The battlefield lay silent beneath the bruised twilight sky. Crumbled stone and scorched earth bore witness to the clash of gods and mortals. The scent of ozone and magic hung heavy in the air, mingling with dust kicked up by fierce combat.
Koki Sarive slumped against a fractured column, his muscular frame trembling beneath the weight of exhaustion. Sweat dripped down his forehead, mingling with the grime of battle, but it wasn't just fatigue that gripped him—it was the storm still raging inside.
The Infinity power, that overwhelming cosmic force that had flared so fiercely within him moments ago, now roared like a caged beast clawing to break free. His hair still shimmered with ghostly white strands, his eyes flickered between radiant gold and burning blue.
Diana Prince knelt beside him, her armor gleaming faintly in the dying light. Her long black hair fell like a curtain, framing her serious but compassionate expression. Her glowing blue eyes searched his face as if trying to reach deep inside.
"You fought well," she said quietly, voice calm but layered with unspoken concern. Her hand rested gently on his shoulder, anchoring him to the moment. "But this power… it's not just a gift. It's a burden you must carry carefully."
Koki's jaw tightened as he struggled to steady his breathing. "Every time I tap into Infinity," he murmured, "it feels like I'm losing control. Like the power… it's alive. Hungry. It wants to consume me."
Before Diana could answer, Raven materialized from the shadows nearby, her violet eyes glowing softly like distant stars. Draped in her dark cloak, she moved with an eerie grace, a whisper of wind at her heels.
"That hunger," Raven said, her voice low and steady, "is the shadow side of your power. It feeds on your fears, your anger, your doubts. If you give in to it, it will devour you—not just your power, but your very soul."
Zatanna appeared next, stepping out of a swirl of sparkling motes. Her top hat was slightly askew, but her eyes shone with unwavering focus. She laid a calming hand on Koki's other shoulder.
"Control," she said, "doesn't come from brute force. You can't wrestle Infinity into submission. You have to understand it, embrace all parts of yourself—even the darkness that frightens you."
Koki closed his eyes, the weight of their words pressing down like the heavy night air. His mind swirled with memories—of his childhood in Tanzania, the loss of the life he once knew, and the day the mysterious god Theonix pulled him into the DC Universe. He thought of the heroes who had taken him in, trained him, and the friends he'd made—Diana, Raven, Zatanna.
"I want to protect everyone," he whispered hoarsely. "But what if in doing so, I become the very thing I fear? A monster like the gods we fight?"
Diana's expression softened, the fierce warrior replaced by a mentor's gentle wisdom.
"That is the balance you must find," she said. "Between power and responsibility. Between light and shadow. You are not alone in this fight, Koki. We stand with you."
For a long moment, silence enveloped them—broken only by the distant crash of waves against the cliffs and the whisper of wind through broken columns.
Then, a low hum began on the horizon—a slow, ominous rumble. The earth beneath their feet vibrated as if warning them of an approaching storm.
Diana rose to her full height, spear in hand, every muscle taut with readiness.
"The storm is not over," she said grimly. "Our enemies regroup. They will come again, stronger and more relentless."
Koki forced himself to stand, the Infinity energy simmering down but still pulsing beneath his skin.
"If I'm going to protect this world," he said, voice steadying with renewed resolve, "I have to master this power. No matter what it takes."
Diana gave a rare, faint smile. "Then we will train harder. Sharpen your mind as well as your body. Because the battles ahead will test every part of you."
The stars above blinked into existence, one by one, as night fully claimed the sky. Below, the heroes prepared—knowing the true fight was only just beginning.