But the mysterious figure didn't flinch.
With an almost casual movement, it raised its hand, effortlessly catching Anik's punch mid-air. The sound of the collision was deafening, but the figure didn't budge, its grip unyielding.
Anik's eyes widened in disbelief. He poured every ounce of his strength into his attack, but it was as if he were striking an unbreakable wall. His arm trembled under the force of his own effort, but the figure held it in place, unmoved.
"Is that all?" the figure said, its tone filled with disdain.
Before Anik could react, the figure's other hand shot out, wrapping around his neck like a vice. The cold metal gauntlet pressed against his skin, cutting off his air. He struggled, his hands clawing at the unyielding grip, but it was no use.
The figure lifted him effortlessly, holding him aloft as though he weighed nothing. Anik's legs kicked weakly, his body thrashing in a desperate attempt to break free.
The figure tilted its head, observing him like a predator toying with its prey.
"You think your defiance makes you strong? It makes you foolish."
With a sudden, brutal motion, the figure slammed Anik into the floor. The impact sent shockwaves through the already crumbling Sky Tower, causing debris to rain down from above. Anik's vision blurred as pain exploded through his body.
He felt the sickening crunch of bones shattering, his spine screaming in agony.
For a moment, he lay motionless, his body refusing to respond. The cold metal floor beneath him seemed to mock his defeat.
The figure loomed over him, its shadow swallowing him whole.
"Enough play," it said, its voice devoid of amusement. "I have what I need."
It reached into its cloak, producing a small, pulsating black cube. The object seemed to suck in the light around it, radiating a menacing energy that made Anik's chest tighten.
"The Void Cube," the figure said, almost reverently. "With this, your power will belong to me. And you… will cease to exist."
Anik's mind raced, the weight of his failure pressing down on him like a crushing tide. He thought of Rina, still waiting in the hangar, her innocent face filled with fear and trust. He thought of Rose, her hand slipping from his grasp, her final words etched into his soul.
He couldn't let it end like this.
Gritting his teeth, Anik forced himself to move, the searing pain in his body threatening to pull him back down. His fingers clawed at the ground, dragging himself forward inch by inch. His glowing eyes flickered, dimming with every passing moment.
But even in the face of overwhelming despair, a single thought kept him going: I won't give up. Not yet.
The figure watched his feeble attempt to rise, its head tilting slightly in mock curiosity. "Still struggling?" it asked. "You should have learned by now: resistance is futile."
Anik's body burned with pain, but his heart burned with defiance. His voice, though weak, was laced with unyielding resolve.
"You… won't take anything more from me," he said, his voice a rasping whisper. "Not my power. Not my family. Not my life."
The figure chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "Bold words. Let's see how long you can hold onto them."
The Void Cube began to glow, its energy crackling ominously as it prepared to absorb Anik's power.
The figure stepped closer, its presence suffocating, as Anik summoned every ounce of strength he had left.
This wasn't just a battle for survival—it was a battle for everything he held dear.
And even if he had to face the abyss, Anik refused to let it swallow him whole.
The mysterious figure's cold grip tightened around Anik's neck, hoisting him into the air effortlessly. The Void Cube hovered ominously in the figure's other hand, its dark energy tendrils snaking towards Anik like hungry predators.
The closer they got, the weaker Anik felt. His strength, his resolve, his very essence seemed to drain away, leaving behind an empty, aching void.
Anik's hands clawed at the figure's unyielding grasp, his fingers slipping helplessly against the cold, metallic gauntlet. He could feel it—his power slipping away, his body growing numb. His vision blurred as despair began to creep in.
"Is this how it ends?" he thought. "My family… Rose… Rina… gone? Will I die here, powerless, like this?"
But then, a flicker of determination broke through the despair.
Anik's mind latched onto one image: Rina, waiting for him in the hangar, her eyes filled with trust. She was depending on him. He couldn't fail her. He wouldn't fail her.
His eyes snapped open, glowing faintly blue. A surge of energy erupted deep within him, sparking in his veins like a wildfire. His body began to tremble—not with fear, but with power.
The mysterious figure paused, its head tilting slightly as it sensed the shift.
Anik's voice, weak but resolute, broke the silence. "You… won't take everything from me."
Suddenly, his eyes flared bright blue, and a radiant energy burst from his body. The air around him shimmered and crackled as waves of light-blue energy radiated outward. The ground beneath them quaked violently.
"What—?!" The mysterious figure's grip faltered as it leapt back, narrowly avoiding the surge of energy.
Anik's body erupted with a devastating explosion of light and power. The shockwaves ripped through the crumbling remains of the Sky Tower, disintegrating walls, structures, and machinery in an electromagnetic storm. The blast obliterated everything in its path, leaving the surface a smoking wasteland of destruction.
The figure landed atop a distant, crumbling structure, observing the devastation. Smoke and dust swirled around it as it scanned the area. But there was no sign of Anik.
"He's gone…" the figure muttered, its voice laced with a hint of annoyance.
Anik sprinted through the dimly lit underground corridors, his breathing ragged but his resolve unbroken. His body ached, and his head throbbed from the energy he'd unleashed, but he pushed forward, ignoring the burning pain in his muscles.
"I can't stop. Rina is waiting. I promised her."
The walls around him shook violently, chunks of debris raining down as the remnants of the Sky Tower continued to collapse. Anik dodged falling beams and leapt over broken sections of the hallway, his heart pounding in his chest.
Ahead, the faint light of the hangar came into view.
"Anik!" Rina's voice pierced the chaos, filled with both relief and fear. She stood near the spacecraft, her small frame trembling as she waved to him. "Come fast!"
Anik's heart twisted. He could see the terror in her eyes, the way she clutched the edge of the spacecraft for support. She's just a child, he thought, guilt and determination warring within him. I have to protect her.
Pushing himself harder, he surged forward, ignoring the sharp pain in his legs. The ground beneath him cracked and groaned, threatening to give way. He reached Rina just as the floor began to crumble.
"Hold on!" he shouted, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the spacecraft.
The cockpit was dimly lit, its control panels flickering erratically as Anik slid into the pilot's seat. Rina sat beside him, clutching the seat's edge, her wide eyes darting around the cabin.
"Anik, what's happening?!" she cried, her voice trembling. "Where's Mom? Where's everyone?"
Anik didn't answer immediately. His hands hovered over the controls, trembling with both exhaustion and frustration. His mind raced, but his thoughts were clouded by panic and grief.
"Everything… everything will be fine," he said finally, though his voice cracked under the weight of his words. He wasn't sure he believed them himself.
He tried to activate the ship, but the controls sputtered unresponsively. Sweat dripped down his face as he frantically pressed buttons and flipped switches, his movements growing more erratic with each failed attempt.
"Come on, come on!" he muttered through gritted teeth.
The rumbling grew louder, the hangar shaking violently as the surface above began to collapse. The spacecraft tilted dangerously, its weight shifting as the ground beneath it gave way.
"Anik!" Rina screamed, her hands gripping the edge of her seat as the spacecraft lurched forward.
Anik's heart raced, his vision narrowing as adrenaline surged through him. With a desperate cry, he slammed his fist into the console. "Start, damn it!"
Suddenly, the engines roared to life, the cabin flooding with light as the ship activated. Anik gripped the controls tightly, his knuckles white as he struggled to stabilize the craft.
The floor beneath them crumbled entirely, and the spacecraft plummeted into the abyss.
Both Anik and Rina screamed as the ship hurtled downward, debris crashing around them.
Anik's hands moved instinctively, maneuvering the ship through the chaos with precision born of desperation.
"Hold on!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of destruction.
The ship swerved and dodged falling debris, narrowly avoiding massive chunks of the collapsing tower. Anik's heart pounded in his chest as he guided the craft upward, the blue sky finally breaking through the chaos.
With a final, desperate thrust of the controls, the spacecraft broke free of the collapsing structure, soaring into the open sky.
Anik exhaled shakily, his grip on the controls loosening as the immediate danger passed. Sweat dripped from his face, his body trembling with exhaustion.
Beside him, Rina let out a small sob, her hands covering her face as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Anik glanced at her, his heart heavy with guilt and relief. He reached out, placing a trembling hand on her shoulder. "We made it," he said softly, his voice hoarse.
"We're safe… for now."
But as he looked out at the burning city below, the weight of his failure pressed down on him. He had escaped—but at what cost?