The atmosphere in Southern Haven's capital, SilverSun, was like an endless festival.
The sky shimmered with thousands of drifting holographic lights that danced between the skyscrapers, casting shifting colors across the faces of cheering citizens.
They were celebrating a monumental victory — the combined government and private superhuman forces had reclaimed the Northern Fortress.
Music, laughter, and applause echoed from every street corner.
Children ran through the crowds waving the Southern Haven flag, while massive digital screens in the central square replayed footage of the operation — the triumphant moment when the supers prevailed.
But beneath all that brilliance… there was something left unsaid.
There were no parades for the heroes who fought.
No faces shown.
No names mentioned.
All recognition was delivered only to "the Coalition Super Forces" — a faceless entity, credited officially, but never explained.
At Novacrest Academy, however, the mood was entirely different.
The third-year cadets returned to thunderous cheers — embraced by families, lifted by their juniors, praised by their instructors.
To the public, they were the young saviors of the nation.
But in the eyes of those cadets… there was a silence they could never break.
Behind the celebrations, deep within the Southern Haven government's offices, chaos was brewing.
The mass slaughter of the Primals, and the death of the Origin-class Entity, had thrown every department into turmoil.
Emergency meetings were held daily.
Conflicting reports flooded in from the Western Fortress.
And every officer in the Security Bureau sat as if on burning coals.
Satellite footage was locked away.
Witnesses were silenced.
Everything was done for one purpose —
to hide the truth.
The government wasn't celebrating a victory.
They were hunting for the cause of death behind those creatures.
------
Captain Solaris entered the conference room alongside Tom Redlands and Maya Haller — their steps steady, yet heavy with the weight of what awaited them inside.
This was the fourth emergency meeting they had attended in the past week — each one called whenever the government uncovered new evidence regarding the massacre of the Primals and the death of the Origin-Class Entity.
At the far end of the room sat President Albert Hayes, surrounded by the highest-ranking members of the Southern Haven cabinet.
To his left and right stood rows of generals in black uniforms, their stern faces illuminated by the cold light of a massive holographic screen — currently displaying security footage recovered from the recently restored Western Fortress.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Light from the projection flickered across their faces, casting sharp shadows against the steel walls.
Captain Solaris narrowed his eyes as the footage played.
It showed the battle between the Origin-Class Entity and a blinding flash of light — too bright to distinguish any form.
No human figure could be seen. Only that radiant flare tearing across the sky, followed by a chain of explosions that shook the earth itself.
On the footage, fortress cannons could be seen firing relentlessly toward the light — as if unable to tell friend from foe — until, in one blinding instant, every cannon detonated simultaneously, vanishing into clouds of fire and debris.
Then… silence.
Through the thick haze of smoke and dust, the colossal body of the Origin-Class Entity slowly collapsed to the ground — motionless.
The entire conference hall fell silent.
No one spoke.
Only the faint crackle of the recording filled the air.
But the moment the screen went dark, everything changed.
Whispers broke out, fists slammed on the table, and the deep voices of generals began to rise across the room.
Chaos spread — because everyone there understood what they had just witnessed… should not have been possible.
General Fox suddenly stood.
A war veteran — an Omega-tier superhuman — now serving as the Commander of the Ground Forces.
"What we just saw… isn't ordinary," his gravelly voice rumbled through the hall. "In all of Southern Haven's history, nothing like this has ever happened. So why now?"
President Albert Hayes remained silent.
Members of the cabinet and the upper command exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared to speak.
Fox continued, his tone growing heavier.
"To some of you, after watching that footage, it may look like something worth celebrating — that Southern Haven finally has an entity, a superhuman, whose power surpasses even the Omega class."
He paused, letting his gaze sweep across every face at the table.
"But the real question is this… that light — was it human, or something else entirely? Even our AI-controlled defense cannons couldn't distinguish it. So tell me — how can we?"
"Perhaps…" a voice from the lower end of the table interrupted softly, yet clearly enough to draw every eye in the room.
"Perhaps they've evolved — mutated — into something that merely looks human."
The conference room erupted into noise once again.
Whispers and overlapping arguments filled the air like a rising storm.
"What if it's true?" President Albert Hayes finally spoke, his voice low but steady, eyes still fixed on the blank screen. "What if the creature has truly evolved… into human form?"
"The question now, Mr. President," General Fox replied, his voice deep and deliberate, "isn't whether the creature can evolve into a human… but whether it's capable of becoming humanity's ally."
President Albert fell silent.
Fox switched the display on the main screen — revealing autopsy images of the dissected Primal carcasses recovered from the Northern Fortress.
"Think back to what our research found," Fox continued. "Their stomachs were cut open, and the Gibeon stones were removed. That — that's human nature. And human nature hasn't changed since the fall of the meteor. Greed still rules everything."
Albert Hayes furrowed his brows. "You're saying… they live among us now? Evolving according to our own desires?"
"Precisely," Fox replied quietly. "But the real question remains — why now?"
Captain Solaris finally spoke, his tone calm yet edged with cold clarity. "Perhaps their evolution simply needed time to mature."
Fox nodded slightly. "Maybe so. But with the evidence we have now… it's impossible to know for certain."
Silence returned to the room.
Then Maya Haller's voice broke through it, soft but sharp.
"What if that creature becomes our enemy?"
"Hah…" Tom Redlands suddenly chuckled — a short, half-sarcastic laugh that echoed across the tense air.
"I'm only afraid that the evolved creature might be… an Apocalypse-Class Origin." Tom's words sent a wave of murmurs and confusion rippling through the entire conference hall.
"What do you mean, Redlands?" General Fox asked, his expression darkening.
Tom turned slowly — his gaze shifting from Fox to President Albert Hayes. "Surely, Mr. President… General… both of you have seen that Origin before, haven't you?"
In an instant, Fox and Albert's faces hardened. Their eyes met — a silent exchange of meaning that froze the air around them.
Before either could speak, the conference room doors burst open.
"Mr. President!" A man rushed in, panting heavily, his face pale with urgency.
"What is it?" Hayes demanded.
"Report from central command, sir! Radar has detected a fleet — the World Alliance's mothership is moving together with carriers from The Radiant Wall and Northern Frontier. They're heading straight for us!"
Hayes clenched his jaw. "They're coming here… without notifying us first?"
"We tried contacting their leaders, but… they insist on speaking directly with you, Mr. President."
General Fox's voice rumbled low. "They come with two of the Grand Alliances at their side… they clearly see us as inferior."
President Albert Hayes rose slowly from his chair. "Douglas!"
"Yes, Mr. President!" A man in full uniform stood at attention.
"Activate the entire air fleet. Intercept and neutralize their carriers before they enter our territory."
"Yes, sir!"
The room tensed immediately. The sharp echo of boots striking the floor followed Douglas as he hurried out.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Captain Solaris turned toward Tom Redlands.
"What did you mean earlier, Redlands?" he asked quietly, eyes narrowing.
Tom didn't look back. "Ever heard of Hoba City?"
"Yes… the city that vanished thirty years ago."
"And do you know why it vanished?"
Solaris hesitated. "There was no report on that."
Tom gave a faint, bitter smile. "Not because there wasn't one… but because it was buried."
"Buried by who?"
Tom didn't answer. He simply walked out of the conference hall, with Solaris and Maya Haller following close behind.
The corridor outside was silent, their footsteps echoing against the steel walls.
"You know why my rank's higher than yours?" Tom asked suddenly.
"Experience?" Solaris replied.
"Exactly." Tom nodded. "The difference between me and Hayes and Fox — I'm ten years younger than them. During the Hoba City campaign, five Alliances joined under the World Alliance's command. I was one of the supers deployed in that operation."
Solaris frowned. "You're saying… you were there?"
Tom shook his head. "Not exactly. The operation started well — until we were ambushed. The attack was overwhelming. I woke up two months later… in a hospital. Thousands of supers had died. The survivors… could be counted on one hand." He paused, lowering his voice. "On our side, only six survived — Hayes, Fox, Acusta Hambel, Maya's father, Master Saino… and me."
Solaris swallowed hard. "Then who saw the Origin?"
Tom drew a slow breath. "The other five — except me. I never got the chance. But Master Saino told me…" He trailed off, his gaze distant, lost in memory. "They saw the Origin sitting atop the Hoba Fortress. It looked… human — but faceless, skinless. Its entire body was pitch black."
Tom closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"And when everyone thought victory was theirs…"
He lifted his head, eyes gleaming with a cold, haunted sharpness.
"They all saw it clearly — that Origin…"
"…clapping its hands."
-------------
"Elara! Hurry up and get out here!" Victor Sergei's voice echoed from outside the house. The man stood in the small yard, gazing up at the sky filled with military aircrafts.
Moments later, Elara appeared at the doorway — dressed only in shorts and an oversized T-shirt that hung to her knees. Her hair was a tangled mess, her movements lazy.
"Why are you yelling, Dad?" she asked dully.
"Look up there." Victor pointed toward the sky. "There are tons of aircrafts. What, are they going to war or something?"
Elara tilted her head back slightly, eyes half-open.
"And what's that got to do with us?" she said flatly.
Victor sighed. "Come on, can't you at least pretend to be surprised?"
Elara let out a weary breath. "I hate noise. Maybe I should just blow them all up — that'd make things nice and quiet."
Victor turned to her, startled but half amused. "There are people in those aircrafts, Elara. You can't just blow them up because you feel like it."
"Then let's just pretend there aren't," she replied blankly, as if commenting on the weather.
Victor chuckled. "You're a cruel one, my daughter."
"When are you buying a vehicle?" Elara changed the subject, sitting on the steps and hugging her knees.
"I'm waiting for my friend to call. Trying to find something cheap, but sturdy," Victor said, sitting beside her. "If we're lucky, we'll get one that lasts."
Elara turned to him. "Then why not just steal a ship? Saves time."
Victor shook his head. "We don't steal what belongs to others, Elara."
"Maybe that's why we're poor," she said dryly, a faint smirk on her lips.
"Even if we turned bad, it wouldn't guarantee we'd be rich," Victor replied calmly, but with weight in his tone.
Elara went quiet for a while, her gaze fixed on the sky crowded with aircrafts.
"Dad?"
"Yeah, Elara?"
"Why are you letting me use my powers now? You used to forbid it."
Victor took a slow breath. "Because the time has come. You're seventeen now, Elara. How long am I supposed to keep hiding you from the world?"
Elara turned toward him, her eyes faintly gleaming. "So that means… I can do whatever I want?"
Victor chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Hahaha… don't get your hopes up."
Elara shot him a sideways grin. "You talk in circles, Dad."
Victor smiled again. "Then tell me — what would you do with that 'freedom'?"
Elara stared blankly at the distant city. "I'd destroy everything. Turn it all to dust. Then I'd build a small house — just for us. No one else. No noise."
Victor froze. "Elara…" He shook his head slowly. "If that's the case, maybe it'd be better if you just became a monster."
Elara smiled faintly. "You're the one who asked."
"It's not wrong to use your strength to protect the weak," Victor said softly, his voice calm but heavy with meaning.
Elara raised an eyebrow. "Is it necessary?"
"Of course it is." Victor gave a thin smile. "There's a reason you were given such extraordinary power."
Elara lowered her gaze. "But you couldn't save Mom."
The words hit like a blade. Victor flinched — his smile vanished.
"Yes…" he whispered. "I couldn't. Back then… my opponent was far too strong." He exhaled slowly, looking down. "I never thought your mother would leave her hiding place just because she was worried about me. She… was too brave."
Elara studied his face. "Did you love her?"
Victor nodded slowly. "Yes, Elara. Your mother was… my life. She taught me what it meant to live, to be human — to love, to care…" A faint, wistful smile touched his lips. "Those were the happiest days of my life."
Elara was quiet for a while before asking softly, "Then why did Grandpa hate you?"
Victor chuckled weakly, though there was no joy in it. "Your grandfather's the ruler of this city, Elara. You think he'd let his daughter marry a man like me? No wealth, no family, nothing."
"But you and Mom still got married, right?"
"Yes," Victor said, his eyes distant. "But before that, I had to fight him first."
Elara's mouth fell slightly open. "You fought Grandpa?"
Victor nodded. "He's strong — and stubborn. We fought for hours. But he was lucky…" He looked up at the sky, his tone shifting. "Because at that time, half my power was already gone. This human body… If I still had my full strength back then," he raised a single finger with a sly grin, "one finger would've been enough to bring him down."
Elara frowned. "So… you were a monster before?"
Victor turned and burst out laughing. "Hahaha! That's enough. Go change your clothes."
"Why?" Elara groaned.
"Go see your grandfather before we move."
Elara scowled. "I don't want to. He's always busy. Even if I do see him, he just stares and says nothing."
"Just go, Elara," Victor's voice softened. "Show your face. Say goodbye. Then come back."
Elara tilted her head, studying him. "That's all?"
Victor smiled. "That's all."
Elara rose slowly. "Fine then."
Her tone was flat.