How much loss can a single heart endure? How far can despair push someone before it changes them forever?
I decided to bury the experience of the void deep within myself. Whatever had happened there—whatever I had become—it wasn't something I could share. Not now. They wouldn't understand. I don't even understand it myself.
Together with Lucas, Nova, and Lucy, I combed through the rubble of what had once been our neighborhood. Burned wood, shattered concrete, and twisted steel lay scattered across the ruins of our homes. Hope dwindled as we sifted through the wreckage, searching for anything that might connect us to the families we'd lost.
But there was nothing.
Lucy found herself sobbing uncontrollably, clinging to me for comfort. Her small frame trembled as I held her tightly, murmuring words that I myself didn't fully believe. I tried to console her while grappling with my own grief. The emptiness of losing everything was consuming, yet my thoughts remained clouded by the memory of the dark void and the strange eyes now bound to me.
What are these powers? Why me?
My reflection was cut short when the ground beneath us began to tremble. We all 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. Heroes. Not just a title, but a badge of honor earned through grueling tests and brutal training. They 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: 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 we 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. He doesn't look like an ETT. But why does he feel so much worse?
"He doesn't look like an ETT," Nova whispered, her voice trembling. "But… why does he feel so much worse?"
The man stepped forward, each movement deliberate and fluid. The Heroes outside the barrier hesitated, their faces pale. Even some of the strongest among them visibly faltered.
"Stay behind me!" Lucy cried, summoning her shield. A translucent barrier materialized around us.
Lucas activated his power, his eyes turning a stark, unnatural white. Nova, too, called upon her abilities, her eyes becoming pools of darkness that swallowed all light. They charged toward the figure, determined to protect Lucy and me.
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.
The man's gaze shifted to Lucy. Her shield flickered and shattered, and she fell unconscious without a sound. My heart raced. I was the only one left standing.
The man approached me slowly, his presence suffocating. Desperation surged through me, and without thinking, I felt an unfamiliar power stir within me. Energy coursed through my left eye, making it burn like fire. The man stopped and crouched to my level, his face inches away. I stared into the stranger's eyes—and what I saw made my blood run cold.
In the reflection of the man's gaze, I saw my own left eye glowing with a radiant, golden light.
The man reached out, his fingers cold as they brushed against my face. "So, you've inherited those eyes," he said, his voice a mix of amusement and curiosity.
I didn't move, couldn't speak.
"Interesting…" The man stood, towering over me. "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 me. While the others lay unconscious, I sat awake, staring out the window of my hospital room. I touched my left eye, still feeling the faint, unnatural energy within it. The stranger's words echoed in my mind.
Who was he? Why… me?
I clenched my fists. Whatever had happened today wasn't the end. It was only the beginning.