The moment the shadow moved, Arga didn't think.
He ran.
The back door burst open behind them, letting in the cool evening air. But Arga barely noticed.
Ahead, the figure from the window came into view.
A man in a gray jacket.
And in his hands—
the box.
"He's got it!" Bimo shouted.
Arga didn't answer.
The energy inside him had already surged.
It flowed through his chest, down his legs, and exploded into motion.
He sprinted.
Faster than ever.
Faster than any ordinary person should be able to move.
"Arga!" Sinta called. "Don't lose him!"
The man turned into a narrow alley behind the school.
Without hesitation, Arga followed.
Sinta was right behind him.
Bimo hesitated for half a second.
"...This is a terrible idea."
Then he ran after them anyway.
Their footsteps echoed through the alley.
The walls rose high on both sides.
No people.
No traffic.
Only the fading light of evening.
The man remained ahead.
Close enough to see.
Still too far to catch.
Arga leaned forward.
The energy responded instantly.
His speed increased.
The distance shrank.
Closer.
Closer—
The man glanced over his shoulder.
His expression didn't change.
"...Persistent."
Then suddenly—
he stopped.
Arga's eyes widened.
Too late.
The man spun around and swung his arm.
WHOOSH!
A violent gust blasted through the alley.
Arga reacted on instinct.
He threw himself sideways.
The force slammed into the wall behind him.
CRACK!
Chunks of concrete broke loose and crashed to the ground.
Dust filled the air.
Sinta froze for a split second.
"...That's definitely not normal."
The man tilted his head.
"So you really are active."
Before anyone could respond, Bimo charged forward.
Too fast.
Too reckless.
"HEY!" Arga shouted.
The stranger sidestepped effortlessly.
Bimo shot past him.
"I CAN'T STOP!"
"LEFT!" Arga yelled.
Sinta reacted immediately.
She jumped into Bimo's path.
"NOW!"
Bimo twisted hard.
His shoes scraped against the pavement.
He lost balance and rolled across the alley.
"Ugh!"
The man watched calmly.
Almost bored.
"...Unrefined."
Arga stepped forward.
The energy inside him surged again.
Not wild this time.
Focused.
Controlled.
"You're not taking that box."
A faint smile appeared on the stranger's face.
"...You've already lost."
Then he moved.
Fast.
The distance vanished instantly.
THUD!
His fist slammed into Arga's chest.
Pain exploded through his ribs.
Arga slid backward across the ground before finally stopping himself.
For a moment, he struggled to breathe.
"Arga!" Sinta shouted.
He forced himself upright.
Every breath burned.
His chest felt like it had been hit by a hammer.
The energy made him stronger.
But not invincible.
"...He's stronger," Arga muttered.
"No."
Sinta narrowed her eyes.
"...He's trained."
That was somehow worse.
The stranger adjusted his stance.
"You can use the power."
His voice remained calm.
"But you don't understand it."
He took another step.
"You're relying on instinct."
Arga clenched his fists.
The energy rose inside him again.
This time, he didn't let it explode.
He focused.
Not speed.
Not strength.
Control.
He inhaled slowly.
Then moved.
Fast.
Precise.
The stranger's eyes flickered for the first time.
Arga closed the gap.
Shift.
Step.
Dodge.
His hand shot forward—
and grabbed the box.
The stranger pulled back immediately.
Hard.
But Arga held on.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Then—
Sinta jumped.
Higher than ever before.
But perfectly controlled.
BANG!
She landed between them.
The pavement cracked beneath her feet.
The shockwave forced the stranger backward.
At the same time, Bimo pushed himself up.
This time his movement was different.
Controlled.
Intentional.
He dashed around the alley and cut off the stranger's escape route.
Now all three stood facing him.
The stranger looked from one to another.
Arga.
Sinta.
Bimo.
For the first time—
he seemed impressed.
"...Interesting."
A vibration came from his pocket.
His phone.
He glanced at the screen.
Then smiled.
"...Another time."
Before anyone could react, he stepped onto the wall.
Then another step.
Then another.
As if gravity barely mattered.
A second later—
he vanished into the darkness above.
Silence filled the alley.
Only their breathing remained.
Heavy.
Uneven.
Real.
Bimo dropped onto the ground.
"...Okay."
He pointed upward.
"...Next time someone else chases the creepy wall guy."
Sinta ignored him.
Her eyes remained fixed on the rooftop.
"...He wasn't trying to beat us."
Arga looked down at the box in his hands.
"...He was testing us."
Slowly, he opened the lid.
The smell hit instantly.
Sharp.
Bitter.
Wrong.
He shut it immediately.
"This isn't MBG food."
Sinta nodded.
"No."
"...It's something else."
Bimo frowned.
"Then why bring it here?"
No one had an answer.
Then warmth spread through Arga's hand.
His own lunch box reacted.
He opened it.
At the bottom—
a second glowing grain of rice had appeared.
Two grains.
Two points of golden light.
Pulsing together.
Like a heartbeat.
Arga froze.
"...It increased."
Sinta stepped closer.
"...We got stronger."
Bimo blinked.
"...By fighting?"
Arga didn't answer.
But he could feel it.
Something inside him had changed.
Not just power.
Growth.
Progress.
Evolution.
He looked toward the rooftop where the stranger had disappeared.
His expression hardened.
Calm.
Focused.
Determined.
"Next time..."
He closed the lunch box.
"...we catch him."
Then his eyes drifted back to the second glowing grain.
Because deep down—
he knew the truth.
Someone had just promoted them from observers...
to targets.