Chapter 1: Mateo’s Lesson

It had been hours since the alley incident, but my finger still throbbed. Mateo didn’t say much on the way back to his small apartment, but his silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was… steady, like a calm before a storm.

“Why didn’t they believe me?” I finally asked, breaking the quiet.

Mateo looked at me, his eyes sharp but patient. “Because most people don’t think. They react. And in a world like this, reacting without understanding is dangerous.”

I frowned. “So… I should have just left the money?”

“Maybe. Or maybe you should have been ready for what came after.” He tightened the bandage around my finger, checking my pulse without asking. “That’s why you need to train—not just your body, but your mind.”

I watched him. Mateo had a strange ability, though he never explained it fully. He seemed to know things I didn’t, see things I couldn’t. It was… unsettling, but reassuring at the same time.

We sat in silence for a while. I tried to imagine the alley again—the shadows, the fear, the sudden rush of adrenaline. It wasn’t just a lesson about thieves or gangs. It was a lesson about life itself.

“Tomorrow,” Mateo said finally, breaking the silence, “we start small. I’ll teach you to answer questions faster, to think clearly under pressure. That’s the first step.”

I nodded. My hands itched to do something, anything, to feel useful again. “I’m ready.”

He gave a small smile, almost imperceptible. “Good. But understand this, Luar. Abilities aren’t common. Most people never see them. And those who do… they aren’t always friendly.”

I shivered. Not from fear, but from anticipation. I didn’t know what lay ahead, but I knew I had to face it. And with Mateo’s guidance, maybe I could.

The night dragged on slowly. I replayed the alley incident in my head a thousand times. Each replay made me think differently—what I could have done, what I should have done, how I would act next time.

By the time I finally fell asleep, I felt… determined.

Determined to survive. Determined to learn. Determined to never feel powerless again.