The night had swallowed the city in steel-gray silence, broken only by the roar of engines tearing through the streets. Red and blue flashes reflected off broken windows and rusted street signs.
Suddenly, the black car ahead jerked left—tires screeching—taking a narrow, dimly lit road marked "RESTRICTED — FOREST ZONE."
Raiden slammed his fist against the steering wheel.
"Dammit! The bandits just took a restricted path leading to the forest!" He grabbed the communicator. "Control, how long till backup gets here? We're running out of road—and patience!"
Static crackled before a calm voice replied,
"Not long, Officer Ignatius. Backup will be there soon."
Raiden's eyes twitched in irritation.
"They've been saying that crap since we started this chase!" he muttered, knuckles tightening around the wheel.
---
The Chase, Escalated
The forest path was rough, filled with sharp turns and thick roots pushing through broken asphalt. The two vehicles darted between towering trees, exchanging volleys of glowing projectiles and earthen spikes that shattered against trunks.
TUM—TUM—TUM!
Each hit lit the night with sparks and energy trails. The vehicles were barely holding together—doors dented, windows shattered, engines coughing like dying beasts.
"Shit! I'm out of energy!" the female bandit screamed from the front seat, sweat pouring down her face. "I can't maintain the energy field any longer! If this goes down, we're done!"
"Keep it together!" barked the bandit in the middle. "We're almost at the edge of the forest. Once we're out, we'll lose them!"
The driver gritted his teeth, pushing the pedal down harder. "Trying! But this road's not built for speed!"
They were so focused on their desperate escape that none of them noticed the sky above darkening, as if something massive had swallowed the stars.
---
The Fall
A faint crimson glow flickered above the treetops.
"What the hell is that…?" Raiden murmured, eyes narrowing.
He squinted through the cracked windshield — a streak of flaming red and gold cut across the sky like a divine spear, descending at terrifying speed.
"Hey, look up—what the hell is t—"
He never finished the sentence.
CRAAAAAASH—BOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!
The world exploded.
A blinding flash consumed the road. The ground split open with a thunderous roar as a fiery meteor slammed between the two speeding vehicles, the shockwave shredding trees and flinging debris like bullets.
Raiden's car spun through the air, glass and metal twisting mid-flight before slamming into the ground. The world went white, then black.
---
Silence
Nothing but the faint ringing in his ears.
Then pain.
"—Cough—ugh…" Raiden spat blood, vision blurry. His body screamed in agony. Every breath felt like knives scraping against his ribs.
Darkness… thick darkness… and pain.
He tried to open his eyes. It took effort—his eyelids felt like they were made of lead.
He blinked until shapes began to form through the smoke and dust.
And then he saw it.
Ryley.
His friend's body was impaled—skewered through the skull by a massive tree branch. His arm lay meters away, severed clean. The lifeless eyes that once glowed with mischief now stared blankly into nothing.
Raiden's stomach twisted. His breath caught. "Ryley…"
The world fell silent around him except for the distant hiss of flames.
He turned away, choking back tears. His entire body was shattered—bones cracked, spine broken, one leg missing below the knee. Blood pooled beneath him, soaking the dirt.
Yet somehow… he was still alive.
The air reeked of burnt metal and ozone. Smoke curled into the dark sky. The cars were wrecked beyond recognition, torn apart and flung around the edges of a massive crater, wide enough to swallow a house.
He forced himself to crawl—every movement a battle between will and death. His hand reached for the gravel, dragging himself inch by inch from the burning wreck.
The heat on his skin grew unbearable.
And then—he saw it.
A faint light, swirling in the center of the crater.
Crimson and gold, shifting like molten flame.
It moved.
Straight toward him.
Raiden tried to shield his eyes, but the light was too fast—within a heartbeat, it shot forward like a streak of lightning and pierced through his chest.
His body convulsed as waves of fire coursed through his veins. His vision blurred red, then white. He felt his insides ignite, every nerve screaming in agony.
He wanted to yell—but no sound came out.
And then—
Blackout.
---
Between Worlds
White.
Pure white.
When his eyes opened again, there was nothing but blinding light. His head throbbed. Slowly, outlines began to form—faces, blurred and indistinct. Voices echoed like whispers through water.
"Vitals are stabilizing."
"Prep the injector."
"Heart rhythm normalizing."
He blinked. Shapes became clearer—men and women in white coats moving around him. Doctors. Machines beeped steadily beside him. He was on a stretcher, being rushed through bright corridors.
"Where… am I?" he tried to ask, but his voice cracked, weak. No one answered.
The world flickered again, fading into static.
Blackout.
---
The Awakening
When Raiden opened his eyes once more, the world was quiet.
He lay on a hospital bed. A steady beeping filled the room. Clear tubes connected to his arms, pumping pale liquid into his veins. Sunlight slipped through the blinds, casting golden stripes across the sterile walls.
For a moment, he wondered if this was still a dream.
Then the door creaked open.
A nurse in spotless white stepped in—light-skinned, auburn hair tied neatly back. She froze, then smiled softly. "Looks like you're finally awake. For a while, we thought we'd lost you."
Her voice was calm, almost angelic. She checked the monitors, scribbling notes on her tablet.
Raiden's throat felt dry. "Excuse me… nurse—how long have I been out?"
She tilted her head, counting in her mind.
"Hmm… two… three… four… yes—four weeks."
"Four weeks?!" Raiden's eyes widened. "You mean I've been unconscious for an entire month?!"
She nodded, still typing. "Yes. You suffered severe trauma. Honestly, it's a miracle you're alive. Another few days and we might have declared you in a permanent coma."
He sank back against the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"So it really was that bad…"
He tried to move his leg—and froze. A sharp pain shot through his body. The realization hit him like ice: one leg was gone.
Before he could speak again, the door burst open.
A blonde woman rushed in, eyes red from crying. Her breath hitched when she saw him awake.
"Raiden…"
He turned his head slowly—and his heart stopped.
"Silva…"
His wife.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stumbled toward him, voice breaking with relief.
"You're alive… thank the heaven
s, you're alive!"
Raiden wanted to reach for her hand, to say something—but emotion and exhaustion swallowed his words.
He just let the tears fall.
---
To be continued…