A rainy night in the city, late at night.
ARES walks alone through the streets without an umbrella.
He stops for a moment and looks up to his upper left, toward a tall building—his eyes widen in shock.
Raven is standing on the edge of a tall building. Tears fall from her eyes, and she looks terrified and deeply sorrowful. She wants to throw herself off, but something inside her is holding her back.
ARES dashes toward the building at lightning speed, clearly distressed. He doesn't think twice—only one thought races through his mind: "Save this girl."
> "Damn it… why would she want to do something like this?" ARES thought, furious.
On the rooftop, Raven closes her eyes and jumps. For her, it's over. The final line in the story of her life.
But ARES had other plans—he grabs her hand.
Raven lifts her head in shock. She never imagined this would happen. She looks at ARES, who's struggling to pull her up.
> "Hah…!!" - Raven
"Hold on… I'm pulling you up!"
With difficulty, he slowly pulls her back to the rooftop and then wraps her in his arms.
He pulls her hard, and she falls into his embrace. Neither of them pays attention to the intimacy of the moment—too consumed by the danger.
Raven's whole body trembles violently. She begins to cry.
> "I'm sorry… I just… just…"
"Shhh… no need to say anything now.
Just rest."
About fifteen minutes later.
Raven sits on a bench beside a vending machine outside a shop, lost in thought, clearly still shaken. ARES is buying her a drink.
He approaches her and hands her a can of cola. Her gaze lifts to meet his somber expression. She accepts it.
> "Mmm… thank you."
He sits beside her quietly. Silence lingers between them for nearly three minutes. ARES doesn't want to pressure her.
> "So… why did you try to kill yourself?" - ARES
She turns her face away as if she doesn't want to answer. She's afraid to tell anyone about her attempt. ARES glances at her with a neutral expression. He doesn't want to push her.
> "I just want to live a life without fear.
Without burdens.
Is that too much to ask?"
She clenches her fists and slams them on her thighs.
> "Damn it…" she says, voice filled with regret.
> "That desire is something many share.
But the only way to achieve it is to face the things that stand in the way.
We can all do that." - ARES
> "It's easy to say that in theory or in dreams…
but reality? No one has the courage to do that—
especially when the burdens are huge." - Raven
Raven's view differs from ARES's. She believes dreams blocked by painful realities exist only in one's imagination.
To ARES, it's clear Raven is emotionally fragile and unable to face her challenges.
> "I don't know what you've been through,
but this isn't the way to end things.
Suicide and surrender aren't for the weak only…
but every problem has a solution.
And your solution, Raven… is you."
He wanted her to realize her own weakness—gently but firmly.
Raven's expression breaks. She understands what he means.
> "If you were me, you'd have killed yourself long ago.
But I endured it all… hoping something would change.
And nothing did."
She hints at a painful past.
> "So from your words, I understand…
If we swapped lives, neither of us could bear what the other lived through." - ARES
Raven is surprised by his answer.
> "What do you mean?"
> "I mean what I said. I have a past too.
A bitter one… but never mind that now."
ARES doesn't want to dive into his own darkness. He seems unsettled by the memory.
He stands, looking quietly at Raven.
His voice is calm, but his eyes hide concern.
> "Anyway… you should head home now.
Do you want me to walk you?"
Raven shakes her head softly, a small smile on her lips.
> "No… thank you. I'll go alone."
She stands silently, glancing at him before turning away, blushing lightly.
> "Thank you, ARES… I hope I can repay you someday."
"Anytime."
She walks off slowly. He stands still for a moment, watching her go before walking away.
He appears calm, but his eyes hide deep thoughts.
> "Raven Armando… such a strange girl.
Sometimes she seems normal, sometimes she looks like the sadness of the world weighs on her.
She has her demons. But despite her weakness,
she hesitated to die—
and that means there's still a spark of life in her.
I believe she'll overcome this.
And when she does…
she'll finally live the way she wants.
Not the way the world forces her to." – ARES's thoughts.
Later that night
ARES arrives home—a modest, middle-class house.
As he quietly enters and removes his shoes, a loud noise cuts the silence.
A leg hits the ground hard. Someone was waiting for him.
In the living room stands Luna, his cousin of the same age, arms crossed and clearly upset. She's in light sleepwear.
> "Where have you been this late?"
She speaks seriously, with concern.
ARES doesn't respond immediately. He walks past her quietly, eyes closed from exhaustion.
> "I stopped one of your friends from committing suicide."
Luna freezes, shocked.
> "What?!"
Unbelievable. She hurries after him as he climbs the stairs slowly.
> "Wait! Tell me what happened!"
But ARES doesn't stop. He answers quietly:
> "Later… I need to sleep."
Luna stands in place, stunned. Curiosity and worry flash in her eyes.
In his room
ARES enters, exhausted. He moves to the bed and sits heavily. His body slumps with sleep.
> "This is the first time…
I've felt this kind of sleepiness." - he whispers.
He lies down. His head sinks into the pillow.
His eyes slowly close…
Darkness.
Silence.
The world fades away.
Suddenly—
Violent footsteps echo over cracked, debris-filled ground.
ARES runs through a ruined city. Buildings are shattered. Cars overturned. Flames dance.
The sky is blood-orange. Corpses lie everywhere. A devastated city.
He slides and regains his balance, staring wide-eyed at the horror.
> "What… is this?"
Ahead of him, five people battle.
Four against one—
but every strike carries the power of a bomb.
Among them, a figure stands with dark aura and glowing eyes—his body is all shadow.
He is the dominant force.
ARES watches, trembling.
> "What the hell is going on?!"
Without warning, the dark figure moves—
Swoosh!
A clean strike.
A head flies.
The body falls.
The killer stares at the corpse in silence, dead eyes…
Then slowly turns to look at ARES.
His glowing blue eyes pierce the dark.
Just one glance—
and fear floods ARES's body.
> "This guy… is beyond dangerous." – ARES
He turns and runs.
The killer gives chase, cracking the ground with every step.
He raises a hand—
BOOM!
A blast tears up the street.
ARES is thrown backward.
He lands hard but keeps moving, limping into a narrow alley.
But—
In front of him… the killer is already waiting.
In a flash—
Shlick!
A stabbing sound.
Blood hits the ground.
ARES falls to his knees, wounded.
His wide eyes fade as life slips away.
The killer steps forward.
> "ARES Leonardo… I've waited for you.
You are the chosen one."
He pulls the blade from ARES's chest.
> "I've been watching you.
When I saw you save that girl… I knew you were worthy."
ARES, though dying, looks up with fierce defiance.
> "You gave me power… to destroy?
Power means nothing if it brings ruin."
The killer sighs.
> "No peace without sacrifice. That's life."
ARES finally collapses.
> "You'll meet the Chikayo Clan.
They'll teach you to wield your gift.
But abuse it…
and the consequences will be grave."
ARES whispers:
> "It's not how I use it…
It's what I use it for."
He goes still.
The killer vanishes into air.
From the void—
a glowing black version of ARES appears.
Pulses of purple energy radiate from his heart.
ARES wakes up!
He jolts upright, drenched in sweat.
> "Damn… it felt so real."
He rushes to the window.
The city is calm.
He looks up—
and freezes.
A girl stands atop a distant building.
Back turned. Hair swaying in the breeze.
She wears a superhero suit with glowing purple accents.
Her hair tips shimmer violet.
She turns.
Her face… calm, expressionless.