Ashen stood up, clenched his fists, and launched the final strike with full force smashing it down with everything he had.
The XP bar glowed on both sides. They'd both earned points.
All the neighbors, and even some random bystanders, were cheering for Alice for helping her brother out.
"Well, guess we're even now," Alice wiped the sweat off her forehead with a grin and turned to her brother, teasing him with a smirk.
Raven stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowing.
"You really missed a golden chance, Raven… You could've easily taken him down if you'd used your powers."
Darian clapped Raven on the shoulder, his tone half-teasing, half-disappointed.
Alice and Ashen, grinning and completely drained, walked back home and flopped straight onto their beds like rag dolls. They didn't even have the energy to check how much XP they'd gained.
That night, everyone slept like a baby.
The next morning, the sun rose from the east, painting the sky orange.
Ashen woke up early, surprising even himself. He took a cold shower to shake off the drowsiness and headed downstairs for breakfast.
"Well, well, look who's up at dawn. Never thought I'd see you out of bed at 5 AM," his mom, Riley, greeted him with a warm smile.
Riley was a kind woman, though not very good at showing affection with words. She expressed her love through her actions—cooking, fixing things, organizing. Her short black hair framed her soft face, and her dark eyes always had a glint of care. She was a Class B, and had a serious passion for cooking.
"Moooom, I always wake up early," Ashen replied, chuckling.
She rolled her eyes with a playful grin. "Yeah, but not this early. I've been waking up at 5 AM every day for years, making breakfast for you three and taking care of some personal stuff."
Ashen smiled warmly, then excused himself to get ready for his second day of high school. He combed his hair carefully—first impressions still mattered.
Soon, the rest of the family woke up and they all gathered for breakfast together.
"Yo, Alice! What you did last night was epic!" Darian raised his toast at her.
Alice blushed hard, but smiled proudly.
"We're so proud of you, sweetheart," Riley said, placing her hand on Alice's cheek.
"I finally caught up to Ashen!" Alice laughed, her eyes sparkling.
The room echoed with laughter as everyone dug into breakfast—well, everyone except Raven.
He sat quietly, barely eating, head low.
For the first time, he felt… inadequate. Like he couldn't be the best. His pride—and his jealousy—kept him from asking for help or fighting solo. Deep down, he was afraid of losing.
After breakfast, the kids hugged their parents goodbye and left for school, boarding their shuttle.
Darian grabbed his car keys and headed out, but he wasn't going to work. Not yet.
He drove through quiet streets until he reached the cemetery, stopping at a lonely grave. The name carved into the stone: Cyrus.
Darian rested his hand on the headstone and sighed.
"I'm scared he'll end up like you…"
Cyrus, his brother—uncle to Ashen, Alice, and Raven—had been a legendary SSS Class hero. He had ventured into Room 12, the final floor of the Domain, and hadn't returned in fifteen years. Everyone assumed he was dead. They had to.
"I can't lose the last person who reminds me of you…" Darian whispered.
Suddenly, someone gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
Startled, Darian spun around.
It was her. His ex—Adriana.
"May his soul rest in peace," Adriana said softly. "He was a good man."
"What the hell are you doing here? Thought you went to Nurlando?" Darian's voice was cold, edged with resentment.
"I did. The demon competition there's actually way easier than it is here. But I need an extra job. I was wondering… could I come back to your agency?" she asked, hopeful.
Without a word, Darian walked to his car, got in, and drove off. Adriana bit her lip, sighed, and followed him in her own car.
Back at school, word had spread like wildfire—Ashen's talent had awakened.
"Yo bro, congrats on awakening, man!"
"Wait, the new guy had talent too? Damn, I didn't see that coming!"
"He's too fine to be dying anyway, lucky he survived."
"Alright ladies, quiet down." A new voice entered the classroom.
A woman walked in—confident, serious, strict. The new IT teacher.
"I'll be filling in for Mr. Sayan for a while. My class is Class C. And if I catch anyone gossiping about me, you'll regret it."
Alice raised her hand, curious as ever. "Miss, what's your name? Why's Mr. Sayan gone? What's your talent?"
Before the teacher could even blink, Raven nudged Alice hard in the ribs. "Chill!"
"I'm only here temporarily. You don't need to know more than that," the teacher replied sharply.
The class went on surprisingly calmly, with no major drama. When the bell rang, everyone headed to the cafeteria or chilled in the courtyard.
But Alice's curiosity wasn't satisfied.
She snuck off to the principal's office.
"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, stepping in.
"Ah, you must be Alice. The new student. Welcome. What brings you here?" the principal greeted her kindly.
"Um… why isn't Mr. Sayan around? Everyone's being super vague about it."
The principal looked down, rubbing his forehead. "He's stuck… on the third floor of the Domain."
Alice blinked. "Wait, the Domain? Is it really that bad?"
"Worse. Most people never go beyond the second floor," the principal said grimly.
"Can't he just lose and come back out?" Alice asked again, a bit naive.
"It's not that simple. You see—"
Before he could finish, Raven barged in, yanked Alice by the wrist, and dragged her outside.
"OW! What the hell, you mutt?! He was literally just about to explain!"
"Forget that! Have you seen Ashen?! He's been gone all morning!" Raven hissed.
"Oh shoot… You're right!" Alice's expression changed immediately.
While they were panicking, Ashen was already at the Academy.
He had gone there to figure out how to get an access card for the first floor of the Domain.
The Academy had the same peaceful, formal atmosphere as always—quiet halls, gleaming floors, and magical runes glowing faintly along the walls.
Ashen made his way up… all the way to the 220th floor.
One of the celestial beings, a beautiful angel with shimmering silver wings, floated gently down to greet him.
"How may I assist you?" her voice was calm, musical.
"I'm trying to find out how to get an entry card… for the Domain," Ashen asked respectfully.
"Well," the angel smiled gently, "some demons carry the keys and access cards with them. You can obtain one by defeating them. Another way is to climb the Sky Tower—when you clear floors there, you'll reach spots where the demons drop their cards. Or… the easiest method: just purchase them."
Ashen tilted his head. "How much do they cost?"