Seven years had passed since I first stepped into school on Proxima Centauri B. I was fifteen now, taller, heavier, and stronger, but the habit of training never left me. Even after all these years, I still woke up early, stretched my arms, and felt the dull ache in my muscles from the night before. That ache reminded me I was still moving forward. Still changing.
The city outside my window was no longer quiet. Voices echoed between buildings, machines hummed, and lights flashed even in the early morning. Someone argued two floors below. Metal hit the ground with a loud clang, followed by laughter. I closed my eyes for a moment, annoyed, then opened them again.
*At least it isn't silent anymore.*
Back then, silence felt like being buried alive.
I got dressed and walked into the kitchen. Grandpa was already awake, eating slowly as always. Uncle Welp leaned against the counter, reading news from a floating screen.
"You're up early," Grandpa said without looking at me.
"Couldn't sleep," I answered. "Too noisy."
Uncle Welp glanced outside. "That means the city is alive."
I didn't reply, but I understood what he meant. After breakfast, I grabbed my bag and stood by the door.
"I'm heading out."
"Study well," Grandpa said.
"Don't cause trouble," Uncle Welp added.
"I won't," I said, though I wasn't sure if that was true.
The hallway outside our apartment smelled like oil and fried food. A neighbor's door was open, music blasting loudly. Someone yelled at them to turn it down. I passed by without stopping, walking down the stairs and into the street.
The city had changed. Buildings were still grey, but signs and screens covered their sides. Small shops filled spaces that used to be empty. Food carts lined the roads. People talked loudly, laughed, argued, moved without caring who heard them. It was messy, and sometimes annoying, but it felt human.
Two kids ran past me and nearly crashed into my shoulder.
"Sorry!" one shouted without stopping.
I watched them go and shook my head. *Seven years ago, no one ran anywhere.*
When I reached the school gate, chaos welcomed me like an old friend. Someone was late and sprinting across the yard. Another student dropped their bag and cursed loudly. Teachers shouted orders that no one followed. I stepped aside, letting the noise wash over me.
*This is chaos,* I thought. *But it isn't empty.*
In class, students talked even when they weren't supposed to. Someone whispered jokes. Someone else complained about homework. I sat quietly, watching them. A boy beside me leaned over.
"You're calm," he said. "Doesn't this bother you?"
I shrugged. "I've seen worse."
He laughed. "You're strange."
"I know."
A week later, the teacher announced a school trip. "We'll be visiting Proxima Centauri C."
The room exploded with noise. Students shouted, cheered, complained, and asked questions all at once. I stayed quiet. I had already been there. I remembered the weight of the gravity pressing down on my body, making every step harder.
When we arrived at the station, the pressure hit immediately.
"My legs feel heavy!" someone shouted.
"I can't move fast!"
I stepped forward calmly. It was heavy, but my body handled it. Training had changed more than I realized.
The theme park was loud and colorful, filled with spinning lights and screaming voices. I went on rides with my classmates. Some screamed in fear. Some laughed too hard. Some pretended they weren't scared. I enjoyed watching them more than the rides themselves.
At some point, I wandered away from the noise and noticed something strange behind one of the buildings. An altar stood there, old and cracked, completely out of place.
"What's that?" I asked a staff member nearby.
"Wise Honor," he replied. "Just an old story. Nothing important."
I stepped closer anyway. The stone felt cold. Something inside me moved, like a quiet push.
*Just one drop,* I thought.
I cut my finger and let the blood fall.
The stone glowed briefly, then went dark.
"…Did anything happen?" I whispered.
Nothing answered.
Back on Proxima Centauri B, school life returned to normal. Soon after, the school announced a chess event. I signed up quietly. I didn't want praise. I wanted to know how strong my mind was.
Some players were sharp. Some rushed. Some tried to scare others into mistakes. I lost games. I won games. I learned.
At home, I entered the Land of Diligence and asked for chess boards instead of weapons. Fifty people waited for me. We played endlessly. Loss after loss, win after win, my thinking grew sharper.
Months passed.
On the morning everything would change, I stood in front of the mirror. My body was broader now. My eyes looked calmer. I picked up my bag and stepped outside, walking toward school as the city's noise surrounded me. Something was waiting. I could feel it. I might be dramatic, but always think that I'm the main character.