The morning was calm, almost ordinary. Amari and his brother Daniel walked side by side down the streets of Maximus, a grocery list in hand. Their mother had asked them to pick up a few things—lettuce, cabbage, milk, and other essentials. It felt like a normal day, as though the storm of their powers and heritage had finally calmed.
They paid for the groceries and stepped out of the shop, laughing about nothing in particular. But then they stopped.
Two figures blocked their path. Both were cloaked in black robes, wide hats shadowing their faces. Their presence was suffocating, their eyes sharp as blades.
One of them smirked.
"Ahh… the boy from the sealed village. The child with the enormous power."
Amari froze, his blood running cold. He leaned toward Daniel, whispering, "How does he know that? Only me, you, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, and Vandel know…"
Daniel narrowed his eyes. "Have you been spying on us?"
The man tilted his head. "Maybe. Maybe not. But just know this—I know everything. Where you live. About your family. Your heritage… your powers… even your eyes." His laugh echoed with cruel delight.
"Bastard!" Amari snapped.
"Oho, the little boy's angry," the man taunted. He turned to his partner. "Come on, Roach. Let's finish this."
"Gladly, Vasa," Roach replied.
In an instant, both rushed forward. Amari and Daniel braced themselves, dodging their initial strikes. The air cracked with fists and kicks as hand-to-hand combat erupted.
Their attackers moved with terrifying speed. Vasa's punches blurred, each one carrying enough force to break stone. Roach tackled Daniel, but Daniel's speed exploded outward, his fist slamming into Roach's chest and throwing him back.
Amari clenched his teeth. I have to keep up!
He ducked under a strike and drove his elbow into Vasa's jaw. But Vasa only laughed, barely flinching. With a flick of his wrist, a crimson beam burst from his palm and struck Amari, hurling him backward.
"He has powers too?!" Amari gasped, staggering to his feet.
"Don't forget about me!" Roach shouted, firing his own beam.
Amari steadied himself, green energy swelling in his hands. "Not this time!"
With a roar, he unleashed a blast of green light, colliding with Roach's attack and knocking him to the ground. Meanwhile, Daniel blurred into motion, his body splitting into afterimages as he dashed circles around Roach.
"Too slow!" Daniel yelled, striking from all sides before planting a crushing blow into Roach's chest.
At the same time, Amari and Vasa charged their beams. The blasts collided, exploding in a thunderous shockwave that rattled the street.
Smoke filled the air. Out of it, Vasa came sprinting, his hand snapping out like a claw. He caught Amari by the throat, lifting him effortlessly into the air.
"You're finished, boy," Vasa growled, squeezing tighter.
Amari gasped for air, his vision swimming. But through the haze, instinct flared. He raised his hands, pressing them to Vasa's stomach.
"Not… yet!"
A green-black explosion ripped from his palms, blasting Vasa backward into a stone wall.
"Amari!" Daniel shouted, racing to his side. With blinding speed, he cocked his fist back and drove it into Roach's chest. The impact shattered the ground, leaving Roach unconscious.
"Come on! We have to get home!" Daniel urged.
The brothers sprinted through the streets, hearts pounding, lungs burning. At last, they stumbled into the mansion, their family waiting inside.
Everyone froze when they saw the boys—scraped, bruised, and gasping for air.
"What happened?" Crystal demanded, rushing forward.
"Two men in black robes," Amari wheezed. "They tried to kill us… but we managed to get away."
Before anyone could speak further, a thunderous blast shook the house. Dust and debris filled the air as a gaping hole tore through the wall.
From the smoke, two dark silhouettes emerged. Vasa's cruel laughter filled the room.
"You thought you could run from us?"
Daniel and Amari backed up as their family stepped in front of them, forming a shield.
Jack's voice was sharp as steel. "Over our dead bodies."