CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35 - NORMAL DAY

*Tap*

Moona flinched slightly as Melisa’s gentle touch on her shoulder pulled her out of her wandering thoughts.

"...Mon, you okay?" Melisa asked softly, concern flickering in her eyes.

Moona blinked, her gaze shifting from Melisa to Grandma and Mikail. Only then did she realize all three were looking at her, their expressions a mix of worry and quiet curiosity.

A faint blush bloomed on her cheeks, and she gave a small, embarrassed smile. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve as she shook her head.

"...I’m okay. I just... drifted off for a moment," She murmured, her voice light as if trying to brush away the attention.

She glanced down briefly, still feeling the warmth of their eyes on her, then looked back up with a clearer expression, as if grounding herself once more in the present.

"...Is that so," Melisa said softly. "Pretty sure the Old Man’s not coming back today either. We should go ahead and open the café, we can’t leave the customers hanging. It’s almost noon, you know"

She paused for a moment, then tilted her head toward Moona with a curious look.

"Oh, right... Don’t you have class today?"

Moona shook her head lightly. "Nah, I took a few days off. I’m good"

"...Alright," Grandma said as she slowly stood up, dabbing at the faint trail of tears on her cheek with the edge of her sleeve. Her voice was gentle but steady. "Let’s eat something first before you girls head out"

She turned her gaze to Mikail, her expression softening.

"What about you, dear?"

"I’m okay, Grandma," Mikail replied with a faint smile. "I just need a bit of time to clear my head. I’ll catch up with you all later"

--------

Left alone in his room, Mikail looked at his System interface; the System interface shimmered faintly in front of Mikail, pale blue against the dim lighting of his room.

[QUEST: RUN FROM THE NIGHTMARE - Complete]

You have confronted the fears that chased you, even if only in part. Progress comes not from strength, but from choice.

REWARD: Skill Acquired - [Ghost Step - F-Grade #Can Be Upgraded]

Mikail blinked.

A thin breath escaped his lips as the new icon pulsed softly on the interface, like a heartbeat made of mist.

He focused on the skill.

[Ghost Step - F-Grade]

Momentarily phase your body, allowing you to evade incoming attacks or pass through thin barriers.

"...Ghost Step?" He murmured, the name tasting unfamiliar yet oddly fitting.

Mikail stood up, his bare feet touching the floor. He paced the room once, twice, then stopped in front of the door. Without thinking, he triggered the skill.

His breath hitched.

For half a second, his body turned light... Intangible. He felt the door’s presence blur past his shoulder like a breeze, and the next thing he knew, he was standing outside his room, heart pounding, slightly breathless.

"...Whoa"

The door creaked open behind him, untouched. No footsteps. No sound. Just him, already outside.

His lips curled into a grin for the first time all day.

"Okay, that’s cool"

He glanced down at his hand, flexing it, still half-waiting for that strange sensation to return. The System interface hovered just beyond his peripheral vision now, subtle, quiet.

"System, upgrade Ghost Step to the max level," Mikail said calmly.

[To upgrade your skill [Ghost Step] from Grade-F to Grade-EX, 2,952,900 SP is required... Are you sure you want to proceed?]

"Yes," Mikail replied without even glancing at the cost.

[Confirmed... Upgrading [Mana Control]... Grade-F - Grade-E - Grade-D - Grade-C - Grade-B - Grade-A - Grade-S - Grade S - Grade SS - Grade SS - Grade SSS - Grade-EX... Upgrade complete]

A faint pulse of energy flickered around Mikail’s feet... Silent, swift, barely noticeable. But his eyes narrowed. He could feel the difference.

The world felt... Quieter.

Mikail stood still in the hallway, listening, not with his ears, but with something deeper. A subtle vibration hummed beneath his skin, not sound, not touch, presence. As if the air around him now carried his breath like whispers along a threadbare veil.

His fingers twitched. The warmth of his own body felt distant, yet sharp, like he was hyper-aware of every nerve, every heartbeat, yet detached from them all the same.

Ghost Step EX wasn’t just speed. It wasn’t just phasing through. It was something more elemental, freedom from form, however brief. He hadn’t moved faster. He had moved elsewhere.

He exhaled slowly, watching the way the air condensed just a little around his breath like even that moment of release disrupted something in the atmosphere. Time felt... Loose. Not broken, just bendable.

[Ghost Step - EX-Grade - Duration: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes. You are untouchable. Unseen. Forgotten]

The words floated beside his vision, but he wasn’t reading them anymore.

He looked down at his hand again, just like before. But this time, he saw the faintest shimmer trail along his fingertips. Not mana. Something thinner, colder. He flexed his hand, and it flickered like a candle about to go out.

"...Damn," he whispered.

The grin had faded. Not into fear, but into something else. Reflection.

He’d stepped through a door without touching it. Hadn’t even made a sound. For just under four seconds, he didn’t exist in the same way he did before. That was power.

But also...

That was a step away from being human.

And for the first time, Mikail wondered, how many more steps could he take before he couldn’t come back?

He closed his hand into a fist.

"Just a skill," he muttered. "It’s just a skill..."

But even he didn’t believe that anymore.

--------

After finishing his brief experimentation with the newly upgraded skill, Mikail made his way down to the ground floor. The warm scent of food greeted him as he stepped into the kitchen, where Grandma, Melisa, and Moona were already halfway through their meal.

Without saying much, Mikail quietly pulled out a chair and sat down, joining them at the table. He picked up his utensils and began eating, blending into the familiar rhythm of the moment with ease.

After finishing their meal, Mikail, Moona, and Melisa headed out together toward the café.

By the time they arrived, the clock had already passed noon. A small crowd had gathered out front, most of them office workers on their lunch break, waiting patiently.

Noticing the line, Moona’s eyes widened slightly. "Let’s hurry," She said quickly, then made her way to the back door without hesitation. Melisa and Mikail followed close behind, slipping in quietly to get things ready before the doors opened.

Inside, the café was dim and still, chairs stacked, counters wiped clean, sunlight filtering through the frosted front windows in long, golden slants.

Moona flipped the lights on and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail as she moved toward the register.

"I’ll set up everything," she said without looking back, her voice steady now. "Mikail, can you handle the front?"

"Yeah," Mikail replied, already walking toward the row of polished equipment. The scent of roasted beans still lingered faintly in the air.

Melisa stretched her arms with a soft yawn, then moved to arrange the display pastries.

"... Mon, what should I do?"

Moona glanced over her shoulder just briefly, her fingers already flying across the tablet register as she booted up the POS system.

"Hmm... Restock the cold case first," She said. "Then check the fridge and top up the milk jugs. If there’s time, wipe down the menu boards. They’ve got smudges again"

"... Okay"

As they settled into their respective tasks, the silence turned into something comforting... Punctuated by the hiss of steam, the clink of cups, and the hum of the refrigerator.

A normal day.

But Mikail’s hand paused over the tamper. Just for a moment. That shimmer from earlier still ghosted along the edge of his perception like a shadow he couldn’t quite place.

His fingers twitched once, reflexively.

You are untouchable. Unseen. Forgotten.

He shook his head, focusing. He hadn’t meant to memorize the system text, but it echoed all the same.

"Everything good, kail?" Melisa’s voice broke through the quiet.

"Yeah," he said quickly. "Just thinking"

She gave him a knowing look but didn’t press.

The café opened ten minutes later, and the rush began almost instantly. Office workers streamed in, some regulars who greeted them by name, others new faces guided by glowing reviews and whispered recommendations.

Moona moved with practiced grace behind the counter, taking orders and managing payments. Melisa slid drinks onto the pickup counter with the usual flair, flashing tired but bright smiles.

And Mikail... Worked.

The motions were familiar. Grinding, tamping, steaming, pouring. He was fast. Clean. Efficient. But for the first time, he noticed how much space he took up... Or didn’t.

People passed by him without hesitation. A few even glanced his way as if startled, muttered an apology, and then acted like he hadn’t been there at all.

Once, a regular, a young woman with pink headphones, bumped into him and recoiled like she’d touched a ghost.

Her gaze swept right through him before she blinked and focused.

"Oh! You... Sorry, didn’t see you there!"

Mikail gave a polite smile, but inside, he felt that ripple again.

Untouchable. Unseen. Forgotten.

Not just when he activated the skill.

Had something lingered?

He turned slightly, catching his reflection in the chrome of the espresso machine. Perfectly visible. But his eyes...

He stepped back from the machine, heart steady but thoughts storming. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just the morning. Or maybe...

"Yo, Kail! Double oat cappuccino," Melisa called.

"Got it," he replied, and the moment passed.

....

...

..

.