"Hey!! What are you two doing?"
I called out, heading toward them after finishing my report.
But then, something strange stopped me. A heavy, eerie sensation washed over me, like invisible figures brushing over my skin. It came from the left side, what is that feeling?
"Szgayqur–"
a woman's voice echoed in my head, soft yet unsettling, like a whisper from a half-remembered dream. I couldn't understand what she was saying.
And then—
"Stop!" Jeniff shouted behind me, trying to stop me.
But my legs had already moved. I was sprinting before I even realised it.
The night around me felt unreal. Moonlight spilled through the treetops, scattering pale patches of light on the road. A cool breeze stirred fallen leaves, making them dance across the ground. I heard distant shouts from the rescue team and the hum of engines as they attended to the injured.
I jumped over a muddy patch, my shoes splashing through the edge. Rounding the corner, I saw a figure—wrapped in darkness.
It was a woman—or at least, she had the shape of one. I couldn't make out her face, but two glowing red eyes stared back at me from the shadows.
She turned toward me, her gaze locking onto mine.
"Yo, Siku," she said, her voice calm and familiar, like an old memory brushing the edge of my consciousness.
The same voice—when I was drowning in the ocean… and again at the library.
It felt impossible. I had never seen her before, but somehow, I knew her. The way she said "Siku"... It sent a chill down my spine.
Why is she calling me that?
My legs wobbled, and my hands trembled uncontrollably. Cold sweat trickled down my back as my mind raced. Was she connected to that attack?
I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat felt dry, and the words barely made it out. "S-Siku? Who...?"
"Ohh, sorry, now it's Max."
What is she saying I don't have any idea? Siku? The title in that book too. Why is she calling me that?
As she looked at me, she said "Well then."
The clouds move slowly, covering the moon, casting shadow of the clouds.
After a pause, she spoke again. "Looks like you've finally awakened your Muga." Her words hung in the air, cold and deliberate. "That's what I was waiting for."
I took a shaky step back, confusion swirling in my head. Muga? The word sounded strange, but something in me stirred at its mention, like a part of me recognized it.
She continued, her voice calm, like she had all the time in the world. "In your terms, it's what you call latent power. Something that only awakens under very specific conditions." Her eyes glinted, like a cat toying with its prey. "And I made sure you met those conditions."
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. She planned this? From the beginning?
"Now," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, "give me your power."
The clouds shifted again, and for a moment, moonlight spilled across her face. But just as quickly, darkness surged back, swallowing everything.
The world turned pitch black, like I'd fallen into a void. The air grew thicker, heavy with tension. I couldn't see a thing, but somehow, I could still feel the light brushing against my skin, faint and distant, like the flicker of a dying candle.
I swallowed hard, every muscle in my body coiled tight. Is she going to attack? I tensed, scanning the void with every sense I had, waiting for a sign—a shift in the air, the sound of movement. From where? Left? Right? Above? Behind? My heart hammered against my ribs.
Then, out of the darkness, her voice came again.
"Hahaha!"
The sound echoed all around me, bouncing off invisible walls, growing louder and more twisted with every passing second.
It wasn't just laughter. It was a cruel, mocking sound—like someone who already knew how the game would end.
The laughter continued endlessly from every direction. I looked around, straining to focus. Where is she? Where can she attack?
Then, a single droplet fell, echoing in my head. "Plop..."
It broke through the laughter, and I still couldn't find her.
I could feel the wind vibrating around me, growing stronger… Suddenly, it stopped.
And then, without warning, a red-eyed entity appeared right in front of me. It was that woman again.
She was wielding the wind in her right hand, the air spinning around her with a rapid speed, responding to her command. Wind manipulation? Is she going to attack me?
I took a step back, adrenaline coursing through me as I dodged the incoming force. The wind surged past me, racing at nearly 200 kilometres per hour. If it hit my head… I could die.
After I dodged, I created a spherical water wall around me. That girl vanished.
She wasn't attacking randomly, like Lia… but she was calculating her assault wisely.
Think! Think! Think, Max! I urged myself, analysing my current situation.
This wasn't an easy fight like Lia; it was on a whole new level. One mistake, and I die. I couldn't fight for long. I needed to find a way to strike hard and fast. Max, use your overthinking ability! Think of every possibility! Logical or illogical, anything. Just think fast!
"Thinking will not help." Her voice approached from the left side, destroying my water shield.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus. 'Okay, Max. Full focus.'
"Fire Manipulation: Fireball +100!!" I shouted, conjuring over a hundred fireballs around me in a 180° arc. The heat radiated intensely.
With a quick countdown, I unleashed them all. "Fire!!"
They launched at full speed, draining my energy. I could barely stand. The attack was too much for a newbie, but somehow I managed.
"Futility…" I heard her whisper before the darkness enveloped me again, and I lost consciousness.
The attack didn't hit her. It was a useless attempt.
From the start I knew that.
***
Now, I have lost the fight, or it was just a fight for me. For her it must be a play.
I can't move my body— legs, hands; they all feel numb. I don't understand what I should do. Give up?... Hmph, not an option. Then what? What can I do? I'm lost in my thoughts.
"....wake… Ma…."
Er? I can hear, someone was shaking me… who?
I feel my body heat fading; did I lose blood? Everything started to feel cold..
"Plop.. Plop…." Water droplets? Where am I?
Who is Siku? Me?..
My past self?
"What…. What do you…" suddenly I hear a voice, a familiar voice— dad's voice.
"What do you…. dream of?"
I remember that moment, when he asked that.. He lay down on his bed, like always, making me and… who? Who was with me? Don't remember, my memories feel cloudy. I was massaging his legs… I remember, it was around 2 years ago… er? But my dad died 6 years ago.
What?!! My memories are glitching– what are these memories....?
"What do you dream of?" again that question, but this time the voice is heavier and darker. "World domination or peace?"
"....nothing.." I replied. "Just give… me 'love'.."
"... I'm not going to lose!!"
***
"....hmm.." Rubbing my eyes, when my vision cleared I found myself in the principal's car. Cover with a small blanket at the lower portion.
Through the window, I see Jeniff, Lia and the principal worried. I have caused them many problems.
It's around 7:37 p.m. now, and the chaos from earlier has settled down. People who have lost their houses have been taken to Relief Camp…
Man, this event is surely going to come in the news, I thought.
"Max!" Jeniff's voice snapped me back to reality. "You okay?" From his tone, I can tell he's genuinely worried about me. I nod, relief flooding his features.
"hum-hm, Max, why were you lying down, a new game?" Lia joins in with a smile that manages to lighten the mood.
I scratched the back of my neck, forcing a smile "Um, er.. lost all my stamina, I guess" I replied.
"Who wouldn't lose from that event— you have kicked my back so hard, that it still hurts…" Lia said.
"S-Sorry," giving a small smile, bringing my hands together in a prayer sign.
Jeniff let out a chuckle, but it was laced with exhaustion. "Man, you sure know how to cause trouble, Max." continuing "But seriously— why did you run away?"
Guess they don't hear that voice, I thought.
"It's nothing, really. Just felt like running.. Haha" giving a fake laugh, I replied.
"Er? I don -" Jeniff was going to say something, but before the principal interpret "humph, we'll save that conversation for tomorrow. Your parents must be worried. Let's get you all home. We'll discuss this at school tomorrow."
"Yes!" the three of us replied in unison.
It's true—my parents must be worried. I never stay out this late without telling them. They've probably called a hundred times by now.
I don't know much about Jeniff's situation—he hasn't said a word about his family. As for Lia, she'll probably stay at the relief camp with her parents. Her brother... he was taken to the hospital. Last I heard, he was in a coma.
After the ride, we finally reached my house. Like last time, I sat in the front seat with that guy. Who? Don't ask me—I still don't know his name. Jeniff and the principal were in the back.
When we pulled up to my place, I gave a quick "Bye" before hopping out. Jeniff's house must be farther from here—figures. My mom specifically picked this school because it's close enough to home. Typical.
I watched the car drive off into the night, the tail lights disappearing around the corner. With a sigh, I turned toward the front door, bracing myself for what's waiting inside.
As the car disappeared down the street, I turned toward my house. The porch light was on, casting a warm glow over the entrance. My school bag felt heavier than usual, though it wasn't the weight of books.
I pushed open the door and called out, "I'm home!" just like always, my voice echoing faintly through the hallway.
As soon as I stepped inside, my mom and sister rushed toward me, their faces twisted with worry.
"Max, you fool! Where have you been? You're so timid you can't even clean your room by yourself..." my sister scolded, hugging me tightly.
Yeah, figured she'd say that. They always treat me like I'm some clumsy kid. And, sure, I mess up sometimes—okay, a lot—but not the way they think. If I'm being honest, they don't really know me. Not the real me. Just the surface.
Mom stood there, watching us, her eyes glistening with tears. She looked like she wanted to pull me into a hug, but my sister beat her to it.
"Mom, I'm fine," I said softly, feeling a little awkward under all the concern.
She wiped her eyes quickly, trying to mask the emotion with a weak smile. "You had us so worried, Max…"
Sis wiped her tears and said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you! Aditya came by a while ago. I think he wanted to talk to you, but since you didn't come home, he left."
I nodded, recalling our earlier conversation. He mentioned he'd drop by to download some anime. Aditya always came over when he needed to catch up on our favourite shows—his lack of a Wi-Fi connection made our house the perfect spot.
"Guess I'll have to catch up with him tomorrow," I said, feeling a pang of guilt for missing him. "Did he at least get what he needed?"
My sister shrugged, a teasing smile on her face. "Probably."
"Max, you must be hungry." Mom said, I nodded.
***
Today is Friday, July 18. It's been nearly 18 days since my world turned upside down, and it feels like a distant dream.
Who would believe that superpowers exist in this modern world? Muga? It's something I need to unravel on my own. I can't rely on anyone else for help.
"Huff~~" I let out a long sigh, my mind feeling heavy as I sat in class. The teacher droned on about accountancy—something I couldn't grasp at all.
"Max, are you sleepy? You sure know how to catch some Zs, haha!" the guy next to me teased. I had changed my seat from the back to this spot by the window, where the sunlight streamed in, warming my skin.
Steveen and Travis hadn't shown up in days. I wondered what was going on with them. Must be busy, I guess. Now, I found myself surrounded by new friends. Somehow, I had become somewhat well-known. How? Don't ask me. It was just like in my old school—I seem to have a certain charm, I guess.
The bell rang, signalling recess. I stretched my arms wide, relishing the freedom.
"Man, that felt like forever," I said, leaning back.
"Yeah," he replied, his tone calm.
The guy beside me didn't say much; if I were to give him a nickname, it would be "Silent Voice." By the way, his real name was Paikhomba—a Manipuri name.
"Umm, what are you watching?" I asked, leaning over slightly to sneak a peek. I already knew he was scrolling through Instagram on his phone.
He didn't answer, but I could see he was watching some football highlights. The guy who had just teased me, Amar, walked off with his friends, laughing and joking. We had only become friends about 10 days ago, I think.
With recess in full swing, the classroom buzzed with noise. I decided to step outside and headed towards Aditya's classroom. When I walked in, I found him chatting with his new friends. They are probably talking about games—something I had given up on last December.
"Yo, Aditya!" I said, giving him a playful slap on the back. "Let's go hang out."
"Uh, sorry, but I can't today. I'm playing some games with these guys.."
"Ohh, ok. Then bye.." I left without asking too much.
Now, what should I do? I could just roam around, I guess. Hmph, let's just sit in front of my class.
As I settled down, thought filled my mind. I needed to figure out what Muga really is. Should I tell Jeniff and the principal? No, I decided to keep this to myself for now. Muga? She said it's the latent abilities.. So latent abilities are Muga,right? If so then, what? I still haven't finished testing my power, so I had no idea what abilities I might have.
"Huff~~" I let out a heavy sigh, frustration creeping in. What was I supposed to do? I titled my head back to gaze at the sky. The weather was warm-no, it was downright hot, especially since it was mid-July. But I still like it. The clouds drifted lazily overhead, their slow movement providing a sense of calm that contrasted with my racing thoughts.
My skin felt the gentle breeze blowing around me, rustling the trees as their leaves danced in the wind, some falling softly to the ground. I could hear the chatter of students mingling with the distant honks of vehicles, yet I remained relaxed. In my mind, a peaceful background melody played, soothing my racing thoughts.
It was so relaxing. I closed my eyes slowly, letting myself absorb everything around me. I could feel nature enveloping me: ants scurrying about, diligently collecting their food, and birds soaring overhead in graceful flocks. I could even hear the gentle patter of water droplets falling to the ground, each one adding to the soothing symphony of the moment.
But I still haven't figured everything out. Why do I hear my father's voice? He died 6 years ago, yet I have memories from 2 years ago that feel so vivid. And there's someone I've forgotten. I need to unravel this mystery. Should I ask Maya for help?..