Nina gave her controller one final, betrayed look before rolling off the couch with a grunt.
"Fine. Maybe I am bad at games."
The controller didn't respond. Rude.
With a blanket still wrapped around her shoulders like a cape of shame, she shuffled out of her room and into the hallway.
Her stomach growled like an angry spirit. She had exactly two brain cells left and both were yelling: snack. now.
She barely made it to the stairs when she heard her mother's voice drifting from the kitchen.
"I just don't know what to do with her."
Her mother said. Her voice was low, the clipped kind of whisper people used when they didn't want to be overheard but still really wanted to be overheard.
Nina froze.
"She just stays in that room all day. She doesn't study. She doesn't train. She doesn't even try. Honestly, I think she's allergic to effort."
Her mother continued, clearly on the phone.
Ouch. Harsh, but not inaccurate.
"If this keeps up, I'll have to enroll her in one of those private academies. The kind that whips useless kids into shape. Maybe then she'll finally graduate from being a complete waste of potential."
Her mother sighed.
Double ouch.
Nina opened her mouth, ready to march in and say,
Actually, I'm the rank #1 hunter in the world, thank you very much, but then—
"I'm just glad at least one of my kids is normal. It's the only peace of mind I've got left."
Her mother said with a tired chuckle.
And just like that, the words caught in Nina's throat and dissolved. The blanket slipped off her shoulders and pooled around her feet.
So that's what she was.
A source of stress. A problem to be fixed. A mistake.
[System Notice: Emotional status—unstable.]
[Patreon Suggestion: Would you like to initiate a mental health check-in?]
"No."
She whispered.
She straightened, brushed imaginary dust off her hoodie, and stepped away from the kitchen.
If she stayed home any longer, she was going to scream into a void—or worse, cry into a pillow. She hated both.
Instead, she stuck her head back into the kitchen, voice as cheerful as she could fake.
"Hey, Mom, I'm heading out!"
Her mother gave a distracted wave without even turning away from the phone.
"Okay, sweetie. Be careful. You're just a normal human, remember? It's dangerous out there for people like you."
Nina didn't respond.
She grabbed her bag, tossed on her hoodie, and left.
The city was loud, chaotic, and smelled vaguely of fried mana oil, but it was better than being indoors. Magical trains zipped overhead.
A group of teenage sorcerers argued over who was stronger—a summoner or a flame-speaker. Someone across the street was selling enchanted churros.
Nina considered the churros. She deserved something sweet after all that emotional damage.
But her legs kept moving, and soon she found herself in front of a quiet little café tucked between a crystal shop and a cursed scroll repair stand. A chalkboard sign outside read:
[Today's Special: Mood-Boosting Macchiato (Side effects may include sudden motivation.)]
"Worth a shot."
She mumbled.
The bell above the door jingled as she stepped inside.
Warm light. Soft music. The scent of cinnamon and mild hope.
She walked up to the counter—
And froze.
Someone was watching her.
She didn't know how she knew. She just knew.
A chill ran down her spine, and her vision tunneled. She reached for her bag.
[System Alert: Warning—You are being observed.]
[Patreon Suggestion: Caffeination can wait. Flee.]
Nina backed toward the door, trying not to draw attention. Her instincts—sharpened by years of ignoring them—screamed at her to bolt.
She reached for the handle—
And someone grabbed her arm.
Her heart spiked.
The grip was firm but not painful. Still, she tensed, ready to elbow whoever it was in the ribs and sprint all the way to another continent if needed.
She looked up.
The person staring back at her wasn't a monster. Wasn't even wearing the creepy cloaks or power armor most problematic types wore these days.
He looked… normal.
Tall, sharp-eyed, and way too calm. His black coat didn't glow, his boots didn't float, and yet somehow, everything about him screamed danger.
"You dropped this."
He said, holding up her wallet.
Nina blinked.
"Oh."
He smiled slightly.
"You ran out so fast, I thought you might need it."
Her mouth opened. Closed. She checked her bag. The wallet was, indeed, missing.
"Thanks."
She muttered, taking it back.
She turned to leave again.
"I know who you are."
He said.
She froze for the second time that day.
He leaned in just enough to lower his voice.
"And you're a lot more than a normal human."
The man still had a polite grip on her arm. Too polite. Like he thought being calm made this any less creepy.
"I didn't mean to startle you. My name is—"
He said, voice smooth as silk.
Nina grabbed his wrist, twisted, and had his arm pinned behind his back before he could finish that sentence.
"Okay. First mistake—touching me. Second mistake—talking like a mysterious stranger in public. And third—existing near me before I've had coffee."
She said brightly.
The café behind them erupted into confused murmurs as customers turned to stare.
"Let's not make a fourth mistake."
She muttered.
With surprising strength for someone who claimed to be "just a normal human," Nina dragged him around the building into the alley beside it, shoving him against the wall.
A magical dumpster hummed quietly nearby. The alley smelled like cinnamon and regret.
"Start talking. Or I snap this arm like a breadstick."
She said coldly.
The man didn't struggle. In fact, he looked… amazed.
"Y-you really are him….well her actually. I mean, Nero, the rank #1 hunter."
He whispered.
Nina squinted.
"Her who? The caffeine-deprived menace?"
He shivered—not from the cold, but from something deeper. His eyes were wide, awestruck.
"The mana… It's just like the records said. Wild, unstable, but… powerful. I can feel it in my bones."
"Okay, dial it down, dramatic monologue guy. Who sent you? What do you want?"
She pressed his arm a little tighter.
"I'm not your enemy,"
He said quickly.
"I'm here to save the future."
She blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm from twenty years ahead. This world is destined for destruction and I am here to stop it before that happens."
He said.
Nina stared at him in silence for a long moment.
Then she smacked him on the back of the head.
"OW—what was that for?!"
"Just checking to see if anything rattled. Spoiler alert: it did."
She said, letting go of his arm.
"I'm telling the truth! If you don't believe me, then I can prove it to you as well. Just give me a chance to show you that I am telling you the truth."
The man looked desperate and despite her instincts telling her that this was a scam and not to fall for it, Nina decided that she would give this man a chance.
[Patron: As someone who looks after your wellbeing, I don't think it is a good idea for you to hear someone like this out. You can easily lose your way, or worse, get scammed.]
Nina ignored that warning. She knew what she was doing….mostly.