"I wish I could join them..."
At the edge of the group stood Kai, his eyes lingering on his friends as they laughed and played together. The sunlight painted the world in gold, the warm glow of the afternoon casting long shadows on the ground. The air was filled with the sounds of lighthearted chatter, the kind that only kids with power could have.
One friend created flames, sending them spinning in the air, while another summoned gusts of wind to lift him off the ground. They were playing games, their systems making everything look effortless, like they were living in a world where the impossible was just part of the daily routine.
But Kai stood apart, his feet firmly planted on the ground, unable to share in their joy. His body felt heavy, weighed down not by the world itself, but by the absence of something everyone else had—power.
Kai wasn't powerless in the traditional sense. He wasn't sick or weak. But he was without a system, something every child in this world was supposed to have by the time they reached a certain age. Kai was almost eight years old, and yet, no system had come to him. His friends, his sister, they had all been awakened years ago. Yet here he was, watching them from the sidelines.
Kai's hands curled into fists, his nails biting into the skin of his palms as he watched his friends effortlessly move about, their systems glowing brightly in the sun. The flames, the wind, the water—it all felt so out of reach. So unattainable.
"Why am I the only one without a system? Why can't I be like them?" The thought circled in his mind, a loop he couldn't escape.
Mai, his twin sister, was in the middle of it all, laughing and smiling with the others, her elemental abilities making her a natural leader. She had power. She could do things Kai couldn't even dream of, and that used to excite him. He admired her. But today, today it felt like an insurmountable gap between them.
She saw him standing at the edge of the group, alone, his gaze lost in thought. Mai pushed her way through the crowd and jogged over to him, her light steps graceful as she approached.
"Kai! What are you standing there for? Come on, join us! It's more fun when you're with us!"
She flashed him a smile, her eyes sparkling with energy and life, as her water abilities danced around her, creating small whirlpools in the air. But Kai didn't feel like he could share in that joy. Not today.
"I don't have any powers like you… I can't do what you can do."
Mai's smile faltered slightly. She knew how much Kai struggled with being the only one without a system, but her words always felt inadequate, no matter how many times she tried to reassure him.
"You're my brother, Kai. You'll awaken soon. I'm sure of it. Everyone has their time. It just... takes longer for some people."
"I don't know, Mai. It doesn't feel like I'm ever going to get my system."
Mai stood there for a moment, the smile completely fading from her face. She wanted to comfort him, but there was nothing she could say that would take away the despair in his eyes.
"I know it's hard... but you're not alone. I'm here for you, Kai. I always will be."
Kai looked away. The words didn't change the way he felt. It wasn't about being alone—it was about being different. And no matter how much he wanted to fit in, he couldn't.
"Hey, Kai! What's your system? Oh wait, you don't have one!"
"Yeah, how can you play with us when you can't even do anything? Are you just here to watch?"
Kai flinched, feeling the sting of their words cut through the air. His heart sank, and his face flushed with embarrassment.
Mai looked back toward them, her eyes narrowing, but Kai gently shook his head.
"I'm fine. Let them laugh."
But as he turned away, he couldn't help the tightness in his chest. The laughter echoed in his ears as he walked away from the group, feeling more and more like a spectator in a world where he didn't belong.
He walked to the edge of the park, the place where the world felt quieter, safer. But the truth was, no matter where he went, the feeling of being left behind never quite went away.
—
The small, cozy house felt like a haven from the world outside. As Kai entered, the familiar smell of food from the kitchen greeted him, and the warmth of the fire crackling in the hearth made him feel just a little less lonely.
His grandfather, as usual, sat by the fire, reading an old, weathered book. And there was Mai, sitting on the couch with a look of concern on her face as she watched him walk in.
"I don't know why I bother... It feels like I'm the only one left out. Maybe I'm not meant to have a system."
"Don't say that, Kai. You're my brother, and I believe in you. You'll awaken. I know it."
But Kai only sat down with a heavy sigh, avoiding her eyes. He wasn't angry at her; he just felt lost, stuck in a world that felt too big for him.
"Is everything alright, my boy?"
Kai sat in silence for a moment before he finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Why do I feel like I'm never going to get my system? Everyone else has already awakened. They all have something. And then there's me... just waiting. It's like I'm invisible."
"You know, when I was your age, I had the same doubts. I thought I would never amount to anything. I wasn't born with any special gifts either, but I learned something important as I grew older."
Kai looked up at his grandfather, who always seemed to know just the right thing to say, even when words didn't feel like they could fix anything.
"What did you learn, Grandpa?"
"That strength doesn't come from what's handed to you, Kai. It comes from within. There's a story I used to tell your father—about the first Ascendant Overlord."
"The Ascendant Overlord?"
"Yes. The first Ascendant Overlord was born just like you—powerless. He was ridiculed, laughed at, treated like he would never amount to anything. But he didn't give up. He kept fighting, kept pushing forward. And one day, his system awakened—not just any system, but the Blood Devil System. A power no one had ever seen before. He went on to become the Ascendant Overlord, a figure of strength and respect for the entire world."
Kai listened in rapt attention, his mind racing with the implications of the story.
"Blood Devil System…".
"Yes, the Blood Devil System. It was powerful, feared by many, but that boy proved that it wasn't the system that made him great. It was his resolve, his will to keep going no matter the odds. And that, Kai, is what you have. You just don't realize it yet."
Kai stood up, his heart suddenly beating faster. Something stirred inside him—a fire, a desire to rise above, to prove everyone wrong, to take control of his own destiny.
"I will become the next Ascendant Overlord."
His voice was quiet, but the conviction behind it was undeniable. Mai, who had been watching silently, smiled softly, her belief in him unwavering.
"I know you will, Kai."
The scene fades out with Kai standing by the window, looking up at the starry sky. His mind was racing, filled with hope, determination, and a new purpose.
"I won't give up. I will awaken, and I will rise above them all."