Keep Your Ego Low

Dove rolled her eyes, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "But everything is already on my phone. The strategies he was trying to use, and the money is in the dummy bank account."

Yolan took off her mask and suit, revealing the tank top she had been wearing underneath. "That's good then. We've taken down our biggest competitor..."

Irune and Aca were both fixated on the bag of loot.

"Money~ Money~" they chanted, their eyes gleaming with greed.

Dove sighed, "We'll need to launder that money," she said, shaking her head at their antics.

IM and I took off our suits, revealing the clothes we had been wearing underneath.

"Also, I've been thinking about the superhero name thing," Dove announced.

"Oh yeah? What are your ideas?" Yolan asked, folding the suits neatly.

"Well, for Xian, I was thinking something like... 'The Visionary' or 'The Imaginator,'" Dove proposed, tapping her finger on the desk. "It reflects his power of imagination manifestation."

"I choose 'The Imaginator.' 'The Visionary' is already taken by a character from an anime," I said, recalling a certain superhero with similar powers.

"Those are good," Irune agreed. "What about IM?"

"For IM, maybe something like 'The Phantom' or 'The Shadow Walker'," Dove suggested. "It plays on his ability to phase through objects and his affinity for darkness."

IM grinned. "I like 'The Shadow Walker.' It has a nice ring to it."

"And for Yolan, how about 'The Enforcer' or 'The Steel Maiden'?" Dove continued. "It highlights her strength and combat skills."

Yolan flexed her biceps, a playful smirk on her face. "The Steel Maiden it is."

Just then, Yolan looked at the table where IM and I had left our suits unfolded and messy. "Geez, fold your clothes!" she exclaimed, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

I looked at the suit on the table.

Fold the suit... I imagined, focusing my power on the garment.

Instantly, the suit folded itself neatly.

Yolan's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, that's handy," she said, a hint of admiration in her voice. "I guess being able to control objects has its perks."

IM chuckled. "Xian's powers are pretty versatile," he said, a touch of pride in his tone.

Dove cleared her throat, bringing the conversation back on track. "So, what's our next move?" she asked, her eyes scanning the group. "How do we start building our public image as heroes?"

"We need to find opportunities to showcase our abilities," Irune suggested. "Maybe we could stage a rescue mission or something."

"Or we could create a social media presence," Aca added, her fingers already tapping on her phone. "We could post videos of our heroic deeds, share our stories, and connect with people who need our help."

Yolan nodded in agreement. "That's a great idea. We need to control the narrative, show the world that we're the good guys."

IM leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. "We also need to be prepared for the Seers' retaliation," he warned. "They won't take this lying down."

Dove's expression hardened. "We'll be ready for them," she said, her voice firm. "We won't let them win."

The room filled with a sense of determination. They knew the road ahead would be challenging, but they were ready to face it, together. The Unveiled were no longer hiding in the shadows. They were stepping into the light, ready to fight for their place in the world.

I love this life…

***

A new morning arrived, and yet we were back to being high schoolers. Once again, it was a normal, boring day, the kind that if I were writing a novel, I wouldn't bother describing because it was just so mundane.

The classroom was bustling with chatter, and yet there I was, sitting alone while Marcel tried to engage me in conversation.

"Hey, hey, Xian, do you think what I think nowadays?" he said, leaning closer with an air of excitement.

"What?" I responded, my voice flat and uninterested.

"We are living in a fantasy! Like, so many things are happening that it feels like a fantasy world!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with wonder.

"That's just your perspective," I replied, my voice heavy with sleepiness. "We've been living like this normally... there's been black magic since ancient times, it's not fantasy... it's just the truth of how things are..."

"I know! But the things like... bwoaahhh!" Marcel continued, gesticulating wildly as he tried to express his astonishment.

There he goes again... talking nonsense. Though, I couldn't blame him for how people react to things that are unusual. I myself had done that before. I used to think I was schizophrenic, seeing all those ghosts... but now I knew it wasn't a delusion. My family still thought it was, though... except for my cousin, who assured me it was real.

I looked over at IM, who was chatting with other people. He was proof of the extraordinary. A Harbinger, a being that didn't exist in the eyes of normal people, had evolved and become human, talking and laughing with them. Crazy? I know.

"But really, Xian..." Marcel started again, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper.

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"I never thought that... magic was real. Even though holy books talk about it, it's just... no way humans have that, right?" he said, his eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and fascination.

"I can't blame you for not believing in something you've never seen or experienced. It's normal. You don't have to believe in it, just acknowledge its existence. That's okay," I replied calmly.

Marcel nodded thoughtfully, his expression contemplative. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, a hint of awe creeping into his voice. "But it's still mind-blowing to think that there's a whole hidden world out there, right under our noses."

I chuckled softly. "It is," I agreed. "And it's even more mind-blowing to be a part of it."

"I wonder how it feels to have superpowers..." he said, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

< Chapter 123 > Fin.