The underground base smelled faintly of damp concrete, food, and faint chemical tang from the medical room. Veyron followed Yuki carefully, his eyes still heavy from the recent chaos, but curiosity pulling him forward. They walked through twisting corridors and open rooms, each more lived-in than the last. Eventually, they returned to the room where Veyron had woken up—the starting point of their hidden refuge.
"This," Yuki said, gesturing around, "is where everyone gathers if there's time to relax. From here, you can reach the medical room, kitchen, living room, and sleeping quarters. Come, I'll show you properly."
She led him first to the medical room. His mother and sister lay on stretchers, sheets tucked neatly over them. Both were sleeping peacefully, bandages wrapping parts of their bodies. Relief washed over Veyron, though he resisted the urge to disturb them.
Next was the kitchen. Stainless steel counters, shelves stacked with supplies, a small stove and a few ovens. Veyron could already imagine the organized chaos of preparing meals here.
The living room followed—TV, couches, the area Shin had claimed as his own. Then, the sleeping quarters: multiple beds lined up neatly, a few couches for overflow or rest. Yuki's voice guided him through the space, her tone bright but patient.
"All the people here," she said, "except your mom and sister, are people with powers. Everyone was taken by the government at some point in the last four years."
Veyron's mind snapped back. "…Wait. My sister… she has powers."
Yuki's eyes lit up. "Really? That explains the attack. That's amazing! I can help her learn to control them. Come on—she's going to need guidance."
Veyron exhaled slowly, relief and worry mixed. "Yeah… she's powerful, but she's also so young."
Yuki nodded, smiling softly. "I understand."
She told him her story next. Kidnapped at 15, in 2396, just as the first wave of power awakenings began. Now, at 19, she had survived, trained, and learned to control her powers: see-through blue energy mirrors that could reflect projectiles, punches, or other attacks. Using them demanded stamina, she explained—careless use could leave a user drained or vulnerable.
"They're trained at a special area," she continued, "outside the city, on an old farm. That's where we hone our powers safely."
Then she introduced the others.
"Shin Yagami, 41. Mind reading. He's the oldest here, our… anchor, in a sense," she said. Shin waved lazily from the couch, still half-focused on the slot machine.
"Goro Arata, 34," she continued, gesturing to a bald man lifting crates nearby. "Anchored Zone. He can spawn zones where he controls gravity. He's our main line of defense for the base."
Veyron's brow furrowed. "Main line of defense… usually?"
Yuki's lips curled. "There was one attack once. Army tried again. Well not exactly an army attack but you'll understand the point soon. We didn't expect it, but we were ready."
She was just on the verge of telling him the attacker's backstory—a man she had known since her first kidnapping—when a voice rang from the medical room.
"They're awake!" Yuki and Veyron sprinted toward the sound.
Veyron's heart stopped for a second as he saw his mother and sister alive, stirring on the stretchers. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. The girl who had shouted was monitoring the patients—a young black woman with fluffy blonde hair, alert and energetic.
"Nyra Vale," Yuki whispered. "25. Our chef and medic assistant."
Nyra grinned. "Good morning! Guess what I made?"
Before Veyron could even react, she demonstrated. From between her fingers, glowing threads shot outward—four per arm. They danced through the air, bending, cutting, weaving. In less than a minute, she had assembled two perfect chicken sandwiches for his mom and sister.
Veyron's jaw dropped. "What…?"
"They're called Light-threads," Yuki explained. "She can manipulate them with precision. Offensively, defensively… and in this case, culinary."
Nyra beamed at him. "Perfect sandwiches, right?"
Veyron blinked at the speed, control, and strange elegance of it all.
Yuki continued, voice softer now. "I met Nyra back when I was first taken. She, Shin, Goro… all of us were kidnapped and trained in the army's Sealbreaker testing bases. That's how we survived and eventually escaped."
Veyron noticed the damage scattered around the kitchen—walls scratched, a flower partially cut.
"That's Nyra learning," Yuki said, smiling faintly. "She's getting better at control."
He nodded slowly, trying to digest all of it. People with powers. A hidden network. A base underground. His family safe—for now. And yet, every corner held secrets, and every person a story he didn't fully understand. The starting room of the underground base was dimly lit, faint fluorescent light reflecting off cracked concrete and old pipes.
Veyron and Yuki walked side by side, cans of soda in their hands, the air still thick with the aftertaste of adrenaline.
"So," Yuki said casually, leaning against a wall, "there's this guy, Axel Kanzaki. Light-green mullet hair, white guy, tattoos covering his arms. See that black-and-green electric guitar on his back? That's him—he's the one playing the slot machine earlier. He's… well, he's the second youngest here, just like you. He's twenty, same as you. I'm nineteen, so yeah, I adore him."
Veyron tilted his head, trying to absorb it all. "Wait, that's the guy from the slot machine?"
"Yeah," Yuki continued, eyes glinting. "He went out already, said he's at a nearby casino. He promised he'd be careful—though I hope he brings back some money for the base. Typical Axel."
She was just about to explain his powers when the door creaked open.
Akari appeared, eyes bright, a wide grin splitting her face. She dashed forward and wrapped Yuki in a hug. "You saved us! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Pink light erupted around her, and hundreds of glowing butterflies suddenly filled the room, fluttering and twirling like living sparks. They hovered in delicate arcs, their neon glow illuminating every shadowed corner.
Veyron's jaw dropped. "Sister…"
Reina, standing behind them, tensed. "Akari! What… what are you doing?" Her eyes followed the swarm, worry pressing into every line of her face. Yuki's hand went to Veyron's shoulder.
"Relax. I promise. Me and the others… we'll protect all three of you. No one will hurt you while we're here." The reassurance barely left her lips when a heavy presence filled the room.
The floor trembled slightly as Goro Arata appeared. Bald, stern, towering over them, his aura radiating raw power. His eyes flamed with anger.
"You can't protect and hide people anymore!" Goro barked, voice echoing off the walls. "Do you even realize how barely alive we all are here? And now you want to add three more people? ONE of them with powers that can… summon butterflies?!"
Veyron and Yuki froze.
"Who do you think you are?" Goro continued, pacing forward, fists clenched. "Either all three of them leave, or we take the one who can help defend herself! That's Akari! But you? The others? Out! NOW!"
Before anyone could respond, Goro slammed his palm onto the concrete floor. A zone formed. Gravity surged. The floor itself became a crushing weight, smashing the butterflies into glowing fragments. Veyron, Yuki, Akari, even Reina were slammed to the ground, struggling for breath as the air pressed against them. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling.
Seconds passed like hours.
Then… Goro stopped.
He looked around at the devastation. The shattered butterflies, the bruised and winded people staring at him in disbelief. His chest heaved. His face twisted with fury—and then, just as suddenly… calm.
"You know what?" he said, voice low but cutting. "I quit."
Without another word, he turned and strode toward the main entrance. The bunker door remained partially open behind him, creaking slightly in the quiet.
The room fell silent.
Only the distant dripping of water, the faint hum of the fluorescent lights, and the soft groans of those recovering from the gravity zone filled the air.
Veyron slowly sat up, brushing dust from his clothes. Akari blinked up at him, pink butterflies faintly still flickering from her powers, though none remained in full form. Yuki's expression was unreadable, tense but calm, as she surveyed the empty doorway.