Kian Mathis had no idea what hit him.
One moment, he was on a mission, finger on the trigger, his sights trained on a CEO who had murdered his way to power. Just as Kian's finger tightened, there was a flash of pain—a bullet to his back, and the traitorous smirk of his partner in the corner of his eye as he fell. Blood poured from the wound, his body growing colder with each passing second. As his vision faded, all he could feel was the bitter sting of betrayal. His final thought was of vengeance, of cutting down the man who had left him to die.
Then—nothing.
No pain, no world, no darkness. Just silence.
Until Kian opened his eyes and found himself adrift in a void of endless black, floating weightlessly. He twisted, searching for ground, air, something to hold onto. His instincts screamed at him to fight, to survive, but there was nothing to latch onto in the overwhelming emptiness.
A voice reverberated around him, neither male nor female, but possessing a gravity that commanded attention.
"You have died, Kian Mathis."
The calm, measured tone filled him with equal parts anger and confusion. Dead? How could he be dead? Yet, deep down, he knew the voice was telling the truth. He remembered the single, fatal shot, the pain, the betrayal. The disbelief as his life drained away on that cold concrete floor.
"What's going on?" he rasped, his voice raw and echoing in the vast silence. "Where am I?"
There was a pause—a heartbeat of silence that felt charged with anticipation.
"You are in the space between worlds," the voice replied, its tone unyielding and patient. "And you have been offered a second chance."
A second chance. The words were like ice, sharpening his focus. Kian had never been a man who believed in redemption or fate, and he'd laughed at the notion of an afterlife. He'd carved his own way, set his own rules, and he'd trusted only himself. But this? This was beyond anything he could rationalize.
"What do you mean by 'second chance'?" Kian demanded, his voice gaining strength.
The voice hummed with a dark amusement. "You will be reborn, Kian Mathis. You will enter a world where power is wielded by those who have often forgotten the cost of wielding it. A world of heroes and villains, where judgment is clouded by mercy and restraint."
Kian's mind raced, piecing together the clues. He'd read about such places as a kid—Gotham, Metropolis, Star City. But those were just stories, fictional worlds where heroes with capes and masks fought monsters and maniacs.
"This world… Are you talking about Gotham?" Kian asked, his voice laced with both disbelief and curiosity.
"Yes. Gotham will be your new home. There, you will bring justice to those who have eluded it for too long."
The words struck a deep chord within him. He'd been a soldier, an enforcer, and in his eyes, a judge. He had never hesitated when it came to eliminating those who deserved it. If this voice was offering him a similar purpose in Gotham, then perhaps his life hadn't ended after all.
"What makes you think I want this? Or that I even care about their world?" he growled.
"You have no choice, Kian," the voice replied, unyielding. "Your soul's purpose remains unfulfilled, and this world needs someone who is willing to go where others fear to tread. You will have power beyond anything you've known. A chance to do what must be done."
The idea resonated in him—a world plagued by villains, false heroes, and unchecked power. A place that might actually need someone like him, someone who didn't flinch at the prospect of taking a life when justice demanded it. He thought about all the corrupt CEOs, the untouchable criminals he hadn't been able to reach in his previous life. Here, there would be no such limits. No restrictions.
"I accept," he said, his voice filled with dark determination. "But don't expect me to play by their rules. I won't be a hero. I'll judge—and execute—without mercy."
"Then it is done." The voice held a note of satisfaction.
In that instant, a blinding light enveloped Kian, pulling him through the void as colors and sounds whirled around him, faster and faster, until—
He hit solid ground with a painful jolt.
He opened his eyes to find himself sprawled on cracked pavement. A humid, acrid scent filled his nostrils—rotting garbage, gasoline, the unmistakable smell of a city that had seen too much violence. Distant gunshots echoed, mingling with the sounds of shouting and sirens.
Kian pushed himself up, his muscles feeling different, stronger, coiled with an unfamiliar power. As he regained his footing, he noticed his reflection in a dirty storefront window. His body looked the same—same rugged build, same sharp gaze. But there was something more. Something lurking in his eyes that hadn't been there before. A predatory edge.
He flexed his fingers, feeling a strange new energy thrumming beneath his skin. It was raw and electric, a power waiting to be unleashed. He clenched his fist, and a wave of force pulsed outward, sending a gust of wind swirling around him. Telekinesis. The word sprang to mind, and he realized the voice hadn't lied—he had indeed been granted power.
Around him, Gotham loomed—a city of shadowed alleys, towering skyscrapers, and a perpetual sense of dread. The lights from the buildings barely penetrated the gloom, casting long shadows that seemed to shift and writhe. Kian smirked, feeling the thrill of it all. This was his new hunting ground.
A faint noise caught his attention—a soft, strangled cry from an alley nearby. Without hesitation, Kian strode toward it, his senses sharper than ever. He moved with a predatory grace, his footsteps muffled on the wet pavement.
At the end of the alley, a young woman was backed against a wall, her face pale with terror as two men loomed over her. They were grinning, knives glinting in the dim light, ready to pounce.
Kian's gaze hardened. He didn't need to know their crimes or their motives. Their intent was written in the malice of their smirks, in the desperate look in the woman's eyes. They were predators, feeding on the helpless, and that was all the reason he needed.
"Hey," he called, his voice cold and commanding.
The two men turned, momentarily stunned by the sudden appearance of someone in their territory.
"Walk away," Kian continued, his tone as sharp as a blade. "Or you won't be walking at all."
One of them sneered. "Look, man, you don't know what you're messing with. Just get lost."
Kian felt the familiar rush of adrenaline. "No," he replied, his voice darkening. "You're the ones who don't know what you're messing with."
With a thought, he unleashed a blast of telekinetic force. The men stumbled, their smirks fading as they tried to resist the invisible pressure pinning them down. Kian stepped closer, savoring the fear that filled their eyes.
"You think you're predators?" he asked, his voice a low growl. "You're nothing. Just two more stains on a city that's full of them."
He flicked his fingers, and the men were thrown backward, crashing into the alley wall with a sickening thud. They crumpled to the ground, dazed and groaning in pain. Kian turned to the woman, who was watching him with a mix of fear and awe.
"Go," he said, his voice softer. She didn't need to be told twice—she darted past him, disappearing into the night.
Kian looked down at the two men, his expression cold and unreadable. They were barely conscious, groaning in pain. He knelt down, meeting their terrified eyes with a calm, assessing gaze.
"You're lucky," he said, his tone devoid of pity. "Consider this a warning. Next time, there won't be one."
He straightened, releasing his hold on them. They scrambled to their feet, terror in their eyes as they stumbled away, not daring to look back.
As he watched them flee, Kian felt a dark satisfaction settle within him. He'd barely tapped into his powers, but already, he could sense the potential. This city was a cesspool, teeming with corruption and crime. And he was here to cleanse it, one piece of filth at a time.
He stepped out of the alley, blending into the shadows as he moved through the streets of Gotham. The night was still young, and there was plenty of work to be done.
Kian Mathis was reborn—a new judge in a city that desperately needed one. And Gotham, with its endless shadows and lurking threats, was about to learn that he didn't hesitate, didn't show mercy.