted. "Oh, please. This has to be some kind of joke."
The ad blinked in a muted glow, the words almost too fitting: "Powerless? Tired of being the underdog? Click here to change your life." Aria laughed, half-hoping it was a joke, but his finger hovered over the link. What did he have to lose? It was calling out for him
Still, curiosity got the better of him, and he clicked the link. Up popped a form, asking him to list the powers he wanted, strengths, even appearance details. Grinning to himself, he filled it out with the most absurd things he could think of: "every power ever," "boundless strength," "cosmic beauty."
With a laugh, he hit "Submit." The screen flashed, and he half expected it to say, 'Thank you for participating,' or some scammy message. But it just stayed blank for a moment before quietly shutting down on its own.
"Figures," he muttered, closing his laptop. "Total waste of time."
As he drifted off to sleep, though, a strange feeling settled over him—a quiet excitement he couldn't quite explain, as if something was about to change.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Aria's alarm beeped as usual, but something felt different today. His bed felt softer, his room brighter, almost glowing.
Blinking himself awake, Aria reached out to silence the alarm, only to notice that his arms were slim, smooth, and delicate. "What!?" he shouted, his voice sounding unfamiliar—feminine, elegant.
Bolting upright, he stumbled out of bed and rushed to the mirror. Staring back at him was a girl with flowing golden hair, piercing amber eyes, and a form that radiated cosmic energy. His jaw dropped. "What… what is this?" he whispered in awe.
In the reflection, he saw a striking figure: a 5'10" girl with an athletic, almost ethereal physique. Her body was perfectly proportioned, her posture graceful and regal, with long, radiant golden hair framing her face.
He flexed his hand, and a shockwave rippled out, making the walls shimmer. No way. I have…powers? Aria thought, shock flooding through him. Then, his stomach dropped as he remembered entering "every power ever" on that strange website. A feeling of dread crept over him. What have I done? Now, he had every power and ability imaginable, and no ability was beyond his reach.
His door burst open, and his older sister, Ski, peeked in, her eyes wide. "Aria! Is everything alright?"
Seeing him, her jaw dropped, but instead of horror, a look of pure excitement took over her face. "My little brother unlocked his POWER!" Ski exclaimed, and before he could respond, she bear-hugged him with a strength that could have crushed a normal person.
"Too much power—wait, that didn't hurt," Aria realised in shock.
Ski laughed. "I knew it! I always knew you'd unlock your powers one day! I'm so happy for you!" she said, not even pausing to question why he looked so different. "Dinner's on me tonight when you get back from school!"
"Thanks, sis…" Aria managed, still too overwhelmed to fully process everything. As he left the house, he realised today would be the last "normal" day he'd have for a while.
Outside, he was greeted by his friends, Roy and Alice. Roy did a double take, eyes widening. "Aria, is that you?" he asked, amazed.
Alice raised an eyebrow sceptically. "No way. There's no way Aria just… turned into a girl overnight."
Aria flushed, looking away. "Hey, Roy. Alice. Long story short, something…weird happened." He explained the strange website and how he'd ended up like this.
Roy looked at him, stunned. "So, you have every power? Like, every single one?"
Aria nodded slowly. "Yeah. Also correct."
The two looked at each other and then back at Aria, their faces lighting up with excitement.
Alice clapped her hands. "Finally! You're officially one of us!" she beamed.
Roy laughed, reaching out to ruffle Aria's hair. "Guess that means you're one of the powered crowds now!" Before he could, Aria instinctively swung his hand to block Roy—and the tap sent Roy flying across the street.
"Oh no! I'm sorry!" Aria gasped, horrified.
Alice laughed, hands on her hips. "Don't apologise! That's what he gets for messing with a lady's hair."
Despite being in a girl's body, Aria decided to wear his usual clothes to school, which felt a little strange, but he tried to ignore it.
The trio reached the school's main entrance, where Aria took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. "Last day of school. Then summer holidays! Just games, anime, shows, and a ton of junk food…" he trailed off, getting lost in his own thoughts.
A familiar voice broke him from his daydreaming. "Is that you, Aria?" Lucas, one of his usual annoyances, sneered as he stepped in front of them. Aria met his gaze, sighing.
"Yes, it's me, Lucas," Aria replied flatly.
Lucas cracked his knuckles, smirking. "I don't care if you're a girl or a guy. You know I owe you for last week. Time to settle things."
Alice and Roy exchanged glances, stepping into fighting stances.
Aria held up a hand. "This is my fight." He thought, That was…kinda cool.
Lucas clenched his fist, powering it up with gravity energy, and lunged forward. But Aria caught the punch with a single finger.
Lucas blinked, startled. "What the—no fair!"
Aria raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Is this all you've got? Tell you what—I'll let you get a clean hit on me. I won't dodge, block, or move." Inside, Aria was thrilled. It feels great to put him in his place for once.
Lucas's face twisted in frustration. "Don't get cocky just because you've got powers now!" He powered up and swung a massive, explosive punch, but when the dust cleared, Aria hadn't even flinched.
Lucas gaped, speechless. Aria smirked. "That's your best, huh?" With a flick of his finger, he sent Lucas flying back to the main entrance.
Man, this feels good, Aria thought with satisfaction, snapping his fingers to repair the damage as if nothing had happened.
Alice glared at Lucas's friends, her voice dangerously calm. "Want to follow in your leader's footsteps, or would you rather leave?"
Aria became the talk of the school. Rumours spread like wildfire: "Aria's got every power," "Did you see her? She's gorgeous!" and "Should we start calling her 'she' now?"
Feeling embarrassed by all the stares, Aria kept his hood up, hoping to avoid further attention.
At lunch, Aria sat with Roy and Alice, where Roy filled him in on their plans for the summer.
"It's our last day of school, and soon Alice and I will be going to Reign Academy," Roy explained, pride in his voice.
Reign Academy was a prestigious training ground for young powered individuals to hone their abilities and become heroes. It was a dream destination for those with abilities, but Aria hadn't considered it before.
Aria sighed. "That's awesome for you guys."
Alice leaned in with a gleam in her eyes. "Why don't you join us, Aria? With powers like yours, Reign Academy would take you in a heartbeat."
Aria blinked. "Isn't it a bit late to apply?"
Roy chuckled. "Nah, we've got your back. With both of us and Ski vouching for you, they'd be crazy not to accept someone with every power ever."
Aria glanced between his friends, their excitement infectious but nerve-wracking. It was clear his sister and friends wouldn't let him turn down the opportunity.
"Well… I guess my quiet days are over," he said, attempting a smile.
Alice" Also your test for Reign Academy start in one week"
End of chapter 1