It was plausible—painfully so—but what if those people had led him to his death? Or worse, what if they had killed him themselves? From everything we later discovered, he had been a decent man. A man who had seen far too much of life to end it so easily.
When the authorities closed the case, branding it a suicide, it wasn't just me who felt uneasy. Many of my colleagues were skeptical. We might not have been close to our boss, but we knew one thing for certain—he was resilient. He didn't break easily.
Still, no one had the time, the strength, or the courage to investigate further. Not even the authorities had looked deeper. And sadly enough, neither could I. I wasn't strong enough to play the vigilante.
To stand against power, I would need power—whether of strength or authority. And once I gained it, I promised myself, I would uncover the truth. I would punish whoever did this to you.
Ignoring it felt agonizing, especially after hearing his will. He donated everything he owned. Or perhaps gave would be the right word—he gave it all away to us.
The watch I was wearing now was part of his collection.
It was almost funny. I hadn't even realized my fondness for watches, yet somehow, he had. And because of that, he had left an entire collection for me. I didn't know what to feel anymore.
If only I could go back in time.
If only I could control my powers.
I had never imagined myself as someone who would cry for his boss. And yet, here I was—weeping, replaying his words from the diary again and again in my mind.
Seeing me cry like a child, my friend understood instantly who my tears were for. Without saying a word, he pulled me into a tight embrace and held me there until my tears finally dried.
"It's enough," I told myself—and him—as I stood back up on my feet.
---
Devansh straightened his clothes, hugged him one last time, and started walking toward the exit. But before he could pass through the gates, the watchman waved energetically and shouted at the top of his lungs,
"We only have one life! Stay happy in it! I will too—I promise!"
---
A day passed, and I prepared to start my new life.
Before that, I had to register my skill. I wore clothes I had never been able to fit into before—extra gym hours finally paying off. Before locking the door, I checked my pockets: wallet, mobile…
Oops. I forgot the most important thing—the glasses.
Just as the thought crossed my mind, they appeared in my hand.
At this point, I wasn't even surprised. I should have guessed they could read my mind too.
Or could they?
No—wait. I don't understand. Why the hell does everything created in the future have the ability to read our minds? That's creepy, isn't it? Don't you agree? You—the one reading my diary in the future.
Forget it. Who am I even talking to?
---
Author's Note:
Pardon me, readers. He may be a character I created, but he doesn't really listen to me. There is absolutely nothing creepy about chairs and glasses reading minds. I scolded him—hopefully, he'll focus on the story now.
---
As usual, Devansh managed to get lost in the very city he had spent his entire life in. Naturally, he blamed the ongoing construction projects.
---
Not again. Why am I lost again? I followed the directions exactly. I swear, it's these constructions. How am I supposed to differentiate between identical lanes when they keep rebuilding everything? Ugh—so annoying.
---
After circling the area for more than four hours—a place that was barely twenty minutes away from his home—he finally reached the bureau. Unfortunately, it was lunchtime, and the doors were closed. He had no choice but to sit outside and wait for the signboard to flip to Open.
---
I'm finally here… but why is the line so long?
I tapped the shoulder of the guy standing in front of me.
"Why is the line so long today? I didn't know so many people were awakening these days."
He raised one eyebrow.
"This isn't the registration line," he said. "We're here to collect rewards for killing monsters during the gate break."
I froze.
"Gate… break?! When did that happen?"
This time, he didn't just raise an eyebrow—he tilted his head, clearly confused.
"December 19. Are you not from this city?"
Awkwardness flooded me. I lied instantly.
"Y-Yes. I just moved here a few days ago."
His expression relaxed. He pointed toward a counter at the corner.
"That's where you register. Best of luck, pal. You can call me Hitherto. Hope to see you again."
I thanked him and walked toward the counter, my mind too busy rehearsing the lie I was about to tell to even think about the gate break.
As soon as I reached the desk, the clerk gestured for me to sit. He took out a card and instructed me to place my hands on it. I did.
The card displayed:
Strength: Low
Speed: Below Average
Endurance: Almost Below Average
Ability: Echoes of Tamas — Average
The clerk stared at the card. Then at me.
"What does your ability do?" he asked. "May I have permission to observe and report it?"
Following protocol, I gave permission.
He tapped his fingers on the table, then pressed them to his temple, sighed, and said,
"Please wait for a few minutes. I need to discuss something with my manager."
I watched him sighing all the way down the corridor until he turned and disappeared into an adjoining hallway.
---
Pouting like the baby he was, Devansh looked down at the card and muttered,
"I know my stats are hopeless… but you didn't have to act like I ruined your day or something."