Global Awakening: Starting With Ten SSS-Rank Talents

”Big brother, you are back!”

A small, cheerful voice echoed through the narrow hallway.Jet pushed open the old wooden door to his apartment.

Before he could even react or step completely inside, a tiny figure lunged toward him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and clinging to his body.

Jet froze on the spot. His face went entirely blank for a moment as the weight of the small figure registering against his chest brought a wave of overwhelming reality over him.

His body started to shake slightly.

His eyes turned red as warmth flooded his vision, and a few silent tears formed at the corners of his eyes, slowly flowing down his pale cheeks. She was warm. She was breathing.

”Hmm... big brother, are you okay? Why aren’t you hugging me back?” The small figure grumbled in a distinctly displeased tone, digging her head deeper into his shirt.

Jet quickly came back to his senses. He brushed away his tears with the back of his hand and wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her as if she might disappear if he let go.

”I’m sorry... I’m so sorry, Inez.”

After a long moment, he gently let go and knelt down on the floor to look at her. Standing directly in front of him was a small girl about seven years old.

She possessed the exact same platinum hair color as Jet, but hers was far more vibrant and full of life. For a seven-year-old child, it was remarkably long, currently tied up into a big, messy bun with loose bangs falling over her forehead.She had big, dazzling white pupils.

Looking into them, it almost seemed as if she were blind, but it was simply a rare familial trait. Both she and Jet shared these pure white pupils, matching their stark hair perfectly.

With her big, round, chubby cheeks and small red lips, she was simply too cute for words.

”How is my beautiful little sister doing?” Jet poked her chubby cheek, a genuine smile breaking across his tired face.

”Come on, brother, why do you keep poking my cheeks like that?” the little girl pouted.

Despite her words, she didn’t try to stop Jet at all. In fact, her eyes squinted with delight, clearly enjoying the affection.

Jet shook his head, continuing to pinch the soft skin gently. ”Well, Inez, I think your cheeks are just too soft. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of poking them.

”Inez stuck out her pink tongue at Jet and giggled softly. She seemed to think of something important, suddenly placing her tiny hands on Jet’s cheeks and looking directly into his eyes.

”Well, big brother, how did the meeting with Miriam go? Did you finally propose to marry her?” Inez asked, a mischievous look dancing in her white eyes.

Hearing that name, Jet’s mind flashed back to the quiet coffee shop, the harsh slap, and the broken relationship.

His lips twitched slightly at the memory.

”I completely forgot about that,” he muttered to himself.Jet sighed softly, reaching up to ruffle Inez’s platinum hair.

He shook his head, forcing a sad, exaggerated look onto his face. ”Well, your big brother got dumped. Now I am all sad and heartbroken.”

”What!” Inez’s little mouth flew wide open.

The look of pure, unadulterated shock on her face was incredibly adorable.

”How dare that woman dump my brother! Doesn’t she know that my brother is a once-in-a-million handsome guy? Let me go! Let me go and teach her a lesson! Nobody dumps my brother!”

Inez’s face turned completely furious, a bright shade of red creeping up her neck as she began to struggle wildly in Jet’s arms.

She kicked her legs back and forth in the air, her tiny hands curled into tight fists.

”Okay, okay, calm down, little ancestor,” Jet said, holding her securely while shaking his head with a laugh. ”I don’t want you getting into trouble. After all, you might put Miriam in a coma with your mighty strength.”

”Hmph... she is really lucky,” Inez snorted, finally ceasing her kicking.

She puffed out her chest and raised her head high in the air. ”If it wasn’t for you stopping me, I would have gone straight to her and taught her a very painful lesson.”

Jet smiled as he looked at his sister, various complex emotions rising in his chest. A deep, heavy warmth settled over him, but he immediately buried those intense feelings down.

He couldn’t afford to get emotional right now.Inez easily struggled out of Jet’s arms and turned around to run off toward the back of the apartment.

”Where are you going?” Jet called out behind her.

”Since you got your heart broken, let this little sister of yours go and cook some food for you to heal your heart!” she threw the sentence over her shoulder before disappearing into the kitchen.

Jet shook his head, a slight smile remaining on his lips as he slowly stood up to his full height. Standing at the entrance, he got a clear, unobstructed view of the apartment. It was a three-bedroom unit, quite big and spacious, featuring two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a large living room.

This property was the only good asset his parents had left behind for him and Inez.However, the monthly maintenance bills and property taxes that came with it were absolutely crippling for a standard citizen.

In his past life, Jet had frequently harbored thoughts of selling the place to ease his financial burdens, but ultimately he had always decided against it.

This apartment was located safely near the academy Inez was currently attending.

”Still the same,” Jet whispered, taking a deep breath of the familiar home air.He slowly made his way over to the living room sofa, sinking into the soft cushions.

Pulling his smartphone out of his pocket, he unlocked the screen and opened his primary digital banking app to view his finances.

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[ Metro National Bank ]

Account Holder : Jethro Saint-Clair

Account Type : Savings

Account Number : 4920

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AVAILABLE BALANCE:

$100,000.00.

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