Kai rushed forward, slamming his hand against the terminal like he could stop the screen from playing one second more. His glare locked on Andrew, burning.
"What the hell happened?! Markus has one of the strongest wills I've ever seen. What could've possibly done this to him?!"
His voice cracked halfway through, his thoughts spiraling back.
I have to go home.
Kai's breath caught in his throat. He dropped to his knees. His hand slid from the terminal. His body froze.
"…I see," he muttered, eyes wide, face pale.
Aika's soft sobs filled the room. No one else moved. The silence was thick, fragile.
Andrew's voice cut through. Calm, but heavy.
"Arnik. Come. You need to hear everything."
Arnik turned slightly toward the door, hesitant. But before he could take a step, Kai reached out and grabbed his arm.
"I'm coming too," Kai said, his tone low but resolute.
Andrew stared at him coldly. "No."
Before the tension could boil over, Rose stepped forward. Her tail flicked behind her like a blade.
"We all deserve to know," she said simply.
Andrew looked from Rose to Kai, then to Arnik. His jaw tensed… and then he sighed.
"Fine. Follow me."
They walked through the corridor in silence. Medical personnel darted past, rushing with supplies, bandages, stretchers. From one open door, groans and quiet cries echoed. The smell of antiseptic didn't mask the metallic scent of blood.
Rose gently covered Aika's eyes. "Don't look," she whispered.
They continued, silent.
Finally, they entered the operations chamber—dark and sterile. The holographic Earth spun slowly in the center of the room, casting soft blue light over the walls lined with data streams and blinking red indicators.
Andrew walked to the console. His fingers moved across the keys with deliberate precision. The hologram zoomed in. Red markers pulsed across the surface of the Earth.
"This," he said, turning to them, "is the state of our world. And what I'm about to tell you… changes everything."
He took a breath.
"For years, you've been told the Great Demon War was a legend. Something buried in old books, whispered in myths. But it happened. And the truth of it was far worse than any story."
He stepped forward, voice gaining weight.
"Three thousand years ago, this world came apart at the seams. Demons emerged—burning, twisting things that defied logic and form. They didn't fight wars. They erased civilizations. They didn't occupy cities. They leveled them. They didn't kill soldiers. They wiped out bloodlines."
He gave them a moment to absorb it.
"No race was spared. Not humans. Not demi-beasts. Not even those with wings or horns or magic in their veins. All of them burned. And none of them could stop it."
Andrew turned back toward the hologram.
"Until the Great Spirit chose one man. Not a ruler. Not a soldier. A normal human. Someone with no army, no crown, just… will. The First Mutant."
His voice softened slightly.
"With the Spirit's gift and the help of the Archmages, he turned the tide. His power reshaped battlefields. His presence held the line. And when it was over, he helped seal the demons away—stripping them of form and burying them in a vessel designed to never break."
He looked them all in the eyes.
"But it wasn't perfect. Something slipped through. A presence. A will. A mind that hid itself… and waited."
Kai's voice was sharp. "You mean Lionel."
Andrew nodded once. "Yes."
Kai stepped closer. "Then why now? Why didn't you stop him earlier? How long have you known?"
Andrew's expression didn't change. "Not long enough. But the signs were always there. How he always seemed one step ahead. How nothing ever fazed him. How people trusted him too easily, followed him without question. I started digging. Found inconsistencies. Fabricated histories. Medical scans that didn't make sense. And then… I found records. Ancient ones. Warnings about a presence that survived."
He exhaled sharply.
"Lionel is not like us. He never was. And whatever he's been planning… it's already begun."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Andrew turned to Arnik.
"That's why I need you to listen closely. Because you're not ordinary either. You have the First Mutant's blood in your veins. You might be the only one with the strength to stand against him."
Arnik stood still, overwhelmed. "I…"
"I WILL JOIN!"
Everyone turned. Markus stood at the entrance—bloody, bandaged, swaying.
"I don't care what it takes," he said. "I want to fight. I want to make Lionel pay."
Andrew gave the slightest nod. "Then you're in."
Arnik looked at Markus, then nodded slowly. "I'll fight too. If it's for Earth… I won't run."
Kai stepped forward. "Count me in."
Rose joined him. "Same."
Kai turned fast. "No. This isn't a joke—"
"You're not my father," Rose snapped.
"Aika needs—"
"I WILL JOIN TOO!"
Everyone froze. Aika stepped forward, voice trembling but strong. "I'm not staying behind."
Andrew raised a hand, commanding silence. "They've made their choice, Kai."
Kai didn't respond right away. Then, finally, he nodded. "Fine. But if we're doing this… we do it right."
Andrew looked over them all, his voice gaining that edge of command again.
"You'll be trained. Pushed beyond your limits. You'll train alongside Arnik—and you'll fight for your right to be here. You want to stand against Lionel? Then prove you can survive what's coming."
He stepped closer to them, then added in a low, steady voice:
"You're all young. Too young for this. But you have something in you—something more. I see it. A spark. A weight. A will."
His eyes landed on Arnik.
"And if you survive what's coming… then maybe we still have a chance."
Then his tone shifted in an instant.
"NOW GET MARKUS TO THE MED BAY BEFORE HE BLEEDS ALL OVER MY FLOOR!"
The group scrambled into action.
"Whoa—HEY—NOT SO ROUGH—AGHH—" Markus groaned as they dragged him off.
Andrew let them go. Then he stood alone.
The silence settled again, deeper now. He ran a hand through his hair. His shoulders slumped just slightly.
"I'm dragging kids into a war…"
He clenched his fists.
"…But if I don't, there won't be anyone left to save."
He stared at the Earth, the red warnings still pulsing.
"Lionel gave us hell…"
His voice dropped, final.
"…So we'll return the favor."