I gasped, watching Trouble fade into nothingness. The adrenaline still coursed through my veins, but a sense of disbelief was beginning to creep in. We had... we had fought a monster, and we had won. Together.
The woman approached me and extended a hand. "My name is Min-ah," she said with a small smile. "And yes, I am the 'ShadowsInTheNight' who contacted you."
I shook his hand, feeling the firmness of his grip. "I'm Ryu Hyuk," I replied, feeling a little awkward. "Thank you... for helping me."
"You don't have to thank me," Min-ah said. "I saw what you did last night. You have potential. You just need to learn to control it."
I looked toward where Trouble had been. The people in the park, who had scattered in panic, were slowly starting to return, looking around cautiously. Some murmured among themselves, pointing at the tree the creature had crashed into.
"What... what are we going to do now?" I asked, feeling a little lost.
"Now," Min-ah said, a twinkle in her eyes, "let's talk. There's a lot you need to know."
We sat down again on the bench by the fountain, now with a tacit understanding between us. Min-ah began to explain things I'd only read about on those obscure internet forums. She told me about the Marked, people like us who were born with special abilities. She told me about the Troubles, entities from another dimension who appeared in our world for no apparent reason.
"We're not the only ones, Ryu Hyuk," Min-ah told me. "There are more Marked out there. Some use their abilities to help people, others... not so much. And there are also organizations, both secret and governmental, that know of our existence and are trying to control or study us."
"And why me?" I asked. "Why did you contact me?"
Min-ah sighed. "I've been watching. I saw what happened last night. You didn't run away. You tried to help. That means something. It means you have the potential to be more than just a boy with strange powers."
She told me that she, too, had recently discovered her abilities and had gone through the same confusion and fear I had. She'd learned to control her powers on her own, but had been seeking out other Marked in the city.
"What happened here today," Min-ah continued, looking toward where the people were still murmuring, "is not something we can ignore. The Troubles are becoming more frequent and more dangerous. We need to learn how to defend ourselves, and also how to protect the people who don't know about this."
He explained to me that the wind he controlled was just one of the many abilities the Marked could possess. There were people who could control fire, water, earth, even electricity. Each ability was unique, a different manifestation of the energy that marked us.
"Your connection to metal is powerful, Ryu Hyuk," Min-ah told me. "I saw it when you lifted that part of the fountain. You need to learn to focus that energy, to direct it with precision. I'll teach you."
The thought filled me with hope. Finally, I wasn't alone. There was someone who understood what I was going through, someone who could help me control my powers. Maybe, together, we could make a difference.
"Will you really help me?" I asked, feeling a surge of gratitude toward this girl I barely knew.
Min-ah smiled. "Of course, Ryu Hyuk. That's what the Marked are for. To look out for each other."
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