For an entity that exists beyond the boundaries of reality, time is merely a concept that can be flipped back and forth like the pages of a book. Yet for a young man named Nabiel, at three o'clock on this bright Sunday afternoon, time moved far too slowly, and the gravity of his bed felt far too comfortable to resist.
Nabiel lay on his back on the thick carpet of his room, staring at the ceiling with a pair of deep black eyes. Those eyes appeared empty, but if anyone gazed into them for too long, they would seem to see an endless cosmic abyss within. His black hair was left messy, sticking out in every direction with no intention from its owner to comb it.
He wore a white shirt that was clearly several sizes too large for his body. The sleeves hung long, completely swallowing both of his hands until even the tips of his fingers were invisible. The oversized clothing somehow became his signature look, giving an impression of fragility and, at the same time, extreme laziness.
This world is truly simple, thought Nabiel, or more precisely, the supreme entity now inhabiting this mortal body.
Nabiel was an Outer Observer, positioned at the highest level in the hierarchy of existence. His original purpose, if it could even be called a purpose, was to watch over various stories, universes, and timelines from afar. However, observing from the outside could sometimes feel incredibly monotonous. Too distant. That was why he decided to "descend." He inserted himself into a story, reborn as a human baby with the same name, Nabiel, simply to experience firsthand what it felt like to breathe, grow, and interact inside a living narrative.
The story he had entered this time was quite interesting, even though its premise was very cliché. It was a world where a genetic mutation phenomenon called Quirks granted superpowers to eighty percent of the human population. As could be expected from the basic pattern of any fiction, those powers divided society into two main factions: those who used them for good and wore the mantle of justice as Heroes, and those who used them for selfish satisfaction as Villains.
Black and white. Light and dark. A heroic heroic narrative.
"Very boring," Nabiel muttered softly, his voice muffled by the sleeve of his shirt that he used to cover his yawning face.
Although he complained of boredom, he did not truly hate his current life. Being born into a conglomerate family with close ties to the Yaoyorozu family gave him many conveniences. He did not need to worry about survival, which meant he had more time to laze around while observing the flow of this world from the front-row seat.
A knock on his bedroom door interrupted his cosmic daydream. Without waiting for an answer from the room's owner, the mahogany door opened, revealing the figure of a teenage girl with long black hair tied in a spiky ponytail. Her expression was a mix of the elegance of a noble princess and the despair of a mother facing a mischievous child.
"Nabiel, I knew you would still be lying on the floor," the girl scolded. Yaoyorozu Momo let out a long sigh as she stepped into the spacious yet sparsely furnished room.
Nabiel only shifted his head slightly, looking at his childhood friend from behind his messy bangs. "The floor has the perfect temperature, Momo. Not too cold, not too warm. It is the perfect point of equilibrium."
"That is not an excuse to ignore your study schedule," Momo replied. The girl placed a stack of thick books on Nabiel's study desk. "The U.A. entrance exam is only a few months away. If you do not start practicing and studying seriously, you will not pass. I know you are smart, but their physical exam cannot be taken lightly."
Nabiel sat up with extremely slow movements, as if his bones were made of jelly. The long sleeves of his shirt swept across the floor as he supported his body. He stared at the pile of books with a flat gaze.
Since childhood, Nabiel had always been with Momo. The girl was one of the anomalies that made his mortal life slightly more colorful. Momo was diligent, perfectionistic, and possessed a strong sense of justice, the perfect hero candidate. Nabiel, on the other hand, was the opposite. He was quiet, capable of socializing when forced, but more often chose to remain a passive observer.
"U.A., huh..." Nabiel murmured.
The most prestigious hero school in Japan. From his perspective as an Observer, U.A. was the nexus, the central point where the main conflicts of this world would erupt. If he wanted to watch this story up close, entering that school was an absolute requirement.
"You will take the exam with me, right?" Momo asked, her voice softening with a hint of anxiety. She had known Nabiel since they were toddlers. She knew the young man before her possessed extraordinary potential, a Quirk that even Momo herself found difficult to fully understand. However, Nabiel's laziness was his greatest enemy.
Nabiel looked into Momo's onyx eyes. As an Outer, he did not have true emotional attachments like normal humans, yet his fifteen years of interaction with this girl had cultivated a certain sense of comfort.
"Of course," Nabiel finally answered. His voice was calm, without excessive intonation. He swung his arm covered by the oversized shirt toward the books. "But after afternoon tea. I need sugar to make my brain work."
Momo smiled faintly, her face brightening again. "Alright. I have already asked the servant to prepare Earl Grey tea and some macarons. But after that, you must do the written exam simulation with me."
"Yes, yes. As you wish, Princess," Nabiel replied lazily, finally standing up even though his posture remained slightly hunched from his reluctance to exert energy.
Momo turned and walked out of the room to prepare the tea, leaving Nabiel alone for a moment.
The young man walked toward the large window in his room and gazed at the bustling city from afar. Out there, people were busy chasing their dreams, Heroes patrolled in search of crime, and Villains hid while planning destruction. A giant stage play that kept turning.
Nabiel buried his hands deeper into his sleeves. The corners of his lips curved into a faint, almost invisible smile.
"Let us see," he whispered to the wind and the emptiness. "Whether this story can stop me from feeling bored."