The scene before Sophia was pure chaos. The land was torn apart, with deep cracks snaking through the earth and a trail of disturbed soil as if a mountain had walked across it, leaving a mark of destruction. Trees were uprooted, buildings collapsed, and nothing remained untouched. In the midst of the wreckage, a large crater lay, and within it, a figure with black hair and torn clothing lay prone, his body turned toward the earth and his face obscured by his cloak.
Sophia felt a familiar presence emanating from the man—the presence she had longed for, the presence of her childhood friend and the love of her life: Ravi.
Without a moment's hesitation, she jumped into the crater, rushing toward him. Her heart raced as she neared him, a whirlwind of emotions surging within her. She was joyful, emotional, and eager to speak to him, but there was also anxiety. After all, their first meeting after years had come amidst such a tremendous destruction. The source of this chaos... was him.
But what troubled her more was his appearance. Bloodstains marred his clothes, suggesting one of two possibilities: either he had been attacked by monsters and was gravely injured, or he had fought, perhaps even killed, many of them—or worse, people—before arriving here. Despite this, she could still feel his breathing, and a wave of relief washed over her. If he was injured, she'd make sure to deal with whoever had harmed him.
Trying to calm her racing heart, she whispered, "...vi."
Her voice was so soft even she could hardly hear it. She tried again.
"Ravi," she called, the name she had longed to speak every day and night.
But he didn't respond. A pang of disappointment hit her, though she fought to stay composed. She had waited six long years for this moment, and she wouldn't let a small setback ruin it. Deep down, however, she longed for him to speak her name, to embrace her so she could forget the loneliness of the years they had spent apart.
She took a step forward, her hands trembling, ready to touch him—but a sudden invisible barrier stopped her. Confused, she pressed harder, but the barrier only rippled, refusing to break. She pushed again, with more force, but nothing changed. Desperation began to set in. Why couldn't she reach him?
"Why isn't this breaking? Damn it," she muttered, her frustration growing. Her anxiety intensified with each passing second, as the moment she had dreamed of was slipping further from her grasp.
"Ravi, wake up. It's me, Sophia. Please wake up," she cried out, her hands pounding against the barrier, but he remained still. After a few more desperate hits, tears began to fall.
"Wake up, Ravi, please!!"
Still, no response. At that moment, Sophia heard footsteps approaching, and she instinctively knew who it was.
"What's happening here?" Brain asked, his voice filled with concern.
He had arrived after finally managing to melt the ice that had frozen his foot. It had been a difficult task, as he had used hot water to thaw it, but it evaporated before he realized that it wasn't just ice—it was something more. Fortunately, his aura had helped to speed up the process.
Looking around, he was stunned by the devastation. His eyes locked on the man in the crater, and immediately, he drew out his pendant, ready to attack.
Seeing this, Sophia wiped her tears and stood protectively in front of Ravi, glaring at Brain with an intensity that sent a chill down his spine. Her eyes glowed with a strange, unsettling light as she spoke in a voice that sent shivers through him.
"If you take even a single step toward him, I will kill you."
Brain froze, realizing that she knew the man and was willing to protect him at all costs. He didn't understand why she was so protective, but something about her made him hesitate.
Why am I afraid of her? he thought. She's just a little girl, right? But he couldn't shake the feeling that she was as dangerous as the man lying in the crater. And he wasn't sure if his pendant would even work on her. The last thing he wanted was to provoke her.
Reluctantly, he lowered his pendant and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I don't want any trouble."
Internally, Brain loathed himself for being intimidated by a girl, but he couldn't ignore his instincts. He knew she could kill him if she wanted to.
Sophia's eyes remained locked on him as she spoke with a cold command, "Throw that pendant toward me."
Without hesitation, Brain tossed the pendant to her, and she caught it with ease. Her eyes narrowed as she examined it. It was a cursed object, imbued with the power of a demon.
Since the advent of superpowers, people had gained many new abilities. Some were simple, like the universal understanding of language, while others allowed individuals to instantly gain basic knowledge about any object or being they observed. Sophia could feel the dark energy emanating from the pendant.
She slipped it into her pocket and, without a word, was about to order Brain to call a healer when she noticed movement from Ravi. Slowly, he tried to rise, his body trembling with weakness, as if every ounce of energy had been drained from him. He could barely stand, his back hunched, and it looked like he might collapse at any moment.
His gaze lifted, meeting hers, but his eyes were empty, lifeless—like a man who had lost everything.
Sophia's heart clenched at the sight. She couldn't imagine the torment he had endured.
For a moment, Ravi raised his right hand, and Brain watched in confusion. He didn't understand what was happening until it dawned on him.
Sophia stepped closer, calling his name, "Rav—" but she was cut off when Ravi spoke in a hollow, emotionless voice.
"Leave me alone."
His words felt detached, as if he were no longer truly alive.
With that, Ravi lowered his hand, and in the next instant, a massive hand—formed from an unfamiliar energy—began to materialize above her. It was a force unlike anything she had ever felt, and it was headed straight for her.
***
Thanks for reading everyone. Don't forget your powerstones and do comment down.