The orphanage was silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence that came at night, but the tense, suffocating quiet that came before something bad happened.
Inside the ruined dining hall, Emma sat calmly on top of one of the old wooden tables.
In her hand, she bounced a small rubber ball against the wall.
Tap.
The ball hit the wall and returned to her hand.
Tap.
The sound echoed through the empty room.
Emma's expression was relaxed, almost bored.
Then—
Footsteps.
Many footsteps.
Heavy boots approaching the building.
Emma smiled faintly.
"Right on time."
She stopped bouncing the ball and caught it in her palm. With a small movement, she tied her brown hair back using the band that had been resting around her wrist.
The front door creaked open.
A group of men walked in.
Raiders.
They spread across the room like they owned it.
At the center of them stepped forward the man who was clearly their leader.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a dark coat that hung loosely over his frame. His hair was a messy dark red, and a long scar cut across the bridge of his nose. His eyes were cold and sharp, the kind of eyes that had seen far too many fights.
He looked around the dining hall with lazy amusement.
Emma crossed her arms.
"What do you want?" she asked flatly.
"I told you already. We don't have any money. No food either."
The raiders laughed.
The leader chuckled and shook his head.
"You think we came here to negotiate?"
His voice was slow and mocking.
"We're not scared of you anymore, Emma."
He spread his arms slightly.
"We even brought someone who can deal with you."
His smile widened.
"But let's avoid unnecessary bloodshed."
He tilted his head.
"Just bring out the children."
His voice turned cold.
"And no one gets hurt."
Emma's expression changed.
The relaxed smile vanished.
She slowly stepped off the table.
"No."
The word was simple.
But firm.
Emma clenched her fist, ready to strike.
Before she could move—
A sudden gust of wind swept through the room.
In the blink of an eye, a knife was pressed against her neck.
Emma froze.
Someone had appeared behind her.
One of the raiders.
She couldn't see his face because he wore a dark mask, but she noticed the black hair falling from beneath it—and the strange tattoo on his arm.
The blade pressed slightly closer to her throat.
A thin line of blood appeared.
The leader smirked.
"Go ahead," he said slowly.
"Do your worst."
Emma's eyes widened.
At that exact moment—
Outside the orphanage.
The children had already been dragged out.
While Emma had been distracted, one of the raiders had slipped into the bunker, beaten the other caretakers unconscious, and forced the children outside.
They had been warned not to use their powers.
Ash and Rin stood near the back of the group.
Both of them looked toward the dining hall.
And what they saw made their hearts drop.
Emma.
Their only hope.
Held with a knife to her neck.
Tears filled Rin's eyes.
Ash clenched his fists.
He wanted to run forward.
To fight.
But before he could move—
Rin moved first.
Her shy expression vanished.
Her eyes suddenly glowed purple.
Ether gathered around her as she rushed toward the leader.
But the leader didn't even flinch.
As Rin got close—
He moved.
A brutal kick shot forward.
His foot slammed directly into her face.
Rin's body flew backward and hit the ground.
Blood ran from her nose.
She didn't move.
"Rin!" Ash shouted.
Emma struggled against the masked man holding her.
But the knife pressed deeper into her skin.
The leader sighed in annoyance.
"Round up the children."
He waved his hand casually.
"Do whatever you want with the brown-haired woman."
Ash felt something inside him snap.
He forced himself to step forward.
But suddenly—
His body froze.
He couldn't move.
The leader was staring directly at him.
His eyes were glowing.
Ether radiated from them.
Ash's legs trembled.
Then they forced him downward.
He was pushed to his knees.
Completely powerless.
Forced to watch.
The raiders surrounded Emma.
Punches landed.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Emma collapsed to the floor, barely conscious as the beating continued.
The other children were dragged away outside.
The leader slowly walked toward Ash.
He crouched in front of him.
"There are no heroes in this world, boy."
His glowing eyes stared straight into Ash's.
"So stop trying to be one."
He raised his hand and made a small gesture.
A signal.
One of the raiders stepped forward.
And stabbed Emma.
Ash's world shattered.
"NOOOOO!"
The leader's eyes glowed again.
Darkness swallowed Ash's vision.
His body collapsed.
As his consciousness faded, he saw Emma one last time.
Barely alive.
She lifted her hand weakly.
And gave him a thumbs up.
Her voice was soft.
"It'll be okay…"
Her breathing trembled.
"Survive."
She smiled faintly.
"And get my revenge."
The knife stabbed her again.
Ash's world went completely black.