Game of Higher Hands - The Man Who Doesn't Exist

Three days pass.

Nothing happens.

No forbidden zones.

No monsters near my house.

No strange messages.

For the first time in weeks...

life almost feels normal.

Almost.

I sit in front of my computer.

A cup of coffee beside me.

The map is lying on my desk.

Quiet.

As always.

I open the internet.

Then I type one word.

Charly.

Nothing.

No news.

No photos.

No reports.

I try again.

Black scarf swordsman.

Nothing.

Space ability.

Nothing.

I lean back in my chair.

"...Seriously?"

A man strong enough to clear a forbidden zone alone...

should be famous.

At least a little.

But he isn't.

I search through discussion forums.

Monster forums.

Survival groups.

Government reports.

Anything.

Hours pass.

Finally...

I find one old discussion.

Only twelve replies.

Title: Did anyone else see the man in black?

I open it immediately.

The first post says:

"He appeared inside a forbidden zone."

"Everything was already dead."

"I couldn't even see him clearly."

The replies are strange.

"I thought I imagined him."

"I heard the same story."

"My friend mentioned someone like that."

"Probably fake."

Then...

the last reply catches my eye.

"I took a picture."

I click it.

The photo loads slowly.

Broken buildings.

Dead monsters.

Empty street.

Empty.

No person.

Only...

a sword.

Standing in the middle of the road.

I zoom in.

Still no person.

"...What?"

The post continues.

"I swear he was standing there."

"But when I checked the photo..."

"Only the sword remained."

I stare at the screen.

For a long time.

"...Who are you, Charly?"

I close the page.

But the picture stays in my mind.

A man...

that cameras cannot capture correctly.

That is not normal.

Even in this world.

The next morning...

someone else starts investigating.

Not me.

The government.

Inside a temporary command center.

Several officers are looking at a screen.

A photo appears.

Jax.

Leaving the first forbidden zone.

Another photo.

Jax.

Standing outside the sand castle.

A woman in uniform folds her arms.

"The same boy."

A man beside her nods.

"Twice."

"Coincidence?"

"...Maybe."

Another officer shakes his head.

"I don't believe in coincidences anymore."

He places a thin file onto the table.

Name: Jax

Age: 17

Student.

No criminal record.

No military background.

No special training.

The room becomes quiet.

"Keep watching him."

"Do not approach."

"Not yet."

The file closes.

Meanwhile...

I know nothing about that meeting.

I am standing in a park.

Holding a small stone.

I throw it into the air.

Then I activate my ability.

The stone moves.

Not much.

Just a little.

I smile.

Again.

This time...

I push it farther.

Interesting.

I throw another stone.

Then another.

Soon...

I stop using stones.

Leaves.

I change their direction.

Then rain starts.

I watch a raindrop fall.

Focus.

It moves.

Only a little.

But it moves.

"...No way."

I spend another hour testing.

Leaves.

Water.

Branches.

Coins.

Anything light enough.

The ability is growing.

Not stronger.

More precise.

I begin writing everything down.

Objects can be influenced after they start moving.

The lighter the object, the easier it is.

Control distance is increasing slowly.

I stop writing.

Thinking.

If I can affect small things today...

What about larger things later?

I look toward the road.

Cars pass by.

People walk home.

"...Where is the limit?"

That night...

Something strange happens.

I wake up suddenly.

No sound.

No nightmare.

Just...

a feeling.

The map.

It is glowing.

I sit up immediately.

The paper slowly unfolds by itself.

I don't touch it.

A thin black line begins drawing itself across the map.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

It doesn't point to a shard.

It expands.

Like invisible ink appearing.

A new area.

A larger area.

I whisper,

"...What is this?"

No answer.

But I understand one thing.

The map...

is changing.

It is becoming bigger.

As if...

it is growing with me.

Before I can think further—

my phone suddenly vibrates.

One message.

One emergency notification.

Government Emergency Broadcast

I open it.

The headline freezes me.

The First D-Rank Forbidden Zone Has Appeared.

I keep reading.

Military forces entered three hours ago.

No survivors.

The government has announced a nationwide warning.

No civilians are allowed to enter the area.

I slowly lower my phone.

The room becomes silent.

Then another headline appears below it.

Witnesses Report Seeing a Man in a Black Hood Walking Toward the D-Rank Zone Alone.

No name.

No photo.

I already know who it is.

I look out the window.

Smile a little.

"...You're already there."

The map in front of me glows once.

Quietly.

And somewhere far away...

the story is about to begin again.

ns216.73.216.253da2

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