Chapter 9 : The Breaking Point

  Haaa… I just woke up. My entire body ached. We had trained until 3 AM the night before, and now, every muscle screamed in protest. Damn it.

  Still, today was important. I had to meet with the president to see if my contributions were enough to secure my pce here.

  To be honest, I felt like I had already proven my worth with the defensive walls I reinforced. But I guess that wasn’t my decision to make.

  I arrived at the room where the president spent most of her time. From what I heard, it used to be the director’s office before everything fell apart.

  I knocked on the heavy wooden door. “Toc, toc, toc. Can I come in?”

  “Come on in.”

  I stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of old paper and ink. Stacks of reports and documents covered the desk in front of her, a silent testament to the weight she carried.

  “Hi, Prez. I’m here for my report.” I gave a half-hearted salute, trying to lighten the mood.

  She let out a long sigh before finally looking up at me, her icy blue gaze piercing through the dim lighting.

  “…At ease. So, Suicide Boy, huh?”

  I groaned. “Seriously, when will you guys stop calling me that?”

  Now that I thought about it, this was actually the first time I had seen her since my arrival excluding the first day. She was either guarded by the student council, out hunting, or buried under paperwork like this.

  Approaching her was difficult, not just because of her busy schedule, but because she carried an unshakable aura of authority. She wasn’t just strong physically. She had a presence that made you question whether you were worthy enough to talk to her.

  And well, even without all that… the past week had been insane. I hadn’t spoken to anyone unless necessary. I was too focused on grinding, on improving, on making sure I didn’t fall behind.

  I should probably take some time with Lay or Cire, at least. But every second I spent not improving, someone else was getting ahead.

  Sigh.

  “I read the report on the upgrades you made,” she continued, flipping through a document. “They are… satisfactory. While we do have someone with a barrier ability, it has its limits.”

  Wait. Did she just ignore my compint?

  I frowned but said nothing. Instead, I took a moment to study her more closely.

  Her face remained impassive, as if the weight of leading so many people didn’t affect her. How was she so strong? She had seen countless students, teachers, and possibly even close friends die. And yet, here she was, not breaking, not faltering, just leading.

  She caught my expression and narrowed her eyes. “What is it?” she asked bluntly. “Just say whatever’s on your mind. I hate wasting time guessing.”

  I flinched. Should I really ask?

  Tsk. Before I could decide, she clicked her tongue in irritation. “Do I need to freeze your brain to get you to stop overthinking? Spit it out already.”

  I hesitated but eventually spoke. “…It’s just, what’s your motivation for taking the lead here? How do you stay so strong when everything is colpsing? You don’t seem like the type who wants power for the sake of ruling over others.”

  “I-I mean, I think you’re doing an amazing job, but you…” My voice trailed off as the words started feeling heavier than I expected.

  She stared at me in silence. For a moment, it felt like an eternity. Her unreadable gaze held mine, and I swore I saw something shift in her expression.

  Then, finally, she spoke.

  “…And why do you want to know?”

  I exhaled. “Because… you seem lonely.”

  The words left my mouth before I could stop them. But they weren’t wrong.

  I knew that feeling, the feeling of being out of pce, of cking true connection, of existing without a clear purpose. Maybe, in some way, I was projecting my own doubts onto her. But I had to wonder… was she feeling the same?

  For a fraction of a second, I thought I saw surprise fsh in her eyes. But just as quickly, she masked it.

  A heavy silence settled between us before she finally sighed and turned toward the window, her gaze distant.

  “…Tell me.” She said, her voice softer than before. “Have you ever felt like everything you did up until now was for nothing?”

  I felt a lump form in my throat. “Yeah… More times than I can count.”

  She turned back to me then, her gaze sharper, filled with something unreadable. For the first time, she looked like she was actually seeing me.

  Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something…

  “Toc, toc, toc.”

  The knock on the door was sharp, urgent. The vice president stood there, out of breath, his forehead glistening with sweat.

  “Cra, there’s an emergency!” His voice cracked slightly, panic leaking through his usually composed demeanor.

  The president didn’t hesitate. “Lead the way.” She pushed past him, already moving before asking any questions.

  I followed close behind, my heart pounding. Something felt wrong.

  When we reached the gym, the sight before me made my stomach lurch.

  Holy…

  Ten people y sprawled across the floor, bleeding out, their bodies broken and barely clinging to life. The metallic scent of blood filled the air, thick and suffocating. My throat tightened. I think I’m going to puke.

  I had seen people get injured before. Hell, I had seen many things in the st week. But this… this was on another level.

  Two bodies weren’t moving. One of them, split clean in two. The sight was grotesque, visceral.

  “What are you all standing around for? Get the medics, now!”

  The president’s sharp voice cut through the horror, snapping everyone out of their frozen stupor. Students, stunned by the carnage, finally started moving.

  She turned to the vice president, her voice now cold, controlled. “What happened?”

  “There was a bck wolf in the east zone,” he panted. “It had… an ability, Cra.”

  No.

  No way.

  This was bad.

  Up until now, abilities had been our only real advantage against the monsters. The mutants had terrifying physical power, yes, but they cked our gifts. That was the only reason we could fight them at all.

  And now… now they had abilities too?

  I clenched my fists. The strongest among us like Lay, Will, the president herself, could hold their own against the monsters. But if beasts could wield them too? If they could evolve beyond just raw power?

  This changed everything.

  The blue-haired girl’s expression darkened. She understood the implications just as well as I did.

  “What are the casualties?” she asked, her voice steady, but her grip on the desk nearby tightened.

  “Six dead. Four lost limbs. Eight others injured.”

  It was subtle, but I saw it, her fingers curling into a fist, trembling just slightly.

  “…I see.”

  She exhaled sharply, composing herself. Then—

  “Lay!”

  “I already told you, I can’t heal others. Not yet.” Lay emerged from the crowd, her expression dark, filled with guilt. “Elian was… an exception because of our circumstances. I’m sorry.”

  Her voice was quiet, but firm. She had already accepted this truth.

  Yeah, she had told me this before. Apparently, ever since I had acquired a fragment of her ability, we had become linked in some way. That connection was the only reason I was still alive after my first serious injury.

  The president closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, they were filled with the same unwavering determination as before.

  “…Lucas. Tell the council members to meet me in the council room. Immediately.”

  The vice president didn’t even hesitate before rushing out.

  I turned to Lay, watching her carefully.

  She looked shaken. More than just from the injuries, this was something deeper. Was she bming herself? Did she think that if she had mastered her ability sooner, she could have saved them?

  I hesitated for a second before stepping closer. “Lay… are you okay?”

  She blinked, almost startled that I was there. As if she had been so caught up in her thoughts that she had forgotten everything around her

  “Y-yes. I… need to go.”

  Before she could slip away, I gently pced a hand on her shoulder. She froze.

  “If you ever need to talk, or anything else, I’m here. Don’t forget that, alright?”

  She turned to me, her violet eyes searching mine. For a brief moment, the cold weight in her gaze melted.

  “…Thanks, Elian.”

  She gave me a small, tired smile before walking away, disappearing into the hallway.

  I just hoped she would be okay.

  But me? I couldn’t afford to dwell on it. Not anymore.

  I had to get stronger.

  Every day, the world outside was getting worse. As I was now, I couldn’t protect anyone, not Lay, not Cire, not even myself.

  I scanned the crowd, locking eyes with a familiar bck-haired, muscle-bound figure.

  I walked up to him and gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

  “Let’s get back to training, Will.”

  He gnced at me, a small smirk forming on his lips. “Yeah. Let’s.”

  The next five days were hell.

  I made sure to hunt with Lay, practicing everything I had learned from Will. I spent hours refining my bcksmithing under Cire’s watchful eye. I pushed myself, using my ability, testing its limits, breaking those limits.

  Eat. Sleep. Train. That was my life now.

  Every morning, I forced myself awake at 5 AM. My body screamed for rest, but I ignored it. I had no choice. The world wouldn’t wait for me to catch up.

  The atmosphere in the dorm had shifted. The tension among the students was palpable. More deaths. More injuries. More fear. Small fights were breaking out from the stress. The situation was deteriorating, and fast.

  Maybe it was the wolf. Maybe it was something worse.

  I wasn’t part of the student council, so I wasn’t sure of every detail. But one thing was clear:

  The survivors were breaking.

  We needed food. Supplies. More fighters. But no one wanted to go outside. They were too scared.

  I couldn’t bme them.

  The world was changing so fast, we went from peaceful being to prey.

  Six hundred people were packed into this dorm. Only sixty were willing to fight.

  And me?

  “Ouch! Damn it, at least hit me with your hand instead of using that damn stick!”

  Will chuckled, barely suppressing his amusement. “Stop crying and keep your arm steady.”

  I gred at him. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  He smirked.

  “…Maybe a little.”

  Sigh. Will was still ruthless, still relentless. Every single day, he made me push past my limits.

  I loved my life.