Crackle… crackle…
The small campfire hissed and spat tiny embers into the dead of night.
The faint orange light flickered across two figures sitting nearby, their shadows swaying lazily on the cracked walls. Each was hunched over a roughly roasted rabbit, tearing into it with hungry focus.
"Wish there was some seasoning," Tobi said between mouthfuls, pulling the meat off the bone with his teeth. "This meat could've tasted a whole lot better."
Pash chewed quietly before glancing around at the dark emptiness that surrounded them. "Why abandon lands like this?" he asked suddenly, the question escaping his mouth before he even thought about it.
Tobi chuckled, tossing the clean bone into the fire. "Simple. There's plenty on the world leaders' plate already. Why waste time trying to recover what you've lost when it'll probably just be taken again?" He leaned back, resting both hands behind his head, his eyes reflecting the firelight.
"That makes sense," Pash replied softly, gnawing on the last bit of meat from his portion.
A comfortable silence followed — only the fire crackled, and the wind whispered through the broken windows.
Ah.
"Now that was satisfying," Tobi sighed, patting his stomach like a man who had just eaten a feast instead of a scrawny rabbit.
Pash stared into the dancing flames. "How long do you think we'll stay here?"
"Well," Tobi said, shifting to lie on his side, "that depends on how long it'll take us to find the next city. Unfortunately…" He scratched the back of his head with a wry grin. "I don't have a map. Anything tech-related was taken from me."
He settled onto the hard floor, using his rolled-up jacket as a pillow. The two were camped on the topmost floor of an abandoned high-rise. The room, though dusty, was spacious enough to move around, with patches of starlight leaking in through holes in the roof.
Pash leaned back too, staring up through one of those cracks, where stars blinked faintly against the endless dark.
Dad… Mum… Nefri…
He wondered how they were — if they were even safe. It hadn't been a full day since he was torn away from them, and he hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye. The thought clenched his chest painfully.
"Hey, kid," Tobi's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Huh?" Pash blinked and turned towards him.
"How much do you know about the special abilities used by humanity's top fighters?" Tobi asked, eyes fixed on the slice of night sky visible through the ceiling crack.
"Not much," Pash admitted. "I once read it had something to do with space or… something like that. Don't really remember." He frowned. It was strange — for something so important, there was so little information available about it.
As if reading his thoughts, Tobi snorted. "That's because only a few ever came into contact with it, and even fewer understood it enough to study. The universe, kid, is made up of different energies." He picked up a stick and poked at the fire absently, his tone turning a touch serious. "First, we've got the one that lives inside us. People call it all sorts of names — atoms, Qi, chi, life force… you name it. It's the spark that keeps you moving till the day you die."
He lifted a hand, flexing his fingers slowly. "There are ways to tap into this energy — use it right, and you move faster, hit harder, see sharper. Your whole body gets a boost."
"Like that jump you did earlier?" Pash blurted, remembering how Tobi had practically leaped across a wide gap that would have been impossible for a normal person to jump
"Exactly," Tobi said with a grin. "But few can use it well. If everyone could, our forces would pack a far greater punch."
He drew another circle in the dirt with his stick. "Then comes the energy around us. Let's say it's like Qi — only this one belongs to nature. It's the flow that wraps everything together. You can harness it too, though it's tricky. Think of it this way: someone who lives in a clean, peaceful place will always feel more alive than someone stuck in a polluted dump. The difference is in the energy they're surrounded by — that's the flow."
Pash had been listening intently, inching closer to Tobi as he spoke. Well, he admitted to himself, it's not because I can't hear him — I just don't trust what's in the dark.
Tobi smirked as if he knew exactly what was going through Pash's head. "Third — well, this isn't exactly an energy, but I'll include it anyway — quirks."
"Quirks?" Pash echoed. "You mean… talents?"
"Yeah," Tobi said, biting down on a leaf stem he'd somehow produced out of nowhere. "Everyone's got one. From the greatest athletes to the quietest poets, each person's got something unique — a gift only they can use."
He chuckled softly. "I once heard of a bloke who could make his body expand and shrink like a balloon."
Pash blinked. "Seriously? Is that true?"
Tobi shrugged, still chuckling. "Probably. I never met the guy. But it'd be funny as hell if it was."
Their laughter mingled briefly before fading into the night.
Then Tobi lifted a hand again, and his tone shifted. "And finally… there's the power of the mind — the one where we draw our abilities from. G-Force."
From the ground, shadows stirred like living smoke, creeping up and wrapping around his fingers. They flickered and danced like a calm, black flame — elegant and almost hypnotic.
Pash's eyes widened, the firelight reflected in them. "It's beautiful…"
"Indeed," Tobi said, his eyes half-lidded. "But it's different for everyone. Some get flames. Others control wind, stone, frost… even space or psychic stuff like foresight. It all depends on what your mind connects with. Sadly, not everyone's cut out for it."
"You've been saying that a lot lately," Pash muttered, tilting his head.
"Well, that's because it's true." Tobi turned on his side and began counting on his fingers. "Listen — the military's split into six ranks."
He raised one finger. "First — the Iron Talons. Ordinary soldiers, mostly. They've got some basic Qi control but rely heavily on tech. Think guns, drones, that sort of thing."
A second finger went up. "Next — the Crimson Wing. These ones are solid. Their foundation in Qi is stronger, their physical power far above normal."
"The third?" Pash prompted eagerly.
"The Aegis Division." Tobi's tone carried a hint of respect. "They harness Qi perfectly, and most of them have fully awakened their quirks. It's said one Aegis fighter can take on five Crimson Wings and still walk away."
He lifted another finger. "Then comes the Omega Unit — that's my group. We're not more than a hundred, but we can use both the Grand Force and Qi, along with our quirks. We're the real cornerstone of survival."
Pash's eyes shone. "And the Nova Squad?"
Tobi chuckled. "Ah, the real demons. Only twenty-two of them. They've mastered everything — Qi, Grand Force, even the flow energy. They say a Nova can rival the fallen heroes of old."
He paused, stretching his arms over his head. "And finally — the last one."
"The Military Supreme," Pash said quietly.
Tobi grinned. "Exactly. No one's ever seen him fight, but trust me — you don't get that title if you're not strong enough. Rumour says he's the son of Helios the Great — one of the Fallen Warriors."
"Is that true?" Pash asked, wide-eyed.
"Yeah," Tobi replied simply. "In fact, most people at the very top are linked to them one way or another — except a few. Even the other five that evolved like you."
"There are ?" Pash's eyes widened even more.
"Of course." Tobi smirked. "Why d'you think they've got such overbearing auras? Each one carries the energy of someone from the Aegis Division. But there's more — they've got the Grand Force too. Which brings me to the question…" He eyed Pash critically. "Who are you related to?"
"What do you mean?" Pash asked, frowning. "My family's… normal."
"The prophecy says descendants of the Fallen Heroes will rise again to defend Earth," Tobi explained, tapping his temple. "That means you're connected to one of them, whether you know it or not. So tell me, kid — who are your grandparents?"
Pash thought for a moment. "Well… I only have a grandma. She lives in another state. Never married — she said she only had one lover, but he left her. Apart from that, she never really talked about him."
"Sounds like a real man," Tobi said with a grin.
"Yeah? To me, he sounds like a real jerk for leaving someone heartbroken," Pash shot back.
Tobi snorted. "Hmph."
He shifted, lying flat on his back again, folding his arms behind his head. "Get some sleep, kiddo. You're gonna need it."
Pash nodded quietly and laid down too, staring up at the faint stars peeking through the cracks. His mind swirled with questions — about his family, the prophecy, and who he really was. The thought gnawed at him, heavy and restless.
One thing was certain:
he wasn't getting much sleep tonight.
********