The city never really slept.
But at 11 PM, the river bridge was alive in a different way.
Engines idling. Horns blaring. Headlights stretching endlessly across the steel structure as cars, buses, and trucks crawled forward in dense traffic.
Then—
everything stopped.
A car lifted into the air.
Not slightly.
Not tipping.
Lifted.
People screamed.
The vehicle flipped violently, crashing into the divider with a deafening impact.
Glass shattered.
Metal twisted.
Panic spread like wildfire.
"Get out! Get out of the cars!"
"Run!"
Doors slammed open as people abandoned vehicles, running toward either end of the bridge. Some stumbled. Some froze. Some just screamed.
At the center of it—
stood a man.
Or what used to be one.
His body was twisted unnaturally, veins darkened beneath his skin like something was spreading through him. Black, thread-like streaks wrapped around his arms and neck, pulsing faintly.
His eyes—
completely black.
He lifted another car.
Threw it.
The impact sent shockwaves through the bridge.
Police sirens cut through the chaos.
Units had already arrived.
Officers surrounded the man, weapons drawn.
"Stand down!" one of them shouted. "Put your hands where we can see them!"
The man didn't respond.
Instead—
he moved.
Too fast.
He slammed into the nearest officer, sending him flying across the asphalt. Another tried to fire—
the man caught him mid-motion and threw him into a parked truck.
"Deploy gas!" someone shouted.
Tear gas canisters rolled across the ground, releasing thick clouds.
For a second—
it worked.
The man staggered.
Then—
he screamed.
A distorted, inhuman sound.
The gas dispersed violently as if pushed away by force.
And then—
he charged.
The police line broke.
By the time Unit 7 arrived—
the bridge was already falling apart.
Baru didn't slow the car.
"Hold on," he said calmly.
Maya barely had time to react.
The vehicle surged forward, weaving through abandoned cars, dodging debris, cutting straight through the chaos.
"Target at center," Sarah said, eyes locked ahead. "Civilian casualties priority."
Sam leaned forward slightly, watching.
"…yeah," he murmured.
"This is new."
A loud crack echoed.
Maya looked up—
just in time to see a child slipping over the edge of the bridge.
"No—!"
"Baru," Sam said.
The sunroof slid open.
Before Maya could process it—
Sam was already moving.
He climbed up—
and jumped.
Straight out of the moving car.
"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Maya shouted.
Sam didn't answer.
He hit the ground, rolled once, and sprinted toward the edge.
The child slipped.
Fell.
Sam dove.
His hand caught the railing.
His other—
caught the child.
They hung there.
One hand gripping steel.
The other holding onto a life.
Maya reached out from inside the car, grabbing Sam's arm as Baru slowed just enough.
"Got you," she said through clenched teeth.
Sam glanced up at her.
"…see?" he said, slightly out of breath. "Teamwork."
"Shut up and climb!"
With her help, he pulled himself back up, lifting the child safely onto the road.
No time to breathe.
A car flew past them.
Sam turned.
And saw it.
The man.
Standing in the middle of destruction.
"…yeah," Sam said quietly.
"That's not human anymore."
"Baru!" Sarah shouted.
Baru was already moving.
He charged.
Full force.
The impact was brutal.
The possessed man was pushed back several meters, his body cracking against the asphalt.
Baru didn't stop.
Punch.
Punch.
Punch.
Each hit landed like a hammer, forcing the thing back—but not enough.
Up close—
it was worse.
The black streaks weren't just on his skin.
They were inside him.
Moving.
Spreading.
"…he's gone," Baru muttered.
The man grabbed Baru's arm—
and slammed him into the ground.
Hard.
Sarah fired.
Sharp, precise shots.
Each bullet struck with impact, forcing the creature to stagger.
"Keep him off balance!" she shouted.
Sam moved.
"Baru!" he called.
Baru reacted instantly.
He grabbed Sam mid-run—
and threw him.
Sam spun mid-air.
His hand moved.
The ring twisted.
Space cracked.
The glass katana emerged.
And in one fluid motion—
He slashed.
The impact exploded.
A shockwave rippled across the bridge.
The creature was thrown back.
For a moment—
stillness.
Then—
it stood up again.
"…okay," Sam said.
"That's annoying."
The black marks had spread further.
The body—
was adapting.
Sam exhaled slowly.
"Alright," he muttered.
"Let's test something."
He reached into his pocket.
Pulled out a small circular capsule.
Snapped it onto the hilt of his sword.
Twisted.
"Don't break," he said quietly.
The capsule clicked.
Energy surged.
"Alright," Sam said.
"I'm on it."
The armor formed instantly.
Chrome-like plating wrapped around his body, locking into place with sharp precision. The suit reflected the chaos around him in distorted fragments of light.
Maya stared.
"…you had that this whole time?"
Sam flexed his hand.
"…yeah," he said. "Still figuring it out."
Then—
he moved.
Fast.
Faster than before.
He dashed forward—
colliding with the creature.
The impact sent it crashing backward.
The bridge shook.
Sam landed lightly.
"…okay," he said, testing his grip.
"This is cool."
A pause.
"…but expensive."
The creature roared—
and charged Sarah.
Too fast.
She fired—
but it broke through.
It struck her.
She hit the ground hard—
her head slamming against the road.
Everything went quiet for a second.
Sam froze.
Then—
his expression changed.
Completely.
He disappeared.
Reappeared above the creature—
and kicked it.
Hard.
It launched upward—
Sam followed.
Grabbed it—
and slammed it back down.
The bridge cracked.
Shockwaves rippled across the surface.
The creature didn't move.
Silence.
Sam stood over it, breathing heavily.
"…yeah," he muttered.
"Stay down."
He removed a device from his belt.
Locked it around the creature's neck.
It clicked into place.
The black markings slowed.
Contained.
Baru walked over, breathing steady.
"Still alive," he said.
Sam nodded.
"Good."
A pause.
"We're not done with him."
Across the bridge—
far from the chaos—
a man stood watching.
Perfect suit.
Still posture.
Unbothered.
"…disappointing," he murmured.
His gaze lingered on Sam.
Then—
he turned.
And walked away.
And disappeared into the night.
As if the outcome had already been decided.