"You are telling me that I've already… destroyed a reality before?!"
"..Yeah."
"Wait, wait!! Everything's going too fast!! Let me get my thoughts together…"
Everything is going insane!! First, the meeting of the black figure on the first day, then Max 2.O, Maya.. !! Finding out there's a prophecy that says I'll either bring chaos or peace to the universe!! Is this some kind of anime?! Am I the main character here?!!
I thought over everything, trying to make sense of it all—
"Maya, do you have something more to say? This is all too much. It's overwhelming."
"Max, I know it's a lot to take in. But there's one thing I need to tell you. After that, it's your turn to figure out what you want to do." She paused before continuing, "In every religion, there are three gods—the creator, the preserver, and the destroyer. All of them exist inside—"
Before she could finish, her voice started glitching. After a few moments, I couldn't hear her anymore.
"What?! Maya?!" I shouted.
Did she leave? Hello? Maya?
No response.
I guess she's really gone… But what was she trying to tell me?
I found myself alone in the open field—it must be around 3:30 p.m. by now. The wind was blowing gently, the breeze felt nice, but…
It all seemed pointless. Practising without understanding anything? Jeniff left me too.
Guess I'll just head back home.
But that last part… What was Maya trying to say about those three gods? And how did I destroy an entire reality before? What reality? How could I possibly find out the truth? The only clue might be my past, but even that's a blur. I can barely remember anything. But I know… I used to have more siblings than just Mari.
Who were they?
I mulled it over as I walked through the school gates, heading toward the parking lot where all the public transport lined up. The familiar noise of the city buzzed around me as I made my way toward the usual place. Specifically, Ema Market, a place run entirely by women. As always, it was packed with people. The parking lot is behind the market, where I'm.
The sounds of vendors calling out their prices, the clatter of customers haggling, and the sheer liveliness of the place hit me all at once.
But… even surrounded by so much life, I couldn't help but feel completely lost.
First, I need to understand myself. But how? How can I figure out who I am to unlock the powers within me?
"Hey, Max… Max!!" Suddenly, a familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts. In front of me stood Mari, my older sister. Guess she's heading home too.
"Sis!" I replied, trying to sound more upbeat than I felt.
"Why don't you reply immediately when I call you? Lost in thoughts again?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah… kind of," I admitted.
She studied my face for a second, then smiled. "Hmm… why is my cute little brother so deep in thought? Don't worry! I'll buy you an ice cream to cheer you up!"
I laughed softly. "Haha—okay, okay… But why do you always need to say it like that?"
"Cuz it's fun, you know," she said, grinning widely, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
I couldn't help but smile back. Mari always had this way of lightening the mood, no matter how lost or confused I felt. Even if I didn't have all the answers right now, at least I had her.
And maybe, that was enough for now. But all the strange things happening now I can't bring my sister in this mess.
***
A week has passed, and I still haven't figured out how to control my power yet. But, in the meantime, I've gotten to know more about the school. At first, I thought the campus was around 500 square metres. I was clearly wrong—what was I thinking? A school this big, in Manipur? Ridiculous. The actual size must be closer to 250 square metres, or even bigger.
Then, there's the school's history—it was established in 1885, which makes it over 120 years old. Impressive, right? The school has definitely seen a lot, but one thing that's bugged me lately is the social dynamic here. This is an all-boys school, so naturally, some people seem to be... more interested in me, not in a friendly way, but something more.
It's weird, honestly, and it's made me wonder if Jeniff might be gay too. I mean, with the way things have been going this week, it's not a far-fetched thought. Still, all these things make this school interesting in its own way.
I just wish I could focus more on controlling my powers instead of getting caught up in these strange new experiences.
I'm sitting outside my class during break, and here I am again—talking to myself like I'm in some anime or a YouTube video. I guess it's starting to become a habit since I used to make those kinds of videos. The irony is, the channel never really took off. I tried for over three years, putting in the effort, but it still didn't get anywhere.
Sometimes, I feel like I should just give up hope on that dream altogether. But, a part of me still clings to it, you know? Even when things don't work out, there's always this tiny voice in the back of my head telling me to keep trying.
"Yo, Max!!"A familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts. When I turned around, it was Aditya.
"Yo, Aditya! What's up?" I replied, trying to push the swirling chaos in my mind aside.
"Nothing much, but are you not getting along with your new friends?"
"No, it's not like that. I just want to be alone for a while. You came looking for me or... heading to the toilet?"
"No, bro. I was just looking for you. We haven't had much time to talk lately. These past weeks have been crazy busy with classes and, you know, making new friends."
"Yeah," I nodded, thinking back on everything. "It has been a pretty busy week." Too busy, if I'm being honest.
We stood in silence for a second, both lost in thought. My mind drifted back to my powers, the school, the weird vibes I was picking up. All the while, Aditya was here, still the same. I almost envied him for how easy things seemed for him.
"So, what have you been up to? Have you watched any new anime?" I asked.
"Yeah, the recent anime was great, don't know how to say it with words," he continued. "And you? What have you been up to?"
"Ooh! Things are going fine, I guess—new friends, new school... but everything is starting to bore me now."
"Sounds like you. By the way, I'm coming to your house, of course, to download some anime."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I replied, smirking.
"You know, ever since you moved away after your dad died, things have changed for you—"
Suddenly, the bell rang, cutting off our conversation.
"Ohh!! Then I must go now," said Aditya as he hurried away.
""Bye, see you later!" I called after him, feeling a mix of gratitude and uncertainty.
As I sat back down, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was standing at a crossroads—between my past, my powers, and these new, complicated friendships. Would I ever find a way to control my abilities, or would I continue to be swept up in the chaos around me?
And what does he think—that I changed after my dad died? No, all these changes started with you. You broke my trust once before, so even if you are one of my closest friends, I cannot trust you at all. Well, whatever, there is no use being depressed again, I thought.
"The teacher might be coming soon."
As the bell rang, I headed back into the classroom. It was still noisy inside; apparently, my classmates hadn't heard the bell. I sat down at my usual spot. I used to sit in the middle row, but after making more friends, I had started sitting with them.
Travis and Steven had not come to school for a week. I wondered what had happened to them. But it wasn't strange for students to miss school for an extended period; it seemed to be normal here.
Our class size was supposed to be 56, but on regular days, only about 25 or 26 of us showed up. It was a chaotic mix of personalities, each with their own dramas and stories, and I felt a bit like an outsider looking in, still trying to find my place in this strange new world.
The teacher finally walked in, and the noise died down. I took a deep breath, trying to focus, but my mind kept drifting back to my powers and how I could control them. Would today be the day I finally figured it out?
***
The day went by as usual, with no strange occurrences. Jeniff hadn't come to meet me for a week, and it felt like he had left me to figure everything out on my own. I couldn't help but wonder about one thing: why did he want to meet with Maya? Maybe he saw something in her that I hadn't yet recognized.
As I pondered these questions, a mix of curiosity and frustration bubbled within me. I wanted answers, but confronting Jeniff seemed like my only option. But where was he? I hadn't seen him around lately, and the absence of his usual banter made the school feel even more isolating. Would I have to wait until he decided to show up again, or was there a way to reach out to him? I glanced around the classroom, hoping for some distraction, but my thoughts kept circling back to the mystery of Jeniff, Maya, and my own tangled emotions.
Finally, the last bell rang, ending class.
"Yo, Aditya!" I called, spotting him waiting for me at the front gate with his cycle.
"Yo! Let's walk together," he replied.
"Okay. By the way, are you staying at your grandma's place or at your house?"
"I've been staying at Kwakeithel. I'll be coming over to your house soon after changing my clothes."
"Oh, at your grandma's place?"
"Yeah, but you can say Kwakeithel, besides my grandma's place."
"Yeah, I know."
After this brief conversation, Aditya said goodbye and left me in the parking lot. I stood there for a while, lost in thought, pondering my desire to understand myself better. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a message from Jeniff: Max, where are you? Come to the principal's office as fast as possible.
What? What happened? I turned back, hurrying back to the school. When I reached the principal's office, Jeniff was already there, looking tense and serious. The principal wasn't in yet.
"Wh-what?! What happened?!" I gasped, trying to catch my breath after rushing over.
"Let him be," a voice called from behind. It was the principal.
"Ma'am?"
"Jeniff, calm down. Max has arrived, so let's continue."
Jeniff seemed to relax a little.
"Ma'am, what happened? Why is Jeniff so tense?"
The principal took her seat. "Max, do you know about TG?"
"Yeah, of course. One of my friend's studies there. But why do you ask?"
"As you know, TG is a girls' school. Girls awakening latent abilities is not common; it's quite rare," she continued. "Since it is rare for girls to awaken this ability, TG doesn't have the same facilities as we do when powers manifest."
TG—Tamphasana Girls School—is a government school, one of the most well known schools in our state.
"Then, ma'am, did you call us for something?" I asked.
"Yeah, Jeniff must have told you that only nine students are in our school?"
"Yeah, he did."
"He didn't tell the whole truth. The five seniors who have powers, besides Jeniff, are three boys from our school and two girls from TG," she continued. "But we didn't expect one of TG's girls to awaken her power…"
"Ma'am, I have one question. How is this latent power activated?"
"Oh, I guess Jeniff hasn't told you. He must have left you in the dark."
"Yeah," I said, glancing at Jeniff, who looked apologetic.
"Sorry, Max," he murmured.
"There are many factors that can activate this power, but—" the principal paused, her expression growing serious, "—a dark past is the most common catalyst."
"Oh," I realised. So, it's likely that girls don't usually have a dark past, huh?. I thought
"So, what do we need to do?" I asked.
"The girl who just awakened her power is currently out of control. You two need to calm her down."
"But I can't control my power yet!"
"I know, so I'm sending you to unlock your power while trying to calm her down."
"Ohh… okay." My heart raced at the thought, and I could feel sweat forming on my forehead.
I thought I wouldn't have to face any strange situations, but I guess I'm out of luck.
...
To be continued…