The afternoon sun shone weakly over the ruined village. A strong wind blew, stirring the fallen leaves on the ground, while an atmosphere of tension weighed heavily in the air. The villagers had been waiting for the arrival of Emi, the summoned heroine destined to save them.
Alex walked behind Emi, with slow, measured steps. He wasn't there by choice; in fact, the only thing he wanted was to stay on the sidelines and avoid drawing attention. The world already had enough drama, and he didn't want to be part of it. But, inevitably, Emi dragged him everywhere.
"Don't worry, everyone! I'll handle this! Alex, stay back, I don't want you to get hurt," said Emi with her usual enthusiasm.
Alex nodded silently, watching from a distance. It was the same routine as always: Emi would be the heroine, and he would stay on the sidelines. If only he could disappear completely into the shadows...
A roar echoed from deep within the nearby forest. Emi wasted no time: she raised her wand and began preparing a spell. Confident in her abilities, she aimed toward the source of the sound, trusting that her magic would be enough.
"Come on, monster! You're about to witness the power of a true heroine!" she exclaimed, full of determination.
But when the monster emerged—a massive beast covered in black scales—Emi frowned. The spells she cast barely affected it. The creature continued advancing, its massive body resisting most of her attacks.
"Why isn't it working…?" she panted, out of breath.
The monster roared powerfully.
Alex watched from a distance, feeling the pressure of the situation. He didn't want to intervene, he didn't want the spotlight, but a part of him couldn't help but worry. And no matter how hard he tried, something inside him always pushed him to act.
Somehow, unwittingly, Alex activated his ability. He wasn't even aware of it, but he could feel a strange energy in the air, something invisible that clearly affected Emi. Just when her magic seemed to be failing, Emi felt a sudden change.
"This is it! Now I can do it!" she shouted with renewed strength.
In that instant, she unleashed a spell more powerful than before, one that finally managed to wound the monster. With one last effort, the beast collapsed, leaving only the echo of its fall.
"I did it! Thanks to my magic, we defeated it!" Emi said, smiling though exhausted.
Alex, hidden in the shadows, couldn't help but feel a pang of discomfort as Emi took all the credit. No one knew he had intervened. No one knew the strength she had felt came from him, but he didn't care. The only thing he wanted was to be left alone.
Despite the victory, Alex tried not to draw attention. While Emi was surrounded by villagers celebrating her "heroism," he stayed apart, looking at the ground. He didn't like the spotlight. He didn't like the idea that anyone might think he had done something to help, when all he truly wanted was to remain invisible.
"Alex, we did it! Thank you for always being there!" Emi told him with a smile.
"It was nothing, Emi. You just did what you had to do," Alex replied with a faint smile.
Though Emi looked at him with genuine gratitude, all Alex wished for was for things to calm down. He didn't need recognition. He just wanted everything to go back to normal. But, as always, Emi kept dragging him into the center of the stage.
As Emi continued receiving praise from the villagers, Alex felt increasingly trapped. Even though he didn't want to be part of the story, his power continued to play a crucial role. Without his help, Emi wouldn't have been able to defeat the monster. But no one knew. No one saw him as the true hero.
"Alex, seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you. You're always there when I need you most," Emi said with a sincere smile.
Alex tried to remain as distant as possible, but Emi's words made him feel a weight he didn't want to carry. It wasn't that he didn't want to help her, but the fact that she relied on him more than she realized deeply unsettled him.
I just want to live in peace. Why can't I just disappear from all of this? he thought to himself.
But fate had other plans. He couldn't escape the way their paths were intertwined. No matter how hard he tried to stay in the background, his power was still necessary, and Emi still needed him.
As they were returning to the village after defeating the monster, a mysterious figure appeared on the horizon, watching from the shadows. A man, cold and calculating, stood there as if he knew exactly what Alex had done. No one else seemed to notice him, but his eyes were fixed on Alex, sending a strange chill down his spine. How did he know what had happened? And what did he want?