Save this book like a hidden cupcake—sweet surprises await!
High above the rooftops of Emberfield, Soren Wolfe, the silver-haired Judicator, hovered in midair, defying gravity with effortless grace. The moon gilded his silhouette in a razor-sharp sheen.
His gaze drifted downward, pausing for a heartbeat on the rookie Esper below—frozen in place, blood-soaked hoodie clinging to her frame, two bodies crumpled at her feet.
Just some rookie, staring up like she forgot the world was burning. Blood everywhere. Eyes too steady.
He scoffed softly and vanished in a flash of silver light, streaking across the night sky like a falling star.
Seconds later, he touched down on a wooded ridge just outside town.
Moonlight poured over the clearing in sharp silver tones. Soren peeled off his gloves, fingers fluid and practiced as he flicked open a holographic interface from his wrist display.
[Vitalis Surge detected in Blackridge County. Callan Wolfe is on-site. Brooks and Haven are moving in tandem.]
The fourth damn time .
Soren's eyes narrowed.
He'd just pulled out of Blackridge, hot on the trail of a rogue Esper from one of the hidden bloodlines—some shadow operative called Ezekiel Grimm.
Then bam—emergency summon from the family patriarch: drop the chase, head to Emberfield, eliminate an Infernal-class before sundown.
And the second he left?
Boom. Another Vitalis Surge lights up Blackridge like a Christmas tree.
Too perfect. Too damn convenient.
Someone knew he'd move. Someone wanted him gone.
A premonition from a Trait Esper? Maybe.
Or maybe someone inside the family pulling strings—stalling him, rerouting him, every damn time Vitalis appears.
His lips curled, slow and cold.
Once might be a coincidence. Four times?
No.
Whatever game this is—they're playing it without him from now on.
Let them.
He's done dancing on someone else's leash.
Meanwhile, Avery was sprinting down the outer edge of town.
"LUSTRA, I just took out two guys. Self-defense, obviously—but what's the legal fallout for a freshly minted Esper?"
Because honestly? She had no idea if 'self-defense' was even a thing here.
[Uploading local laws... Complete.]
A wave of data slammed into her mind.
"You're this sharp running on training wheels? Full access better come with champagne and a raise."
[Warning: Ego Boost detected. Adjusting AI humility index by -5%.]**
Smug. That little static crackle definitely felt smug.
She skimmed the downloaded info. For a new Esper who awakened mid-attack and killed her aggressors, the proper protocol was to register with the Public Safety Bureau and report the incident.
As she reached the edge of the town proper, she yanked up her hoodie, hiding the blood on her face.
"LUSTRA, navigate to the PSB."
[Generating holographic map...]
An overhead layout appeared in her vision, with a glowing arrow pointing toward a dull blue-gray building four blocks away.
[⚠️ ALERT: Combat Detected Nearby!]
A red exclamation mark flashed above the map.
BOOM.
A thunderous crash echoed through the air.
Avery jerked her head up.
Two massive figures blazed across the sky like holographic projections, towering above the buildings like gods at war.
One—masked, clad in sleek black combat armor—was wielding a vortex of intertwining flame and frost, a tornado of power spiraling outward from his palms.
The other, bareheaded and dressed in crimson battle garb, bellowed like a beast. Muscles bulged, veins throbbed, and red energy roared around him.
"Holy shit," Avery muttered, stumbling back.
Esper combat in real life was like watching a triple-A action movie—but in surround sound and full scent.
"Middle-rank trash like you dares challenge me?" the red-clad man roared, voice like colliding metal.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Each clash shattered clouds and blew street signs off their mounts. Civilians fled indoors, slamming windows and doors.
"Daddy, look!" a small boy pointed upward. "Is that the Iceflame Judicator?"
"Shh!" his father hushed him quickly, eyes wide with awe and fear. "Never point at a Judicator."
"The red one—is he from the Hidden Gate?" the boy whispered.
"He's an Infernal-class from Hidden Gate," the father replied hoarsely. "Strength: Peak Mid-Rank."
Avery's temples throbbed.
Hidden Gate—the country's largest Esper crime syndicate.
Judicators—the elite enforcers of the Public Safety Bureau.
Above, the Judicator changed tactics. The fire and ice vortex compressed into a single massive blade of light.
Blue-white energy sliced across the sky, igniting the clouds.
"COME ON!" the red Esper howled. His body swelled grotesquely, tearing his uniform at the seams. Then he launched himself forward like a missile.
Avery couldn't blink. It was too much.
Then—the flicker. The red-clad man's body faltered in midair.
In the same breath, the Judicator appeared behind him.
SLASH.
The lightblade split him clean in half.
Flesh and bone sprayed across the sky.
The crowd below was drenched in misted blood.
Avery clutched her stomach and doubled over. Her whole body convulsed with dry heaves.
She'd killed two men tonight.
But this?
This was execution.
Who the hell said: "You'll get used to it if you throw up enough?"
She wanted a word and maybe a bucket.