Elara Queen walked between Rugal and Ragel — two dark-skinned brothers, towering and broad-shouldered. Her steps were steady, but her mind lingered on the image of the soldier who had begged to be killed. Every time the memory surfaced, her chest tightened — a weight she couldn't name pressing down from within.
"Why are we walking? We can all fly, can't we?" Ragel muttered, clearly bored.
Elara didn't respond. Rugal shot his brother a quick glance, a silent warning to stay quiet. He knew Elara was lost in her thoughts.
"You okay?" Rugal finally asked, his tone soft.
Elara kept walking, eyes fixed ahead. "Why are human bodies so fragile? Some of them wield great power… yet they die so easily."
Rugal exhaled slowly. He understood what she was really asking.
"Even with power, we're still human. No matter how strong, we all die — in battle, by sickness, or simply from time. That's the one truth no human can escape, Elara."
She was silent for a moment. "If war only brings pain, then why do they keep choosing to fight?"
"Because they don't know when — or how — they'll die," Rugal replied, voice low but firm. "Being a soldier gives their life meaning. It's how they protect others. And to do that… they need courage, even when they know it might be their end."
Elara lifted her gaze. "But they still scream in pain… still beg for death."
Rugal exchanged a look with Ragel before answering. "Then don't let that thought consume you. If you don't want to see it happen again — become someone who can protect them."
Elara took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.
"Someone's coming," she said.
Both brothers turned their heads in the same direction.
"That energy…" Ragel murmured. "Feels like Solaris."
"Solaris?" Elara glanced sideways.
Rugal nodded. "Don't tell me you've never heard of the number-one superhuman from Southern Haven."
"I don't care much for titles," Elara replied flatly.
Their steps halted. From above, a beam of golden light descended, and a figure landed before them with a thunderous impact. Dust swirled around as Captain Solaris stood tall — his armor gleaming under the fading sunlight. His eyes swept from Rugal, to Ragel… and finally rested on Elara.
"Elara?" His voice was calm but edged with command. "What are you doing here?"
Elara blinked, taken aback. "You… know me?"
Solaris nodded slowly. "Yes. I know who you are."
Ragel interjected before the tension could thicken. "She was captured by the creature that owned that power," he said, pointing to the massive black scythe impaled in the ground behind them. "We got her out in time."
Solaris turned toward the weapon — its dark surface pulsing faintly, alive with residual energy.
"And where is the creature now?"
"Both of them are dead," Rugal replied evenly.
Solaris narrowed his eyes. "You two defeated them?"
Both brothers shook their heads. "No," Ragel said quietly. "Someone else did — someone from SS, maybe."
"SS?" Solaris frowned, his tone hardening. "The ones who destroyed three carriers and wiped out thousands of enhanced soldiers?" He looked up, jaw tight. "That's not a normal entity."
"Of course not," Rugal replied. "It was an Origin-class Apocalypse."
Solaris stared at him in disbelief. "An Apocalypse-class Origin…? How could a superhuman from the SS group be here?"
Rugal shrugged lightly. "No one really knows. They move in silence. But don't worry — it's over now."
For a few moments, silence lingered — broken only by the hum of the black scythe. Then, from the horizon, the deep rumble of approaching engines echoed through the air. Several Southern Haven transports descended, shaking the ground as they landed behind Solaris.
He turned to Elara. "Elara… I'm taking you back to the city. Your grandfather's waiting."
Elara nodded faintly. Her expression was blank, her eyes distant. Soldiers surrounded them, guiding her toward the main carrier.
When Solaris noticed Rugal and Ragel following, he raised a brow.
"Hey — where do you two think you're going?"
"We're coming with her," Ragel replied.
"Why?"
Ragel smiled faintly, glancing at Elara's back. "Because she's our sister."
Solaris froze for a moment as the brothers boarded the ship, their words echoing in his mind. Without another word, he motioned to the others to prepare for departure — then stepped into the same carrier that held the three of them.
---
In a dead city — silent and hollow.
Only the wind moved, carrying the stench of dried blood.
Corpses of Primals littered the streets — bodies torn apart, their glassy eyes staring into the dark sky. The city had long been their nest… but within half a day, every one of them was gone.
A man walked down the middle of the street, calm and composed.
His hair was slicked neatly back; the lenses of his glasses caught the dim light of dusk. The long gray coat he wore swayed gently with each step, brushing against the crimson-stained ground.
Every footfall echoed with the soft drip of blood from freshly fallen corpses.
From the shadows, a Primal lunged — but the man didn't even flinch.
A single flick of his hand — and the creature's body split cleanly in two, collapsing before it could scream.
He kept walking.
Until finally, he stopped — right at the heart of the city's crossroads.
Sliding one hand into his coat pocket, he pulled out a cigarette case.
A small flame sparked to life, flickering across his calm face. One inhale. One slow exhale of pale smoke.
Half a day — that's all it had taken to cleanse an entire city.
Beep. Beep.
A voice crackled through his earpiece.
> "Heracus. Is it done?"
The voice of a woman — cool, steady, commanding.
"Yes," he replied, his tone cold, clipped.
> "Good. Head to the southern sector of Southern Haven."
His brow furrowed slightly.
"Why?"
> "Our scouts detected a massive energy signature — weapon-like, still active in that region."
"Was Southern Haven attacked?"
> "No. But the three major alliances suffered heavy losses. It's likely they were hit by one of the Origins from the Legion group."
Heracus pinched the cigarette between his fingers, eyes lifting to the darkening sky.
"If that energy still lingers… then the Origin isn't dead."
> "Don't worry. I've already sent Guan ahead. You'll meet him there."
"I don't need a partner."
> "I know your strength, Heracus… but against an Apocalypse-class Origin, no one survives alone."
He exhaled a slow stream of smoke, a faint smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
"Fine. I'll go. What about Brusall City?"
> "Athena's already purged every Primal there. You don't need to concern yourself."
"Hmph. Good."
The line went dead.
Heracus dropped the cigarette, crushing it under his heel.
A crooked smile spread across his face as he walked on — leaving behind streets strewn with Primal corpses.
His shadow stretched long and thin behind him…
fading into the dusk,
along with the lingering scent of metal and fresh blood in the air.
----
The Flight Back to Southern Haven
On the way back to Southern Haven's main city, Captain Solaris sat across from Rugal and Ragel, his gaze curious and faintly skeptical.
"No drinks or food on this ship?" Ragel asked, rubbing his stomach.
Solaris let out a quiet sigh and stood, walking toward a small cooler near the rear hatch. The soft hiss of cold vapor filled the cabin as he opened it. He pulled out a bottle of water and a sealed pack of rations, then returned to the two men.
"Here," he said simply, handing them over.
Ragel quickly took them, twisted the cap off the bottle, and handed it to Elara.
"Drink up, little sister."
Elara accepted the bottle silently.
Solaris watched, intrigued by how naturally the two men treated the girl — protective, almost brotherly.
"How long have you known her?" Solaris asked, resuming his seat.
"Not long," Ragel replied with a grin. "But we already see her as our little sister."
Solaris gave a crooked smile. "Do you two even know who she really is?"
Ragel frowned. "Of course we do. What's with you, Solaris?"
Leaning back, Solaris's tone shifted — lower, more serious. "She's the granddaughter of Albert Hayes."
Ragel blinked. "Who's that?"
"You don't know our president?" Solaris replied, half amused, half incredulous.
Rugal and Ragel exchanged a look — both startled. Their eyes turned back to Elara.
"She's… the president's granddaughter?"
Solaris nodded.
Elara froze, confusion flickering across her face.
"My grandfather… is the president?" she asked softly.
"Hey, little one," Ragel said quickly, leaning forward. "You didn't know that?"
Elara shook her head. "I thought… he was just an ordinary man."
Rugal rubbed his chin. "That's strange. Who did you live with then?"
"My father," Elara replied quietly. "But not in the main city. We lived in Valdora."
Rugal gave a small nod. "The western fortress. Why?"
Elara just shook her head — no answer.
Solaris spoke next, his voice steady but deliberate.
"She's Victor's daughter."
The words hit like a spark. Both Rugal and Ragel went rigid.
"What? Victor's daughter? You mean… Victor Sergei?"
Elara lifted her gaze, surprised.
"You knew my father?"
"Of course we did," Ragel said, a faint smile forming. "We used to be like brothers."
Elara frowned. "But my father lived in Mostar… you two were from Radiant Wall."
Ragel chuckled softly. "Hah, yeah — different homes, sure. But The Iron and Radiant Wall often worked together. Before your father became a commander, he ran plenty of missions with us."
Rugal added, his tone calm and reflective, "Your father was a quiet man. Never liked noise. Hardly ever smiled. But he was strong — stronger than anyone I've ever met. Even if the two of us fought him together, I'm not sure we'd win."
That doesn't sound like Father… Elara thought silently.
Ragel laughed again. "Never thought our new little sister would turn out to be Victor's daughter."
Rugal smirked faintly. "Yeah, I didn't see that coming either."
Elara looked between them, her eyes wide. "Then… you must've known my mother too?"
Ragel's laughter faded. His head dipped slightly, and his face grew somber. "Yes," he said softly. "We knew her."
Rugal leaned forward. "What's your father doing these days, Elara?"
Elara lifted her head, her gaze distant. "He's still working as usual… but lately, he's been obsessed with collecting stones — says it's a way to earn wealth."
Rugal let out a quiet chuckle, but Ragel stayed silent, eyes fixed on the window — lost somewhere in the past.
"Back then," Ragel began, voice low and steady, "your father was already a commander, and you'd just been born. One day, he asked us to join him — to hunt an Origin-class Entity. At first, we refused. That kind of monster isn't something you defeat easily. But he insisted. Said he wanted to earn enough to move his wife and child to Jarab City."
Solaris raised an eyebrow. "Just the three of you?"
Ragel shook his head. "No. There were five of us. Collector and Four-Eyes came along too."
Solaris smirked. "Five people? Against an Origin Entity? That's suicide."
Ragel's gaze turned sharp. "You're still young, Solaris. But believe me — the five of us brought it down."
Solaris chuckled softly, not buying it. "Impossible."
"Believe what you want," Ragel said curtly.
The cabin fell silent again. Only the hum of the engines filled the air — until Elara finally spoke, her voice quiet but tinged with emotion.
"If you really defeated it… then why did we stay in Mostar?"
Rugal exhaled slowly, his tone heavy. "We did defeat it, Elara. And your father was the happiest among us. We each brought home a piece of Idocrase. But… two weeks later, Mostar was destroyed."
The air grew cold.
Ragel lowered his head. "We rushed there, searching for your father. But he was gone. And we heard your mother… didn't make it."
Rugal's eyes narrowed slightly — something dawning on him.
"Wait…"
Everyone turned to him.
"Do you remember what that creature said? That the Origin Entity killed in Southern Haven was its servant?"
Ragel frowned. "Yeah, I remember."
"Think about it," Rugal continued, his voice quiet but tense. "Right after we killed that Entity… Mostar was destroyed."
Ragel went silent. Solaris leaned forward, his tone dark.
"You're saying… the Origin that attacked the three Alliances — was the same one that destroyed Mostar?"
Rugal nodded slowly. "Yes. I think so." His gaze flicked toward Elara — something unspoken in his eyes. The cracked Life Stone Wiser carried… perhaps it came from that battle.
He looked away. "Forget it…"
Solaris exhaled, breaking the heavy silence. "What I don't get… is why the World Alliance suddenly decided to bring two more alliances here."
Rugal shot a look at Ragel.
"Of course it's because of the two fallen Origin Entities," Ragel said grimly.
Solaris frowned. "But how would the World Alliance know? Even Southern Haven's people don't know what happened yet."
Ragel chuckled darkly. "You think something that big could be hidden from them? The World Alliance has eyes everywhere. That's why they call themselves the World Alliance."
Solaris nodded slowly, thinking. "Then what about Radiant Wall? Why join this operation?"
Ragel gave a tired half-smile. "We didn't choose to. We were ordered to. You know Radiant Wall's been dependent on World Alliance resources for years. When they pull the strings, we move."
"All because of the Idocrase Stones, right?" Solaris asked quietly.
Rugal and Ragel exchanged a brief glance, then nodded together.
"Yeah," Rugal said. "That's the real reason."
From the cockpit, the pilot's voice came through the comms.
"Captain, should we dock at the carrier first or go straight to SilverSun?"
Solaris turned toward the brothers. "Drop you off first?"
Ragel's voice cut in, firm and unwavering. "Wait."
Solaris looked back at him.
"We're going with our little sister to SilverSun," Ragel said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Solaris raised an eyebrow. "Little sister?"
Ragel patted Elara's shoulder gently. "Yeah. Because now we know she's Victor's daughter — our lost brother's child."
Elara said nothing. Her eyes fell to the floor of the aircraft, thoughts spinning in silence. The destruction of Mostar… the Entity-class Origin… Wiser's broken Life Stone… All those fragments were starting to form a single, terrifying picture — one that pointed back to the person she loved most.
Her father, Victor Sergei.
---
The sun had fully vanished, leaving the night sky bathed in artificial light from SilverSun City. From above, the city looked like an ocean of luminescence — towers glowing, streets alive, people moving like rivers below.
The transport aircraft glided slowly, escorted by several smaller crafts. As they neared the heart of the city, the spire of Novacrest Academy came into view — tall, gleaming, and dignified under the night sky.
Ragel leaned closer to the window, eyes widening. "Wow… there's a crowd waiting down there, Elara."
Elara turned to look. From above, she could see hundreds of people gathered in the academy plaza — not just officers and guards, but students as well, their faces anxious and curious.
"I think we're at the wrong place," she murmured. "My grandfather's house isn't here."
Solaris, standing by the hatch, replied calmly without looking at her. "He's the one
who ordered us to drop you off here."
Elara turned to him, confusion clouding her eyes.
The aircraft continued its slow descent, runway lights gleaming across their faces.