From the Perspective of Allan Drake's Avatar
The night was deep and cold as Kairo moved with quiet determination through the outskirts of the city. The streets were nearly empty, save for the distant echo of police drones and the occasional flicker of emergency lights. The world had changed, that much was clear—and now, everything was being reshaped by the new rules, the new powers.
But Kairo wasn't a regular human. He was an echo of Allan Drake's will, a fragment given form and soul. He didn't breathe out of necessity, but he did out of habit—Allan had made him as human as possible, and with that came something else: a desire to grow.
As he approached the city center, the signs of governmental mobilization became clearer. Barricades had been set up around a large public square, once used for festivals and markets. Now, it had been converted into a makeshift recruitment and evaluation center. Tents lined the perimeter, glowing with sterile white lights, each one containing scanning devices, biometric recorders, and personnel in black and grey uniforms. Above them, a large digital screen showed a government crest and a message on loop:
> "All citizens are now required to report for talent registration. Cooperation ensures national stability. Refusal will be met with consequences."
Kairo didn't flinch. He didn't feel fear, but he understood the power of perception. He walked toward the line of civilians already waiting. Dozens of people stood nervously, whispering, some crying, some excitedly sharing what talents had awakened in them.
> "I got 'Stone Skin', rank C!"
"My sister can talk to birds now. It's only rank D, but still…"
> "They say someone in Sector 9 awakened a rank SSS ability and vanished. The military's searching for him."
Kairo stayed silent.
He analyzed the surroundings. Two snipers on rooftops. Four armored drones flying in circles. The people checking IDs are definitely professionals. And inside the main tent—the central checkpoint—he could already feel a strong aura coming from inside the tent.
Captain Yara Novik. Government Officer. Age: 29. Former Intelligence Analyst.
She is a woman with sharp green eyes and short brown hair tied into a tight bun. Her aura was calm but firm, like a wolf hidden under human skin. And more importantly, she possessed more than one talent of her own:
> Eyes of Identification (Rank S) – Ability to see the talents and their ranks of anyone whose talents are of equal or lower rank.
> Dragon Transformation (Rank S) - Ability to transform into a humanoid wood dragon, gaining powers such as dragon aura, dragon might, wood manipulation, flight and boosting all basic attributes.
Thanks to the connection with Allan, his avatars can use some of the other talents that do not require a lot of mana, such as the eye of omniscience. Kairo had studied her profile the moment he'd seen her. She was going to be his gatekeeper. — "She's strong." — He muttered.
When his turn came, he stepped forward without hesitation.
— "Name?" — she asked, her eyes already glowing faintly with a silver hue as her ability activated.
— "Kairo," — he replied flatly. — "No last name."
Yara squinted slightly, then blinked as her ability began scanning. Her vision was filled with data streams, subtle pulses of power indicators that allowed her to see the talents within a person. She was expecting to see chaos, perhaps power. Instead...
> Detected Talent: Adaptability in Combat – Rank B.
Number of Talents: 1
She tilted her head. — "You're surprisingly calm for someone registering alone."
Kairo shrugged. — "Calm doesn't mean safe. I want to make myself useful."
— "Hmm." — She tapped her tablet and signaled the guards to let him through.
— "Combat Talent rank B. Potentially useful. You'll be assigned to Platoon Delta 3. Temporary housing is provided. Orders will follow tomorrow. Dismissed."
Kairo gave a nod and walked past her. But he noticed something subtle. She had hesitated.
Only for a heartbeat. But enough for him to catch it.
She had tried to look deeper.
Which meant his concealment had worked. As a creation of Allan, Kairo didn't just possess his own talent—he benefited passively from the "Infinite Mind" and "Omniscient eyes" through the connection to Allan. The system must have only revealed what Allan allowed to be seen: one talent, rank B.
He smirked inwardly. —"Perfect."
A male soldier in uniform and carrying a firearm approached.
— "This way, follow me sir." He guided him out of the tent.
Kairo was guided to a converted dormitory that once belonged to a vocational school. Now it housed over a hundred freshly recruited "gifted" individuals. The majority were young adults between 16 and 30, most with talents ranging from rank C to A. Only two had talents of rank S, and they were already marked for elite squads. Kairo was placed with five others in a narrow room with bunk beds and a single ventilation fan. His bunkmates included:
Jonas is a striking 19-year-old man with dark, smooth skin that highlights his powerful, muscular build. His short black hair is neatly trimmed, complementing the sharp lines of his face and intense brown eyes that seem to burn with quiet confidence. A bold lion tattoo coils around his right arm, symbolizing strength and courage. He wears a black tank top that clings tightly to his well-defined frame, navy blue jeans, and black sports shoes—an outfit that blends comfort with athletic readiness. Before the Awakening, Jonas worked as a gym trainer, his Rank C talent, "Muscle Reinforcement," enhancing his already formidable physique and endurance, making him a natural powerhouse.
Mirai is a stunning teenage girl, around 16 or 17 years old, whose presence feels almost ethereal. Her long, flowing black hair cascades smoothly down her back, framing a face so flawless and sculpted it seems as if a divine artist had crafted it. Her deep black eyes, accentuated by long, delicate eyelashes, hold a quiet intensity and depth, revealing a soul both thoughtful and mysterious. Her skin is perfectly smooth and radiant, untouched by blemish, enhancing her statuesque beauty. Mirai wears sleek black skintight jeans paired with a vibrant red blouse that contrasts beautifully against her dark hair and eyes. A simple yet elegant silver bracelet adorns her left wrist, shimmering subtly with every movement. Though once a typical high school student, her Rank B talent, "Thermal Pulse," gives her the power to unleash bursts of intense heat, making her both captivating and formidable
Darian is an 18-year-old young man with a quiet, almost brooding presence. His short, sandy brown hair often falls loosely over his deep-set, thoughtful eyes, which reflect a calm but intense determination. His skin is tanned and slightly roughened from time spent outdoors, giving him a rugged look that contrasts with his reserved demeanor. He usually wears simple, practical clothes—worn jeans and a dark hoodie—preferring function over fashion. Darian's Rank D talent, "Stone Spears," allows him to summon sharp projectiles from earth and rock, a skill that matches his patient and steadfast nature. Once a high school student, he recently dropped out of college, seeking a different path from the one expected of him.
Kino is a teenager whose sharp intelligence hides behind an unassuming, almost casual appearance. Around 17 years old, Kino's slightly messy chestnut hair frames a face marked by keen, observant eyes that seem to miss nothing. There is a quiet confidence in Kino's demeanor, a subtle hint that beneath the surface lies a brilliant mind. Though currently a high school student, Kino's Rank A talent, "Space Manipulation," hints at extraordinary potential few have yet recognized. Often lost in thought or quietly analyzing the world, Kino moves with a thoughtful grace that foreshadows a genius waiting to fully emerge.
Hera is a strikingly beautiful 22-year-old woman with shimmering silver hair that flows gracefully down her back, catching the light like strands of moonlight. She wears a stunning long sundress that moves elegantly with every step, giving her the radiant aura of an idol on stage. Freshly graduated from university, her bright eyes sparkle with boundless curiosity and warmth. Always talkative and eager to learn, Hera's personality is as vibrant as her appearance. Her Rank B talent, "Plant Manipulation," allows her to command nature's greenery with ease, making her presence both enchanting and powerful.
They welcomed him with a mix of suspicion and camaraderie. Hera, ever the social one, asked directly, — "What's your thing, Kairo?"
Puzzled by the question he asked — "What do you mean?"
Jonas interjected while smirking — "She meant to ask what kind of talent you have?"
— "Oh" — He responded simply. — "I adapt. Fighting styles, movement, skills if there's any, I learn fast in combat."
She seemed intrigued. — "That could be super useful."
Jonas scoffed. — "Unless we're thrown into some damn jungle full of monsters with no fighting styles."
Kairo smiled slightly. — "Then I guess I'll just have to invent one." — He said not caring to explain that he didn't exactly had to fight with a person in order for his talent to work as long as he entered in a combat state.
After spending the rest of the day chatting with his group and retrieving useful information for Allan, they were ordered to rest.
By the end of the day, Kairo had already memorized every guard's patrol route, every camera angle, and had tested the boundaries of the surveillance system through subtle gestures. His connection with Allan remained silent but ever-present. He felt Allan's awareness in the back of his mind, not watching actively but always present—like a god whose eyes occasionally drifted to earth.
The government's approach was simple: recruit, sort, control. Those who could be used were trained and dispatched. Those who posed a threat were "relocated" to unknown zones, probably they tried to contain them or brainwash these individuals into becoming their weapons. A few had disappeared without explanation, and Kairo suspected darker protocols were in play, but he wasn't here to play hero or rebel. He was here to learn the system from the inside and already, he was about to start making a name for himself.
During the morning of the next day after breakfast, an announcement resounded through the halls of the dormitory:
> "Every cadet must report to the academy grounds in 10 minutes, repeat. Every cadet must report to the academy grounds in 10 minutes."
The academy training grounds were a harsh crucible, designed to test every recruit's ability to survive and excel under pressure. Kairo stepped onto the mat for the first mock battle, eyes calm but alert, the silence before the storm.
His opponent was Adrian, a tall, wiry man wielding a rank A talent, "Kinetic Blades," which manifested as glowing, razor-sharp energy swords extending from his forearms. The crowd around the arena whispered with anticipation. Kairo was just a rank B, after all, and this opponent was officially stronger.
The bell rang.
Adrian lunged forward with blazing speed, slashing arcs of energy aimed to overwhelm his opponent. Kairo's talent activated instantly, senses sharpening as his body adapted in real-time to the style, speed, and power of his opponent's strikes. His reflexes quickened; muscle memory rewrote itself to anticipate the kinetic energy behind each slash.
He ducked under a wide slash, then pivoted to catch the man's wrist, twisting it to destabilize the blow. The attacker stumbled, momentarily off balance. Kairo pressed the advantage, fluidly changing his stance, adapting his own movements into an unpredictable dance of defense and counterattack.
Without relying on brute strength, he delivered precise strikes to pressure points, learned instantly from each failed strike by his opponent, adjusting to the kinetic blade user's patterns.
Within minutes, the energy blades flickered out as the opponent yielded, panting and wide-eyed.
The crowd murmured: a rank B had beaten a rank A. Suspicion and awe mingled in their whispers.
Next was a mock team drill. Kairo was paired with Jonas, whose Muscle Reinforcement gave him raw physical power. Their opponents? A duo with rank B talents, Claire and Simon, a water manipulator and a speedster.
Kairo quickly assessed the battlefield, adapting to the interplay between his partner's brute force and the enemies' swift, fluid attacks. He switched between offensive and defensive modes seamlessly, predicting the water manipulator's attempts to drown the battlefield in torrents.
When Claire, the water user summoned a wave, Kairo instinctively shifted his stance to maintain balance, using his adaptation to anticipate where the water pressure would weaken.
He directed Jonas to break through the enemies' formation at the right moment, timing the assault perfectly based on the flow of the combat. Kairo's adaptability let him instantly mimic and counter the speedster's quick jabs, turning their rapid strikes into openings for Jonas's overwhelming blows.
The enemy was forced to retreat.
Throughout the day, Kairo fought various talent users, fire throwers, telekinetics, even a rank A scout specializing in stealth and deception. Against each, his adaptation talent worked on two levels: his body and his mind. He learned from every movement, every energy pulse, every attempt to deceive or trap him. Even when his opponents tried new tactics, Kairo adapted within seconds, effectively neutralizing surprises that others would have fallen victim to.
What no one knew was that Allan's latent powers subtly enhanced Kairo's talent beyond its base rank. Small infusions of mana reinforced his neural pathways and muscle response times. His Combat Adaptation wasn't just reactive, it was predictive, nearly precognitive. This gave him a hidden advantage, allowing Kairo to stay one step ahead without revealing the full extent of his abilities.
By the end of the mock drill the observers noticed a few things:
1. Kairo's movements were smooth, almost robotic, yet natural and fluid.
2. He never repeated a failed move twice, every attempt was better than the last.
3. His aura was calm but intimidating, unnerving even seasoned fighters.
4. He combined efficiency with creativity, adapting tactics mid-battle with astonishing speed.
His performance in mock combat drills caught the attention of higher-ups. Despite possessing only a rank B talent, Kairo was able to best those with B and even A-rank talents through technique, adaptability, and sheer efficiency. By the end of the day, whispers of "the ghost-eyes soldier" had started to spread. His silent but deadly presence unnerved some, inspired others.
Yara watched him more closely now. But still, she saw nothing more than a disciplined, low-level recruit with a useful attitude and that was just how Kairo wanted it.
Late at night, as the barracks fell into silence, Kairo sat on the rooftop. The moon was high, and the stars burned with unnatural brightness, remnants of the world's change. He closed his eyes and focused.
Through the invisible tether, he reached out to Allan.
> "I'm in. The government trusts me. They're preparing to deploy us for field missions next week, scouting, retrieval, suppression. I'll gather data and grow stronger. No one suspects anything."
A faint warmth answered, like a pulse in his soul. Allan had received the message. Kairo opened his crimson eyes again.
The mission had begun. And this world… this chaotic, reshaped world… would soon learn the name Kairo, the ghost-eyes soldier.