The next day at school, Anirban moved like an old man.He couldn't bend his knees , doing so was making his legs tremble. Every step made him wince. Sitting down was torture. Standing up? Worse. But he didn't mind.
Each ache reminded him that something had changed.
He was no longer just watching life pass by. He was walking toward something—even if that walk was slow and painful.
"Dude, are you okay?" asked Rakesh, the guy who sat next to him in class.
Anirban gave him a lazy smile. "Yeah, just worked out."
"You worked out?" Rakesh blinked, genuinely surprised.
"Yup."
"…Why?"
"Why not?"
Rakesh narrowed his eyes like he was trying to figure out if it was sarcasm. Anirban just leaned back in his seat and stared out the window.
She walked past again.
Ishita.
That was her name.
Everyone in class knew her. Smart. Confident. Pretty. The kind of girl who answered questions with ease, smiled politely, and had no idea someone like Anirban existed.
He never spoke to her. Just... watched. From a distance.
There was something peaceful about seeing her — like her presence made everything feel a bit less ordinary.
He didn't expect anything. Didn't dream of grand romances. Just watching her walk past in the sunlight felt like enough.
But this time, he noticed something different.
For a split second… she glanced at him.
Just a moment.
Maybe he was imagining it. Or maybe she had just been looking at the window behind him. Either way, his heart skipped.
He quickly looked away.
Focus, Anirban. Superhumans, remember?
The system chimed.
---
[Quest Complete]
Recovery Training – Light Movement
Reward: +5 XP
XP: 37/100
---
He smirked.
That night, at home, a new quest appeared.
---
[New Quest: Self-Discipline 1]
Goal: Wake up at 5:00 AM and do 20 push-ups, 20 sit-ups, 20 squats.
Time Limit: Before 6:00 AM
Reward: +10 XP
Penalty on failure: -1 Strength
---
"Whoa. The system's not playing around," he muttered.
He stared at the screen, lying on his bed.
Getting up early? Doing it again? His whole body still felt like someone beat him up with a bat. But he didn't hesitate.
"Alright. 5 AM it is."
He set the alarm. Turned off the light. Rolled onto his side.
He didn't pray. He didn't wish.
He just made a promise to himself.
"I'll find the ones who are hiding their powers. And when I do, I'll show them what hiding truly means."
Even if no one noticed. Even if the world laughed.
He would walk his own path.
---
To be continued…
---