After Emilia left to check on her father, Devante knew he had to remain the calm, responsible one among them. While emotions ran high and grief still hung thick in the air, someone needed to keep a clear head. He gave Alvin a quick, approving nod before walking over to the cremated remains of Austin.
The ashes still smoldered faintly, releasing a bitter, metallic scent that lingered in the ruined chamber. Devante crouched down carefully, his sharp eyes scanning the debris. Half-buried beneath the grey powder, he spotted a small, sleek black box no larger than a palm. He picked it up, brushing away the ash with his thumb.
The moment he opened the lid, his entire body went rigid.
Inside lay a Time Disruptor.
These devices were legendary — incredibly rare, prohibitively expensive, and almost impossible for ordinary citizens to obtain. Only high-ranking officers in the Star Forces or elite black-market dealers ever got their hands on one. The matte-black casing hummed with faint residual energy, and the small holographic display still flickered with encrypted data. Devante's mind raced. How could someone like Austin, a low-level operative at best, have acquired such advanced technology? It didn't add up. There were clearly deeper layers to this entire situation, layers that stretched far beyond today's chaotic battle. But those answers would have to wait for proper investigation.
With practiced caution, Devante slipped the Time Disruptor into the inner pocket of his tactical jacket, making sure it was securely fastened. He then straightened up and walked back toward Alvin, his expression calm but serious.
"You guys did good today," Devante said, his voice steady and sincere. He paused for a brief moment, scanning the area once more. "Where is your other friend?"
Alvin wiped sweat from his brow and gestured toward the corridor. "He's unconscious, but he should be alright. He took a pretty hard hit, though he's tougher than he looks."
Devante nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, thank you for your service. I noticed that neither of you ever attended school. As a token of our gratitude from the A-3 District Star Forces, we would like to offer both of you full scholarships to the prestigious Military Academy in our district."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out two elegant, embossed invitation letters sealed with the official Star Forces emblem. The paper felt heavy and official in Alvin's hands.
Alvin accepted them with a genuine smile. As expected from the deputy captain of the A-3 District Star Forces, Devante was always prepared. He seemed to have every necessary piece of information at his fingertips, anticipating needs before they were even spoken. "Thank you, sir. We really appreciate this."
Devante placed a firm hand on Alvin's shoulder. "You earned it. Rest up. We'll be in touch soon."
**********
Upstairs, in a quiet medical ward on the upper floors of the facility, the atmosphere was heavy with the sterile smell of antiseptic and the constant, rhythmic beeping of life-support monitors. The only other sound was the labored, heavy breathing of the patient lying motionless on the bed.
A thin, frail man rested against the pillows, his once-strong frame now weakened by years of pushing his unique abilities to their limits. Various wires, tubes, and glowing medical gadgets were connected to his arms, chest, and temples, monitoring every vital sign with clinical precision.
Emilia gently pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside, her footsteps soft against the tiled floor. She approached the bed slowly, her heart tightening at the sight of her father looking so vulnerable.
"Hello, Father," she said softly, her voice filled with a mixture of affection and concern. "How are you doing?"
The man slowly opened his eyes, a faint but warm smile forming on his pale lips. "I knew you would come," he replied, his voice weak yet steady.
"Father, you're not supposed to use your powers again," Emilia said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Though her words sounded like a gentle lecture, the deep worry in her tone was unmistakable. "Look at what happened to you after the last time. Your ability is so strange… it continues to drain your lifespan even though you earn future points for it. Please, just rest and focus on recovering. I can't keep watching you like this."
The man reached out a trembling hand and placed it over hers. "I'm sorry, my dear, but I had no choice. I sensed a power frequency that felt almost identical to my own. I had to investigate who possessed it — it was too important to ignore."
Emilia's eyes widened with surprise. "Someone else has a power frequency similar to yours? Who was it?"
"I don't know," her father admitted, his gaze growing distant. "They were extremely well protected and shielded by the Time Forces. It was as if they didn't want anyone to discover their existence. The signal was deliberately masked, I could not make out anything."
Emilia fell into deep thought, her mind swirling with unanswered questions. She had always known that the ability to peer into the future was more complex than the general public believed. Most people, including herself, could only access glimpses of their own personal futures — gathering small bits of information that helped them make better decisions in the present. But her father was among the rare few who could look into other people's futures, seeing threads of destiny that others could never perceive.
There were simply too many mysteries surrounding the entire "future points" system. Who truly controlled it? Why did some abilities come with such severe costs while others did not? And now, this mysterious person with a similar power frequency… it all pointed to something much larger and more dangerous than anyone was willing to admit.
After several moments of silence, Emilia leaned forward and gently kissed her father's forehead. "Get some rest, Father. We'll talk more when you're stronger," she whispered. With one last worried glance, she quietly left the room, the door clicking shut softly behind her.
**********
Down in the residential district, Alvin had successfully dragged the still-unconscious Trevor all the way back to his apartment. The journey had been exhausting, but Alvin refused to leave his friend behind. He carefully laid Trevor on the clean bed in the spare room, adjusting the pillow under his head before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.
Alvin's apartment was modest but significantly better than Trevor's rundown living space. The walls were painted a soft neutral tone, the furniture was simple yet functional, and natural light filtered through clean windows. It felt like an actual home rather than just a place to crash.
The moment Alvin stepped out of the bedroom to shower, strange changes began to occur in Trevor's body.
A faint blue glow started spreading across his skin. His limbs began twitching and shaking violently, as if an invisible current was running through him. Then, without warning, a strange, gelatinous blob slowly forced its way out of Trevor's slightly parted mouth, glistening under the room's dim light.
"Hey Trevor, you awa—" Alvin began as he re-entered the room, towel still in hand. His words died in his throat when he saw the bizarre creature crawling towards him.
"Energy… I need energy," the blob communicated. The words didn't come from any physical mouth — they echoed directly inside Alvin's mind through a chilling mental connection.
Before Alvin could react, the blob suddenly split into two identical parts. One shot straight toward Alvin with surprising speed, while the other dove back into Trevor's open mouth.
Alvin fought ferociously, swinging his arms, trying to slap and claw the creature away from his face. He shouted, twisted, and used every ounce of strength he had, but it was futile. The blob was relentless. It wriggled past his defenses and forced its way down his throat, leaving a cold, tingling sensation in its wake.
(Neuro connection successful.)
A sharp, electronic notification chime suddenly rang out inside both Trevor's and Alvin's heads at the exact same moment.
Trevor immediately sat bolt upright in bed, his eyes wide as he looked around the room in confusion. His gaze finally landed on Alvin, who stood frozen in place, staring blankly into space.
"Yo, Alvin, you good?" Trevor asked, his voice hoarse.
There was no reply.
"Alvin, are you okay?" he tried again, growing more concerned.
"He can't hear you right now," a calm voice suddenly spoke inside Trevor's mind.
Trevor spun around wildly. "Who said that? Who's there?"
A small portion of the blob emerged from the side of Trevor's neck, quickly reshaping and stretching until it formed a face that was eerily similar to his own.
"I did," the blob said, its newly formed mouth moving in perfect sync with the mental voice.
Trevor's heart pounded in his chest. "What the hell are you? How are you inside my body?"
The blob grinned wider, its expression disturbingly familiar.
"Buckle up, kid. I've got a lot of explaining to do."