Aryan took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before recounting the events of that fateful day. "Alright," he said, his voice steady but his eyes distant as if reliving the memory. "I'll tell you what happened. As we all know, there was a heavy downpour that day."
Reva and Sano exchanged a glance, both nodding in agreement. The rain had been relentless, a torrential downpour that seemed to set the mood for something ominous. Aryan continued, his voice lowering as he delved deeper into his memories.
"At first, everything was normal. I was working, just like any other day. The construction site was noisy, the rain beating down on the steel beams and half-built walls, but we were used to that. It's part of the job." His hands trembled slightly, but he steadied himself, determined to continue. "Then something strange happened. The sky, which had been dark and stormy, suddenly cleared. Not gradually, but all at once, as if someone had flipped a switch."
Sano's brows furrowed. "It cleared? In the middle of that storm?"
Aryan nodded, his expression grim. "Yes. It was bright. Too bright. And that's when I felt it—something was wrong. There was this... energy, this presence in the air. At first, I couldn't place it. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It wasn't just the storm clearing that caught my attention. It was as if the atmosphere itself changed. There was this heavy pressure, almost like the air was thick with some kind of... power."
Reva listened intently, nodding for Aryan to continue. Sano remained silent, though his sharp gaze never left Aryan's face.
"I looked up," Aryan said, his voice dropping to a near whisper as he recalled the terrifying moment. "And that's when I saw it—this strange energy descending from the sky. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, shimmering, twisting, and crackling with power. At first, I thought it was lightning, but it wasn't. It was more controlled, more... deliberate. And the strangest part was that it seemed to take on a shape."
Reva's eyes narrowed. "A shape?"
"Yes," Aryan confirmed, nodding. "It looked like a sword. A massive sword made of pure energy, descending straight toward the construction site. It was brilliant, almost blinding, yet it didn't come with thunder or sound. Just this... terrible silence."
The room fell silent as Aryan described the scene. Even Sano, who had been tense throughout the conversation, seemed captivated by the recounting. Aryan could still feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as he remembered that moment.
"At first, I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Aryan continued, "but there it was. The sword-like energy came crashing down, and the ground shook violently. The building began to tremble under the impact. Everything shook. The walls, the beams, the cranes. It felt like the whole world was coming apart."
He paused, his breath shallow as he recalled the terror that followed. "The mandor, the foreman, he was yelling at us to get out. 'Run!' he shouted, but I couldn't move. I was frozen. Everyone around me was panicking, running for their lives, but my legs wouldn't listen to me. I just stood there, looking up at the sky like an idiot. I don't know if it was fear or shock, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from that sword of energy. I watched as it cut through the air, and then it struck the building."
Aryan swallowed hard, the memory of that moment clearly still fresh in his mind. "When it hit, the entire building shook like an earthquake. The steel beams groaned and bent. I could hear them screaming as they snapped under the pressure. The walls cracked, the ceiling buckled, and then—" Aryan hesitated, his voice trembling as he remembered. "Then the building collapsed. It came down like a house of cards, all around me. I could feel the rubble raining down, feel the debris striking my body, but I couldn't move. I couldn't even scream. The next thing I remember, I was trapped under the wreckage, staring up at the dust-filled sky, wondering if I was already dead."
The air in the room felt heavy with the weight of Aryan's words. Reva and Sano remained silent, letting the gravity of the situation sink in.
Aryan continued, "After that, everything went black. I don't remember anything else. I must've passed out. The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital, being told that I survived."
Reva gave Aryan a sympathetic look as she finished recording his account on her phone. "Thank you for sharing that with us, Aryan. That must have been a terrifying experience."
Sano, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up. "This kind of destruction... it sounds like the work of a cultivator."
Reva nodded thoughtfully. "There hasn't been an official confirmation from the higher-ups, but based on the description, I'd agree with Sano. It's highly likely that a cultivator was involved."
Aryan, still trying to make sense of everything, asked, "Why are you so sure it was a cultivator? Couldn't it have been an Esper like you mentioned earlier?"
Reva met Aryan's gaze, considering her response carefully before answering. "While Espers are capable of incredible feats, their powers tend to focus on the mind—psychic abilities, telekinesis, mental manipulation. What you described, the energy sword and the environmental effects, that sounds like a technique unique to cultivators. Specifically, high-level cultivators who have mastered the manipulation of spiritual energy."
Aryan nodded slowly, trying to wrap his head around it. "So, you think a cultivator was behind this?"
Reva continued her explanation. "Yes. Cultivators are known to harness spiritual energy and shape it into weapons or tools, like the sword you described. And the fact that the sky cleared before the event... that's often a sign of powerful energy manipulation. Espers, on the other hand, don't typically have control over the environment in that way. They might influence individuals or objects, but changing the weather, causing massive energy surges—those are hallmarks of cultivators, particularly those who have reached higher stages of cultivation."
Sano chimed in, his voice low and serious. "And not just any cultivator. We're talking about someone at an incredibly advanced level. To have that kind of control, to be able to clear the sky and generate enough power to collapse a building... that's not something a lower-tier cultivator could do. This was someone dangerous. Maybe even a master."
Aryan felt a chill run down his spine. "A master...?"
Sano nodded grimly. "Someone who has reached a stage of cultivation far beyond the ordinary. They could be in the Nascent Soul stage, or even higher. We don't know for sure, but whoever it was, they're not to be taken lightly."
Reva added, "And that's what makes this situation even more concerning. If this was the work of a high-level cultivator, then it means something bigger is happening. Cultivators of that level don't just unleash their power randomly. There's always a reason, always a goal."
Aryan's mind raced. "But why would they attack a construction site? What could they possibly gain from that?"
Reva shook her head. "That's what we're trying to figure out. There's something deeper at play here, something we don't fully understand yet. But based on what you've told us, it's clear that you were caught in the middle of something much bigger than you realized."
Sano, still tense but now more focused, leaned in slightly. "The most frightening part isn't just that a cultivator was involved. It's the fact that they were able to do this without anyone knowing in advance. Usually, when cultivators clash or when powerful techniques are used, there are warnings—rumors, signs, disturbances in spiritual energy. But this... it came out of nowhere. It's as if the entire incident was hidden from view until the last moment."
Aryan, still processing the gravity of the situation, nodded slowly. "So, you think I was just collateral damage? Caught in the crossfire of something bigger?"
Reva hesitated before answering. "It's possible. But we can't be sure yet. What we do know is that someone powerful was involved, and that makes you a person of interest."
Sano added, "And that's why we need to stay vigilant. Whoever did this might not be done. There could be more at stake than just a collapsed building."