Rafe woke up the next morning feeling like he'd been hit by a truck, run over twice, and then politely kicked for good measure.
Every muscle screamed.His arms felt like wet noodles.His back felt like someone had replaced his spine with cooked spaghetti.
He rolled to the side and fell da cama.
THUMP.
"…Ow."
He stayed there for a moment, staring at the dusty floorboards.His six-year-old body was fragile, but the pain meant something important:
He was changing.
Not strong yet.Not durable yet.But better than yesterday.
DING!Quest Progress: 40%Advice:Do not die from overtraining.
*Host Vitality: Still pathetic.
Rafe fechou os olhos.
"Thank you, System. Your encouragement is touching."
He dragged himself up, washed his face with freezing water, and headed to breakfast.
In the cafeteria, the same miserable gray oatmeal awaited him.Rafe sat, poking the food as if it might attack him.
Then—
Tap.
A tray slid across the table and stopped in front of him.
He looked up.
Mara.
Expression calm.Posture impeccable.Eyes steady on him.
"I saved you a seat."
Rafe arched an eyebrow.
"Well, aren't I popular."
Mara blinked slowly.
"…That was sarcasm, wasn't it?"
"Sharp girl."
She gave a small nod and began eating silently.For a while, the two sat in a strangely comfortable quiet.
Then Mara spoke:
"Today… we train again."
Rafe nearly choked on his oatmeal.
"Mara, I can barely lift my own soul right now."
"I'll go slower."
"That's what you said yesterday."
"You survived."
"…Barely."
She turned toward him, eyes determined.
"You want to get stronger, right?"
Rafe paused.
She wasn't wrong.
"Yeah," he said. "I want to live long enough to do something with this life."
Mara tilted her head."…Something like what?"
Rafe opened his mouth—then closed it.
He couldn't exactly say:
"I plan to rewrite fate, create a family of absurdly powerful children, enter the world's greatest academy, overthrow the social order, and ascend to power through sheer strategy and stubbornness."
So he went with the safer truth:
"…I want to choose my own future."
Mara looked at him for a long, thoughtful moment.
"Then I'll help you."
Rafe blinked.
"…Why?"
She stared at her hands.
"I don't know yet. But I feel like… you won't waste it."
Rafe stayed quiet.
Those words hit harder than he expected.
Before he could respond, the caretaker stomped into the room, voice cutting through the air like a rusty blade.
"All right, you brats! Time to clean the yard! Move it!"
The children groaned.Mara stood immediately.Rafe followed — slower.
They walked toward the exit when a large hand grabbed Rafe's arm.
The caretaker glared at him.
"You. Hendrix. You're cleaning the storage room alone."
Rafe narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because you've been acting strange. Kids like you cause trouble."
Mara stepped forward instantly.
"He didn't do anything—"
The caretaker shot her a cold look.
"Stay out of it."
Rafe squeezed Mara's hand lightly — a silent "It's fine."
But inside, he was analyzing.
Storage room =No witnesses.No supervision.Perfect place for "accidents."
The original Rafe died early because adults ignored him.Now they might try to "discipline" him directly.
He gave a calm smile.
"Sure. I'll clean it."
The caretaker smirked.
Mara frowned deeply.
"…This feels wrong."
"It is," Rafe whispered. "But don't worry. I'm not as easy to break as they think."
She hesitated.
"…I'll be nearby. In case."
Rafe nodded once, appreciating the loyalty she didn't even understand she was giving.
He walked toward the storage room — a dark, cramped place filled with broken furniture and rusted tools.
The caretaker followed, closed the door behind them, and crossed his arms.
"You little bastard. Think you're smarter than everyone? You're nothing. Kids like you grow up useless. I'm teaching you your place."
Rafe stood still.
Expression calm.Heartbeat steady.
The caretaker stepped forward.
And then—
DING!Hidden Trigger Detected.System Awakening: "Bloodline Instinct – Level 1"
Host gains enhanced danger perception and minor adrenaline control.
Rafe's pupils narrowed.
He moved before the caretaker's hand reached him.
Just a small step back.A tiny shift.
But enough to make the man grab only empty air.
The caretaker blinked.
"…Huh?"
Rafe tilted his head.
"Is this the part where you hit me, or the part where you realize you made a mistake?"
The man growled and reached again—and Rafe dodged again.
A six-year-old shouldn't be able to do that.
The caretaker hesitated.
"What… what are you?"
Rafe stared at him with eyes that did not belong to a normal child.
"Smarter than you," he said softly."And getting stronger every day."
The caretaker raised his hand—
But someone pounded on the door.
BANG! BANG!
"Hendrix! You in there?"It was Mara's voice.
The caretaker froze, panic flickering.
Rafe's lips curved slowly.
"I'd open the door," he said, "unless you want witnesses."
The man cursed under his breath, opened the door, and forced a fake smile.
"There you are! I was just showing him where the cleaning supplies—"
Mara's cold stare cut him off.
Rafe coughed dramatically, pointing to his chest.
"He almost fell on me. Very clumsy."
The caretaker twitched.
Mara's eyes narrowed dangerously."Right."
Rafe walked out, brushing dust off his clothes.
Mara stood close, voice low.
"…I told you. This was wrong."
Rafe gave her a tiny smile.
"But I handled it."
She frowned.
"You shouldn't have to."
Rafe blinked.
That sentence—those words—meant more to him than she realized.
"…Thanks, Mara."
She looked away, ears slightly red.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just making sure you don't die."
Rafe chuckled.
"Trust me. That's reason enough."
And as they walked away, side by side, Rafe felt the truth settle in his chest:
This girl…she was becoming the first real bond of his new life.
And fate was already shifting around them.