The smell of lunch filled the room.

Alice worked with quiet focus in the kitchen, completely absorbed in preparing the meal.

― "Where are you going?"

― "Going to exercise a bit."

― "Exercise?"

I closed the distance between us as my fingers, almost of their own accord, adjusted the folds of the hood around my neck.

― "Yeah."

Her lips curved into a half-smile as the knife struck the cutting board in a rhythmic beat.

― "You know what I noticed?"

― "Hm?"

― "You've changed a lot from yesterday to today."

― "Really?"

― "Yeah."

― "Is that bad?"

― "No, quite the opposite. You seem more confident, more decisive..."

She stopped what she was doing, placed the knife beside the board, and turned fully to face me.

― "I'm loving this new version of you."

― "I need to become better and better... for you."

A blush suddenly colored her face, her eyes shining like stars.

― "Haha! You’ve gotten bold too!"

― "Haha! Really?"

― "Yes! You’d never say something like that so naturally."

― "Well... maybe I’ve changed a little. Just a bit."

― "... I won’t lie: I loved hearing that. But I don’t want you to become better just for me. I want you to do it for yourself too."

My fingers slid through her hair, gently tucking it behind her left ear.

With a subtle smile on my lips, I tapped the tip of her nose with my index finger.

― "I will. Now... let me go."

Before pulling away, I stole a brief kiss from her lips.

As I stepped back, I grabbed a piece of tomato from the cutting board and popped it into my mouth.

― "Don’t you dare take too long."

She warned with a tone of mock seriousness.

― "Yes, ma’am."

***

[ PRE-CATACLYSM – PHYSICAL TRAINING ROUTINE

Endurance: Beginner

✓ Sit-ups: 100/100

✓ Push-ups: 100/100

✓ Squats: 100/100

✓ Running: 1km/1km

Reward: +4 Survival Points ]

The moment I completed the final rep, I collapsed face-first onto the grass, my lungs burning like I had inhaled live coals.

― "…"

After a few minutes of rest, I pushed myself upright, still gasping for breath.

[ Congratulations! Mission completed! ]

[ +4 Survival Points acquired. ]

A smile escaped my lips as I watched the notifications glowing before my eyes.

― "Status Window."

[ Name: Alan Albuquerque

Level: 0

Class: None

ATTRIBUTES:

Attack: 1 | Defense: 2

Speed: 1 | Perception: 3

RESOURCES:

Survival Points: 4 ]

― "Three points in Perception?!"

My eyes widened.

― "Could it be because of the memories from my past life? I remember Awakened with just one point in that attribute back then. Interesting... I’ll assign: two points to Attack, one to Defense, and one to Speed."

[ ATTRIBUTES UPDATED! ]

[ Attack: 3 (+2) | Defense: 3 (+1)

Speed: 2 (+1) | Perception: 3 ]

― "Perfect!"

I whispered, feeling the power course through my veins.

I stood up and stretched my arms with satisfaction — until my eyes ignited with the glow of molten gold.

On pure instinct, I ducked.

Zuum!

A punch sliced through the air exactly where my head had been seconds earlier, the rush of wind ruffling my hair.

― "You dodged without even seeing me? Impossible!"

The taunting voice rang out behind me.

When I turned, fury ignited in my eyes.

There stood Fabrício, flanked by his usual lackeys.

― "What the hell do you think you’re doing, you idiot?"

His eyes narrowed in a mix of surprise and challenge.

― "...What did you say? YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU FORGOT YOUR PLACE?!"

Since it was almost lunchtime, the park was practically deserted — perfect for what I had in mind.

My lips curved into a predatory smile, revealing sharp canines that gleamed in the sunlight.

― "You know what? Screw it."

My voice came out cold, like a whisper of winter.

My footsteps echoed slowly as I walked toward him.

― "Get that bastard!"

Fabrício ordered his lackeys.

Immediately, they all charged at me, faces twisted with blind rage.

Their heavy footsteps thudded against the ground as they came at me like hunting dogs obeying their master.

If I stopped to think about it, now that I had Awakened and boosted my stats, I might actually pity them.

But I don’t believe that, after everything they did to me, they deserved even a shred of mercy.

The dance began before the first blow landed.

My feet glided across the grass like they could read the future — each dodge, each pivot calculated with supernatural precision.

Their heavy bodies moved as if through molasses, while I floated among them like smoke.

A diagonal punch came flying.

I tilted my head exactly 2.7 centimeters.

The rough fist brushed past my chin, its animal heat mixing with the wind it stirred.

I smiled.

Their widened eyes were still processing the miss when I had already read the next three movements in the tension of their muscles.

A low kick to the ribs, a right hook, a flying knee from the shadows.

My torso twisted at angles that would make a contortionist cry.

The air trembled with the wasted energy of their failed strikes.

― "You're getting slow."

I murmured, letting the words drip like venom into their ears.

My hands, still tucked in my pockets, tingled with restrained anticipation.

What a shame it would be to ruin this perfect choreography with something as crude as counterattacks.

For now, I was content to observe: the bead of sweat running down a temple, the tremor in overloaded legs, the exact moment their brains realized — they were nothing more than puppets in my private stage play.

― "…"

The moment I decided to counterattack, their bodies couldn’t even react.

Within seconds, I had reduced them to a pile of groaning bodies.

Fabrício lay on the ground, choking on his own blood, limbs trembling in a pathetic attempt to rise.

As my steps echoed toward him, he collapsed back, crawling away like a wounded crab.

His dirt- and blood-stained hand rose in a desperate plea.

― "S-s-stay away!"

His voice cracked like shattered glass.

And I smiled.

Not a smile of joy, but the calm expression of a predator that had finally caught its prey.

― "What’s wrong, huh? Not so fun anymore?"

My voice came out as a sharp whisper.

― "This is exactly how you used to treat me."

I crouched to his level, my fingers twisting into his hair with force enough to rip it out if I wanted.

He whimpered as I yanked his head back, exposing his vulnerable neck.

― "Don’t worry… I won’t kill you. Not yet."

His brown eyes dilated, the black pupils swallowing the iris.

In the glassy reflection of those terrified eyes, I saw my own image — distorted, imposing, monstrous.

― "You spent years tormenting me."

I gripped his hair tighter.

― "Death would be far too merciful a gift for scum like you."

― "…"

I smashed his face into the ground with enough force to knock him out cold.

As I stood up, I looked around — all of them were out cold, bodies strewn about like discarded dolls.

― "But that’s not even the real issue..."

I murmured to myself.

― "In my past life, this event never happened. I can’t keep creating anomalies. A butterfly effect could be disastrous."

A deep sigh escaped my lips before I turned and walked away, leaving behind only silence and the unmoving bodies.