Chapter 139: Who are You?

There were a few universal truths that not even the apocalypse could erase. The sun rose in the east. Water was wet. Taxes somehow found you. And Mondays...

Mondays were stressful. It didn’t matter whether you were a billionaire or barely had enough money to buy lunch. It didn’t matter whether you were awakened or unawakened.

Whether you possessed the strength to split mountains with a punch or struggled to lift a box of groceries.

Monday didn’t care.

It arrived with the same smug confidence every single week, dragging people out of their warm beds and throwing them back into reality. Even after the appearance of rifts... Even after monsters invaded Earth... Even after humanity awakened supernatural abilities...

Monday remained undefeated.

Some scientists had even joked that if the apocalypse itself couldn’t destroy Mondays, then perhaps Mondays were the true final boss of humanity.

No one laughed. Mostly because it was Monday.

Silas slowly opened one eye and stared blankly at the ceiling for a good five minutes.

"I don’t want to."

The system responded immediately.

[Unfortunately, Monday does.]

"I hate that you’re right."

[It happens frequently.]

Silas buried his face back into his pillow. Five more minutes. That was all he wanted. Just five minutes. Then something warm wrapped around his waist. Another weight landed across his chest, and something impossibly heavy settled on both his legs.

"..."

Silas already knew. He didn’t even need to look. Slowly turning his head, he found Chloe peacefully sleeping against his left shoulder, her long white hair spread across the pillow like snow.

On his right, Anna slept with one arm lazily draped over him. Meanwhile, Gromda had apparently decided sometime during the night that personal space was a myth.

The gigantic Runic Jotun somehow managed to sleep sideways across the bed, one powerful leg thrown over both of Silas’s legs while her arm hugged his waist with enough strength to qualify as industrial machinery.

"I can’t move."

The system answered.

[Correct.]

"I’ve been imprisoned."

[Correct.]

"I’ve become a hostage."

[Highly accurate.]

Silas sighed.

"This is my life now."

He wasn’t exactly complaining. He attempted to lift Gromda’s arm. It didn’t move. He tried again, but nothing happened.

"She’s asleep. Why is she stronger while sleeping?" Silas narrowed his eyes. "I think she’s doing this on purpose."

[There is a seventy-three percent probability.]

"Traitor."

The system wisely chose silence.

Silas carefully reached toward Chloe. Perhaps moving her first... No. She instinctively cuddled even closer.

"This is hopeless."

As if waiting for that exact moment, Anna yawned softly. Her eyes slowly opened, and she looked at Silas, Chloe, and Gromda and smiled.

"Good morning."

"I’m trapped."

"I can see that."

"Aren’t you going to help?"

Anna considered it.

"No."

Silas stared at her in betrayal.

"Really?"

She kissed his cheek. "You’re warm."

"I can’t feel my legs."

"They’ll recover."

"Gromda weighs a small truck."

"I know."

"You know?"

"I’ve slept beside her before."

"Fair point."

A sleepy voice suddenly spoke.

"Morning..."

Chloe hadn’t even opened her eyes. She just smiled against his shoulder.

"Five more minutes..."

Silas looked toward the ceiling. "Everyone keeps saying five more minutes. Nobody actually means five minutes."

The bedroom door suddenly opened, and Alpha walked inside without knocking.

"I swear if you idiots are still sleep..."

He stopped and stared at the scene in silence and disbelief. Before him lay what could only be described as a pile of humans and an orc.

"I walked into something."

Silas looked at him desperately.

"Help."

Alpha immediately turned around.

"No."

"Please."

"I choose life."

"You owe me."

"I absolutely do not."

He reached for the doorknob.

"I’m leaving."

"Alpha!"

The feminine young man looked over one shoulder.

"Yes?"

Silas spoke with complete seriousness.

"Bring breakfast."

"..." Alpha nodded once. "That... I can do."

He quietly closed the door. From the other side came his muffled voice.

"You people are weird."

Silas smiled helplessly. "He’s right."

Anna chuckled.

"A little."

"A little?"

"You’ve got two girlfriends sleeping on top of you."

"When you put it like that... I sound successful?"

Anna laughed.

"I was going to say ridiculous."

"I prefer my version."

She kissed him again.

"I know."

Outside the mansion, workers continued putting the finishing touches on the awakened gym. Somewhere in the garage, the Jaguar rested after yesterday’s driving lesson. Construction equipment hummed peacefully, birds chirped, and the world continued moving.

Inside, Silas remained gloriously trapped beneath three very determined women. Monday had begun, and somehow it was already exhausting.

***

And speaking of exhaustion, Silas was in for something more annoying than dealing with Damien.

Silas had a feeling. It wasn’t his Fate Thread Vision, nor was it Heart Sense. It was something much simpler. The kind of instinct people developed after enough unfortunate experiences.

Today, someone was going to annoy him. He just didn’t know who yet. Anna’s black sedan rolled smoothly through the front gates of Valecrest Collegiate Grounds.

The moment it appeared, countless students turned toward it.

"They’re here."

"Silas!"

"That’s Chloe!"

"The rich guy..."

"The Rift Hero..."

"Is Gromda coming?"

"I heard she’s staying at the estate."

Phones immediately appeared, and the countless clicks of cameras were heard. Silas sighed the moment he stepped out.

"Fame is exhausting."

Anna patted his shoulder. "You’ll get used to it."

"I’d rather not."

"You don’t have a choice."

He couldn’t even argue with that.

Chloe walked beside him as calmly as ever while Alpha shoved both hands into the pockets of his uniform trousers, trying very hard to pretend he wasn’t associated with the walking celebrity.

Unfortunately...

It didn’t work.

"There!"

"That’s Alpha!"

"The guy who fought during the Rift Break!"

Alpha groaned.

"I hate association."

Silas grinned.

"I thought you liked attention."

"I like surviving."

"Same thing."

"It really isn’t."

The four walked through the academy grounds while students respectfully made way for them, not because they were rich or because they were famous, but because everyone had watched them fight.

Power commanded respect, especially undeniable power. Anna eventually peeled away toward the administration building.

"I’ll see you three after class."

"Bye."

She smiled before leaving.

Silas, Chloe, and Alpha continued toward the academic wing. Halfway there, Damien appeared. His arm was in a sling. Seems he was putting up a front the other day. His perfectly styled blond hair looked slightly messier than usual.

Several students instinctively slowed down.

"Oh."

"It’s Damien."

"Now what?"

The blond young man stopped several meters away. His blue eyes met Silas’s. For several long seconds, neither spoke. Finally, Damien clicked his tongue.

"Tch."

He walked straight past them without saying a word.

Alpha blinked. "That’s it?"

"Progress," Silas looked over his shoulder and said with a smile.

Chloe nodded once.

"He learned."

"He learned pain."

"Close enough."

They continued walking.

Eventually Alpha headed toward his own classroom. "See you two later."

Silas waved lazily. "Try not to dream about paradise again."

Alpha froze.

"I’m still not telling you things."

"You already did."

"I hate you."

"I know."

Alpha disappeared into another corridor. Silas and Chloe continued toward Class 3-B. Chloe had changed classes to be in the same one with him. The hallway buzzed with conversation.

Students hurried toward classrooms before the first bell. Teachers carried stacks of papers. Everything seemed... normal.

Then someone stepped directly into Silas’s path. Silas stopped.

The young man standing before him was around their age. His skin was a rich dark brown that contrasted sharply with his neatly styled silver hair. He had silver eyes and a sharp jawline.

He didn’t wear an academy uniform, but casual clothes. There was an easy confidence about him. The kind that came from someone accustomed to being noticed.

He smiled.

"So, I finally get to meet the famous..."

Silas raised a hand, and the silver-haired boy stopped talking. He then tilted his head slightly.

"Who are you?"

Silence. The smile on the boy’s face twitched.

"Excuse me?"

"I asked who you are."

Several nearby students slowed down, sensing drama. The silver-haired young man blinked twice before letting out a small laugh.

"You’re kidding."

"No."

"You seriously don’t know me?"

Silas looked him up and down. "Should I?"

"..."

For the first time since approaching them, the young man looked genuinely caught off guard. Chloe quietly looked between the two before saying in her usual calm tone, "I don’t know you either."

That hurt even more. The silver-haired student placed a hand over his chest in exaggerated disbelief.

"Wow. That actually hurts."

Silas shrugged. "I’m sorry? You interrupted my morning."

"I was trying to introduce myself."

"You skipped the introduction."

"..."

He straightened his posture before extending his hand with a grin that seemed impossible to erase.

"Name’s Nelson Argent. Student Council President. And..."

He smiled a little wider.

"I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time, Silas Ashard."

This time, Silas didn’t shake his hand immediately. Instead, his Heart Sense stirred ever so slightly in interest.

"Oh okay... But when did the academy have a Student Council?" Silas asked with narrowed eyes, but that only earned him stares of disbelief and shock from everyone around, including Chloe.

"Don’t tell me you don’t know of the Student Council..." Chloe said.

"..."