A light breeze tugged my messy snow-white hair, making it slightly cover my eyes. The light purple tips blocked some of the view but not enough to bother changing it. I still felt stiff, even if my injuries had vanished. The scene of blood and fire didn't go away even when the landscape in front was so different.
I stood on top a huge building, leaning my arms on the railing, glancing down at the city below. The same city that had been nothing but dust before. The sky was clear, and loud noises could be heard from below.
Though nothing seemed to be wrong, the world wasn't exactly normal anymore. A few years back gates and monsters began to appear. And alongside them ability users such as myself. They hunted the beasts and stabilized the gates. After what became known as the Great Apocalypse, the world slowly started to resemble something normal. But the gates didn't vanish and neither did the threats.
But the ability users did everything in their power to help the world. However, the gates grades continue to rise as time passed. And at some point, they would grow stronger than any human. That was how it was, and nothing I did changed that. How many times had I tried by now? A hundred? Two hundred? I stopped counting after four hundred. Even though I was S-rank I stood no chance against the monsters.
Awakeners - ability users - were split up in ranks from F-L. F being not much better than an average person, and L being unheard of but if it existed, they would basically be a god. There was only one person in the world to become SSS-class, but he wouldn't appear for some time. Right now, the ones who stood at the pinnacle of power in the US were Noah Mercer - the only SS-class healer. Grace Adams - a long-distance fighter - with the ability to control plants. Ashley Blaze - a close-range fighter - with the ability to control fire, despite how common it was, she managed to rise up society. Rin Lopaz- also a close-range fighter - with the ability to control ice. And last was Alex, known as the strongest awakener and the one who would later become SSS-rank. No one knew much about him, not even his last name. Even I hadn't been able to find out. His ability was also a mystery, not that the others' abilities was totally clear. It wouldn't surprise me if each of them had a hidden ability up their sleeve. Lots of people didn't go into detail of their abilities out of fear, others would stab them in the back.
And here I was a mere S-rank. People would scoff at me for thinking it wasn't enough. But compared to them I was nothing but a mere insect. Someone they wouldn't bat an eye. Or that was at the very least half true. A faint smile played on my lips.
Back when I first met them, they all seemed cold and distant. It was just before a dungeon raid, so it made sense. But once they began to talk, they weren't bad people. Noah always made sure everyone was of good health, Grace always helped those in need, Ashley could bring up the morale in the toughest times, Rin was a great strategist, and then there was Alex. In all the timelines he hadn't said a single word to me. I really couldn't figure him out.
Well, it wasn't like I met him in all the timelines. I think I used the first 100 or so just to get through the great apocalypse.
'Back then I had no idea what I was doing, but now… Now things will be different.'
I gently pushed away from the railing, taking in the view one last time before heading in.
'Yes, this time… Things will be different.'