《Love Crunch》 Chapter 0: Prologue My name is Mika. I live in a place full of people who use a power called Glare. A power granted by The King. All of the powers are granted Tiers. Strength Tier for combat Glares. Spy Tiers for intelligence Glares. Secretary Tier for non-combat Glares. There is one more that is only granted to people with God-like Glares, The Sanguine Tier... With my brain feeling like it imploded, I stood up from my bed and did my morning routine. ¡°Mika!¡± I heard someone call my name from my apartment. ¡°Mika!¡± It repeated. ¡°Hurry up! We will miss the bus¡±. The voice repeated. ¡°That voice is that,¡± I asked myself, and that¡¯s when my mind clicked. ¡°It¡¯s Sabrina!¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Sabrina, she is my childhood friend. We grew up in a shambled town called Dirty Corner. That was before we both moved to Tounemme. We study at Sky High University. ¡°Go on Sabrina, you¡¯d miss the class if you wait for me.¡± I said before having breakfast, ¡°Don¡¯t let your boyfriend waiting for you.¡± I continued. ¡°Don¡¯t be bitter, Mika. Just go out and find someone already.¡± Sabrina answered. ¡°Anthony isn¡¯t going anywhere without me anyways.¡± She added. I sighed, finished my breakfast, and continued my routine. Took me half an hour, I was late for class. It wasn¡¯t my first rodeo anyways. Chapter 1: Sky High University School day, one of the most boring times in my 19 years of life. Glare Practice is pretty fun. Most of the time. Sabrina and her boyfriend; Anthony, are just being lovey-dovey every day. I should stop by Ethan¡¯s later. ¡°Sabrina, let¡¯s visit Ethan¡¯s,¡± I told her. ¡°Ethan¡¯s? Sure, I could use a pint or two.¡± Sabrina answered to me. How many years has it been since that day? I should visit them soon. They probably hate me for not visiting often. ¡°Mika? Are you drifting off again?¡± A voice asked me. ¡°That¡¯s-¡°I said before getting cut off. ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s me; Mikael Trev¡±. Mikael? Oh, that Mikael. My first neighbor in Tounemme. Pretty annoying at first, didn¡¯t stop showing me his grimoire collection. He¡¯s a Spy Tier, his Glare can be used to see people through walls by their heat. Much like a thermal camera.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Mika, where are you? We¡¯re waiting at Ethan¡¯s¡± Sabrina? Oh, it¡¯s her Glare. She¡¯s also a Spy Tier. A Glare able to telepathically speak to other people. I should head out to Ethan¡¯s now. I consider this a morning stroll, from SHU to Ethan¡¯s. Studying for the upcoming exams sure is stressful. Headmaster Erin would rip my badge off if I fail 3 subjects. Considering she¡¯s a Sanguine Tier, most of the authorities in Tounemme fear her. No one even knows her Glare. Rumors says she can control the weather itself, or even make people¡¯s blood boil and explode. I should really get out her way, I don¡¯t want to become a puddle of blood. Well, I try not to. Chapter 2: Ethans There it is, Ethan¡¯s. A bar ran by Ethan White. A middle-aged man who is a Spy Tier. A Glare able to make people drift off and sleep. He also has a child; Madalyn. An eight-year-old. She still hasn¡¯t had her Glare awaken yet. ¡°Mika! We¡¯re over here.¡± Sabrina shouted. The lovey-dovey couple, of course, they¡¯re together. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go in,¡± I told them. ¡°Oh, Mika. Been a while since you came.¡± Ethan said. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been busy with school,¡± I replied, well it¡¯s a bit of a lie. Practicing Glare can take a toll on my body. ¡°Hey Ethan, We¡¯d take the usual drink.¡± Said Sabrina. ¡°Oh? The usual it is then, don¡¯t forget to pay up this time, Sabrina.¡± Ethan answered. Ethan¡¯s. It¡¯s been a year or two since I came here. Nothing changed at all. ¡°Well now, the little puppy Mika has strolled in.¡± There they are. Bullies. Wince, the lastborn of Headmaster Erin. Elaine, treasurer of SHU¡¯s Velocity Club. Catherine, the adopted daughter of Tounemme¡¯s royal family. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked them. ¡°Well, come to the back. We will show you.¡± Wince answered me. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Mika, They¡¯d just beat you up again,¡± Anthony warned. ¡°I¡¯m used to this, Anthony. It¡¯s okay.¡± I said with a faint smirk. ¡°Wince,¡± Ethan said with a calm yet intimidating voice. ¡°Hey, old man. You should really mind your own business.¡± Said Elaine. ¡°I don¡¯t want to send kids to the hospital, leave or that¡¯s where you three will stay for a week,¡± Ethan said, now with a more frightening look. ¡°You¡¯re a mere Spy Tier, Ethan.¡± Wince rebutted. ¡°And this mere Spy Tier will make even the Headmaster crawl,¡± Ethan answered. ¡°Tch, Come on you guys,¡± Catherine said.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Thanks for that, Ethan,¡± I told him. ¡°You should really avoid fighting those three, Mika.¡± Ethan said, ¡°Your mother wouldn¡¯t like it.¡± He continued. ¡°I know that, Ethan. Besides, she didn¡¯t even join me during that day.¡± I said. I went out the bar to get some air. Why would Ethan mention mother? Ethan knows more than he says. I should retire for this day. It¡¯s already sunset. Mother, huh. I should visit her. Chapter 3: Mother It¡¯s been 3 whole days ever since that accident in Ethan¡¯s. I should send a Messenger Raven to Mikael, I don¡¯t want to visit mother alone. I should wait for Mikael to reply, knowing him he¡¯d take a day or two. Waiting is so boring. I should just practice my Glare. ¡°Mika, why¡¯d you send me a Raven when I was outside your house?¡± Mikael asked. ¡°Mikael? You were outside the whole time?¡± I rebutted. ¡°Did you just answer me with a question, Mika?¡± Mikael continued. ¡°Well, you caught me off guard,¡± I answered with a nervous chuckle. That was really awkward. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, Mikael. Two days from now, I want you to join me. I will visit my mother.¡± I continued now with a more serious mood. Two days after they talked. It¡¯s been 10 minutes late. That damn Mikael. I should just go in. Tounemme Cemetery, It has really been a while. Mother. Headmaster Erin would probably not be able to handle going here.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She and mother used to run things 18 years ago. Mother was a Sanguine Tier, her Glare was even acknowledged by the King himself. The ability to control people with just a wave of a finger. It¡¯s been 13 years ever since I visited her, hopefully, her soul isn¡¯t mad at me. Hopefully. I knelt in front of my mother¡¯s grave. ¡°Ethel Aristotle¡± I mumbled to myself. ¡°Hey, mother. I just wanted to say sorry.¡± I continued. Tears started to fall down my face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t carry on the Aristotle name. I was too weak that I couldn¡¯t control my own Glare. Forgive me, Mother.¡± I said before breaking down. It started raining during my breakdown, it was probably my sadness that contributed to it. I should head out now. ¡°Goodbye, mother.¡¯ I told her before leaving the cemetery. I really don¡¯t like using my Glare. It reminds me too much of my brother. ¡°The daughter of the late Ethel.¡± A female voice whispered. ¡°You probably don¡¯t remember me, but hopefully soon you will.¡± The voice continued before moving away. I should go to the SHU Library, I need some research about that accident. ~End~ Chapter 4: 18 Years Ago My name is Erthel Aristotle. I am a Sanguine Tier, along with my partner Erin Tounemme. ¡°Erin!¡± I shouted to get her attention, she seemed occupied or distracted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to shout Ethel.¡± She answered with a smirk. ¡°You have to be focused, we¡¯re delving into The Ancient City of Vrisgaard.¡± I continued with a serious tone. ¡°I know, Erthel. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to die. We¡¯re both Sanguine Tier.¡± Erin answered confidently as if she¡¯s not scared. She¡¯s too confident. It¡¯s kind of sad, to be honest. Here it is. The entrance to Vrisgaard. Much like a dungeon or a ruin, filled with traps and monsters. This one is unique even among the most dangerous ruins. It¡¯s manmade not placed. Who would¡¯ve made such a dangerous ruin? Are those Minotaurs? Minotaurs in a ruin that¡¯s even too dangerous for them. ¡°Let¡¯s enter, Erthel. After that, we drink at Ethan¡¯s.¡± Erin said with a smile. ¡°Sure, you¡¯re paying this time,¡± I answered.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it I hope it was only that easy¡­ ¡°Erin! Go on!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs. That was all my strength. Erin should live on. My body is slowly turning into stone. It was an Ur-Gargoyle. My Glare was pretty useless against it. ¡°Erthel, I am not going to leave you behind. Be it a statue of you, or just you.¡± Erin answered with a frustrated look. She really was stubborn. ¡°Erin, please go. I¡¯m going to try a reawakening.¡± I demanded with a bit of cowardice. ¡°You better meet me at the entrance, Erthel.¡± Erin said before running away. ¡°Summon, Khryshn. Manipulator of flame and magma. Heed your new master.¡± Summoning Khryshn cost me my life and my strength. My Glare is being able to summon the Higher Beings. Creatures who control things that hold the universe together, in the cost of my strength. I¡¯m sorry Mika. ~End~ Chapter 5: Transferee My name is Mika Aristotle. Last living Aristotle in the world, I think. I don¡¯t even know where father went after my mother¡¯s death. ¡°Tuesday, 7th Month. 2 more weeks before the exam,¡± I said to myself. I should head out to school. Sky¡¯s dark, I should bring an umbrella. First-class should be Homeroom. 10 minutes later. ¡°Okay, class. We have three transferee students.¡± Said the teacher. Transferees? Hopefully one of them is a Strength Tier. ¡°These are your new classmates; Princess, Phoenix, and Roy.¡± The teacher continued. ¡°Hey all, I¡¯m Princess. I¡¯m a Spy Tier, My Glare can make people lose iron in the body.¡± Princess introduced herself. She actually looks kind of cute. Here comes Phoenix. ¡°I¡¯m Phoenix. My Glare can make anything combust.¡± Phoenix is really straightforward. I like it. The last one should be Roy. ¡°My name is Roy. I¡¯m a Strength Tier. I will not tell you my Glare.¡± Mysterious. He doesn¡¯t tell the class his Glare. Well, even I didn¡¯t tell my Glare. ¡°Oh, and by the way. Phoenix is mine.¡± Princess said with a gleeful look. Oh boy, another couple.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. This isn¡¯t annoying at all. First Sabrina then now Princess. ¡°Hey, Mika!¡± Sabrina called out. ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± I said to myself. ¡°Come, let¡¯s get lunch.¡± Sabrina continued. I sighed and followed her to the cafeteria. Now that I think about it. I only came to the cafeteria once. I saw something at the corner of my eye. It was like a shadow or a form. ¡°Hey, Sabrina. I¡¯m going to check something out.¡± I told her before walking away. ¡°Well, well, well. Mika Aristotle.¡± Whispered the female voice. ¡°Sanguine Tier. Luna.¡± I told the voice. ¡°The only person who can equally fight Headmaster Erin.¡± I continued. ¡°Come, Erthel, your mother wanted me to give you to this when I see you next time,¡± Luna told me. Luna Lumen. She¡¯s pretty strong. It was her who called me out at the cemetery. ~End~ Chapter 6: Parting Gift Luna forced me to follow her, to Ethan¡¯s. We could¡¯ve gone to SHU Library, I had some things to research always. ¡°Miss Luna, why are we going to a bar?¡± I asked. ¡°Well, this is where I live.¡± She answered Does she live in Ethan¡¯s? That¡¯s weird. Ethan never mentioned her. We went in and the door chime rang as the door closed. ¡°We¡¯re closed, ¡° Ethan said while he¡¯s back was turned on us.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°I will be damned, you showed up.¡± Ethan continued now looking at us. ¡°Well, of course. I am your darling wife after all.¡± Luna rebutted. Wife? Wife?! Does that mean Madalyn is Luna¡¯s daughter? ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, Mika. Yes, Madalyn is my daughter. Yes, Ethan is my husband. I don¡¯t carry his name as they could be targeted by people against me.¡± Luna continued. ¡°So, what did you come here for?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°Erthel¡¯s gift for Mika,¡± Luna answered. Ethan went to the Employees Only room. I could hear him scrounge up something. Seems heavy. ¡°Here,¡± Ethan spoke as he put the box on top of the table. ¡°Real mysterious, mother,¡± I said before going to the box. I opened it, it was a book. Specifically a grimoire. ¡°That¡¯s your mother¡¯s grimoire, Mika. She wanted you to have it.¡± Luna told me as she looked at me. ¡°A grimoire? I should ask Mikael.¡± I told Luna before walking to the door. ¡°Mika. Don¡¯t.¡± Luna called out. ¡°It¡¯s best for other people to not know about this, even your friends.¡± She continued. Not even them? Just what is in that Grimoire? I should ask Luna. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± I asked them. ¡°It¡¯s how you can control your Glare,¡± Ethan answered. ¡°My Glare?¡± I asked in confusion. The problem with my Glare. My body can¡¯t handle it. It''s a burden. ~End~ Chapter 7: Mikas Glare ¡°I can¡¯t control my Glare, Luna,¡± I told her with visible frustration. ¡°That¡¯s why she gave you this. It¡¯s for you to be able to control it.¡± Luna replied. I went to open up the book. I suddenly got a chill. ¡°Vjetar. The wind spirit.¡± Ethan said before collapsing. Ethan collapsed, just what is happening? A gush of wind pushed me out of the bar. ¡°You. I sense my master¡¯s blood in you,¡± spoke Vjetar while slowly drifting towards me.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He looked me towards my eyes as I had trouble standing up from the wind. ¡°You¡¯re Glare. You can¡¯t handle it, can you?¡± He continued. ¡°How do you know about it?¡± I asked. ¡°My master knew her child would not be able to handle it. She assigned me to train you when you are of age.¡± Vjetar answered with his arms crossed. Vjetar stopped the rough winds he has been making. He transformed into an adult man with white hair and a ripped body. Fairly tall too. ¡°I cannot train you in my previous form, Mika,¡± Vjetar explained. ¡°Vjetar!¡± Headmaster Erin shouted. ¡°Why are you here? Who is protecting Erthel from the Beyond?¡± She asked with a concerned look. ¡°Erthel assigned me a task to train her daughter. Besides Tempest protects master.¡± Vjetar reassured Erin. Luna stepped out of the bar, with a shocked face. ¡°Erin,¡± Luna said with a tear. The headmaster was shocked. A storm brewed because of her Glare. Sabrina and the others went out of the apartments to see what was happening. ¡°Luna, why are you here?¡± Erin asked with anger and sadness in her eyes. ¡°Look, I can explain why I¡¯m back at Tounemme.¡± Luna tried to reassure her. Erin was blinded with anger and tried to hit her with bolts of lightning. Ethan ran as fast as he can to use his Glare at Erin. They all slowed down to the point they didn¡¯t move. That¡¯s when I realized. I accidentally activated my Glare, without my body breaking apart. I stopped time. ~End~ Chapter 8: Witch Luna Lumen ¡°I stopped time,¡± I said to myself ¡°I finally did it without breaking my body.¡± I continued I walked towards Luna and Erin. I pushed Erin and Luna apart. Time went forward as usual after that. ¡°What happened?¡± Ethan asked with extreme confusion. ¡°Mika, did you use your Glare?¡± Sabrina asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Luna¡­ You witch. Why are you in Tounemme?¡± Erin demanded an answer. ¡°I wanted to visit the Aristotles.¡± Luna answered. ¡°You didn¡¯t help me, Luna. If you did; Mika would still have her mother.¡± Erin rebutted. ¡°Miss Luna¡­ Didn¡¯t help mother?¡± I asked myself ¡°Ethan use your Glare on Mika!¡± shouted Vjetar. I drifted off to sleep. I didn¡¯t remember anything after that. I woke up 3 days later. With the sound of raindrops hitting the window. ¡°Where am I?¡± I asked myself. ¡°You¡¯re in Freis.¡± Mikael answered. ¡°Freis? How are we so far away from Tounemme?¡± I asked Mikael. Mikael explained to me what happened that night. It was traumatic. ¡°Vjetar is coming here later.¡± Mikael continued. ¡°Mikael, is Sabrina here?¡± I asked again. ¡°I¡¯ll call her in,¡± Mikael answered then left the room. I waited for a minute and a half then Sabrina entered. ¡°Hey, Mika,¡± Sabrina called out with a monotone voice. ¡°About Witch Luna.¡± Sabrina continued. ¡°Witch Luna? What do you mean?¡± I asked question after question. ¡°She¡¯s missing,¡± Sabrina answered. ¡°Sabrina, I used my Glare,¡± I told her trying to lighten up the mood. ¡°I know, Mika. Who would¡¯ve thought you can use that.¡± Sabrina answered. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your tier? You never told me even when we were in the Dirty Corner.¡± Sabrina asked. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± I stuttered. ¡°Anyways, come I¡¯ll show you outside,¡± Sabrina reassured me that I can go out later and explore Freis. Chapter 9: Freis While sitting in my wheelchair, Sabrina pushed me around town. We explored such a magnificent place. Filled with people of many races. When we reached the town center, there was a crowd. Sabrina asked a bystander what was happening. Apparently 3 Sanguine Tiers are there. They¡¯re Freis¡¯ Big Three. Sanguine Tier, Pretzel. Her Glare is the control of shadows. Sanguine Tier, Sophia. Her Glare is the ability to shapeshift to anything and anyone.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Sanguine Tier, Incy. Her Glare is the cancellation of anyone¡¯s Glare as long as she has tagged that person. ¡°The atmosphere is heavy,¡± I muttered to Sabrina. ¡°Yeah, I can feel it. The Big Three of Freis in one place. ¡°Hey, Sabrina. That Incy looks similar to Princess from Tounemme.¡± I told her with some curiosity. Sabrina pushed me to get a closer look. We stopped midway because of Pretzel. ¡°Look at this poor girl. She can¡¯t even walk because she¡¯s weak.¡± Pretzel spoke with a mocking tone. ¡°Stop it, Pretzel.¡± said Incy. ¡°You¡¯re both from Tounemme, aren¡¯t you.¡± She continued. We both nodded and got away from Pretzel¡¯s Glare. ¡°Word of advice; don¡¯t go out at night,¡± Sophia advised us. The three walked away after that. Vjetar came after an hour. He explained why we should stay indoors. There¡¯s a wandering soul of a Sanguine-Tier. We stayed in Freis for a week before leaving out. Incy was Princess¡¯s sister. We knew that fact. My legs were already healed before leaving Freis. Vjetar hired a whisperer for a dragon-carriage. We arrived at Tounemme in no time. It was in ruins. Chapter 10: Home Destruction ¡°Vjetar. What happened?¡± I asked. Vjetar, with a look of disbelief and confusion, ran to the town. Sabrina and I followed suit. We saw the Ethan¡¯s, well, what¡¯s left of it that is. ¡°Our home. It¡¯s broken.¡± Sabrina muttered before kneeling and crying.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. We found the town¡¯s bunker, the residents were all there. ¡°Mika,¡± Mikael called out with a soft voice. I ran towards him to hug him. He helped everyone hide to the bunker. Roy turned out to work for an organization with a goal to defeat the King. ¡°Where¡¯s Headmaster?¡± I asked, worried. Mikael pointed to a casket. Headmaster Erin was killed while protecting the residents. I ran out of the bunker to go to the cemetery. Most of the graves were dugout. Even mother¡¯s. I was mad. I wasn¡¯t available to save them. I let them desecrate my mother¡¯s grave. Mikael and Vjetar ran out to find me in the cemetery. ¡°Mother¡¯s grave,¡± I muttered.