Yamantau Secret Underground Base, Russia

  Amidst the freezing stone of the mountains, General Nikolai Volkov stood tall in the center of the command room. Standing at 190 cm with muscles packed tightly under his meticulously tailored Russian uniform, he looked like a living fortress. Faint scars on his face and body told stories of battlefields where ordinary men never dared to tread.

  He was staring at the radar, tracking the movements of the eight "flying humans." But then, the silence was shattered by an unprecedented event: every internal phone in the room began to ring simultaneously!

  Rrrring! Rrrring!

  The officers froze. An oppressive silence fell over the room.

  “W-Which one should I pick up, sir?” one officer asked, his voice trembling.

  General Nikolai didn’t answer immediately. He walked slowly, his normally fierce face clouded with a worry he couldn't hide. He stopped in front of a private phone on his desk. The flashing light seemed to be urging him to face his fate.

  “I’m screwed... no matter what I do, I’m wrong,” Nikolai muttered to himself. He closed his eyes to gather his courage before reaching out a slightly shaking hand to pick up the receiver.

  Before Nikolai could even utter a standard military greeting, a powerful, commanding voice barked through the line.

  “You’re too slow! I told you to study the arts I taught you, but you refused. Otherwise, you’d be communicating with me telepathically by now instead of wasting time with these phones!”

  The mighty General withered. “My apologies, Master... I...”

  “Send your daughter out immediately! Alone!” the voice commanded.

  “Yuri? You mean Yuri, Master Oon?” the General asked, his voice cracking. He tried to hide his fear from his subordinates.

  “Sigh... I won’t scold you today because it’s a good day,” Master Oon sighed. “Go send Yuri to bring the ‘Liberator’ to meet me.”

  “But... what if he won’t come? Isn't it too risky for my daughter, Master?” Nikolai blurted out, his fatherly love overriding his military discipline.

  “I see... Mamus, I suppose this is why my son turned out so weak and unconventional,” Master Oon muttered to himself, but it was enough to make Nikolai turn pale.

  Orsk, Russia

  As the sky shifted from dim black to a soft dawn light, the four travelers flew through the biting cold into a region where the air began to warm. The land below was vast and endless.

  “This suit makes controlling my flight so much easier!” Chris exclaimed. He looked at Victor flying beside him. “Uh... Mr. Victor, if you want the suit back, just tell me. You look weaker and in more need of protection than I am. I feel bad.”

  “Because you are the most important one, you idiot!” Kurin interrupted. “Just meeting him for the first time, you brought back his conscience. That alone tells me why you’re the one who needs to wear that suit.”

  Victor gave a sad smile and nodded. “It’s true. I never wanted to be a killing machine. I wanted to develop technology for humanity, for peace. But the powerful turned me into a weapon. If I didn't comply... death was the only option. I truly regret the time I wasted.”

  “Alright... let’s rest down there,” Nenets interrupted. “The air is warmer now. We still have a long way to go. Since we can’t go full throttle yet, we need these moments to recover.”

  Nenets lowered his altitude. The four of them drifted over the swaying ears of a golden wheat field. The atmosphere was so peaceful that the war behind them felt like a dream.

  Just as Nenets was about to land in the middle of the field, Chris shouted, “Stop! Don’t land there! Let’s go to that dirt road over there instead!”

  “Why? Why make it difficult?” Nenets asked, hovering in mid-air.

  “It takes so much effort for a farmer to grow each stalk, to harvest each grain,” Chris replied earnestly.

  “But they have machines and technology to help these days. How hard can it be?” Nenets countered, not understanding modern human life.

  “Each stalk... has 'Mae Phosop' (The Rice Goddess) watching over it, Master,” Chris answered innocently.

  “Hahaha!” Nenets burst into laughter. “That’s a fairy tale for children! A goddess guarding rice? You’re just making things up.”

  While Kurin and Victor stood silently, Chris shot back with a sentence that turned the air still: “If you can be a God... why can’t there be a goddess for the rice?”

  The words hit Nenets like a bolt of lightning. He stopped, his playfulness vanishing. The tiny deity fell silent for a long moment, lost in deep thought.

  Finally, they followed Chris to land on a narrow dirt road marked by tractor ruts and scattered scarecrows.

  “Fine... have it your way, you idiot,” Nenets said at last with a faint smile, though his eyes held a strange sadness. He looked away to hide his emotion. “That sentence... I’ll give you that one. I liked it.”

  “Absorb the energy here... Sunlight. I haven't felt this warmth in ages,” Nenets said, closing his eyes to the sun.

  “You look much more vibrant, Master Nenets,” Kurin noted.

  Victor stood there, confused. ‘Why does this little kid talk like an old man who has lived a thousand years?’ But he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut, fearing another air-crushing punishment.

  “Sit in a circle,” Nenets commanded. “Meditate together. You will share the energy flowing in the atmosphere at the same level.”

  As they sat, Victor looked hesitant. “Uh... shouldn't we go to a nearby village for food first?”

  The three of them looked at him simultaneously. Chris smiled. “You’ll find out soon, Brother Victor. Just follow us... By the way, do you know how to meditate?”

  “Of course! My teacher was very strict. How else could I maintain the focus to fly?” Victor replied confidently.

  “Your teacher probably only taught you how to flap your wings,” Kurin snapped. “There’s much more for you to learn... start by being quiet.”

  “Enough. Begin!” Nenets ended the conversation.

  Silence fell over the dirt road. A morning breeze carried the scent of wheat. In the stillness, a small bird flew down and perched on Chris’s head, chirping as if harmonizing with the souls of the travelers.

  Flashback: USA

  Outside a high school, a skinny American nerd in a neat uniform walked out with a lonely expression. He watched his peers playing soccer on the field, laughing—a childhood he craved but couldn't reach.

  A faded, old car waited by the curb. A middle-aged woman with scholarly eyes but a face marked by poverty stepped out and waved.

  “Victor! Mom is here!”

  Victor hugged his mother tightly, seeking refuge from his school life.

  “I know what you’re thinking...” his mother said, stroking his hair. “Do you want to run around like an ordinary kid, or do you want to grow up to change the world like you dreamed, Victor?”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The boy looked up at his mother.

  “To continue the ideals of your father and me, you must act now. You can’t go back to playing, Victor. You’re twelve now. Remember, if we don't sacrifice something, we will never get something great in return.”

  Her words were heavy and pressuring. Victor paused before whispering, “I love you, Mom.”

  He got into the car, leaving the playground and the laughter behind.

  The silence on the dirt road pulled Victor into his past. The image of his mother and the old car tried to drag him into sadness.

  “Don’t force it... let your heart follow the past, then slowly circle back to your breath. Be aware of the inhale and exhale... soon you will find the void.”

  The clear, resonant voice rang inside Victor’s mind, making him jump.

  “Master Nenets!” Victor blurted out, opening his eyes to see the deity sitting perfectly still.

  “Close your eyes... and continue,” Nenets’s voice echoed in his head without his lips moving. “I am communicating through the mind. I have seen the fragments of your life, Victor. You... you were almost a ‘Liberator’ yourself.”

  Victor closed his eyes and asked telepathically, “How? A guy like me?”

  “You’ll know when the day comes. For now, drop your doubts and sink into the silence.”

  The bird continued to chirp on Chris’s head as fate moved forward.

  “Chris... do you see anything strange?” Nenets’s telepathic voice entered Chris’s mind.

  Chris was drowning in the trauma of New York—the man exploding before him.

  “I didn't see anything then... I lost control. It’s good my teacher told me to return to the monastery before things got worse,” Chris replied, his mental voice trembling.

  “Your teacher must be quite something to have taught you this much,” Nenets probed.

  “Actually... when my family moved to India, I just wanted to learn magic tricks,” Chris shared a secret that was both funny and bitter. “But I ended up with these superhero powers instead. I didn't want them. But my teacher told me... it’s all just ‘Advanced Magic Tricks,’ Master.”

  Nenets was silent before replying with affection, “You are smart... you are pure... but you are also truly an idiot, just as Kurin says. But it’s good you are this way. Your soul is too pure... like a newborn. No human can achieve that naturally... even some gods can't.”

  The tragedy in New York within Chris’s mind was suddenly "paused." The image expanded into 3D. Chris could see the details from every angle.

  “How are you doing this?” Chris asked.

  “Your teacher didn't teach you this?” Nenets asked back. “It’s easy for someone of your level. Perhaps he forgot, or intentionally didn't teach you. I really want to see your teacher’s face.”

  “You will if we get there,” Chris said confidently. “He’s very kind. He’d be happy to know there are others with powers like yours left on Earth.”

  Nenets sent back a surprisingly humble thought. “It’s not just me, or the assassins you met, Chris. The world is full of people like us. Even I don't know them all. I just ‘opened my eyes’ to this new world after a thousand years. If it wasn't for social media and the Sihirtya people waking me up, I’d still be asleep, knowing nothing.”

  “Master Nenets... open your mind to me! Sigh... the line is busy,” Kurin grumbled internally after trying to reach Nenets.

  “Oh... hello, Kurin! I cleared my other lines just for you,” Nenets joked.

  “What do you think of Victor?” Kurin got straight to the point.

  “He’s fine. No longer a threat,” Nenets answered. “I’ve scanned his body and mind. He’s just a lost scientist.”

  The bird on Chris’s head chirped a final goodbye and flew away. Hours passed in the peaceful meditation circle on that dirt road.

  Yamantau Secret Base, Russia

  A 21-year-old Russian woman entered General Volkov’s office. She was 170 cm tall, slender but athletic. Her jet-black hair contrasted with her clear blue eyes and a sharp, beautiful face with a hint of Korean-Asian features. Her beauty took the breath away of every male officer in the room.

  “Yuri Volkov reporting for duty, General!” she barked with military discipline.

  “Hmph! Calm down, boys... watch your eyes!” Nikolai growled at his men.

  “What is the mission, General?” Yuri asked.

  “Yuri... my daughter, it’s okay. Just relax. You can rest first.”

  The 190 cm scarred general turned into a soft, doting father the moment he looked at her.

  “Dad, stop! We are at work, not at home!” Yuri scolded him.

  The officers nearby snickered. “Look at that... the tiger met a bigger tiger. He’s like a kitten now.”

  “There’s only trusted people here, honey...” Nikolai pleaded with puppy-dog eyes.

  The doors opened again as a mysterious object floated in. It was a high-end, premium anti-gravity platform carrying a small, withered, extremely old man with a staff.

  “Master Oon!” everyone gasped and saluted.

  Master Oon didn't move his dry lips. He placed a hand on a telepathic device, and a deep, authoritative synthetic voice spoke.

  “Yuri... come take this.”

  He held out a faded, ancient bundle of cloth that looked completely out of place in the high-tech room. Yuri took it with respect.

  “Master Oon, coming here yourself... can your body handle it?” Nikolai asked with concern, seeing his teacher’s frail state.

  “Time is running out...” the voice spoke. “Yuri... ask no questions. Take this bundle and go to them. Give this to that group... someone there will know what to do.”

  “But Master! How will she travel?” Nikolai protested. “The targets aren't normal. A jet will be detected, and they’ll run. A car takes hours... why not send our ‘Superhumans’? Your students who can fly faster than them!”

  “That is exactly why I’m sending your daughter!” Master Oon said with pride. “Show your father, Yuri... that you are much more ‘capable’ than him!”

  At Master Oon’s command, Yuri kicked off the floor gracefully. Her body floated up, her hand touching the ceiling effortlessly as if she were weightless.

  “Daughter... when did you start studying with the Master?!” Nikolai shouted in shock.

  “Take this!” Oon commanded. “When they open this bundle, tell them to follow you immediately. No questions. Just trust and follow!”

  Yuri descended and took the bundle. She quickly uploaded coordinates to her high-tech helmet and soared out of the office with speed far beyond a normal human.

  “Open the exit cameras! Track her!” the General ordered.

  The monitors showed Yuri blurring past cameras. As she hit the open sky...

  BOOM!!!

  A sonic boom rocked the long-range drone cameras, making the footage shake and cut out. Yuri was heading toward the wheat fields of Orsk at the speed of sound!

  “My daughter...” Nikolai whispered, watching the red dot on the satellite. He turned to the floating throne. “Why not send the others? We have so many battle-hardened superhumans!”

  “Because the target is... the legendary Liberator. Chris...” Master Oon spoke the name with profound respect.

  “And the others? The two kids and the American?” the General asked suspiciously. “Are they spies? Are you really letting them into our most secret base?”

  “Hahaha!” the synthetic laugh echoed. “I am never wrong, Nikolai. Since I’ve been here, has your army ever lost a war? Except when you went looking for trouble by invading others! I told you I wouldn't help if you started it!”

  Nikolai went silent. Master Oon let out a real, dry cough that worried everyone.

  “Master! Are you okay?”

  “Don’t worry about me...” Oon spoke through the device. “If you call me ‘God’... I have more tricks than you can imagine!”

  Wheat Fields, Orsk

  The morning sun turned the fields into a sea of gold. The four felt strangely warm and energized. ‘Impossible... I feel full as if I just ate a big meal!’ Victor thought.

  “I think everyone is ready... Open your eyes and stretch,” Nenets said calmly.

  Fwoosh!

  The moment they opened their eyes, they jumped back in shock. Standing right in the center of their circle was a beautiful woman in a sleek black tactical suit. No one knew when she had arrived!

  “Hello... don’t be alarmed,” Yuri said calmly.

  Everyone looked at each other. Victor stared at her, his nerd heart skipping several beats—she was cool, beautiful, and mysterious. He fell in love instantly. Chris was in "daze" mode. Kurin took a defensive stance.

  “I have something for you... who will take it?” Yuri scanned them. “My name is Yuri. Who will receive this?”

  She pulled out an old, dark green cloth bundle. The wind caught the fabric, revealing something inside that reflected the sunlight into Nenets’s eyes.

  Nenets stood frozen, staring at the bundle as if seeing a ghost from the past.

  “You, I suppose, are the one to take it,” Yuri said, looking at Nenets with interest. “You look a lot like ‘Master Oon’... just much younger.”

  Nenets stood with his mouth open, his mind far away. He quickly snapped back to reality and frantically took the bundle from Yuri.

  The wind blew harder, exposing the contents for a split second. The reflection blinded Victor and Kurin. Nenets quickly covered it up, his trembling fingers tucking the mystery bundle into his bag protectively.

  “Let’s go... young Yuri! Lead us immediately!” Nenets blurted out with an unprecedented urgency.

  Yuri, Chris, Kurin, and Victor all stood stunned. The stubborn deity had just agreed to follow a stranger without a fight?

  “I mean it! Please... trust me!” Nenets insisted with terrifyingly serious eyes. “Ask nothing now. I stake my honor and every soul we guard on your safety!”

  “Okay... let’s go,” Yuri replied, confused. “Actually, I hadn't even invited you yet as Master Oon ordered. You’re more impatient than I thought.”

  “Lead the way, girl! Now!” Nenets hovered up. “You’ll all find out what’s happening soon... and more importantly, you’ll find out what we must do next!”

  At Nenets’s command, the five soared into the sky.

  “Chris! You have a high-level suit. Use maximum speed to keep up!” Nenets shouted. “Kurin, Victor... here! Take my hands. I’ll shield you from the air friction!”

  “I’ll help with the big guy, Master Nenets! Save your strength!” Yuri shouted, grabbing Victor’s hand and pulling him into a close embrace to stabilize him for high-speed flight.

  The larger Victor turned bright red to his ears. His heart beat faster than a jet engine. The American nerd, head over heels for the Russian girl, could only give a shy, speechless smile.

  “You’re sure you can handle it?” Nenets checked.

  “Positive... let’s go!”

  BOOM!!!

  Yuri exploded forward, creating a massive sonic boom. Chris’s eyes widened as he struggled to keep up. “So fast! This is faster than I’ve ever flown!”

  “Excellent!” Nenets grinned and gave chase. Seeing Kurin struggling with the g-force, he pulled Kurin close, strengthened the shield, and broke the sound barrier, following Yuri like a bolt of silver lightning!

  Area 51, USA

  The command center was tense again as sensors detected high-frequency waves in Russia.

  “Sir! Sonic Booms detected over Orsk... confirmed three consecutive impacts!”

  General Miller stared at the flashing red dots. His eyes were filled with rage and envy. “Yamantau... their secret base has opened its doors for guests.”

  He grit his teeth. “Damn it! Why are we always one step behind?! Technology, manpower... how did they get to the Liberator first?!”

  “Order!” Miller roared. “Tell satellite surveillance to go to maximum resolution. Watch their every move!”

  -------------------------------------------------------------- Ruth VT-Hin ------------------------