The morning sun was starting to peek through my window despite my dark curtains. My breathing slowed from my initial panicked state. Even with that, my hands were still shaking. It was 6:28am, as good of a time as any for a run.

  I got ready and took off on a different route. I ran by the shopping plaza where Chika had taken me the day before. Nothing seemed out of place. In fact, I was one of the three people out in the area. The other two were an elderly couple walking together.

  I wonder if I'll ever reach that point in life?

  I continued running into the more urban area of the district. I remembered the speedster and the spatial manipulator. Looking back, I should have noticed them sooner. The gusts of wind were unnatural, although they tried to time it with a natural gust. Hindsight is 20/20, after all.

  I wonder if they'll keep their promise? What would happen if they didn't? They had only seen me... and Chika. No. I won't let anything happen to her. She could never match a meta let alone one who knows what they're doing. I will protect her at any cost.

  The sun was climbing in the sky, and I passed over a river. People were starting to go out into the streets. There were so many lives that were lived with no idea of those around them. It would still be almost four years until the announcement of metas and another two until the Purge. As I ran, I passed a black car, and my run quickly ended.

  Deja vu.

  Wait. I've seen that car before.

  I turned around to see it driving away. Through the rear window, I saw two figures. One was slender with what I can only infer was very large hair. Probably a woman. The other, however, was large, broad, with little to no hair. A man... or an ogre.

  He doesn't know me. He doesn't know what I did to him. He's just a low level crime boss.

  I tried to push all the thoughts aside and continued running. I passed into the Dolin District where Toriyama High School was. At this point, I was about nine kilometers from my house.

  Despite all my hatred of running, I guess I am decent at it.

  The neighborhoods looked so similar to my own. There were beautiful trees lining the sidewalks and parks along the river. Spring time here was probably beautiful, and soon enough, I would experience it too. I came to a stop at the front gate of Toriyama High.

  The gates were closed, naturally, but they were themselves almost daunting. Before me lay territory I had never even dreamed of entering in my past life. The buildings seemed almost majestic, like a promised land free of Eclipse. I gazed at the buildings until something caught my eye. On the third floor of the building, there was a figure walking.

  Probably just a faculty member getting ready for the school year. It's coming pretty fast after all.

  I turned to start to run back, but looked at the school one more time. The figure was facing out towards me. No, they were facing me. I felt their eyes pierce me. In a moment, I turned and ran. Once I was out of sight of the school, I froze time to get further ahead of whoever that was in the school.

  I wasn't doing anything wrong. Right? There's nothing suspicious about a future student looking at their school. Who was that? I could feel the depths of a frozen hell in that stare. Why am I so scared?

  My run became a jog and eventually a walk. I crossed the bridge over the river. The sunlight glistened on the crystal clear water. The rays stood still as they bounced off of the surface. A handful of birds soared through the nearly cloudless sky. I stopped and looked out over the water.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  I poured over my thoughts for a while.

  What am I going to do if the two metas from the mall come back? A direct confrontation is too risky. I almost went past the point of no return last time.

  I should bring Denki in... on second thought, no. Being thieves would incur his wrath as well. He already got really close to the same situation with Hiro's bullies.

  Speaking of which, neither Hiro nor Rito gave definite answers for the water park this week. I really should have been more gentle with the whole superpowers news.

  One of the biggest mysteries still remains, though. How did I get accepted to Makarov Academy without applying? No one has any sort of access to the files that would be needed to apply.

  Is there someone trying to get me in even now? Do they have any idea what life awaits me there? Or are they working against me? How, though? No one would have any knowledge of my past life here...

  My thoughts became jumbled after that, so I decided to move on and meditate on them when I got home. I slowly left the bridge and dipped into an alleyway before unfreezing time. I had to be more cautious in areas I was unfamiliar with.

  I rounded the corner and picked up my pace back to a slow jog to warm myself back up. Before I got to the next corner, I saw the black car turn the other corner and start to drive in my direction. My stomach sank a bit, and, without being obvious, I turned my head to "check out the area." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the ogre looking at me from a side glance.

  I need to leave. Now. Once is a coincidence. Twice is suspicious. I'm not sticking around for a pattern.

  I picked up the pace once they turned and dipped into another alleyway before stopping time again. I ran back to the plaza in Argor District and hid in the alley I fought the spatial manipulator in. There I sat, time frozen, my heartbeat rising.

  I'm not worried about myself. I'm more than capable of protecting myself. He's seen my face. Even if he doesn't know who I am, he probably knows that I'm not from that area. As shrewd and connected as he was, he could easily find me and everyone else.

  The nightmare of his mangled, bloodied face replayed in my head. His face fell apart to reveal that of the little girl. Her face convulsed and warped into other faces of the countless ones that died by my hand. Their faces merged, blurred by years of suppression, until it finally cracked and contorted into my own... his face.

  You've grown weak. Comfortable. Vulnerable. You've tried to forget. That I'm. Still. Here.

  I snapped out of it and pulled myself up. I was shaking from head to toe. I walked toward the street to see everyone moving about. I stood frozen in fear: I hadn't undone my ability willingly.

  What's happening to me? Am I losing control?

  I forced myself to move forward. I struggled to walk the remaining four kilometers home. My eyes shifted from person to person, and I started to notice things that I had missed previously. There were several metas in the crowd, even a healer.

  When did I become so relaxed? With all the changes I've already made, something could have gone wrong, and I would have been completely unprepared.

  I finally made it home just before 9am. The day had seemed so long, but in reality it had just begun. Mother had already gone to bed, but she left some breakfast out for me with a note.

  "Reheat this when you get home, sweetie. Sorry I missed you. I love you."

  I fought to hold back tears as I reheated the miso soup and some rolled egg. There was a covered salad in the fridge as well with a similar note from mother. I sat down and ate the meal that she had made for me. Tears started flowing slowly as I ate.

  I've been so weak, mom, dad, sis, everyone. That stops today. I will protect you all.

  I finished my meal and sat to compose myself before cleaning up. By the time I had finished washing my dishes, Yui walked into the kitchen still groggy. Thanks to the fact that she was not a morning person, I was spared her overbearing adoration. Before leaving the kitchen, I stopped to give her a hug.

  "Zuzu?" She was still waking up. "You're making the advances? I'm not opposed, but — "

  "Please, sis... not today." I held her in silence.

  I felt her wrap her arms around me. She no doubt was confused and wouldn't understand for a long time, if ever. I didn't need her to understand the "why." I would even fight to keep her the way that she was, brother complex and all. No one, not Eclipse, not a crime boss, not even the strongest meta in the world would take this life away from me.