Time stood still.
[Analyzing targets…]
[Name: Vinyl — Beast Shifter]
[Name: Raine — Frost Manipulator]
[Name: Alexa — Shadow Striker]
[Combat assessment: ["Piece of cake."]
Roni's breath caught. It was as if the system had a mind of its own. Before he could even process what was happening, power surged through him. In a split second, the world exploded into motion again.
A rain of lightning crashed down from above, bolts splitting the air with deafening cracks. The ground trembled beneath the assault. Mirael's friends had no time to react—each strike landed with surgical precision.
Vinyl cried out as his beast form faltered, his massive frame collapsing back into his human self. He groaned in pain, smoke rising from his shoulders.
Raine staggered back, clutching her head as sparks burned across her icy aura. The frost in her hands shattered into mist.
Alexa too hit the dirt, her body twitching from the lightning's impact, teeth clenched as a groan escaped her lips. [Roni's system had become more powerful]
"What… what the hell just happened?" Mirael's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she had seen. Moments ago, they had been overwhelming Roni, and now—within seconds—they were scattered across the ground.
On the other side, Roni stood tall, his chest heaving. His eyes glowed white, blazing like light itself. In his right hand, a strange glove pulsed and sparked, blue lightning dancing violently across its surface.
"Is that… the glove Roni talked about?" Mirael whispered to herself, almost in disbelief.
Roni began to advance. His steps were slow, deliberate, merciless. It wasn't him moving—it was the system pulling the strings.
Alexa forced herself up on one knee, staring at him, fear etched across her face. Her vision flickered as she tried to scan him again. System windows flashed before her eyes, but the data was broken—glitching, flickering, unreadable.
"This… this isn't normal," she stammered, her voice shaking.
Mirael's chest tightened. She knew instantly this wouldn't end well. Heart racing, she rushed forward.
"Roni! Roni!" she yelled, her voice cutting through the crackle of energy. "I know you can hear me!"
But Roni didn't flinch. He didn't slow. He was locked in the system's grip, lightning sparking violently at his fingertips.
Desperate, Mirael ran straight at him and grabbed his shoulder.
The instant her hand touched him—boom.
A flicker of light exploded in her vision. Mirael gasped as images seared into her mind—it was almost like she had psychic abilities.
The sky torn apart by storms.
Bolts of lightning swallowing cities whole.
Darkness spreading across the world.
People screaming, running, the earth itself splitting under the weight of chaos.
It was a vision of war. It was the end of the world.
The surge drained her, sucking the strength from her body. She collapsed to the ground, trembling and weak.
Roni blinked, his eyes fading back to normal. The lightning died down, the glove disappeared once more again. Breathless, he dropped to one knee, clutching Mirael in his arms.
"Mirael… are you okay?" His voice broke with emotion.
She gave a weak nod, her breathing uneven. "Yeah… I'm okay."
Across the clearing, Raine struggled to her feet, one hand pressed to her side, her eyes burning with hostility.
"What are you? I've never seen a system wield lightning before," she demanded, her voice sharp, laced with disdain.
Roni looked up at her, he was angry and frustrated."This… this is what I was trying to explain to everyone earlier. But no one listened."
The silence was broken by a sudden flicker of light across Roni's vision. The system's voice echoed again:
[HP +20 | 30/100]
[Keep gaining stats to level up and gain control.]
[System unlock: Lightning Bolt.]
Roni's chest heaved as the words on the screen faded. For a moment, a faint smirk crossed his face.
"So… the more stats I get, the more power I unlock. Hmm interesting."
But the thought soured almost instantly. Gain control? That means I'll have to keep fighting… His smirk vanished. What if I lose it again like today… what if next time I actually kill someone? (He thought within himself).
The glow faded, and reality slipped back in.
Roni turned, reaching down to Mirael, who was still weak on the ground. Gently, he helped her to her feet. She leaned on him for support, her breathing shallow, but her eyes never left his face.
The others slowly gathered themselves. Vinyl stood with a hand pressed to his ribs, glaring at Roni with suspicion. Raine clutched her side, her sharp blue eyes burning with resentment. Alexa still knelt on one knee, shaking slightly, staring at him as if trying to make sense of something beyond comprehension.
No one spoke at first. The crackle of fading energy and their heavy breaths filled the silence.
Mirael finally broke it, her voice quiet but steady.
"When I touched you… I saw something. A vision."
Roni turned to her, confusion flickering across his face. "A vision?"
Her gaze wavered, but she forced the words out. "The sky was torn apart. Lightning consumed everything. The world in chaos… people screaming, running. And you—" she hesitated, swallowing hard. "You were standing in the middle of it all."
The others stared at her, stunned into silence.
Roni's mind flashed back to the museum—the moment his hand first touched the glove. He had seen the same storm, the same world in chaos.
A chill ran through him, Is that really my future? Am I the one who brings destruction? The thought lingered at him. He clenched his fists. No. I can't… I won't be the reason this world falls apart.
The silence dragged until Vinyl coughed, shifting uneasily. "Uh… we should probably call it a day," he muttered, his voice rough. Then, glancing at Mirael, he added, "Same place Friday evening?"
There were hesitant nods all around. Even shaken and bruised, they knew training couldn't stop.( If they have to make to the OCI they need to train non stop).
Raine folded her arms, wincing at the pain in her side. "I still don't get what you are, Roni… but if Mirael trusts you, then I'll follow her lead."
Alexa's gaze lingered on him, her voice low. "My system couldn't read you. That scares me… but I'll just follow my gut and trust you.
Vinyl gave a small grunt, half a smirk tugging at his lips. "Guess that makes it settled then. We'll help you out, demon slayer."
One by one, they gathered themselves, still wary but united, and began to leave.
Roni stayed close to Mirael; she was still weak, and though she kept refusing his offer to take her home, he wouldn't back down. At last, with a sigh, she gave in.
They boarded a taxi. Mirael leaned her head against his chest, her breath soft and steady. For the first time that day, she felt safe, and Roni could feel it too—the bond between them pulling tighter with every heartbeat.
When they arrived, the mansion's iron gates loomed high. Roni's eyes widened.
"Woah… you live here? It's… it's huge."
He helped her out of the car, ready to walk her in, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Don't worry, I can take it from here."
He frowned. "You're still not strong enough—"
"No," she cut in, shaking her head gently. "My father doesn't take it lightly when boys step inside his house."
Roni smirked, half-teasing. "I bet he'll like me."
"Go home, Roni," Mirael said softly, then turned toward the path leading up to the mansion.
Roni stayed where he was, watching her every step until she disappeared behind the gates. he truly was falling for her.
[Conor Hills]
Sergeant Shaw's car rumbled to a stop at the edge of Conor Hills. The facility loomed against the night sky, its reinforced walls lined with guards and arcane wards humming faintly in the air. He stepped out, his boots crunching gravel, and wasted no time.
Inside, the corridors were stark and cold, each turn revealing sealed doors marked with runes of containment. Shaw followed Doctor Aiko through the maze until they reached the heart of the complex—the secured vault.
It was a cavernous chamber, its walls lined with relics locked behind glass and steel. Ancient weapons etched with runes, potions that shimmered with their own light, and shelves of ability books—some whispered to be forbidden—rested under heavy guard. The air itself seemed thick with dormant power, as if the artifacts were waiting. Watching.
Doctor Aiko stopped before a metal case bound with intricate locks. She keyed in a series of codes; gears whirred, and with a heavy hiss, the box split open.
Inside sat a single orb, pulsing faintly with crimson light. Halzora's Orb.
Its glow was unmistakable—alive, awakening.
"Impossible…" Shaw's voice was low, but his eyes widened with shock.
He turned sharply to Aiko. "Run a full scan. Trace this energy across Eldoria. I want to know where it leads, and I want it now."
Her fingers flew across the console, screens flickering as it begins to scan the orb. Shaw's gaze stayed locked on the orb, its glow reflecting in his hardened eyes.
"Halzora has risen," he muttered.