[Rocs Media Company]

In his humble office, seated behind his shiny wooden desk, James scoured article after article, his square spectacles flickering with light. The journalist was tasked with writing a piece on a certain individual and was currently in the research phase.

James hadn't entered the project ignorant. Not only did he know about the person of interest beforehand, but the bespectacled man was also well acquainted with his subject's life story; he was a huge fan - a man among millions. So, when his boss dropped the project on his desk, he was overjoyed. Doing research allowed him to fill in the gaps in his knowledge. It was fulfilling. 

Hearing knocks, James' eyes left his laptop. He removed his earbuds and shifted his sights to the doorway. Seconds later, a rotund middle-aged man with a mighty moustache entered. He recognized the man as his superior, Paul Mackey.  

"How are things coming along?” Paul asked, gently dabbing his sweaty cheek with a white handkerchief.

“Good,” James replied. 

“Hmm, did you get in contact with him already?” 

“Yes…I did.” 

“And?” 

“It's a no.” 

Paul sighed. “Well, it was a long shot anyway. He’s always been a clammy one.” 

“Can you blame him?" James asked rhetorically as he looked at the printed papers on his desk. "Looking into his history, everything makes sense. Abandoned at an orphanage, and that orphanage of all places, then shuffled from home to home, rejected, abused or taken advantage of. It's no wonder he became a blizzard in human form. No one’s gotten more than a few words out of him. That man lives in his own world.” 

Paul nodded in understanding. 

“What now? Should I still write the article?” 

“Of course!” Paul's moustache quivered violently as his voice rose. “We can’t miss out. Cold as he is, that man is a hot commodity. Just having his name in the article will draw countless eyes. James, I leave it to you. Feel free to get flowery; readers love shit.” 

“Sure, sure. I’ll get to it.” 

Nodding, Paul made his exit. Soon, James' fingers began their tap-dance across the keyboard. 

***

Eyeballs tracked Rei's striding form with great interest as he moved down the street. To draw attention to himself was the norm. Even those ignorant of his famed identity couldn't help but throw a few glances his way. 

His handsome features and impeccable sense of style combined to make him the epitome of perfect eye candy. What truly yanked at others' attention, though, more than anything else, was his unusual hair and eye colour, both a silver hue. The unnatural colour scheme naturally stood out. He wasn’t in an anime world, after all. 

The silver on display came from neither dye nor contacts. It had just naturally become like that. Over time, his blonde hair and blue eyes faded until it was both an ethereal silver. 

Medical professionals couldn't make sense of the happening. Rei seemed to be the first in history to show this biological phenomenon. Much was made of his condition. Rei didn’t think much of it, though. From what he could tell, it was purely cosmetic. The colour change hadn’t increased his power level at all.  

Finding an empty bench, Rei sat down. He pulled out his smartphone and opened his internet browser. Eyes falling on the recommended articles, he caught sight of his likeness and moniker. He thumbed over the link, tempted by curiosity. Against his better judgment, he clicked on the article.

‘Mistakes, everyone makes them. Even the heavens aren’t immune to errors. Every now and then, when divvying up talents, something goes awry, and an individual will end up with more talents than normal. We call such individuals gifted or geniuses. Rei Winters is no doubt a product of such a mistake, but instead of a few extra, the man in question has been blessed with thousands of talents. Many only know him as a prolific chess Grandmaster with engine-like prowess, but this, in fact, is only the tip of the iceberg, dear readers. Allow me to…’ 

Rei’s eyes ceased their advance. He backtracked a bit and honed in on the claim about his number of talents. ‘Thousands of talents, huh.’ His mind sank deep as he pondered the quote. 

While Rei didn’t have thousands of talents, the gist of the statement was undoubtedly true. Rei was overflowing with talent. He excelled in everything he put his mind to, and very quickly at that. 

Martial arts, weaponry, coding, animation, video game creation, art, gaming, languages, board games...

His prodigious nature allowed him to become extremely proficient in many fields and domains. It also brought him tremendous wealth. At age 23, he was a multimillionaire, and his riches were only climbing. In RPG game terms, his character would have maxed out stats. In the eyes of society, he was a winner among winners.  

If one only looked at these aspects, one might conclude that Rei lived a happy and fulfilling life. But this was the furthest from the truth. He was well acquainted with momentary pleasure and comfort, but happiness? This was an emotion most unfamiliar to Rei.  

Three days after his seventh birthday was the first time he could say he experienced the emotion. It was the day he left that cursed orphanage. The person who adopted him was Roger Owens, a man who radiated warmth and kindness. The middle-aged man lived a comfortable life with his much younger wife, Rachel. 

Rei didn’t take to the couple immediately. His abandonment as a child, his life at the orphanage, and his natural reticent nature made him slow to warm. Rachel quickly gave up trying to connect, but Roger was different. He was persistent and showered his adopted son with kindness and consideration. The combination thawed away at the ice walls around Rei's heart, slowly but surely.

Then, one day, said wall collapsed. Rei left the confines of his room to find his foster father. Rei found him in the living room. Roger was wearing a serious face as his eyes were fixed on a chessboard. The middle-aged man’s mind worked hard to solve the chess puzzle his coworker had given him earlier that day. Noticing Rei's eyes on him, Roger flashed a kind smile. 

Interested, Rei?

This simple question marked the beginning of the longest span of happiness Rei would experience. Learning the game’s rules, the distance between him and his adopted father shrunk - rapidly. It became the two’s thing. Wanting to impress his father, Rei actively tried to improve his understanding and mastery of the game. 

When this dedication combined with his prodigious talent, his chess ability skyrocketed. Roger was very quickly caught up to and then surpassed. The man was overjoyed and praised Rei’s smarts. 

The two began branching out into other activities, and again, Roger was left impressed by the ease with which Rei took to things. Their relationship grew stronger and stronger day by day. Rei, who had for so long sheltered his heart, began opening up. 

But this proved to be a mistake. 

Rachel’s two children from her previous marriage started living with them after something had happened in their father’s household. Rei wasn’t privy to the details. His new siblings consisted of a 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl. Rei didn’t think much of their arrival. He was nervous, as he was still bad with people, but at the same time, he was excited to increase the number of his bonds. 

Sadly, things didn't unfold as he had hoped.

Instead of the harmonious addition of family members, the household became filled with tension and noise. Rachel and Roger began clashing, and heated arguments echoed throughout the house.

There was a stark difference in the way Roger looked at Rei and her children. Even as Roger tried to treat the children equally, it couldn’t be more obvious where his affection lay. 

Rei's overflowing talent, which had earned him his foster father's approval and admiration, had a double-edged effect. While it strengthened his bond with Roger, it garnered Rachel and her children's animosity. The difference in treatment drove a wedge in the household. 

Rachel hadn’t been on board with the adoption from the start, something she made known with her screams. Another thing that was thrown out into the open was Roger’s infertility issues. Rachel wasn't done, though. She then tossed an ultimatum his way. With Rei and his wife on the line, Roger made the heart-wrenching choice. 

Sorry. 

Rei would never forget the moment Roger uttered these words to him. His sharp mind went blank, and only later, once back at the orphanage, did his idle mental gears start turning again. Registering what had happened and what was going to happen, the sound of something breaking echoed in his mind, and then the dam in his heart burst. Sadness, despair, sorrow, anger, and a cluster of other negative emotions were felt as tears streamed down his cheeks.

In retrospect, he pinned that fateful event as the day his trust in others was shattered. From that day forth, a cold indifferent light made itself home in his gaze. 

This property had earned him the moniker: The Silver Devil.

‘Just as the advantaged have disadvantages, the disadvantaged have certain advantages. Rei's childhood was tougher than most, but his early years provided the pressure needed to form the diamond he would later become…’ 

Reading further, Rei’s eyes darkened. Feeling the memories of his past stir, he swiped at the screen, dismissing the article.

'I shouldn't have read this shit,' he clicked his tongue.

Putting away his phone, he stood up and strode off. His mood was lowering as his mind lingered on his past. Repressed emotions saw an opening and lunged to the surface. 

Rei’s countenance flickered in distress. 'Not again.'

Without any warning, it happened. He entered Monochrome - as he called it. 

His vibrant, crisp and colourful world became black and white and blurry. Time seemed to slow down dramatically, and the sounds that did reach his ears sounded like they had passed through several metres of water. Breathing became difficult for Rei, and so did moving. He felt like he was trudging through mud. He hated the discomfort stepping into Monochrome brought. It was no different to a nightmare, one that visited him during his waking hours.

Like his silver colour scheme, the psychological phenomenon seemed to be unique to him. He had been plagued by it his entire life and was susceptible to falling into the special state whenever he delved too deeply into his past.

To avoid triggering the phenomenon, Rei kept his mind busy with activities and tasks, like learning or honing a skill, but there were times like now when he would slip up...and find himself trapped in Monochrome's confines.

Moving through the black-and-white world, Rei felt a profound sense of hollowness pass through his being. 

What was he missing? 

The answer was obvious in his eyes. It was the thing he had always wanted. Yet, despite having a clear understanding of what he wanted and the steps he would need to take, Rei was incapable of achieving it. It was just impossible for him.

‘This is happening more and more frequently. How long will I have to live this way? I should just…’ 

Not finishing the thought, his mind honed in on the image of a certain cabinet in his house, specifically the first drawer. Focusing on the singular object in there, Rei’s hand began fingering the air in a certain way. 

 …Don’t!…

This shout sounded from the deepest recesses of his mind. The enormous distance between that place and the surface made hearing it impossible for Rei. But while the voice never reached him, the feelings contained in it did. Striking his soul, Rei was jolted awake, and Monochrome was shattered. 

‘Hmm, perhaps it's too soon for that. There are still many things left to try. I want to experience them first,' Rei mused to himself.

Mere seconds later, his silver sights lit up with desire and excitement. He quickened his pace and entered the shop. In and out two minutes later, the man now cusped a strawberry milkshake in his hand. Taking a sip, a wave of pleasure flooded his being. The colours in his world became more vibrant. 

 ‘Ah, this is straight from heaven. I should keep these on hand more often. This is what makes life worth living,’ he declared with a glimmer in his eyes. 

Nodding at his thoughts, the man acquainted his lips with the straw again and continued his stroll.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, a certain someone continued their observation. Observing Rei's whiplash from one emotional extreme to the other, Ralf couldn't help but ‘smile’ wryly.

 I...diot.