⚡️-REWRITTEN ELECEED ALTERNATE UNIVERSE-⚡️

CHAPTER 8: CAT AND MOUSE.

AUTHOR: idk why, but I really like the argument they had in this

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CHAPTER 8: CAT AND MOUSE.

"Huh? Are... are you crying?" I squirmed, feeling utterly clueless about how to handle the situation.

"Um, hey, what's the matter?" A sense of unease crawled over me as I struggled to meet her gaze.

She sniffled, her shoulders trembling. After a brief moment lost in thought, she focused her attention on something far away, reflecting on my words.

Oh God—

"J-Jiwoo," I called out tentatively. She used the inside of her elbow to wipe her tears away and refocused her attention on me.

"Sorry for crying... I just thought I was a freak..." She smiled weakly. I sighed.

"So this is your first time meeting another awakened one?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Yeah... it is..." said Jiwoo, struggling to hold her tears in. She curled her legs in, hugging her knees to her chest.

"I see... I heard it's tough for people who don't know what they are." I said softly, releasing the tension from my spine.

"That's right... when my mom found out I had those powers, she told me never to use them again." She sighed, shifting from where she sat.

Her voice became quiet again, and she hung her head. "Once I used it without meaning to when I was a kid..."

"I'll never forget the way they looked at me..." Her face contorted, and she hugged her knees even tighter.

I watched her quietly, and my gaze softened.

"Me, my mom and my aunt had to move a lot because of it. We've never stayed in one place for more than two years." She went on, resting her chin on her kneecaps.

Aunt, huh? Is that who you've been murmuring about in your sleep?

"I was afraid that if anyone found out, some people would take me away, to a lab, and dissect me." She shuddered at her last remark.

Watching her was like watching a withering flower. She started off bright and shining, and ended frail and scared. I couldn't quite relate to her pain, but anyone could tell it was something that followed her all her life.

After a moment of silence, she shook her head and pinched her cheeks. "Anyway. I started to tear up when you said that there were others like me. And honestly, I'm just elated that it's not a disease, or some kind of curse."

She smiled again, regaining some of the shine in her eyes.

"That's nothing to cry about..." I mumbled, turning away yet again.

"Hey... may I ask you something else, Mr. Kayden?" She shifted her position again, sitting more formally. "Yeah, go ahead."

"Can you tell me more about awakened ones?"

I sighed and nodded. "Hmm, where do I start..."

"Awakened one's like you and I possess special abilities. Some powers are physical, and on rarer occasions, some powers are psychic." I spoke, waiting for a reaction.