In a sky both deep blue and dark, the stars shone like a thousand fires, with the full moon at its center silently hovering over the city where mankind's madness had decided to run rampant.

  In the city, once full of life, blood and flames had taken up residence, inviting terror, madness, and, of course, death.

  Just minutes ago, a series of explosions had rocked the night, igniting flames of destruction, scattering clouds, and simultaneously revealing the beauty of the night sky.

  The police and special forces, all busy at the precinct, rushed out as fast as they could, trying to make sense of the chaos. Unfortunately, the situation only became harder to understand.

  Without hesitation, Tom charged to rescue the victims, with his colleagues rushing to follow him. Despite her age, Céline didn't hesitate either; she took off, heading straight for the scene of the incidents, hoping to lend help in any way she could.

  At the center of it all, in the depths of the precinct prison, stood Shin, bloodied. His left arm was entirely blue, his body covered in cuts where blood had clotted, and his face was drenched in blood.

  Somehow, he had managed to open the door to his cell. Manu was in the neighboring cell, in better shape than his friend; though his right leg was in a terrible state—apparently, his tibia had been broken. He leaned against the wall, laughing like a madman.

  Shin entered Haru's cell and stood before the young woman, who, compared to our two heroes, was defenseless, trembling to every fiber of her being in front of the man standing before her.

  "Please… don't kill me…"

  She wept, pleading for mercy, only to realize that Shin's face was cold and emotionless. Her fate had already been decided, and her executioner was about to carry it out.

  To better understand how we reached this point, let's go back 36 hours, to when everything was still perfect…

  "Yawn."

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  I sat in a laboratory, repairing one of the precinct's robots, while Haru sat at her desk across the room, sketching what appeared to be plans for her Transformer (her combat suit).

  Honestly, for a first day, it wasn't great. We hadn't talked much, and I had spent the past two hours repairing a training robot Tom had prized that morning.

  As I finished the repairs, my eyes drifted toward Haru. She was so focused that it commanded respect.

  A thought tickled my mind: how old was she? She was probably not much older than me, just a few years, yet she had managed to become a Rank 1 Ranger. What life had she lived?

  For a moment, only the gentle, insufferable clanging of metal and the sound of her pencil on paper filled the room.

  "Hey, how long have you been in the special forces?"

  Shin's voice echoed in the room, met with Haru's initial indifference. After a moment, she replied:

  "About three years. I joined when I was 25."

  Indeed, she was not someone to take lightly. For some reason, Shin sensed in her something worth befriending.

  "Pretty impressive."

  "Pretty? That's insulting, kid."

  "You'll see. When I graduate from Mythopoiós, you'll see!"

  For a moment, her pencil trembled slightly at that revelation; after all, only the elite of the elite could be admitted.

  "You're not crazy, are you?"

  She finally said, looking at him carefully.

  "You might be highly ranked here, but nationally, you're nothing. And you have no connections or support as an Awakened."

  "Hahaha! You're funny."

  My laughter echoed in the room for a moment before she continued:

  "So sure of yourself, huh? If it were someone with a talent as divine as Jack's, I might have reconsidered… but you? Someone who doesn't even come close to him? Hmph."

  The truth always stings. She wasn't wrong, and I wouldn't deceive myself about it. Jack… is far stronger and more talented than me, and outside, there are countless people even stronger than me…

  "You think that's going to stop me?"

  Haru paused, as if searching for her words.

  "You're really stubborn…"

  "You never leave as a loser. If I want, I can—and this is just the first step toward my dream."

  "Your dream?"

  A smile and eyes full of light spread across the young man's face.

  "Watch me. I'm going to change this world. After all, if I don't, who will?"

  At that moment, Shin's innocence and dreamy demeanor touched the young woman's heart, long closed.

  "Pfff! You're really like my son!"

  Son? Wait… she has a son!?

  "He's not really my son. He's my sister's child, but I raise him."

  "Ah!"

  I sighed in relief as she laughed even harder.

  "You know, you're really strange, Shin."

  "I prefer unique—it's less offensive."

  She burst into laughter again, and I couldn't take my eyes off her, thinking:

  Happy people really are beautiful.

  That morning, a unique bond was formed between the future executioner and his would-be victim.