"Ah…!"
Clark cried out in pain.
He felt the strength draining from his body at an alarming speed, as if the very life inside him was being siphoned away. His legs buckled beneath him, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Frost spread rapidly across his clothes and skin.
The cold that surrounded him was so intense it could freeze steel. Clark's body trembled uncontrollably as confusion and weakness overwhelmed him.
"Looking for death!"
David's eyes flashed with fury.
He pushed off the ground violently, and his body shot forward like a cannonball. In the blink of an eye he appeared in front of Sean, his fist surging forward with a terrifying force that resembled a volcanic eruption.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out.
The collision unleashed a visible shockwave of compressed air that burst outward in a ring of white turbulence. It was like a powerful storm gust sweeping across the land.
The air current roared through the countryside, scattering dust and grass for dozens of meters.
Crack—crack—crack!
Sean felt as if a high-speed train traveling four hundred kilometers per hour had slammed directly into his chest.
Agonizing pain exploded through his body.
He flew backward uncontrollably, carving a long trench through the dirt before crashing violently into the ground dozens of meters away. His body embedded deeply into the earth like a projectile.
"Clark, how do you feel?"
David turned immediately, his expression tense as he rushed back toward his brother.
Under normal conditions, Clark's body should recover quickly under sunlight. Unless he had been fatally injured, the sun's energy would gradually restore his strength.
"I… I'm okay."
Clark's face, which had turned purplish from the freezing cold, began improving under the sunlight. The warmth of the sun slowly melted the frost covering his body.
But his strength had not returned yet.
He still felt weak, as if his body needed time to replenish the energy that had been drained.
Looking at his brother's worried expression, a strange warmth surged through Clark's heart.
Then another thought surfaced suddenly.
In the vision Cassandra had shown him earlier, the future David could fly. His skin tone looked normal, and his eyes glowed red with terrifying power.
Was that really his brother?
Or had Cassandra somehow made a mistake when she used her ability on someone who wasn't human? Maybe the strange vision had simply been a bizarre illusion triggered by Clark's alien physiology.
"Brother… don't kill him… and don't…"
Clark forced the words out through chattering teeth.
"I'm avenging you right now."
David had already moved before Clark could finish speaking.
He stomped hard against the ground.
The tremendous force shattered the asphalt beneath his feet, sending cracks spidering across the road. His body launched forward again like a missile.
After crossing an arc of dozens of meters through the air, David descended in front of Sean.
The moment he landed, the ground beneath his boots exploded with flying dirt and gravel.
Sean struggled painfully to rise.
"Ignorance might lead someone to their grave," he snarled, "but not me!"
"You got powers too?!"
David's voice was cold and calm.
Sean threw a desperate punch the moment he stood up, but David merely tilted his head slightly and avoided it with ease.
After watching what had happened to Clark, David had no intention of allowing Sean to touch him.
"So you can absorb heat and grow stronger?"
David's leg shot forward.
Sean was kicked away again, this time with far greater force.
Crack!
The brutal kick slammed directly into Sean's ribs. His body was sent flying backward once more before crashing heavily into the crater behind him.
Like a stone thrown into a lake, his impact sent waves of dirt bursting outward.
A deep pit several meters wide formed where he landed.
David stepped forward slowly and looked down at him.
"That's actually a decent ability," David said calmly.
"But it's wasted on someone like you."
Most people with powerful abilities didn't carry massive reserves of body heat. Only someone like Clark—whose power came from absorbing solar energy—could provide such enormous thermal energy.
If Sean tried absorbing heat from ordinary people, they would likely die instantly.
"Some people," David continued quietly, "are still cowards even after gaining great power."
"Shut up!"
Sean roared with rage.
The naked contempt in David's voice drove him into a frenzy.
He leapt out of the crater like a charging rugby player, kicking up a powerful gust of wind as he rushed forward.
His arms slammed around David's waist.
"Kneel before me and beg for mercy!"
Sean shouted as he tightened his grip.
His ability activated again.
He tried to absorb the heat from David's body.
He expected David to collapse instantly just like Clark had.
But instead—
David's legs slid backward slightly across the dirt, carving two deep grooves into the ground.
Then his fist descended calmly.
Boom!
The terrifying punch slammed Sean downward with overwhelming force.
The shock traveled through Sean's body and exploded into the ground beneath him. A ring of white air pressure burst outward again, scattering gravel and grass blades in every direction.
Crack—crack—crack!
The sound of bones breaking echoed from the crater.
"M-my back!"
Sean screamed in terror.
Lying inside the several-meter-wide pit, he twisted in agony as unbearable pain shot through his spine.
His hands trembled as they reached behind him.
He couldn't feel anything below his waist.
"Don't worry," David said coldly as he stood over him.
"You'll be free of that pain very soon."
He could feel some of the cosmic energy inside his body had already been expended during the fight.
Without hesitation, David raised his fist again.
His arm descended with the unstoppable force of a collapsing mountain.
Boom!
Sean's eyes rolled back instantly.
His consciousness disappeared as the devastating blow damaged his brain. Darkness swallowed him completely.
He would never wake again.
Clark staggered weakly toward the crater just in time to see the final moment.
"By the way, Clark," David said casually while pulling his fist back.
He tilted his head slightly while standing in the massive crater.
"What were you trying to say earlier?"
"I…"
Clark stared at Sean's motionless body.
Realizing that Sean had effectively been reduced to a living vegetable, Clark nearly fainted from shock and anger.
…
Creak.
"Ma'am… excuse me."
The door opened quietly.
Keira stepped into the room nervously, her hands clasped tightly together.
"People here say you can see the future," she said carefully. "Can you help me?"
Cassandra sat calmly on a stool near the window, eating her lunch.
Outside, birds chirped brightly from the tree branches.
She closed her eyes and chewed slowly, savoring each bite with a peaceful expression. The calmness on her face made it seem as if she were enjoying the most delicious meal in the world.
In truth, it felt more like she was savoring the final flavors of life itself.
"My child," Cassandra said gently, opening her eyes.
"I'm not a gypsy fortune-teller."
She placed the spoon down slowly.
"If you want your future predicted, perhaps you should visit the fortune-telling tent at a circus."
Then she added calmly:
"And let me offer you one last piece of advice, little girl."
She shook her head slightly.
"Eavesdropping is not a good habit."
Keira's eyes brightened instantly.
It was as if she had just confirmed something important.
"Please give me a chance, Ms. Cassandra," she said urgently, stepping forward.
Even without transforming, her movements were far too quiet for an ordinary blind woman to notice.
"It seems I said the wrong thing."
Cassandra sighed softly.
"As people grow older, their minds become slower."
She smiled faintly.
"My time is almost up. Would you allow an old woman to quietly enjoy her final moments?"
"Your time… is limited?"
"Everyone is mortal," Cassandra replied gently.
She listened to the ticking clock on the wall as the hour approached.
"I saw the date of my own death in another caretaker's future."
Some futures could be changed.
Others were far harder to escape—such as the natural end of one's life.
Cassandra was nearly ninety years old.
She had planned to spend this morning seeing the world one last time through the visions of others before leaving quietly.
"But…"
Keira clenched her hands tightly.
Guilt flickered across her beautiful face.
Logically, she should not disturb an elderly woman who was about to pass peacefully.
But what she needed to know was too important.
"This doesn't only affect me," Keira said softly. "It concerns my people… and possibly the entire world."
"Please."
Cassandra hesitated before sighing gently.
"I cannot reveal someone else's future without their permission."
She paused thoughtfully.
"But I can help you see your own."
"My future?"
Keira fell silent.
Her expression became conflicted.
But perhaps that would still reveal what she needed.
If the tribe's ancient prophecy was true…
If the figure known as Naamah truly appeared in this generation, then according to legend she was destined to become connected to him—the man who descended from the heavens with fire.
If she could see her own future, she might learn which of the two brothers was the savior Naamah… and which one was the evil Segai.
Then she could help the true savior defeat his brother.
"Please," Keira said respectfully.
"This world is so beautiful."
Cassandra smiled faintly.
"It would be nice to see it one last time before I leave."
The clock ticked toward the hour.
With Keira's support, Cassandra slowly lay back on the bed.
She gently grasped the girl's hand.
Seconds passed.
Then Cassandra's body trembled faintly as the vision appeared.
After a moment, she opened her eyes weakly.
She turned her head toward Keira with a look of deep pity.
"No… don't get close to those brothers."
Her voice was faint.
"If you do… your fate will be unfortunate."
"Unfortunate?"
"And… your tribe…"
Her words came out broken and incomplete.
The clock's hand reached the hour.
Mid-sentence, Cassandra's strength vanished.
Her hand fell limply to the side as her eyes slowly closed.
"Ma'am?"
Keira's expression changed dramatically.
....
Join my P*atreon for 100 premium chapters ahead of the public release.
Link: pa*treon.com/MysticVerse (Remove the *)
Free members also get 2 advanced chapters for free.