Chapter One: What is this strange energy?
The library was dead quiet, the way Daniel liked it. Rows upon rows of books loomed over him, their spines faded but comforting, like silent witnesses to countless lives and stories. He sat at a corner desk, a textbook on early American history open in front of him. His laptop hummed softly, tabs filled with research articles and half-baked attempts at his essay blinking back at him.
"Just one more paragraph," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his messy dark hair. His eyes flitted to the clock on the wall. Almost 6 p.m. He had been here for hours, but distractions were his specialty.
As he leaned over the book to reread a passage he felt as if his surroundings were rippling. Then, a strange sensation fluttered in his chest — like his heart was skipping beats. He froze, hand clutching at his ribcage. The feeling intensified, sharp and erratic.
"Not now," he groaned, thinking it was just stress or maybe the two energy drinks he'd
downed earlier. But the fluttering escalated into a pounding, a chaotic drumbeat that
drowned out everything else.
Panic set in. His vision blurred. He tried to stand, to call for help, but his legs buckled. He collapsed to the floor, the hard surface knocking the breath out of him. The last thing he saw was the librarian rushing toward him, her mouth moving in words he couldn't hear.
_____
Daniel woke to the sterile smell of disinfectant and the steady beep of a heart monitor.
Fluorescent lights buzzed above him, their cold glow making the hospital room feel even lonelier.
"What the hell…" he muttered, his voice scratchy. He shifted in bed, noticing the IV taped to his arm and the uncomfortable hospital gown draped over him.
A nurse walked in, her cheerful demeanor at odds with the situation. "Good to see you
awake, sweetheart," she said, checking his vitals.
"What happened?" Daniel asked, his throat dry.
"You collapsed at the library. The paramedics brought you in. We ran some tests, but everything looks fine. No irregularities with your heart. No sign of any conditions."
"Fine? Are you sure?" Daniel pressed, frowning.
"Absolutely," the nurse replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You'll be discharged soon. Just make sure you rest and drink plenty of water."
By the time he was allowed to leave, the sun had set. Daniel trudged home, his head heavy with unanswered questions.
_____
Home wasn't much — a cramped studio apartment that smelled faintly of mold no matter how much he cleaned. He flipped the light switch, the single bulb overhead flickering before steadying. Tossing his backpack onto the floor and checking on his sleeping grandmother, he sank into the worn-out couch that doubled as his bed.
His gaze drifted to the small, framed photograph sitting on the coffee table. Two smiling faces stared back at him — his parents.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, picking up the frame. "I probably just wasted a huge chunk of the money you left me." He ran a thumb over the edge of the frame, guilt twisting in his chest.
They had vanished when he was six, leaving him with a modest trust fund and a lot of
unanswered questions. No goodbye note, no explanation. Just gone. He had been taken in by a kindly old woman who lived in the neighbourhood and who he called grandmother. Over the years, their absence had hardened into a dull ache, but he couldn't bring himself to hate them.
With a sigh, he put the photo back and headed to the tiny kitchen to heat up a can of soup.
He ate the food made by his grandmother quickly, the events of the day running through his mind.
Something wasn't right. The doctors had said he was fine, but Daniel couldn't shake the sensation he'd felt at the library — or the strange awareness lingering in the back of his mind.
After washing his bowl, he returned to the couch and sat cross-legged. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the feeling.
It was faint at first, like a whisper in the dark, but as he concentrated, it became clearer.
There was… something. A faint warmth coursing through him, pulsing with every beat of his heart.
"What the hell is this?" he murmured, his fingers unconsciously curling into his palms.
He had read enough manga and cultivation novels to know what this *felt* like. It couldn't be real, though. Those were just stories.
But still…
Taking a deep breath, Daniel decided to test it. He sat up straighter and folded his legs into the lotus position. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, slow and steady, just like the
characters in those stories did when meditating.
At first, nothing happened. He was just sitting in the dark, feeling a little stupid. But as he focused on the strange warmth in his blood, he felt it shift. The pulse grew stronger, the warmth spreading like wildfire through his veins.
Daniel's breath hitched.
The energy surged, coursing through him like an unstoppable tide. His skin tingled, his heart pounded, and for a brief moment, it felt like the entire world had fallen silent.
And then, the energy moved.