Chapter 8: Revelation
“Power, when unearned, demands caution. Or destruction.”
The city pulsed beneath a canopy of flickering neon. Tokyo after sunset was a living machine—glowing arteries of traffic, humming electric signs, strangers brushing past like ghosts. Rei slipped between them, a phantom with a heartbeat.
His hands were in his pockets, coat unzipped just enough to catch the wind, but his mind was anything but calm. Thoughts spun like razor blades.
“If I say it… if I say it to a crowd… what would happen?”
It was a reckless idea. No—worse. It was dangerous. The kind of idea that only crosses your mind when you've seen something impossible. When something inside you starts whispering that the rules don’t apply anymore.
No. That’s stupid.
He dismissed the thought, but it lingered. His boots clicked against the concrete rhythmically. Somewhere nearby, a vending machine beeped. Two kids laughed behind him.
“There has to be a cost,” he thought. “Nothing this powerful comes for free.”
The memory replayed uninvited—
The pickpocket’s face twisting in shock as his body flew backward—glass exploding outward—then silence.
It worked.
His words had weight. Influence. Force.
But why?
Was it some dormant power? A freak coincidence? A trick of timing?
He had replayed the footage in his head a thousand times. Every frame. Every breath. No mistake. His voice had killed.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“But what’s the trigger?”
“The condition?”
He stopped near a crosswalk, watching the red light blink. A man across from him was yelling into a phone, oblivious.
“I need more data. More tests.”
The thought didn’t scare him. It excited him. Somewhere deep down, he had waited for something like this to happen.
He pulled out his phone. The screen lit up: Thursday. April 4th.
“Tomorrow’s Friday.”
That meant students would be out late. Streets more alive. Opportunities.
"I need people who don’t matter."
The thought didn’t feel cruel. It felt logical. Calculated. Inevitable.
---
8:30 PM – Home
Rei stepped into the quiet warmth of the house. His fingers loosened the tie at his neck. The silence was calming, a contrast to the static buzzing in his mind.
Dinner was already served. Grilled salmon. Miso soup. Steamed rice. He ate without looking at it, eyes fixed on his phone. The screen scrolled endlessly until one headline made him pause.
“Convicted criminal to be released on bail this Saturday.”
He leaned back. Smirked.
Perfect.
A controlled test. A variable I can measure.
He shut off his phone and wandered downstairs. The air was cooler in the basement living room. His aunt sat on the sofa, the pale light of the laptop bathing her face in stress.
She was scanning economic charts, muttering to herself.
Rei leaned casually against the wall. “How’s the situation?”
She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Bad. One of my biggest investments just crashed. Katsuro Industries. 18% drop.”
Rei stepped closer, his eyes scanning the red graphs.
Then, with the flick of a thumb, he transferred 10 million yen to her account.
A notification popped up on her laptop.
She blinked. “Where did you—?”
“I trade too,” he said coolly.
Her lips parted in disbelief. “Rei…”
He leaned over her shoulder, pointing to specific stocks. “Drop Katsuro. Shift funds into Shimizu Tech and Asakura Holdings.”
She frowned. “Shimizu’s unstable. Volatile.”
“Market panic. It’ll correct. And Asakura is the rebound play.”
“How do u even know that ?”
“ Because I am a genius . I have studied the market throughout the year ”
She studied him for a moment. Then nodded slowly, already typing.
“Alright. I’ll trust you.”
Rei turned, shadows stretching across the room. “Smart choice.”
---
Friday Morning – 6:00 AM
The alarm was unnecessary. Rei was already awake. Always was.
He moved like a machine—shower, uniform, breakfast. Toast with black coffee. No wasted steps. By 8:00 AM, he was on the familiar path to school, the sky still soft with morning mist.
But something was different today.
As he approached the gates of Apex Academy, a figure stood waiting.
Haruto.
Tall. Muscular. That look in his eyes—the storm before a punch.
Rei slowed. His expression didn’t change, but his mind sharpened. Calculated. Analyzed.
Haruto didn’t move. His fists were clenched tight, veins visible.
“I want to talk,” he said. Voice low, tight.
Rei raised an eyebrow, amused. “Do you?”
The breeze rustled between them. Students walked past, unaware of the tension winding like a wire between the two boys.
“I don’t know what you’re doing,” Haruto said. “But I’m watching.”
Rei’s smile widened—just enough to be unsettling.
“Then open your eyes wider.”
Haruto stepped forward, face inches from Rei’s. But he didn’t swing. Not yet.
And Rei… just stood there.
Unbothered. Unshaken. Unmatched.
“This’ll be fun,” Rei thought.
---
End of Chapter 8.
---
!
---
.
