Rain fell over Opundi City like the sky itself had given up, sliding down concrete walkways and iron roofs, dripping into the river that ran through the heart of the city. The smell of wet mud, rotting mangrove roots, and smoke from far-off cooking fires filled the air. Preye stood outside the courthouse steps, soaked from head to toe, clutching a thin envelope in her trembling hands.
Her job,
Her reputation,
Her life, —gone.
Inside that envelope was the official verdict, termination.
Preye laughed quietly. Not the joyful kind of laugh. Not the kind that warms hearts. This was the brittle, broken laugh of someone who had spent years trusting the world—and found it indifferent.
"Three years," she whispered.
Three years of honesty. Three years of refusing bribes. Three years of protecting people who didn't deserve it. And today? They had all betrayed her.
The merchant she had saved from fraud.
The officer she had shielded from corruption.
The guild clerk she had kept from dismissal.
All of them had stood in court and said the same thing:
"Preye abused her authority."
Her chest tightened as she stared at the gray sky. "Wow."
Her voice carried no emotion. "Just… wow."
The courthouse doors swung open behind her. A tall man stepped out, adjusting his expensive coat as though he owned the rain itself.
Chief Pereowei.
The same man who had asked her to falsify records months ago. The same man she had refused. He saw her and smiled—a smile cold enough to make snakes feel ashamed.
"You should learn something from this, Miss Preye," he said smoothly, "Integrity is admirable… but foolish."
She stared silently.
Something twisted inside her chest. For years she had believed in one simple rule:
"If I do the right thing, things will work out".
But today reality had slammed her face-first into the mud.
Pereowei leaned closer. "You could have been wealthy and powerful," he said, tapping the envelope, "Instead… you're unemployed."
He walked past her, leaving her standing in the rain as if her life held no consequence.
People shuffled by, Vendors called out from wet stalls. Children ran past, their bare feet splashing in puddles. No one noticed the girl whose entire life had just collapsed.
Preye finally whispered to herself, strangely calm:
"Alright. Let's try something different."
She crumpled the envelope in her hand.
"If doing good gets me this…" Her jaw tightened. "Then let's see what happens when I stop caring."
A faint spark flickered in the air around her fingers. Blue, Unstable, Alive.
An Ori awakening.
Something about it felt… wrong. Different. Dangerous.
The rain around her rippled unnaturally, like the river itself hesitated to fall.
Preye stared at her glowing hand and smiled—a dangerous, deliberate smile.
"Well…" she murmured. "How bad can it get?"
Lightning split the sky. The thunder rattled through the wooden walkways of Opundi City.
Somewhere far away, deep within the twisting mangrove channels, the river stirred. Something ancient had awakened.
---
The next few minutes passed in silence, but the air itself seemed charged. Preye's Ori power flickered again, and for the first time, she felt the raw pulse of it—the storm waiting to break free.
She shook her hands as if trying to ground herself, and the blue sparks dissipated into the rain. Her thoughts turned sharp, methodical, dangerous.
They think I'm weak. That honesty makes me small.
Her lips curved slightly. They have no idea.
She starts moving toward Swali Market,
The market had its predators, even outside the law, thieves, gang enforcers, opportunists.
A wet footstep echoed behind her. She turned, and the shadow moved closer.
"You're stronger than you think," a voice murmured, barely louder than the rain.
Preye's hand twitched. The glow returned faintly.
"And you are?" she asked, keeping her voice steady.
The figure stepped into the lantern light. His face was obscured by a hood, but his presence was undeniable.
"You carry the storm," he said. "And storms do not forgive easily."
Preye tilted her head, intrigued. "Storm?"
The blue sparks of her Ori energy danced across her fingers.
"Yes," the figure replied. "And soon, the world will know it."
Lightning cracked again, illuminating the river behind her. The water shimmered unnaturally, reflecting the blue sparks around her hand.
Preye smiled wider. Not the timid, careful smile of the girl she had been. This one was cold, measured, and full of purpose.
"Then let it come," she whispered. "I'm ready."
And somewhere in the river depths, unseen and immense, something ancient watched.
The storm is about to shout
A Word from Your Slightly Insane Author
Hello, wonderful humans, river gods, and anyone who may have accidentally fallen into this story while looking for memes—welcome to "How Bad Can It Get?"
First, let me clarify something: this isn't just a story about a girl with magical blue lightning powers. Oh no. It's about a girl named Preye, who spent her life being the perfect, honest, rule-following citizen, only to discover the world doesn't care. And what does she do? Well… she decides to see what happens when she stops caring. Yes, I know what you're thinking: "She sounds like someone I'd want at my tea party… or maybe to fight off my ex!" Exactly.
Then there's Timi my favorite chaos magnet. Think of him as the comic relief with zero survival instincts but a PhD in sarcasm. He's Preye's best accidental sidekick, and yes, he will probably scream, trip into the river, and make a bad joke at the *exact wrong moment*. And somehow, you're going to love him. Trust me.
Enter Kuro, tall, broody, and annoyingly competent. He's the guy who can turn a simple fight into what feels like a hurricane training session. And he's here to make sure Preye learns the hard waythat power without control is… well, messy.
Spoiler alert: you will not want to be on the receiving end of that mess.
And let's not forget the Ancient River gods, lurking, watching, whispering ominous things in the water, because apparently even rivers are tired of people messing up Tamunoara. They may be scary. They may be mysterious. But deep down, they are slightly dramatic divas of the river world. And yes, you'll meet them—and you might cheer for them at times.
Now, a fair warning: this story has action. Like, throw-your-phone-when-you-see-it kind of action. There are battles, explosions of blue lightning, and some truly heroic moments where you'll want to jump up and scream, "YAS, PREYE!" But it also has heart. And betrayal. And those little comic moments where Timi decides it's a good idea to "help" during a fight… and everything goes wrong.
Why should you read this novel? Because life is unfair, right? And sometimes you want a hero who doesn't just sit there and cry about it. Preye is that hero. She's flawed, she's fierce, she's brilliant, and yes, she'll make mistakes that will make you gasp and laugh at the same time.
So if you're ready to:
☆Witness a storm literally answering to a girl
☆ Laugh at Timi's ridiculous antics
Be slightly terrified by broody, overpowered Kuro
☆Watch ancient river gods throw subtle (and not-so-subtle) shade
then strap in, grab your favorite snack, and dive into Tamunoara.
I promise—by the end, you'll be asking yourself the same thing Preye did:
"How bad can it get?"
And trust me… you're about to find out. 🌟
Your slightly insane author,
(who may or may not be taking notes from Timi on how to survive the swamp)