The wind whispered across the hilltop, stirring dust and grass alike.
From a distance, Salem stood alone, watching—expressionless—as a boy was pushed to the ground by a group of older kids. The boy didn't fight back. He couldn't.
Salem just watched.
"You're not going to help?"
A voice broke the silence. Light, curious. It came from behind.
Salem turned his head slightly. A girl with silver hair and confident eyes climbed up the hill to stand beside him.
"He seems like he could really use it," she added with a soft smile.
Salem's eyes returned to the scene below.
"Why would I?" His voice was flat.
She stepped closer.
"Because it's the right thing to do."
He didn't answer right away. His stare never wavered.
"Says who?"
She blinked, a little surprised by the response.
"Well… they're bullying him. Which makes them bad people. And you… you seem like a good person. So, the right thing to do would be to help."
A dry chuckle slipped from Salem's lips, as if the very idea amused him.
"Good, bad… right or wrong… who decides which is which?"
"You do," she said firmly, placing a hand over her chest.
"It's the feeling you get in your heart."
He glanced downward, his eyes shadowed.
The feeling in my heart... do I even have one?
"I don't have one," he said at last, quietly but with conviction.
"You're wrong," she said. "Everyone has a heart."
He turned to her for the first time, eyes narrowing.
"Who the hell are you, anyway?"
She tilted her head, her smile returning—but something flickered behind it. Does he really not know who I am? Surely he's heard my name...
"I am Ava," she declared. "Ava Psychikos."
Salem raised an eyebrow.
"Well, Ava, I'm Salem. And you're starting to annoy me."
He really hasn't heard of me? Her pride stung for a moment. Then curiosity replaced it.
"My apologies," she said softly. "It's just strange. Do you have anyone you care about?"
"Care?"
"Yes. Like family?"
Salem hesitated, but his eyes softened slightly.
"There's one person," he admitted. "Someone I'd protect with my life."
Ava smiled warmly.
"Because you love them!"
"No," he said plainly. "Because I promised her I would."
She stepped even closer, then gently placed her hand on his head.
"What are you doing?" he asked, brows furrowing.
"Shhh..." she whispered, closing her eyes.
She reached inward with her psychic powers. Wow… his mental defenses are incredibly strong. I can't get through... Not that I want to see his thoughts. I just want to feel his emotions...
Then—nothing.
No emotion. No warmth. No fear. Just a void.
He really has no emotions… how is that possible?
Wait.
What's that?
Something deeper. Something immense.
A power, dark and vast, swirling in the depths of his soul.
Ava gasped.
"AHHH!"
Her body went limp as she collapsed to the ground.
"Ava!" Salem dropped beside her, shaking her gently. "What happened? Are you okay?"
She winced, holding her head.
"Yes… just a headache."
He frowned.
"That's weird."
Ava's heart skipped. Oh no. Did he notice?
"When you fell…" he began slowly.
"I felt something. When I thought you were hurt… I felt something. Right here."
He pointed at his chest.
She blinked, startled.
"You were worried? About me?"
Salem looked away, flustered.
"What? No. I don't even know how to worry."
Ava laughed.
"You're cute when you lie."
Salem scowled.
"So tell me more about these… feelings."
And they sat together on that hill, talking for hours.
Time passed like water through fingers. Ava had nearly forgotten why she was even there.
It's time. Damn it… I got distracted. I came up here just to kill time, but then I ran into him.
She looked at him closely.
He shouldn't be a threat. He's emotionless. But that power… he's a wild card.
"Come here, Salem," she said softly, pulling him into her arms.
"What are y—"
"Shhh…" she whispered.
Then, with a subtle flick of her psychic ability, she pressed into his mind and lulled him to sleep.
An Hour Later
Smoke.
That was the first thing Salem saw when he woke.
Then—realization.
"Ava!" he gasped, sitting upright.
But she was gone.
In the distance, smoke rose from the direction of his home.
"No… what's happening?"
Salem shot to his feet and ran.
The village was chaos. Bodies of soldiers were scattered like dolls. His master, Dean, stood bloodied and barely upright, his breath labored.
In the sky floated soldiers. At their center stood a man cloaked in cruelty—Joffrey.
"I won't let you take her, Joffrey!!" Dean shouted.
"Insolence," the man sneered.
"You're a mere ant. Kneel!"
Dean dropped to his knees against his will, a psychic force crushing him.
A gleaming blade materialized mid-air—then shot forward, impaling him through the stomach.
"MASTER!!" Salem screamed, heart tearing.
Salem raced toward his impaled master, blitzing through any and everything in his path with no regard.
"Salem…" the half-dead master murmured.
"Your… mother…" Dean's weak, bloody arm shook as he tried to raise it.
"They have her," he whispered, pointing toward Joffrey.
Joffrey turned lazily toward the new voice.
"Another ant. This place is infested. Kill the entire village."
One soldier hesitated.
"But Commander, they're innocent."
"Innocent?" Joffrey growled, his eyes glowing.
"They harbored a known criminal. No one lives."
He vanished into the air.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Salem snarled.
"Kill the kid!" shouted a soldier.
They charged.
Salem took a breath. Focused.
"You all will die here."
He moved like lightning.
A front kick to the chin of the first soldier. With the momentum, a spinning heel cracked another's face.
In the air, he split-kicked two more.
"Fall back!" one shouted.
"Use psychic blasters!"
"You think I'll let you escape?" Salem growled.
He jumped again, his foot slamming down like an axe—
BOOM.
A psychic megablaster exploded on impact, sending him crashing into the ground.
"Keep your distance! Fire!"
They raised their weapons again—
And then everything stopped.
A sinister energy, black and barely visible, crackled around Salem like a shadow made of rage.
"What the hell…" one soldier whispered.
"You picked the wrong village," Salem said darkly, rising to his feet.
"...to attack."