"Ugh… I don't feel right."
Bella groaned, her body aching in protest as her eyes fluttered open. Nausea rolled through her stomach, making her blink rapidly to fight off the dizziness.
"Ben. Boy. You out there?"
She stared up at the massive translucent dome covering the skies of Mega Academy. She called for her brother, but when no response came after a few seconds, she forced herself to sit up.
Her surroundings were unchanged—she was still on the examination field, and students were still demonstrating their powers.
"Ugh…" Bella clutched her head, groaning again as she swallowed down the urge to puke. "Man, don't tell me I passed out again… What the hell goin' on?"
Her eyes finally landed on Benjamin and the others in his group, all of whom were locked onto something in complete silence. Bella staggered to her feet, making her way toward them. But the moment she saw what had their attention, she raised an eyebrow and draped an arm lazily over Benjamin's neck.
"Yo, why y'all starin' at my fork like that? It ain't for sale."
Indeed, Hera, Hannah, and every other examinee were all focused on the fork Bella had used in her demonstration—the same one Hera had tossed aside and embedded into the platform earlier.
And standing in front of it was Riley, his palm outstretched toward the utensil.
"White-hair's tryin' to move it with his mind," Benjamin whispered, leaning closer to his sister. "Boy been at it for five minutes now."
Bella's eyes widened. "Wait, I've been knocked out for five minutes?" She blinked before glancing back at Riley. "Has he… moved it at all?"
Benjamin didn't answer right away. Instead, he glanced at Hannah, who stood rigidly beside him.
Hannah had her hands clenched into fists, her foot tapping anxiously against the ground. Though she was barely whispering, everyone could hear the quiet, urgent words spilling from her lips:
"Come on, Riley. Come on…"
She had repeated it at least a hundred times by now. But no matter how much she willed it, the only thing moving was Riley's slightly trembling hand.
"Enough."
Hera finally sighed and stepped forward.
"Wait, he can do it!" Hannah suddenly raised her voice, her desperation breaking through.
"No, he can't," Hera shook her head, her tone firm but not unkind. She sighed again before looking directly at Riley. "That's enough, Riley Ross."
Riley didn't look at her, but he still nodded, lowering his hand. His expression didn't change, but everyone could see the quiet disappointment in the way he stared down at his hands.
"I suppose I won't be joining you in the academy, Hannah," Riley whispered, meeting her gaze. "I apologize for that—now your number of friends in this school will be zero."
"S…shut up," Hannah sighed. She wanted to smile, to tell him it was okay, but before she could, Hera suddenly started removing her jacket.
"People without superpowers can still join the Academy," Hera muttered as she tossed her jacket toward the twins. Bella caught it effortlessly, a grin forming on her lips.
How could she not smile?
Hera was now stretching in front of her, wearing nothing but a white tank top. The way her brown skin contrasted with the fabric made her toned body stand out even more—muscular, but in a way that only enhanced her already voluptuous figure.
"S…sheesh. A…an actress really is built different," Bella gulped.
"Ey, quit eyeballin' her like that." Benjamin winced, leaning away from his sister as he felt her breath getting heavier on his neck. "That nasty, sis."
Everyone was momentarily entranced by Hera, but more than that, they were confused. Why had she suddenly stripped down and started stretching?
Perhaps the only one who wasn't affected was Riley, who was once again staring at the fork on the ground. He considered trying to move it with his mind again, but before he could, Hera kicked it away and stepped directly in front of him.
"Since you're this girl's brother…" Hera muttered, subtly tilting her head toward Hannah, "...then I know you can fight, considering who your father is."
"No, I do not fight," Riley replied, shaking his head. "But I suppose I do know how to spar, Ms. Hera."
"Then let's spar."
[Hera | Hero Rank: A | Powers: Instantly adapts to any threat, environment, or attack. Can develop resistances, evolve new abilities, and enhance her body in real time. The extent of her abilities is still unknown.]
Hera took a step back, lowering into a stance as she locked eyes with Riley. She waited.
She didn't need to do this.
She didn't need to test Riley—he wasn't even supposed to be taking the entrance exam in the first place.
But from the moment she met him, something felt… off. Her body reacted to him in a way she couldn't explain, an instinct stirring in the back of her mind.
She needed to know why.
Riley, meanwhile, glanced briefly at the empty space next to Hera's ear before turning to Hannah. Seeing her give a small nod, he shifted into a stance. His baggy hoodie and loose cotton pants snapped sharply at the sudden motion.
Hera's lips curled into a grin.
"You can attack first," she offered.
But Riley only shook his head.
"I was told never to attack first when facing an opponent head-on, Ms. Hera."
Hera exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders as she lowered into position. "Alright," she muttered.
And then she moved.
The platform beneath her cracked as she launched forward like a bullet, her heel leaving a deep imprint on the metal. Riley barely had time to react. His hands snapped up to parry.
But it didn't matter.
The moment their arms met, the sheer force behind Hera's charge sent Riley skidding backward, his feet struggling to keep grip against the smooth floor. The impact rattled up his arms, but he didn't react at all.
Riley breathed out, adjusting his footing while sliding back. Instead of pushing her away, however, he suddenly twisted his body—redirecting Hera's momentum against her. With a sharp pivot, he used her own strength to throw her off balance.
"Oh?" Hera stumbled.But her confusion lasted only a fraction of a second. And then, just as quickly…something in her changed..
Her next attack came smoother, faster.
Riley dodged, reading her movements perfectly—but something was wrong.
Every dodge he made, every counter he attempted, she learned. Her strikes became sharper, her feints more deceptive. She was becoming better than him by the second.
She was adapting.
Riley's breath grew heavier by the second. He tried catching Hera's hands, but they slipped passed him.
And then—
Her fist connected.
Riley's head snapped to the side as her knuckles grazed his jaw.
And Hera wasn't done. Another blow struck his ribs, forcing him to stagger.
Riley's eyes slightly twitched as he felt the static eating away through his entire body. His legs went soft, but he managed to keep himself up while holding his ribs.
"Riley!" Hannah stepped forward, but she stopped herself.
She wanted to interfere. She really did. But something told her not to—something told her that this was important. The air around her started to rise, and this was her trying her best to control herself.
Hera knew she was going overboard. In fact, she also wanted to stop herself…but something inside her wasn't letting her to.
She needed to do this, and she needed to know why she was reacting like this to him.
Riley took another hit, but he was able to block the kick that came next with his arm.
But what came after he didn't expect at all—Hera crouched down, spinning her entire body before sweeping her foot against his ankle, causing him to lose his balance.
But once again, Hera wasn't done. She lifted herself up and stood on her hands before her other foot came down like an axe straight at Riley's cheek.
"Gukh!" Riley dropped to the ground, his palms now planted on the platform. And then, with another cough…he saw his blood spurt and paint the white floor.
And at that moment, something inside him stirred.
His breaths turned heavy, but not because he was scared, no.
He was not capable of feeling so.
What he was feeling right now, whatever it was, it was raw.
A raw, foreign sensation clawed up his spine. It wasn't pain. It wasn't fear. It was something else. Something that made his already wide lips turned wider. Slowly, slowly into a smile.
And then impulsively, instinctively—
He raised his palm toward Hera.
Hera was about to rush at Riley, but then she felt it.
A wave. A pulse. A heartbeat.
For a split second, everything went dark.
Hera's vision blurred, her thoughts scattered. And in that blind moment, something deep within her—something also purely instinctual—reacted.
Wings.
Jet-black and massive, they erupted from her back in a burst of energy. The force alone sent her rocketing into the air, her body moving before her mind could catch up.
"What the fuck!?" Bella took a step back.
Benjamin's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "She just—she just GREW WINGS!?"
Everyone was confused with what just happened. But then, their gaze lowered.
Because where Hera had just been standing…
Was a crater.
Smooth. Deep. As if something had erased the very matter beneath her feet, turning it into nothing.
Well, not exactly, as there was something rolling back and forth inside the tiny crater—a ball.
It was the part of the floor that was missing. Completely compressed into a tiny ball.