Weeks went by. Everything appeared to be normal until an unknown power touched the island. Suddenly, students felt it. They felt an unfamiliar strength, as if their deepest desires had come true. Things that wanted to shape their world manifested as powers beyond their understanding.
Strangely, only high school students appeared to notice it. They dubbed this power Gen-kai, which could develop into Keisei-kai as it matured. Civilians, adults, and even young children saw nothing. The wielders appeared to be interacting with a hidden layer of the world, a higher order reality in which only they existed, or perhaps projecting astral versions of themselves into it.
Yumbing National High School was among the first schools to implement a night schedule. Each student possessed only a Gen-kai, whereas the eleventh graders had already unlocked their Keisei-kai.
Justine's Gen-kai enabled him to perceive musical notes. Perceiving those notes allowed him to create a phenomenon, a domain of music capable of killing and healing. He dubbed it "The Devil's Trill Sonata." His Keisei-kai, on the other hand, transformed his guitar into a music-infused blade. And it appeared that Dex had foreseen this long ago.
"All of existence," he once said, "is nothing but a sonata of order and chaos."
With the exception of Dex Bernard, everyone in Yumbing now had skills that were unmatched in the rest of the world. Dex was just a regular young man who was completely engrossed in the stories he loved and dependent on typing on his phone; he lacked any kind of awakened ability, power, or perception.
People would make fun of him for lacking authority every day. Teachers watched in bewilderment, his classmates whispered, and even the adults were oblivious to the strange forces taking place all around them. They saw Dex as just another typical student in an extraordinary world.
With the arrival of December 16th, Christmas break began. Throughout the season, most students would celebrate and sing carols, but Yumbing students had to deal with something far more challenging: what they called a "test of will."
A battlefield created and sculpted by the island's most powerful Keisei-Kai users was located atop Mount Timpoong. Unbeknownst to the combatants, Walter watched from above, a cunning smile on his lips as the chaotic scene played out. Like roosters in a sabong or like rabid dogs fighting with reckless abandon, the students were all focused on proving themselves and were unaware of the bigger games being played.
The current battle was between Willie and Vince, one of the elites who mastered their Keisei-Kai merely in weeks. Will wielded two weapons: a musket and a sword, lightning embodied within, while Vince was using multiple ghost hands as his Keisei-Kai.
Willie made the first move, empowering himself with lightning as it surged across his body. In an instant, he dashed forward toward Vince, his speed nearly breaking the sound barrier.
Vince, however, responded with zesty precision. A spectral hand emerged beside him, and with a subtle motion, he tore open a hole that breached space-time itself, slipping through it as Willie's attack passed.
From the sidelines, Dex watched in silence, his eyes focused as he mapped out ᜁᜆᜈᜒᜆᜒ, or "eternity." The question lingered, how could something endless be mapped at all? And yet, his fingers moved across his phone as if it were possible.
Beside him stood Sophia and Justine, both watching the battle unfold.
"GO WILL!" Justine shouted.
"Yeah, go Willie!" Sophia cheered.
"Tarunga niño!" Carl joked, grinning, only for Walter to punch his side. Carl merely chuckled in response.
"Atay na, Benedict…" Walter muttered under his breath.
Walter's attention returned to the battlefield. Willie was moving at incredible speed now, lightning trailing behind him as he fired bursts of energy in all directions toward Vince.
On the other side, Margharette, Kriscah, Jenie Fe, Mercy, and Lovely cheered for both fighters. Kriscah used her Gen-kai to scatter flowers into the air, Margharette waved letters that read, "Go Vince! Go Willie!" while Lovely added bursts of confetti that drifted across the battlefield.
Suddenly, a stray blast from Willie stirred off course, heading straight for Dex. Sophia noticed it four nanoseconds before impact and shouted,
"Everyone! Si Dex!"
Justine reacted instantly, stepping in front of Dex and blocking the blast. The impact burst against him with force.
Dex, however, remained completely unfazed.
"How the fuck are you still unfazed?" Allen said, standing up as he moved to protect Dex from another incoming blast. A second attack followed, but Benedict stepped in and blocked it.
"Despite having no power, you're doing something remarkable," Benedict commented.
Students from other sections watched as Section Orchid gathered around Dex, shielding him. Even Willie and Vince paused for a moment, their fight interrupted by the sudden shift in attention. Some of the other students began to laugh.
"Why protect someone weak?"
"Dex is so scared he isn't even moving!"
"You mean unfazed?"
"Nah, he's scared!"
This time, another ball of energy surged in from a different direction, fast enough to nearly strike Dex head-on. Lovely reacted first and stepped in front of him without hesitation. At the same moment, John Paul "YooYoo" moved to intercept, deflecting the attack away before it could land. Rey Allen followed up by raising a barrier that shimmered into place, reinforcing their defense.
Tayco tightened his grip and pulled out his spear, ready to counter if another strike came through. Walter activated Baybayin runes that formed around him, glowing symbols hovering in the air as they pulsed with controlled power. Justine drew his blade of music, the weapon resonating with a sharp, steady tone. Kriscah extended her hand and summoned vines of flowers that spread outward, layering additional protection across their position.
Each of them moved with urgency, reacting to the incoming threat and preparing for the next. Despite all of it, Dex remained where he was, focused on his phone. His expression did not change, his posture stayed relaxed, and his fingers continued typing as if none of the attacks around him were worth his attention.
""Okay, everyone, the show's over," Dan Rowey announced from the other side. His voice echoed across Mt. Timpoong. To them, it sounded like a normal microphone announcement, but to the rest of the island, it was like thunder stacked upon itself a thousand times over. "Hannah, check on Dex."
"Scanning," Hannah said as she examined Dex for any injuries. There were none. "Interesting, Dex. You are clearly unfazed and uninjured."
"Ha? Naunsa diay?" Dex asked, finally looking up from his phone.
Silence.
Then, as if on cue, everyone around him collapsed. Some fell flat on their backs, others dropped to their knees, and a few clutched their chests like they had just witnessed something life-ending.
"What do you MEAN 'naunsa diay'!?" Allen shouted from the ground, pointing at Dex with a trembling finger. "You almost got vaporized!"
"TWICE!" another voice added.
Benedict slowly stood up, dusting himself off, his face caught between disbelief and exhaustion. "We just blocked two attacks that could level this area…"
Walter pinched the bridge of his nose. "And he's asking what happened."
Reynan burst out laughing from the side. "Murag wala gyud ni siya kabantay ba! Hahaha"
"Oi, Dex!" Ralph shouted from a distance. "Hapit ka namatay"
Dex blinked once, then twice. He glanced at the cracked ground, the faint smoke in the air, and the students still recovering around him.
"…Huh."
He looked back down at his phone.
"I was in the middle of typing."
The entire area went quiet again.
"PRIORITIES MAN NI SIYA!?" someone screamed.
Even Willie, still crackling with leftover lightning, stared in disbelief. Vince exhaled slowly. "…We stopped fighting for that?"
Sophia covered her face. "I can't…"
Justine just shook his head, letting out a quiet laugh. "…Unbelievable."
Dex didn't respond.
He was already typing again…
Hours later, everyone made their way home. Some used instant teleportation, vanishing in flashes of light, while others simply walked.
Dex, however, was… walking.
Fortunately for him, Sophia stayed by his side. Her Gen-kai was unlike the others, not destructive, but something far more intricate.
Sophia's Gen-kai, Shinjitsu-kai, allowed her to govern truth itself. Through Axioms, she defined what was absolute. Through Hypotheses, she challenged what existed. And through Conviction, she imposed what she believed must be true.
Then, in an instant, another figure appeared beside her.
Mark.
He had teleported without warning, positioning himself close to Sophia as his eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. Mark was known for being overly protective, especially when it came to Sophia, though he showed the same concern for her friends as well.
He stood slightly in front of her, as if ready to step in at any moment. His Gen-kai, Kōron-kai (抗論界), the Realm of Refutation, manifested subtly around him. Unlike Sophia's Shinjitsu-kai, which established truth, Mark's ability existed to deny, counter, and dismantle it.
Any Axiom could be challenged. Any Hypothesis could be overturned.
With a single statement, he could reject what was declared: "That is not absolute."
And reality would hesitate, as if forced to reconsider itself. Where Sophia defined truth, Mark opposed it. Together, they formed a perfect balance.
"Naa lagi ka diri Mark?" Sophia asked, smiling at Mark who was scanning the area, while Dex is in deep thought while thinking about what to add within his story. Mark then replied to her. "What? Can't I not see my girlfriend?"
Sophia chuckled, shaking her head. "Of course you can, pero naa lagi ka diri nga murag naga-guard sa tibuok kalibutan."
Mark smirked, lowering his gaze to meet hers. "Hey, you never know when something crazy might happen. Better safe than sorry."
Dex, still absorbed in his phone, didn't even look up. "Hmm… maybe if I add a scene where the main character is ignored by everyone else but somehow untouchable… yeah, that could work."
Sophia glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Dex, you've been typing that thing for hours. Don't you ever… look around?"
Dex blinked, as if realizing he was being spoken to for the first time. "Huh? Oh… yeah, I mean… sort of. I'm observing." He waved a hand vaguely, returning his eyes to the screen.
Mark leaned a little closer to Sophia. "See? Even your 'friend' can get lost in their own worlds. Lucky for us, we have each other."
Sophia laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "True. Though I wonder how long it'll be before Justine or Ralph barges in to ruin the peace."
As if on cue, a loud thump echoed from the hallway outside, followed by a chorus of familiar voices. "JUSTINE!!"
Sophia sighed, smiling. "And there it is."
Mark shook his head, amused. "Every day, huh?"
Dex merely typed faster, muttering, "Perfect timing for drama… and character development."
The three of them shared a quiet laugh, the sunlight spilling into the room, the hum of the school around them, and for a moment, the weight of powers, battles, and cosmic rules felt miles away.
Before Sophia could answer, the faintest whisper of a melody drifted through the room, a soft trill, like the echo of a piano string vibrating somewhere just beyond perception.
Mark tilted his head. "…Do you hear that?"
Sophia's eyes narrowed. "That's… Justine. He's hiding again."
Dex finally looked up, curious. "Wait, hiding in music? Seriously?"
Outside the classroom, Ralph stood in the hallway, eyes closed, focusing. Tiny notes, invisible to anyone else, floated around him. He could feel the faint pulses of Justine's Sonata, scattered like footprints across the air.
"Come on, Justine… I know you're here," Ralph muttered under his breath, concentrating. A musical note shimmered faintly near the ceiling. He pointed, and the note solidified for an instant before vanishing.
Mark crossed his arms, impressed. "So that's his thing, huh? Hiding in sound waves. Clever."
Sophia smiled softly. "And apparently, you're clever enough to track him. Just don't break your neck doing it."
Ralph grinned, a little wild with excitement. "Don't worry. I've got this." He stepped lightly down the hall, eyes still closed, fingertips tracing invisible paths where the notes lingered.
Dex tilted his head. "So… all he has to do is play, and he can just vanish?"
"Basically," Sophia replied. "But the notes still have a presence. If you know how to 'read' them, you can track him. That's why Ralph's always able to find him eventually."
A faint trill swirled closer, and Ralph's smile widened. "Bingo. Found ya, Justine."
From somewhere behind the lockers, a muffled voice called back. "Ralph! Seriously? I just wanted five minutes of peace!"
Ralph laughed, shaking his head. "Peace? In your music world? You're funny, man. Come on, let's go before Dex decides to lecture us about… whatever he's going to lecture about."
Dex blinked. "Don't drag me into this. I have nothing to do with your musical hide-and-seek."
Sophia laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You two never change."
Dex then went back to typing, muttering, "This is perfect… two dimensional trackers, sound-based stealth… I can make a subplot out of this."
Ralph and Justine finally emerged from their playful standoff, the invisible trails of notes fading behind them, leaving the hallway quiet once more except for Dex, who was already imagining the next twist in his story.
Meanwhile, atop a cliff overlooking the island, the twelve figures of Tayco's Legion stood in a perfect semicircle, their presence radiating authority and quiet menace. The wind shifted around them, carrying a tension that felt almost tangible. At the center, Tayco himself observed the horizon, golden hair glinting under the dying sun.
Suddenly, a brilliant white light manifested beside him, coalescing into the familiar yet terrifying figure of Walter. The aura around him made even the twelve warriors flinch slightly.
"Tayco," Walter's voice echoed, resonant and calm, "it appears one among them has potential… far beyond what I anticipated."
Tayco's eyes narrowed. "Kinsa? Justine?"
Walter stepped closer, his white coat flowing like liquid light. "Yes. He is not merely a wielder of Gen-kai. His potential… his capacity to shape reality… is of a God caliber."
Willie, his arms crossed, snorted. "God caliber? He's just a kid with a guitar and some weird music magic and can dance, no?"
Walter's eyes, piercing yet unreadable, shifted toward Willie who went red. "Do not underestimate him. Music… is a language of the cosmos. It can heal. It can destroy. And those who can wield it as he does… can bend fate itself."
Vince licked his lips,forms of lustful hands holding his body. "And what of his allies? The girl, Sophia, and the boy Mark?~"
Walter cringed slightly at Vince's forward approach. "Sophia defines truth itself. Mark refutes it. Together, they are a perfect balance. If Justine is to rise, they will rise with him. They are… essential."
"Like sensors and apparently pseudo-gods," Tayco continued.
Carl Benedict leaned forward, curiosity mixing with caution. "So, if he's really Throne God potential… do we act now, or wait?"
Walter's voice softened, almost contemplative. "We observe. We do not interfere yet. But… when he reaches a threshold, when he can no longer hide from his own destiny… that is when the real test begins."
Reynan laughed quietly. "Test? Test napud!? Ka kapoy ba ani"
Allen smirked, twirling his weapon idly. "Hmph. Let the kid play god with music all he wants. We'll see if he survives."
Cassy's eyes narrowed. "And Tayco? What's your role in all this?"
Tayco's gaze swept across his legion. "We test, Justine may be a human, a potential god, but he is still… A threat."
Karla tilted her head. "Human or not, Walter… He has already drawn attention. Even now, he's being protected by those two companions of his. Sophia and Mark."
Walter's pale smile was cold and knowing. "For now. The potential is rare. But rare does not mean untouchable. The moment he steps fully into his role… everything changes."
R-Jay crossed his arms. "And what about the rest of the island? Are we keeping them in the dark?"
Walter's eyes glinted. "Yes. They must not understand the scales that weigh upon them. Let the students play, let the battles rage… it is all a testing ground. And Justine… the music dancing boy… is the variable that will determine everything."
Shakira and April exchanged silent glances, the weight of Walter's words sinking in. Each understood the implications: a Throne God in the making, and the world around them trembling without realizing it.
Tayco finally spoke, voice low but commanding. "Legion. Watch. Learn. Prepare and Attack. The next moves will decide who shapes the future and who is merely swept aside."
Walter's white figure shimmered slightly, a reminder that he himself was far beyond their comprehension. Even as Tayco's Twelve Legion stood ready, silent agreement passed between them: this was only the beginning.
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Why…
Why must I stand here, watching?
Everyone else… they have power. I… nothing.
And yet… my heart won't obey.
I… I love you, ███████.
But why?
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I don't know. I can't even name the reason.
It's like… an echo of something I can't touch, a flame I can't hold.
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Oh… how much I bear… how much I wish I could do something—anything.
But all I can do… is this.
Feel. Hurt. Want.
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No… please… don't leave me alone with this.
My body… my heart… mine, yet enslaved by this feeling.
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Light… stay… don't go.
I wish… I could be seen,
Not as someone powerless…
But as someone who matters.
███████
"I love you…"