The following day, K woke up early, his mind still swirling with the events of the previous night. The flicker of the watch, the urgency in Lucy's voice, and the strange sensation in his arm all felt like threads pulling him toward something much bigger than he had imagined.
As he dressed and prepared for the day, K couldn't shake the feeling that things were quickly escalating. He thought about his father's forced optimism about his mother's health, and the urgency in Lucy's calls. But there was something else on his mind—the gauntlet and the mysterious woman he had glimpsed during the chaotic aftermath of the meteor fall.
K had a sinking feeling that the woman was no ordinary person. When he thought about the way she moved, the air around her seemed to ripple with a dangerous energy. She wasn't just after the meteor; she was after the gauntlet, and that made her a threat.
He pushed the thought aside as he grabbed his bag and headed out the door. Daw hovered beside him, its small mechanical body emitting a soft whirring sound.
"I'll be fine today," K muttered, trying to reassure himself as much as Daw. The last thing he needed was to get dragged into another conflict. But deep down, he knew that wouldn't be the case.
The city had calmed down by morning, the flashing lights of the night before now replaced with the normal hustle and bustle of the metropolis. People were going about their business, unaware of the storm brewing beneath the surface.
As K walked toward the hoverboard station, his mind replayed the strange interaction he'd had with the woman the night before. Her eyes had been cold and calculating, but there was something else too—an unsettling calmness. She wasn't afraid of the chaos; she thrived in it.Daw beeped nervously, pulling K from his thoughts.
"What is it, Daw?" K asked, turning his head.
The drone's sensor lights flickered briefly, then pointed toward an alleyway up ahead. K's instincts kicked in, and he followed Daw's lead, walking cautiously toward the darkened path. As he rounded the corner, his pulse quickened.
There, standing in the shadows, was the woman.
She was dressed in dark, sleek clothing that blended into the environment, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders like a dark waterfall. Her eyes locked onto K's, piercing him with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine.
"Well, well… you finally decided to show up," she said, her voice smooth but laced with danger. "I was starting to think I'd have to hunt you down."
K instinctively reached for the gauntlet, but it was hidden under his sleeve. He tried to stand his ground, though his mind raced. What was she after? Why did she want the gauntlet so badly?
"I don't know what you're talking about," K said, his voice steady but filled with tension. He needed to stay calm, but everything in him screamed to get away.
She stepped closer, her presence suffocating, like a storm about to break.
"Oh, I think you do. That gauntlet you're wearing," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "it doesn't belong to you."
K's heart skipped a beat. The gauntlet was far more than just an artifact—it was something dangerous, something she knew about, and that made him more than a little uneasy.
"I'm not handing it over to you," K replied, his grip tightening on the board's edge.
The woman's smile faltered, and a dangerous gleam appeared in her eyes.
"You don't have a choice," she hissed, stepping forward with lightning speed. Before K could react, she struck, sending him tumbling back against the alley wall with an unexpected force.
K barely had time to recover before she was on him again, her movements almost blinding in their speed. Her hand reached for the gauntlet, and K barely managed to dodge, feeling the wind of her strike pass mere inches from his face.
"Who… who are you?" K managed to ask, scrambling to get his bearings. His heart was racing, his pulse thudding in his ears. The woman didn't answer. Instead, she struck again, but this time, K was ready. He raised his arm, the gauntlet lighting up, its power responding to his desperation.
A bright flash of light erupted from the gauntlet, forcing the woman to leap back, her eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, there was a brief silence, both of them catching their breath.
"You think that will stop me?" the woman sneered, her expression darkening.
K's mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. He couldn't let her get the gauntlet, but he also couldn't fight her forever. He needed to get away—find a way to stop her without putting himself in more danger.
Before he could make a move, the woman lunged forward again. But this time, K didn't wait. He activated the hoverboard, its engines roaring to life as he pushed off the ground and shot down the alleyway.
The woman's voice echoed behind him, sharp and filled with anger. "This isn't over, K. You can't hide from me."
K didn't look back. He had no intention of letting her get close again. His mind was already on the next step,he needed to warn Lucy, and he needed to figure out what the gauntlet was, because this woman wasn't the only one after it.
The danger was far from over, and K knew that whatever was coming, it would change everything.