The very burden of my secret, other identity never felt this hefty before. I know that the guardian herself told me I couldn’t tell anyone, I shouldn’t tell anyone to protect them but…I can’t carry this burden of mine alone. Lest I suffer in the hands of my responsibilities, all by myself?

I look at my hands, the glowing embrace of power surging within me, must I keep all of this to myself? Without telling anyone?

My costume is still intact, surprisingly, after the battle I fought hard. Nobody even knows that I had just defeated one of the most formidable opponents, posing a threat to humankind. It’s because nobody knows of my identity under this mask. To them, I’m just a powerful weapon, an object to use.

I slowly let my guard down, the flashy costume fading away only to be replaced by my own uniform. Now, I am just a regular student. With the remaining weight of my hands, I performed telekinesis to my surroundings.

Derranged. Destroyed. Dehumanized. I lift one finger up and disintegrated anything without a sound. Suddenly, the sound of heels clicking echoed throughout the space I was in.

My eyes glowed, who could have been here? The school was closed, the area was not even supposed to be accessible this day. I made sure of this because I did not want anybody coming inside the battlefield, entangling themselves with the battles only I was meant to face.

I turned around—embracing myself, thinking about the millions of possibilities of who it could be, how they might challenge me, how we will fight, and how I will be the one to conquer this battle.

However, I was shocked by the sight in front of me. It was no enemy, it was not even a monster. It was…my best friend.

But…how?

“Loura..? What brings you here?” I ask, my eyebrows turning into a frown and my mouth quivering. If she finds out…

“Hey, Sunny. I had a feeling you would be here,” she steps closer. Her footsteps echoed throughout the area. “Do you..have something you need to tell me?”

“What…do you mean by that?” Stuttering by my own words, I have a feeling she knows now.

“Damn it, Sunny! I’m your best friend! The reason I came here right now is to confront you! You’ve been hiding from me, from us, your friends—“ Tear streamed down Loura’s face, as if reciting a confession. “—I know that you have something on your mind and on your heart, which is why you’re here! Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?! Of course not! Because all you’ve done currently is to distance yourself and refuse to communicate—“

“ALRIGHT! That’s enough, please…listen, Loura. I’ve been distant these past few days…not because I want to—“ She took a step forward, unveiling the hidden scars that shone a red glow.

“I have a new responsibility to bear—Loura, I…am a hero.”

“What..?”