The thick forest was calm, bathed in the silver light of a full moon. The branches swayed gently, creating a soft rustling in the trees. The asional call of distant creatures echoed through the undergrowth, blending into the hum of the nighttime wilderness. The peace of the forest was suddenly disturbed by the faint crunch of footsteps through the fallen leaves.


    A boy stumbled forward—his clothes singed and frayed, his hair standing wildly on end as if static had tangled through it.


    William''s jacket had deep burn marks on its edges, his shirt was charred and frayed, clinging awkwardly to his chest as if the very fabric had been shocked into submission. His pants were torn at the knees, a mixture of dirt and soot smeared across his legs. His hair stood in irregr tufts, scorched in random patches from the lightning that had just coursed through his body.


    Every step he took sent small shocks through the soles of his shoes, still buzzing from the aftereffects of the electrocution.


    Despite his appearance, his mind was elsewhere. He had formed his soul crystal. Now, soon enough, an ability would follow. The thought felt surreal. Only a few months ago, William was just another orphan from the lower tiers, someone who had no ce in the world of soul essence users. But now… he was climbing.


    Advancing. He had be a middle-tier citizen, something he never dreamed possible. More than that, he was earning a sry of $50,000 a month—a fortune for someone like him. His eyes narrowed in determination as he thought of the things he could do with that money. He would buy soul potions to speed up his progress. And maybe… save some for when he returned to the orphanage in three months.


    As these thoughts swirled in his mind, he reached the edge of the forest. The moonlight now mingled with the soft orange glow of streetlights. Before him stood a park bench, and sitting on it was a girl with blue hair that shimmered under themplight. Sofia.


    William''s brows furrowed in confusion as he approached. He hadn''t expected to see her here. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat beside her.


    "Congrattions," Sofia said without turning to look at him.


    William''s body tensed. How did she know? He masked his surprise with a quiet "Thanks."


    An awkward silence followed. William stole a nce at her, pondering whether to use his 3rd Eye on her again. Thest time he tried, the system had failed to disy any information about her. Now, it happened again—no data, no stats.


    Sofia broke the silence, her voice soft but loaded with a strange weight. "Do you know why lovers betray each other?"


    William blinked, caught off guard by the absurdity of the question. He thought for a while before answering, "Maybe… because they stop trusting each other."


    Sofia stood up, her gaze fixed on the moon above. "I hope we don''t betray each other," she whispered, though William could barely hear the words that followed. "At least, not this time."


    As she walked away, William watched her retreating figure, his thoughts racing. What did she mean by "lovers"? Did she just imply that they were lovers? He sighed, rubbing his temples as he stood up and made his way back to the dorm. Explore stories at empire


    __________________________


    The next morning, the sky was overcast, clouds thick and heavy, signaling an impending downpour. William stirred from sleep, greeted by the familiar ding of the system.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Ding! 50 EXP gained for not dying today.]


    The notification still bugged him. Why did the system feel the need to reward him for simply staying alive?


    He summoned his status, which materialized before his eyes.


    __________________________


    [Status]


    Name: William


    Age: 16


    Level: 5


    Experience: 300/400


    Strength: 8


    Agility: 7


    Endurance: 7


    Skills: [The 3rd Eye Level 1], [Darkseer Level 1], [Immunox]


    Attributes: [Shadow Being], [Child of Thunder]


    Soul Essence: 7


    Ability: None


    Store Coins: 100


    He smiled. At this rate, he''d level up in two days, and with that woulde another 50 store coins. He needed to save up. The lowest items in the store were priced at 200 coins, but his focus wasn''t on that. He nned to save enough to buy a weapon.


    Pulling himself out of bed, he noticed Gavin doing his morning exercises, while Liam was getting dressed. William stretched, grabbing his towel and heading for the bathroom. The water was cold against his skin, a stark contrast to the humid, cloudy atmosphere outside. The air was thick, almost oppressive, signaling that rain was imminent. The cold shower felt refreshing in the otherwise stifling air.


    Once dressed, the three of them made their way to ss. As they entered, they waved at Sofia and Eleanor, who were already seated. The teacher arrived shortly after, his usual dull expression in ce. His gaze lingered on William for a moment, but he said nothing, proceeding with the day''s lesson on portals and others.


    By the time the ss ended, the rain had started pouring heavily. Fortunately, they had brought umbres. As they made their way back to the dorm, a boy without an umbre stepped in front of them.


    "Which one of you is Liam?"


    Liam raised his hand. "That''s me."


    "The principal wants to see you," the boy said.


    Liam frowned. "Why?"


    "If I knew that, I''d be the principal," the boy snapped.


    Liam exchanged a nce with William and Gavin. "You guys go ahead. I''ll see youter."


    As Liam walked off with the boy, William felt a strange unease creeping in. What could the principal want with Liam? He shook the feeling off when Gavin urged him to hurry before they got soaked, but it lingered in the back of his mind.


    Halfway to the dorm, William stopped. "I''ve got to check something out," he told Gavin before running off in the direction Liam had gone.


    Rain pounded against the pavement as William hurried through the streets, his eyes scanning for any sign of his friend. He heard something—a low, strange sounding from an alleyway beside a mall. The sound was muffled by the rain, but it was unmistakablying from somewhere close. William crept up to the entrance of the alley, hiding as he peeked around the corner.


    What he saw made his blood boil.


    Ten students surrounded a red-haired boy on the ground, his body bloodied and broken. Liam.


    Author''s Note: Are you tired of feeling dissatisfied with your appearance? Want to unlock your full potential and look like a model? Then check out my book on Amazon, From Average to Giga Chad: The Ultimate Looksmaxxing Guide. This guide covers everything from skincare, fitness, and style tips, to how to build confidence and transform into the best version of


    yourself. Don''t let insecurity hold you back—start your journey to bing a Giga Chad today!