Date: Early Spring, 2025
Location: Haidan City, a metropolitan jungle of steel and stone, a place where the bright lights could never quite hide the shadows lurking in the corners.
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The city of Haidan was alive, pulsing with the energy of a thousand lives interwoven, their fates unknowingly colliding in a seamless dance. The streets were cluttered with the rush of cars, the chatter of people, and the occasional harsh honking of an impatient driver. It was a city built on contradictions—a place of luxury and poverty coexisting side by side, a city of secrets as well as dreams. For most, it was a place to thrive. For others, it was a place to survive.
Jackim walked through the crowded streets, his gaze hidden beneath the hood of his dark sweatshirt. He was just another face in the sea of thousands, lost in a world that felt both too big and too small. His shoulders were hunched, not from the cold, but from the weight of the world that seemed to press down on him from all sides. The constant whispers behind his back, the cruel jokes, the scornful glances—they had become a part of him now, as natural as breathing. The world saw a nobody, and that's exactly what he was supposed to be.
At least, that's what he told himself.
He passed by the towering glass buildings, the wealth radiating from every corner, the grand billboards showcasing the lives of the city's elite. But none of it mattered to Jackim. Not yet, anyway.
Susan, one of the most beautiful women in the city, stepped out of a sleek black limousine, her presence immediately commanding the attention of everyone around her. She had an air of regality about her, effortlessly elegant, yet with a sharpness in her gaze that suggested she could slice through anyone who dared challenge her. Her platinum blonde hair cascaded in soft waves over her shoulders, and her skin was a perfect porcelain canvas, flawless under the touch of the midday sun.
At 23, she was the epitome of beauty and power. A renowned model, socialite, and businesswoman, Susan held a position of influence that few dared to challenge. Her beauty wasn't just skin-deep—it was a tool she wielded with precision, carefully crafted and honed to command any room she entered. She smiled as she stepped onto the sidewalk, her icy blue eyes scanning the crowd, and for a moment, she looked directly at Jackim.
His heart skipped a beat, a sudden jolt of recognition. There was something in her gaze that sent a chill down his spine, something that made him feel both invisible and completely exposed at the same time. She didn't speak, but her stare lingered just a fraction longer than was necessary. And then, just as quickly, she was gone, swallowed up by the crowd.
Jackim's mind raced. Why had she looked at him like that? She was out of his league—so far beyond him in status, in beauty, in everything. Yet there was a glimmer of something else in her eyes. Something he couldn't quite place, but it made him question everything he knew about the world he was living in.
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Meanwhile, at a high-rise penthouse on the outskirts of Haidan, Gloria, an influential heiress with her own carefully curated image, watched the scene unfold from her balcony. She had been following Jackim for a while now, studying him from afar. He was a mystery, a puzzle that seemed to piece itself together in strange, unexpected ways.
Her dark brown eyes flickered with interest as she observed his reaction to Susan. She knew that Susan's presence could easily overpower anyone, and it was clear that Jackim had been affected. But there was something else—something deeper—that intrigued Gloria. She had an idea. One that would shake the very foundation of both Haidan and the secrets it harbored.
Gloria's thoughts turned back to the plan. She would need Jackim, whether he liked it or not. He was the key to unlocking something far greater than he could ever imagine.
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Back on the streets, Jackim's walk led him to his school, an aging building with cracked windows and rusted gates, a stark contrast to the towering skyscrapers of Haidan's elite districts. As he entered the worn-out gates, the familiar jeers and snickers of his classmates echoed through the air. They were always there, always watching, always waiting for him to slip up.
But Jackim had learned to tune them out, to focus on the whispers in his head instead. He couldn't shake the feeling that everything was changing. He wasn't sure how, or when, but it was.
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Jackim sat at the back of the classroom, trying to blend into the shadows. The teacher's voice droned on, but Jackim wasn't listening. His mind was elsewhere, lost in the thought of Susan's gaze. He couldn't understand it. He couldn't shake it.
A sudden noise from the front of the room jolted him back to reality. Maggy, his best friend, waved at him from across the room, her eyes filled with a mix of excitement and concern. Maggy had always been there for him, a constant in his chaotic world. She was the only one who saw beyond the quiet, broken exterior and into the heart of who he was. But Jackim couldn't afford to let her get too close. Not when the world he was about to step into was so full of dangers he couldn't yet comprehend.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Jackim packed up his things and walked out, his head still spinning with questions about Susan, Gloria, and the strange sensation that had begun to crawl under his skin.
What was happening to him?
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The evening air was cold as Jackim walked home. The sun had set, and the city's lights flickered on, casting an artificial glow on the streets. As he approached his apartment building, he saw a familiar figure leaning against the entrance. Tielen, his protector, his shadow, stood with his arms crossed, waiting for him.
"Any trouble today?" Tielen asked, his voice low but full of authority.
"No," Jackim muttered. "Just the usual."
Tielen's sharp gaze narrowed. "Something's off with you. I can see it. But don't worry, I've got your back. Always."
Jackim nodded, but deep down, he knew Tielen wasn't the only one who had his back anymore. There were others watching. Others who knew far more than they let on.
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As Jackim entered his small apartment, the weight of the day pressed down on him. He glanced at the old photo of his parents on the wall—his mother's smile, his father's proud, confident gaze. They were gone now, leaving him alone in this cold, indifferent city.
But tonight, something felt different. A shift, something that had been set into motion without his consent. He didn't know what it was yet, but he would soon find out.
The city of Haidan held its secrets tightly. And Jackim was about to uncover his own.
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