The evening news flickered across the small screen of the living room. Kayden's abandoned parents sat together, hands intertwined, watching the images unfold.
The camera panned over the aftermath of the masked boy's confrontation with Ragna. Buildings cracked, smoke rose, and civilians scattered in chaos.
"Look at him," his adoptive father muttered. "Do you see it?"
His mother's eyes widened as they focused on the masked boy's hand. A faint sigil pulsed under the light of the camera — an intricate mark glowing faintly like a living emblem.
It was the same sigil they had seen on the baby they had once rescued by the river so many years ago.
Something stirred deep in their memories. An unease they hadn't felt since that fateful day.
"That mark… it resembles… his hand," she whispered, voice trembling.
His father's jaw tightened. "It can't be. Could it?"
Neither could deny the unease creeping in their hearts. The masked boy's hand was identical to the tiny hand they had held, the same mark that had been hidden when they brought him to Earth.
Outside, the world buzzed with whispers. The government had already issued a statement, trying to calm the citizens.
"The masked individual and Ragna are under investigation. Citizens are advised to return to normal routines — go to work, school, and follow safety guidelines."
For many, life had to continue despite the chaos. For some, however, the tension lingered. The shadow of what had happened still loomed.
---
At school the next day, Kayden entered the campus like any other student. His backpack slung over one shoulder, eyes scanning the familiar corridors.
He had returned to normal routines, though the memory of the fight — and the strange energy that had surged within him — still gnawed at his mind.
Eren, sitting beside Liora under the old oak tree near the courtyard, perked up as they saw him approach.
"Kayden!" Liora called, waving him over. "Did you hear about the masked boy? The one who fought Ragna and—well, basically destroyed half the area?"
Kayden slowed, keeping his expression neutral. "Yeah," he said casually, leaning against the tree. "I heard about it. Crazy stuff… but who could that be?"
Eren narrowed his eyes, studying him. "You don't sound very surprised. Are you sure you didn't… see him?"
Kayden forced a small shrug. "I said I heard about it, didn't I?"
Liora's gaze lingered on him, as if weighing his reaction. "Hmm. Sure. Just seems weird you're acting so calm about it."
Around them, other students whispered. Some glanced in Kayden's direction, suspicion flickering across their faces.
They remembered the fight at school against the Vex Crew, how Kayden had handled them. But this masked boy… the power he had displayed against Ragna was unlike anything they had ever seen.
"Could he be… Kayden?" someone muttered under their breath.
"No way," another replied. "Kayden's strong, but this guy… he flew Ragna across twenty feet with a single punch! That's not human."
Even those who remembered Kayden's strength were unsure. The rumors spread like wildfire, buzzing from one corner of the school to another.
---
Meanwhile, far from the city, the Architect's complex hummed with life. Massive machines whirred, lights blinking like stars trapped in a dark sky.
Ragna had fully recovered, his wounds stitched, his aura of power more intense than ever.
The remaining Vex Crew who had come seeking power were all gathered around him, reverence mixed with fear in their expressions.
"I will find those who ran," Ragna swore, voice low but filled with menace. "They abandoned the Vex Crew. They will pay. Every last one of them."
The air in the chamber shimmered with energy. Jex, standing close to Ragna, watched the room, waiting.
The Architect had granted him a fraction of power — enough to elevate him above the rest of the crew, second only to Ragna. He could feel the strength coursing through his veins, the potential to rise even higher, if he dared to seize it.
Ragna's eyes burned like molten steel. "Mark my words. The Vex Crew will remember loyalty. And anyone who dares to defy me… will suffer."
The room went silent. Even the machines seemed to wait, hums of energy echoing like a low heartbeat, synchronized with the tension that thickened the air.
The Architect, observing from the shadows of the control balcony, remained still. His cold, analytical gaze measured every movement, every twitch of muscle and emotion.
This was a game of patience. Of power. Of potential yet to be unlocked. And Ragna — even at his peak — was only a piece of a far larger puzzle.
---
Back at school, Kayden felt the sigil on his hand pulse faintly, almost like a heartbeat of its own. He flexed his fingers subtly, hiding the reaction from Liora and Eren. A whisper tickled the edges of his mind.
You don't belong here…
Kayden's jaw tightened. He ignored it, forcing his expression calm. Nothing — not the whispers, not the rumors, not even the memory of his fight — would reveal who he really was. Not yet.
But the pulse in his hand reminded him: someone, somewhere, was already watching. Waiting. And the sigil had recognized something — or someone — it wanted him to know.
---
At the Architect's place, Ragna's newly enhanced power radiated like molten energy in the cavernous hall.
The remaining Vex Crew looked on, their breaths caught in their chests, adrenaline and awe mixing in equal measure.
Some of them had come hoping to surpass their previous limits, seeking the same strength that Ragna now possessed. Others… hesitated. Fear tugged at their hearts.
Jex stood beside the leader, sensing the currents of power surrounding him. He had received the Architect's blessing — enough to rival anyone else in the room — but still below Ragna.
His mind raced: Should he pursue more power, risk disobedience, or simply follow Ragna's commands blindly?
As Ragna flexed his newly strengthened aura, a low growl escaped his lips. "I'll find those who abandoned us. They will kneel before me, whether they seek power or not."
The Vex Crew shifted uneasily. Rumors had already reached them: some thought they could surpass Ragna, some wanted nothing to do with this anymore. The tension split the group — alliances forming and breaking in silent glances.
---
Outside, the city continued its uneasy routine. Civilians returned to their streets, their jobs, and schools.
Yet whispers of the masked boy spread like wildfire: who was he? Where did he come from? How could someone so young, so human, strike with such devastating power?
Kayden walked among the students, pretending to be part of the ordinary crowd. Every eye that glanced at him carried suspicion, but none could be sure. Not even his closest friends.
And somewhere in the distance, the Architect watched. Every move recorded, every reaction cataloged. He knew the masked boy was here. He knew the sigil was awake.
And he knew that sooner or later, everything would converge: Ragna, the Vex Crew, Kayden, and the shadowed power lurking within the young boy's hand.
The pulse of the sigil throbbed stronger. Kayden felt it now, unmistakably. Something big was coming. Something that would shake the foundations of everything he knew.
And as the Architect smiled faintly behind his screens, Ragna sharpened his resolve, and the Vex Crew whispered among themselves, the world remained unaware that the next storm had already begun.
---
And in that quiet, unseen moment, the world teetered on the edge of a storm no one could anticipate.
The reckoning had begun.
Unseen.
Unstoppable.
Unforgiving.
---