Toby lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling as the events of their mission replayed in his mind. The mission played on an endless loop, each mistake, each decision gnawing at him like a slow burn. He couldn't shake the images—the blood, John's voice, the look in his eyes. It was all so vivid, as if every moment had carved itself into his memory.
It hadn't always been like this. Just a few months ago, he was still normal—or at least, as close to normal as someone with fire in their veins could be. He had started having unexplained fevers, leaving him sweating. After they subsided, he began experiencing a strange sensation whenever he looked at any flames.
While he was changing his clothes, his hands turned red, and fire started burning his shirt. "Oh my god. Stop! Stop burning. What is happening?! This is my favorite shirt, stop!"
He started panicking, his thoughts in disarray. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" Finally, the fire in his hands ceased. He ran and threw what was left of his shirt into the trash can.
"TOBY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE? WHAT ARE YOU BURNING?" his mom shouted from downstairs.
"NO-NOTHING, MOM."
"Come down here for breakfast. You need to go to school."
"Coming, coming," he sighed in relief. After a moment, the realization hit him: he had superpowers.
Toby jumped up and down in excitement. "Oh my god. I can control fire! I can control fire. WHAAH!"
He took a moment to rein in his excitement. Days went by as he seized every opportunity he could, without alarming his parents or classmates, to bring his talent under control.
However, after he learned to control how to use his fire, he got confused about what to do with his talent. There were no bad guys to beat or monsters to defend the city against—at least, that's what he thought.
Then came the yearly check-up at school. He was afraid being discovered would bring catastrophe to him or his family, or that he would become a lab rat.
His thoughts were in shambles. After a while, someone came to his parents, telling them about a unique boarding school for young talents.
After that, he started his tests. His memory was blocked, and he was always in fear of the unknown but also excited and looking forward to the future as he fought the monsters.
The test concluded with him meeting another one like him, but who sacrificed his life so Toby could finish off the monsters that had cornered them.
He remembered his sigh of relief, knowing that no one had really been sacrificed and it had all been a test to join the organization.
It was a thrilling experience, knowing he wasn't the only one with superpowers. Even more so when he knew he would fight with others to defend their country and other human beings.
It was like a dream come true. After that, he met the mostly aloof Maxwell and the mature and steady John.
Or so he thought at the beginning. During the training, he realized that Maxwell wasn't aloof; he just didn't feel like talking unless necessary because it bothered him to argue with people. And John just wanted to relax and wasn't a single bit excited about the future.
Toby didn't get his perspective, 'isn't it fascinating to be able to use our power to defeat monsters? Why is he so… unexcited?!'
Deep down, Toby started to see John's talent as lesser because it didn't bring anything new to the table, and with John's attitude, Toby thought he would leave him far behind after a while.
He still thought John was a good guy with a weird talent but not bad to work with. However, his talent and attitude would limit his future, unlike himself where his talent had unlimited potential and his own resolve to fight and protect the country.
After pushing himself to the limit again and again, his confidence soared. When their cool mentor issued their first mission, finally seeing some action after the long training, Toby's imagination filled with thoughts of being the ace of the team and burning every monster in their way to cinder.
But reality hit him hard when he almost died and was rescued by John from the poison rat. He calmed his expectations and got his revenge on the damn rat.
After that, they fought an enormous rat with frightening pure muscle mass, but his fire was the decisive factor in winning the fight as he regained his confidence.
One more time, it was displayed that his fire was the ultimate attacking factor. But John suggested that he should restrain his firepower and just cover him.
Seeing Maxwell agree to this stupid plan, he gave up and agreed anyway. After the fight started, he saw John fighting the monsters and running all over the place, so he started helping by increasing his fire to kill more monsters so John wouldn't be strained.
Suddenly, John's scream resounded on the battlefield, telling him to distract more monsters. He screamed back that he was trying his best and increased his fire a bit more as it started to strain him, trying to do more damage without taking more time.
Abruptly, a bunch of rats started running in his direction, too many to ignore. So, he couldn't afford to get distracted. He thought John would be okay for a few minutes as he would help him after finishing the monsters before him and Maxwell first.
"TOBY, I WILL REMEMBER THIS!" He heard John scream again, which he completely ignored as he focused on what was around him first.
Minutes passed. Finally, he looked at John's location after finishing the monsters around him. To his horror, he saw John all bloody, and more monster parts lay around him than the number of monsters he and Maxwell had killed together. And John was still battling two Oversized-Gigantic-rats by himself and looked like he was winning. Maxwell went to help, and swiftly John brought the two beasts down.
Toby's heart pounded as John stormed toward him, his eyes blazing with a fury that Toby had never seen before. "Wh-What are you doing?" Toby flustered, his voice cracking as the distance between them closed too fast. John's face was twisted with anger, and Toby's mind scrambled for an answer, any reason that could explain this.
In a panic, he summoned the fire to his hands, launching two fireballs. But they were dodged easily, and before Toby could throw a third attack, a kick connected with his jaw. Pain exploded across his face, and the world went dark.
The events that had unfolded left him with a mixture of pride and frustration. His fire had been a powerful asset, but John's unexpected reaction had thrown him off balance.
"Damn it, John," Toby muttered under his breath.
Toby couldn't shake the image of John, bloodied and furious. The memory of the kick still made his jaw ache, but it was the look in John's eyes that haunted him the most. Anger, betrayal, and something else—disappointment?
Toby sat up slowly. He blinked a few times, trying to piece together what had happened. Replaying the events in his mind, he remembered how Maxwell reported the incident to Quinn.
"As John was fighting, a lot of Gigantic-Rats came from behind a small hill we didn't account for. Part of them ran in John's direction, and part rushed to me and Toby's position. We sta—"
Toby sat straight with a pounding headache. 'I remember more rats came to our direction. How di—How didn't I realize that more went to John?! He was in a bad position to begin with, so we could kill all the monsters first and leave the big guys for last. If more monsters came his way, then… then.'
Toby's face paled as he realized how the fight could have gone if John hadn't had his weird second ability.
'Why didn't I see it?' Toby thought. 'Why didn't I realize how dangerous it was for John?'
He got out of bed, took a shower before putting on his training clothes, and went to the training ground.
The cold morning air filled Toby's lungs as he sprinted across the field, pushing himself harder with every step. His legs burned, but he welcomed the pain. It was easier to focus on the pain in his muscles than on the memory of John's bloody face.
Breathless, he collapsed against a wall, his heart pounding in his chest. "Why didn't I see it sooner?"
He moved onto his ability training, flames flickering on his hands. He wasn't going to stop. Not until he could control every inch of his power. Over and over, he let the fire roar to life, pushing it, forcing it to bend to his will. Sweat dripped down his face as exhaustion clawed at him, but he refused to quit.
He used his talent in every way he could. He used it again and again until he dropped to the ground from exhaustion.
Toby took a deep breath, his thoughts still racing. He knew he needed to face John, but the thought of it filled him with dread. The tension between them had reached a boiling point, and Toby wasn't sure how to bridge the gap that had formed.
His pride wouldn't let him, especially after taking that kick from him.
After taking a short rest, he continued training until he couldn't stand properly. He ordered some food and rested for a while.
Toby used his talent in every way he could. He practiced again and again until he dropped to the ground from exhaustion.
Taking a deep breath, his thoughts still racing, he knew he needed to face John, but the thought filled him with dread. The tension between them had reached a boiling point, and Toby wasn't sure how to bridge the gap that had formed. His pride wouldn't let him be, especially after taking that kick from John.
After a short rest, Toby resumed his training until he could barely stand. He ordered some food and rested for a while.
...….
John awoke to the soft light filtering through his apartment's curtains, feeling refreshed.
His muscles were relaxed after days of intense activity. With a yawn, he got out of bed and surveyed his dust-covered apartment, realizing he needed to clean up. But first, he craved some fresh air and breakfast.
After buying a bunch of buns, John decided to take a walk in the nearby park.
John wandered through the park, the gentle rustling of leaves and distant chatter of people grounding him in the present. It was a world apart from the chaos of their mission. As he sat on a bench, the warmth of the sun on his face and the simple pleasure of a fresh bun reminded him of how small the world could feel outside of battle.
He glanced around at the people walking their dogs, parents pushing strollers, and for a moment, he wondered how long he could stay in this peace. He hadn't felt this calm in days. It was a quiet that his mind, and his body, desperately needed.
Opening his regular phone, he noticed a few missed calls from his mother and father.
"Huh, it's been more than a week since I called them," he muttered to himself.
He finished his breakfast, returned to his apartment, and spent an hour cleaning. After a quick shower, John decided to call his mother.
"John, did you forget about your mother after leaving home?" his mother answered teasingly.
"No, Mom. How could I forget you? You're the most precious mother in the world to me," John responded with a grin.
"Do you mean you have another mother?"
"MOM, you know what I mean. Stop it!"
"Okay, okay, I'm just kidding. How are you doing lately? How's your job?" she asked.
"It's all been good so far."
"Do you have enough money? Are you eating well? You look thin. Are you still on that diet you told me about? Is your health good?"
"I have enough money. I'm not starving myself if that's what you're asking. And yes, my health is pretty good. I've been going to the gym; I'm just trying to stay fit."
"Is it because of a girl? If you like someone, just say so, and we can ask her family for marriage."
"No, Mom. I don't like any girl, and I don't want to marry anytime soon."
"Are you shy? Tell your mother. I promise I won't tell anyone until you say so."
"I'm not shy, I just don't have marriage in my mind yet. When I do, if I have someone in mind, I'll ask her. If I don't, I'll ask you to recommend someone. But for now, marriage isn't on my mind."
"Okay, I won't pressure you. But when you're ready, tell me, alright?"
"Okay, Mom. Where's Dad?"
"Something came up, and he had to go to work. He said it wouldn't take long."
"Okay, send him my greetings. I'll be busy for the next few weeks, so I might not call often."
"Alright, take care of yourself."
"Will do. Talk to you later."
After hanging up the phone, John pulled out his watch to check for messages. A notification popped up: his sword had been repaired by Evelyn. He sent a message back, confirming that he would pick it up tomorrow.
'It's been a long time since I rested. Let's play a few games, especially since the next period will be filled with more training,' John thought.
He turned on his PC and spent the rest of the day indulging in some well-deserved relaxation, losing himself in the immersive worlds of his favorite games. The break allowed him to clear his mind, temporarily pushing away the tensions and conflicts that had built up during their mission.
Meanwhile, Toby's training continued relentlessly.
He pushed his limits, driven by a mixture of guilt, determination, and the desire to prove himself. His muscles burned, and his mind screamed for rest, but he refused to stop. As he collapsed onto the training ground, sweat dripping from his brow, he made a silent vow to himself: he would become stronger, smarter, and more reliable.