After laying the groundwork for his next plan, Ash returned home. After spending time with his family, he returned to his room and eagerly asked the Black Index, "Do I need to do anything? Will this really work? What should I do next?"
Relax. Don't be nervous. Just wait till tomorrow and everything will become clear. You need to use this potion for the first time, as you are not familiar with your powers and you don't have mastery over them yet. Currently, your control over your powers is at a beginner stage, so you need to go through some trouble.
When you have completely mastered your powers, you will be able to control them without the help of any potion or other external objects, relying only on your powers.
Okay then, I get it, Ash replied. Let's get some sleep. I will go meet Sophie tomorrow.
Sophie POV
I returned home as usual after going on a shopping spree with my best friend. Overall, my day was pretty good, except for that one incident.
Today I saw that poor loser again, working in that coffee shop. He was still wearing those shabby street-style clothes. He kept glancing towards me from time to time.
I felt pretty disgusted when he kept looking at me. A man like that isn't even worthy of lifting my shoes.
Well, let's forget about him.
At night, I headed to my room as usual and then went to sleep.
Then I had a dream. In the dream, I was running as if something was chasing me from behind. When I looked back, it was a swarm of mutated beasts, truly grotesque and terrifying.
I kept running. It was a very horrific dream. I was truly scared. Then I saw a golden beam of light shooting towards the sky, and there he was—that boy whom I despised as a loser—fighting those monsters. It was truly a spectacular sight.
When I saw him fighting those monsters, I was truly amazed, as that boy radiated a glow which made me instinctively walk towards him, as it seemed I would be safe once I was near him.
After dealing with those terrifying monsters, he came up to me and said, "Are you okay?"
My heart skipped a beat. I was truly mesmerized as I looked at his handsome profile—his striking features, and especially his soul-stirring azure blue eyes.
Then my dream started to change, and I found myself in a warm and cozy house where I was sitting on his lap on a couch as he tenderly looked into my eyes and said, "I love you, Sophie." I was truly stunned. My heart started beating fast, and my mind started going haywire, as I had never had a relationship with anyone before this.
Then I saw us strolling through a park hand in hand and doing all the things couples do. Under the moonlight, he once again confessed his love to me, and when I saw his face coming closer, my heart started beating fast. I closed my eyes, and then he kissed me.
Then, when I hurriedly opened my eyes, I found myself in my room on my bed and realized it was all a dream. I hurriedly sat up and had some water, thinking, What an absurd dream. Just what was I thinking? I tried going back to sleep, but I just couldn't fall asleep.
Whenever I closed my eyes, that boy's face kept flashing in my mind again and again, and each time I would feel that I wanted to get closer to him, like he was someone important to me. Maybe I should go and meet him tomorrow. Oh no, I am truly confused. What should I do?
I kept having these random thoughts until my body started feeling heavy, and I don't know how much time passed before I fell asleep.
When Ash woke up, it was morning. He got up and freshened up, as today was important. It was the very first step of his plan, and it was of utmost importance.
Maybe I should message her to meet me at the abandoned ruins on the south side of the city.
Then, when she arrives, I can directly use my powers to corrupt her mind more and make her someone truly helpful to me.
Saying this, Ash quickly sent a message to Sophie through his smart communicator. If you are thinking about how Ash got her number, all the people in his class held a group event where they added each other as friends, and Ash was lucky enough to add Sophie. But he had never messaged her before because he knew they were not in the same circle and could never get along. But now, things were going to be different.
On the other side, when Sophie woke up from sleep, she was still absent-minded as the boy's image constantly kept appearing in her mind, and there was a voice inside her telling her, You like him. Go and meet him.
Then there was a beep as her smart bracelet alerted her that she had a message. When she opened it and saw who it was, she was stunned. She didn't know him personally, but she could see that the profile picture was of the same boy from her dream.
"So his name is Ash," Sophie murmured to herself.
When Sophie saw the message where Ash asked her to meet, she felt a bit overwhelmed.
As this was her first time meeting a boy in private, she still braced herself and replied, yes, we can meet.
Then Ash quickly sent her the location.
Oh my God, should I really go and meet him? Sophie thought to herself.
"It's done," Ash said to himself as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
Remember this, Ash. You can't be soft-hearted from now on, because if you still remain weak, then what awaits your family and your loved ones is a very tragic outcome.
So remember, you need to build a faction that can stand against the ancient clans and crush their dominance.
The first step of my plan begins now.