Adry landed with a thud, slightly off-balance.

  Adry: “Woah—I’ve never jumped that high before…”

  Diosa (in his mind): “That’s because you’re using my power, dummy. Now focus! We’re in a fight here!”

  The man raised his hand, and with a flash, silver spikes shot toward Adry like missiles.

  Adry: “WHOA—EKK!”

  He twisted mid-air, dodging all of them with almost no effort.

  ???: “…What the hell?”

  Diosa (amused): “Just as I thought… Your instincts are superb! I knew it—we’re perfectly compatible.”

  Adry: “What?! Compatible? I don’t even know how I’m doing this! How am I supposed to fight this guy?!”

  Diosa: “Simple! Just use my power.”

  Adry: “HOW?!”

  Diosa: “I don’t know—feel it or something! Just go with it!”

  The man rushed him again. Adry’s body moved before he could even think, bouncing off the walls of the alley like a pinball.

  Adry: “HOW am I doing this kind of thing?!”

  ???: “Tch—damn it, STOP MOVING!”

  Adry zipped through the air, kicking off walls with uncanny precision. The man couldn't even get a lock on him.

  Diosa: “By the way—don’t get hit. If you do, I get hurt too. And I’m a lady. So treat me with care!”

  Adry: “NNNNGH—NO PRESSURE THEN!”

  Just then, Adry swung from a nearby pipe and launched himself like a missile—his fist glowing red.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  SMASH!!

  Adry’s punch landed square in the man's stomach, sending him flying into the alley wall, cracking the bricks on impact.

  ???: “Gugh—!”

  He slumped to the ground, coughing.

  Adry dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.

  Adry: “Huff… huff… how the hell am I even doing this…”

  Diosa (softly): “That’s our power. The resonance between us… it’s only the beginning.”

  Adry: "Anyway… is that guy okay?"

  Diosa: "Who cares? Let’s bail!"

  Adry: "O-okay, but what if—"

  Diosa: "Look, we’re not going to stay Resonated forever. Sooner or later, I’ll separate from you. Now move!"

  Adry: "Uh—okay, okay!"

  Adry dashed out of the alley, wind rushing past him.

  Adry: "Whoa, I’m super fast!"

  Diosa: "Mhm! You’re using my awesome powers, after all."

  Adry: "Haha!"

  They arrived at a quiet park, the moonlight casting a soft glow. With a shimmer, Diosa separated from Adry’s body and reappeared beside him.

  Diosa: "Phew! Well, that was an easy fight for you, Mr. Prodigy."

  Adry: "Prodigy? That doesn't fit me at all..."

  Diosa: "Yeah, I figured. Anyway, back there—you said you hated the gods, right?"

  Adry: "Yeah… and so did you."

  Diosa: "Exactly. So here’s the deal—will you keep helping me? In exchange, you can officially become my Resonator."

  Adry: "But… you’re not a god. Humans can only gain Resonance powers from gods, right?"

  Diosa: "Uh-huh. Then explain what happened back there."

  Adry: "...Yeah."

  Diosa: "Sure, I’m not a god—but I’m something special."

  Adry: "Special?"

  Diosa: "Yep. Let’s just leave it at that for now. So, will you keep me?"

  Adry: "That’s a weird way to put it… but fine. I’ll help you. You can stay at my place, but you need to convince my mom."

  Diosa: "Oh, don’t worry about that. Anyway, let’s go—I'm getting sleepy... yawn."

  Adry: "Yeah, me too."

  Diosa: "With me around, you can finally be a Resonator! Isn’t that exciting? Your dream’s finally coming true!"

  Adry: "I guess… but I wasn’t chosen by any god. This kind of feels like cheating."

  Diosa: "Hey! I chose you. I may not be a god, but I’m incredible. I gave you powers, didn’t I?"

  Adry: "You… don’t mind?"

  Diosa: "Nah. In fact, I feel like we’re meant for each other, you know?"

  Adry: "Uh…"

  Diosa: "Puha! Haha! You get flustered so easily!"

  Adry: "Wha—hey!"

  They laughed and walked home under the stars, the weight of what just happened slowly settling in—but neither of them regretted it.

  The next day, Adry and Diosa were walking side by side under the morning sun.

  Adry: "So… what exactly is your plan? You don’t go to my school, remember?"

  Diosa: "I’ll just hang around somewhere and wait for you."

  Adry: "Huh… just don’t cause trouble, alright?"

  Diosa: "Hey! I’m not some clumsy princess."

  Adry: "Well, you were kinda a clumsy princess when we first met."

  Diosa: "Shush! Now go on—get inside already."

  She gave him a gentle shove toward the school gate.

  Adry: "Okay, okay—geez..."

  Diosa: "Don’t worry about me. Just finish quickly!"

  Adry: "Yeah, yeah…"

  He entered the school grounds and made his way to the classroom, slipping into his usual seat at the back.

  Adry: (sighs)

  Voices buzzed around him with excitement.

  Classmate 1: "We’re finally graduating!"

  Classmate 2: "Yeah!"

  Classmate 3: "Resonator Academy, here I come!"

  Adry leaned on his desk, staring out the window.

  Adry (thinking): "Resonator Academy… that’s right. Now that Diosa’s in my life, I could… No. That wouldn’t be right. I’d only be using her if I did that."

  Across the room, a cheerful voice caught his attention.

  Classmate 4: "Bea! Have you decided? Since you’ve officially been chosen by a god, you could totally become a Resonator!"

  Bea: "Haha, yeah, I can. I’m taking the entrance exam next week. See you all there!"

  As the chatter continued, Bea turned her gaze toward Adry for a moment. Her eyes were curious—almost searching—but she quickly turned back to her friends with a smile.

  Adry: "Hm?"

  He blinked, unsure what that look meant.

  To be continued…