It’s weird being famous.

  Not the cool kind of famous. Not like a rock star or an athlete.

  I’m the kind of famous where people stare at me in public but pretend they’re not staring.

  The kind where people whisper as I walk by, their voices just low enough that they think I can’t hear them.

  The kind where half the world worships me, and the other half wants me gone.

  I should have expected it. It’s been six months since Noctis showed up, wrecked an underground military facility, and nearly killed me.

  Six months of testing, studying, training—waiting.

  And yet, no other Harbinger has come.

  Not yet.

  But people are afraid. Afraid that another one will arrive soon. Afraid that when it does, I won’t be enough.

  I’m afraid of that too.

  But for now, I’m just… here. Living my life.

  Sort of.

  “Hey, you’re him, right?”

  I sigh before I even turn around.

  I’m standing outside a convenience store near my apartment, holding a bag of canned coffee and instant ramen. The city around me—New Tokyo—buzzes with its usual neon chaos.

  The streets are packed, filled with people who have somewhere important to be. The skyline glows with advertisements so massive they feel like gods looming over the city.

  And yet, somehow, this one guy—a teenage kid about my age—acts like I’m the most interesting thing here.

  I glance at him. He’s grinning, phone in hand, already recording.

  I roll my eyes. “Depends. Who’s ‘him’?”

  His grin widens. “Dude, come on! You’re Yuri Takahashi! Cosmic Monster! Kaiju Slayer! You—”

  I cut him off with a wave of my hand. “Yeah, yeah. That’s me.”

  Before I can stop him, he snaps a selfie with me in the background.

  “Thanks, man! I knew I’d run into you eventually!”

  And just like that, he runs off, posting the picture before I even have time to blink.

  Within minutes, my phone buzzes in my pocket.

  I already know what it is.

  I pull it out, open a news feed.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Sure enough—

  #YuriSighting is trending again.

  This is my life now.

  Some people treat me like a hero.

  Others?

  Not so much.

  I walk past a group of protestors near the train station. Their signs are impossible to miss.

  “Yuri Takahashi Doomed Us All!”“No More Monsters! No More Lies!”“How Many More Will Come?!”

  One woman, middle-aged, locks eyes with me. She recognizes me immediately.

  Her grip tightens on her sign. Her fear is so thick I can almost feel it in the air.

  I don’t say anything.

  What could I even say?

  She turns away, muttering something under her breath.

  I pretend it doesn’t bother me.

  It does.

  Dr. Bao insisted I wear it.

  A sleek black band around my wrist, almost like a smartwatch. But instead of tracking steps or heart rate—

  It tracks me.

  More specifically, my cosmic energy levels.

  It’s how they monitor me without keeping me locked in that glass room anymore.

  I glance at it now. The display pulses softly, showing a simple green bar.

  Stable. Normal. Human.

  But sometimes—just sometimes—

  I swear I see it flicker.

  Like something inside me wants out.

  Technically, I’m still a high school student.

  But being a cosmic monster doesn’t exactly mix well with final exams.

  So now, I get “special education”, which is just a fancy way of saying, we can’t have you sitting in a classroom with normal kids, so here’s a tutor.

  I meet Dr. Lynn at a small café downtown. She’s waiting for me at a corner booth, sipping something that smells too fancy to be coffee.

  “You’re late,” she says.

  “You’re predictable,” I counter, sliding into the seat.

  She raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  I point at the two books stacked on the table.

  Physics and Calculus.

  “Come on, Dr. Lynn. Can’t I get a day off?”

  She doesn’t smile. She never does. “Your life doesn’t have room for days off, Yuri.”

  I groan. “Yeah, yeah. ‘Great power, great responsibility,’ blah blah—”

  She slides the calculus book toward me.

  “Page seventy-two.”

  I sigh. Being a cosmic monster sucks.

  By the time we finish, the café has mostly emptied out.

  We step outside together, the city air cool against my skin.

  She adjusts her bag over her shoulder. “You’ve improved in physics. But your calculus is still terrible.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  She smirks slightly. “I’m just saying, if an alien invasion is ever solved with derivatives, you’re doomed.”

  I laugh. “Good thing they prefer punching.”

  We walk for a while, side by side.

  It’s strange.

  Most people either treat me like I’m dangerous or some kind of savior.

  Dr. Bao sees me as a science experiment.

  But Dr. Lynn?

  She treats me like a person.

  I don’t know why that matters.

  But it does.

  “Lynn…”

  She looks up at me.

  I freeze.

  I don’t know what I was about to say. Not really.

  Something dumb. Something I’d probably regret.

  I clear my throat. “Uh… thanks. For, y’know… sticking with this.”

  She tilts her head, studying me for a moment.

  Then she smirks.

  “Of course. Someone has to make sure you don’t fail calculus.”

  She keeps walking.

  I watch her for a second longer than I should.

  Then I realize—

  Oh.

  Crap.

  I have a crush on Dr. Lynn.

  By the time I get home, the city lights have taken over the sky.

  I step into my tiny apartment, dropping my bag by the door. The place is small, barely big enough for me, but it’s mine.

  I collapse onto my futon, staring at the ceiling.

  The wristband glows softly.

  No spikes. No warnings.

  Nothing.

  I should be relieved.

  I’m not.

  Because deep down, I know the truth.

  This is temporary.

  Noctis was the first.

  And somewhere, out there, another Harbinger is waiting.

  Waiting for the right moment.

  Waiting for me to let my guard down.

  I close my eyes.

  Tomorrow will be just another day.

  For now.

  But I can feel it—

  The storm is coming.

  TO BE CONTINUED…