The dream began with silence. Not the kind of silence that soothed—it was the silence of a city after death.
The first sound to break it was fire. A building collapsed in the distance, coughing flames into the air as the ground shuddered under Asol's boots. The skyline of Aegis Prime was a graveyard...
Spires cracked in half, neon signs sputtered, and whole districts buried beneath rubble. Black smoke climbed into the heavens until it blotted out the sun, smothering the city in endless twilight.
"Asol…"
He froze at the faint voice. Hope sparked in his chest, fragile and desperate. He ran through the broken street, weaving between overturned cars and shattered glass. His eyes darted from corpse to corpse—heroes in torn capes, civilians with arms outstretched as if they had died begging. Their eyes were empty, glassy, reflecting a world already gone.
"Asol… help…"
He tripped on something and looked down. His stomach lurched. Aoi lay there, sprawled across the pavement, her cyan hair matted with blood. A hole gaped in her stomach, cauterized around the edges, the kind of wound left by a weapon beyond comprehension. Beside her, Kazuma's body lay in the same condition, flames extinguished around his arms as though even his fire had abandoned him.
Asol dropped to his knees. His stomach twisted violently, and he vomited bile onto the pavement. He gasped for air, hands trembling as his mind refused to accept what his eyes saw.
"No… no, not them… not like this…"
A roar split the air. Not human. Not anything that belonged in this world. It reverberated through the ruins, shaking the bones of the city itself.
Kaijus.
The sound of multiple throats screamed their dominance at once. Asol staggered to his feet, chest heaving. His eyes darted wildly across the horizon. Shadows slithered between skyscrapers—massive, grotesque silhouettes hunched in the distance.
He then notices an object. A blur zipped across the sky, weaving between towers. A figure, too fast to track. It was headed toward him. In seconds, it landed in front of him with a shockwave that rattled the ground.
Asol's breath caught.
The figure's face was blurred, distorted, as if the world itself refused to render it clearly. Their body was wrong, shifting faintly, as though he was staring at a reflection in water.
When he opened his mouth to speak, pain exploded in his gut. He looked down. There was nothing there. No stomach, no torso. Just a gaping hole, edges smoking. His body staggered forward, blood pouring in slow, syrupy waves.
"What—"
Flashes cut through the horror.
The little girl. Her ragged clothes. Her trembling lips trying to form his name. Bodhi, the Enlightened Hero and his calm, knowing gaze. The images spun like shards of glass before dissolving into darkness.
Asol then snapped awake.
His lungs clawed for air, chest heaving as sweat drenched his skin. He clutched his side instinctively, fingers digging into the sheets, half-expecting to feel that terrible hole. But there was nothing. Just the thudding of his frantic heartbeat.
He sat there for several minutes, gasping, forcing himself to breathe in counts. One. Two. Three. Slowly, his body calmed, though the dream's echo still clung to his chest like tar. Sunlight poured through the window, warm and golden. A desk sat in the corner with neatly stacked papers, and a picture frame leaned against the wall. The room smelled faintly of cedar. Providence's home. Right.
He rubbed his face and whispered to no one.
"What the hell was that…"
A knock on the door startled him. His muscles tensed until a familiar voice followed.
"Asol? You awake?"
He exhaled and called out hoarsely, "Yeah. Come in."
The door slid open and Aoi stepped in, her bright smile carrying a warmth this world seemed to thrive on.
"Good morning. How'd you sleep?"
He managed a weak smirk. "I've slept better."
Aoi tilted her head but didn't press. "Breakfast is ready. Don't take too long, or Kazuma will eat everything before you get there."
She waved cheerfully and left.
Asol dragged himself up, joints stiff. He dressed in his usual black attire, combed his hair half-heartedly, and stepped into the bathroom.
The mirror greeted him with a stranger's face. A faint scar was barely visible across his jawline. The gleam of his prosthetic arm shined with the bathroom lights. He flexed it slowly, listening to the faint sounds of glow emanating from it. The dream replayed unbidden: Aoi and Kazuma's lifeless bodies. The hole in his gut. The girl. Bodhi.
"This… isn't normal."
Dreams had haunted him before—visions of Bell, of the girl with the Omega symbol in her eyes—but this was different. This felt like a glimpse. A warning.
He gripped the sink, staring into his reflection.
"Or maybe I'm just breaking."
The hallways of Providence's dwelling stretched wide, decorated with elegance befitting the number one hero. The polished floors reflected sunlight streaming through tall windows as paintings and photographs lined the walls.
Asol walked slowly, studying them. Most showed Providence shaking hands with other heroes, posing at ceremonies, standing victorious after battles. One image caught his attention showing Blue Volt shaking Providence's hand under a shower of confetti, both smiling like brothers.
He moved on until he stopped at a smaller, older photo.
A man stood tall in the center, clad in a simple uniform rather than armor. His presence radiated strength even through the faded print. At his sides stood two children. A boy with black hair which Asol could only assume was Providence, years younger—and a girl with cyan strands that could only be Aoi. He stared. Something about the man calmed him, like warmth spreading through his chest. Even in a photograph, the hero's presence was undeniable.
"Beautiful picture, isn't it?"
Asol stiffened. He turned to find Kazuma (Fire Mode) leaning casually against the wall.
"You startled me."
Kazuma smirked faintly.
"As I should."
Asol glanced back at the photo.
"Who's he? The hero in the middle."
Kazuma's (Fire Mode) expression softened which was rare for him. His flames dimmed to a faint glow.
"That's Ultima. The Strongest Hero. He was Providence and Aoi's caretaker when they were kids. He was the most prominent hero of his time."
"Ultima…"
Asol whispered to himself as even saying the name felt heavy.
"Yeah. He shaped Aegis Prime more than anyone. He taught Providence how to stand tall and also taught Aoi how to smile no matter what. He carried this world on his back."
"Where is he now?"
Kazuma's jaw tightened as he looked away.
"He's gone. Disappeared over a decade ago. Some say he died. Others whisper he crossed into another world. But no one truly knows."
Asol frowned.
"What do you believe?"
Kazuma's flames flickered once before dimming again.
"I don't know. But if he were alive, he wouldn't have abandoned this world."
Silence stretched between them. The air felt heavier, as if Ultima's absence still cast a shadow long after his disappearance. Asol cleared his throat, trying to shift the subject.
"How'd you meet Aoi?"
Kazuma's eyes flicked toward him, unreadable. Then he turned, walking toward the dining hall without answering. Asol watched him go, the silence louder than any words.
"…Did I say something wrong?"
The question lingered, unanswered, as Asol followed the faint scent of breakfast down the hall.