Chapter 15: Eat ice when born

Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Eat ice when born As Betty slit the last zombie’s throat, she exhaled and walked calmly among the fallen bodies, specifically targeting those with green eyes. Dodging the broken boulders, she crouched beside them, she began slicing their necks open and collecting small glowing green cores, placing each one carefully into her jacket pocket. David tilted his head, confused as he watched her. He approached, eyes narrowing when he saw the shimmering green marble resting in her palm. "What is that?" Startled, Betty flinched with a soft gasp."Ehhh!" The marble flew from her hand toward the misty air. Before she could catch it, David’s hand shot up above her and plucked it out of the air effortlessly. "Hey! Give it back!" Betty snapped, glaring at him. David examined the core with a blank expression."Not my fault. It was airborne. That means it belonged to no one." Betty stared at him, utterly speechless. She pointed a trembling finger."W-What are you, five?! What kind of excuse is that?!" Ethan wandered over, glancing between David and the glowing core."Hey, lil’ bro, what is this thing?" he asked, eyes darting toward the marble, then to Betty. Betty sighed deeply and ran a hand through her messy hair.’Haah... It’s not like I can keep it a secret forever. In a week or so, everyone will probably know about it anyway.’ She raised her hand expectantly toward David. He frowned slightly at the gesture. "First, give me mine back. You can get your own from the others. I’m not touching another zombie just to avoid that disgusting smell." A faint smirk crossed David’s lips as he dropped the core into her hand. Betty tucked it back into her jacket pocket and looked up, strands of hair sticking to her sweat-damp forehead. "Alright, listen. That thing—you can find it in zombies with green eyes. Crush it, and it gives you strength. It’s how you survive longer." Ethan’s eyes widened in awe."S-So you’re saying... I can become powerful? Like anime heroes?!" Betty’s blue eyes sparkled. She immediately stepped closer and slapped his shoulder—hard. "You watch anime?! Which one’s your favorite? Tell me!" Ethan froze, eyes wide, rubbing his shoulder like he’d just been hit by an iron bat. "D-Damn, bro... that slap was real—so unlike your body." Any warmth Betty had felt instantly evaporated. She rubbed her temples and sighed, clearly regretting the conversation."Why am I even talking to you? I thought I’d finally found someone like me... Tch." Her eyes shifted to David, who was quietly inspecting a zombie. After checking its eyes, he moved on to another, then calmly slit its neck. Betty crossed her arms, watching as he collected a green core without flinching or pulling a disgusted face. ’Why does his expression always look like that? Did he eat ice cubes straight out of the womb?’ David clenched the marble tightly in his hand. The core cracked, releasing a soft green smoke that seeped into his skin. Betty tilted her head, surprised by his calm reaction. ’Whoa... He’s not even flinching. Did he not feel pain at all?’ She moved closer, noticing the slight sheen of sweat forming on his forehead. ’Ah... so he does feel it. He’s just good at hiding pain.’ Meanwhile, Ethan—fired up—was eagerly searching for zombies with green eyes. Suddenly, Betty’s breath caught as she noticed something forming around David: faint red particles, swirling slowly around his body. ’N-No way... he’s triggering a power in first try already? That’s insane. He’s lucky—too lucky.’ David slowly opened his eyes and looked at his hands, flexing them."I... I feel strong," he murmured under his breath. Standing straighter, he could feel energy pulsing through his muscles—power humming beneath his skin like water waves. "GAAAAAHHH!" Betty spun around just in time to see Ethan leaping into the air, screaming like he’d been set on fire. Henry, panicking, clamped both hands over Ethan’s mouth to muffle him. The result was a high-pitched, strangled squeal. Betty couldn’t help it—she chuckled, watching Ethan’s twisted expression as he flailed dramatically, enjoying his misery. David, unfazed by the scene behind him, remained focused on his own body. Something felt... different. A strange energy coursed through him—wild yet in his control. Then, without warning, a flickering flame burst to life in the center of his palm, casting a warm glow around him and heating the chilly air. Betty, standing nearby, felt the sudden warmth brush against her skin. She turned toward him—and her jaw dropped. Her mouth formed a stunned "O" as she stared at the fire dancing across his hand. ’F-Fire? Did I see that right? That’s... fire. One of the rarest elements—just after lightning.’ Her shoulders slumped in silent frustration, an invisible weight settling over her. ’Why... Why him? I want cool powers too! Physical strength is great, sure, but this? This is next-level! And me? I didn’t even awaken the ice ability that the original owner of this body was supposed to have!’ She sighed internally, watching the fire flicker and twist in David’s palm enviously.