Under the cover of night, the three boys crept cautiously toward the heart of the forest.
They moved in silence, step by step — not out of fear, but necessity.
Ever since that catastrophic battle between the god and the demon, the area had been under heavy military lockdown. The core zone was completely sealed off, yet that didn't stop the crowds.
Some came to take pictures at the edge of the divine battlefield.
Others came with a more dangerous purpose — hoping to pick up something, anything, that could grant them a taste of the extraordinary.
Which was precisely why the three who actually had a clue had to be even more careful.
Even so, on their way here, they'd already run into several other scavenger groups.
"Still nothing?" Matt's tone carried thinly veiled irritation.
Sure, he wanted a shot at power too — who didn't? But he was the one handling every encounter they came across.
Andrew was silent as ever — withdrawn, introverted, barely speaking a word.
The Black kid, Steve, was the one tracking clues.
That left Matt — the so-called "people person," the party guy — to deal with anyone who got too curious.
Even for him, it was mentally exhausting.
It wasn't the talking that wore him down — it was the lying, the pretending, the constant improvisation to make sure no one suspected their real intentions.
"Trust me," Steve muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead, "we're close. Really close."
"You've said that seven times already!" Matt snapped.
Just then, Andrew — who had been dead quiet the whole way — suddenly spoke up.
"Over there."
Matt turned immediately. "You found something?"
Andrew shook his head. "No. But… I can feel it. Something's calling from that direction."
Matt exchanged a look with Steve.
"Well, we're not getting anywhere else. Let's check it out."
Andrew took the lead. The other two followed.
After a few minutes of weaving through underbrush, they came upon a dark opening in the ground — a cave mouth half-hidden by vines.
Matt's breath caught. "Holy crap… there is something here."
Andrew's voice came low and steady.
"Let's go. Whatever it is, it's calling to me."
Matt's gaze turned oddly amused.
Calling to you?
Don't tell me you're one of those chosen-by-destiny types?
Images from a dozen adventure novels flashed through his head — artifacts, chosen ones, ancient prophecies, demon kings, and princesses.
He shook his head, snorting quietly.
Still, he wasn't about to stay behind.
If his cousin really was the protagonist of some divine epic, then as the cousin, he sure as hell wasn't missing out on that "supporting-character bonus."
One by one, the three jumped down into the cavern.
They didn't have to go far.
At the bottom, bathed in the dim glow of the underground light, a massive black crystal hovered in midair — pulsing faintly, like a heart.
It radiated an aura both alluring and suffocating, and an invisible force kept it suspended.
The boys froze, staring.
Their breathing quickened.
No doubt about it — this was something beyond human.
Extraordinary.
Power.
Transcendence.
The words hammered in their heads.
To step onto the path of the extraordinary meant strength, longevity, freedom — everything mortals dreamed of.
For Andrew, especially, the temptation was unbearable.
He trembled — not in fear, but anticipation.
All his life, he'd been the quiet one. The awkward one. The target.
Now, the promise of power burned in his veins.
With power, he could change everything.
With power, he could make them pay.
"Wait."
Matt's voice came sharp, cautious.
"There's something off about this." He glanced at the crystal, then back at them. "We all saw the god and demon fight, right? This color, this aura — it's nothing like that god's light. This feels... wrong."
Even now, Matt's instincts stayed sharp. He wasn't stupid.
But not everyone shared his restraint.
Andrew let out a quiet laugh — cold, dismissive.
He turned, and the look in his eyes sent a chill through both of them.
"I don't care."
He slapped Matt's hand away and strode forward.
God, demon — what did it matter?
If it could give him power, he'd take it.
Whatever its source.
In his mind, the bullies who tormented him were no less demonic than any creature from hell.
Matt's eyes widened. "Andrew, don't—"
But it was too late.
Andrew's hand pressed against the crystal.
In an instant, the stone flared to life.
A flood of black energy, liquid and alive, surged into him — tendrils of shadow snaking beneath his skin.
Andrew gasped — then began to laugh, a crazed, trembling laugh that echoed off the cavern walls.
"Power... endless power!"
An invisible wave pulsed outward.
The entire cave began to shake violently.
Steve and Matt stumbled back, the sheer pressure forcing them off balance.
But Steve wasn't backing down.
Seeing Andrew consumed by the dark energy — seeing that terrifying, intoxicating glow — greed overcame fear.
He gritted his teeth and charged forward.
"I want it too!"
Andrew's head snapped toward him, fury twisting his face.
"This is my power!"
He raised his hand.
A surge of telekinetic force — raw and unstable — exploded from his body, slamming Steve backward, pinning him to the stone.
But Steve wasn't giving up.
"Matt!" he shouted, struggling against the psychic pressure. "If he takes it all, he'll kill us! You know he will!"
Matt froze — torn.
He didn't want to believe it.
Andrew was family. But Steve wasn't wrong.
Extraordinary power wasn't something you could share — not safely.
And Andrew… Andrew's mind had always been fragile.
If he really absorbed all of that… would the old Andrew even remain?
Matt clenched his fists. The hesitation lasted only a second.
He charged.
Andrew roared, his telekinesis lashing wildly. He tried to suppress both of them, but his new power was unstable, his control still clumsy.
When he pushed one down, the other advanced.
Steve forced his way forward.
Matt followed from the other side.
And then —
All three hands touched the crystal at once.
The black stone blazed, flooding the cave with blinding darkness.
Energy erupted like a storm, raw and chaotic, pouring into all three bodies.
Their screams merged — agony, awe, madness.
Then—
BOOM!
A shockwave burst outward.
The cavern lit up with pitch-black light.
When it faded… the crystal was gone.
And so were they.
Only a faint shimmer of dark residue marked the spot.
Moments later, a squad arrived at the scene — armored, alert, weapons raised.
At the front was Ivanka.
Under the moonlight, the famously glamorous woman's face was cold as ice.
"Damn it," she hissed. "We're too late."
That blast — though nowhere near as catastrophic as the divine-demonic clash — had still been powerful enough to be seen from miles away.
And worse… that energy.
It wasn't divine.
It wasn't from Him.
Her lips tightened.
"The fallen demon really did leave a backdoor."
Her expression hardened, voice dropping to a dangerous chill.
"And someone's already taken it."
A beat of silence. Then:
"This… just got troublesome."