How much loss can a single heart endure? How far can despair push someone before it changes them forever?
Adrian decided to bury the experience of the void deep within himself. Whatever had happened there—whatever he had become—it wasn't something he could share. Not now.
Together with Lucas, Nova, and Lucy, he combed through the rubble of what had once been their neighborhood. Burned wood, shattered concrete, and twisted steel lay scattered across the ruins of their homes. Hope dwindled as they sifted through the wreckage, searching for anything that might connect them to the families they'd lost.
But there was nothing.
Lucy found herself sobbing uncontrollably, clinging to Adrian for comfort. Her small frame trembled as Adrian held her tightly, murmuring words that he himself didn't fully believe. He tried to console her while grappling with his own grief. The emptiness of losing everything was consuming, yet Adrian's thoughts remained clouded by the memory of the dark void and the strange eyes now bound to him.
"What are these powers?" Adrian thought to himself. "Why me?"
His reflection was cut short when the ground beneath them began to tremble. The others turned toward the epicenter of the disturbance—the spot where the portal had been moments earlier.
Nova pointed at the approaching figures in the distance. "Heroes!"
They emerged from the horizon, figures of confidence and authority. Their uniforms bore insignias denoting their ranks, from B-class to S-class.
Adrian's mind turned to explain to himself—and the audience—who these individuals were.
Heroes. Not just a title, but a badge of honor earned through grueling tests, brutal training, and the successful navigation of treacherous missions. Heroes were humanity's shield against the monstrous ETTs.
Unlike the general populace, where powers were categorized into classes based on rarity, the ranking system for Heroes was determined entirely by skill, creativity, and success. Every Hero began as an F-rank, regardless of their power class. From there, they climbed the ranks through their achievements: E, D, C, B, A, and finally, the almost godlike S-rank.
But today, even among these Heroes, unease rippled through the ranks.
As they tried to approach the ruins, an invisible barrier pushed them back. S-class Heroes among them extended their hands, conjuring various powers to test the barrier, but it remained impenetrable.
"What's going on?" Lucas asked, his voice uneasy.
Before anyone could answer, the ground quaked again.
A crack appeared in the air—a jagged tear in the very fabric of space and time. From this rift stepped a being unlike anything they had ever seen.
The figure looked human—or close enough to it—but the aura radiating from him was anything but. His very presence exuded a weight that made the air feel thick and oppressive. Even from a distance, it was clear that this being was no ordinary foe.
"He doesn't look like an ETT," Nova whispered, her voice trembling. "But… why does he feel so much worse?"
The Heroes outside the barrier hesitated, their faces pale. Even some of the strongest among them, A-class Heroes, visibly faltered, clutching their weapons tightly.
The man stepped forward, each movement deliberate and fluid.
"Stay behind me!" Lucy cried, summoning her shield. A translucent barrier materialized around Adrian, Lucas, and Nova.
Lucas activated his power, his eyes turning a stark, unnatural white. The glow gave him a menacing air, but Adrian could see the fear etched in his face. Nova, too, called upon her abilities, her eyes becoming pools of darkness that swallowed all light.
The two charged toward the figure, determined to protect Adrian and Lucy.
But the man didn't even raise a hand. He simply turned his head, fixing his gaze on them.
The effect was instantaneous.
Both Lucas and Nova collapsed to the ground mid-charge, their bodies paralyzed, faces pressed against the dirt.
"What… what is this?" Lucas gritted through clenched teeth.
Nova tried to move but couldn't. Her eyes darted wildly, filled with frustration and fear.
The man's gaze shifted to Lucy. Her shield flickered and shattered, and she fell unconscious without a sound.
Adrian's heart raced. He was the only one left standing.
The man approached him slowly, his presence suffocating. Desperation surged through Adrian, and without thinking, he felt an unfamiliar power stir within him. Energy coursed through his left eye, making it burn like fire.
The man stopped and crouched to Adrian's level, his face inches away. Adrian stared into the stranger's eyes—and what he saw made his blood run cold.
In the reflection of the man's gaze, Adrian saw his own left eye glowing with a radiant, golden light.
The man reached out, his fingers cold as they brushed against Adrian's face. "So, you've inherited those eyes," he said, his voice a mix of amusement and curiosity.
Adrian didn't move, couldn't speak.
"Interesting…" The man stood, towering over Adrian. "Next time we meet, I will go all out. Be ready."
With blinding speed, the man turned and vanished into the space-time crack. The rift sealed itself shut behind him, and the invisible barrier around the ruins dissipated.
Lucas, Nova, and Lucy were rushed to the hospital, along with Adrian. While the others lay unconscious, Adrian sat awake, staring out the window of his hospital room.
He touched his left eye, still feeling the faint, unnatural energy within it. The stranger's words echoed in his mind.
"Who was he? Why… me?"
Adrian clenched his fists. Whatever had happened today wasn't the end. It was only the beginning.