“I…” I didn’t know what to say, this wasn’t how I wanted to tell her. Why couldn’t everything just work out for a change?

  I swallowed and tried again, “There is something I’ve been hiding from you. I’m sorry for not telling you earlier and I promise, I’ll tell you everything— just… not here.”

  “What do you mean?” Her worry only grew as I said those words, her eyes wavering as her mind raced through every worst-case scenario. Then her gaze hardened, like something suddenly clicked into place, “I expect a full explanation back home.”

  She grabbed my arm and started walking.

  “But what about the rift?” I protested, worried that more of those skull-things would emerge after we left. From our brief interaction, I could tell Fera was a good person, and didn’t want to put her in unnecessary danger.

  “What about it?” She snapped, before taking a breath and explaining, “The U.P.D. will deal with it. Either by closing it themselves or by putting in a request with the Mercs. We’re going home. Now.” Her last words were carried with a finality that brooked no argument.

  I followed Valerie to the metro, dreading the relatively short trip home. I could already feel the awkward silence coming.

  ———

  Neither of us said a word the entire train ride home, and soon, our apartment door slammed shut behind me as she brushed past.

  “Well?” the hurt and anger in Valerie’s voice was evident, “when were you planning on telling me you got an implant to run combat programs? Who offered to pay for it? Don’t you know not to accept shady deals? No one ever gives stuff like this away for free! Especially down here!”

  “N-no!” I said quickly, waving my hands in denial. “It’s nothing like that!”

  “Then what’s going on, Nyxia! You couldn’t fight like that less than a week ago! You expect me to believe you did some light exercises and can now fight demons like a professional?”

  “It’s… hard to explain.”

  “Well, I’m not going anywhere until you do.” She leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms. “So you’d better start trying.”

  “It… It all started after we killed that creature in the tunnels,” I started hesitantly, trying to puzzle out the best place to start. “A strange… well… ‘Text’ appeared. It said a threshold had been reached. That it was activating a nanite swarm… It healed my arm.” I thumbed the spot where the rebar had torn through, though no trace of the wound remained.

  “Is that what they told you to say?” Valerie’s eyes took on a dark sheen. “They should’ve come up with a better lie. The Agency heavily restricts nanite research to prevent a gray-goo scenario. The only people allowed to use them are members of the Agency itself.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you.” I shrugged helplessly, “It said nanites and every time I kill something, the swarm gets stronger, healing me faster. The first time it leveled up was after I… after I was attacked.”

  “Levels?” she huffed, unconvinced, “This isn’t a game, Nyxia. This is real life.”

  How could I explain without it sounding unbelievable? None of the system was quick or flashy. Nothing I could use to definitively prove I was telling the truth.

  “I know how it sounds. I barely understand it myself. But everything I’ve said is the truth. After the level-up, it gave the option to spend ‘skill points’ on certain enhancements that improve my natural senses. That’s how I heard the rift forming outside the Kitty Corner, and managed to pull you away in time.”

  “That…” She narrowed her eyes. I could almost see the neurons firing behind them as she considered my words.

  “If what you’re saying is true,” she started slowly, “that could only mean one of two things. Either you somehow have nanites designed directly by the Admin and her Agency, or someone secretly managed to get past the restrictions, implanting you with experimental tech. Both are equally unlikely, and potentially dangerous. For both of us.”

  I didn’t answer, a chill running down my spine. She was right. No matter how you looked at it, it was a big deal. The nanites might have even been stolen from the Agency by a third party, making me a potential target.

  She stepped forward and took my hands, looking me dead in the eyes.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “So I need you to tell the truth. Are you certain you have nanites inside you?”

  “Yes. I don’t know why or how, but I don’t think it could be anything else.”

  “Okay,” Valerie closed her eyes, letting out a deep sigh as she pulled away, “I’ll believe you. For now. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

  “I… also think I know how they found us…” I grimaced, looking down, “I joined the Mercenary Guild the day I was attacked. I thought I could lessen the load on your shoulders. And maybe kill some monsters to get stronger. I’m sorry for not asking, or even telling you sooner.”

  “You joined the Guild!?” She closed her eyes and took a deep, irritated breath. But it slowly morphed into understanding.

  “Yeah,” she sighed, looking away, “You knew I wouldn’t have let you go, so you didn’t tell me. I’m… sorry for treating you like a kid. I should have been more supportive.”

  “No, it’s not that!” I quickly denied, “I just didn’t want to worry you! You’ve done so much for me, I just wanted to help. I couldn’t ask for a better sister.”

  She blinked in surprise at my denial before her gaze dropped to the floor, her lip trembling.

  “...Thanks, Nyxia.” Her voice was quiet and full of suppressed emotions. “That… really means a lot to me.”

  Her words hit me with the weight of a freight train.

  I rushed over and wrapped my arms around her, not saying a word. She didn't need words right now. She needed to know I cared.

  As bad as this life had been so far, Valerie had been the one thing keeping me going, and I hadn’t even realized how much she was keeping bottled up just to protect me.

  She hesitated for only a moment before reaching around me and returning the embrace.

  ———

  After a sisterly moment, I explained everything that had happened and what I knew about the nanites.

  Valerie didn’t say it, but I could tell she was still a bit skeptical.

  I couldn’t blame her, none of this made much sense.

  “So,” she thought aloud, tapping a finger against her chin, “You now have 4 of these ‘skill points’ after that fight and don’t know how to use them?”

  “Yeah,” I confirmed, bringing up the system to look it over. It was nice to finally have someone to help figure this out.

  [Nanite Swarm Level: 5]

  [Efficiency: 2.5%]

  [4 Skill Points Remaining]

  [1: Enhanced Hearing]

  [This skill sharpens acoustic focus, enabling the user to isolate specific sounds from a cacophony of background noise.]

  [2: Enhanced Sight]

  [This skill sharpens visual acuity, allowing the user to see clearly at greater distances and perceive minute details, such as shifting facial features.]

  [3: Enhanced Smell]

  [This skill sharpens olfactory organs to identify subtle and distant scents, such as toxins or blood.]

  Same as before, nothing new had shown up after leveling up.

  “I think I might have an idea,” she pulled her finger away from her chin and pointed it in front of her.

  A moment later I felt the familiar tug of magic as a small, blue flame sprang to life on her fingertip.

  “I want you to try learning this spell.”

  “Oookay…” I raised an eyebrow as she waved the flickering flame back and forth in front of my eyes. “And how do I do that exactly?”

  “First,” she said, blowing out the candle with a quick puff, “You need to feel your magic. Take a deep breath and try to feel a pulling, or flowing sensation near your heart.”

  “Oh,” I blinked in surprise, “Like when someone casts a spell?”

  “Wait, you can feel it when others use magic?”

  “Well, yeah. I felt it just now when you cast that flame.”

  “Really? That’s odd. A feature of your nanites maybe?” She narrowed her eyes in confusion. “Well, normally you need a few hours of practice before you can feel it, but I guess we can skip that part. Next you want to try pushing that feeling outward toward your fingertip. Visualization is important.”

  I did as I was told and focused. While I could still feel the faint tugging, getting it to move was harder than I’d thought. It was like trying to push water bare-handed as it slipped through your fingers.

  But after a few tries, I managed it. Valerie was right about the visualization part. I basically had to imagine a tube running from my chest to fingertip, and then push the magic through.

  “Okay, I think I’ve got it.” I huffed, still concentrating on holding it in place. “What now?”

  “You got it that fast?” she threw me a surprised look, but quickly shook it off and continued. “Next, focus on bringing the flame to life. There are many different methods, but the one I use is imagining a combination of hydrogen and oxygen igniting. It burns hotter that way.”

  “Okay.” Bringing my attention back to my finger, I pictured the two combustible gases catching fire. I could feel the magic reacting to my thoughts, twisting and turning until…

  A pale blue flame puffed to life just above my finger, casting a faint glow.

  [Use 1 Skill Point To Save Spell To Library?]

  [Yes] [No]

  A smile spread across my face as the system finally reacted. I didn’t even think as I pressed yes.

  [Spell [Beginner Flame] Saved To Library]

  [3 Skill Points Remaining]

  I used the system to spawn a second flame above my other finger, letting out a chuckle at Valerie’s dumbfounded expression as her eyes flicked from one flame to the other. I didn’t even need to concentrate on the second one, it just flicked into being with barely a thought.

  “I guess that means it worked.” She huffed and crossed her arms, “Cheater. You realize that spell took me an entire month to perfect, right? And here you go, already dual casting it like it's nothing..."

  I grinned cheekily and puffed it out the same way she did moments ago, winning a scoff from her as she pretended to be upset.

  "I almost regret teaching you now." She smirked ruefully, "But it's nice knowing you'll be able to protect yourself."

  "Do you have any combat spells you could teach me?" I asked hopefully, but she just shook her head.

  "Sorry, I never really got the hang of combat spells, but we might be able to find something on the market."

  "Sounds good. I'll start looking around–"

  I paused, feeling a buzz in my pocket. Pulling out my shard, I glanced at the screen to see who was calling.

  It was Myra. I took the call and her face appeared on-screen.

  “Hey Myra. What’s up?”

  “Hey, Nyxia. Listen… we might have a job lined up, ya wanna come meet the team and discuss it?”