---

Well, I just turned twenty. Not too long ago.

Two years. To think two years had passed since I met Zeke.

Now look at me. A student in the most prestigious academy in the first world of the Tower.

Not just any student—one of the top students in the ability A-class.

It wasn’t that impressive.

That was a lie. It was impressive as fuck.

By my world’s standards, I am pseudo S-Rank. By the Tower’s standards, a low-tier S-Rank. There was no suspense in me being a top student. The A-class was filled with students who had A-ranked abilities at best and an A-rank threshold—and not all of them had reached their peak. Ability-wise, I had an incredible catalogue of abilities.

None of that changed the fact that I had worked hard to get where I was. Not that anyone had ever said otherwise.

But seeing Aaron work hard? Watching Jude become one of the five kings? It made my achievements feel smaller. Less like achievements.

I am not jealous. I am simply being realistic.

By the context of my A-rank, I would have been a top student anyway. So had I really worked hard?

Compared to Jude. Not just Jude—Aaron.

Aaron hadn’t let his talent limit him. He’d worked the hardest of all of us, even while focusing on one field. Jude trained as well. But what about me? If they didn’t call me for a hangout or a training session, I hardly did anything. I just lazed around.

I really am a spoiled brat.

But honestly, what could I do? My talents had plateaued. You could argue for growth in combat, but seriously—what would a "talented" A-rank combatant do in a serious battle?

I am glorified fodder.

I swear I am running on pure vibes right now. And a little hope that someone would find a way for me to break past my talent limits.

It made me wonder: how did main characters find purpose? I’d read fiction where they were untalented, and they still strived. But they didn’t have a status window telling them the inevitability of their talent.

I wasn’t the main character. I am a side character at best. If anyone was, there was a plethora of candidates to choose from.

Who am I? A glorified trophy brother. A brother to a powerful and talented older sister. A brother to talented, overpowered sworn brothers. Maybe my talent was finding siblings—biological and sworn—to latch onto.

I am trash.

---

Kai stared at his outstretched hand as thoughts raged through his mind. He lay flat on the ground of a private training ground he had rented at the academy. Around him, training dummies lay destroyed. Several craters pockmarked the floor.

Hah. How the mighty had fallen.

What would his brothers think of him calling himself trash?

Truthfully, he didn’t really care. All they ever said was the emotional equivalent of "suck it up." The person closest to what he felt was Aaron, and Aaron was living his life.

So if he was going to beat this inner demon of his, it wouldn’t be on the premise of what people thought of him being vulnerable. Not on what they thought of him acknowledging his actual fate. Not on what they thought of him refusing to accept wishy-washy feelings of hope.

No. His fate was his. It was his will that would set him free.

He might be part of a family, but he was his own person, with real problems. They might not be problems on the level of saving a world or having fun while being immortal. But side characters had lives outside the main characters.

And who had deemed him a side character? He is the main character of his own story.

What was this about having no combat ability in real warfare? He is a buff master. He is the one who pushed people up a tier—and when he applied that boost to himself, he is a certified S-Rank.

A king of a small village was still a king.

Yes, Kai. You are a king.

Kai clenched his open hand.

So act like a king. Vanquish these thoughts. Raise your chin and fight for another day. You aren’t immortal—your death is inevitable. And what better death was there than dying on the battlefield, fighting side by side with your family?

He certainly couldn’t do that lying here, moping like a little bitch.

Kai’s grin spread across his face as he pushed himself upright.

I’m me. I’m him.

His shoulders relaxed, as though a heavy burden had been lifted. His eyes held more luster. His skin seemed to glow.

He was free. The worry that had plagued him for days was gone. He had conquered his inner demons. He didn’t need to be the main character of everyone’s story. He just needed to be the main character of his own.

---

He walked toward the entrance—which also served as the exit—of the training room. At the threshold, he looked back at the two standing training dummies. He raised his hand and made a shooting gesture with his finger.

Two miniature portals appeared before him. Light beams fired from them—not broad beams, but needles of condensed light, moving fast, streaking toward their targets.

An epiphany. Another application of his ability.

The needles struck the training dummies and passed clean through them. Where they entered, they left behind smoldering holes, the edges still glowing faintly.

Kai was still smiling as he left the training room.

---

"Aaron."

A pause.

"Aaron."

The voice called again.

"Huh?"

Aaron woke, his eyes groggy. He stared at the source of the voice.

A stoic woman stood over him—long, messy silver hair, sharp grey eyes. She wore a high-collared black sleeveless dress with belted accents, and arm sleeves that revealed intricate cloud-like tattoos.

"Eve," Aaron said drowsily.

"Aaron," Eve replied.

"You’re up."

"I am."

"I’m also up."

"I woke you."

"Yes, that would be correct. But you were the one who put me to sleep."

"Your words are ambiguous."

"It’s a good thing you understand what I mean, then."

Aaron smiled as he sat up.

---

She had come into his life a month ago.

He had just stepped out of the training room he’d rented when he saw her.

"Follow me," she had said, and walked away.

She looked too old to be a student—Aaron assumed she was a professor. Still, he set his distress signal on his phone, the one that would broadcast his location to his brothers if he didn’t disable it within thirty minutes.

His theory solidified when they reached a clearing in the forest on the academy grounds. Yes, he had followed her that far. That was the kind of thing kids were warned about.

In the clearing, she gave him a beatdown. The kind he had only received from Zeke and Anton during their training sessions.

"Same time tomorrow," she said. The only words she uttered, aside from corrections.

And so their training sessions began.

On the second week, Aaron mustered the courage to ask who she was.

"My name is Eve."

"I’m Aaron."

From then on, during his recovery periods, he tried to start conversations. Sometimes she responded. Sometimes she didn’t.

By the fourth week, he had loosened up. He frequently poked at her "tsundere" exterior.

---

"Are you still asleep?" Eve asked.

’Kindly’.

"Of course not." Aaron shuddered. He didn’t want to face whatever warm-up exercise Eve had in store for him. "I was just wondering how a beautiful angel like you wound up in my life."

He smirked.

"Because I needed a champion for the main storyline that would begin soon. And you had the most susceptible fate." Eve’s voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "A fate tied to a larger cause, influenced by greater Providence. You and your group are filled with persons like that. But you were the one I could influence the most."

Aaron’s jaw dropped.

Eve continued: "And your standard of beauty does not apply to angels. We are all much more beautiful than your average person. ’Beautiful angel’ is not an adjective that is necessary."

"Wait—hold up. Pause right there." Aaron stretched out both hands, stopping her. "You’re an angel? You chose me? This is all sorts of complicated. Angels are real?"

"Yes to all your questions."

"What is an angel doing with me?"

"I believe I mentioned it previously."

"Mentioned it? You called me the weakest in my group." He paused. "Not that that’s a lie. But don’t be that blunt, you normal angel."

"Normal might be a stretch. A normal angel would not invest in the weakest."

"That’s just rude."

Eve gave a small shrug.

A beat of silence passed between them. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Why are you so forthcoming with your agenda?" Aaron asked. "It doesn’t scream ’convincing.’"

"If you were so easily convinced, I would be disappointed." She continued before he could respond. "There is no reason for me to lie. It would only cause complications later. Your friends would find out—you don’t plan to keep our communication a secret, and once known, investigations would begin."

"There actually is reason for you to lie," Aaron said. "Or rather, hide the whole truth. From your mention of a ’champion,’ I’m well aware that you have something to gain. This isn’t an act of altruism."

"What I need to know is what this ’main storyline’ is. I might have an idea. But what role do you require of me?"

"Everything cannot be mentioned in a day. You have figured out my identity. Let the rest be a mystery. All you and your friends need to know is that I mean you no harm."

"You sure know a lot about us."

"People of interest are well known in my circle."

"People with great Providence?"

"You catch on quickly."

"Heh."

"Your reunion is tomorrow, is it not?"

"Yes."

"Then I won’t keep you for long. You should rally with your friends. I will see you when you return to the academy."

She turned and walked away.

"How are you so sure I’ll be back for your hellish training?"

"You wouldn’t want to remain the weakest, would you?"

Eve did not look back.

"Heh." Aaron pumped his fist. "A beautiful angel turning out to be a beautiful angel. One for Aaron."