Chapter 20: Sneak Peek into The World

[Arc 1 Epilogue]

(Unknow POV)

DING, DING… DING… DING

DING, DING… DING… DING

I jolt awake when I hear the accursed ringtone of my iPhone Zv2. I inhale deeply and close my eyes again, hoping that it was a mere nightmare and that it's not already daytime.

DING, DING… DING… DING

DING, DING… DING… DING

"Uhuaa umm," I groan as I reach out towards my bedside table and feel around for my phone. I had every intention to simply snooze it and go back to sleep. I hadn't even bothered to open my eyes.

Reaching out, I could feel everything, the VapoRub, the Vaseline, the empty glass of water,

DING, DING… DING… DING

DING, DING… DING… DING

some tissues, my lipstick, eyeliner, my hand mirror and even the charging cable to which my phone should be connected. Should be.

DING, DING… DING… DING

DING, DING… DING… DING

"AaaAAargh!!!" Panicking, I bolt upright on the bed with my wide eyes displaying shock, rage and… despair.

DING, DING… DING… DING

DING, DING… DING… DING

I look over to the table and see the end of the charger cable... with no phone connected to it. With a swift head jerk towards the source of the sound, I see the phone lying on the dressing table on the opposite side of the room.

DING, DING… DING… DING

DING, DING… DING… DING

With a simple thought, the phone zipped towards my beckoning hands, and I see what I had thought but dreaded and angered to confirm.

I forgot to plug it in last night.

DING, DING… DING… DING

DING, DING… DING… DING

I instinctually tap on the 'off' option and see the battery sitting at a comfortable 3%. And the contents of the screen further piss me off. It's a Monday and it's 8 AM.

I have less than half an hour to get ready and start the thirty-minute journey to my 'internship'. The only solace I find, is that today is my last day as an Assistant Librarian.

With the number of credits I have accumulated, I can finally do what I always wanted to do- travel around the world as a part of my studies.

But it's got its restrictions, in a way. I can only travel to places that have academic value such as laboratories and research centers. Doesn't matter to me since that was the original plan anyway.

Rolling off the bed, I land in a heap with my ass on the floor and start crawling towards the bathroom. No matter how special this day might end up being, there is no way in hell that I can snap out of this morning haze without some icy water and some coffee.

(A few hours later)

The actions of the weird boy are played out in flat projections on the table in front of me. The vanishing an entire section of the library before returning it, reeks of space manipulation but there is no way in hell that he hasn't been snatched up by some old fogey.

But his lack of care tells a different story. It's obvious that he's not been taught the method for operating in public. The more he continues to act like an idiot, the more likely that he's gonna have a bounty on his head.

But, if he's not a part of some faction, then how could he ignore my mental suggestion? He wasn't even wearing the devices that shield from psionic energies.

As if to contradict what I have assessed of him; he brushes off my mental attack with the command to 'ignore me' like it's nothing. And his mind was different from the ones with a shield and was more like a fellow psionic user's method of mental defense.

Although I couldn't ascertain his level of control over psionics given that the attack was a feeble one meant for a regular mind, the way he seemed unaffected by it was enough for me to be wary of him.

And I refuse to believe that he is un-affiliated. Spatial quirks like his are gobbled up by the ones who find him. It's a first come, first serve basis with their demand being very high.

He looks Indian but the Mithra family is heavily focused on Animal Taming and Spiritual type quirks. Not to mention that all their Spatial type quirk users are well documented and kept tabs on. After all, no one wants a seven-headed snake to suddenly appear in their bedroom.

He has slight Japanese traits to so could he be from the Yashida family. But there is no way that they'll let someone be all alone so far from Kyoto, especially if they have a spatial quirk. They'd rather kill themselves before they disobey the family rules.

I sigh as I tap on a small metallic cube on the table which drags all the projections of the boy into itself. I quickly pocket the cube as I hear the Librarian come in after having her late lunch.

She's a prim and proper middle-aged Japanese lady with her short height and her hair styled in a bun. She's a bit sad to see me leave since I had been working for my credits under her for a few months now and we are quite close.

"It would be all cold and lonely without you, Letitia-san. But you have done all this to achieve your dreams and I won't hinder you in your path." She says as she hands me a certificate as proof of completion of my 'internship'.

It stated that one, Letitia Garley, has performed admirably in the duties assigned to her. Welp, there goes another chapter of my life.

But I can't help but sigh when she wished me luck for achieving my dream. After all, personal matters hold no consequence when being the Hier Apparent to the Aldis Family.

I let out a self-deprecating smile as I walk out of the library with my belongings after wishing the kind librarian goodbye.

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(MC POV)

I had Sage buy me a brand-new house with all the amenities that I could need. But I also asked her to not reveal the details since I want it to be a surprise.

Stretching my body and patting myself for a job well done, I got out of the McD. The moment I do so, I see a woman standing near the corner of the street, handing out flyers to the passers-by.

In her middle years, lines etched deeply into her face marking the passage of time and the weight of the hardships she's endured. Her eyes carry a heavy burden of worry, with deep bags that scream of nights with restless sleep. Strands of gray intermingle with her lifeless, unkept hair.

Her body bears visible signs of malnutrition—thin, almost frail. Like she would fall over with the smallest of breezes. Faded, patched clothing hangs loosely over her body. 

Despite the challenges she clearly faces, there's a uniqueness in her eyes, a sort of resilience which was no doubt once unkillable. But the evident despair gnaws at her and has permanently entrenched itself in the cracks of her spirit.

I sigh, knowing that she's just another victim of the system. No matter which world, the ones without power are simply trampled on. Without power, life is meaningless other than to provide meaning to those who have.

I turn around and continue to walk, but a breeze caused one of the flyers to stick to my face. With an annoyed grunt, I rip it off and what I see makes me freeze dead in my tracks.

A very ordinary face stares back at me. A hollow gaze with a somewhat forced smile on his face. The flyer read-

'MISSING'

'KENJI NAKAMURA – AGE 16'

'IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION'

'PLEASE CALL: XXXX XX 6731-1'

'OR PLEASE REPORT TO THE POLICE'

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(A/N: Just to clear it up- Kenji is his first name and Ira is his last name.

I mean, 'Ira Family' or 'Ira Clan' sounds WAY better than 'Kenji Family' or 'Kenji Clan' don't you think so?

And about the various powerful families around the world, they'll be like a mix between Harry Potter level incest and pureblood bigotry and Endeavour level hard on for having 'perfect' OP kids.

Basically; I have a plan! See you for my Christmas special about the why behind his reincarnation. Only two people were able to read and speak up about the plot thrown in their faces.

Anyway, see you next week! Bye-bye 👋!!!)