Jealousy and insecurity are fundamental traits of humanity—often masked by uplifting virtues, yet inseparable from our nature. Every complete, ordinary human embodies both ugliness and beauty. That is our essence.
Chaos and order. Evil and kindness.
Seemingly contradictory, yet miraculously harmonious. Heart-wrenching, yet profoundly moving—like a pendulum swinging with thrilling uncertainty. Humans possess infinite potential, resilience surpassing even cockroaches. Mirror October never doubted their capacity for miracles.
Even a single candle’s flame,
guided rightly, could burn the heavens and scorch the earth!
In Mumu’s fragmented memories, Mirror October—the boy like winter sunshine—gave her unimaginable courage. When she drowned in self-doubt, he offered unwavering affirmation. A youth radiating warmth despite his own powerlessness.
Staring into the mirror, she saw a slender, freckled face. Her eyes always held a trace of hesitation—the shadow of a girl who once stood ridiculed before crowds, abandoned by the world. One memory cut deepest: a gaze thick with hostile disdain. A flicker of suppressed gloom darkened Mumu’s youthful features. *That person… Jing Ruosui.*
This year’s top S-Class prodigy, pre-selected by the Central Bureau before even completing a mission. Her beauty and physique eclipsed all others. Compared to Jing Ruosui, Mumu felt like a firefly beside a bonfire—her candle-flame powerless to scorch that woman.
*But I can catch up!*
*I will catch up!* That woman—the one who looked at Brother October with *that* gaze—I’ll surpass her! Crush her!!
In the academy training room, Mumu chanted like a mantra. Sweat pooled beneath her feet. The candle-flame in her palm flickered wildly, growing brighter.
Onlookers winced. This wasn’t training—it was self-destruction. Even the supervising instructor frowned but didn’t intervene, curious how long this feverish girl would last. Potential meant nothing without effort. History brimmed with unknown heroes who soared during the Dire Calamity. This timid girl’s sudden frenzy? A promising change—if she endured.
The instructor hesitated, then marked "EXCELLENT" beside Mumu’s name. A rare honor. Few trainees maintained perfect scores.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud!*
Her heart hammered. Muscles screamed. Mumu nearly collapsed—until Mirror October’s trusting smile flashed in her mind. Exhaustion melted into resolve.
*I won’t fail you…*
*I will surpass myself!!!*
The candle-flame surged. At its core, a thread of pure white blazed—terrifyingly bright—before vanishing into orange. Mumu didn’t notice her Heroic Power’s silent evolution.
But someone did.
Across campus, Mirror October’s wine-red eyes snapped open. *That burning will again!* Fiercer than last time. Only his Mirror Flower Node on Mumu caught this anomaly.
He traced pale lips in the butler academy library. Light caught his irises, painting them with intoxicating rainbows. His androgynous beauty stunned every student nearby. Some male trainees sighed inwardly: *If only he were a woman…* Pity he’d serve heroes. Female heroes would wither in envy; male heroes? Tormented by untouchable perfection.
"*Though sun and moon rule the sky, countless stars still shine*," he murmured, skimming a biography while reviewing Dragon Sparrow’s Mirror Flower Node reports. This stagnant world was finally boiling.
The undying giant slumbered in Shadow London. A colossal shadow coiled in the North Sea’s depths, eyeing humanity. Lighthouse Nation’s new Superheroes multiplied. Germany’s Third Reich stirred. Europe’s religious wars intensified. Even Huaguo trembled under Jigsaw Sect’s hidden claws. Four years of peace had ended. The world entered its cyclical era of fire.
*Exquisite.*
Mirror October’s lips curved into a flawless, silent smile.
"I smell it on the wind… England’s sea breeze. Rotting corpses and living fear. You’ve returned, Kenrack. Hunting me? *Heh heh heh.* But this time, your opponent isn’t me. It’s someone else."
His rainbow eyes gazed into the future. He waited. Ready.
