Rebirth Of The Sealed Core: The Rise Of Billy Howell

CHAPTER 4 — THE BOY WHO COULD FEEL ENERGY

For a long moment, Billy and the boy just stared at each other, both unsure of what would happen next. The boy’s grip on Billy’s hand was tight, trembling, desperate. The glowing stone in his other hand pulsed faintly, like a weak heartbeat.

Billy lowered his voice. “First, tell me your name.”

The boy swallowed hard. “My name is Kai. Kai Turner.”

“Alright, Kai. You need to calm down. No one is here right now.”

Kai shook his head quickly. “No… they’re close. I can feel them.”

Billy’s energy sense tingled at those words.

He stared at the boy. “You can feel energy?”

Kai looked surprised. “You… you know what that is?”

Billy paused.

Should I lie? Should I pretend I’m normal?

But the system spoke softly in his head:

[Low risk in revealing basic information. Kai Turner shows early-stage awakening.]

Billy exhaled. “Yeah. I know a little.”

The fear in Kai’s face loosened slightly. He clutched the glowing stone tightly.

“This stone… it belonged to my mom,” Kai whispered. “She told me to run with it. She said if anyone takes it… bad things will happen.”

Billy looked around. The warehouse was still active, but no one was close enough to hear them.

He kneeled beside Kai. “Did someone hurt your mom?”

Kai hesitated, his small body shaking. Tears collected in the corners of his eyes.

“They took her.”

Billy felt anger rise in his chest.

“Who?”

Kai wiped his face with his sleeve. “A group… people with strange powers. They burned through our door. They said the ‘artifact’ belonged to them.”

Artifact.

Billy looked at the glowing stone again. The light wasn’t strong, but his Energy Sense reacted to it like a soft vibration.

[Energy Artifact Grade: Unknown. Origin: Ancient.]

Ancient?

Billy’s heart thumped.

He needed more information, but there was no time. Kai kept glancing over his shoulder like he expected shadows to come alive and attack them.

“We have to leave,” Kai whispered suddenly. “Now.”

“Why? I don’t feel anything—”

Before Billy could finish, his system suddenly echoed loudly:

[Warning: hostile energy signatures approaching.]

Billy stood instantly.

“How many?”

[Three.]

Kai gasped. “They found me!”

Billy didn’t wait. He grabbed Kai’s hand and pulled him away from the crates.

“Follow me. Don’t look back.”

They moved quickly through the back of the loading dock, slipping behind parked trucks and stacks of metal containers. Billy’s heart hammered as his Energy Sense expanded, searching for the enemies.

He could feel them.

Three flickers of energy… closing in.

Too close.

“Billy,” Kai whispered, “they’re here.”

Billy stopped behind a large cargo container.

“Stay low,” he said.

Kai nodded and crouched.

Billy peeked around the edge—and froze.

Three men in dark clothing walked into the loading area. They didn’t look like normal warehouse staff. They moved in perfect sync, scanning each corner. One of them lifted his hand, and fire-like sparks flickered from his fingers.

Billy’s breath caught.

Supernatural abilities.

Just like the burning-eyed man earlier.

The tallest of the three spoke. “The boy is here. His energy trail is fresh. Spread out. Find him quickly.”

Kai shuddered beside Billy.

Billy whispered, “Do they want the stone or you?”

Kai hugged the glowing stone tightly. “Both.”

Billy took a deep breath.

He wasn’t a fighter. He wasn’t trained. He didn’t know how strong these guys were.

But he couldn’t hand over a scared child, no matter what.

[Host must protect the artifact holder. Emergency Task Activated.]

────────────

EMERGENCY TASK: Protect Kai Turner

Defend Kai until you successfully escape the danger zone.

Reward: +20 Energy Points

Bonus Reward: Unlock a combat skill

────────────

Billy clenched his jaw.

“System… do I have any combat abilities?”

[No. But Host may use physical strength enhanced by Origin Core.]

Billy sighed. “Great. I’m going to fight three powered strangers with basic strength and breathing techniques.”

[Correction: Host has beginner-level energy control. Enough to defend and escape if used wisely.]

Billy peeked again.

One of the men was walking toward their direction.

“We have to move,” Billy whispered, grabbing Kai’s arm. “When I say run, you run as fast as you can.”

Kai nodded, trembling.

Billy waited.

The man came closer.

Closer.

Just a few feet away—

“Run!”

Billy pulled Kai and sprinted toward the side exit. Footsteps thundered behind them.

“There! The boy!”

Kai stumbled but kept up as Billy dragged him along.

They reached the side door—locked.

Billy gritted his teeth and slammed his shoulder into it.

Pain shot through him.

He tried again.

Then again.

Kai cried out, “They’re coming!”

Billy inhaled sharply, gathering every bit of energy in his body.

He pushed it toward his shoulder.

He slammed into the door—

CRACK!

The lock snapped, and the door burst open.

Billy and Kai stumbled outside into the morning sunlight.

But the moment they stepped out, a shadow jumped down from the roof.

Billy barely dodged as the tallest man landed in front of them, cracking the ground beneath his feet.

“End of the line,” the man growled.

Kai hid behind Billy, shaking violently.

Billy stood firm.

“I’m not letting you take him.”

The man narrowed his eyes. “You’re not awakened. You’re nobody. Move.”

Billy wasn’t sure where the courage came from, but he didn’t move.

“I won’t say it again,” the man warned.

Billy tightened his fists.

Energy pulsed under his skin, small but growing.

I’m not nobody anymore.

A faint golden glow moved around his hands.

The man blinked. “What? You… you’ve awakened?”

Billy didn’t answer.

The glow grew brighter, swirling like warm smoke around his fists.

Behind him, Kai whispered, “Billy… your hands…”

Billy stepped forward. “If you want the boy, you’ll have to go through me.”

The man laughed. “Then you’ll die first.”

He rushed forward, fire bursting from his palms.

Billy moved instinctively.

His new senses screamed warnings.

He ducked, rolled, and the fire missed him by inches.

He punched forward, and for the first time—

his energy responded.

A weak, golden force shot from his fist and hit the attacker in the chest.

The man slid back two steps, shocked.

“You—! That’s an Origin-type energy!”

Billy didn’t know what that meant.

But he knew one thing:

He could fight.

“Run!” he shouted to Kai.

Kai sprinted toward the alley.

Billy blocked another attack, gritting his teeth as heat scraped across his arm.

But he didn’t stop.

He pushed forward.

Every movement felt natural.

Every breath synced with the energy moving inside him.

He slammed his fist into the man’s ribs.

Another golden pulse exploded.

The man crashed into a wall.

Billy grabbed Kai’s hand again.

“Let’s go!”

They ran through the back alley, turning corner after corner until Billy no longer sensed the hostile energies.

Finally, they stopped behind a quiet store.

Kai collapsed to the ground, panting.

“Billy… you saved me.”

Billy leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.

His arms hurt. His legs hurt. His whole body felt like it was on fire.

But he was alive.

Kai was safe.

And the system echoed in his mind:

[Emergency Task Completed.]

[+20 Energy Points Awarded.]

[Combat Skill Unlocked — Pulse Strike (Level 1)]

Billy let out a shaky breath.

His life had changed forever.

And this was only the beginning.