The sun struggled to break through the heavy layer of gray clouds outside my apartment window.

  Morning light filtered weakly through the dusty curtains, casting long shadows across the small, cluttered space I called home.

  My mattress lay bare on the floor, surrounded by an assortment of books, a cracked lamp, and a single chair with my jacket draped over its back.

  This was my life.

  Twenty years of mediocrity.

  I sat up, groaning as I rubbed the back of my neck.

  The ache there was a constant reminder of the double shifts I pulled at the restaurant.

  Another day of serving customers who don't even notice me.

  Another day of blending into the background like I didn’t exist.

  But today felt different.

  It wasn’t something I could put into words just a nagging sensation at the edge of my mind, like the static hum of a television left on in another room.

  I ignored it as best I could, shuffling to the kitchen in search of caffeine.

  My feet dragged across the floor, and the faint chill in the air bit at my skin.

  As I reached for the coffee pot, it happened.

  A sharp jolt shot through my arm, making me drop the pot.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  It shattered against the counter, sending shards of glass skittering to the floor.

  Pain radiated up to my shoulder, but it wasn’t the kind of pain I was used to.

  It was electric, literally.

  I looked down at my hand.

  It was glowing.

  Tiny arcs of blue lightning danced across my fingertips, crackling and snapping in the dim light.

  My breath hitched, and my heart hammered against my ribs.

  “What the—”

  Before I could finish, a screen materialized in front of me.

  It floated in the air, translucent but vivid, its glowing text sharp against the background of my dingy kitchen.

  [System Initialization Complete.]

  [Ding!]

  [Allen Quovar Your System is now active.]

  I blinked.

  Once.

  Twice.

  The screen didn’t disappear.

  It hovered there, waiting.

  My chest tightened as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.

  [Congratulations! You have awakened.]

  [Skills: Lightning (Null), Infinite Mana (Null)]

  Lightning?

  Infinite Mana?

  Was this some kind of hallucination?

  I hadn’t exactly been eating well lately, and exhaustion had been my constant companion.

  But this... this was something else entirely.

  As the words scrolled across the screen, the tingling in my hand intensified.

  I raised it cautiously, and with a sharp crack, a bolt of lightning leapt from my palm, striking the metal sink.

  Sparks flew, and the acrid smell of burning metal filled the air.

  I stumbled back, heart racing.

  “No way,” I whispered, staring at the faint scorch marks on the sink.

  I flexed my fingers, feeling the power simmering beneath my skin.

  A grin spread across my face, unbidden and unfamiliar.

  For the first time in years, I felt alive.

  “This... this is real,” I muttered.

  I clenched my fist, summoning the lightning again.

  It surged forth, illuminating the room in brilliant flashes of blue and white.

  It felt natural, as though it had always been a part of me, waiting for the right moment to surface.

  My thoughts raced.

  The world outside my window suddenly seemed smaller, its gray monotony unable to contain the spark within me.

  Infinite Mana.

  Lightning Ability.

  An ability that could change everything.

  My reflection in the window caught my eye dark hair disheveled, black eyes wide with shock, and a faint smirk on my lips.

  "I think I am going to enjoy this"