The evening sky bled from purple to black as Theon walked home from work. His mind wandered, replaying the strange events of recent weeks. The self-awakening still remained a mystery, but he'd been practicing to activate his healing abilities these past days. Now he could trigger his self-healing power at will.
On the rooftop six buildings away, a figure in black tactical gear adjusted his position. The assassin checked his weapon one final time—a custom-designed rifle with targeting enhancements and explosive rounds. His eyes narrowed as he looked through the advanced scope, tracking his target's movement.
Perfect. No witnesses. Clean shot.
He'd been studying his target for days. Simple routine, predictable path. Just another job. The assassin steadied his breathing, finger hovering over the trigger.
[Target confirmed]
Through the scope, the crosshairs aligned perfectly with Theon's head as he walked home in the evening shadows, unaware of the danger.
Something flashed in Theon's peripheral vision—the faintest glint of metal from a distant rooftop.
Instinct took over. Theon dropped low, the movement pure reflex.
WHOOSH!
A bullet flew past his head, hit the wall and exploded in a shower of concrete fragments.
"Did the bullet change trajectory?" the assassin muttered, his expression twisted with surprise. "It curved away from his head... Is that impossible?"
He adjusted his aim, puzzled by what he'd just witnessed. The bullet had been perfectly on target, then veered off at the last possible second. He'd never seen anything like it in all his years of work.
Theon sprinted to the end of the building and took cover, heart hammering against his ribs. His breathing came in quick bursts as adrenaline surged through his system.
Stay calm. Assess the situation. Find an escape route.
Someone shot at me. Is it from that building?
Theon tried to peek around the corner, but another bullet hit the wall and exploded on impact. A fragment sliced across his cheek, drawing blood.
Why is someone trying to kill me? I need to find out.
Theon touched his cheek, feeling the warm blood trickling down his face. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, focusing his mind as he'd practiced in his training sessions. A strange warmth spread beneath his fingertips as the wound on his face began to close, healing faster than ever before.
"Getting better at this," he whispered to himself, a hint of satisfaction in his voice despite the danger.
His eyes scanned the area, searching for an opening. Across the road stood a door to the neighboring building—slightly ajar, as if inviting him to safety.
I need to know who's trying to kill me and why.
Theon took a deep breath, muscles tensing. Then he bolted toward the door, crossing the road in an instant. His speed surprised even himself.
Through his scope, the assassin cursed as his target vanished from view. "Fast little bastard," he muttered, adjusting his position. His finger tapped nervously against the rifle. "Where are you going?" He scanned the windows of the adjacent building, searching for movement. "No way out for you, kid."
"Where did he go?" The assassin repositioned, scanning for his target.
Seconds later, Theon leaped from the neighboring building's rooftop to the assassin's position. He grabbed the man and slammed him to the ground.
"Why are you trying to kill me?" Theon demanded, his voice cold with anger.
The assassin kicked at Theon's legs, trying to throw him off balance. Theon grabbed him by the neck, lifted him into the air, and drove a punch into his stomach. Blood sprayed from the assassin's mouth.
The man laughed, a terrible sound. His holo-band activated—not to project an image, but to start a countdown.
"I'll never fail," the assassin rasped.
BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...
Theon tried to jump back, but it was too late. The blast was too quick—
Something strange happened. Time seemed to slow as the explosion erupted. The blast waves rippled outward, but just before reaching Theon, they curved—bending around his body like water flowing around a stone. The fragments that should have torn through him traced impossible arcs through the air, missing him by millimeters.
Theon watched in disbelief as death itself avoided him. But the invisible force that protected him couldn't stop the shockwave completely. It sent him flying off the building's edge, tumbling through empty space. He landed hard on the street below, his leg fracturing with a sickening SNAP.
"Argh!" Theon cried out, clutching his twisted limb. White-hot pain shot up from his ankle to his hip. Through gritted teeth, he focused his mind, visualizing the broken bones within.
"Come on," he whispered, concentrating harder than ever before. A peculiar sensation spread through his leg—warmth followed by an uncomfortable tingling as his bones began to knit back together. The pain gradually subsided as his body repaired itself.
Theon flexed his foot experimentally. "Good as new." Whatever had saved him from the blast was new, something he needed to understand—and quickly.
"I have to find out what's going on," Theon muttered, Using his NIP to contact Koda.
[-Theon-
Need help. Are you there?]
[-Koda-
Yeah, what's going on?]
[-Theon-
I'll explain once I arrive.]
Theon contacted Koda for help and headed to her apartment. On the way, he messaged Felix too.
"What happened?" Koda asked, staring at Theon's blood-stained clothes as he walked into her apartment, her eyes widening with alarm.
"Someone tried to kill me," Theon replied, his face grim, shoulders tense with lingering adrenaline.
"What are you saying? Try to kill you? How? Why?" Koda's eyes widened with concern, her voice rising in pitch as she stepped closer to examine him for injuries.
The apartment door burst open as Felix rushed in, nearly stumbling over the threshold. "What's the problem? What happened?" His chest heaved from running up the stairs.
Theon explained the attack in detail—the sniper, his impossible escape, the explosion that had nearly taken his life.
"I've heard of that type of assassin," Koda said thoughtfully, redirecting the conversation. Her expression remained composed, analytical. "Advanced weaponry, tactical training, explosive rounds—someone must have hired him professionally."
"But why would someone want to kill you?" Felix asked, resuming his pacing, footsteps quick and agitated across the apartment floor. "You're not exactly high-profile."
"Whoever it is must have a good reason," Koda added, her expression darkening as she considered the implications. "That type of assassin isn't cheap. We're talking high six figures, minimum."
"You know an awful lot about assassins," Felix said with a raised eyebrow, pausing his pacing to study her face.
Koda merely shrugged, avoiding his gaze.
"I don't know who or why, but I need to find out," Theon replied, running a hand through his hair, frustration evident in the gesture. "I think the attack before this one wasn't random either. The men who jumped me in the alley weren't trying to kidnap—they were trying to kill me."
"You've been targeted twice now," Koda said, her eyes sharp with analysis. "It can't be random. I had doubts before if they were trying to kidnap you, but now it's clear they want you dead."
"This cannot be related to what happened in the cave?" Felix suggested, frowning as he slumped into a chair.
Theon shook his head. "How would anyone know that? We were the only ones there, and the cave collapsed," Koda interjected, crossing her arms as she considered the possibilities.
"Could it be related to me sneaking into a military base?" Theon asked quietly, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"I don't think that's the reason," Koda replied, shaking her head emphatically. "If someone knew that, it should be someone in military or a student."
"Yeah. Then I would be arrested by now," Theon said with a humorless laugh, leaning back against the wall.
"Don't worry, man. We'll find out who's behind this," Felix said, placing a hand on Theon's shoulder. His usual carefree demeanor was replaced by fierce determination, jaw set and eyes focused. "And I don't think you can be killed by anyone."
"There's something strange that happened when the blast went off," Theon said, his voice low with worry, eyes distant as he recalled the moment. "I could have died from that explosion, but..." Theon explained how the blast seemed to curve around him, his voice steady despite the impossibility of what he described.
"The explosion just... went around you?" Felix interrupted, leaning forward so suddenly he nearly fell off his chair, disbelief written across his face.
"Yeah," Theon nodded. "Like there was some kind of invisible barrier. I could see the blast waves bending around me." His eyes remained focused, intense as he described the phenomenon.
"That's..." Felix trailed off, at a loss for words, mouth hanging slightly open.
The room fell silent. Felix's jaw dropped in amazement while Koda's eyes widened with surprise, both processing the implications of what Theon had just described.
"You're pretty lucky. First, your body starts healing itself, now this." Felix shook his head in disbelief, eyes wide with wonder. "Like every time you get attacked, you unlock a new ability."
"Oh, I found something about self-awakening," Koda suddenly exclaimed, as if remembering it all at once. She sat up straight, eyes bright with excitement.
"Really? How did you find something when there was nothing before?" Felix asked skeptically, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I thought so too, but when thinking further, there must be something to at least figure out the power, right?" Koda started explaining, her words tumbling out faster as her excitement grew. "The first ones who awakened couldn't have known about their powers, so there needs to be some record of how they figured it out."
"You're talking about Project DIVINE, right?" Theon asked, a spark of hope igniting in his eyes.
"Yeah, that's right. I found some research papers—they were top secret, but some details leaked," Koda said, her voice quickening with excitement. "According to the information, abilities start showing signs when a person is pushed into survival situations."
"Are you thinking that's what happened to Theon during the blast?" Felix asked, brow furrowed in thought.
"I'm not sure. There's very little data about that. But it explains what happened, doesn't it?" Koda's eyes darted between them, seeking confirmation.
"So my ability did something about my survival today," Theon said thoughtfully, his expression contemplative. "Oh, I forgot—after the blast, I went back to the rooftop to find some clues. I found these."
He pulled out several small metallic fragments—the remains of a NIP chip from the assassin. The man's head had exploded in the blast, leaving only parts of the brain-implanted device.
"Can you get any information from this?" Theon asked, handing the fragments to Koda.
"Is that... from the assassin, I guess?" Koda replied, her face contorting with disgust and shock as she realized she was holding fragments from someone's head. Her hands trembled slightly as she took the chips carefully. "I can try, but I can't guarantee anything."
Felix suddenly stood up, his face intense, eyes wide with a new realization. "Hey man, I think we need to go now to your home. I don't think they'll wait long before attacking or kidnapping your family."
"How did you come up with that suddenly?" Koda asked, startled by Felix's abrupt change in demeanor, her brow creasing with confusion.
"We need to hurry. I'll explain on the way," Felix said, already running out of the apartment, keys jingling in his hand.
Theon and Koda exchanged worried glances, a silent understanding passing between them, then followed him without hesitation.
Below the building, Felix's car waited. They jumped in and raced toward Theon's house, tires screeching as they pulled away from the curb.
Are they safe? Are they already there?
Theon's thoughts spiraled wildly as they sped through the darkened streets, his fingers digging into his knees, knuckles white with tension. His focus narrowed to a single point: protecting his family. He didn't ask questions. If Felix was right, there was no time for that now.