Shadow Being System

The first slivers of dawn's light crept into William's room, and as his eyes fluttered open, the familiar chiming of the system greeted him.

"[50 EXP for surviving another day. Total EXP: 850/1300.]"

He rubbed his eyes, stretched, and let a grin spread across his face. A surge of excitement coursed through him—today, he'd finally receive his ability. He jumped up, practically beaming as he greeted Liam and Gavin, who mumbled a half-awake reply. William barely heard them; he'd already darted into the bathroom, humming a cheerful tune as he turned on the shower.

His voice, though muffled, echoed into the room, carrying his unrestrained joy.

In the main room, Liam stretched, glancing toward the bathroom door with a raised brow. "What's got him so worked up?" he muttered, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Gavin chuckled. "Probably because he's finally getting his ability. I remember when I got mine… man, I was over the moon."

Liam snickered, casting Gavin a playful smirk. "Yeah, only to end up with an ability that's as useless as—"

Gavin's grin widened, a spark of mischief lighting his eyes. "Believe it or not, one day, I'll sever that your tongue into a thousand pieces in a millisecond."

Liam snorted, small flames flickering to life on his fingertips. "That's if you're not burnt to a crisp first, speedy."

Gavin took a step closer, his expression darkening, and inched his face toward Liam. "Care to say that again, fire boy?"

Liam leaned in, the flames growing as he repeated, "Barbequed."

Before their banter could escalate, a voice interrupted them. "Knock it off, you two."

Both boys turned, the tension immediately dropping, as William stepped out of the bathroom. With a towel wrapped around his waist, covering him from his belly button to his knees, he looked every bit like he'd walked off a model shoot. Water dripped from his short, jet-black hair, catching the light and giving him a glossy, almost mesmerizing look.

His physique—slim but defined—added a silent strength to his otherwise boyish features. Any girl who happened to see him like this would likely be holding back a nosebleed.

Gavin cleared his throat, turning quickly toward the bathroom as he muttered, "Right, my turn." He hurried inside, muttering something about steam, while Liam rolled his eyes.

"Do you always have to provoke him?" William asked, a mix of exasperation and amusement in his voice.

Liam shrugged, grinning. "It's fun."

William chuckled, shaking his head as he thought about his life before all of this. He'd gone from having his own space to sharing it with two loud, unpredictable idiots. But then, these two idiots had become something he'd never really had much before—friends. Smiling to himself, he began getting dressed.

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A little while later, the three headed out to the cafeteria. Inside, warm aromas of food filled the air, and they joined the line, scanning the room. Spotting Sofia and Princess Eleanor at a nearby table, they exchanged quick glances and decided to join them. As Liam and Gavin grabbed trays and headed over, William's attention was momentarily captured by something else.

He'd spotted the biggest chunk of meat at the serving station, and his eyes sparkled. There were a few people ahead of him, so he waited with a slight fidget. When it was finally his turn, he tried to scoop up the massive cut. But just as he lifted it, the meat slipped from the spoon and plopped back into the pot, leaving William defeated.

Resigned, he picked a smaller piece and joined the others at the table.

As he walked over, he observed them chatting and laughing. Growing up in the orphanage, he hadn't really had friends—at least, none like this. Only one person was a true friend, his best friend Sam. Today, Sam would also be gaining his ability. I wonder what kind of ability we'll get, he thought, a smile tugging at his lips.

William reached the table and greeted Sofia and Eleanor with a nod, setting his tray down. They ate in silence for a moment, until Eleanor looked at him with an inquisitive smile.

"So, William," she asked, her voice light, "today's the big day, right? You'll be getting your ability?"

"Yeah," he said, his enthusiasm barely contained.

Gavin leaned in, intrigued. "What kind of ability are you hoping for?"

William's brow furrowed in thought. "Honestly? Anything's fine, as long as it's not weak."

Sofia chimed in with a knowing smile. "There's no such thing as a weak ability—only weak users."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Nodding at her words, William glanced around the table. "Speaking of abilities, we all know Liam here has his fiery fire," he smirked, and Liam gave a smug nod. "And Gavin's got speed," he added, to which Gavin gave a mock bow. "And Eleanor here has the ice ability from her royal family. I'm the odd one out, I guess, with no ability__ yet, but…" He trailed off, looking at Sofia. "What about you, Sofia?

I don't think any of us know what yours is."

Eleanor nodded, shifting her gaze to Sofia with interest. "That's right. You never mentioned it."

Gavin and Liam leaned in, both clearly curious, their gazes fixed on her. Sofia, pausing to chew her food thoughtfully, finally looked up with a faint smile.

"It's nothing much, really… I have the light ability."

The reactions were immediate. William's eyes widened slightly, while Liam let out a low whistle.

"Light Ability?" Liam's voice was filled with awe. "That's one of the rarest abilities out there. People with that power are usually healers… and they're always in high demand."

William's mind whirled. A light Ability was indeed incredibly rare and valuable, especially on a battlefield. Healing wounds, sustaining fighters—it was the kind of power that could change the outcome of a fight entirely. They continued eating, each of them marveling at the newfound knowledge.

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As they finished their meal, they headed to class, settling in as other students filled the room. Just as they were getting comfortable, Billy and his gang strode in, faces healed, scars gone, acting as if nothing had happened. William gritted his teeth at the sight of them, fists clenching involuntarily at the memory of what they'd done to Liam.

But before he could let his anger grow, the teacher entered, looking more disheveled than ever, his eyes sunken, a haunted look in his gaze.

With a tired voice that sounded even weaker than usual, he muttered, "Good morning, class…"