Silence never lasts anymore.
The street was still—but not in a calm way. It felt wrong. The Striders lay where they fell, their broken bodies slowly fading into black dust, drifting away like ash in the air.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Masszio stood where he had landed. His breathing was uneven, slow but heavy. His eyes didn't shift. They stayed fixed on the spot where that figure had been.
"You're not ready."
The words echoed in his head again and again.
His hand trembled.
A piece of concrete nearby lifted into the air—and crushed inward instantly.
Everyone flinched.
"…Masszio?" Laura called, her voice careful.
No response.
Another object twisted mid-air before slamming into the ground.
Zyren narrowed his eyes slightly. "…yeah… he's losing control."
Masszio clenched his fist tighter. His power surged again—unstable, harder to control.
"…I couldn't move…" he muttered quietly. "…I couldn't do anything…"
The ground beneath him cracked. Dust rose. The air around him bent slightly, like heat rising off a surface.
"…that thing—"
A sharp burst of force pushed outward. Not huge, but enough to make the others step back.
"…hey. relax," Laura said, more firmly this time.
Masszio's breathing grew heavier. His vision blurred. The memory replayed in his mind—being lifted, frozen, unable to fight back.
"…I'm supposed to—"
He stopped.
Because he didn't know what he was supposed to be.
Silence.
Then Zyren spoke.
"…you done?"
Masszio blinked.
Zyren stepped closer, hands still in his pockets. His tone wasn't harsh, just direct. "…or you gonna keep breaking stuff and actually help next time?"
For a moment, Masszio just stared at him. The tension in the air tightened.
Then—
It dropped.
The floating debris fell. The pressure faded.
"…I'll help," Masszio said quietly.
Zyren shrugged. "…good."
Laura let out a small breath. "…yeah. because we're not surviving this if you lose it."
Masszio didn't reply, but his expression changed. The frustration was still there—but now it was focused.
Outside, Darius wiped dust off his arm and looked around. "…they're gone."
Malik stood nearby, his shadows slowly pulling back. "…no," he said calmly. "…they were removed."
Darius frowned. "…what's the difference?"
Malik's eyes shifted toward Masszio and the others. "…control."
Darius followed his gaze. "…those kids again…"
Back near the school, Masszio stepped forward, looking out at the damaged city. "…we can't stay here."
Laura nodded. "…yeah. if more of those things show up, we're done."
Zyren stretched lazily. "…so where do we go? everything's already wrecked."
Masszio didn't hesitate this time. "…we find out what that thing was."
Zyren tilted his head slightly. "…you serious?"
Masszio looked up at the Black Sun. "…it knew me."
Silence followed.
Laura's expression shifted. "…yeah… I noticed that too."
Zyren sighed. "…great. main character problems."
Masszio ignored him. "…if it's watching… then it's not finished."
A low rumble echoed through the city.
Deep.
Heavy.
Everyone froze.
"…you hear that?" Laura asked quietly.
The ground trembled again—but this time, it was slower. More controlled.
Malik turned toward the sound immediately. "…that's not random."
Darius cracked his knuckles. "…yeah. that sounds big."
In the distance, something moved.
Slowly.
Not wild. Not chaotic.
Massive.
A shape began to rise beyond the broken skyline—huge and distorted.
Even from far away, you could feel it.
The pressure hit.
Masszio narrowed his eyes. "…another one?"
Malik's expression hardened. "…no."
A short pause.
"…that's worse."
The ground shook again, stronger now.
Zyren exhaled. "…yeah… I'm starting to hate this place."
Laura stepped forward, her claws forming again. "…whatever it is… we're not running, right?"
Masszio didn't answer right away.
He stared at the distant figure.
Felt the pressure.
Felt the fear creeping back in.
Then—
He stepped forward.
"…no."
His hand lifted slowly.
This time, steady.
"…we fight."
Above them, the Black Sun remained.
Watching.
And in the distance—
The massive figure moved again.