Chapter 4: Unlocking the First Skill

I woke to the hum of the Sanctuary. The glow of the interface felt warmer this morning, as if it were urging me onward. I still hadn’t slept — my body wasn’t tired, but my mind buzzed with purpose.

The air shimmered, almost humming beneath my skin, and I could feel the faint pulse of energy coming from the interface hovering before me. My hands twitched, eager to act.

Echo appeared, swirling in its usual misty form. “Ready your day, Sharpen your blade"

I didn’t know how long I had been staring at the glowing task panel, but finally, I spoke aloud, my voice steadier than I felt.

“I don’t have time for riddles. I need to get stronger.”

Echo materialized, swirling smoke and shadow, hovering just beyond my reach. “Then train, Kiami Lynn. Shape flesh and reflex into weapon. Your first step is always the hardest.”

The interface flashed a new notification:

[Task: Enhance Reflexes — Complete training in Sanctuary. Reward: Skill Unlock]

I stared at the words. Reflexes. I had always been fast, always agile— I ran track, and played volleyball — but that was nothing compared to what this System promised. This..... this promised something more. I swallowed the knot of fear in my stomach and stepped forward.

Immediately, the Sanctuary shifted. The ground beneath me shimmered, and phantom figures appeared — humanoid forms darting and lunging unpredictably, moving faster than humanly possible.

I sprinted, jumped, dodged phantom attacks the System projected in the empty space. Shadows flickered around me, testing my reactions. My muscles burned, but with each repetition, the System rewarded me with Evolution Points.

“Your body remembers,” Echo said, voice like smoke curling around me. “But your mind must catch up.”

I sprinted forward. My muscles remembered the track lanes I had run a decade ago, the volleyball spikes, the sprints after the ball. I dodged left, twisted right, rolled under the phantom’s strike, and countered with a strike of my own. Every movement was sharper than the last. My body ached, burning with exertion, but the thrill of it made me feel… alive.

Time stretched, or maybe shrank — I wasn’t sure. I was moving faster, thinking faster, my senses stretching to catch every shift, every movement. And then the interface chimed:

[Reward Granted: 50 Evolution Points]

My chest tightened. Evolution Points. Already? I had only begun, and yet the System was rewarding me, urging me onward.

“Almost there,” Echo said, voice twisting, almost teasing. “Strike again, and again, until you forget the old limits of your body.”

I repeated the exercises, over and over, until every strike felt natural, every dodge instinctive. Finally, a flash of light swept across the Sanctuary:

[Skill Acquired: Enhanced Reflexes — Reaction speed increased by 50%]

I staggered back, breathless, feeling the change ripple through my limbs. Movements felt lighter, faster, more precise. My heart raced — not from fear, but from exhilaration.

I felt it instantly. Movements felt lighter, faster, more precise. My heartbeat steadied. My Sanctuary had become my gym, my forge, and my haven.

“Not bad,” Echo whispered, voice curling like smoke. “The first step is always simple… and deadly.”

I sank to my knees, letting the adrenaline fade. This was just the beginning. A simple skill, but already, I felt the first flicker of the Kiami who would survive this apocalypse — the Kiami who would never be caught unprepared again. This new version of me who was determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

I clenched my fists. I had power now. And I would use it.