It wasn't the sound of rushing water.
It wasn't the roar of collapsing stone.
It was something far worse.
A piercing, guttural scream, ancient and monstrous, tore through the air—so raw it felt as though it scraped directly against Arjun's bones. The cry did not echo; it vibrated, shaking the marrow inside him, as if the world itself was recoiling in fear.
Something had arrived with the tide.
Arjun tightened his grip on the metal railing as the sky above the coastline bruised into a violent shade of purple. The clouds twisted unnaturally, folding in on themselves like wounded flesh. The ground beneath his feet lurched—not in rolling waves like a natural earthquake, but in sharp, deliberate jolts.
This wasn't natural.
He realized it the moment the first skyscraper collapsed.
Not randomly.
Not evenly.
Only important buildings—government offices, financial towers, transport hubs—crumbled into ruins. Critical roads split open like veins cut with surgical precision. Bridges snapped. Communication towers folded inward as if crushed by invisible hands.
And then the sea rose.
A wall of black water surged toward the city, devouring everything in its path—until it suddenly stopped.
Right in front of Arjun.
The ocean froze.
Not turned to ice—no, it was still water, still moving, still alive. Waves slammed against an unseen boundary, churning violently, yet unable to advance even a single inch further. It was as if the sea had been poured into a transparent vessel, its invisible wall standing mere steps away from him.
People screamed.
Some fell to their knees.
Others stared in paralyzed disbelief as the laws of reality quietly shattered.
Arjun's breath trembled. Slowly, almost unconsciously, he raised his hand and reached forward.
His fingers passed through nothing.
There was no wall.
No resistance.
No barrier.
Just air.
Yet the water refused to cross.
The moment his skin entered that invisible threshold, the world pulled back.
A terrifying force seized him, dragging him forward. Arjun gasped as his body was yanked into the suspended ocean. He clawed backward, muscles screaming, lungs burning—but the pull was relentless, as though the sea itself had decided to claim him.
Then—
Something moved beneath him.
The water split apart.
From the depths rose a colossal shape—serpentine, vast, and impossibly ancient.
A water dragon emerged.
Its scales shimmered like liquid obsidian, reflecting distorted fragments of the ruined city. Glowing symbols pulsed faintly along its body, as if engraved by time itself. Its eyes—vast, luminous, and terrifyingly intelligent—locked onto Arjun.
Before he could react, its tail coiled around him.
Not crushing.
Not gentle.
Controlled.
The dragon lifted him effortlessly, suspending him within the water as if examining a fragile artifact. Its gaze swept across Arjun's body, lingering, analyzing—judging.
For reasons Arjun could not understand, the creature seemed… curious.
Seconds passed.
Or minutes.
Time lost meaning under that ancient stare.
Then, without warning, the dragon loosened its grip and threw him.
Arjun's body was hurled out of the suspended sea, crashing violently onto solid ground. The invisible barrier dissolved instantly. The ocean roared forward, reclaiming its natural path—then, just as suddenly, retreated.
The water pulled back into the sea.
Silence followed.
Where a city had stood moments ago, there were only collapsed buildings, twisted steel, shattered glass—and wounded people crying out in pain.
The sky slowly returned to its normal hue, as if nothing extraordinary had occurred.
But the damage told a different story.
The government declared a two-week rebuilding emergency holiday.
Australia began repairing itself—but the scale of destruction was unprecedented. Every direction of the coastline had been struck. Coastal cities lay wounded, their infrastructures torn apart with deliberate intent.
No one called it an attack.
But no one believed it was a disaster either.
Two days later, a meeting was convened.
China.
India.
Russia.
South Korea.
Germany.
Strangely, none of the leaders knew why they had been summoned.
The meeting room was unnaturally cold, the air sharp against the skin. The faint tick-tick of traditional cloaks echoed as leaders took their seats around a circular table of dark metal.
Low voices filled the room.
Speculation.
Confusion.
Unease.
Then—every light shut off at once.
Darkness swallowed the chamber.
A single pale, circular light ignited above the table, casting long shadows across tense faces. Across from them, a massive black screen flickered to life.
A figure appeared.
He walked forward and sat down within the screen itself, as if stepping into another reality.
"Hello, my fellow customers."
Microphones silently emerged from each table.
Only then did they realize—
This wasn't a physical meeting.
It was a live, encrypted, secret call.
The man wore a smooth white box over his face, molded into a permanent smiling expression. Seeing it, several leaders released subtle sighs of relief.
They recognized the mask.
But none of them knew who wore it.
Behind that smiling façade hid Lizzy.
His voice was calm—soft—but carried undeniable dominance.
"As you all know," Lizzy said, "I represent the W.S.O. Organization. Over the years, we have assisted you in almost every sector—defense, geopolitics, internal development, economic planning, and even… manpower optimization."
No one interrupted.
"Dangerous weapons. Strategic ideas. Efficient workers. Silent solutions," Lizzy continued. "We have helped you all."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop further.
"Now," Lizzy said, "the American Power Organization has discovered my existence."
Murmurs erupted.
"My spies inform me," he went on, "that A.P.O. plans to force the world into increasing defense budgets. They will not ask directly. Instead, they will destabilize global trade, provoke sudden military movements, conduct continuous missile tests, and ignite border tensions through alliances."
He paused.
"They do not yet know what I am."
"But they know I exist."
"And that is dangerous."
Lizzy's voice sharpened slightly.
"They are aware that one of my most important assets belongs to India. India is close to China. China is closest to Russia. They may attempt to fracture you from within."
His tone turned firm.
"Until further notice—do not react to global provocations. Any reaction is what they want."
China's head, Tian Hao, finally spoke.
"If America targets our economy," he said, "and discovers this meeting, they will focus on us even harder. What is your counterplan?"
Lizzy smiled—though the mask never changed.
"I already have one."
He leaned forward.
"My current focus is India. A.P.O. likely believes India is my true funding source. They may attempt to break it internally and externally."
He turned to the Indian representative.
"I want China and India to maintain a strong, friendly relationship during this period. Set aside internal issues."
India's head, Vedant Singhaniya, nodded.
"I agree."
Lizzy then addressed South Korea.
"Seo Jin-woo," he said. "Use K-pop, K-dramas, trends—entertain the world. Distract the masses from geopolitics. Increase your defense budget quietly. Strengthen borders."
Seo Jin-woo bowed slightly.
"Understood."
Finally, Lizzy turned to Germany.
"Erik Stahl. You will play a double role. Join the Americans. Become their ally. Their friend."
A pause.
"I will give commands when necessary."
Erik nodded.
"I agree."
"Any further questions?" Lizzy asked.
Everyone declined—except China.
Tian Hao requested a private business meeting.
Lizzy agreed.
"For now," Lizzy concluded, "stay calm. Stay connected."
The screen went dark.
The meeting ended.
[ A.P.O. – Main Hub ]
The Chief contacted the President.
"Shift Asian market power toward America and Europe," the Chief ordered. "Organize business meetings. Make America the global market hub."
The President nodded.
"And," the Chief continued, "I've discovered another organization—like us. Unknown. Powerful. I want complete reports."
"And elimination."
The President's expression hardened.
"I'll handle it."
"Do it quickly," the Chief warned. "That organization possesses something… very precious."
Meanwhile, Arjun was in a hospital.
This time, his wounds didn't heal.
Bones were broken. Internal damage severe. He had been thrown with impossible force.
At the W.S.O. main hub, Lizzy received the report.
Confused and disturbed, he rushed to the grand library.
The Head was writing in his notebook when Lizzy burst in, panic clear on his face.
Before the video even played, the Head asked calmly—
"When did you install a camera in Arjun's eyes?"
Lizzy froze.
"During surveillance," he replied. "I suspected he might escape. Tanaya installed it. It uses 0.00000000000000000000001% of his heart and brain signals to provide 24/7 live footage."
The Head nodded.
"Play it."
The video began.
The water.
The dragon.
The moment the creature appeared, the Head stood up—shocked beyond words.
"This… this is impossible," he whispered. "A water dragon…?"
Lizzy asked quietly, "Is this A.P.O.'s creation?"
The Head shook his head immediately.
"No. We cannot control such a being. A.P.O. doesn't stand a chance."
His expression hardened.
"First—check if Arjun is alive."
"If he survives this…"
The Head's voice dropped to a whisper.
"…then he may be far more important than we ever imagined."