Kaius stepped out of the alley, the weight of the world pressing down on him as though the very air had thickened. His head hung low, eyes cast toward the slick pavement beneath his feet, as the familiar sound of the city's scientific rain began to fall. Droplets of synthetic liquid tapped gently against the back of his neck, sliding down his hair, soaking into his shirt. He didn't care.
Sura's voice rang out behind him, but it was distant, as though it came from another world.
"Kaius, stop! Don't do this!"
But Kaius couldn't stop. His legs moved forward of their own accord, his mind a swirl of fragmented thoughts and emotions, too heavy to untangle. Every step felt like trudging through thick mud, yet his body carried on. The rain dripped from the tips of his messy hair, running down his forehead, mixing with the tears that blurred his vision. It was impossible to tell where the rain ended and the tears began.
His chest felt hollow, his heartbeat a dull thump in his ears. Thump, thump, thump. The rhythm matched the rain, matched the distant hum of the city around him. And still, Sura's voice echoed in the background, growing more desperate.
"Kaius, stop!"
.
.
.
But he didn't.
The CyberWatchers moved into position, their steps synchronized, mechanical arms raised and primed for engagement. They were sleek, intimidating figures of cold efficiency. Their masks glowed with that familiar, eerie Y-shape, marking them as instruments of the Sky District's authority.
One of them stepped forward, its voice cold and devoid of life.
"Suspect no. 23451223442. Surrender and follow us. Non-compliance will result in immediate enforcement of disciplinary action."
Kaius said nothing. The rain continued to fall, each drop hitting the ground in a steady rhythm, like the ticking of a clock counting down the seconds. He felt the droplets slide down his face, blurring his vision further. The wind picked up, making his soaked clothes cling to his body. His breath was shallow, the cold sinking deep into his bones.
The CyberWatchers' voice repeated the command, its tone unchanging, mechanical.
"Surrender. Failure to comply will result in—"
Kaius raised his hand slowly, his palm facing the sky as though inspecting it for the first time. His fingers flexed slightly, the rain dripping down his arm. And then he saw it—the strings. Four red strings, vibrating in the air, extending from the CyberWatchers, connecting to his hand like invisible threads waiting to be pulled.
His heartbeat quickened.
Thump. Thump.
Thump.
Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump.
The strings pulsed with the same rhythm, glowing brighter with each beat. Kaius stared at them, his hand trembling as he felt a numbness creep up his neck. His head remained lowered, but he could feel the strings tighten, pulling at him, urging him to act.
He squeezed his hand into a fist.
The red strings pulsed harder.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
They began to weave together, connecting into one single line, merging into a powerful force that thrummed with energy. The pulsing grew stronger, syncing with his own erratic heartbeat. Kaius's breath came faster, his chest tightening as the strings hummed with a power he didn't fully understand.
And then, just as the tension reached its peak, he felt a shift. A mechanical whir, barely audible over the sound of the rain, cut through the air. Something was coming—something fast. He didn't know how, but he felt it. His hand moved on instinct, shooting to the left, just in time to dodge the incoming strike. The CyberWatchers had made their move.
But so had he.
Without a second thought, Kaius pulled the strings.
The CyberWatchers faltered, their movements shaking as though they had been cut from the inside. One by one, they collapsed to their knees, their mechanical bodies unresponsive. The glowing eyes behind their masks flickered and dimmed. They were incapacitated, silenced.
For a moment, the only sound was the rain hitting the pavement.
Sura's eyes widened in disbelief. She had seen Kaius use his power before, but this—this was different. It was raw, unrestrained, and terrifying.
"Kaius!" she shouted, rushing toward him. She grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the fallen CyberWatchers.
"We have to go, now!"
Kaius didn't resist. He followed her, his legs moving sluggishly beneath him as if his body had been drained of all energy. His hand trembled at his side, the memory of the strings still fresh in his mind. His eyes were still fixed on the ground, where the red strings had once danced before him, now gone, leaving only the echo of their presence.
They ran through the rain-soaked streets, their footsteps echoing in the narrow alleys. The sound of distant machinery and the hum of the city filled the air, but it felt muted, far away. The adrenaline in Kaius's veins was beginning to fade, leaving behind a dull ache in his muscles and a heavy weight in his chest.
Sura led him to a hidden tunnel, tucked away beneath the city—a place long forgotten, out of use. The old metro station, once bustling with life, now sat abandoned, its rusted tracks and crumbling walls a reminder of a time long past.
"This way," Sura said, her voice hushed as she pulled him inside. They descended into the darkness, the sound of the rain fading behind them.
The air in the tunnel was cold and damp, the smell of decay hanging in the air. The dim lights flickered overhead as they made their way deeper into the restricted area. Sura finally slowed, glancing around to make sure they were alone.
Kaius collapsed against the wall, his breathing ragged. His clothes clung to his body, soaked through from the rain. His messy hair dripped onto his face, his hands shaking uncontrollably. He hadn't even realized that tears were still streaming down his cheeks, mixing with the rain.
Sura crouched beside him, her face unreadable.
"You need to get a hold of yourself, Kaius," she said softly, but there was an edge of urgency in her tone.
"What just happened out there… it's going to attract more of them. We can't stay here long."
Kaius didn't respond. His mind was still replaying the moment when he pulled the strings, the feeling of power surging through him. But it wasn't just the power that unsettled him—it was the numbness. The emptiness that followed.
He stared at his trembling hand, the memory of the strings lingering in his vision.
"What am I?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Sura looked at him for a long moment, her eyes softening. She didn't answer. Instead, she stood up, scanning the tunnel for any sign of danger.
"We need to keep moving," she said quietly.
"This place isn't safe, but it'll do for now."
Kaius remained where he was, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on him. The rain, the strings, the CyberWatchers—it all felt like a blur, but one thing was clear... he was losing control. And for the first time, he wasn't sure if he wanted to stop it.