After The Fall: Awakening

The long break had finally ended. The sun had barely risen when Hermes stirred in bed, his body feeling oddly light, almost weightless.

"School starts today… I should get up."

He sat up, stretching his arms over his head, and blinked in surprise.

"Huh… My body feels so light."

Shaking off the thought, he climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom. The cool water cascaded over him as he stood under the shower, his mind restless.

"I still don't understand what my power is… or if I even have one."

A sigh left his lips.

"And just how high is my essence, anyway?"

(Essence was the energy that determined one's power—similar to mana.)

As he stepped out of the shower, towel draped around his shoulders, he caught sight of himself in the mirror—and froze.

His reflection was different. Defined, chiseled muscles traced his torso, lean but packed with strength. His arms, his chest, even his legs—everything looked sharp, sculpted, powerful.

"What the fu— Is this really my body?"

He flexed his hand experimentally, feeling the tautness of his muscles.

"I guess I never really took the time to look at myself."

A short chuckle escaped him.

"Well… all I did during the long break was train with Azrael. Makes sense, I guess."

He quickly got dressed in his uniform, but as he buttoned up his shirt, he noticed something.

"Sht… Why is my uniform so tight? Did I really bulk up that much?"

His blazer barely fit across his shoulders, and his sleeves felt like they would tear at any moment. But he didn't have time to worry about that. He had to get to school.

Arrival at School

As soon as he stepped onto campus, all eyes were on him.

"Damnn… look at his build."

"F*ck… he's so hot."

"Is he a transferee?"

"His muscles are literally straining against his uniform!"

"Hotttt!"

Hermes could hear every word. A wave of embarrassment washed over him, his face heating up.

"Why are they staring so much…? This is so awkward."

Trying to ignore the stares, he adjusted his collar, hoping no one would notice how tight it was.

That's when he spotted Rhea and Irish walking together, heading towards the campus entrance. His eyes brightened.

"RHEA!"

Rhea paused mid-step.

"Did someone just call me?" she asked, glancing at Irish.

Both girls turned around.

Hermes stood there, the morning breeze rustling his dark hair. His broad shoulders, his imposing height, his refined yet intimidating presence—it was enough to make both of them blush.

"Wha…?" Rhea mumbled, her heartbeat stuttering.

"Hermes?!" Irish gasped.

Hermes jogged up to them, rubbing the back of his neck.

"R-Rhea… I wanted to apologize. You know, for teasing you before. I think I might have offended you, and I should've said sorry earlier, but… I got busy over the break."

His voice was sincere, but Rhea and Irish were too flustered to focus on his words.

"Why is he so… tall?"

"Why does he smell so good?"

"Why am I getting flustered? I need to focus!"

Rhea quickly shook off her thoughts and frowned.

"A-And you think just saying sorry will fix everything?! Whatever, do what you want!"

Without another word, she grabbed Irish's wrist and dragged her away.

Irish glanced back at Hermes.

"U-Uh… s-see you later!"

Hermes sighed, scratching his head. "Hah… What am I supposed to do now?"

Inside the classroom, Hermes slumped in his seat, deep in thought.

"How do I even figure out what my power is? Do I even have essence? And if I do… how much?"

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the piece of chalk flying straight toward his face—

—until his body moved on its own, dodging it effortlessly.

A stunned silence filled the room.

His classmates stared in shock. Even the teacher, a young woman, blinked at him, flustered.

"What the—?"

Hermes looked up, confused. "Y-yes?"

The teacher cleared her throat, trying to regain composure.

"WHY ARE YOU DAYDREAMING?!"

Hermes straightened up. "W-What? No, ma'am! I was just—"

"Then get up here and solve this math problem!"

Hermes sighed and stood, making his way toward the blackboard.

But then—

His steps halted. A cold shiver ran down his spine.

A sinister, overwhelming presence surged through the air.

A deep rumble followed, shaking the ground violently.

The classroom speakers crackled to life.

"Attention! All students and staff, evacuate immediately! A hallow has opened in the school! Repeat, evacuate immediately!"

A deafening boom echoed across campus.

Abyssal Invasion

Outside, two massive cracks split open in reality—one in the middle of the field, another at the school's entrance.

From these cracks, dark figures emerged.

Abyssals.

And not just any Abyssals.

"Warlords and Ravagers," Hermes whispered, his fists clenching.

The grotesque creatures roared, their monstrous forms lunging toward the screaming students. Chaos erupted as teachers tried to usher everyone to safety, but escape was impossible. The hallow had cut them off.

"RUN!"

"Protect the students!"

Hermes' heart pounded.

"Fck! Azrael isn't here! There aren't any other Predators around to stop them!"

"And where are Rhea and Irish? Are they safe?!"

His mind raced, desperate for a solution.

Then—

A familiar sensation.

His vision blurred white.

A surge of power ignited within him.

Before he could even process it, his body vanished from where he stood.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared near three Ravagers, just as they lunged for a group of students.

A single slash—

And the monsters were cleaved in half.

Blood splattered across the ground.

The students, frozen in shock, could only gape.

Oliver, one of Hermes' old bullies, stood among them. His eyes were wide, his face pale.

"THE FUC—?! HERMES?! WAS THAT HERMES?!"

Hermes exhaled sharply, his vision clearing. He looked down.

A blade was in his hand.

A blade he hadn't been holding before.

"What… the fck? Did I just do that?"

His mind reeled as memories flooded in.

"When I was getting bullied, I imagined defending myself… and my body moved on its own."

"During the hallow incident, I wanted to stop them… and somehow, I did."

"Even that time with the door knob… Was that me too?"

"Is this my power? Can I make my imagination real?"

He clenched his fist.

"If that's the case—"

He dashed toward more Abyssals.

"—Then I need another blade!"

A second blade materialized in his grip.

He smirked.

"Knew it."

A sharp grin spread across Hermes' face as he tightened his grip on his twin blades. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, slicing through the Abyssals that were charging toward the students.

His movements were precise, almost effortless, as if his body knew exactly what to do. Each swing of his blade cut through the monstrous creatures, their bodies falling apart in an instant.

Screams and cries filled the air, but among them were gasps of disbelief.

The students and teachers stood frozen, watching as Hermes tore through the enemy like a storm of destruction.

"What the hell…"

"H-He's taking them down so fast!"

"Is he even human?!"

Just as the battlefield seemed to clear, a sinister crack echoed through the air. The ground trembled beneath them.

More Abyssals began crawling out of the hallow, their grotesque forms twisting as they emerged. Their numbers were increasing—fast.

Hermes' expression darkened as he stood firm, facing the growing horde.

"F*ck… There's still so many of them," he muttered under his breath, his blades dripping with dark blood.

Then—

"HERMES!!!"

His eyes widened slightly at the sound of his name being called from behind. Turning his head, he saw Rhea and Irish standing among the students.

Rhea cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting,

"We're safe! Don't worry about us! Just be careful!"

Irish nodded quickly.

"P-Please don't die, okay?!"

Hermes felt a strange warmth in his chest. He exhaled, his lips curving into a small smile.

"Rhea, heal the injured," he called out.

Rhea clutched her chest, taking a shaky breath before nodding.

"I will! Just—Just don't get hurt, okay?" Her voice wavered slightly, but she turned her focus to the wounded students around her.

Hermes' attention shifted when another voice called out—this time, the principal.

"Hermes! The Abyssals are starting to push into the field! We're getting cornered inside the campus!"

The urgency in her voice was clear.

Hermes clenched his fists, his blades trembling slightly. He turned back to the growing wave of Abyssals before him.

There was no time to hesitate.

Then—

In a single instant—

Hermes vanished from where he stood.

A violent burst of wind exploded outward, knocking back the students and teachers from the sheer force of his sudden movement.

And as the dust settled, Hermes was gone.