The lab corridor was a war zone—walls charred black by fire, broken glass suspended like teeth from ceiling fittings, and ruined consoles smoldering weakly in the acrid air. Sparks leapt from a ruptured ceiling panel, crackling like fireflies above the wreckage.
Von, battered and stumbling, was huddled behind a fallen medical cabinet, fighting to see through the heavy fog. His body ached. Static danced upon his skin from the last shock. And yet, what paralyzed him was the conversation that was unraveling before him.
Amongst the devastation, the masked man stood, his tridents humming with wound power poised on the brink of explosive release, storm clouds forged in metal form. He radiated calm and dominance. But beneath that. Something was old. Unstable.
Dr. Rhane, who had been laughing and gloating seconds earlier, was now frozen in pure terror, his back against the splintered lab wall. His white lab coat was torn and powder-stained, a jagged wound above his eyebrow bleeding into his eye.
Dr. Rhane (shaking voice):
"N-No… How did you track me down? I cleaned everything. I set things up—ensured—you could never…!"
The masked man stood firm. He didn't need to. His low, rumbling voice curled down the corridor like a thundercloud's growl.
Mysterious Man:
"It seems you've learned nothing, Doctor. You can hide behind your lies and your white coats… but I will always find you. It appears you did not notice the war outside, making it relatively easy to enter since the resistance had already done everything.
His eyes narrowed under the mask.
"Speak now."
"Where is he? The one you speak of as your 'god.' The man you claim will change the world."
Rhane's face twisted, a confused mix of hatred and love. He stumbled forward drunkenly, fists clenched, veins pulsating from his temple.
Dr. Rhane (screaming):
"You shut your mouth, you foolish creature!"
"How can you say his name with such blasphemy! You. Abominable TRAITOR!"
Lightning leaped from the tridents, burning the floor at Rhane's feet—but still the man did not strike.
Mysterious Man:
"So blinded by obligation. You've mistaken restraints for cause. I refuse to follow someone more foolish than me... someone weaker than me."
He moved cautiously forward, boots squashing glass.
"I've seen his vision, Rhane. I've watched what he leaves behind. Ruined cities. Corpses. People turned into weapons. And you call that light?"
Rhane's face contorted, spit streaming from his mouth as he screamed back like a zealot before his prophet.
Dr. Rhane:
"You don't understand! He gave me a purpose! He gave us power! He'll fix this broken world! His light will cleanse it!"
The masked man let out a disappointed sigh.
Mysterious Man (whispering):
"I believed at one point… You could be saved."
And then the lights began to flicker again—and he flipped one of the tridents, electricity shooting along the gold shafts. It vibrated with a high-pitched whine, like a storm being tuned.
Mysterious Man:
"But you've made your choice."
Rhane stepped back, trembling—but he had nowhere to be. The corridor behind him was destroyed. His oxygen-controlling power was unstable, his arms trembling from past trauma. He was less menacing now—and more of a cultist hanging upon a fate-destined god.
Mysterious Man (low, last):
"May the storm judge you."
The man moved forward, tridents snapping.
Von, having taken cover, saw it all with wide eyes—his chest pounding not so much from fear. But realization.
What is this guy?
And what did Rhane mean by "Master"?