Shirley stood in front of the mirror, shifting uncomfortably as she looked at her reflection.
The outfit Lumian had picked out for her was... sothing else.
A short, fitted tennis skirt that barely reached mid-thigh, paired with a snug sleeveless top that hugged her breasts just a little too well. Her hair, now noticeably shinier and healthier than before, had been pulled into a high ponytail, exposing the curve of her neck.
She tugged at the hem of the skirt, scowling.
"This pervert...Tch, n are all the sa" she muttered under her breath... she paused and looked at Lumian as if rembering sothing, "Maybe not,"
Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the room.
Lumian was already waiting outside, leaning lazily against the wall with his arms crossed. His eyes had a slight golden glare that flicked toward her as she walked in, scanning her from head to toe.
A slow smirk spread across his lips.
"You took your ti."
Shirley scoffed. "Had to admire myself a little. Can’t bla for liking the new ."
Shirley felt heat rush to her face.
"Couldn’t you have picked anything better?" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.
Lumian shrugged. "You’ll make do with what you have."
Shirley huffed, looking away. "Tch. Whatever."
The way his gaze lingered on her made her skin prickle, but she refused to let him see how flustered she was.
Lumian tilted his head. "You look okay."
Her face burned. "Shut up."
"Afraid of complints? You look not okay,"
Shirley’s eye twitched. "I—! I am not—!"
Lumian let out a low chuckle, pushing off the wall.
"Co on," he said, turning toward the exit. "We’re going sowhere."
Shirley was still fuming but followed after him.
"Where?" she asked, trying to regain her composure.
Lumian glanced over his shoulder. "Don’t you want to test your new strength, before the main event?"
Just like that, her frustration lted into excitent.
Her eyes glead. "...Hell yeah."
As soon as they stepped outside, she felt it again, that strange, heightened awareness. The way the air felt crisper, the way every little sound registered in her ears.
The world looked different.
The world was different.
The trees swayed, and she could see each individual leaf rustling in the wind. She could hear the faint chirp of insects in the distance, the distant hum of the city far beyond this isolated place. Even her own heartbeat felt clearer, like a drum steadily pounding in her ears.
This was more than just increased strength.
Her body had changed.
But what really sent a shiver down her spine was the fact that this was apparently only ten percent of what Lumian could do.
She turned her head, her gaze landing on him.
As they walked through the empty close , Shirley couldn’t help but wonder where exactly Lumian was taking her. The island wasn’t particularly big, but there were only so many places they could go.
After a few minutes, she finally asked, "Where exactly are we going?"
"The woods."
Shirley blinked. "The woods?"
"Yeah."
She frowned. "That’s quite the journey. It’s like 50 kiloters from here."
Lumian didn’t react, "Soone paid attention in geography class,"
Shirley looked around. She didn’t see a car anywhere. There wasn’t even a bike.
"How the hell are we supposed to get there?" she asked.
Lumian stopped walking and turned to her. "We’ll run."
Shirley squinted at him. "...Run?"
"Mm."
She stared at him. "You’re kidding, right?"
Lumian just smirked. "Just a light exercise. Try to keep up."
Then, without another word, he took off.
Shirley barely had ti to react before he was already several ters ahead.
"Oh, hell no—!"
She kicked off the ground and shot forward.
For a split second, she expected to struggle but then, it hit her.
Her body felt light. The wind rushed past her face. The ground blurred beneath her feet.
She was fast.
Way faster than she had ever been before.
Her lips curled into a wild grin as she pushed herself harder, watching as the distance between her and Lumian shrank.
"Hah! You’re not that fast—"
Just as she was about to reach him, Lumian glanced back.
And then, boom.
He was gone.
One second he was right there, just within arm’s length. The next, he had vanished into the distance, leaving only a gust of wind in his wake.
Shirley stumbled slightly, eyes wide in shock.
What.
The.
Hell?
Her heart pounded as she kept running, but no matter how much she pushed herself, Lumian was gone.
She cursed under her breath but didn’t stop.
By the ti she finally reached the woods, she was breathing hard, but more from exhilaration than exhaustion.
And there, leaning casually against a tree, was Lumian.
Waiting.
He checked his phone.
"Twelve minutes," he said.
Shirley frowned. "What?"
"Twelve minutes." He glanced at her. "That’s how long it took you to get here at top speed."
Shirley’s mouth opened, but no words ca out.
She looked back at the path she had just taken.
Fifty kiloters.
In twelve minutes.
She wasn’t sure whether to be amazed or terrified.
"I..." She ran a hand through her hair. "Holy shit."
Lumian smirked
Shirley swallowed. The facts checked out.
She had just covered a distance that should’ve taken hours in minutes.
And yet, compared to Lumian?
She hadn’t even co close.
’Just who the hell are you, Lumian? No, what the hell are you?’
"Let’s get to business, see how strong you have really beco,"
Shirley cracked her knuckles, already feeling excitent building in her chest. "Let’s find out."
Lumian motioned with his chin.
"See that rock over there?"
Shirley followed his gaze. About twenty ters away sat a large boulder, at least twice her size. Solid, unmoving. It had likely been there for centuries.
"Lift it," Lumian said.
She blinked. "What?"
"Lift it," he repeated, his smirk widening.
Shirley stared at the boulder, then back at him. Was he serious?
But the thrill of the challenge Lumian posed coursed through her veins.
Reviews
All reviews (0)