The masked man raised his gun and shouted, "All of you, get on your knees. Hands behind your back. Don't try to move."
Perun stayed strangely calm. His body was relaxed, his mind sharp. At any moment he could burst forward, move faster than sight, crush them before they blinked.
But before he could act, Rumi quickly said, "Yes… yes. We'll do it."
She looked at Perun—not with words, but with fear in her eyes. A silent request.
Perun clenched his jaw and nodded slightly.
Perun, Melody, and Rumi slowly got on their knees.
Rumi turned toward her parents and whispered urgently, "You both go inside. Now."
The masked man laughed coldly. "No need. We only need your family."
Another masked man stepped forward. "Tie them."
They came with plastic strips, rough hands forcing their arms back. Perun's wrists were tied tightly, the sharp edge biting into his skin. Melody trembled as they tied her, tears rolling down but she didn't scream. Rumi stayed silent, her lips shaking.
They were dragged outside.
Perun was shoved into the back seat of a vehicle. One of the men pulled out a syringe and pressed it against his arm.
Perun struggled. "We're cooperating. Why are you giving me that?"
The masked man with the gun moved closer—Ethan was beside him. The barrel of the gun rested lightly against the child's head.
The man said calmly, "Looks like you don't care about the kid. You're not family, right? So rules are different for you."
Perun froze.
He looked at Rumi and Melody. Their eyes were wide, begging him to stop.
Perun slowly relaxed his body. "…Fine."
The injection went in.
His vision started to blur. Sounds stretched and twisted. The world spun like it was sinking into water. Darkness swallowed him as his head fell to the side.
When Perun opened his eyes again, everything was black.
Cold stone beneath him. His back against a wall. His hands were still tied.
A damp, rotten smell filled the air.
"Hey," he said, his voice echoing slightly. "Anyone here?"
No answer.
He closed his eyes for a moment. He could unleash his power now—rip through the place, escape alone.
But if he returned alone… questions would follow him.
He shouted again, louder. "Hey! Can anyone hear me?"
From the other side of the wall, a weak voice answered.
"H-Hello…?"
Perun's breath caught. "Melody?"
"Yes… it's me," she said, crying softly. "Perun…"
"Is anyone with you? Your mom? Ethan?"
"No… I'm alone."
Her voice cracked. "How are we going to get out of this? I'm scared…"
Perun pressed his forehead to the wall. "Hey. Listen to me. I'm here. You're not alone. I promise."
Before she could reply, a loud voice echoed through the building.
"Call the mayor. Tell him to come here alone."
A sharp slap followed.
Then a cry—raw, painful.
It was Rumi.A child's sob followed. Ethan.
Melody screamed, "Mom!"
She turned toward Perun's wall, panic exploding in her voice. "It's her… it's my mom. We have to save her!"
She suddenly shouted with all her strength, rage overpowering fear.
"HEY! YOU FUCKERS! IF YOU WANT NUMBERS, TAKE MINE! YOU'RE ALL DUMBASS!"
Her voice echoed.
Footsteps rushed closer.
A door opened violently.
Two masked men entered Melody's room. One grabbed her hair and yanked her up. She bit her lip, forcing back a scream, tears falling as pain twisted her face.
They dragged her away.
Minutes later—slaps. Shouts. Crying.
Again and again, the same demand: "Call the mayor."
Perun sat in silence.
Fear crawled into his chest.Firstly ,he was fearing for himself but he also fear of failing them. Of getting them killed.
It's almost 24 hours he have to charge his powers. He stayed still, breathing slowly, focusing.
Then a voice echoed through the mansion.
"Now we start. First finger of that annoying girl. If the mother truly loves her daughter, she'll call."
A knife scraped against metal.
That sound broke something inside Perun.
His heartbeat thundered.
In his mind, he whispered, "The fish that can stop the flood… I want it."
The air around him trembled.
Suddenly a CRASH.A door exploded somewhere above.Shouts erupted.
They were in the hall of an old mansion. Melody, Rumi, and Ethan were tied to wooden chairs with thick ropes. Blood stained Melody's lips. Rumi's face was swollen. Ethan was shaking, crying silently.
One masked man yelled, "Did anyone check the bodyguard?!"
Too late.
From the first floor, Perun smashed through the railing.
He dropped like a missile.
The man with the gun didn't even have time to react.
Perun landed on him, slamming him into the floor so hard the sound echoed through the hall.
Silence.
Perun looked up and saw Melody's face.
Bruised. Bloody. Broken.
"Perun…" she whispered, crying. "You came…"
His rage exploded.
Four masked men rushed him with knives.
Perun saw everything. Every muscle twitch. Every breath.
The first attacker lunged.
Perun caught his wrist, twisted sharply a CRACK and then kicked him so hard his body smashed into the far wall.
The others hesitated for half a second.
That was enough.
One blink—Perun vanished.He reappeared behind them.
One punch. One body down.Another punch. Another fell.The last man tried to run.Perun dropped him with a single blow.
Silence returned—heavy and shaking.
Perun rushed to them, tearing the ropes apart.
"They're gone," he said softly. "You're safe."
He found a phone on the floor they meant for calling the mayor.
Instead, he called the police.
Sirens came later.
In the chaos, Perun grabbed a masked man's wallet and slipped it into his pocket—but he can see the faces of them.
Melody and her family were trembling, terrified. Perun stayed close, silent, protective.
They were taken in a police car to Melody's maternal grandparents' house. The grandparents broke down when they saw them alive, hugging everyone tightly.
Perun stood a little distance away.Watching.
For the first time that night, a small, quiet smile appeared on his face.