The evening felt… normal.
Too normal.
Aria sat at the dining table, her fingers loosely wrapped around a glass of water she hadn't even touched. The soft clatter of plates, the low hum of the television in the background, the quiet presence of her parents—it all felt distant.
Like she wasn't really there.
"…Aria."
Her mother's voice cut gently through the silence.
She blinked.
"…yeah?"
"You've barely said anything since you got back," her father added, watching her carefully.
"I'm just tired," she replied.
It was quick.
Automatic.
But not convincing.
Her mother exchanged a look with her father before turning back to her.
"You've been 'tired' a lot lately."
Aria's grip on the glass tightened slightly.
"I've just had a lot going on."
"At school?" her father asked.
"…yeah."
That wasn't a lie.
Just not the full truth.
Her mother leaned forward slightly.
"You come home late. You barely eat. You're always distracted." Her voice softened. "You've changed."
That word lingered.
Changed.
Aria looked down at the table.
Because she knew—
They weren't wrong.
"…I'm fine," she said quietly.
"You don't look fine," her father replied.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
"…I'll try to be better," she added, forcing a small smile.
It wasn't real.
But it was enough to end the conversation.
For now.
—
Across the city—
Dylan stood by the window of his apartment, staring out into the fading light.
His phone rested in his hand.
The message still on the screen.
Stay away from the facility… or your family suffers.
His grip tightened slightly.
Behind him, his mother coughed softly.
He turned immediately.
"…you should be resting."
She gave a faint smile.
"I am."
"You're not."
"I don't like sleeping all day."
"You need to."
A small pause.
Then—
"…you look worried," she said.
"I'm fine."
"You always say that."
He didn't respond.
Because this time—
It wasn't true.
From the other room, his sister's voice came.
"Big bro! Look at this!"
He walked in.
She held up a small notebook.
"I got full marks today!"
He looked at it.
Then at her.
"…good job."
She smiled wide.
"You didn't even sound excited."
"I am."
"You don't look it."
He paused.
Then—
He reached out, gently patting her head.
"…I'm proud of you."
That was enough.
Her smile returned.
But as he turned away—
His expression hardened again.
Because the message didn't leave his mind.
It stayed.
Like a warning.
Like a countdown.
—
Far away—
In a sterile, dimly lit room—
A man screamed.
His body convulsed violently as the syringe was pulled from his arm.
Veins darkened.
Skin twisting unnaturally.
"…please—stop—!" he gasped.
Dr Blanc watched calmly.
Expression unreadable.
"Fascinating," he murmured.
The man's body began to change.
Bones shifting.
Muscles expanding.
His screams turned into something else.
Something inhuman.
Behind Dr Blanc—
Slander stood silently.
Arms folded.
Eyes cold.
"Release him," Dr Blanc said.
The restraints unlocked.
The man dropped to the floor—
Then slowly stood.
Not human anymore.
"…let's observe," Dr Blanc added quietly.
—
The city didn't know what was coming.
Not yet.
People walked.
Talked.
Laughed.
Cars moved.
Shops opened.
Life continued.
Until—
It didn't.
A scream.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Heads turned.
The man stumbled into the street.
His body twisted, unstable.
"…help… me…" he choked.
Then—
His spine snapped backward violently.
A roar tore from his throat.
And everything—
Went wrong.
—
Chaos exploded.
People ran.
Cars crashed.
Glass shattered.
The creature—once human—lashed out wildly, smashing through anything in reach.
A car flipped.
A building wall cracked.
Screams filled the air.
It wasn't controlled.
It wasn't targeted.
It was pure destruction.
—
Dylan felt it before he saw it.
He stopped walking.
His eyes sharpened.
"…it started."
He turned.
And ran.
—
Aria heard it.
Sirens.
Screams.
That feeling again.
Her heart dropped.
"…no…"
She didn't think.
She moved.
—
The battlefield was already in ruins when they arrived.
Aria landed first.
Her eyes widened.
"…what is that…"
The creature stood in the center of destruction.
Massive.
Unstable.
Its body constantly shifting.
Like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be.
Then—
A figure landed beside her.
VEX.
"…this is new," she said.
"Enhanced mutation," he replied.
"Looks worse than usual."
"It is."
The creature roared—
And charged.
—
The fight began instantly.
Aria moved—
Fast—
Striking first.
Her punch landed—
But the creature barely reacted.
"…what?!"
It swung—
She dodged—
Barely.
VEX moved in.
Precise.
Calculated.
He struck its side—
But its body shifted mid-impact, absorbing the hit.
"…it's adapting," he said.
"Of course it is!"
The creature roared again, slamming the ground.
Shockwaves spread.
Buildings cracked further.
People screamed in the distance.
Aria gritted her teeth.
"…we can't let it keep moving!"
"I know."
They attacked together.
Faster.
Stronger.
More coordinated.
But the creature—
Was evolving.
Every hit—
It adjusted.
Every attack—
It countered better.
—
"MOVE!" VEX shouted.
Aria dodged just in time as the creature's arm slammed down, destroying the ground beneath her.
"…this thing is insane!"
"It's unstable," he said. "That's the weakness."
"Then let's break it!"
They moved again.
Pushing harder.
Aria struck high—
VEX struck low—
The creature staggered.
For a second.
Just one.
"…now!" she shouted.
They attacked together—
A powerful combination strike—
The creature screamed—
Its body glitching—
Cracking—
—
Then it exploded forward.
Faster than before.
Too fast.
It slammed into VEX.
Hard.
He was thrown across the street, crashing through debris.
"VEX!" Aria shouted.
He pushed himself up.
Barely.
"…I'm fine."
He wasn't.
The creature turned—
Targeting a group of civilians trapped nearby.
Aria's eyes widened.
"…no—!"
She moved—
But it was too far.
Too fast.
Then—
VEX moved.
Even injured—
Even exhausted—
He got there first.
He stood between them—
And the monster.
"Get back!" he shouted.
The creature struck.
Direct hit.
The impact was massive.
The ground shattered.
Aria's heart stopped.
"…VEX!"
Dust filled the air.
Silence—
For a second.
Then—
He stood.
Still standing.
Barely.
"…go," he said.
Aria hesitated.
"…what—"
"GO!"
She moved.
Saving the civilians.
Pulling them away.
But her eyes kept going back to him.
Because he wasn't okay.
—
The creature roared again.
Charging.
VEX stepped forward.
One last time.
"…come on."
The clash—
Was devastating.
The impact sent shockwaves through the entire street.
Buildings cracked.
Windows shattered.
The creature screamed—
VEX pushed—
Everything—
Into one final moment—
—
Then—
An explosion.
A massive one.
The ground beneath them collapsed.
Water burst through from broken infrastructure below.
The force—
Threw VEX back.
Far.
Too far.
Aria turned—
Just in time to see him—
Fall.
Into the water below.
"…no…"
She ran.
Fast.
Desperate.
"VEX!!"
She reached the edge—
Looked down—
Nothing.
Just water.
Moving.
Endless.
Empty.
"…no…"
Her voice broke.
"No… no… no…"
She dropped to her knees.
Her hands shaking.
"He—he was just here…"
Tears fell.
Uncontrolled.
"You said… you said you wouldn't die…"
Her voice cracked completely.
"…don't leave me…"
Around her—
Sirens screamed.
Fire burned.
People shouted.
Cameras recorded.
And the city—
Watched.
For the first time—
They saw it.
The destruction.
The heroes.
The sacrifice.
"Who is he?!" someone shouted.
"That masked guy—he saved them!"
"He took the hit!"
"He's gone—!"
"He's a hero—!"
The voices spread.
Fast.
Through phones.
Through news.
Through everything.
VEX.
His name.
His image.
Everywhere.
Aria didn't hear any of it.
She just stared at the water.
Empty.
Broken.
And for the first time—
She didn't feel strong.
She felt alone.
As the city finally recognized them—
It was him—
That became the symbol.
The one they praised.
The one they called a hero.
The one they believed had fallen.
And Aria—
Could only whisper through tears—
"…come back…"