WARNING : From this chapter onward, depictions of blood, gore and self-harm would appear often. Please be a wise reader as you proceed.
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A refreshing yet slightly moist air filled the streets of District 2 – one of the cities located in a country named Aerolis. It was a time in the morning where the sun was at a comfortable angle, peeking out its light from beyond the clouds.
Dressed in a neat black suit with navy stripped vest underneath and a brown coat on top, I walked leisurely out my house. I didn't feel like taking my car out, my destination was nearby anyway, so it's better to walk and enjoy some fresh air.
'The meeting will be on 7 AM. I have 40 more minutes to grab a coffee.'
Checking the watch on my wrist, I decided to turn my heels to a nearby cafe called 'Sunshine', a very cute name for a cafe.
For the past month, I had been warned by the Ability User Bureau, which managed espers and guides, about the importance of today's meeting, so I didn't have any plan to be late.
"Hey, isn't that Ethan?"
"Oh! You're right! It's him!"
"Should we go ask his photograph?"
Hearing the obvious murmur of the customers inside the cafe, I quietly chuckled. It had become a common occurrence for people to swarm me and ask my photograph. A stark contrast with my previous life.
"One large cold latte please."
"Y-Yes! O-One large cold latte incoming!"
The cashier stammered as she repeated my order. She scrambled behind the counter before coming back with a piece of paper.
"Can I have your autograph?"
I smiled at her, "Sure."
She beamed when I handed over the paper I had signed. She stared at it for a long time while gently rubbing the dried ink on the paper.
As people always said, joy was contagious. Seeing her smiling with joy made me smiled as well.
I unconsciously watched her every action.
'Yes, this is why I could never act rude to others.'
The world would be better if I could keep my behavior in check.
"One large cold latte for Ethan Dale!"
"Yes, that's me, thank you."
Taking it, I immediately walk away from the cashier. I opened the glass door as I sipped the coffee in my hand.
"Hm?"
A passerby caught my eye, his bleached light brown hair, a wavelength monitor watch especially worn by a guide on his wrist brought a sense of déjà vu from me.
'I think I have seen that face somewhere.'
"Watch out!"
Shout of caution from nearby snapped me out of my thoughts. A car was speeding on the road. From the looks of it, the driver had lost control and the brake wasn't working.
Watching the direction it went, I immediately dropped my drink.
I dashed toward that passerby and reached out, once I felt my arms touching the person's body, I immediately embraced him tight and turned on my back, using it as a cushion for our fall.
BANG!
The car crashed into a sign pole wrecking its front. I needed to check on the driver, a crash that big might seriously injured him.
But first, I asked the person on top of me, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
His light brown hair swayed as he raised his head, "Ah! N-No, I'm fine."
Panic was apparent on his pale face, with his voice trembling and his body shaking.
But we were rushed on time, so I gently pat his back and immediately stood on my feet.
"Good, please help me call the ambulance."
I approached the car and peered inside the window, seeing the unconscious state of the driver, I grabbed the door handle and yanked it open.
"Mister, can you talk to me?"
I tapped his shoulder a few times, but he showed no signs of waking up.
Checking his pulse and breath, I was sure he just passed out. The problem was the excessive blood loss.
The man approached me, hand on his phone, but the moment he saw the same scene I was watching, he stopped his steps.
"I've called the ambulan- *Gasp*!"
His reaction was justified. Bleeding on the head caused by collision, shards lodge around the arms and more importantly the legs. That legs definitely couldn't be saved.
I tapped on my wristwatch to make an emergency call. It was a call to the Ability User Bureau.
"Permission to use esper ability, cause of use is... an accident happened near cafe Sunshine in District 2, I need to stop the driver's bleeding."
The man behind me muttered in a small voice, "You... are you-"
BEEP!
A mechanical voice came out from my watch, "Permission granted. Esper Ethan Dale is allowed to use his abilities."
With permission gained, I flicked my hand and started working.
"What's that sound?"
"An accident?"
An accident would always gather a crowd.
Their chatter became background noise for me as I focused.
I traced the blood vessels with my fingers, trying my best to direct the blood bursting from the wound to its normal flow. Like a string being pulled, the blood danced around like a weaving thread before flowing inside.
Though I couldn't completely close the wound, I could at least prevent him from going into shock.
"Mr. Dale, we will handle it from here."
Medics had finally arrived to take over the situation.
I had tried everything I could, so it's best to let professionals handled it.
Giving them nods of gratitude, I turned my heels and got away from the scene.
What greeted me was awe struck bystanders recognizing my face.
"It's Ethan! He saved the driver!"
"As expected, this is how an S-Rank should act!"
It's actually the medics who were saving the driver's life, but I just flashed a smile to the passerby while finding a quiet place in the nearby alleyway.
Detecting no presence in the quiet alley, my knees finally buckled. My hands that I'd kept so hard to stay steady in front of the crowd trembled uncontrollably.
Hot fluid dripped down from my nose, staining the road red.
It was a backlash caused by excessive use of ability, something commonly experienced by espers with lack of guiding.
I quickly pulled out my handkerchief and wiped my nose clean.
"A-Are you okay?!"
The same light brown haired man approached me. His gaze full of worry as he gently warped his arm on my shoulder.
'I couldn't let people know my weakness.'
I lightly tapped his hand, mustering a calm smile as I stood up, "I'm fine, what brings you here?"
"Ah, that's... I forget to thank you for saving my life so I chased you."
He scratched his cheek and turned his gaze away, then as if he had made up his mind, he locked gaze with me and reached out his hand.
"Hello, my name is Ilyas Anderson, it might not be the perfect situation to introduce myself, but I'm an S-Rank guide assigned to be an exclusive guide for S-Rank exclusive strike team, Team Zero."
He curled his lips upward, the smile was so dazzling I almost raised my hands to cover my eyes, "Pleased to meet you, S-Rank Esper, Mr. Ethan Dale."