The deafening sound of rotors fills the air as Ren is barely hovering in place, cornered, his hands out in front of him, trembling.
His eyes are squeezed shut, blocking out the world.
His heart pounds in his chest, thudding in his ears as fear takes hold.
Is this it... he thinks, his thoughts racing, fragments of desperation clashing with disbelief.
The end... of everything...?
The atmosphere around him feels slow, as though time itself has slowed down to a crawl.
His breaths are shallow, each one a struggle. The tension is unbearable.
He knows what's coming—the rapid gunfire, the onslaught of bullets racing toward him.
Am I really going to die like this? Just like this?
Images of Lina flash through his mind, her smile, her laugh, her warmth.
Forgive me, Lina...
The bullets meet, and he hears the sharp crack of gunfire colliding.
Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun
The rapid impact of metal fills his ears, loud and unrelenting.
Am I dead? Ren wonders, a strange calm overtaking him for a brief moment.
He can feel nothing but the pounding in his chest, louder than even the hailstorm of bullets.
These lasting seconds feel like hours, as bullet after bullet should have torn through him.
There should be left only a body with bullet holes all over by now.
But the pain never arrives.
The bullets stop and the silence returns, broken only by the distant hum of the helicopters and the faint, intense ringing sound in his ears.
Ren's eyes open slowly, his breath hitching as he looks at his trembling hands in front of him.
His body is still intact, with no blood, no bullet holes, and no pain.
His heart is thundering in his chest, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.
Slowly, almost disbelieving, he lowers his arms and looks down at himself.
Not even a scratch.
"What...?" His voice comes out in a breathless whisper.
His gaze turns to the helicopters.
They are still hovering, unmoving, their spotlights not pointed at him.
"What's... Happening? Am I... Alive?"
And then, Ren hears a faint sound, a voice crackling in his ears.
"Target disappeared. I repeat, the target disappeared."
Ren's blood runs cold. "Disappeared? But I'm right here." He's so stunned that he almost speaks the words aloud.
And then, he feels it—something faint, like a pressure against his skin.
His breath catches. There's something around him, like an invisible wall, a shield he didn't notice before.
He extends his hand cautiously, reaching forward, and his fingertips brush against something solid, yet unseen.
He flattens his palm against it, his breath quickening as the realization sets in.
"What... is this?" He murmurs, his heart racing as he feels some invisible wall. It's like glass—cold, unyielding—but it's shimmering with an unseen energy.
The memory of the bullets striking it, bouncing off without touching him, replays in his mind.
"A shield..." His voice is barely a whisper, but the word sends a thrill of shock through him.
"Is this... why I'm still alive?"
His heart pounds as he runs his hand along the surface. For a moment, he's transfixed, lost in the wonder of this discovery.
But the energy around him falters. The shield flickers, growing weaker, shimmering like a mirage.
His entire body immediately shakes with exhaustion, his remaining strength draining rapidly.
The shield wavers and then vanishes completely and panic surges through him.
I'm too tired... I can't hold it any longer...
His legs tremble, his mind foggy with fatigue. His grip on his powers slips further with every passing second.
He looks down, a desperate thought flashing through his mind.
I need to rest... I need to get out of here...
But before he can descend, the sharp beam of a spotlight slams into him, illuminating him in the dark.
"Target found! Target found!"
Ren's breath hitches. No...
The helicopters begin turning to him again, engines roaring louder, blades slicing through the air.
I can't run. I'm too tired to even move... But I have to... I have to get away...
His muscles burn, every fiber of his body screaming in protest as he pushes himself to move.
Summoning the last remnants of his strength, he begins to move. His vision blurs, but he keeps moving, straight ahead, forcing his body to obey.
"Just a little further..." he mutters to himself, teeth gritted. He extends his hand and, once again, forms the shield around him with his remaining strength, flickering weakly but solid enough to make him vanish from sight.
The helicopters shift their searchlights frantically, scanning the area.
"Target disappeared again!" the voice crackles, frustration evident.
Just one more minute... that's all I need...
Ren flies as fast as his trembling body allows, each movement a struggle against the overwhelming fatigue. His shield holds, barely, but it's enough. He dives into a dark alley, his vision spinning, the edges of his consciousness fraying.
His feet hit the ground with a thud in the shadowed alley, and the moment he lands, his legs give out.
He collapses onto his knees, gasping for breath. The shield flickers once, twice, then fades completely, leaving him exposed.
He slumps against the brick wall, eyes half-closed in exhaustion.
I made it... The thought barely registers as his body sinks into the cold pavement.
For a minute, he just lies there, his breaths shallow. Then, with trembling hands, he fumbles to remove his mask and coat, each movement slow, painful.
He wraps the coat around the mask, concealing it, hiding any trace of his identity. His hands are unsteady, his vision blurring.
I need to blend in... He forces himself up, stumbling to the alley's entrance.
Peering out cautiously, he scans the streets.
Above him, the helicopters continue their search, their lights sweeping across the buildings.
Below, people are gathered, looking up at the sky in confusion and fear. Some younger bystanders have their phones out, recording the scene and murmuring excitedly.
"Terrorist attack?" one man says, holding his phone toward the sky.
"Maybe aliens attack," another young woman jokes, though there's a nervous edge to her voice as she captures everything on camera.
"I'm gonna get so many views for this."
Ren watches them, his heart still racing. His mind tells him to flee, but his body can barely move.
After resting for a minute, he slips out of the alley and into the crowd, keeping his head down as he hurries away, his legs trembling beneath him.
In the distance, the sound of police sirens grows louder, the wailing filling the night. Ren forces himself forward, each step heavier than the last.
I was too close... he thinks, his breath coming in ragged gasps. I barely escaped...
Every moment replays in his mind—Cameron's house, the chase, the bullets, the shield. It all feels unreal, like a fever dream.
He escaped by the thinnest of margins.
If not for this new power...
The thought lingers as he spots a taxi parked nearby. With shaking hands, he opens the door and collapses into the backseat, giving the driver his address.
The taxi pulls away from the scene, Ren slumping against the window, watching the streetlights pass by in a blur.
I was careless..." he thinks.
"I almost died there, only survived thanks to this new power." his mind whirling from the discovery of his newfound abilities.
His pulse quickens at the memory of the shield, at the moment he vanished from their sight.
A shield... and invisibility...
He stares out the window, the city lights flickering in the darkness.
Where did these powers come from? The question echoes in his mind, but there's no answer.
Only the distant sound of the city, and the weight of exhaustion pulling him deeper into his seat.
His eyelids grow heavier with each passing second, his body finally giving in to the strain of the day.
His thoughts blur together, mixing with dreams of power, danger, and escape. His eyes close.
And the world fades to black.