บท 112: Interlude: Girl faces the Queen of Thunder (2)

The Raiden family home felt colder than usual.

It wasn't just the empty halls or the silence that stretched on forever—it was the emptiness in her heart that Mei felt most.

Ever since her father's imprisonment, the house had become a place she barely recognized.

Mei sat on her bed. The room around her was plain and sparsely decorated, but her attention was entirely on the strange book in her hands.

It was the comic(?) that Adam had dropped

She was hesitant

This comic(?) belonged to him, and it felt somewhat rude to open and read it without his permission

Besides… She had never seen or heard of a comic(?) or manga(?) such as this

So…. What if it was written by Adam himself?

As strange as that sounds, It might contain personal secrets. And she didn't want to peek at those secrets without his permission

[Aren't you curious?]

Mei ignored the voice in her mind. She was not curious at all!

[If it was really that important, he wouldn't have dropped it, would he?]

The voice in her head continued tempting her, like a devil whispering in her ears to fall into sin

'But what if it's something personal? What if it's a secret Adam didn't want anyone to see?'

[What if it's something he did want you to see?]

Hesitation flashed in her eyes, her hand weakly gripping the comic(?)

'Should I….?'

She was reluctant and indecisive on this matter

But….

There was some sound logic in what the voice that exactly sounded like hers said

If this was so important to Adam…. Then why did he throw it to the ground?

It couldn't be because the blonde knew that Mei was watching, so he threw this to the ground on purpose, right?

That was impossible, she hid well, and the blonde's gaze never passed through the spot she was hiding behind

"....."

She sighed as she made her choice

She decisively gripped the comic(?), and prepared to glimpse at it

The indigo-eyed girl will be transparent with Adam when she delivers this back to him

She will clearly state that she took a peak at his belongings….

-And if he dislikes her because of it, or if he wants to punish her….. Then so be it

And so, with that decision made, and with a firmness of mind, she finally took a deep look at this Comic(?)

…

The cover was mostly white with the exception of three figures that were in the center

In the front was a girl that had long, flowing green hair, cascading down her back, along with similarly colored eyes that were piercing shade of green

The girl wore a form-fitting costume that featured green and black as the primary colors, with metallic accents.

There was another girl beside her, who seemed to be a few steps behind

This girl had chestnut hair, and brown eyes.

She seemed quite young…

A middle schooler, if she had to guess?

Yes, she wore a school uniform, sporting white loose/slouch socks, and brown loafers with a light brown vest sweater over a white blouse and a grey skirt.

Above them, floating in the air was another person- a man

The first thing Mei noticed was his helmet- a sleek headpiece with deep, metallic red, angular designs

His costume combined red and purple. Behind him was a long, flowing cape that seemed to billow dramatically

Beyond those three figures that were detailed, everything else was a blank, white color.

It was as if the creator of this comic(?) focused on nothing else but the character design

….

Mei blinked. She didn't know much about comics or manga, but something about this felt... amateurish.

Her high upbringing and outstanding education told her that this comic wasn't suitable to be sold to the public, or even be accepted at all

As for the title and the Author…..

'Superpower Wiki: Electromagnetism Manipulation'

'Written by: The Great Ancestor Who Traverses The Myriad Worlds'

"Haaah"

Mei let out a sigh

After what she witnessed today… She didn't expect Adam to carry such a comic(?)

A fictional item that tells a story, but has the title of a…. Scientific principle?

And this Author's name….

Just reading it made her feel embarrassed

…. It was as if she had gone back to middle school. In those days when she had similar hobbies, and dramatized anything

'Wind, surrender to me!'

'Pots and pans, obey my orders!'

A person like that seems to be called…. A Chuunibyo?

But… Knowing that Adam wrote this name, It makes it seem… Kinda cute?

She shook her head, determined to continue this matter to the end

And so, the indigo-eyed girl flipped to the first page

The first thing she saw on the first page was…. A quote from the Author?

'Here is your daily quote of the day:

"Admiration is the furthest thing from understanding."

-From Ancestor, who was feeling that many recent things went according to his plans'

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise after seeing this quote

It was a good quote… Yes, Mei liked it.

After all, how can you truly understand something if you are seeing it through the mystifying glamor and filter called 'admiration'

It is just like how die-hard fans obsess over idols or celebrities, yet they will never truly understand that idol/celebrity as a person

…

Mei took a deep breath, placing the comic(?) at her desk, and temporarily putting this issue aside

She stood up, the dim light of the room barely reaching the edges of the ornate mirror that was present before Mei.

Her hand trembled slightly as, but she tried to steady herself

Something had been wrong for these past few days, a creeping feeling of being watched, of not being alone even in her most private moments.

Now, after what happened today, she knew why.

"Come out," Mei whispered, her voice laced with both dread and defiance.

She looked into the mirror, expecting to see the familiar features of her own face staring back.

But as her eyes locked onto her reflection, a twisted smile curled on her lips—not hers, but the lips of the figure in the mirror.

"Hmph."

The reflection began to shift, warping as if the glass were liquid.

Her face remained the same, but the eyes... The eyes glowed a deep, menacing scarlet.

They bore into her, piercing through the thin veneer of her composure, digging into her soul.

In those eyes, there was no empathy, no warmth—only a tyrannical hunger, a coldness so profound it threatened to swallow her whole.

Mei's breath hitched as she took a step back. She tried to shake the unease, but it clung to her like a second skin.

The reflection, now fully formed, wasn't just a distortion—it was her, yet it wasn't.

"When did you notice, coward?"

The voice from the mirror was cold, dripping with cruelty.

It echoed in the small room, each word a sharp dagger aimed straight at Mei's heart.

Her reflection tilted its head, studying her with a predator's gaze.

Mei clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. "What are you?"

"I am you…." The being in the mirror smirked, an expression that looked unsettlingly natural on a face that should have been her own. "-The part hidden inside you, the part you have buried. But the time has almost come, so there is no point in running- I am here to stay"

Mei's heart pounded in her chest, a chaotic drumbeat of fear and doubt.

She had faced many threats before, like when she was kidnapped as a child

-But none as personal, none as insidious as this.

"I am... not afraid of you!"

She spat, though her voice wavered slightly.

"Oh, but you should be." The reflection's smile widened, a wicked, knowing grin "... Because I'm not going anywhere. And soon, you'll have no choice but to let me out."

The entity's scarlet eyes flashed with a dangerous light

Mei resisted the urge to turn away from the mirror, digging her nails into her palms, and grounding herself in the pain.

"Y-you're just a figment of my imagination."

Mei muttered, more to herself than to the reflection- as if trying to convince herself

"Am I?"

The entity who had a similar face to herself chuckled, the sound low and mocking.

"Mei Raiden, I am the side of you that you've been too weak to embrace…." She smiled, looking at her with intensity "- I am the Queen of Thunder- the one who conquers, who could take what she wants without hesitation."

Her reflection crossed her arms in front of her chest, glowing scarlet eyes narrowing at her

"You can't deny it. I am as much a part of you as your own heart."

The room felt colder, the air thick with tension.

The girl's mind raced, searching for a way to get rid of this twisted version of herself.

But deep down, a part of her knew that this mirror image of herself was right.

It was a part of her— something that was born of her

It was strange that she had this intuitive feeling.

"You can't ignore me forever." The reflection leaned closer, pressing its hands against the glass, as if it could break through at any moment. "Sooner or later, you'll be forced to use my power. And when you do..."

"I will be let upon this world"

Mei's blood ran cold as she heard the final words, spoken with a quiet, deadly certainty.

…

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A/N:

The first people who guess who the individuals on Adam's 'wiki' are, will get.... uh... free cookies?