Liam dropped the man to the dirt as though he weighed nothing at all. Dust rose in a lazy cloud around his boots. He didn't look down at the unconscious body. Instead, he stared at the two figures standing beyond the broken fence, their silhouettes cut sharp against the dying amber light of evening.
The wind moved between them, carrying the faint scent of rain . Liam exhaled slowly, the breath heavy with restraint, then turned without another word and walked back into the house.
The wooden floor creaked beneath his steps as he entered. The house was old, half-abandoned, its walls stripped to bare boards and its windows veiled in torn curtains. A single wooden chair sat in the center of the room. Liam pulled it back, the legs scraping harshly across the floor, and sat down as though he were claiming a throne.
Moments later, the three strangers entered.
They lingered by the doorway at first, exchanging glances, before stepping inside. The door groaned shut behind them.
Liam leaned back in the chair and folded his arms. "When are you going to strike?"
The masked man stepped forward. His mask was smooth and pale, expressionless except for the narrow slits that revealed calm, calculating eyes. His voice was even, controlled.
"Tomorrow," he said. "We've located their base. We've gathered some mutants for the assault."
Liam's gaze sharpened. "So what do you need me for?"
A pause.
"Nothing complicated," the masked man replied. "We need you to kill the boss. That is all."
Liam tilted his head slightly. "Do you know how strong he is?"
"According to rumors," the masked man said carefully, "he can cut people without moving. And he possesses other… unusual abilities."
Silence filled the room.
"And you want me to go against him?" Liam asked, a low chuckle slipping from his throat. It wasn't amusement—it was disbelief edged with anticipation. "You're lucky," he added, his voice lowering, "I have some matters to settle with him."
The masked man remained still, though something flickered behind his eyes. Then he inclined his head slightly.
"Since we are to work together," he said, "it's only proper that we introduce ourselves. I am Reynold. The one on your left is Bryan. On your right, Lisa."
Bryan was broad-shouldered, his stance loose but coiled like a spring. There was something restless in the way his fingers flexed. Lisa stood lighter on her feet, her dark eyes observant, calculating. She looked younger than the others, but there was no softness in her expression.
"Bryan possesses morphing abilities," Reynold continued. "Lisa can teleport. As for me… I have mind control."
Liam's expression didn't change. "Convenient."
Reynold gave a faint nod. "Indeed."
A beat passed.
"And by the way," Reynold added casually, glancing at the cracked watch on his wrist, "it is almost time. Lisa, would you mind?"
Lisa stepped forward without hesitation. She placed one hand on Bryan's arm. With the other, she touched Reynold's shoulder. Then she approached Liam.
For a brief moment, Reynold met Liam's eyes.
There was something almost apologetic in that gaze.
Liam noticed.
He did not move away.
Reynold reached out and placed his hand against Liam's shoulder.
Lisa's eyes flared to life, glowing a vivid, unnatural purple.
The world twisted.
The air compressed and snapped outward like a stretched rubber band.
In that same heartbeat, Bryan's fist expanded grotesquely—bones cracking, muscles swelling—until his arm transformed into that of a massive gorilla. The punch came like a cannon shot.
It collided with Liam's jaw.
The impact blasted him across the room. Wood splintered as his body tore through a support beam and skidded across the floor, rolling through debris before slamming against the far wall.
Dust and fragments of timber rained down.
For a second, there was stillness.
Then Liam pushed himself upright.
He rolled his neck once, slowly. A thin line of blood traced from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with his thumb and examined it with detached curiosity.
"I see now," he said calmly. "It was a trick."
Reynold stepped forward, removing his gloves one finger at a time. "I've always loved it when a toy is resilient."
Something shifted in the air.
Liam's eyes widened—not in fear, but in awakening.
Rage unfurled from him like a storm front.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. The dust hanging in the air froze mid-fall.
Bryan roared and charged again, the floorboards splintering beneath his weight. He leapt, aiming a brutal kick toward Liam's head.
Liam ducked smoothly.
But Lisa was already gone.
A ripple in space.
She reappeared behind him, dagger flashing silver as it drove toward the back of his skull.
Liam's hand lifted slightly.
The dagger stopped inches from his skin.
Invisible force gripped Lisa's wrist mid-strike.
Her eyes widened as she strained against the telekinetic hold.
In that fraction of distraction, Bryan's enlarged fist hurtled toward Liam's ribs.
A translucent shimmer erupted around Liam—an invisible barrier snapping into place.
Bryan's punch collided with it and sent a shockwave through the house, shattering windows and tearing wallpaper from the walls.
Liam didn't blink.
With a subtle tightening of his fingers, the invisible force around Bryan shifted. It slithered upward like a serpent and coiled around Bryan's neck.
Bryan's eyes bulged.
He clawed at the unseen grip, muscles straining, morphing wildly—scales flickering across his skin, claws sprouting and retracting—but it was useless.
There was a sharp, sickening crack.
Bryan's body went limp.
Liam released him.
The corpse hit the floor with a heavy thud.
Lisa staggered back, breathing hard. She teleported across the room instantly, putting distance between them. Her expression had lost its earlier confidence.
Liam closed his eyes briefly.
His perception expanded outward, rippling through space like sonar. He felt the distortion before it happened.
Behind him.
He pivoted just as Lisa materialized, dagger poised.
This time she was faster.
But not fast enough.
His fist, coated in shimmering blue mana, drove forward and struck her square in the chest.
The impact sounded like thunder contained within flesh.
Lisa's body lifted off the ground, ribs cracking under the force. She flew backward, smashing through the far wall and disappearing into the night beyond.
Silence descended.
Only the wind answered.
Liam stood in the wreckage, chest rising slowly, eyes glowing faintly with residual energy.
A slow clap echoed through the broken house.
Reynold.
He stepped forward over Bryan's body as though it were nothing more than debris.
"Well done," Reynold said, voice smooth, almost delighted. "You exceeded expectations."
"now it is my turn"