Rian arrived back home, the moonlight casting a soft glow over the quiet neighborhood. The streets were still, save for the occasional flicker of a streetlamp or the distant hum of a car. As he approached the front door, he adjusted his clothes, wiped the sweat from his brow, and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Summoning his courage, he raised a hand and knocked lightly.
It took a few moments before the door creaked open, revealing Veeona, his elder sister, standing in the doorway. Her expression immediately shifted to one of annoyance mixed with relief.
"Where have you been the whole day?" she asked sharply, her hands resting on her hips. "Mum has been worried sick about you."
Rian avoided her gaze, mumbling something incoherent as he stepped inside. The warm light of the living room greeted him, but the atmosphere was far from welcoming. At the far corner of the room, his mother, Tilisha, rose from her sewing machine, where she had been working diligently. The hum of the machine had stopped, replaced by a tense silence that hung heavily in the air.
Tilisha's sharp eyes locked onto Rian, and it was clear from her expression that she was not pleased. Her hands, calloused from years of working with fabric, rested on her hips as she took a step closer to him. The light from the lamp beside her cast shadows on her stern face, highlighting the worry etched into her features.
"Rian Thorne," she said in a voice that was calm but carried an unmistakable edge. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how late it is?"
Rian shifted uncomfortably, glancing briefly at the sewing machine, which still had a half-finished garment draped across it. She had been working there, focused as always on her tailoring, but her expression now showed she wasn't pleased.
"I... I got caught up," he stammered, unable to come up with a convincing excuse. His gaze dropped to the floor as he tried to avoid the weight of her disappointment.
Veeona closed the door behind him, crossing her arms as she leaned against it. "Caught up? Really? That's the best you can do? Mum's been pacing all evening, wondering if you were lying in a ditch somewhere."
Tilisha sighed, her stern demeanor softening just a fraction. "Rian, I don't know what's going on with you lately, but this behavior has to stop. You need to start being responsible."
The words stung, and Rian felt a pang of unease. He knew he couldn't explain the events of the day—not the casino, the gang encounter, or the mysterious Radiant who had saved him. How could he, when he couldn't let her know he had been gambling? Instead, he muttered a quiet apology.
"I'm sorry, Mum. This will be the first and last time," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Tilisha studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Go wash up and get something to eat. You have school tomorrow, and we'll talk about this later."
Rian gave his sister a victory smirk while heading to his room. Once inside, he opened his wallet and saw the ₵2000. His heart pained him a little when he recalled how the Radiant—scratch that, Shameless Radiant—took ₵3000. But Rian was in awe at how powerful the Radiant was and how he took down those guys. Then he also recalled the download button that was on the Radiant's head. He was not sure why it showed red since this was the first time he saw it like that.
He decided to take a random book, then looked at it, but surprisingly the download button was normal like it was for the ZephyrTab and textbook. He made some wild guesses: Maybe I can't download Radiant abilities? But why would it show up in the first place? Or maybe I am not strong enough yet? After pondering and yet not finding the answer, he decided to investigate further when the opportunity arises again.
At this point, recalling the gang encounter, Rian was reminded that just like in most novels he read in his previous world, he, as a bug, must be on top of the food chain. With such amazing powers, he would be a disgrace to all bugs if he remained an ordinary person. Anyway, one step at a time. He headed to the bathroom, freshened up, and went to eat his dinner.
While eating, he heard Veeona discussing her plans to travel tomorrow since her break was up. Veeona was a beat reporter working as a political investigative journalist, so she traveled frequently. "Is Dad back yet?" Rian asked, glancing toward the door.
"No," his mum replied. "He's doing night shifts today."
Rian nodded in understanding. As he continued eating, his mind wandered. One of his goals was to upgrade his family's status. Over the years, they had struggled to reach where they were now, and to Rian, his family meant more than anything else.
"After all, it's not a bad thing for Dad to run his own security company, or Mum to start her own brand, or Veeona to own her own media company intimidating any guy that wants to marry her," Rian thought, a foolish smile spreading across his face.
The sudden laughter of his mum and sister brought him back to reality. "Looks like Rian has fallen in love," Veeona teased.
"Maybe that's why he's now coming back home late," his mum chimed in, her tone playful.
Rian laughed, waving them off. "Stop it, you two," he said, his voice warm with affection. He cherished moments like these with his family, and as he rose from the table, he made a silent decision: to rise, he would take his family with him.
Rian finished eating, washed the dishes, and told his mum and sister good night. He headed to his room, slumping onto his bed. His thoughts replayed the events of the day—from gambling to the gang encounter and then the Radiant. Staring at the ceiling, he whispered to himself, "One day, I will stand above them all," before drifting into dreamland.
The next day, a sharp shout, "RIAN!" jolted him awake.
"I'm up, I'm up!" Rian groaned, rubbing his eyes as he stumbled out of bed. The chaos of a Monday morning in the Thorne household had begun.
"Kala, hurry up! You've been in there forever!" Veeona's voice carried through the hallway as she knocked loudly on the bathroom door.
"I'm almost done! Stop yelling," Kala shouted back, the sound of rushing water punctuating her words.
"If you don't hurry, I'll miss my flight," Veeona grumbled, muttering under her breath as she packed her suitcase in the living room.
In the kitchen, their mum called out, "Breakfast is almost ready! Kala, you'd better not forget to take your lunch!" The clatter of pots and pans underscored her commanding tone.
Rian groggily made his way toward the bathroom, dodging Veeona as she darted past him. "Morning," he mumbled, his voice still thick with sleep.
"Morning? It's almost chaos o'clock in here," Veeona snapped, her arms laden with clothes as she rushed back to her room.
Meanwhile, in the midst of all the noise and movement, their father lay peacefully in his room, completely unbothered after his night shift. The faint sound of his snoring added an ironic calm to the storm outside his door.
"Kala! Are you done yet?" Rian shouted, knocking on the bathroom door.
"Five more minutes!" Kala yelled back, her voice muffled by the closed door.
"Five minutes is all I've got!" Veeona retorted, throwing her packed bag by the door and eyeing the clock with frustration.
Many minutes later, Rian was dressed in casual wear, putting his books into his bag. He headed to the dining room, ate his breakfast, and after bidding farewell to his mum and wishing Veeona a safe trip, he stepped out of the apartment.
Downstairs, Rian greeted some fellow tenants. "Hey, Duke, early start?" he called out to a young man balancing a helmet under one arm.
"Yeah, got to beat the traffic," Duke replied with a grin. Nearby, Mrs. Harriett waved as she ushered her two children toward their school bus.
The neighborhood was alive with activity—people rushing to work, students boarding buses. Behind Rian, Kala waved from the school bus as she joined her friends.
"Bye, Rian!" she called out, her voice drowned out by the chatter of her classmates.
"See you later, Kala," Rian said with a wave as she got swept up by the excitement of her friends.
Rian walked to the bus stop, joining the growing crowd of people waiting. After a few moments, the bus arrived, and everyone boarded. Finding a seat by the window, Rian gazed outside as the bus began to move. He observed the bustling streets, the ebb and flow of pedestrians, and the lively hum of the city. The familiar scenes reminded him that this parallel world mirrored his old one in many ways.
"So far, the biggest difference is the supernatural," Rian thought. Radiants, though rare, made up about 10% to 15% of the world's population. Each one was considered a treasure by the government, making them uncommon sights in everyday life.
As the bus pulled into Aspire Avenue, the campus area came into view. Rian stepped off, crossed the road, and approached the grand entrance of Skyreach University. A security checkpoint loomed ahead, with students presenting their IDs to enter. The area buzzed with activity—some students arrived in sleek, expensive cars, while others, like Rian, queued with their IDs in hand to gain access.