Chapter 1 : The secrets I didn't ask for

Most people think secrets are easy to keep.

You just don’t tell anyone, right?

But they don’t understand what it feels like…

to sit in class pretending everything is normal,

while your heart is racing with something no one else can see.

My name is Shivika.

And if you met me, you probably wouldn’t notice anything special.

I’m quiet at first. I overthink things.

Sometimes I say the wrong thing… or nothing at all.

But I care. Probably too much.

And that’s the problem.

That day, I got into my mom’s car. Everything felt normal, just like any other day. But when I got home, my dog Leo was bouncing around, wagging his tail like crazy. I petted him, laughing at his energy, and then… I went to my room, tired from the day.

When I stepped inside, something on my desk caught my eye—a small, mysterious box I hadn’t noticed before. My hands trembled as I walked closer and reached out to lift the lid.

Inside, something shimmered and glowed, like it had a light of its own. My heart raced. I wanted to look away, to convince myself it wasn’t real, but I couldn’t. It was there, waiting… almost as if it had been expecting me.

I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the glowing light. Every part of me screamed to pull back, to pretend this wasn’t happening. And yet… curiosity won.

Slowly, I reached out. The moment my fingers brushed the surface, a warmth spread through my hand, and a tiny pulse of energy shot up my arm. I stumbled back, wide-eyed.

A voice—soft, calm, and somehow ancient—echoed in my mind again.

“Shivika… I chose you because you care. Because you see things others ignore. You feel deeply, even when it scares you. That is why you were ready, even if you don’t know it yet.”

My stomach twisted. Me? Chosen? I shook my head, unable to believe it.

Why me? I’m… I’m just… normal,” I whispered.

“Normal?” the voice seemed to laugh, gentle but full of power. “You think being quiet, thoughtful, and caring makes you ordinary. But that is exactly why you are extraordinary. You have the heart, the courage, and the patience to carry what I must share with you. And now… the time has come.”

I swallowed hard, my mind spinning with questions I didn’t even know how to ask. Fear and excitement tangled inside me, but one thing was clear: my life had just… changed.

Later, I sank onto my bed, the box still glowing softly on my desk. I rubbed my eyes and whispered to myself, “I must be dreaming. This can’t be real… right?”

I thought about all the dreams I’d had before—dreams where people got akumatized, where chaos spread and I was powerless to stop it. Those dreams had felt so real at the time, twisting my stomach and making me wake up terrified. Could this… could this glowing thing be another one of those dreams?

And yet… the warmth it had sent through me, the way it seemed to know me… it felt different. Real. Part of me wanted to hide under the covers and pretend it wasn’t happening. But another part—the part that had always loved a little adventure—knew one thing for certain: my life had just taken a turn I could never have imagined.

I glanced at the box again, my heart thundering. “If this isn’t a dream… if this is real… then I guess I have no choice but to find out what’s next.”

I took a shaky breath and leaned closer, my fingers trembling as they hovered over the glow. Every instinct screamed to pull back—but something inside me, a tiny spark of courage I didn’t know I had, pushed me forward.

Finally, I touched it.

A surge of warmth and light raced up my arm, and for a moment, it felt like the world around me had melted away. The glow wrapped around my hand, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. My chest tightened with excitement, fear, and something… else.

A whisper, gentle but filled with power, echoed in my mind:

This is only the beginning, Shivika. Your journey has started. Together, we will awaken what has been hidden, and you will see the world in a way you never imagined.”

My eyes widened. The warmth spread through me like fire and electricity all at once, and I could feel… something changing inside me. I didn’t know what I was becoming, but I knew one thing for certain: nothing would ever be the same again.

I pulled my hand back, staring at the box, my heart racing. “This… this is real,” I whispered. “It’s really happening.”

And for the first time, I didn’t feel afraid. Not completely.

Adventure was calling—and somehow, I knew I was ready.

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