Chapter 16: Telekinesis?
Nolan stared at the system screen.
[Suggestion: Appraiser Skill Upgrade Available.]
[Appraiser Lv.2]
[Cost: $60,000]
[Appraiser Lv.2 Effect: Allows host to differentiate between Humans and Awakeners.]
He glanced at his balance.
[Balance: $80,500]
'Sixty thousand dollars. That's a lot of money.'
He looked at Kai. The boy was now examining a lamp on the side table, turning it over in his hands as he had never seen one before.
'But the system is suggesting this. It wants me to buy it. And every time I spend money, the system gives me more back.'
He thought about the pattern. Spend money. Get rewards. Spend more. Get more.
'Why should I worry? If I spend, the system will upgrade again. It always does.'
He pressed Accept.
[Purchase Successful!]
[Appraiser Lv.1 → Appraiser Lv.2]
[Current Balance: $20,500]
Nolan stared at the number.
'Hmm. One hundred thousand dollars. I just received it three hours ago. And now it's down to twenty thousand five hundred.'
He let out a slow breath.
'And this is still just the beginning. I need to get used to this. Money comes. Money goes. The system rewards spending.'
He checked his skills.
[Skills: Appraiser Lv.2, Danger Sense Lv.1]
He looked at Kai. The boy had moved on from the lamp and was now standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, his face pressed against the glass. His expression shifted every few seconds—wonder, disbelief, excitement, fear. All of them flickering across his small face like a storm of emotions.
Nolan focused his upgraded Appraiser skill.
A screen appeared.
[Name: Kai Miller]
[Age: 13]
[Status: Pre-Awakener]
[Skill: Telekinesis]
[Rank: F]
[Potential: B]
Nolan froze.
'What the hell?'
He read it again. Then again.
'Telekinesis? Can he move objects with his mind?'
The system added more information.
[Status: Pre-Awakener — The target has not yet fully awakened their ability. Awakening is imminent. Estimated time frame: Unknown.]
[Potential: B — The target possesses above-average growth potential. With proper training, their skill rank can increase significantly.]
Nolan stared at the message.
'Pre-Awakener. He's going to awaken soon. And he has B potential.'
His mind raced.
'Does that mean there are other people with skills out there? A-ranked? S-ranked? How many? Where are they?'
The system was silent. It didn't need to say anything.
The silence itself was the answer.
Nolan's hands clenched at his sides.
'The world I knew... the peaceful world with college and parties and normal people... it's a fake. A mask. Something else is happening underneath. Something I never knew about.'
He looked at Kai. The boy was now trying to figure out how the automatic curtains worked, pulling at them gently, his face scrunched in concentration.
A dry laugh escaped Nolan's lips.
'No wonder the system reacted the way it did. All those DINGs. All those warnings.'
He shook his head.
'I accidentally found an Eleven from Stranger Things in a mall.'
He laughed again at the thought. Then another thought hit him.
'Do I need to make him bald? Give him a nosebleed? Teach him to say "friends don't lie"?'
He started laughing harder.
Kai turned around. His face was confused.
"Brother Nolan? Why are you laughing?"
Nolan waved his hand. "Nothing. Nothing. Just... thinking about something."
Kai stared at him for a moment, then shrugged and went back to exploring.
Nolan watched him for a moment. The boy moved through the penthouse like a kitten in a new home—touching everything, looking under things, opening drawers.
Then Kai spoke again.
"Brother Nolan, are we the only ones living here?"
Nolan blinked. "Umm... yeah. I guess."
Kai's eyebrows twitched. Something flickered across his face. Excitement? Relief? Nolan couldn't tell.
He ignored the expression and called out, "Kai. Come here."
Kai walked over and sat on the sofa. His legs dangled off the edge. He looked small against the expensive leather.
Nolan grabbed a pillow and sat on the sofa opposite him. He faced the boy directly.
Now that they were sitting, he didn't know how to start. What do you say to a kid who can move things with his mind? A kid who has been living on the streets? A kid who the system flagged as an anomaly?
He decided to start simple.
"Kai. Do you have anyone? Family? Friends? Anyone with you?"
Kai's head dropped.
His shoulders slumped. His small hands gripped the edge of the sofa.
"No," he whispered. His voice was so quiet Nolan almost didn't hear it. "I don't have anyone. I'm alone."
The words hung in the air.
Nolan watched the boy's face. His eyes were fixed on his own hands. His lip trembled slightly. He looked so small. So broken. So alone.
'I know that feeling. I lived that feeling.'
Nolan got up from his sofa. He walked over and sat down beside Kai. Their shoulders almost touched.
"Hey," Nolan said. "I also don't have anyone. I grew up as an orphan. No parents. No family. Just me."
Kai looked up. His eyes were blurred with tears. They searched Nolan's face, looking for the lie.
"Really?" His voice cracked.
Nolan nodded. "Yeah. Really."
Kai stared at him for a long moment. Then his shoulders relaxed. The tension drained from his small body.
[Kai Miller — Favorability: 80]
'Eighty. It jumped again.'
Kai wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Then he asked, "Then how do you have a place like this? A penthouse? With a pool and everything?"
Nolan leaned back. 'How do I explain this? Hey kid, I got struck by lightning and now a magical system gives me money and buildings.'
He rubbed his temples. "We'll talk about that later. First, tell me this."
He turned to face Kai directly.
"Will you be my ally?"
Kai tilted his head. "Ally?"
"Yes. Partner. Teammate. Someone who stands with me."
Kai's eyes went wide. Then he jumped up from the sofa. His face was suddenly alert. Suspicious.
"Brother Nolan! Do you do illegal activities? Is that how you bought this place? Are you a gangster? Do I have to carry drugs? I'm only thirteen! I don't want to go to jail!"
Nolan rubbed his temples harder. 'This kid.'
"No," he said firmly. "It's not like that. Nothing illegal. You can say that... I recently found out I come from a rich family. Something like that."
Kai's face transformed. His eyes sparkled. His mouth fell open.
"Whoa... So you lived like a poor person your whole life, and then suddenly you found out you're actually rich? Like in the movies? Like those stories where the orphan turns out to be a prince?"
Nolan nodded slowly. "Something like that."
Kai flopped back onto the sofa, his arms spread wide. "I wish that would happen to me too. Imagine going from nothing to... this." He looked around the penthouse again, his eyes wide.
Nolan smiled. 'He's a kid. He deserves to be a kid. Not stealing food from malls. Not sleeping on streets.'
"Okay then," Nolan said. "Make this place yours."
Kai sat up straight. "Really?"
"Yeah. Really." Nolan leaned forward. "But you have to be part of my team. My ally."
He extended his hand.
Kai looked at the hand. Then at Nolan's face. Then back at the hand.
For a moment, he didn't move. His face was unreadable.
Then slowly, a small smile crept across his lips. He reached out and placed his small hand in Nolan's.
"I don't know what you mean by 'ally,'" Kai said. "But... yeah. I'll be your ally."
[DING!]
[Quest Complete!]
[Team Members: Kai Miller]
Nolan stared at the screen.
'Team members. It's keeping track. That means... there will be more. More members. More anomalies. More people like Kai.'
His heart pounded.
The system chimed again.
[DING!]
[Reward Calculation Complete!]
[Reward: +30 Stat Points]
[Reward: Ferrari SF90 Stradale]
[Bonus Skill Unlocked: Driving Mastery Lv.1]
Nolan's mouth fell open.
He stared at the screen. Read it again. Then again.
'Thirty stat points? Thirty? I crushed a Coke can with two points. If I put all thirty into strength right now... I could punch through walls. Literally punch through walls.'
His eyes moved to the next line.
'Ferrari SF90 Stradale. A Ferrari. That too an SF90. Who doesn't love cars? Even as an orphan, I know about cars. That's... that's a million-dollar car. Maybe more.'
He looked at the bonus skill.
'Driving Mastery Lv.1. I have never driven a car in my life. And now I have a skill for it. Can I actually drive? Will the skill just... work?'
His mind was spinning. Thirty stat points. A Ferrari. A driving skill.
The system chimed again.
[DING!]
[Ferrari SF90 Stradale has been placed in the VIP parking area of Vellmar Towers.]
[Car keys have been placed in inventory.]
Nolan's hand moved instinctively to his pocket. He focused on the icon in his mind's eye. The keys appeared in his hand.
He looked down.
A red key fob with the prancing horse logo. Ferrari. The logo gleamed under the penthouse lights.
He ran his thumb over it. The leather was soft. The metal was cold.
'A Ferrari. I own a Ferrari.'
He checked the time on his phone.
7:00 PM.
'The party. Chad's party. At Aurora Heights. My hotel.'
He looked at Kai. The boy was watching him with curious eyes.
"I have to go out," Nolan said, standing up. "You stay here. Look around. Pick any bedroom you want. Fresh up. There must be food in the kitchen. Make yourself at home."
Kai's eyes went wide. "Any bedroom? Really?"
"Any bedroom."
Kai jumped off the sofa and ran down the hallway, throwing open doors, his laughter echoing through the penthouse.
Nolan shook his head. He walked to his bedroom, grabbed the new clothes he had bought earlier, and freshened up quickly.
When he came out, Kai was standing in the hallway, his hand on the handle of the biggest bedroom.
"I'm taking this one," Kai announced.
Nolan nodded. "It's yours."
Kai grinned. Then he looked at Nolan's clothes. His eyes narrowed.
"You look... different," Kai said.
Nolan looked down at himself. Dark jeans. Navy blue shirt. Black jacket. The shoes were new. Everything fit perfectly.
"Yeah, well," Nolan said. "I have a party to crash."
Kai tilted his head. "Party? Can I come?"
"Not tonight. You stay here. Get settled. Eat something. Sleep in a real bed for the first time."
Kai nodded slowly. Then he asked, "Will you come back?"
The question was small. But the fear behind it was big.
Nolan crouched down to Kai's level. "I'll come back. I promise."
Kai stared at him for a second. Then he nodded.
Nolan stood up and walked toward the elevator. Kai followed him to the door.
"Brother Nolan," Kai called out.
Nolan turned.
Kai's face was serious. "Be careful. Rich people's parties sound dangerous."
Nolan laughed. "I'll be fine."
The elevator doors closed.
Nolan stepped out of the elevator into the parking garage.
And stopped.
The Ferrari sat in the VIP section, directly in front of the entrance. It was red. Bright red. The kind of red that demanded attention. The kind of red that made every other car in the garage look like toys.
The SF90 Stradale. Hybrid. 986 horsepower. Zero to sixty in two seconds. A car that cost more than most people made in ten years.
It dominated the parking space. It dominated the whole garage.
Nolan walked toward it. His steps were slow. Almost reverent.
He reached out and touched the hood. The paint was smooth. Warm. Alive.
'A Ferrari. My Ferrari.'
He opened the door. The leather interior smelled new. The steering wheel was wrapped in alcantara. The dashboard was a cockpit of screens and buttons.
He slid into the driver's seat.
His heart was racing.
'Can I drive this? I've never driven a car in my life. What if I crash it? What if I—'
He looked at his skills.
[Driving Mastery Lv. 1]
'Trust the system. The system hasn't failed me yet.'
He pressed the start button.
The engine roared to life. A deep, powerful sound that vibrated through his chest.
Nolan gripped the steering wheel. His hands stopped shaking.
The knowledge came naturally. Like he had been driving for years. His hands knew where to go. His feet knew what to do.
He reversed out of the spot. The car moved smoothly. Effortlessly.
He drove toward the exit.
The garage gate opened. The city lights spilled in.
Nolan pressed the accelerator.
The Ferrari shot forward.
The streets blurred past. The engine sang behind him. The lights of Grayport City reflected off the red hood.
Nolan's heart was still racing. But now it was excitement. Pure, unfiltered excitement.
He checked the navigation on the dashboard. Aurora Heights. Fifteen minutes away.
He thought about Chad. About Lila. About the mocking voices. About the whispers.
'They think I'm still the same Nolan. The broke Nolan. The orphan Nolan. The one who wore the same clothes every day and couldn't afford a decent meal.'
He pressed the accelerator harder.
'Let's see what they think when I walk into my hotel. In my new clothes. In my Ferrari. To claim what's mine.'
The Ferrari weaved through traffic. The city lights became streaks of color. The wind roared in his ears.
Aurora Heights. His hotel.
He was on his way.