Amidst the vastness of space, Van Thien stood before a colossal observation deck of a starship. Beyond the glass, galaxies swirled slowly in the infinite darkness.
"The universe... it truly is endless."
A voice resonated from behind him.
"Captain..."
As he turned his head to look back, the space around him suddenly distorted and flickered. Van Thien snapped his eyes open, gasping breathlessly.
"So... it was just a dream," he whispered.
He pressed a hand to his forehead, his mind racing. That dream just now... the sensation felt so familiar.
The necklace around his neck vibrated faintly, but he quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts. I must be overthinking things.
Through the window, the bright moonlight spilled across the floor. He let out a long sigh and eventually drifted back into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Van Thien woke up and stepped out onto the porch. It was early; a thick layer of mist clung to the rural landscape. Inside, his mother's voice called out.
"Thien! Come in and give me a hand with this!"
He turned back toward the house. "Coming, Mom!"
A short while later, after he had finished sweeping the house, he prepared to head out. His mother stopped him once more.
Thien, run down to Mrs. Bay's shop and buy me a few packs of Pho coffee."
Van Thien took the money and left the house. As he walked along the village road, a group of local children ran up to him, cheering.
"Brother Thien! Come play with us!"
Van Thien smiled and patted their heads. "I have to run an errand for my mom right now. I'll come play with you guys in a bit, okay?"
The children shouted in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the morning peace.
"Robbery! Someone help! He snatched my bag! Catch him!"
Van Thien looked back. A thief dashed past him at full speed. At that exact moment, his necklace vibrated violently. His eyes suddenly ignited with a sharp, piercing glow. Without a second thought, he kicked off his flip-flop, caught it in mid-air, and aimed with lethal precision.
He hurled the flip-flop.
SWOOSH!
The flip-flop spun through the air like a serrated blade.
THWACK!
It slammed directly into the thief's back with the force of a projectile. The man crumpled to the ground, skidding across the dirt. Seizing the moment, the villagers rushed in, pinning the thief down. One man snatched the bag and returned it to the woman.
"Here is your bag, ma'am."
"Thank you so much!" she gasped, clutching her belongings.
The villagers glared at the thief. "Drag him to the commune office. Let the local police handle this."
As the men hauled the thief away, Van Thien stood there, momentarily dazed. The blue light in his eyes faded away. He stared at his hands, feeling a strange sensation. It seems... I'm finally getting used to this power.
He walked over, slipped his flip-flop back on, and continued his walk to the shop as if nothing had happened.
Deep in outer space, aboard the command ship, the Grand Commander stared down at a holographic display of Earth.
"Have you found him yet?"
An officer stepped forward. "Sir, we have located the target."
The hologram shifted to show Van Thien's face.
"The one who killed Doan Thiet... it is him."
The Grand Commander's gaze turned cold. "Interesting... A mere human managed to kill Doan Thiet." He glanced at a black-clad soldier standing nearby. "Establish a connection to the Red-Eyed Black Dragon."
"Understood, sir!"
Back on Earth, beneath the depths of the Quang Yen River, a pitch-black armored submarine lay hidden in the silt. Inside the cockpit, a figure sat encased in black metallic armor, his eyes glowing like embers.
His monitor flickered to life, revealing the Grand Commander. The figure lowered his head in a respectful bow.
"Master."
The Commander's voice echoed through the chamber. "Red-Eyed Black Dragon, I have a mission for you. Go and eliminate the one who dared to kill Doan Thiet."
Van Thien's image appeared on the screen. The Red-Eyed Black Dragon felt a jolt of surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and bowed again.
"By your command."
When the screen went black, he stared at the image of Van Thien and let out a chilling, cold smile.
"I didn't expect... that we would meet again so soon."