Sam leaned back on the couch, still breathing heavily even though his body was no longer tired. The speed test had been short, but the impact of it rattled his mind. One thought kept looping in his head:
I'm not even human anymore.
His fingers drummed against the armrest. Strength, speed, durability—every single stat on that glowing system screen was beyond reason. He had known the ginseng would change him, but this… this was a leap into something no human had ever touched.
"Right… Kyle."
Sam straightened up. He couldn't keep all of this to himself forever. She deserved to know the truth about what he had been doing these last few months. And if he was really going to set up this company, if he was going to change the world… she had to be part of it.
"Even though I don't know her that much" Sam said sheepishly rubbing his hair
—
Next Morning
The morning sunlight spilled across the kitchen table, warming Sam's hands as he sat there, staring into his tea. Last night had been chaos
But today wasn't about that.
Today, he needed to see Kyle.
Sam rinsed out his cup, grabbed his jacket, and headed out. The streets looked smaller than he remembered, quieter somehow. Maybe it was just him—after moving at speeds beyond space-time, everything here felt fragile, almost delicate.
He took a single step.
The world fractured. Streets, cars, trees—everything stretched and folded like reflections in shattered glass. He wasn't running in the normal sense; space itself bent to his will, pulling him forward as though reality had no say in the matter.
The next heartbeat, he was standing in front of Kyle's neighborhood. He blinked, realizing he hadn't even moved—he'd simply arrived.
"…That fast, huh," Sam muttered, almost laughing. "I didn't even feel the wind."
He let himself focus again. The house wasn't far. Another step.
The world folded once more, silent and seamless.
When the fabric of reality settled, he was standing directly outside Kyle's front door. No sweat, no effort, not even a trace of motion behind him—just the faint ripple in the air, like the world was trying to catch up to what had just happened.
Sam exhaled slowly. "Alright. Guess I should knock before she thinks a ghost showed up."
He raised his hand to the door and knocked.
The door creaked open, and there she was—Kyle. Her hair was a little longer, tied back in a loose bun. She wore a casual shirt, comfortable jeans, and that same guarded expression he remembered, though it softened as soon as her eyes landed on him.
"...Sam?"
He managed a small, almost sheepish smile. "Hey. I'm back."
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Kyle stepped aside, opening the door wider.
"You'd better come in."
Kyle's POV
The moment Sam stepped through the door, Kyle froze.
Her eyes widened before she could stop herself. It was him—same face, same quiet eyes—but everything else was… wrong. Or maybe too right.
Sam didn't just look older or healthier. He looked untouchable. His skin carried a faint luster, smooth and flawless like polished jade. His presence pressed against her senses, not loud or overbearing, but heavy—like the weight of mountains hidden behind a calm smile.
Kyle's breath hitched. He's changed… that's impossible. He looks so perfect. Oh god… this is going to be hard
For a second, she almost didn't believe it was her boss. The jacket and jeans didn't match the aura he gave off.
"You—" she hesitated, the word sticking in her throat. "…you look different."
Sam chuckled softly. "Guess it's been a long trip."
Kyle opened the fridge, grabbed two bottles of water, and tossed one across the room. Sam caught it easily.
It wasn't awkward silence, not really. More like the kind that happens when two people haven't seen each other in a long time and don't know where to start.
"You fixed up the place," Sam said finally, referring to the repaired walls and neatly arranged shelves at his house. "No more craters in the floor. Looks better than when I left it."
Kyle's brow arched. "Somebody had to. You left it looking like a warzone."
Sam rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yeah… that was on me. Sorry about that."
Kyle studied him a moment, then leaned back. "How was New York?
Sam leaned back, twisting the cap off his water. "Busy. Loud. Like the city's allergic to silence."
Kyle smirked faintly. "That sounds about right."
"Yeah…" he trailed off for a second, then looked at her, serious now. "But it wasn't just about the city. I was… working on something."
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Working? Since when do you take vacations and call them work?"
Sam chuckled under his breath. "Not that kind of work. Bigger. I've been laying the groundwork to start a company."
The water bottle almost slipped from Kyle's hand. "A what?"
"A company," Sam repeated, calm, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Something real. Something that can change things—not just for us, but for everyone."
Kyle blinked at him, completely blindsided. "Wait, wait, hold on. You went to New York for months, come back looking like…" She waved a hand vaguely at his flawless, impossible presence. "…that, and now you're telling me you're starting a company? Are you even listening to yourself?"
Sam smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, it sounds crazy when you say it like that. But I've been planning this for a while.
--Author's Note
Please point out any mistake I may have made and keep sending those power stones
Thanks guys