THE MAN WITH THE SSS RANK ABILITIES

Chapter 4: The Fall of a Prodigy

Pain.

That was the first thing Leo felt as he drifted back into consciousness. A dull, throbbing agony spread through his ribs, making each breath a struggle. His vision swam before slowly sharpening, revealing the whitewashed ceiling of the academy’s infirmary.

The bitter scent of medicinal herbs filled the air. He tried to sit up, only for a sharp pain to lance through his side. Leo tried to remember what happend and when he did, he felt useless once more.

Of all the power, why on earth does it have to be SSS.

A voice scoffed from nearby.

“Well, look who’s finally awake.”

Leo turned his head and immediately regretted it. Ethan stood beside his bed, arms crossed, his ever-present smirk etched across his face. Beside him—Sophia.

Leo’s heart clenched.

She wasn’t just standing there. She was clinging to Ethan’s arm.

The way she used to cling to him.

“I figured you’d be out for a while after that pathetic stunt you pulled,” Ethan said lazily, inspecting his nails. “Trying to take on an Abyssal Fiend with your ‘F-rank’ ability? What were you thinking? Do you honestly think you could turn the tide in your favour?"

Leo swallowed the lump in his throat. His hands clenched into fists, but he said nothing.

Sophia stepped forward, her brown eyes holding something cold, something final.

“You embarrassed yourself, Leo.” Her voice was devoid of warmth. “You embarrassed me. I regret wasting my quality time with you. And here I am thinking you were destined for great things. Guess I was wrong."

He stiffened. “Sophia, I—”

“Do you even hear yourself?” she snapped, stepping closer. “What were you trying to prove? That you’re still the top student? That you’re still worthy?” She scoffed. “Newsflash: You’re not. You are way below the rank. You had better get used to it!"

Leo’s chest tightened.

“I wanted to believe in you,” she continued, shaking her head. “I thought maybe… maybe there was something left of the Leo Carter I once admired. But now? I see the truth.”

She turned to Ethan, her expression softening into something Leo hadn’t seen directed at him in a long time.

“I see what true power looks like.”

Ethan smirked, pulling her closer. He landed a kiss on her lips making Leo felt even more pained than ever. Sophia had always told himnl to wait before they could share any intimacy.

She always promised to shower him with kisses—if only he awakened a powerful ability.

Leo had waited, biding his time, but it all felt meaningless the moment he awakened his abilities.

He almost felt like crying

Leo felt something inside him crack.

Sophia’s next words shattered it completely.

“I’m with Ethan now. Don't even think of coming to beg me or asking me to take you back because I wont. You are worthless to me now."

The world seemed to stop.

His breath hitched. His pulse pounded in his ears.

“You’re… what?” His voice came out hoarse, broken.

Sophia tilted her head, as if he was a child refusing to accept reality. “Did you really think I’d stay with you after that humiliation? I need someone strong. Someone who can protect me. And you Leo are not just the man for me."

She smiled up at Ethan. “And Ethan’s already proven himself.”

Leo could only stare.

Ethan, never one to waste an opportunity, leaned down slightly, his smirk widening.

“Did you hear that? You should be thanking me. That thing Mr. Reynolds summoned? It would’ve crushed you in a single blow. I saved your pathetic life—and that comes with a price." he murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. “Sophia deserves better. And now? She has it.”

Leo’s nails dug into his palms. His entire body trembled—not just from pain, but from the sheer weight of everything collapsing around him.

His abilities.

His reputation.

His love.

All gone.

Ethan gave him one last glance, filled with mock pity. “Face it, Carter. You’re nothing. You’re just another failure.”

With that, he turned, leading Sophia out of the infirmary, her laughter ringing in Leo’s ears like a cruel melody.

The door clicked shut.

And Leo was alone.

The walls seemed to close in around him, suffocating. The events of the past twenty-four hours replayed in his mind like a nightmare he couldn’t wake from.

His body ached. His heart… shattered.

But beneath all the pain, all the devastation—

Something else stirred.

A slow, simmering burn.

His fingers twitched.

His mind whispered.

[ SSS-Rank Ability Detected. ]

He gritted his teeth.

He would not stay weak.

He would not stay broken.

A strange energy coursed through his veins, igniting something deep inside him. His fingers clenched, his breathing slowed, and for the first time since his fall.

Leo smirked