The city still smoldered, smoke pillars rising into the morning sky. Sirens echoed. Marines marched the streets, escorting civilians from rubble, securing ruins.
But Jin and Jerome weren't with the squads.
They were running.
⸻
The Desperate Search
Jin's heart pounded as he sprinted through streets still littered with shell casings and scorched bodies. Every burned-out building made his chest tighten. Every destroyed home he passed whispered the same thought—what if they're gone?
Jerome was just as frantic, his wounded side slowing him down, but he pushed on anyway. His breaths came ragged. His face pale with dread.
They turned down a block, rushing to their homes. Both houses were scarred—windows blown out, smoke-stained walls.
Jin froze, his stomach sinking.
⸻
The Safehouse Reveal
Then, a hum. A faint blue glow from beneath the rubble.
Jerome staggered to the basement door of his home, hands trembling as he pulled it open—revealing the faint shimmer of a cellular pocket dimension shield.
It flickered once, then collapsed. Inside, his parents, his four siblings, and little sister stumbled out, alive, eyes wide with relief.
"Jerome!" his mother cried, clutching him as tears streamed down her face.
Jerome nearly collapsed into her arms. "Thank God... thank God you're safe..."
Jin bolted to his own home, tearing open the basement hatch. A second shimmer of blue light cracked, collapsing. His parents, his younger siblings—all tumbled forward, coughing from the stale air.
"Jin!" his mother screamed, wrapping her arms around him.
Jin held them tight, eyes burning. "I thought... I thought I lost you..."
⸻
Relief and Tears
Both families clung together, sobbing in relief. The basement safehouses—experimental UNE tech that folded a pocket dimension over civilian shelters—had held. The Frenzies had scoured above, but never touched what was hidden below.
Jin pressed his forehead against his father's shoulder, whispering, "Thank God... thank you, Lord..."
Jerome's little sister squeezed his hand, whispering, "We prayed, every minute... we prayed you'd come back."
⸻
Closing Beat
In the midst of all the blood, ruin, and loss... two families were spared.
And for Jin and Jerome—who had spent the night in hell itself—this was the only victory that truly mattered.
-
After the battle, the streets were still full of smoke and UNE medics tending the wounded.
But Raul, Marco, John, and Min-seo were already clustered near a comms hub—portable holo-emitters humming as they connected across light-years to their homeworlds in the Juno system.
⸻
Raul's Call
The holo-feed snapped open, revealing a farmstead house lit dimly in the night. His parents appeared, both dirt-stained from the fields, eyes red from crying.
"Raul?! Mi hijo?!" his mother screamed, reaching toward the holo.
Raul grinned through his bloodied uniform, tears welling. "I'm here, Ma! I'm here! I'm fine!"
His father's shoulders shook, relief breaking his usual sternness. "We thought... we thought you were gone. The news said the city was lost—"
Raul's grin faltered, but he nodded. "It almost was. But God kept me alive. I'll come home soon, I promise."
⸻
Marco's Call
Marco's holo lit up with his younger brothers and sisters clambering over each other to see him. His father's booming voice thundered, "Son!"
Marco laughed, wiping his eyes quickly. "Y'all didn't doubt me, right? I told you I'd be fine!"
His siblings cried and cheered, but his mother's voice cut through, trembling: "We prayed all night, Marco. We thought we lost you."
Marco's smile softened, his bravado fading. "You'll never lose me, Mom. Not now. Not ever."
⸻
John's Call
John's connection flickered to his mining colony. His parents stood in dim light, faces pale with fear.
"Son? Is it really you?"
John gave a small nod, his voice quiet. "It's me, Dad. It's me."
His mother broke down in tears, clutching her husband's arm. "Thank God... thank God..."
John looked away, ashamed of the bandages on his arm. "I got hurt. But I'm alive. Don't cry too much, okay? I'll keep fighting."
⸻
Min-seo's Call
Min-seo's family appeared—mother, father, and little sister—all huddled together, eyes glued to the holo.
"Min-seo!" his sister squeaked, her voice breaking.
He swallowed hard, trying to stay composed, but his voice cracked. "I'm okay. I made it. The Frenzies didn't... didn't get me."
His father's stern expression finally cracked as he said softly, "Our boy... you're safe. That's all that matters."
Min-seo lowered his head, whispering, "Thank you, Lord..."
⸻
Closing Beat
In every house across the star system, prayers were answered that night.
Not every family was so lucky.
But for Raul, Marco, John, and Min-seo—at least their voices reached home.
And for their families, that was enough to keep hope alive.
But some families were broken as they lost relatives families there. Which left them heart broken, and broken down into tears of sadness and grief.
-
The war room at Camp Genesis was suffocating. The air thick with smoke from cigars and the low hum of holographic maps.
On the holo-display, six red blips pulsed across the Juno system's network map — each one a world under siege.
General Shepherd's voice was grim, carrying the weight of the report.
"Last night wasn't isolated. It was coordinated. At zero-three-hundred hours... the Frenzy Nihilist Organization struck six of our colonies simultaneously."
He pointed to each blip as it flared:
• Endor – its shipyards aflame, countless vessels sabotaged.
• Haphti – agricultural world, grain silos burning, millions starved.
• Gumen – mining colony, tunnels collapsed, workers buried alive.
• Jargon – trade hub, markets in ruins, mass kidnappings.
• Eryndor Prime – our capital, where the battle raged all night.
• Earth – mankind's cradle, bombed in multiple cities.
The room went silent.
⸻
The Commanders React
Admiral Folly (CGS) slammed his gauntlet against the table, his golden cape flickering under the light.
"They planned this. A coordinated day of slaughter. Typical Frenzy tactics. They don't fight for conquest — they fight to spread despair."
UNE Admiral Ardan growled, "Damn them! Six planets at once? They knew our fleets couldn't cover them all. We were stretched thin before we even realized it."
Admiral Ken (CGS) leaned forward, his tone sharp. "They strike like this often. Multiple fronts, maximum chaos, never enough time to respond. Their goal isn't victory — it's infection. To seed their madness everywhere at once."
⸻
The Earth Factor
Sergeant Drill Mason finally spoke, his voice heavy.
"And Earth... Earth was hit, too. Our homeworld. Our cradle."
The room stiffened. Even the CGS officers went silent.
Shepherd's jaw tightened. "Symbolism. They wanted to prove nowhere is safe. Not even where it all began."
⸻
The Grim Conclusion
Admiral David (CGS) exhaled slowly.
"They'll vanish now, like they always do. Into shadows. Back to their lairs. But they'll return — stronger, with more stolen sons twisted into Frenzies."
Shepherd stared at the map, voice like steel.
"Then we can't just react anymore. We take the war to them."
⸻
Closing Beat
The six blips pulsed red in silence. Six worlds scarred in a single night.
The UNE and CGS both knew it now — the Frenzy Nihilist Organization wasn't a faction to contain.
They were a cancer spreading across the stars.
And if left unchecked...
they would consume humanity from within.
-
Admiral Folly's golden visor reflected the holo-map as his voice boomed across the chamber.
"Contact Endor, Haphti, Gumen, Jargon, and Earth. Tell them this: stand united or fall divided. The Frenzies won't stop here. If we don't retaliate together, they'll strike again before we even breathe."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Then General Shepherd broke it. His eyes cut to the CGS admirals, his voice low but steady.
"...Then this means we'll also be working alongside the prodigy himself, won't we?"
Admiral Ardan (UNE), his face worn but eyes sharp, gave a slow nod.
"Yes. Brouthis. Brouthis Ashura 25 years old, our prodigy, or to put it simply... humanity's prodigy. From Earth itself."
⸻
The Legend Weighs In
Admiral Ken (CGS) leaned forward, his tone firm.
"Humanity's prodigy... he is the very pinnacle prodigy of UNE civilization itself."
His words rippled through the chamber. Even the CGS officers spoke with respect.
Ken continued, "We've requested his transfer into the Confederacy countless times. Dozens of times. And every time, he refused. Not for better food, nor for better quarters, nor even prestige. He stayed. Loyal."
⸻
The Refusals
Admiral David (CGS) spoke next, his voice like iron.
"It wasn't just us. Even the Eclipsera Veil Corporation requested him... again and again. They offered him their best, their highest rank, their hidden luxuries. And still, he refused."
Sergeant Drill Mason finally broke in, his gruff tone carrying weight.
"...If the EVC wanted him that badly... then you know he's the real deal. We all know how the Eclipse men's operates? In secrecy."
The room went quiet again. Even among legends, Brouthis' name carried a gravity few could rival.
⸻
Closing Beat
Folly straightened, his golden cape shimmering.
"Then it's decided. The Frenzies are unpredictable, and their next strike could already be moving. To stand against them, we'll need unity... and we'll need him."
The name lingered in the war room like a storm about to break.
Brouthis.
The Pinnacle Prodigy of UNE Civilization.
———————————————
To be continued...