The forsaken Code.

Chapter Three: The first Rewrite

Noah sat on the rooftop, his mind reeling from what had just happened. His entire life, he had believed power came from the Awakening Ceremony, from the crystal that determined one’s fate. But now, he had something else—something greater.

The Forsaken Code.

The knowledge it granted him was vast, almost overwhelming. It wasn’t just an ability—it was a system of absolute control over reality itself. But how did it work?

As if responding to his thoughts, lines of glowing symbols flickered before his eyes, shifting, rearranging, forming commands in a language he somehow understood. It was like seeing the code of the universe itself.

"Test it." The voice from before whispered in his mind, though softer now, as if retreating into the depths of his consciousness.

Noah hesitated, then glanced at a loose pebble beside him. It was small, insignificant—but a perfect test subject.

He focused on it, and the symbols shifted in his vision. A simple command formed in his mind.

[Gravity: Reduce by 90%]

Instantly, the pebble lifted into the air, floating weightlessly.

Noah’s heart pounded. He waved his hand, and the pebble drifted forward as if suspended in water. With another thought, he adjusted its weight again.

[Gravity: Restore]

The pebble dropped back onto the rooftop with a soft clack.

Noah let out a slow breath.

"This… this is real."

He had rewritten the laws of nature itself.

A rush of exhilaration surged through him, but it was quickly followed by caution. If this power was truly beyond the Awakening Crystal’s detection, then no one could know about it—not yet. He had to keep it hidden until he understood it fully.

Noah clenched his fists. Kyle, Sophia, everyone… they think I’m nothing. But they have no idea what I really am.

His lips curled into a small, determined smirk.

"Let them think I’m weak. It’ll make things more interesting when the truth comes out."

The Next Morning

Noah walked through the academy halls, feeling the weight of yesterday’s humiliation still pressing on him. Whispers followed him, students giving him pitying or mocking looks.

“There he is. The failure.”

“Can’t believe he showed up today.”

“Guess he’s used to being a nobody.”

Noah kept his head down, his hands in his pockets. Let them talk. They’ll eat their words soon enough.

As he reached his classroom, a familiar voice called out.

“Noah!”

He turned to see Ethan, his best friend. Unlike the others, Ethan’s face wasn’t filled with scorn—just concern.

“Hey,” Noah greeted him.

Ethan pulled him aside. “Why are you here, man? Everyone’s saying—”

“I know what they’re saying.”

Ethan sighed. “Look, I don’t care if you awakened or not, you’re still my friend. But…” He hesitated. “You know how this academy is. People without abilities don’t last here.”

Noah’s jaw tightened. “I’m not leaving.”

Ethan studied him for a moment. “You’ve got that look in your eyes.”

“What look?”

“The ‘I’ve got a plan’ look.”

Noah smirked slightly. “Maybe I do.”

Before Ethan could question him further, another voice interrupted.

“Well, well. If it isn’t the academy’s new mascot.”

Noah and Ethan turned to see Kyle Hastings approaching, Sophia beside him. Kyle’s ever-present smirk made Noah’s blood boil, but he forced himself to stay calm.

“Noah, you should really consider transferring,” Kyle said mockingly. “I mean, what’s the point of staying? You can’t exactly fight in the tournaments with no ability.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd gathering around them.

Ethan stepped forward. “Back off, Kyle.”

Kyle chuckled. “Relax, I’m just helping him face reality. Without powers, he’s nothing.”

Noah met Kyle’s gaze. “That so?”

Kyle crossed his arms. “Yeah. That’s how this world works.”

Noah’s fingers twitched. He could rewrite Kyle’s reality right now—make him trip, humiliate him in front of everyone. The thought was tempting, but he held back.

No. Not yet.

Instead, he smirked. “Guess we’ll see.”

Kyle narrowed his eyes, sensing something was off. But before he could press further, the school bell rang.

“This isn’t over, Carter,” Kyle warned before turning away.

Sophia hesitated for a moment, glancing at Noah with something almost like regret in her eyes. Then she followed Kyle.

Ethan sighed. “Dude, you’re playing with fire.”

Noah smirked. “No. I’m waiting for the right time to burn.”

The First Test

Later that afternoon, Noah slipped into the academy’s training hall. It was empty—perfect.

He stood in the center, took a deep breath, and focused. The symbols appeared before him again.

"Let’s see how far this goes."

He reached out and selected a target—a wooden training dummy.

[Material: Change to Stone]

The wooden dummy shimmered—and then solidified into rock.

Noah exhaled sharply. He had changed its structure, rewritten its existence.

"This is insane."

He stepped closer, placing his hand against the stone surface. Another command formed.

[Density: Reduce by 70%]

The stone instantly became lighter, as if it were hollow.

Noah grinned. I can do more than just change things—I can manipulate how they behave.

His mind raced with possibilities. Could he alter living beings? Heal wounds? Even… stop time?

His stomach churned at the thought. If his power had no limits, where did he draw the line?

He shook his head. One step at a time.

Before he could test further, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall.

Noah quickly restored the dummy to its original state and turned.

A tall figure entered.

Professor Caldwell.

“Noah Carter.” His sharp gaze landed on him. “What are you doing here?”

Noah forced a casual shrug. “Just… thinking.”

Caldwell studied him. “I’ve been teaching for many years, Noah. And I know when a student is hiding something.”

Noah’s heart pounded. Did he know?

Caldwell stepped closer. “You are not as powerless as you seem. Are you?”

For a moment, Noah considered lying. But then he saw it—the slight flicker of curiosity in Caldwell’s eyes.

Maybe Caldwell suspected, but he didn’t know.

Noah smirked. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

Caldwell’s lips curled into a small smile. “Very well. But be careful, Noah. Power hidden for too long often becomes a power feared when revealed.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Noah exhaled.

He wasn’t sure if Caldwell was a friend or a threat.

But one thing was certain—

He had just taken his first step into a much larger game.

Noah left the training hall, his mind spinning with possibilities. The Forsaken Code was more powerful than anything he could have imagined. It didn’t just give him an ability—it gave him control over the very fabric of reality. But that power came with a cost: secrecy.

Professor Caldwell’s words echoed in his mind.

"Power hidden for too long often becomes a power feared when revealed."

Noah knew he had to tread carefully. If the wrong people found out about his ability, they wouldn’t just see him as a threat—they would try to control him, use him, or worse… eliminate him.

But he wasn’t planning on staying weak forever.

He needed to test his limits.

The Underground Arena

Later that evening, Noah found himself in the lower districts of the city, standing outside a nondescript warehouse. This was Eastwood Academy’s worst-kept secret—the Underground Arena. A place where students could fight outside of the official school tournaments, betting on their own strength.

No rules. No restrictions. Just raw combat.

If he wanted to see what his power could truly do, this was the perfect place.

He pushed open the metal doors and stepped inside. The scent of sweat and adrenaline filled the air as students gathered around a caged ring. Two fighters were already mid-battle, their abilities colliding in bursts of lightning and flame.

Noah scanned the crowd and spotted Ethan, who looked like he had just lost a bet.

“Damn it, I thought Jason had that one,” Ethan muttered before noticing Noah. “Dude, what are you doing here?”

Noah smirked. “Looking for a fight.”

Ethan blinked. “Wait, what?”

Before Ethan could protest, Noah stepped forward, making his way toward the sign-up table. A burly student, Brock, handled the matchups. He raised an eyebrow as Noah approached.

“You lost, Carter?”

Noah met his gaze. “I want in.”

Laughter erupted from the nearby students.

“Wait, is he serious?”

“No ability and he thinks he can fight?”

“He won’t last ten seconds.”

Brock leaned forward. “Look, kid, I respect the confidence, but this ain’t a playground. You’re gonna get hurt.”

Noah smirked. “Let me worry about that.”

Brock studied him for a moment, then shrugged. “Fine. Your funeral.” He scribbled something down. “You’re up next. Try not to die.”

The First Fight

Noah stepped into the ring, rolling his shoulders as his opponent climbed in.

It was a third-year student named Marcus, known for his brute strength and enhanced reflexes. He cracked his knuckles, grinning.

“This is gonna be fun.”

Noah ignored the crowd’s murmurs and focused. The Forsaken Code symbols appeared before him, glowing faintly.

"Time to rewrite reality."

Marcus didn’t waste time. The moment the bell rang, he lunged, aiming a crushing punch at Noah’s ribs.

[Momentum: Reduce by 80%]

Marcus’s fist slowed mid-air, moving like it was underwater. His eyes widened in confusion—just enough time for Noah to step aside.

The crowd gasped as Marcus’s attack barely grazed Noah.

“What the hell?!” Marcus growled, trying to adjust. He launched another attack—faster this time.

[Reaction Speed: Increase by 50%]

Noah’s body responded instantly. Marcus’s punch seemed slower, easier to read. Noah dodged, slipping past his guard and landing a clean strike to Marcus’s side.

The hit wasn’t strong, but the shock on Marcus’s face was worth it.

Noah grinned. I don’t need brute strength when I can rewrite the rules.

Marcus roared in frustration, activating his full power. His muscles swelled, veins glowing as he charged forward like a tank.

Noah smirked.

[Friction: Reduce to Zero]

The moment Marcus stepped down, his foot slid across the ground uncontrollably. His momentum carried him forward—straight past Noah.

He crashed face-first into the cage wall with a thud.

The crowd went silent.

Ethan’s jaw dropped.

Marcus groaned, staggering to his feet, his face red with humiliation. “What the hell was that?!”

Noah simply shrugged. “Bad footwork.”

Laughter erupted around them.

Marcus growled, his anger reaching a breaking point. “I’m gonna kill you!”

Noah’s expression turned cold.

[Pain Sensitivity: Increase by 200%]

The moment Marcus took a step forward, his own body betrayed him. His muscles tensed, his nerves screaming in agony as he collapsed to his knees.

He gasped, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “W-what’s happening to me?!”

Noah tilted his head. “Maybe you overexerted yourself.”

The referee stepped in, checking Marcus. He hesitated, then raised Noah’s hand.

“Winner—Noah Carter!”

The arena exploded with mixed reactions. Some cheered, others murmured in disbelief.

Ethan rushed to the cage. “Dude, what the hell was that?!”

Noah smirked. “Just quick thinking.”

Brock, the event organizer, stared at him, intrigued. “You’ve got some interesting moves, Carter.”

Noah met his gaze. “I like to keep things unpredictable.”

Brock grinned. “I might have just the fight for you next.”

A New Enemy

As Noah left the ring, a figure watched him from the shadows. A tall, lean man with sharp golden eyes and a sinister smirk.

“So… he’s hiding something,” the man muttered.

Beside him, a woman in a dark cloak nodded. “His movements weren’t natural. He’s manipulating something.”

The man chuckled. “Interesting. Looks like we’ll have to test him ourselves.”

His golden eyes gleamed.

“Let’s see how far Noah Carter can go before he breaks.”

—