Chapter 1: The Village of Padidu

  The sun shone brightly over Padidu Village, its golden rays spilling through the cracks of old wooden shutters and dancing lazily across the dust-filled air. Morning had long passed, but the village moved with its usual relaxed rhythm. Birds chirped, distant chatter floated through the air, and somewhere in the hills, a rooster crowed—late, as usual.

  Inside a modest wooden house, a lump shifted under a thin blanket.

  "Nghh... mmm..." Adry groaned, pulling the covers over his head in a futile attempt to return to sleep.

  BAM!

  The door to his room flew open.

  "WAKE UPPP!!"

  Adry shot up like a startled cat. "Ack—what?!"

  Standing in the doorway was his little sister, Tea, arms crossed and an evil grin on her face.

  "Mom wants you to do the laundry. And it has to be hand-washed," she declared like a soldier delivering orders.

  Adry blinked, half-asleep. "What?! But it’s like... 4 AM!"

  "Exactly." Tea smirked. "She wants you to start early. Anyway, I’m going back to bed."

  And just like that, she spun on her heel and vanished down the hall, leaving only the sound of her retreating footsteps.

  Adry slumped back onto the bed with a groan. "Ugh... alright, alright..."

  He stared at the wooden ceiling, still clinging to the last remnants of sleep, unaware that today—of all days—would change his life forever.

  Later That Night…

  The air outside was cool, the only sounds being the occasional chirp of crickets and the soft slosh of water. Adry sat hunched over a wooden tub, wringing out damp clothes in the dim glow of a single flickering lamp. Shadows danced on the walls of his home as he yawned, blinking sleepily.

  "Nghhh… stupid little sister," he mumbled under his breath, scrubbing a pair of pants with half-hearted energy. His hands were already raw.

  The Next Morning – 6:00 AM

  A modest breakfast was laid out on the wooden table: rice, dried fish, and a half-boiled egg each. Tea devoured her food with noisy enthusiasm.

  "Munch munch," she said, unapologetically stuffing her face.

  Adry quietly chewed his rice, still half-asleep.

  "Mmm…"

  Across the table, their mother Dori crossed her arms, giving them both a pointed look.

  "Eat faster. I don’t want you two to be late for school."

  "Mhm," Adry grunted, eyes still glazed over.

  Dori let out a tired sigh, rubbing her temples. Then she glanced at her son.

  "Hm? Adry, have you decided what you're going to do yet?" she asked, tilting her head. "Most of the kids at your school want to become Resonators—or so I heard from those yapping parents. Ugh, they never shut up about it."

  Adry blinked, finally looking up. "Huh? Well... no, not yet." He scratched his head awkwardly. "I don’t really have that much motivation to become a Resonator, Mom."

  Dori gave him a knowing look. "You don’t need motivation. You need a plan."

  Adry returned to poking at his food, unsure how to respond.

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  On the Way to School

  Adry walked down the dusty village road, one hand stuffed into his pocket, the other holding tightly onto his little sister’s hand. Tea skipped happily beside him, humming a cheerful tune.

  "Lalala~"

  Adry sighed, his eyes half-lidded from sleep deprivation. "You’re way too energetic for six in the morning…"

  As they turned the corner near the village plaza, Tea gasped and pointed.

  "Look, it’s Daddy!"

  There, sprawled out on a weathered bench, was their father—snoring loudly, a half-empty bottle of cheap liquor still clutched in his hand. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair unkempt, and his presence ignored by passing villagers.

  Adry’s expression darkened.

  "Come on," he muttered, tugging Tea’s hand. "We don’t have time. You’ll be late."

  "Hey! That hurts!" Tea pouted, stumbling as he dragged her past the bench.

  Adry didn’t reply.

  A few minutes later, they reached the entrance of the local elementary school. Adry crouched down and patted Tea on the head, forcing a smile.

  "Go on. Don’t get into trouble, okay?"

  Tea nodded and ran off, waving.

  Adry watched her go, then stood, slung his bag over his shoulder, and continued down the road toward his own school, the smile fading from his face.

  Later at School – Adry’s Classroom

  The classroom buzzed with idle chatter, the sun casting angled light through the windows. Desks were cluttered with notebooks, and students leaned toward one another, whispering the latest gossip before the teacher arrived.

  At the very back of the room, slouched in his seat, sat Adry—a ghost in the crowd. No one sat beside him. No one ever did.

  "..." He rested his cheek on his palm, eyes half-focused on nothing in particular.

  In front of him, a group of students whispered animatedly.

  "Hey, hey—did you hear? The Resonator rankings changed!"

  "What? Already?"

  "Yeah! King Zahad is the new global number one!"

  Another voice chimed in, confused.

  "Wait—what happened to Ark?"

  A dramatic pause.

  "You didn't hear? He died… in battle. Against the Abyss."

  "What?! Man, why am I always late with this kind of news?"

  Adry blinked slowly, staring out the window. He wasn’t surprised by the news. The world of Resonators felt like some distant storm—loud, chaotic, and far removed from his own quiet life.

  "...Sigh." He turned his gaze back to the front as the classroom door slid open.

  The teacher entered.

  The room fell silent.

  After Class

  The bell rang. Chairs scraped. Students gathered their things, chatting and laughing as they filtered out of the room.

  Adry slung his bag over one shoulder, ready to slip out unnoticed—just like always.

  But just as he reached the door—

  "Guys, look! Bea Resonated!"

  A wave of gasps and excited chatter filled the room.

  "What? No way!"

  "Seriously? Let me see!"

  Adry paused, glancing back.

  At the center of a growing crowd stood Bea—the most popular girl in class. Always confident. Always surrounded.

  She held out her palm.

  A faint swirl of wind gathered above it, spinning into a miniature tornado no larger than a coin. It shimmered with faint blue light, twisting gently in the air.

  "Haha… this is all I can do for now," Bea said, a little bashfully.

  "That’s so sick!" someone blurted. "Which god did you resonate with?!"

  Bea smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

  "Bathala."

  Another cheer rippled through the group.

  "Whoa! You’re definitely gonna become a Resonator now, right?!"

  "Yeah! You totally have to!"

  Bea shrugged. "I’m… still thinking about it. Graduation’s still a month away."

  But the crowd only grew, voices rising with questions, praise, and awe.

  Adry watched from the doorway for a second longer.

  "..."

  Then he turned and quietly walked away—his footsteps light, his presence unnoticed.

  A Sudden Encounter

  Adry walked the familiar path toward the elementary school, hands in his pockets, his thoughts drifting.

  "Sigh… Resonators. I wonder…" he murmured.

  He paused, looking down at his own hands—calloused from chores, tired from routine.

  "...Tch. No."

  "I can’t resonate with any god. Not me. I hate them all."

  His footsteps slowed.

  Thud—

  He bumped into someone.

  "Oof—huh?"

  A girl—around his age—stumbled back slightly. Her chest rose and fell in frantic gasps.

  "Huff… huff…"

  Before Adry could say anything, distant shouting echoed from a nearby alley.

  "She went this way! Come on!"

  The girl’s eyes widened in panic. She turned to Adry, desperate.

  "Help me."

  "Eh—?"

  She didn’t wait.

  She grabbed his hand.

  "Wha—wait! Who even—?!"

  "I’m Diosa!" she said quickly, pulling him along. "Nice to meet you—now run!

  And they did.

  Down the winding streets of Padidu, through quiet alleyways and market corners, past startled vendors and closed shops. They didn’t stop until the voices were long gone, and their breathing had nearly run out.

  Finally, behind a crumbling wall hidden by tall grass, they dropped to their knees.

  Silence.

  Adry panted, resting his hands on his thighs. "...Seriously, who are you…?"

  A Deal in the Shadows

  They crouched behind the wall, breaths steadying. The silence was only broken by Diosa casually brushing dust from her clothes.

  Diosa: "I told you, I'm Diosa."

  Adry gave her a blank stare.

  "...That doesn’t really help right now."

  She sighed dramatically.

  "Must I explain everything? You saw the guys chasing me. I’m clearly a princess in distress—you have to help me."

  He narrowed his eyes.

  "...Be realistic, will you? And 'princess'? Really?"

  "Well, if I did explain it, you wouldn’t get it anyway. You’re just a normal dude."

  Adry rubbed the back of his head.

  "Ugh… You’re not exactly wrong, but still—you seriously need to explain what’s going on."

  "Okay, fine," Diosa said, twirling a strand of hair.

  "Those guys? They're… um, madly in love with me. Die-hard fans. Obsessed. It’s exhausting. Kidding. Mostly."

  Adry frowned.

  "...Seriously, who are you?"

  "Help me first. Then I’ll tell you."

  "What?! How am I even supposed to help?!"

  She pointed a finger straight at him.

  "Hide me. In your house."

  "Wha—? No way! My mom would kill me if I brought a stranger home—"

  Suddenly, Diosa gripped his sleeve with both hands, her expression shifting to one of quiet desperation.

  "Please. I really don’t have anyone else right now."

  Adry hesitated.

  "...You do know I’m a complete stranger to you, right?"

  "I know," she said softly, meeting his gaze.

  "But you have this aura… like you’re not a bad guy."

  He looked away, scratching his cheek.

  "...Tch. Fine. You can hide at my place. But just until things cool down."

  "Yay~!" Diosa chirped, looping her arm with his.

  "Now come on, lead the way—my brave knight!"

  Adry groaned.

  "Your knight? You just called me a normal dude like, ten seconds ago."

  "Details, details. Now march!"

  And so, reluctantly, Adry led the strange, energetic girl toward his quiet little house—unaware that nothing in his life would be quiet for much longer.

  End of Chapter 1 – “I Forgot My Sister”

  As they strolled down the dirt path toward his house, the sun beginning to dip below the hills, Adry scratched his head, a strange sense of unease creeping over him.

  Adry: "Hm... I feel like I'm forgetting something."

  Diosa: "Hm?

  Like what?"

  He stopped in his tracks, eyes widening in horror.

  Adry: "...Oh no. Tea."

  Meanwhile, at the elementary school gates, a tiny girl stood tapping her foot furiously, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

  Tea: "Where the hell is that idiot older brother of mine?!"