Even predators, it turns out, can hesitate at the edge of something unfamiliar. Seth discovered that the next day. Not in battle nor in danger but in something far more complicated. People! The school buzzed with aftershock energy from the announcement. Conversations revolved around the tournament, speculation spreading like wildfire. Strength rankings, predictions. It was all noisy at Skylight academy. Seth moved through it like a ghost brushing past a festival. Unseen, uninterested, until—
"…you're avoiding people on purpose, right?" The voice came from beside him.
He stopped and turned. A boy stood there, slightly awkward but steady enough not to retreat under Seth's gaze. He had a nerdy look on him with his curly fluffy brown hair and chubby face along with his small stature.
"…why?" Seth asked.
The boy shrugged.
"Because people don't usually walk like they're allergic to conversation."
There was a pause.
"…I'm Elias."
Seth didn't respond.
"…you?"
Silence stretched between them as though the two were discussing something life changing...but little did they both know that it was.
"…Seth."
Elias smiled slightly.
"Yeah, figured."
They stood there along with an odd stillness. Then—
"Look," Elias said, scratching the back of his head, "I know you're not the… social type. But you don't have to look like you're planning everyone's funeral either."
That almost earned a reaction. Almost!
Elias then added, " actually, you're part of our group."
Seth looked stunned for a moment.
" Group!? What group?" He asked, perplexed.
The short boy shifted on his feet, looked up at Seth with a face full of disbelief.
"You really don't care about school, do you? Anyway, we're a group of five people so we'll meet up tomorrow at the cafeteria during lunch hour. I'll come for you and everyone will be happy to receive you." He explained.
"…I'll think about it," Seth said.
Which, for him was already a decision. Later that evening, there was a knock on his door. Seth froze slightly because no one came here. Not even his neighbors ever got to meet him. Ever! He was a complete hermit by nature and really took pride in that. He opened the door and found that it was Willow standing there in a calm, composed manner and yet different.
"…I now believe you bringing me home last time was all helpful," he said.
"Sure thing, I had to know where someone who's tired of life, yet wants it as bad as me, lived." she replied simply.
Of course she did. There was a pause.
"…why?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"…do I need a reason to visit a friend?"
The word hung in the air. Friend! Seth stepped aside.
"…come in."
The apartment was simple, minimal and functional. She walked in slowly, observing without judging.
"…this suits you," she said.
"…it's efficient," he replied.
She smiled faintly as silence settled amongst them but not uncomfortable. Just… quiet. They sat not too close but not distant either.
"I heard…you didn't seem interested in the tournament," she said.
"I'm not."
"Why?"
Seth looked at her.
For a moment, he considered lying but then—
"…because people like that don't just organize events."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"…you think it's something else?"
"I know it is."
A pause lingered, then she leaned back slightly.
"…then don't participate."
Simple, direct and unnexpected.
Seth blinked once.
"…you're not going to argue?"
She shook her head.
"…I didn't come here for that."
Another pause.
"…then why did you come?"
This time she hesitated just slightly.
"…because I wanted to."
That answer did something so small but real. The guy's unexpectedly heart skipped a bit. Seth looked away.
"…that's inefficient."
She laughed softly.
"…not everything has to be."
There was silence again but this time, It felt… lighter.
" Would you like to have something to eat?" Seth inquired flatly.
"Sure thing." Willow replied with a gentle smile.
Somewhere far away, in a black cathedral, something moved. Not loudly, not violently but deliberately. Threads were crossing, lines were blurring and somewhere in the unseen, the voice whispered:
"…the pieces are beginning to gather. The throne of gods is going to reactivate and select a new chosen."
"We hear, think, recite, and manifest." A group of people covered in black cloaks replied in unison.
Morning arrived softer this time. Not because the world had changed—but because Seth noticed it. A faint breeze slipped through the half-open window, carrying the distant hum of the city. Starland was already awake, its pulse steady, mechanical… alive in ways that had nothing to do with warmth. Here in Greybridge though,nature was very much alive, along with the neighborhood. Seth sat on the edge of his bed, unmoving. For once, he wasn't thinking about assassins. Not directly. His gaze drifted slightly, unfocused.
"…friend."
The word felt foreign in his mind like a language he understood but refused to speak. Willow's voice lingered from the night before. Calm, unforced, unnecessary… and yet she came anyway. He exhaled slowly.
"…inefficient."
But he hadn't told her to leave. That alone was… irregular. He stood and routine resumed. Showering, dressing up and silence. But beneath it, something subtle had shifted. The ride to school was smoother than the day before. Not because the road had changed but because fewer people stared. The novelty was fading.
Good!
Seth parked his bike, locking it with practiced ease before heading toward the school building. This time, there was no dramatic entrances and no luxury convoys. Just students moving in clusters, conversations weaving through the air like threads in constant motion. And yet—
"…you're still doing it."
Seth stopped and turned slightly.
Elias. There he was! Hands in his pockets and an expression somewhere between amused and curious.
"…doing what?" Seth asked.
"That thing," Elias said, gesturing vaguely. "Walking like you're analyzing everyone's weaknesses."
There was a pause.
"…I am."
Elias blinked.
"…right. Of course you are."
Silence hovered for a moment before Elias stepped forward, falling into stride beside him.
"You always like this?" he asked.
"Yes."
"…that must be exhausting."
"It's not."
Elias glanced at him sideways. The dude was really cool.
"…you ever try not doing that?"
"No."
"…you should."
Seth didn't respond but he didn't walk away either. The two of them had different lessons that morning so they soon separated. Class passed without incident, which, in Seth's world, was unusual enough to be noted. There were no confrontations and no interruptions. Just lessons that felt… increasingly irrelevant. Until—Lunch! The cafeteria buzzed with layered noise. Groups formed naturally, territories unspoken but understood. Seth stood there briefly observing and calculating. Then—
"…over here."
Elias again. Already seated, waving him over like it was the most natural thing in the world. Seth hesitated for only a fraction, then walked over and sat across from him.
"…this is new," Elias said with a grin.
"…temporary."
"I'll take it."
They ate in silence for a while. Not awkward, but just… unstructured. Then Elias spoke again.
"You ever notice how everyone's pretending?"
Seth looked up slightly.
"…explain."
Elias leaned back.
"All this," he gestured around them, "talk about Awakening, power, rankings… like it's exciting."
A pause.
"…it's not?" Seth asked.
Elias shrugged.
"It is. But it's also terrifying."
That word landed differently.
"…most people just don't say it."
Seth watched him more carefully now.
"…you're aware of the risks."
"Of course I am."
"…and yet you're still here."
Elias smiled faintly.
"…where else would I be?"
That answer made sense in a way Seth hadn't expected. They were gifted after all so their paths had been decided by fate already.
"So...where are the rest!?" Seth asked as he curiously looked around the lively place.
" About that... you've really lived up to your own reputation." The chubby boy said playfully before adding, "they all said they have things to do."
After school, the sky had begun its slow descent into evening. Seth walked home instead of riding. It was not out of necessity but… thought. His mind wasn't chasing patterns this time. No, this time it was circling something else. Connection, trust and risk.
"…if they get involved…"
His fingers tightened slightly.
"…they become targets."
That was the rule. Unwritten, absolute and yet— He found himself stopping outside a small convenience shop. Inside, laughter echoed faintly, normal, simple and uncomplicated. He didn't go in but he didn't leave immediately either. The knock came just as the sky dimmed fully into night. Seth opened the door, already knowing who it was. Willow stood there again, different from the previous day, not in appearance but in presence. She was less guarded.
"…you came back," he said.
"I said I would."
A pause lingered.
"…I didn't agree to that."
"You didn't refuse either."
She stepped in without waiting, acting a bit more familiar and comfortable. Dangerous!
"…you're making this a habit," Seth said, closing the door.
"…does that bother you?"
He thought about it.
"…I don't know."
That was honest, she turned slightly, looking at him.
"…then figure it out."
Silence settled between them but it wasn't empty. It carried something unspoken and unnamed. They sat again in the same positions but with a different atmosphere.
"…you walked home," she said suddenly.
Seth glanced at her.
"…you noticed."
"I notice things."
A small pause.
"…why?"
"…I was thinking."
"…about?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"…risk."
Her expression shifted slightly.
"…me?"
"…everyone."
That was closer to the truth. She leaned back slightly.
"…you think being around you is dangerous."
"It is."
"…for you?"
"For them."
A pause.
"…you don't get to decide that alone."
Seth's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…I do if the consequences are mine to carry."
Her eyes held his.
"…and if I choose to accept them?"
Silence for once, ruled supreme in this house. Seth didn't have an immediate answer.
" What exactly do you want from me?" Seth mumbled to himself.
Time passed slowly as they talked, not about anything important, not about The Order. Not about Awakening. Just small things and fragments. Pieces of normal life Seth had never really engaged with. And strangely, he didn't hate it. At some point, she stood.
"…I should go."
Seth nodded but didn't move immediately.
"…Willow."
She paused and turned.
"…what?"
Another uncharacteristic pause.
"…nothing."
She studied him for a moment then smiled faintly.
"…you're bad at this."
"…I'm aware."
"…you'll get better."
She left, and the room felt different. Not emptier but just… changed.
Far away, in the depths of Point Tower— The air was colder and sharper. James stood before a projection displaying multiple images and multiple scenes. All with the same result, bodies. The assassinations were clean and precise with no wasted motion.
"…this isn't random," one of his teammates said.
"…no," James replied.
"…it's methodical."
Another image flickered. A pattern emerged. Locations, targets and connections.
"…they're choosing who to kill."
"…based on what?" someone asked.
There was a bit of silence then—
"…potential."
That word lingered. Heavy and unsettling.
Back in the Greybridge, Seth stood by his window looking out. The lights shimmered again just like the night before but now he saw something else. Not the beauty nor the illusion but the structure beneath it.
"…selection."
His reflection stared back at him, unchanged. Yet not the same.
"…so that's how it works."
A faint smile touched his lips. It was sharp and calculated because if someone was selecting pieces, then eventually they would come for him again and this time— He wouldn't just react. He would be ready, somewhere unseen—
A voice whispered into the dark:
"…he's beginning to adapt."
Another voice responded:
"…too quickly."
A pause.
Then—
"…good."
Because the game had already begun.
And the board—
Was far larger than any of them realized.