The bus fell into an eerie silence, the weight of the situation pressing down on everyone like a suffocating blanket. The air was thick with fear, and every breath seemed to be one of pure tension, drawn in but never fully exhaled. Arthur's thoughts raced, piecing together the fragments of Leo's strange behavior and the grim news from the radio, each unsettling thought like a shard of glass cutting through his mind.
Did... he know? Arthur's mind stumbled over the question, a sense of unease crawling up his spine. His eyes, wide with panic, snapped toward the road ahead. But there was no time for doubt, no time for questions that only sought to unravel the very fabric of his resolve. His sister was out there, somewhere on the brink of disaster, and the clock was ticking.
"No," he muttered to himself, his fists clenching so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "This isn't the time for questions. Lyla is on that bus—I have to save her."
Without a second thought, Arthur yanked open the bus window, his body moving on instinct. He didn't hesitate. There was no hesitation, not in this moment, as he propelled himself out of the bus, landing with a determined roll. The world blurred around him, each step a blur of motion, his focus razor-sharp.
"Arthur!" Sansa shrieked, her voice piercing through the air like a warning bell. "Where are you going?"
But he didn't look back. He couldn't afford to. His feet pounded against the asphalt, every step driving him forward, faster, faster toward the cliff's edge where he'd seen Leo disappear moments earlier.
Hold on, Lyla, Arthur thought, his heart thundering in his chest. Your brother's coming.
---
The bus teetered precariously on the cliff's edge, its front half dangling over the abyss, the rear tires fighting to stay grounded, their struggle in vain. The jagged rocks below beckoned, dark and cruel like the fingers of a giant, eager to claim the vehicle and everyone inside. A deep groan reverberated from the bus's underbelly, as if the vehicle itself was protesting its inevitable descent.
Leo reached the scene just as the bus tilted further, the metal frame creaking under its own weight. His breath hitched at the sight of the familiar faces trapped inside—siblings and relatives of the students, each face frozen in a mixture of terror and helplessness. His heart clenched when he caught sight of Surya's small form among the chaos, a child lost in a storm of uncertainty.
"Stay calm!" Leo shouted, his voice cutting through the cacophony of panicked screams, his words sharp, almost desperate.
He scrambled onto the rear bumper, grabbing the emergency exit handle, his mind moving faster than his body. With a forceful yank, he wrenched the door open. The sight inside was a jumbled mess of fear-stricken faces—some shouting, others frozen in terror, each one seemingly paralyzed by the sheer gravity of the situation.
"Surya!" Leo called out, his voice booming over the chaos, his eyes locking onto his younger brother, who clung to the edge of a seat, his small form trembling. "Take my hand!"
Surya hesitated, his wide eyes brimming with tears. The bus groaned again, the bumper dipping lower with a sickening lurch.
"Hurry, Surya!" Leo urged, his arm stretching out as far as it would go, his fingers desperate to reach his brother.
Finally, their hands met—slipping at first, then tightening as Leo hauled Surya toward him, his muscles screaming in protest.
"Got you!" Leo gasped, his breath ragged, as he collapsed onto solid ground with Surya clinging to his shirt, his small frame shaking. But there was no time to rest, no time to take in the relief. There were more people still inside.
"Is anyone hurt?" Leo called, his voice strained as he peered into the bus.
"I-I can't move my leg!" came a trembling voice from somewhere within, a woman clutching the armrest in a panic-stricken grip.
Leo climbed into the bus, carefully navigating the swaying aisle. The floor beneath him tilted at an unnatural angle, each step causing the vehicle to groan and shift ominously. The sound of screeching metal filled his ears, drowning out everything else, but he focused on one thing: saving the people inside.
He reached the woman—a middle-aged passenger, her face ashen, trapped under a toppled seat.
"Hold on," Leo said, his voice calm despite the chaos. He gripped the seat, his muscles straining as he lifted with all his strength, his focus unwavering. The woman squirmed free, her face streaked with sweat and tears, her breaths shallow as she moved toward the door.
"Go, now!" Leo commanded, his gaze hard, pointing toward the open exit.
One by one, the passengers moved, their movements slow, as if time itself had become aware of the danger they were in. The bus creaked and groaned louder with every step they took. Leo's gaze shifted toward the front, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.
The driver was still in his seat, slumped over the wheel, a ghost of what once was.
No, Leo thought, dread pooling in his stomach. Not the driver too.
Leo stepped closer, gripping the seatbacks for balance, his feet slipping on the angled floor. The bus tilted sharply, and Leo stumbled, almost losing his footing in the shifting chaos.
"Come on," he muttered under his breath, his hands trembling as he reached the unconscious driver. With a grunt of effort, he hooked his arms under the man's shoulders and began to drag him toward the back.
Outside, Surya watched, his hands pressed tightly against his chest, his small form trembling in the wind.
"Hyung! Hurry! The bus is about to fall." Surya's voice cracked as he shouted, his eyes wide with fear.
"I'm trying!" Leo shouted back, his breath hitched as he struggled to pull the man's limp body toward safety. His strength was waning, but his resolve was unyielding. He couldn't fail now.
The bus groaned again, the front end dipping lower, the abyss beckoning.
Leo reached the emergency exit, dragging the driver onto solid ground with a final, desperate heave. He collapsed beside the man, gasping for air as the remaining passengers cheered, their relief palpable. But Leo knew there was no time to celebrate. Not yet.
Arthur reached the cliff's edge just as Leo pulled the last of the passengers to safety. His eyes scanned the group desperately, his heart pounding in his chest like a drumbeat. Relief flickered briefly when he saw the survivors, but his stomach dropped when he realized Lyla wasn't among them.
"Lyla!" he shouted, his voice hoarse and raw, the word slipping from his lips like a prayer. "Where is Lyla?"
His gaze locked onto Leo, his voice rising in panic. "Where is my sister?"
Leo's face fell, guilt and confusion etched into every line. "I didn't see her. I thought everyone was out."
Arthur's hands trembled as he grabbed Leo by the collar, pulling him close, his voice a mixture of anger and desperation. "She's not here! You said you got everyone!"
"Arthur," Leo began, but his words faltered, his expression stricken with remorse.
Surya stepped forward, his small hands tugging at Arthur's sleeve. "She... she hit her head," he whispered, his voice trembling with the weight of the words. "When the bus flipped... she didn't move."
Arthur's blood ran cold at the sound of those words, his heart freezing in his chest. He turned toward the bus, still hanging on the edge, its front half swaying with every passing second, the very foundation of the vehicle threatening to give way at any moment.
She's still in there.
Arthur's feet moved before his mind could process the danger. His heart raced in his chest, each beat loud and insistent, his breath shallow and erratic as he sprinted toward the teetering bus.
"Arthur! Wait!" Leo called after him, his voice strained, but Arthur didn't stop. He couldn't.
Memories flashed through his mind like lightning—his father's cold, unyielding voice echoing in his ears, the weight of the years pressing down on him.
"Listen carefully, Arthur. Never let the world know what you can do. Hide it, no matter the cost. This power is our family legacy. If people found out that you have awakened, they will come after you."
Arthur clenched his fists, his father's words reverberating in his skull. He had followed those instructions all his life, suppressing the abilities that set him apart, hiding them from the world. But now, as the bus groaned and teetered on the edge of destruction, Arthur made a choice.
"I'm sorry, Father," he muttered to the wind. "I can't lose her."
As he reached the bus, a faint blue aura began to shimmer around him. The glow was subtle, almost imperceptible to anyone who wasn't paying close attention. But Leo saw it, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the sight.
"What... what is that?" Leo whispered, his voice barely audible, his fear mingling with awe.
"Am I seeing things?"