The old man's warning echoed in Kael's ears as he stepped over the broken threshold and out of the restaurant.
The Awakened Federal Organisation.
He walked down the street, leaving bloody footprints on the cracked pavement. The townspeople who had been going about their day now froze like deer scenting a wolf. Mothers grabbed their children and pulled them inside. Shopkeepers slammed their doors shut. Windows rattled as blinds were drawn.
PAM. PAM. PAM.
His bare feet slapped against the concrete, each step leaving a red smear.
"Monster," someone whispered from behind a curtain.
Kael's keen hearing caught it. His lips twitched.
Maybe he had become a monster.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
HOST COMBAT ANALYSIS: 4 KILLS CONFIRMED
EXPERIENCE GAINED: 120 XP
LEVEL PROGRESS: LEVEL 8 → 32% TO LEVEL 9
EMOTIONAL STATE ANALYSIS: NUMB
WARNING: PROLONGED EMOTIONAL SUPPRESSION MAY LEAD TO PERMANENT PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE
Kael dismissed the notification with a thought.
He found an alley between two abandoned buildings and slipped into its shadows. His body was tired—the regeneration cost energy, and he'd used a lot of it in the fight. The food helped, but he needed rest. Needed to think.
SLUMP
He slid down against a dirty brick wall, pulling his knees to his chest. The alley smelled of urine and rot—familiar smells, almost comforting after the sterile horror of the facility.
For the first time since waking in that body bag, Kael let himself feel.
His parents' faces flashed before his eyes. John Hayes, strong and gentle, dying to protect them. Elena Hayes, ageless and beautiful, falling to Hart family bullets. Michael, his serious older brother, reaching out with glowing hands—
GONE.
Dalia, his little sister, white hair and innocent smile—
GONE.
All of them. Dead. Because of the Harts. Because of the Whitmores. Because of people.
Tears burned behind Kael's eyes, but he forced them back. Crying changed nothing. Crying brought no one back.
SLAP.
He hit the wall beside him, hard enough to crack the brick. Pain flared in his knuckles—then faded as regeneration kicked in.
"I'll kill them all," he whispered into the darkness. "Every Hart. Every Whitmore. Everyone who hurt my family."
KEEN HEARING DETECTS: APPROACHING VEHICLES - 2.3 KILOMETERS
MULTIPLE ENGINES - ARMORED TRANSPORT
ESTIMATED ARRIVAL: 4 MINUTES
Kael's head snapped up. Vehicles. Multiple. Military-grade.
The AFO.
He scrambled to his feet, pressing himself against the wall. His heart hammered—THUMP THUMP THUMP—but he forced himself to breathe slowly.
Four minutes. He had four minutes to decide—run or fight.
Running made sense. He was weak. Level 8. F-rank. Newly awakened. The AFO would have trained Awakeners, experienced killers. Fighting them now would be suicide.
But where would he run? He didn't know this town. Didn't know the surrounding area. Didn't have food, water, weapons, or allies.
Think, Kael. Think.
VEHICLES APPROACHING: 1.5 KILOMETERS
3 MINUTES
He pushed off the wall and moved deeper into the alley, searching for anything useful. Trash bins. Broken crates. A rusted pipe lying in the corner.
GRAB.
The pipe was about two feet long, solid metal, heavy. Not a great weapon against Variants, but better than nothing.
WEAPON ACQUIRED: RUSTED IRON PIPE
DURABILITY: LOW
DAMAGE: MINIMAL
VEHICLES APPROACHING: 800 METERS
2 MINUTES
Kael crept to the end of the alley, peering out at the main street. In the distance, he could see dust rising—three black armored vehicles racing toward the town, their engines roaring.
They're fast.
VEHICLES ARRIVING: 30 SECONDS
Kael stepped out of the alley and walked to the middle of the street. The main road leading into town stretched before him, empty and silent. He stood there, pipe in hand, filthy robe hanging off his thin frame, and waited.
The first vehicle crested the hill.
It was massive—armored plating, tinted windows, some kind of weapon mounted on the roof. A machine gun, maybe, or something more exotic. Mana-tech.
It slowed as it spotted him. The other two vehicles fanned out behind it, blocking the road.
For a long moment, nothing moved. Then the lead vehicle's doors opened simultaneously—CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK—and four figures stepped out.
SYSTEM SCAN INITIATED
TARGET 1: MALE - STRENGTH ENHANCEMENT
LEVEL: 38
RANK: D (PEAK)
THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE
TARGET 2: FEMALE - LIGHTNING MANIPULATION
LEVEL: 42
RANK: C (LOW)
THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE-HIGH
TARGET 3: MALE - TELEKINESIS
LEVEL: 35
RANK: D (PEAK)
THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE
TARGET 4: MALE - ENERGY PROJECTION (LEADER)
LEVEL: 48
RANK: C (MID)
THREAT LEVEL: HIGH
*C-rank. Level 48.* Kael's jaw tightened. The leader alone was stronger than anything he'd faced. With his three D-rank agents backing him up, the odds were insane.
RECOMMENDATION: FLEE. SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 17%
Kael ignored the system.
The leader stepped forward—a man in his forties, broad-shouldered, with cold eyes and a military haircut. He wore the standard AFO black uniform with a captain's insignia. His hands glowed faintly with gathered energy.
"Kaelyn Hayes," he called out, his voice carrying easily across the distance. "You're under arrest by authority of the Awakened Federal Organisation. Surrender now, and you won't be harmed."
Kael said nothing.
The captain's eyes narrowed. "We know about the restaurant. Four dead, seven injured. That makes you a Dark Variant in the eyes of the law." He took a step forward. "Last chance, kid. Drop the pipe and get on your knees."
Kael looked at the pipe in his hand. Looked at the four AFO agents. Looked at the town behind him, where faces peeked from windows, watching to see what would happen.
He smiled.
"No."
The captain sighed—genuinely sighed, like a parent dealing with a stubborn child. "Fine. We do this the hard way. Graves, take him."
The big man—Strength Enhancement, Level 38—grinned and cracked his knuckles. "My pleasure, Captain."
He charged.
WHOOSH—
Kael barely had time to react. The man was FAST for his size. A massive fist came at Kael's face like a battering ram. But he understimated his opponent.
Kael ducked under it—SWOOSH—and swung the pipe at the man's knee.
CRACK
The pipe connected. The man roared—"FUCK!"—as his leg buckled. But even as he fell, his hand shot out and grabbed Kael's ankle.
GRAB.
Kael hit the ground hard. PAM. Pain shot through his shoulder—then faded as regeneration kicked in.
Before he could rise, the lightning woman was there—Level 42, C-rank. Electricity crackled around her fists. BZZZT. She punched down at his chest.
SLAM
Kael rolled just in time. The lightning blast hit the ground beside him, scorching the asphalt black. The smell of burnt concrete filled the air.
The telekinetic—Level 35—raised his hand from behind the woman. Kael felt something grab his throat, lifting him off the ground.
URK—can't breathe—
MANA RESERVES: 38/180
ACTIVATE DEVOUR?
YES.
Kael focused on the invisible force choking him and pulled.
DEVOUR INITIATED
TARGET: TELEKINETIC GRIP
CONSUMPTION SUCCESSFUL
MANA GAINED: 22 UNITS
ABILITY ACQUIRED: NONE (CONSUMED MANA ONLY, NOT ABILITY)
The grip vanished. Kael dropped—THUD—gasping for air.
The telekinetic stumbled, eyes wide. "What the hell? He drained my mana! The little bastard stole my mana!"
The lightning woman moved in again, but Kael was ready this time. He rolled to his feet, pipe swinging—
SLASH
It caught her across the face. Blood sprayed. She screamed—"AAAAHHHNNN!"—stumbling back with her hands clutching her ruined cheek.
The big man with the ruined knee was crawling toward him. The telekinetic was recovering, reaching for something at his belt—a sidearm, probably.
And the captain still watched, arms crossed, analyzing.
Kael knew he couldn't win this. Three agents—two D-rank, one low C-rank—and he was already struggling. The captain hadn't even moved yet.
Think. THINK.
KEEN HEARING + COMBAT ANALYSIS
DETECTING PATTERNS...
The big man was slow because of his knee. The lightning woman was blind in one eye now, blood streaming down her face. The telekinetic was low on mana, reaching for a conventional weapon.
Kael moved.
He lunged at the telekinetic first—the biggest threat with his gun. WHOOSH. The man saw him coming, raised the pistol—
BANG
The shot went wide. Kael's pipe came down on his arm.
CRACK
Bone shattered. The man screamed—"FUCK YOU, BASTARD!"—as the gun clattered away. Kael grabbed his head with both hands and squeezed.
DEVOUR INITIATED - DIRECT CONTACT
TARGET: HUMAN - LEVEL 35 - TELEKINESIS
CONSUMPTION IN PROGRESS...
The man's screams turned to gurgles as his body began to dissolve. Motes of light flowed into Kael's chest—mana, life force, everything.
CONSUMPTION COMPLETE
MANA ABSORBED: 89 UNITS
ABILITY ACQUIRED: TELEKINESIS (GRADE: D)
PERMANENT ABILITY SLOT FILLED: TELEKINESIS - MOVE OBJECTS WITH MIND (CURRENT RANGE: 10 METERS)
The man's body crumbled to ash, joining the growing pile of Kael's victims.
The remaining agents stared in horror.
"What the FUCK is he?!" the lightning woman shrieked.
The captain's calm expression finally cracked. "Graves, Morrison, fall back! NOW!"
But Kael was already moving.
He reached the big man—Graves—in two strides. The man swung his good arm, a desperate punch. Kael caught it with his new telekinesis, holding it in place.
GRAB.
DEVOUR INITIATED - DIRECT CONTACT
TARGET: HUMAN - LEVEL 38 - STRENGTH ENHANCEMENT
CONSUMPTION IN PROGRESS...
"NO! PLEASE! I HAVE A FAMILY! I HAVE A—"
His words dissolved into nothing as his body followed the same fate.
CONSUMPTION COMPLETE
MANA ABSORBED: 94 UNITS
ABILITY ACQUIRED: STRENGTH ENHANCEMENT (GRADE: D)
PERMANENT ABILITY SLOT FILLED: STRENGTH ENHANCEMENT - INCREASE PHYSICAL POWER BY 300%
The lightning woman—Morrison—tried to run. Her legs pumped, electricity sparking as she tried to accelerate. But her ruined eye and bloody face slowed her.
Kael reached out with telekinesis and pulled.
She flew back toward him, screaming—"NO NO NO NO NO!"—and he caught her by the throat.
DEVOUR INITIATED - DIRECT CONTACT
TARGET: HUMAN - LEVEL 42 - LIGHTNING MANIPULATION
CONSUMPTION IN PROGRESS...
She thrashed. She kicked. Lightning arced from her body, trying to burn him—but her mana was already draining, her power fading.
"PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! I'LL—"
Ash.
CONSUMPTION COMPLETE
MANA ABSORBED: 112 UNITS
ABILITY ACQUIRED: LIGHTNING MANIPULATION (GRADE: C)
PERMANENT ABILITY SLOT FILLED: LIGHTNING MANIPULATION - GENERATE AND CONTROL ELECTRICITY
Kael dropped the ashes and turned to face the captain.
The man stood alone now, his three agents reduced to dust. His hands still glowed with energy, but his face was pale. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
"You... you monster," he whispered. "They were my people. My TEAM."
Kael said nothing. He simply walked forward.
The captain raised his hands—BRAAAAP—and blasted energy. A stream of pure destructive force shot toward Kael.
Kael raised his own hand.
ENERGY PROJECTION - ACTIVATE
BRAAAAAP
Twin streams of energy met in the middle of the street. They pushed against each other, crackling and hissing, lighting up the afternoon with artificial daylight.
The captain's eyes went wide. "That's MY power! You took MY power from Morrison?!"
Kael didn't correct him. Let him think that. Let him be confused.
The energy battle lasted ten seconds. Fifteen. Twenty. Kael could feel his mana draining fast—he'd consumed a lot, but his reserves weren't infinite.
MANA RESERVES: 147/380
He needed to end this.
Kael stopped projecting and ran.
WHOOSH—his enhanced strength made him a blur. The captain's energy blast passed through where he'd been, scorching a building behind him. Then Kael was THERE, in the man's face, hands reaching—
GRAB.
DEVOUR INITIATED - DIRECT CONTACT
TARGET: HUMAN - LEVEL 48 - ENERGY PROJECTION
RESISTANCE DETECTED
The captain struggled. Fought. His hands grabbed Kael's wrists, trying to push him away. His energy flared, trying to blast Kael off.
But the Devour was already working. His mana was draining. His strength was fading. His very life was being pulled out of him.
"WHO... ARE... YOU?!" he gasped.
Kael looked into his eyes—those cold, professional eyes that had probably hunted dozens of Dark Variants, killed dozens of people like him.
"Someone the Whitmores created," Kael whispered. "Tell them hello in hell."
DEVOUR COMPLETE
MANA ABSORBED: 156 UNITS
ABILITY ACQUIRED: ENERGY PROJECTION (GRADE: C)
PERMANENT ABILITY SLOT FILLED: ENERGY PROJECTION MERGED - UPGRADED TO GRADE: C+
The captain crumbled to ash.
Silence.
Kael stood alone in the street, surrounded by piles of gray dust that used to be people. His chest heaved. His body trembled. His new powers buzzed under his skin like live wires.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
COMBAT COMPLETE
4 KILLS CONFIRMED
EXPERIENCE GAINED: 850 XP
LEVEL UP! LEVEL 8 → LEVEL 12
LEVEL UP! LEVEL 12 → LEVEL 14
CURRENT LEVEL: 14 (F-RANK)
ABILITIES CURRENTLY HELD:
REGENERATION (BLOODLINE - GRADE: ???)
DARK ADAPTATION (GRADE: E)
KEEN HEARING (GRADE: F)
TELEKINESIS (GRADE: D)
STRENGTH ENHANCEMENT (GRADE: D)
LIGHTNING MANIPULATION (GRADE: C)
ENERGY PROJECTION (GRADE: C+)
MANA RESERVES: 212/450
Kael walked to the nearest AFO vehicle. Its door hung open, keys still in the ignition. Inside, he found what he needed—a tablet with AFO databases, maps of the region, and most importantly...
A file.
WHITMORE BIOTECH - RESEARCH FACILITY LOCATIONS
PRIMARY FACILITY: 47 KM NORTHWEST
SECONDARY FACILITY: 12 KM EAST (ABANDONED)
SATELLITE OFFICE: 3 KM - TOWN CENTER
Three kilometers.
Silas worked at the satellite office. Morgan's right hand. The woman who had marked him. The woman whose hand still held the leash around his soul—at least, it had until he died.
Kael smiled—a thin, cold thing that would have frozen blood if anyone saw it.
"Hello, Silas," he whispered. "I'm coming for you."
He started the vehicle and drove into the town, leaving the ashes of his enemies behind.