The creature took a step forward.
The ground cracked beneath its weight.
For a moment
Everything froze.
Then
Chaos exploded.
"RUN!!"
"IT'S AN UMBRA!!"
People screamed as the street turned into a storm of panic. Bodies pushed against each other, some falling, others getting dragged by the crowd.
Ishaan's heart pounded.
His instincts screamed
Run.
He tightened his grip on his bike and turned slightly.
Then he saw him.
A small child.
Lying on the ground.
Crying.
"Mom…! Mom!!"
A few meters away, a woman struggled against the crowd pulling her away.
"Let me go! My son—please!!"
She reached out, but the force dragged her back.
"Someone help him!!"
Ishaan froze.
The noise around him faded.
All he could see was that child.
And suddenly
A memory flashed.
A girl.
Fear in her eyes.
Blood.
A monster.
A voice—
"Run…"
His breath shook.
"…Not again."
The Umbra turned.
Its hollow eyes locked onto the child.
It moved.
Step by step.
Unstoppable.
The child didn't move.
He just cried.
"Mom…!"
Ishaan dropped his bike.
And ran.
At first, his steps were normal.
Then—
He sped up.
Faster.
Faster than he should have been.
Wind rushed past him.
His heart thundered in his chest.
"What…?"
But he didn't stop.
The Umbra raised its arm.
Dark energy gathered.
It swung—
"MOVE!!"
Ishaan reached the child.
Grabbed him—
And jumped.
BOOM!!
The ground shattered where they had been.
Dust burst into the air.
Ishaan rolled across the street, shielding the child tightly.
He stopped.
Breathing heavily.
The child clung to him, shaking.
For a second
Silence.
Then
A shadow fell over them.
Ishaan slowly looked up.
The Umbra stood right in front of them.
Towering.
Its arm rising again.
No time to run.
No way to escape.
Ishaan tightened his hold on the child.
"…It's okay," he whispered, though his voice trembled.
The creature swung down
And suddenly
A beam of lightning tore through the air.
BOOM!!!
It struck the Umbra directly.
The impact blasted the creature away, sending it sliding across the street before crashing into the ground far from the civilians.
The shockwave hit like a gust of wind.
Ishaan's eyes widened.
A figure landed between them and the monster.
Calm. Steady.
Electric sparks flickered faintly around his arms.
A uniform.
An awakened officer.
He didn't look back.
His voice was firm and controlled:
"Stay behind me."
The Umbra roared, rising again.
It charged.
The officer moved instantly.
Fast.
Precise.
Lightning gathered around his hand
And in a single motion
CRACK!!
A second strike hit the Umbra.
This time
It didn't get back up.
Its body collapsed, motionless.
Silence fell.
Only distant sirens echoed through the street.
The officer exhaled slowly, then turned slightly.
His sharp eyes landed on Ishaan… and the child.
He walked closer.
"Are you both okay?"
Ishaan nodded, still catching his breath.
"…Yeah."
He looked at the officer.
"Thank you… for saving us."
The officer studied him for a moment.
Then his gaze hardened slightly.
"You shouldn't have done that."
Ishaan blinked.
"Done..What?"
"Running toward an Umbra like that," the officer said.
"You could've died."
Ishaan stayed silent.
The officer continued:
"You're lucky I got here in time."
There was a brief pause.
Then his tone softened—just a little.
"…But still."
Ishaan looked up.
"You moved to save someone," the officer said. "You are a brave person. I'll give you that."
His eyes met Ishaan's.
"That kind of courage… isn't common."
Ishaan's chest tightened slightly.
He didn't know what to say.
The officer turned away.
"Emergency units will be here soon. Stay out of danger next time."
A few minutes later, the situation was under control.
People gathered.
Ambulances arrived.
The child was reunited with his mother.
Tears. Relief.
Ishaan quietly picked up his bike.
The ride home felt different.
The city was the same.
But his mind wasn't.
His grip on the handle tightened slightly.
That moment replayed in his head
The run.
The speed.
The feeling.
"…What was that?"
His heartbeat quickened.
Was it just adrenaline?
Or
Something else?
He looked ahead.
Eyes focused.
"…Was it just a fluke…?"
The wind rushed past him as he rode forward.
But deep inside
Something had already begun to change