Nightfall.
Dressed in black, with a cap and mask concealing his face, Ethan Reed stepped out into the night. His attire wasn't for fashion—it was because he never delayed his revenge.
Earlier that day, Troy Hunt had provoked him twice, crossing a line Ethan refused to tolerate.
He couldn't allow someone like Troy to share the same air as him. If it hadn't been for the crowd during the day, Ethan would have killed him on the spot.
That's the kind of man Ethan had become: vengeful and ruthless.
Since his awakening, his mindset had undergone a complete transformation.
Clenching his fists tightly, Ethan's knuckles collided with his palms, emitting a metallic clang. A fiery gleam flickered in his eyes.
"Power! This is what it feels like to have power. But it's not enough—I need more. With more strength, I can survive this hell. I can take control of my own life!"
His gaze burned with ambition, his pupils gleaming with a dangerous madness.
Pulling up his hood to cast his face into shadow, Ethan stepped out into the streets.
He moved swiftly, like a phantom in the night, slipping through the darkness with precision.
When he reached a secluded alleyway, his steps abruptly halted, and his brow furrowed deeply.
"Help! Someone help me!"
"Please, let me go! Don't—don't do this!"
"You little wench, weren't you acting all high and mighty back at the bar? And now you're begging? Too late!"
A young woman's desperate cries, mingled with the jeering laughter of two men, echoed from deep within the alleyway, reaching Ethan Reed's ears.
Ethan's expression remained cold. In the outer district, poor law enforcement was a given. He shook his head indifferently. "They reap what they sow."
To his mind, anyone who stayed out drinking at bars this late at night in such a dangerous area couldn't be a good girl.
He was about to turn away when another voice drifted out:
"Boss, this one's really something—so fresh and delicate. Could she still be a student?"
"Heh heh, never seen one this pretty before. Tonight's my lucky night!"
Ethan's steps faltered, his head snapping back toward the alley. Without hesitation, he dashed into the darkness.
The narrow alley was pitch-black, with no streetlights, illuminated only by the pale moonlight that spilled onto the scene of cruelty.
A young woman in a cheap sundress was pinned against the wall by two scruffy men. She struggled desperately, but her strength was no match for theirs.
Despair clouded her once-bright eyes, like a pearl covered in ash, dimming her spirit.
Just as the last shred of hope began to fade, a shadow suddenly appeared in the alley.
The girl's eyes lit up with a spark of hope, glowing as if a miracle had descended.
"Help me!" she cried out.
It was Ethan Reed who had arrived.
"Stop! Let go of her!"
Like a runaway locomotive, Ethan charged forward. Before the two men could react, bam, bam!
Two punches landed, sending them flying like broken kites, crashing hard against the alley walls on either side.
When they struggled back to their feet, every bone in their bodies felt as though it were about to shatter.
"Ah! Damn it! Who the hell dares ruin my fun?!"
Their question was answered by two thunderous kicks. Thud! Thud!
They were sent flying again, coughing up blood as they landed.
"Get lost," Ethan growled, his voice as cold as the night air.
The two men, realizing they had run into someone they couldn't handle, didn't dare to utter another word. Scrambling to their feet, they fled the scene, not even sparing a glance behind them.
The girl, finally safe, seemed too frightened to speak. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, burying her face in her knees as soft sobs escaped her lips.
"Are you okay?" Ethan asked, stepping closer.
The girl's slender frame trembled slightly. She shook for a moment before finally raising her head.
As she lifted her face, the pale moonlight illuminated her delicate features, and Ethan froze.
She was stunning.
As a student, even with extraordinary powers, Ethan Reed's mindset and perspective hadn't fully evolved. Just as in school, where everyone seemed to admire the same face, there was a reason for it—their social circles were confined to the classroom and hallways.
An exceptional boy or girl would naturally attract admiration from many peers simultaneously. But as people stepped into the broader world, they'd realize that sometimes, a more pragmatic option held greater appeal.
Bathed in the moonlight, Ethan found himself gazing at a face streaked with tears, delicate yet marked by sorrow. Her fragile frame trembled, her eyes red and swollen, hair disheveled. Yet, amid her despair, there was a faint glimmer of defiance in her gaze.
It was the perfect portrayal of the broken beauty Sam sought.
Ethan, having never encountered such a scene, felt an overwhelming wave of protectiveness rise within him, uncontrollable and deeply instinctive.
Noticing Ethan's gaze, the girl shrank back fearfully, curling in on herself as she hastily tugged up a fallen shoulder strap.
"Thank you for saving me," she said, struggling to her feet. But it was clear she was injured—each movement looked painfully difficult.
Ethan instinctively reached out to help her, but the girl flinched, recoiling like a frightened deer.
"Don't… don't misunderstand," he stammered, his voice uncharacteristically uncertain. "I'm not like them. I won't hurt you."
Perhaps his words reassured her. The tension in her body eased slightly, and she finally raised her head. Her gaze was both stubborn and earnest as she looked directly at Ethan.
In her eyes, the reflection of the bright moon shimmered like a beacon of hope in the darkness.
"That's a beautiful name—it suits you," the girl said softly. Then, after a brief pause, she added hesitantly, "Um… I should head back now."
"Thank you. What's your name? I'll definitely repay your kindness someday," she asked, her voice earnest.
"Ethan Reed," he replied without hesitation, the words spilling out instinctively.
"Ethan?" The girl blinked, the fear and tension in her eyes now almost entirely gone. "If I'm not mistaken, holly is both a flower and a medicinal plant. Its flower language represents life, resilience, integrity, and vitality."
Ethan froze for a moment, stunned. It was the first time he realized the depth behind the name his late parents had given him.
The girl smiled gently.
"Let me walk you home!" he blurted out, the thought of revenge against Troy Hunt momentarily forgotten.
"There's no need," the girl replied, her tone cautious, her gaze betraying a hint of wariness. "I can make it back on my own."
Ethan's shoulders drooped slightly in disappointment. As the girl turned to leave, he opened his mouth to stop her but couldn't find the words to say.
Then fate seemed to intervene.
She had barely taken two steps before crying out in pain. Her ankle twisted, and she stumbled, about to collapse onto the cold, hard ground.
Ethan, a newly awakened extraordinary, reacted instinctively. In a flash, he stepped forward, catching her soft, fragile body in his arms.
At that moment, he understood what it meant to hold a "delicate flower."
Her warmth and softness sent a strange ripple through his heart. She's so small… he thought to himself, Are all girls this tiny and delicate?
As Ethan stood there dazed, a soft, almost inaudible voice like the hum of a mosquito came from his arms:
"Can you… let me go now?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Ethan felt his face flush red. He quickly released the girl from his grasp.
"Thank you," she said again, bowing her head slightly before limping away.
It was only then that Ethan noticed her slender ankle, now swollen and red.
"You're injured," he said. "Walking home like this could make it worse. Let me take you back."
Without looking back, the girl replied, "No need. You've already helped me enough. I can—ah!"
Before she could finish, her balance gave out again, and she started falling. But instead of hitting the cold, hard ground, she landed against a chest that felt as solid as steel.
The next moment, she realized she was being lifted off her feet.
"Stop being stubborn. I'll take you home," Ethan said, his voice firm.
The girl avoided his gaze, curling into herself as she muttered a faint, almost imperceptible, "Okay."
Carrying her under the soft glow of the moonlight, Ethan walked silently. The atmosphere was tranquil yet charged with an unspoken tenderness.
"Lily," the girl suddenly said, her voice breaking the quiet.