The rooftop of the dormitory was quiet, save for the occasional gust of wind rustling through Fiona’s hair. She sat on the edge, one knee propped up, the other dangling over the side, idly twirling a pen between her fingers. A half-filled notebook lay open on her lap, its pages adorned with meaningless doodles—circles, spirals, and half-finished faces that she didn’t even realize she had drawn.
The sun loomed high above, but the clouds softened its glare, casting a cool glow over the campus.
Her earpiece buzzed.
Fiona tensed, fingers tightening around her pen. Finally, She had been waiting. Hoping. Dreading.
Tapping the device, she answered. “Boyd?”
A static-laced sigh came through the line. “We got in.”
Fiona felt her pulse quicken. “And?”
A brief pause. Too brief. Too sharp.
“He’s not here.”
Fiona’s grip on the notebook tightened. "What do you mean he's not there? Every intel pointed to that base!"
“We know.” Boyd’s voice was steady, but there was an underlying tension. “We breached their security, neutralized the guards, stormed the cell block… but Drexler was already gone.”
Fiona pushed to her feet, pacing along the rooftop. “Did they move him?”
“Not exactly.” Boyd hesitated. “The place was… burnt to hell, Chief. Charred bodies everywhere. Walls melted. Floors cracked. The kind of destruction only he could leave behind.”
A shiver ran through her. “So he got out on his own?”
“That’s what we thought. But then we found something else.”
The line crackled. Then, a new voice chimed in—one of Boyd’s techs. “Ma’am, we recovered footage. The cell block had a CCTV system—one of the receivers was in a separate building, safe from the fire.”
Fiona’s stomach twisted. “Show me.”
A link appeared on her holo-watch. She tapped it. The grainy footage loaded—a dimly lit prison cell, a lone figure shackled against the wall. Kian.
She exhaled. His silver hair hung over his face, his body bruised, his breathing ragged. But then—
He spoke.
To someone.
But there was no one there.
Fiona narrowed her eyes, watching as Kian’s lips moved, his expression shifting between disbelief and something deeper—understanding. Then, out of nowhere, he reached out—his fingers closing around… nothing.
A second later, he lifted his hand behind his ear—the exact spot where heroes placed their Oracle Systems.
A spike of unease prickled in Fiona’s chest. Someone—something—gave him a system.
The footage continued. The moment Kian touched the device, his body convulsed. His wounds sealed. His hair—his distinct silver hair—bled into gold.
And then—the massacre began.
Fiona clenched her jaw as the screen filled with fire and carnage. This wasn’t just Kian escaping. This was something else. Something worse.
The footage cut out.
Silence stretched over the comms. Fiona swallowed, trying to steady her thoughts.
“…What the hell happened to him?” she muttered.
Before she could gather her thoughts, Boyd’s voice cut through.
“By the way, Chief… Why did you leave the war zone?”
Fiona blinked. “What?”
“The war zone,” Boyd repeated. “Why did you leave?”
Fiona frowned. “I left because You insisted that I should help the second target.”
Silence.
Then Boyd’s voice dropped to something unreadable.
“…I am sorry but I didn’t.”
A chill settled deep in Fiona’s bones.
"… then who did?”
“I have no idea. Chief, what’s going on? I wasn’t even there when you left, but everybody said I was there.” Boyd’s voice crackled through the line, his confusion mirroring the storm inside Fiona’s head.
Fiona pressed her fingers against her temple, trying to steady her breathing. “I… I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. It felt like her brain was drowning in static. “I don’t want to think about it right now. This is all too… chaotic.”
Kian’s face flashed in her mind—the last time she saw him, the way he reached out, the way she failed.
“Do you think it was the same invisible person that talked to Drexler?”
“Maybe…” Fiona swallowed hard. “Just… look into it. Let me know if you find anything. I gotta go.”
She ended the call before Boys could ask anything else.
Fiona’s head tilted up toward the sky, but there were no answers there—only an endless expanse of dark clouds swirling in the wind. ‘Kian was gone.’
Not once. Twice.
Her stomach twisted, a suffocating tightness forming in her chest. ‘It was my fault.’
Her hands gripped the railing so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
She contacted the higher-ups through her holo-watch. The response? Vague. Cold. Dismissive words wrapped in protocol.
‘As if they didn’t care.’
She paced back and forth, her breaths uneven. ‘Don’t panic. Don’t panic.’ But the words rang hollow.
Because no matter how much she told herself to be rational—her heart wouldn’t listen.
Her mind screamed at her. ‘This is why you don’t fall in love. This is why you don’t let emotions get in the way.’
But it was too late. She had already fallen.
Then, Valerie’s face popped into her mind.
Her fists clenched.
If she were strong like Valerie—if she had even a fraction of her raw power—this wouldn’t have happened.
Fiona’s jaw tightened. ‘Valerie wouldn’t have let them take him. Valerie wouldn’t have failed.’
A hot, ugly resentment bubbled up inside her.
‘Why was it so easy for her?’
Why did Valerie get to be so damn strong while Fiona was here—weak. Helpless. A failure.
But then—guilt crashed over her, heavy and suffocating.
‘How dare I feel this way?’
‘Valerie had nothing to do with this.’ She had no reason to resent her.
Fiona inhaled sharply, pressing her palms against her face.
She needed to stop thinking like this.
She needed to do something.
Her thoughts raced—fast, desperate. She needed a powerful ally. Someone who could help. Someone who had the strength to actually make a difference.
Ironically, only one person came to her mind, Valerie.
The moment the idea formed, she immediately recoiled.
‘No. I couldn’t tell her.’
Because if she did—Valerie would look at her differently.
Like she was a liar, a traitor, a manipulator.
Like she was… nothing.
The thought made her stomach churn.
Her nails dug into her palms. She hated this.
She hated how it was so unfair.
She hated how helpless she felt.
She hated the idea of needing Valerie’s help.
She hated that she let her feelings get in the way.
But most of all—she hated that she was afraid.
----------------------------------------
VALERIE NORDIN
Demigod
Level:15
Strength: 15/100
Speed: 25/100
Agility: 25/100
Intelligence: 25/100
Durability: 35/100
Power Output: 10/100
Skills:
Active Skills:
> Laser Vision (Mastery: 50.19%)
> Fire Breath (Mastery: 60.3%)
> Ice Breath (Mastery: 60.7%)
> Infrared Vision (Mastery: 100%)
> Eyes of the Gods (Mastery: 10%)
> Aspects of the Damned, The 7th Aspect: Divine Pride (Mastery: 10.8%)
- Royal Arrogance: Reflexes increased by 210%.
- Keen Battle Sense: Grants future sight (predict enemy movements).
- Fragility of a Flawless Elegance: Damage received increased by 210%.
Passive Skills:
> Divine Inquisition (Able to detect lies)
> Adept Swordsmanship
----------------------------------------
Valerie sat cross-legged on her dorm bed, staring at the glowing interface before her. Something wasn’t right. She had leveled up a few times, but this… this made no sense.
Level: 15
Strength: 10 → 15
Speed: 10 → 25
Agility: 10 → 25
Intelligence: 4 → 25
Durability: 10 → 35
Power Output: 5 → 10
She frowned. There was no pattern, no logic—at least not at first glance.
"Why these numbers? Why this weird distribution?"
She traced her fingers over her arm, feeling the toned muscle beneath. Strength had barely increased, but Speed and Agility had skyrocketed. Durability had shot up as well, but Intelligence? That one stood out the most.
Then a realization hit her.
"My training."
Her sensei never focused on raw power. His methods weren’t about lifting heavier or punching harder—they were about precision, movement, efficiency. He drilled technique, agility, and control into her with ruthless discipline. He made her faster, sharper, and unpredictable.
She clenched her fists.
"If this system is increasing my stats based on training, then it makes sense. That old man pushed my speed and agility over brute strength. That’s why those stats grew the most."
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Her eyes fell back to Intelligence: 4 → 25.
That one still confused her.
But then, she thought back to the past few days. She had stopped fighting on instinct alone. She analyzed opponents, adapted to their movements, predicted their attacks. Even in the heat of battle, her mind stayed clear, focused.
A slow smirk formed on her lips.
"So that’s it… Intelligence isn’t about books and numbers. It’s about combat sense."
She let out a deep breath, tension she hadn't realized she was holding finally releasing.
"Thank Gods. I’m not actually dumb."
She had always hated sitting through classes, hated the feeling of struggling through subjects she had no interest in. But this? This kind of intelligence, the intelligence that let her read fights, break down movements, and dominate opponents? This was something she understood.
It was a relief—an actual, deep relief.
A chuckle escaped her. "System, you scared me for a second there."
Her gaze shifted to Divine Pride.
> Aspects of the Damned, The 7th Aspect: Divine Pride (Mastery: 10.8%)
- Royal Arrogance: Reflexes increased by 210%.
- Keen Battle Sense:Grants future sight (predict enemy movements).
- Fragility of a Flawless Elegance: Damage received increased by 210%.
That last debuff still made her grit her teeth. Taking 210% more damage was brutal. But… she noticed something.
When she first unlocked the skill, it had been 250%.
"So the more I master it, the weaker the negative effect gets…"
If she kept training, kept refining her control, she wondered if she could eventually erase the downside completely. And if that happened—
Her phone rang.
Fiona.
“Hey, Fi. What’s up?” Valerie’s voice came through the phone, casual as ever.
Fiona swallowed hard. She had spent the last fifteen minutes pacing, her mind spiraling, but now that Valerie was actually on the line, her throat felt tight.
“I need to tell you something,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “Meet me at the rooftop. We’ve got an hour before Thomson’s class.”
A pause. Then, “Okay… why can’t you just tell me now?”
“Certainly not over the phone, no… can’t do,” Fiona muttered, her fingers tightening around the railing.
Another pause.
“Can’t it wait? I’m in the middle of something.”
Fiona felt something snap inside her. “Val. Just get your ass here. Rooftop, dormitory building. Now.”
A sigh on the other end. “Alright, alright. Geez, you don’t have to yell at me like that. I’ll be there, chill.”
Fiona ended the call and exhaled shakily. She shouldn’t be like this. She shouldn’t feel like this.
But here she was.
The rooftop door swung open. A gust of wind rushed in, carrying the scent of the city across.
Valerie stepped through, stretching her arms above her head, looking like she had just woken up from a damn nap.
“Wow,” she said, strolling toward Fiona. “Kinda romantic, not gonna lie.”
Fiona scowled. “Ugh, you’re annoying sometimes. I hate that.”
"Whoa, where did that come from? I was joking, okay? Chill."
Fiona didn’t laugh. She didn’t even smirk.
Instead, she stared at Valerie—really stared, like she was seeing something beyond the invincible girl in front of her.
“Val…” Fiona’s voice was quiet, but thick with something heavy. “What does it feel like?”
Valerie frowned. “What does what feel like?”
“To be you.” Fiona’s hands clenched into fists. “To be perfect.”
Valerie let out a breathy chuckle. “Perfect? I’m a lot of things, Fi, but perfect? Not even close.” She tilted her head. “What’s going on? You look… off.”
Fiona let out a sharp exhale, shaking her head. Then she looked up, and when she spoke, her voice cracked—raw, unfiltered.
“Look at you. You’re strong. You’re fast. You’re untouchable… And then there’s your face, your body—beautiful, tall, flawless… And that damn six-pack that stays even when you do nothing. You don’t even have to try, Val. You eat like a troll, never care about your health, and yet you wake up every day looking like a goddamn goddess.” Her breath hitched.
Valerie’s lips parted, confused. “Uh—Fi, what’s happening?”
Fiona swallowed hard, then took a step forward, her eyes burning into Valerie’s.
“Tell me, Val. What does it feel like to be you?”
Valerie hesitated. “…I don’t know what you—”
Fiona’s voice cracked. And then it broke.
"If villains came for me right now… you'd stop them, wouldn't you?" She let out a shaky breath. "You’d rip through them in seconds. No hesitation. No fear. No struggle. You'd just save me. Because you’re you. Because you always can. Because nothing is ever out of your reach.”
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
Valerie felt something twist in her chest.
"Fi..."
Fiona’s arms hung by her sides, her fingers twitching like she was trying to hold herself together.
Something wasn’t right.
Valerie moved.
Before Fiona could react, Valerie wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close—unshakable, unbreakable.
Fiona stiffened.
Valerie leaned down, voice soft but firm. "I’m here. You’re safe. You don’t have to say anything, but… just know, I'm here."
Fiona stayed still for a moment.
Then—her hands clenched onto the back of Valerie’s shirt. She trembled, just a little, like a dam barely holding back a flood.
Finally, she spoke.
“It’s about Kian.”
“Kian…” Valerie muttered, the name feeling distant—forgotten. A pang of guilt shot through her.
She let go of Fiona, taking a step back to look at her. “I—” She hesitated. “I forgot about him. I’m sorry, but I was—”
“It’s okay.” Fiona cut her off, her voice unnervingly flat. “You barely knew the guy. It’s fine.”
It wasn’t fine.
Valerie wasn’t blind. Fiona’s hands were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. Her lips were pressed together, as if holding back something painful.
“What happened to him?” Valerie’s voice hardened. “Did he do something to you? I’ll—”
Fiona shook her head. “They kidnapped him”
Valerie’s eyes narrowed. “Kidnapped? by who? When?”
Fiona looked down. “It happened when you were fighting those disgusting beasts. They… took him.”
Valerie felt something cold settle in her stomach. “I didn’t know,” she admitted, her fists tightening. “I’m sorry. But Fi, it wasn’t your fault. It was chaos, nobody knew what was happening back then. They caught everyone off guard.”
Fiona let out a hollow laugh.
“Except… I did.”
Valerie froze.
Fiona’s voice trembled, her nails digging into her palms.
“I knew what was happening,” she whispered. “It wasn’t out of my control. He was right there—right in front of me when they took him. And I was—”
Fiona’s jaw clenched.
Her voice broke. “If I was a little bit stronger, I could’ve stopped them. If I had been more careful, the info wouldn’t have leaked.”
Valerie took a step back. “Alright, Fi. What’s going on?” Her tone was sharp now. Demanding. “What info? Who were they? How do you know?”
Fiona inhaled sharply, as if trying to steady herself. Then—she laughed.
A bitter, broken laugh.
“Ah, fuck it.” she muttered.
Valerie’s frown deepened. “Fi—”
“It's not like I can lie to you, right? No one can” She let out another shaky breath. “Hiding things will just make this worse. I need all the help I can get.”
Something in her eyes shifted. A crack.
Then she looked straight at Valerie. No turning back.
“I wasn’t completely honest with you.”
Valerie arched a brow. “Yeah, no shit.”
Fiona swallowed. “I didn’t come here to become a hero. And I’m not the daughter of some rich man either. I lied.”
Valerie said nothing, just watched.
Fiona clenched her fists. “I was gonna tell you later… or maybe not at all. But you’re too strong to ignore. Too dangerous. You weren’t even on the list—Kian was. The higher-ups wanted him. But when they saw you, they changed plans.”
Valerie’s gaze didn’t waver. “And what exactly was the plan?”
“They told me to get close to you. Not just Kian—you.” Fiona’s voice wavered. “They told me to steal your heart. Make you see the truth about the world. Turn you to our side.”
Valerie exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. “And?”
“But you already see it, don’t you?” Fiona let out a bitter laugh. “You already know the system is fucked. You already know that heroes don’t actually save people—they just maintain the status quo. What a coincidence!”
Silence.
Fiona clenched her jaw. “And then, against all logic, I actually started liking you. As my friend. Everything I said, everything we did—that was real. But it wasn’t supposed to be like that. My personal feelings weren’t supposed to get involved, but…” Her voice broke. “Here we are.”
Valerie’s gaze softened.
“And the worst part?” Fiona took a shaky breath. “I fell in love… with Kian.” Her throat tightened. “And now he’s gone. And I don’t know where the hell he is. I failed, I was gonna be the one that saved him, but no, someone or something did it first.”
A long silence stretched between them.
Then, Valerie spoke. “That’s a lot to drop on me, Fi.”
“I know.”
“You expect me to be mad?”
“Yeah.”
Valerie shrugged. “Well, I’m not.”
Fiona blinked. “Wait—what?”
“I’m glad you told me now actually, because things could get ugly if I find out on my own.” Valerie said simply. “And I don’t see any lies.”
Fiona narrowed her eyes. “Just like that? You’re not angry?”
“Nope.” Valerie crossed her arms. “I couldn’t care less about any of that. But I do care about you, for some reason.”
Fiona let out a weak chuckle. “For some reason? Well… who am I to complain?” She took a deep breath. “By the way, I’m part of Futuroganti. I’m one of their ground leaders.”
Valerie’s expression didn’t change. “Futuroganti? A terrorist group?”
Fiona stiffened. “We’re not terrorists. We want to change the system, not destroy it. You know it’s corrupt.”
Valerie tilted her head. “Okay. If you say so.” A pause. “So why are you telling me this? You want my help?”
Fiona nodded. “Yeah. Join me.”
Valerie smirked. “Nope.”
Fiona sighed. “Yeah, figured.”
“But,” Valerie continued, “I’ll help you. But you know why I’m here.”
Fiona nodded. “Yeah… your help is good enough.”
Valerie stepped closer. “Now, we good?”
Fiona exhaled. “Yes. Thank you.”
But Valerie’s eyes darkened. “One more thing.”
Fiona tensed. “What?”
“You know what I am.”
Valerie’s voice dropped, low and deliberate, each syllable laced with an unsettling calm. Cold. Dangerous.
“You know what must be done.”
Her words twisted, a whisper yet deafening, echoing with something unnatural. Her crimson eyes burned into Fiona’s, their glow sharp as a blade pressed against the throat. Her silver hair flickered—gold, then silver, then gold again—unstable, like the shifting of a storm just before it breaks.
"Deliver this message to your leaders.” Her tone was measured, regal—a queen addressing mere subjects. “Inform them that I shall extend my hand, but only to you. No other. Do not mistake my cooperation for obedience.”
She took a step closer, the air between them thick with something unspoken, something suffocating.
"And tell them this—stay out of my path. Should they dare attempt to command me, should they so much as whisper a demand in my direction..."
Her lips curled into a ghost of a smile, the kind that did not reach her eyes.
"Then I shall come for them."
The temperature seemed to drop. Fiona’s breath caught.
"And when I do, not even their screams shall remain. Remember, wench, you shall not lie to me ever again!" Valerie continued, her voice now velvet and venom.
Fiona stumbled back, eyes wide. “V-Val, you’re… you’re scaring me.”
And just like that—it was gone.
Valerie blinked, and the fire in her eyes vanished. Her face softened, the danger melting into something gentle, almost fragile.
She pulled Fiona into a hug—warm, gentle, almost too normal.
But Fiona didn’t move.
She didn’t return the hug.
Because deep down—Fiona wasn’t sure if Valerie was still the same person standing in front of her.
She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “Val…” Her throat felt dry. “Who was that?”
Valerie blinked. “Who?”
“The one that just threatened me. Was that really you?” Fiona studied her face, searching for something—anything—that would explain what just happened. “You sounded… different.”
Valerie tilted her head, confused. “What? Different? What do you mean?” She gave a casual shrug. “Did I sound like I was threatening you? I was just saying I’ll help you—not your organization. That’s all. Not a threat, just a friendly reminder.”
Fiona narrowed her eyes. “Really? Oh… you just… Val, do you have a split personality or something? You sounded like… like some kind of medieval noble just now. Not like… well, you.”
Valerie let out a laugh, like Fiona had just told her the sky was green. “Really? Wait a minute…” She held up a finger and turned slightly.
“Oddy,” she called out, speaking into the air, “Oddy, what happened? My friend here says I have a split personality.”
A mechanical voice echoed in her mind—dry, matter-of-fact.
—Fragile ego; causing Host’s prideful heart to be wounded, triggering the skill Divine Pride and causing a bleeding effect.
Valerie frowned. “What? My ego’s solid and definitely not fragile, nothing can hurt it.”
—Incorrect. Host’s ego was bruised due to being kept in the dark. Host’s friend deceived the host, triggering subconscious retaliation. Other possible triggers: A simple Idea of joining and possibly working under someone else.
Valerie scoffed. “Nah. Not possible. I couldn’t care less about that.”
—Lies detected. Host is lying to herself.
Valerie’s eye twitched. “Nope. Not true. Is this new? It’s never happened before.”
—No. This is an unwritten side effect of the skill: Divine Pride. It has happened before—twice, during the host's duels with the Azure Oni.
Valerie frowned. “Really? uhh… no. I think this is the first time.”
—Incorrect. Host’s wounded, prideful ego was the cause of the losses against the Azure Oni. Host was unable to recognize the side effect due to low mastery of the skill: Divine Pride.
“Alright, alright, I got it.” Valerie cut it off sharply, rolling her shoulders like she could physically shake it off. “Thank you. You can go back to… whatever you were doing before. Now go.”
—Acknowledged.
Valerie exhaled slowly, pressing a hand against her chest as she took a deep breath, forcing her heart to slow.
Fiona still watched her, arms crossed, brow furrowed in suspicion.
“…Are you okay?” she finally asked.
Valerie forced a grin. “Yeah. Totally fine. Just—processing.”
She stretched her arms over her head, shaking off the whole conversation like it was nothing. Then she grinned. “So, any idea how to find the love of your life?”
Fiona let out a long, exhausted sigh. “Are we not gonna talk about what just happened? Who the hell were you talking to?”
“My… uh… assistant, Oddy,” Valerie gestured vaguely. “The voice in my head. Nothing to worry about.”
Fiona stared at her. She sighed, hesitated, then looked at Valerie—who was smiling like nothing had happened.
“Okay… if you say so,” she muttered, letting it slide. For now.
Valerie tilted her head. “So, do you have any leads?”
“No, not yet.”
“Alright.” Valerie cracked her knuckles. “Just let me know when you do. You know I’m here for you.”
Fiona exhaled, her shoulders relaxing for the first time that night. “Thank you.”
“Well, while you figure that out, I need a favor.” Valerie’s voice dipped into something darker, something dangerously casual.
Fiona arched a brow. “What kind of favor?”
“Find me something on Kohn,” Valerie said, her tone light, but her eyes burning. “She’s evil. 100% evil tendencies. And I need to, you know—” She made a slow, deliberate slicing motion across her neck.
Fiona’s stomach twisted. “Can you not?” she protested. Valerie’s casual tone, the way she said it like she was asking for a snack instead of someone’s life—it still terrified her.
Fiona’s thoughts darkened, a creeping unease settling in her chest. ‘There must be a mole. Someone who helped the beasts get in. Someone within the academy itself.’
She clenched her fists, realization striking her all at once.
“Yeah…” she murmured. “Yeah, you might be onto something.”
She turned to Valerie, her expression unreadable.
And then, without hesitation, she pulled her into a tight hug.
“Thank you, Val.”
For what, Valerie wasn’t sure.