Swift: The Forgotten Truth

In this world, everyone is born with a power.

Some people use their abilities for ordinary things. Some use them to make their lives easier. Others use their powers to protect the people around them.

But there are also those who choose a different path.

Some use their abilities to control others. Some seek wealth, influence, or power over entire cities. And some believe their strength gives them the right to rule.

They are called villains.

The people who stand against them are called heroes.

At least, that's how the world sees it.

Heroes protect people. Villains hurt them.

Simple.

I used to think it was that simple too.

My name is Swift.

I'm fifteen years old.

And this is my story.I live alone.

It's not something I complain about. I've gotten used to it.

My house is bigger than I need, though. My parents left it to me before they died, and since it was legally part of our family's property, it became mine.

They've been gone for a few years now.

I don't think about it much.

At least, that's what I tell myself.

I was sitting on the couch in the living room, eating snacks while looking at the clock.

I still had some time before I needed to leave.

Heroes Academy wasn't far from my house. About two or three kilometers.

I could walk there.

But walking takes longer.

And I don't like wasting time.

Heroes Academy is where most people with abilities go to train. There are five major academies around the world, one on each continent. Some students live in dormitories, while others, like me, live at home and travel to school every day.

The Academy isn't only about studying, either.

It's where heroes get missions.

Rescue missions. Capture missions. Escort missions. Sometimes more dangerous assignments.

Complete a mission, and you get paid.

That's how I've been living.

I've never really had a problem getting food or anything else I need. I usually take bigger missions when they're available, earn enough money, and don't have to worry about running out anytime soon.

Besides, I have my own abilities.

Everyone in this world is born with one.

Some people inherit abilities that resemble those of their families. Others develop something different from their ancestors.

Fire.

Water.

Air.

Strength.

Flight.

Speed.

There are countless possibilities.

Mine happens to be air.

I picked up another snack and checked the clock again.

Still too early.

I sighed.

I hate waiting.

I looked toward the window.

The weather seemed fine.

Good enough.

I had one more hour before I needed to leave for Heroes Academy.

So I stayed on the couch, eating my snacks and waiting.

There wasn't anything particularly interesting happening today.

At least, that's what I thought.

I left the house a little later.

The Academy was only a few kilometers away, but I didn't feel like walking.

I started running.

The streets were already getting busy, so I quickly moved toward the rooftops.

I jumped onto the first building, then another.

A small burst of air pushed against my feet as I jumped again, carrying me farther than a normal jump would.

“Hey! Get off my roof!”

I heard someone shout from below.

I ignored them.

I had places to be.

I kept running.

Jump.

Air burst.

Landing.

Jump again.

I'd been practicing this for a long time. Running wasn't just something I did to get somewhere. It was training.

Every movement mattered.

How quickly I could change direction.

How much air I could use without wasting energy.

How high I could jump.

How quickly I could land and move again.

By the time I saw the Academy in the distance, I was already picking up speed.

A few minutes later, I arrived.

Five minutes.

Not bad.

I walked through the entrance and headed toward my classroom.

Heroes Academy had three levels in each year of training, and I was currently in the second level.

Students didn't all progress at the same speed.

Some completed their training in three years. Others took four or five. Some needed much longer.

It depended on their test results, their abilities, their specialties, and how quickly they could master the required techniques.

The second level was where things started getting more serious.

The missions were harder.

The training was tougher.

And the students were stronger.

I didn't mind.

Actually, I preferred it.

I entered the classroom and went to my usual seat.

A few minutes later, someone dropped into the seat beside me.

“Hey, Swift.”

I looked over.

It was Jonathan.

“Hello.”

He smiled.

“You always look half asleep.”

“I'm not.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

He laughed.

“You know, you're really bad at conversations.”

“I know.”

Jonathan shook his head.

“Anyway, what were you doing this morning?”

“Eating.”

“That's it?”

“And waiting.”

“For what?”

“To leave.”

He stared at me for a second.

“Sometimes I wonder how you survive.”

“Snacks.”

He laughed again.

We talked for a while.

It wasn't anything important. Just the usual things friends talked about before class started.

Then Jonathan mentioned his family.

“My mom was telling me yesterday that—”

He stopped.

His eyes shifted toward me.

“Oh.”

I knew what he'd remembered.

My parents.

He looked uncomfortable.

“Sorry, Swift. I didn't mean—”

“It's fine.”

He nodded.

“Right.”

The conversation ended there.

A few moments later, our teacher walked into the classroom.

Everyone slowly became quiet.

“Today,” the teacher said, placing a book on the desk, “we're learning a new defensive technique.”

The class immediately became more interested.

The teacher raised one hand.

“It's known by several names. Some call it the Duplication Technique. Others call it the Blind Spell or Transformation Spell.”

He paused.

“The name doesn't matter. The principle does.”

He created a duplicate of himself.

The copy stood beside him.

“If someone attacks you unexpectedly, you can create a temporary duplicate and leave it in your position.”

He pointed toward the copy.

“The attacker believes they've hit you.”

The teacher touched the duplicate.

It dissolved into a burst of his elemental energy.

“The duplicate transforms into your natural element when struck. Air, water, fire, or whatever your ability allows.”

A few students immediately started whispering.

“So it's basically a decoy,” someone said.

“Exactly.”

The teacher nodded.

“It won't defeat your opponent by itself. It's a trick. The purpose is to create an opening.”

He demonstrated again.

The duplicate appeared.

He moved away.

The copy was struck.

It vanished.

The class erupted with interest.

“Your turn.”

Everyone stood up.

Some students succeeded immediately.

Others struggled to maintain their duplicates.

I watched carefully.

Then I tried.

A copy appeared beside me.

It lasted.

“Good,” the teacher said.

I looked at it.

Simple enough.

Around me, some students continued practicing while others gave up and started talking.

Jonathan looked at my duplicate.

“You make that look easy.”

“It is.”

He frowned.

“Don't say that.”

“Why?”

“Because now I feel stupid.”

I looked at him.

“You'll get it.”

He smiled.

“Thanks.”

The lesson continued.

For now, it was just another normal day at Heroes Academy.

At least, that's what I thought

The class eventually ended.

I checked the mission board before leaving.

There were plenty of jobs available, but one caught my attention.

MISSION: CAPTURE

Target: Five wanted villains.

Reward: 10,000 Amixo.

I looked at the reward again.

10,000.

That was good.

Very good.

Amixo was the currency used throughout the world. Its value depended on where you lived. In some countries, 1,000 Amixo could last someone weeks.

In other countries, it wouldn't last nearly as long.

For me, 10,000 was more than enough to keep me comfortable for quite a while.

Especially considering how much I spent on snacks.

I accepted the mission.

The five targets had been kidnapping women at night and were wanted by the authorities.

My job wasn't to investigate them.

It wasn't to negotiate with them.

It was simple.

Capture them.

I left the mission board and went downstairs to find my friends.

It didn't take long.

I found Jonathan sitting with two other people.

Andrew was there.

And beside him was Amplifier.

Everyone called him Amplifier. Sometimes people shortened it or pronounced it differently, but I knew who they meant.

Jonathan noticed me first.

“There you are.”

I sat down.

“You disappeared after class,” Andrew said.

“I took a mission.”

Jonathan raised an eyebrow.

“What kind?”

“Capture.”

“How much?”

“Ten thousand.”

Amplifier immediately looked at me.

“Ten thousand?”

I nodded.

Jonathan laughed.

“You only took it because of the money.”

“Mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“I also have to eat.”

Andrew shook his head.

“You really think about food that much?”

“No.”

He looked relieved.

I continued.

“I think about snacks.”

Jonathan started laughing.

We stayed there for a while, talking about nothing important.

Jonathan was a Thunder user. His ability also gave him a little extra speed.

Amplifier specialized in fire.

Andrew used water and ice.

I didn't know exactly how Andrew had learned ice when he came from a family known for water abilities.

I never asked.

It wasn't my problem.

My own abilities were mostly related to air.

The rest would become clear eventually.

For now, we were just four students sitting together after class.

We eventually moved toward one of the academy's open training areas.

A group of students from the first level were having a practice fight.

We watched from the side.

Some of the students were doing well.

Others were getting completely overwhelmed.

Then we noticed several students from the third level nearby.

They weren't training.

They were bothering some of the younger students.

Jonathan looked at them.

“Should we do something?”

I watched for a moment.

There were several of them.

Third-level students.

Strong ones.

I shook my head.

“Not now.”

Jonathan looked surprised.

“You're actually going to ignore that?”

“We don't know what's happening.”

Andrew nodded.

“Better to stay out of it.”

Amplifier crossed his arms.

“Still feels wrong.”

I didn't answer.

We stayed where we were.

Watching.

Waiting.

The academy was always like this.

There were strong students.

Weak students.

Students who wanted to become heroes.

Students who wanted to prove themselves.

And students who thought being stronger meant they could do whatever they wanted.

I looked back at the mission notification on my phone.

10,000 Amixo.

I put the phone away.

I would deal with the mission later.

For now, I just wanted to finish the day.

And maybe buy some snacks

We were still sitting together when a group of girls walked past us.

A few of them looked at Jonathan.

Then they looked at each other.

The expressions on their faces changed.

Jonathan noticed.

“Oh no.”

One of the girls stopped.

“You.”

Jonathan slowly looked at her.

“Me?”

“You're still here?”

Jonathan sighed.

“Apparently.”

She raised her hand, and a sharp spear of ice began forming.

Andrew immediately stood up.

“Hey, chill!”

Amplifier stepped between them.

“Seriously. It's been three years.”

The girl glared at Jonathan.

“He's still a pervert.”

Jonathan's face went blank.

“I've explained this a hundred times.”

I looked at him.

“Maybe explain it one more time.”

Jonathan turned toward me.

“Don't encourage them.”

I smiled slightly.

“I wasn't.”

The truth was, everyone knew what had happened.

When Jonathan first came to the Academy, the signs outside the bathrooms had been switched by mistake.

He thought he was entering the boys' bathroom.

He wasn't.

It had been an accident.

But somehow, that one mistake followed him for years.

“Newcomer pervert,” some people called him.

Jonathan had never really recovered from it.

The girl lowered her hand.

Her friend grabbed her arm.

“Come on. Let's go.”

She gave Jonathan one last disgusted look before walking away.

The moment they were gone, I looked at Jonathan.

“So... newcomer pervert?”

Andrew started laughing.

Amplifier joined him.

Jonathan stared at all of us.

“You're all terrible friends.”

“You're the one with the reputation,” Andrew said.

“It was an accident!”

“I know.”

“Then stop laughing!”

That only made us laugh harder.

Jonathan covered his face with one hand.

“I hate this school.”

The bell finally rang.

Everyone began leaving.

I stood up and picked up my bag.

“I'm going home.”

Jonathan looked at me.

“You're leaving already?”

“I have a mission.”

“Right. The capture mission.”

“Ten thousand Amixo.”

Jonathan shook his head.

“You really remember the money.”

“I remember important things.”

I left the classroom.

I didn't know that Jonathan would soon have a very different reason to remember that mission.

---

I reached home quickly.

I dropped my school bag in my room and opened the mission details.

Five targets.

Capture mission.

Ten thousand Amixo.

Nothing unusual.

I changed into my fighting clothes.

If I was going to fight, I preferred to be prepared.

I checked my equipment one last time.

Then I left the house.

---

Back at the Academy, Jonathan was about to leave when someone called his name.

“Jonathan.”

He turned around.

It was Mr. Wayne from the mission department.

“Where's your friend?”

Jonathan frowned.

“Which friend?”

“Swift.”

“Oh. He left about twenty minutes ago.”

Mr. Wayne's expression changed.

“Then you need to hurry.”

Jonathan looked confused.

“Why?”

“That mission he accepted...”

Mr. Wayne paused.

“The information was wrong.”

Jonathan's expression became serious.

“What do you mean?”

“It wasn't a D-rank mission.”

Jonathan stared at him.

Mr. Wayne continued.

“It has been reclassified.”

“How high?”

Mr. Wayne looked directly at him.

“A-rank.”

Jonathan's eyes widened.

“A-rank?”

“Yes.”

“But Swift already left.”

“I know.”

Jonathan's heart sank.

“What are the targets?”

“Five B-rank fighters.”

Jonathan went silent.

Five.

B-rank.

Swift was B-rank too.

He was stronger than Jonathan, but that didn't mean five B-rank fighters were something to take lightly.

Mr. Wayne continued.

“An exceptional A-rank fighter might handle several B-rank opponents. Two. Three. Sometimes more.”

Jonathan clenched his fist.

“But Swift isn't A-rank.”

“I know.”

Jonathan immediately turned toward the exit.

“I'll warn him.”

“Go.”

Jonathan activated his Thunder ability.

Electric energy surged around him.

Then he disappeared through the academy entrance.

He pushed himself harder than he normally would, using as much speed as he could.

Every second mattered.

He knew Swift was strong.

He also knew Swift wouldn't back down from a mission simply because it had become dangerous.

That was exactly what worried him.

---

Meanwhile, I was already on my way.

I jumped from tree to tree, using bursts of air to push myself forward.

The mission was going to be worth a lot.

I was already thinking about what I could buy afterward.

I had no idea that the mission had changed.

And behind me, Jonathan was doing everything he could to catch up.

He had only one thought.

I have to reach Swift before he gets there.

End of Episode 1