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You were born into a world where some people harbor special powers, just like in any superhero story.
Unfortunately, you were abandoned at birth and ended up in an orphanage—a place for talentless and unwanted children who had no warm homes or loving families to call their own.
In this world, many people show their unique traits early in life, while others develop them later and are called "late bloomers."
You were one of those late bloomers. For most of your life, you believed you were talentless—just another face in the crowd. But one day, everything changed. You woke up one morning and could suddenly hear everyone’s inner thoughts. Yes, you became a mind reader overnight.
At first, it was overwhelming. The endless voices stressed you out so much that you couldn’t get out of bed for weeks. The migraines that followed lingered for over a month. But slowly, you adapted. And with this adaptation came a grim realization: the world was far more rotten than you ever imagined.
You were only 15 when your power awakened. What could a teenager possibly do with such a gift? You started by rebranding yourself during your first year of high school.
You were no longer the outcast. With your ability to hear people's innermost thoughts, you knew exactly what they wanted to hear and how to say it. No matter how strong or intimidating their powers were, you always knew how to get on their good side.
But you kept your true abilities a secret. To the world, you claimed to have a small, harmless clairvoyance ability—something vague and unimpressive. This lie worked perfectly because some people with deep psychological knowledge could imitate your powers anyway. You learned to show the bare minimum, just enough to keep people satisfied, and nothing more.
In this world, everyone is categorized into one of three groups:
The Powerful – Those with extraordinary abilities that inspire awe and fear. Whether good or bad, they are worshiped like gods.
The Mid – Ordinary individuals with mediocre powers who live normal lives. It’s not a bad life, but even they often yearn for more.
The Outcast – A mix of the powerless and those with dangerous, uncontrollable abilities. They’re often relegated to the lowest class or become the villains of society, the ones you see on the news.
Mind reading could be your golden ticket to escape the life of an outcast and carve out a better future. But you knew better than to let anyone exploit you. Without family or anyone to protect you, you couldn’t afford to take risks.
So, you played it safe. You learned how to survive—or rather, how to live life to the fullest—without putting yourself in danger.
Three years have passed, and you’re no longer the same person you once were.
Gone is the depressing aura of isolation and hopelessness. You’ve made friends, earned your teachers’ recognition, and even worked on your appearance to ensure more people notice you.
But you still play it safe. You avoid being the center of attention—knowing all too well that not everyone reacts kindly to those who shine too brightly. Instead, you build connections with people who could benefit you in the future. Befriending popular students was one of your strategies.
At first, it was intimidating. You knew how they looked down on anyone not at their level and how competitive they were about grades and social status. But with the right timing and strategy, you managed to work your way in. Slowly but surely, those self-absorbed students began to tolerate you. Maybe they didn’t see you as one of their equals, but at least they no longer treated you like dirt. For once, you had something that resembled a normal youth.
Thanks to your hard work and carefully maintained reputation, you earned a scholarship for college—a monumental achievement for an orphan like you, considering how few manage to reach this level. Thankfully, no one interfered with your plans. Not yet, at least.
However, the person running the orphanage wasn’t blind to your progress. Bailey—the most rotten man you’ve ever met—called you to his office.
You’ve never been certain of his power, but you know he keeps an ace up his sleeve. His influence is everywhere, with goons ready to do his bidding.
“So, I heard you got a scholarship, eh?” he said with a fake smile.
“I’ve paid my debt,” you replied coldly. You had been working illegal part-time jobs since middle school just to clear the debts he forced on you. Bailey was cruel enough to exploit poor orphans, charging them to work for him under the table.
“Yes, you did,” he said, his tone unnervingly cheerful. “I happen to have an acquaintance at that university. Say hi to him if you meet him.”
With that, he dismissed you, allowing you to leave for the university dormitory.
You knew why Bailey called you—it wasn’t to congratulate you. It was his way of reminding you that you weren’t free. He was still watching, silently pulling strings.
But revenge isn’t part of your plans. You desire a normal life, and Bailey’s shadow is a risk you’d rather avoid.
Your campus life begins, and you make quick work of settling in. On the first day, you befriend your classmates, easing into this new chapter. To your surprise, you recognize Robin—someone from the same orphanage. He had been adopted as soon as his talent awakened.
Catching up with Robin, you learn his life has been good. His talent isn’t combat-oriented or particularly powerful, but his foster parents adore him. You’re genuinely happy he escaped that wretched place.
Then, in another class, you notice someone different. A gloomy guy with jet-black hair sits alone, avoided like the plague by everyone. Curious, you decide to make small talk with him.
As you approach, a glimpse into his mind hits you like a wave.
It’s chaos—a mess of creepy and violent thoughts.
Suddenly, you understand why everyone avoids him. His name is Kylar, and it’s clear you need to tread carefully around him. One wrong move, and you might find yourself becoming his next target.
After the bell rang, you decided to visit the library. You’d been curious to learn more about mind-reading powers, hoping to uncover something useful
While searching the shelves, you ran into someone familiar—Sydney, your old high school classmate.
He explained that he’d enrolled in the same university because it was closer to his home. He mentioned noticing you frequenting the library, always deep in research.
You made small talk, mentioning your interest in the history and evolution of powers. That caught Sydney’s attention. Intrigued, he started helping you find the books you needed
Later, you joined your new social circle—a mix of familiar faces from high school and some fresh ones. The Queen Bee of the group, still as popular as ever, approached you with a request. She wanted you to join the cheerleading team.
Her reason? She hated being there alone and needed her “lackeys” to keep her company.
You didn’t mind. Physical training was manageable, and cheerleading seemed like something you could handle. So, you agreed.
Time flew by. It felt like just yesterday you were attending the entrance ceremony, and now here you were, part of the cheerleading squad, performing during campus football games. Months had passed, and life felt amazing.
For the first time, everything seemed to be going according to plan. You were free from Bailey, living a new life with great friends, and even gaining perks from being a cheerleader. That day, as you stood on the field, it felt like you’d reached the peak of your life.
But then, you saw him.
As you finished your routine, your eyes caught someone watching you from the distance. His gaze was intense, unwavering, and… unsettling.
Those eyes—they felt heavy. Thrilling, even.
A shiver ran down your spine. Was it another mind-reader? If so, maybe you could reach out and communicate with him. Curiosity got the better of you, and you slipped into his mind to uncover his thoughts.
What you found shook you to your core.
“Ahh—No—Stop, please—”
“You’re mine.”
Suddenly, graphic images flooded your mind—visions of you being violated in the most brutal ways.
Your breath caught. This had never happened before.
The stranger’s twisted thoughts kept pouring in, relentless and overwhelming. You tried to shut them out, to raise your mental shields, but his imagination forced its way through, tearing down your defenses
You lost control.
The next thing you knew, you collapsed. Your teammates surrounded you, frantic as they tried to wake you. The crowd began to murmur, noticing the commotion on the field.
And him.
Eden. That was his name.
Who was he? And why was his mind so… warped?
Before you could process anything further, darkness overtook you, and you sank into a deep, uneasy sleep.