The hotel was large and high-end. A Hilton. The room they were staying in was nice; generic watercolours graced the tan walls, the long drapes were made of expensive fabric and the bedspreads were soft and luxurious. The perks of being an obscenely wealthy vampire, Kal thought to himself.
He sat in one of the armchairs in front of the television, Alice's small form draped on top of him, her weight light and constant as she nestled in his embrace. Carolyn and Jasper were sitting together on a couch nearby, heads inclined toward one another as they spoke in low tones, their conversation soft.
Bella had already gone to sleep at this point. She had managed to push through her weariness throughout the day and night, barely moving her head from Alice's shoulder in the back of the Mercedes, where she, Alice, and Carolyn had been sitting.
She hadn't stopped crying once since they had left, tears silently streaming down her face. Occasionally her frame would shiver. A large wet patch of tears had formed on Alice's shirt, who for her part, sat as still as a statue, offering silent support.
Bella had still been conscious when the sun had started to set over the horizon behind them — faintly mumbling they had made a three day journey in just one — and had just lasted long enough to answer Jasper's question about the location of the airport.
"Stay on the I-10," she'd answered, her voice distant and robotic, "We'll pass right by it."
After that, she had finally slipped fitfully into the arms of Morpheus somewhere along the loop around Sky Harbour International, stirring briefly when Alice had half-carried her as darkness set in into the hotel and to their room. She had been put to rest in the bedroom, and hadn't woken since.
Jasper had asked at one point if Kal needed rest as well, but Kal had told him he didn't feel it yet — that he was fine to keep going. Jasper hadn't pressed the issue.
Kal looked down at Alice. She lay in his arms, her head resting lightly against his chest. They had been sitting peacefully a while now. Her face was still, eyes wide open, but beneath that stillness, he could see the consternation building.
"What's wrong?" he whispered.
She met his gaze.
"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong."
He chuckled, "Don't do that to me. I can tell something's bothering you."
Alice hesitated.
"It's just… they haven't called yet," she began, "Carlisle and the others, I mean."
"Should they have?" he asked.
"I… I don't know. It could mean that everything's going to plan, or…"
A moment passed in silence.
A soft rustle broke the silence.
Suddenly, all four heads snapped to Bella's room, all conversation halting, as they heard movement within.
"She's awake." Alice exchanged looks with her siblings.
She rose, unfurling herself from Kal's embrace, and danced towards the door. She knocked lightly.
"Can I come in?" Alice asked.
Bella took a deep breath. "Sure."
She stepped inside, looking the recently-awoken girl over cautiously.
"You look like you could sleep longer," she said.
Bella shook her head.
Alice drifted silently to the curtains and closed them securely before turning back to Bella.
"We'll need to stay inside," she told her.
"Okay." Her voice was hoarse; it cracked.
"Thirsty?"
Bella shrugged. "I'm okay. How about you?"
"Nothing unmanageable." She smiled. "I ordered some food for you, it's in the front room. Edward reminded me you have to eat a lot more frequently than we do."
Bella was instantly more alert. "He called?"
"No," Alice said, wincing as Bella's face fell, "It was before we left."
Taking her hand carefully, Alice led her through the door into the living room of the hotel suite.
Kal noticed Jasper and Carolyn had resumed conversation, pretending to have noticed nothing. He averted his gaze, staring fixedly at the television — some late-night rerun playing quietly, audience laughter rising and falling in the background.
His eyes stayed glued to the TV screen, but his attention was completely on Bella. He was sure Jasper and Carolyn were doing the same. They had shifted, changing positions to match Kal; sitting motionlessly on the couch, their eyes watching the television with no glimmer of interest. He saw Carolyn's gaze flicker for half a second toward Bella.
For her part, Bella approached the coffee table where the food was waiting, lowering herself to the ground in front of it. Sitting cross-legged, she picked absentmindedly at the food on the table.
Alice perched on the arm of Kal's chair and stared blankly at the TV like the rest of them.
Bella ate slowly, watching Alice and Kal, turning now and then to glance quickly at Jasper and Carolyn.
'They're too still.' she thought.
They never looked away from the screen, though commercials were playing now. She pushed the tray away, stomach abruptly uneasy. Alice looked down at her.
"What's wrong, Alice?" she asked.
"Nothing's wrong." Alice's eyes were wide, honest.
"What do we do now?"
"We wait for Carlisle to call."
"And he hasn't called yet?"
Alice's eyes flitted from Bella's to the phone on top of her leather bag and back.
"What does that mean?" Bella demanded, voice wavering, "That he hasn't called yet?"
"It just means that they don't have anything to tell us." Alice assured her.
Jasper suddenly stood, appearing beside Bella in a blur.
"Bella," he said in a suspiciously soothing voice. "You have nothing to worry about. You are completely safe here."
"I know that."
"Then why are you frightened?" he asked, confused. His ability betrayed her fear, but not the reason for it.
"You heard what Laurent said." Bella's voice was just a whisper. "He said James was lethal. What if something goes wrong, and they get separated? If something happens to any of them, Carlisle, Emmett… Edward…"
She gulped.
"If that wild female hurts Esme…" Her voice had grown higher, a note of hysteria beginning to rise in it. "How could I live with myself when it's my fault?
"None of you should be risking yourselves for m—"
"Bella, Bella, stop," at this point Carolyn stood up, interrupting her, "You're worrying about all the wrong things, Bella. Trust me on this — none of us are in jeopardy. You are under too much strain as it is; don't add to it with wholly unnecessary worries."
Bella looked away from her.
"Listen to me!" she shouted with unusual authority, causing Bella's head to snap back in her direction, "Our family is strong. Our only fear is losing you. Or Kal."
Bella tried to argue. "But why should you —"
Alice interrupted this time, touching her cheek with cold fingers.
"It's been almost a century that Edward's been alone. Now he's found you. You can't see the changes that we see, we who have been with him for so long. Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?"
Kal saw the gears in Bella's head turning, the logic working, calming her down. He couldn't be sure however, how much of that was the soundness of their arguments, and how much of it was Jasper's influence on her emotions.
"Bella." Carolyn called, stretching out a hand to her, "Come… sit with me."
Bella hesitated a moment, then a second later let Carolyn lead her to the sofa.
They sat together, the cushions dipping softly beneath their weight. Carolyn turned slightly, guiding Bella down beside her with a gentle but deliberate motion, one hand still wrapped around hers.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then Carolyn closed her eyes.
Kal's brow furrowed slightly.
Bella noticed it too.
"What—?" she began, her voice small, confused.
Carolyn didn't answer.
Her grip tightened. Just slightly.
Bella stilled.
A strange look crossed her face — not fear, but a mix of shock and relief.
She leaned in closer without meaning to.
"Carolyn…?" she whispered.
Carolyn's expression remained calm, serene, almost distant.
Slowly, Bella's tension began to bleed out of her.
Kal watched it happen.
The tightness in her shoulders loosened. Her breathing, which had been shallow and uneven, deepened. The tremor in her hands faded as Carolyn held them.
Bella let herself fall the rest of the way, her head coming to rest against Carolyn's shoulder, then settling more fully into her embrace.
Carolyn shifted just enough to support her, one arm wrapping around Bella with quiet certainty.
Bella's eyes fluttered, half-lidded now, her earlier panic dulled into something softer.
Relief.
Carolyn's breath hitched.
Barely noticeable.
A flicker of strain passed across her otherwise serene expression — gone so quickly it might have been imagined.
But Kal saw it.
A single shimmering tear slipped free from her eye.
Kal watched as it traced slowly down her cheek, catching briefly on her jaw before falling.
Bella didn't notice.
She only shifted closer, calmer now, as if the storm inside her had been quelled.
Carolyn's eyes opened.
Just for a second.
And in that brief moment, there was something behind them. Something heavier.
Then it was gone. As if it had never been there at all.
…
It was a very long day.
They stayed inside. Alice called down to the front desk and asked that maid service be suspended for their room. The windows stayed shut, the television left on — though no one really watched it. At regular intervals, food was delivered for Kal and Bella. Yet the silver phone resting atop Alice's bag seemed to grow larger in Bella's mind with every passing hour.
As soon as she left Carolyn's embrace, it was as if the storm inside her returned. She paced. Fidgeted. Stopped and started without purpose. Sometimes she lingered in front of the abstract prints on the walls, picking out shapes at random — a blue hand, a woman combing her hair, a stretching cat. But when the pale red circle became a staring eye, she looked away.
Kal didn't say anything to her. He couldn't; Bella was taking her removal from her ordinary life incredibly hard.
As the evening wore on, and night approached, she went back to bed, perhaps hoping that in the dark she could give in to the fears that hovered on the edge of her consciousness, held at bay under Jasper's careful supervision.
But Alice followed casually, as if, by coincidence, she had grown tired of the front room at the exact same moment.
Kal, meanwhile, had spent most of the time with Alice or watching the television - the only source of entertainment in the confines of their room.And with Alice preoccupied, that left him with the latter. And that was when the news segment caught his attention.
"The so-called 'Seattle Samaritan' — the vigilante, or group of vigilantes, who made national headlines over the past month — appears to have ceased operations.
"Beginning roughly seven weeks ago, Seattle PD received numerous reports of a masked figure intervening in crimes across the city.
"Public reaction was mixed," the anchor continued. "Some supported the Samaritan's actions. One woman we spoke to said, 'He's the best thing to come out of Seattle since Starbucks.'"
The anchor gave a light, practiced chuckle.
"Others, however — including Seattle PD — have condemned the activity as illegal, warning the individual to stop and stating that such actions 'undermine the integrity of the law.'"
A brief pause.
"Now, it seems they may have gotten their wish. There have been no credible sightings in over a week — the last confirmed report coming nine days ago. Since then, nothing."
The anchor leaned forward slightly.
"So the question remains: where is the Seattle Samaritan now?"
The segment ended.
Kal raised an eyebrow. 'Seattle Samaritan'. He really disliked that name. Superman. The Man of Steel. The Last Son of Krypton. The Man of Tomorrow. The Champion of the Oppressed. Now those were all names he could get behind. But no, he ended up with the Seattle Samaritan. He really hoped that would change.
Kal exhaled a short breath of air. More importantly, he hadn't realised how long it had been since he'd last saved someone. He opened the system screen with a thought.
[Character Sheet]Name: Kal Kent
Alias(es): Kal Kent, Seattle Samaritan
Age: 17
Archetype:Young Superman
Level: 9
XP: 722/900
Status: Healthy
(A/N: For the full system page check auxiliary chapter.)
His progress to level ten had slowed to almost a snail's pace. Without the experience gains from his heroic escapades, his xp bar only advanced with the minuscule amount of experience points he passively gained from absorbing solar radiation.
'I'm so close.'
Level ten was within reach. And with it a new archetype, which could have the potential to massively increase his strength.
His gaze shifted to the Trial quests.
[TRIAL QUESTS]
[If you lose self-control, everything will fall. If you conquer yourself, then you conquer the world.
[Trials of Strength: 5/5] (Complete)
[Trials of Endurance: 2/2] (Complete)
[Trials of Senses: 4/4] (Complete)
[Trials of X-Ray Vision: 0/3] (Available)
[Trials of Heat Vision: 0/10] (Available)
[Trials of Flight: 8/8] (Complete)
[Trials of Speed: 6/6] (Complete)
Each trial completed awards 100XP.
He looked around, surveying the room he was in. There wasn't much else to do anyway, and if they were going to be holed up here for several days, then he might as well improve his abilities in the meantime.
"Hey— guys!" The call cut sharply through the silence. "Alice is having a vision!"
Kal, Jasper, and Carolyn exchanged a quick glance, and an instant later were out of their seats and moving to the bedroom. Jasper and Carolyn vanished in a blur, already there. Kal followed a heartbeat later.
Alice sat at the small table in the corner of the room, golden eyes focused far into the distance. Bella sat upright in bed, eyes wide, fixed on Alice's small form.
Carolyn moved to Alice's side, taking her hand without hesitation.
"What do you see, Alice?"
Alice drew in a breath, processing.
"The tracker… he just changed course."
"Where will it take him, Alice?" Jasper pressed.
"Mirrors. A room full of mirrors."
Carolyn blurred out of the room, and reappeared less than a second later with pen and paper.
She set the paper down and pressed the pen into Alice's hand.
Alice automatically grasped it and brought it down to the paper, beginning to draw rapidly. A room began to rapidly take shape.
"I see a room. It's long, and there are mirrors everywhere. The floor is wooden. He's in the room, and he's waiting. There's gold… a stripe across the mirrors.
"Something is missing — another decision hasn't been made yet."
"How much time?"
"It's soon. He'll be in the mirror room today, or maybe tomorrow. It all depends. He's waiting for something. And he's in the dark now."
Jasper's voice was calm, methodical, as he questioned her in a practiced way.
"What is he doing?"
"He's watching TV… no, he's running a VCR, in the dark, in another place."
"Can you see where he is?"
"No, it's too dark."
"And the mirror room, what else is there?"
"Just the mirrors, and the gold. It's a band around the room. And there's a black table with a big stereo, and a TV. He's touching the VCR there, but he doesn't watch the way he does in the dark room. This is the room where he waits."
Her eyes drifted, then refocused, falling on Jasper's face.
"There's nothing else?"
She shook her head. They looked at each other, motionless.
"What does it mean?" Bella asked.
Neither of them answered for a moment, then Jasper looked at her.
"It means the tracker's plans have changed. He's made a decision that will lead him to the mirror room, and the dark room."
"But we don't know where those rooms are?"
"No."
"But we do know that he won't be in the mountains north of Washington, being hunted. He'll elude them."
Alice's voice was bleak.
"So the course the tracker's on now, is going to lead him to…" Bella glanced at the drawing, "…a ballet studio?"
The Cullens went still.
"You've been here?" Alice asked after a moment.
"Do you know this room?" Jasper's voice sounded calm, but there was an undercurrent of something hard to identify.
Alice bent her head to her work, her hand flying across the page now, the shape of an emergency exit taking shape against the back wall, the stereo and TV on a low table by the front right corner.
"It looks like a place I used to go for dance lessons — when I was eight or nine. Same shape." She touched the page where the square section jutted out, narrowing the back part of the room.
"That's where the bathrooms were — the doors were through the other dance floor. But the stereo was here," she pointed to the left corner, "it was older, and there wasn't a TV. There was a window in the waiting room — you would see the room from this perspective if you looked through it."
Alice, Jasper and Carolyn shared grave looks.
"Are you sure it's the same room?" Jasper asked, still calm.
"No, not at all — I suppose most dance studios would look the same — the mirrors, the bar." She traced finger along the ballet bar set against the mirrors. "It's just the shape that looks familiar."
"Would you have any reason to go there now?" Alice asked.
"No, I haven't been there in almost ten years. I was a terrible dancer — they always put me in the back for recitals," Bella admitted.
"So there's no way it could be connected with you?" Alice asked intently.
"No, I don't even think the same person owns it. I'm sure it's just another dance studio, somewhere."
A pause.
"Should we call?" Bella asked. The vampires shared another serious look.
And then the phone rang.
Alice was there in an instant, holding the phone and pushing a button to answer, but she didn't speak immediately.
"Carlisle," she breathed after a second. But, she didn't seem surprised or relieved.
"Yes," she said, glancing at Bella. She listened for a long moment.
"I just saw him." She described again the vision she'd seen. "Whatever made him get on that plane… it was leading him to the ballet studio."
She paused.
"Yes," Alice said into the phone, and then she held out the phone. "Bella?"
Bella practically ran to the phone.
"Hello?" she breathed.
"Oh, Edward. I was so worried." She heaved a sigh of relief.
A pause as Edward answered.
"Where are you?"
Another pause.
"I know. Alice saw that he got away."
Alice began filling Jasper and Carolyn in, her quick words blurring together into a humming noise, as Bella continued talking on the phone.
"I'll be fine. Is Esme with Charlie?"
"What's Victoria doing?"
"And you're sure Charlie's safe?"
"I miss you," she whispered.
Kal took that as his cue to tune out.
He moved to the side of Alice, who had finished catching Jasper and Carolyn up to speed, and slipped an arm around her.
"You okay?" he whispered.
"I'm fine." She replied, leaning her head on his shoulder, "I just… don't want her to get hurt."
Kal hugged her closer.
"She won't," he said quietly.
They went silent.
"I'll be waiting." Bella's voice cut through the noiselessness.
A second later the line went dead. Her face fell as she extended her hand and the phone toward Alice.
"Bella," Jasper asked in a casual voice. "Where was the studio you went to?"
"It was just around the corner from my mom's house. I used to walk there after school…" she said, voice trailing off.
"Here in Phoenix, then?" His voice was still casual.
"Yes," Bella whispered. "Fifty-eighth Street and Cactus."
Then a moment later.
"Alice, is that phone safe?" she asked.
"Yes," Alice assured her. "The number would just trace back to Washington."
"Then I can use it to call my mom."
"I thought she was in Florida."
"She is — but she's coming home soon, and she can't come back to that house while…" Bella's voice trembled.
"How will you reach her?"
"They don't have a permanent number except at the house — she's supposed to check her messages regularly."
"Jasper?" Alice asked.
He thought about it. "I don't think there's any way it could hurt — be sure you don't say where you are, of course."
She reached eagerly for the phone and dialed the familiar number. It rang four times, as she sank back onto the pillow.
Kal looked away from her and back at the others.
"I think I'll get some sleep," he began, "I want to be rested if anything happens."
Jasper and Carolyn nodded silently. Alice looked half-surprised for a moment but didn't say anything either.
As he rose to leave, he felt a hand grab his shirt. He stopped, looking down at Alice's hand. An instant later he felt Alice's soft, cool lips pressing on his own. His eyes closed as he reveled in the sensation.
A few seconds later and it was over. Alice's dainty hand loosened on his shirt. His eyes opened, her angelic golden eyes meeting his.
"Now you can sleep." she whispered.
Kal smiled goofily.
"One more?"
Alice laughed, her hand pushing him away.
Kal laughed too, rising and turning to leave the room. Jasper and Carolyn were already gone, probably slipping out during their kiss.
He passed into the sitting room, where Jasper and Carolyn had indeed returned, now seated at the large table to the side.
Kal settled onto the couch, letting out a slow breath as the tension in the room finally began to ebb — if only slightly.
Across from him, Jasper and Carolyn sat at the large table, speaking quietly between themselves. Their voices were low, controlled, but the undercurrent of focus hadn't left them. It probably wouldn't tonight.
Kal leaned back, shifting until he found a comfortable position. One arm draped along the back of the couch, the other resting loosely in his lap.
For a moment, he just listened.
The muted hum of the television. The faint murmur of Bella's voice from the other room. The soft cadence of Jasper and Carolyn's conversation.
His eyes flicked upward, unfocusing slightly.
'System.'
[TRIAL QUESTS]
If you lose self-control, everything will fall. If you conquer yourself, then you conquer the world.
[Trials of Strength: 5/5] (Complete)
[Trials of Endurance: 2/2] (Complete)
[Trials of Senses: 4/4] (Complete)
[Trials of X-Ray Vision: 0/3] (Available)
[Trials of Heat Vision: 0/10] (Available)
[Trials of Flight: 8/8] (Complete)
[Trials of Speed: 6/6] (Complete)
His gaze lingered on the last two incomplete entries.
X-Ray Vision or Heat Vision.
X-Ray Vision was useful. But come on…
Heat Vision.
Kal's lips curved faintly.
'Let's see what TAD's got waiting for me.'
With a thought, he selected it.
For a fraction of a second there was nothing.
Then the world fell away.
His body went still on the couch, eyes sliding shut as if he had simply drifted off to sleep.
Jasper and Carolyn's conversation faltered for a moment. Their gazes flicked to Kal and back to each other as they shared a baffled look. Jasper listened to the slow, rhythmic breathing of a man undoubtedly sleeping.
"That was fast…"
Carolyn nodded in bewilderment.
"That's actually quite impressive." She added on.
…
Sensation returned.
Wind brushed against Kal's skin.
Grass beneath his feet.
Kal stood in the middle of a picturesque valley, bathed in soft golden light. Rolling green hills stretched into the distance, dotted with wildflowers that swayed gently in the breeze. A narrow creek wound through the landscape, its surface catching the sunlight in bright, glittering flashes. Far beyond, mountains rose along the horizon — vast and distant, their peaks softened by a faint haze.
It reminded him greatly of the first trial he had completed.
The air smelled of morning dew and sun-warmed grass, sweet and clean.
Birds chirped somewhere overhead, their song light and unbroken, drifting easily across the open expanse.
A snowy white figure stepped into existence a few paces in front of him.
TAD.
Composed as ever, his pixelated face beamed at Kal.
"Good afternoon, Kal," Tad greeted, his voice even and joyful, carrying cleanly across the valley.
Kal let out a small breath through his nose.
"Hey, Tad."
Tad inclined his head slightly.
"This Trial Quest," he began. "Is designed to assist in the development of fine control over your Heat Vision."
He raised one hand —
—and snapped his fingers.
The sound rang out, sharp and metallic.
Behind him, the earth shifted.
A low rumble rolled through the ground as a structure rose from beneath the soil — a wide target range, lined with evenly spaced positions. The grass parted cleanly around it, as if the world itself had made room.
Tad gestured toward it.
"Pillars composed of various materials and densities will manifest sequentially before you. Each will have a designated point of focus."
Kal followed his gesture, eyes narrowing slightly.
"You will have one second," TAD raised a single mechanical finger, "to completely melt through each pillar by directing your heat vision at the marked location."
Kal tilted his head.
"…That's it?"
Tad paused.
Then, "Ah. I almost forgot."
A beat.
"You must complete the task without damaging the object positioned behind the pillar."
He raised his hand again.
This time, something appeared in his palm.
An egg.
Kal stared at it for a second.
Then huffed out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.
A crooked smile tugged at his lips.
"…What is it with you and eggs?"
Tad paused.
"Can a robot not like eggs?" he demanded.
Kal laughed.
"I guess you can if you want Tad."
Time blurred.
What felt like hours passed in the span of moments.
And it turned out—
It was a lot harder than it looked.
At first, Kal had approached it like everything else: more power, faster execution. Burn through the pillar, move on.
That… did not work.
The challenge wasn't just power — it was control.
Each pillar demanded something different. The heat had to be just right — focused enough to melt cleanly through the marked point within a second, but not so intense that it carried through and scorched the egg sitting just behind it.
Wood, of all things, proved deceptively difficult.
Too little heat, and it wouldn't melt fast enough. Too much, and it disintegrated instantly, leaving nothing between his vision and the fragile egg behind it. More than once, he watched in mild frustration as the egg blackened, cracked, or simply exploded from the excess heat.
"Delicate," Tad had commented at one point, watching another failure. "Like your ego."
Kal had shot him a flat look.
But the harder materials weren't any kinder.
Stone. Reinforced plastics. Metals. Alloys.
Some of the latter were so hard and heat-resistant, Kal suspected that they weren't man-made at all. Perhaps they were Kryptonian.
There had been one in particular — a dark, matte, metal pillar that had barely reacted at all to his initial attempts. The heat dispersed strangely across its surface, refusing to concentrate where he needed it.
Kal stepped back after another failed attempt, exhaling slowly.
Behind him, Tad clasped his hands behind his back, observing.
"Struggling getting through the steel beams, are we?" he asked mildly.
Kal glanced over his shoulder.
"That is not steel."
Tad tilted his head.
A beat.
"Well," he said cheekily, "If all else fails, apparently jet fuel is highly effective."
Kal stared at him.
Then snorted despite himself, shaking his head as he turned back to the range.
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."
When he'd finally completed the challenge the air smelt of burnt material and fried eggs.
[Trial of Heat Vision I Complete]
Kal's eyes snapped open.
The hotel room returned in an instant — the dim lighting, the muted television, the quiet stillness of early morning. For a second, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling, his body completely still.
Then two notifications.
[Trial of Heat Vision I Complete]
[+100 XP]
Kal blinked, focus sharpening as the system interface hovered faintly in his vision.
With a small breath, he turned his head toward the clock.
3:26 a.m.
Only a couple hours had passed.
His gaze flicked back to the system.
[XP: 822 / 900]
So close.
A slow grin spread across his face.
No hesitation.
He leaned back into the couch, letting his body relax as his eyes slid shut once more.
Darkness.
Then the world shifted.
Kal stood in the middle of a ruined city.
Smoke curled into the sky in thick, choking plumes. The distant wail of sirens cut through the air, rising and falling in uneven waves. Buildings loomed around him — some shattered, others burning, flames licking hungrily at broken windows and collapsed walls.
The ground beneath his feet was cracked, littered with debris.
The air smelled of ash. Of heat. Something metallic beneath it all.
A figure appeared beside him.
Tad.
Unmoved by the chaos.
"This Trial Quest," he said, voice even as ever, "is meant to help you expand your application of Heat Vision."
Kal glanced at him, then back at the devastation around them.
"Looks different from the last one."
Tad inclined his head slightly.
"Really?" he asked in a tone that demonstrated just how possible it was for a robot to be sarcastic, "I'm glad you can tell the difference between a valley and a half-destroyed city, Kal, at least now we know that something is working up there."
Kal blushed, "Sorry."
"Anyway, when the trial begins, injured civilians will manifest throughout the area," he explained. "Your objective is to assess and stabilise those who require it using precise application of your heat vision."
Kal's brow furrowed slightly.
"…Stabilise?"
Tad looked at him.
"Cauterise their wounds," he clarified. "Without causing unnecessary additional harm. Your work needs to be good enough for them to last until help arrives. But remember, only those that need it, knowing when not to interfere is just as important as knowing when you need to."
A beat.
"I hope you brushed up on your anatomy."
Tad's pixelated face winked, then he vanished with a soft pop.
Silence.
No.
Not silence.
Kal heard it now.
Groans. Cries. Distant voices carried on the smoke-filled air.
And then someone appeared.
About fifty metres ahead.
A man.
He staggered slightly, one hand clutched tight against his side as blood seeped through his fingers, dark and steady. His breathing was uneven, shallow, panic flickering across his face.
The sounds of others followed — more groans, more pain, echoing from somewhere deeper in the ruined streets.
Kal's body tensed.
The trial had begun.
Kal didn't know how many hours had passed.
At first, it had been chaos.
He moved too fast. Too much heat. Too little precision.
People died.
A lot of people died.
The first few attempts were the worst. He had burned too deep, or too wide, turning controlled cauterisation into catastrophic damage. Wounds that could have been stabilised became fatal in seconds under his inexperience. The smell of burnt flesh lingered far longer than anything in the valley ever had.
He learned.
He had to.
Slower. Finer control. Narrower beams.
The deaths became fewer, but the failures didn't stop.
Sometimes he sealed the wound, but not correctly. The bleeding slowed, but didn't stop enough. The patient would last a minute longer — two, maybe — but when the emergency team finally arrived, it was too late. They would deteriorate just before help reached them.
Other times, he hesitated.
Or chose wrong.
A deeper wound ignored for a more visible one. A critical bleed missed for something that looked worse. The system was unforgiving. He blinked back to the start.
The difficulty escalated.
Surface injuries became internal.
He had to seal damaged vessels beneath layers of tissue — guiding heat through the body without harming what surrounded it. Torn arteries. Collapsed lung structures. Once he had had to stabilise bleeding dangerously close to the heart. Not on it — TAD hadn't made it impossible — but close enough that a fraction too much heat would have ended it instantly.
It wasn't just the heat.
He had to move them. Turn them. Apply pressure. Grab at wounds and flaps of skin. Position their bodies so he could reach what needed reaching without making it worse. Every motion mattered.
Sometimes he failed for doing too much instead.
Cauterising tissue that didn't need it. Sealing wounds that were better left alone. The system judged efficacy, not effort, and overcorrection could cost lives just as easily as inaction.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Eventually, he stopped failing early.
He could reach the final civilian every time.
And that's where he stayed.
She was always the last one.
A woman, maybe mid-thirties.
Barely conscious.
Her body was a mess of trauma — multiple stab wounds across her torso, deep and irregular. Severe blood loss. Bruising spread across her ribs and abdomen, some of it dark enough to suggest internal damage.
Worse, there were deeper injuries.
Major vessels compromised. Bleeding that even with x-ray vision was hard to see. Every attempt became a balancing act — too slow and she bled out, too aggressive and he killed her himself.
He'd reached her at least tens of times.
Maybe more.
And every time she died.
Kal exhaled, hands hovering over her body as she weakly clutched at his sleeve.
"I've got you," he muttered, though the words felt hollow now.
Her breathing hitched.
His jaw tightened.
"…Tad," he called out, frustration bleeding into his voice. "You said you'd help me this time. You just gonna watch?"
A pause.
Then Tad appeared beside him, hands clasped neatly behind his back, entirely unaffected by the urgency of the situation.
"I find," he said calmly, "that performance often improves with proper motivation."
Kal didn't look up.
"I am motivated."
"I don't believe that you are," Tad replied, "But I believe I know what will help."
Kal's head snapped up.
"What are you—"
The woman in his arms shifted, changed.
Her body seemed to compress slightly, features distorting, reshaping, and then…
Alice was in his arms.
Broken.
Bleeding.
Her golden eyes glassy with pain, her breath coming in weak, uneven pulls.
"Kal…" she whispered, voice trembling. "Please… help me…"
Something in his chest twisted violently.
"No!"
He looked up, fury flashing.
"TAD, you—!"
Gone.
Tad had already disappeared.
Kal's gaze dropped back down.
Alice.
Not Alice.
But…
Her hand weakly clutched at him.
"Kal, please…"
Her voice cracked.
"I— It hurts…"
He knew it wasn't real.
He knew.
But it didn't matter. Not when she looked at him like that.
His throat tightened.
"Okay," he said, "Okay. I've got you. Just… just hold on."
His eyes flared faintly red.
He focused.
Careful.
Precise.
She screamed.
A sharp, broken sound.
"Stop! Kal, stop! Please, you're hurting me!"
His hands trembled for a millisecond before he stilled them.
He knew it wasn't real, yet his heart begged him to stop.
But he didn't.
If he stopped she would die.
He calmed his racing heart, firming his resolve. He'd faced far worse torture in trials before.
"Just a little more," he muttered as he worked on her.
"You're okay," he reassured her, "You're going to be okay. "
Her grip weakened.
Her voice faded.
"…Kal…"
And then nothing.
Kal blinked.
The world reset.
The ruined city reformed around him in an instant.
Smoke. Sirens. Fire.
The man stood fifty metres ahead again, clutching his side as blood seeped through his fingers.
Voices cried out in the distance.
The trial had restarted.
Kal stood frozen for half a second.
Then, "TAAAAAAAAAAD!"
He roared, the sound tearing out of him, raw with fury.
…
When Bella woke in the early hours of the morning, the sun was just beginning to crest the horizon, its first rays staining the sky a faint red.
She looked at the alarm clock. Nearly five a.m. She should check in with Alice and the others to see if anything had changed. To see if Edward had called again.
She got up and made her way into the sitting room.
She noticed Kal first, asleep on the couch — then Alice, Carolyn, and Jasper at the table, Alice sketching again while the other two looked over her shoulder. They didn't look up as she entered, too engrossed in Alice's work.
She crept to Jasper's side, leaning in to see.
"Did she see something more?" Bella asked him quietly.
"Yes. Something's brought him back to the room with the VCR, but it's light now."
Bella watched as Alice drew a square room with dark beams across its low ceiling. The walls were paneled in wood, a little too dark, out of date. The floor had a dark carpet with a pattern in it. There was a large window against the south wall, and an opening through the west wall led to the living room. One side of that entrance was stone — a large tan stone fireplace that was open to both rooms.
The focus of the room from this perspective, the TV and VCR, balanced on a too-small wooden stand, were in the southwest corner of the room. An aged sectional sofa curved around in front of the TV, a round coffee table in front of it.
"The phone goes there," Bella whispered, pointing.
Three pairs of golden eyes stared at her.
"That's my mother's house."
Alice was already out of her chair, phone in hand, dialing, as Bella stared at the precise rendering of her mother's family room.
Uncharacteristically, Jasper shifted closer. He lightly touched his hand to her shoulder, and the physical contact seemed to make his calming influence stronger. The panic inside stayed dull, unfocused.
Alice's lips were trembling with the speed of her words, the low buzzing impossible to decipher.
"Bella," Alice said. Bella looked at her numbly.
"Bella, Edward is coming to get you. He and Emmett and Carlisle are going to take you somewhere, to hide you for a while."
"Edward is coming?" The words were like a life vest, holding her head above the flood.
"Yes, he's catching the first flight out of Seattle. We'll meet him at the airport, and you'll leave with him."
"But, my mother… he came here for my mother, Alice!"
Despite Jasper, the hysteria bubbled up in her voice.
"The three of us will stay till she's safe."
"I can't win, Alice. You can't guard everyone I know forever. Don't you see what he's doing? He's not tracking me at all — he'll find someone, he'll hurt someone I love…"
"We'll catch him, Bella," she assured.
"And what if you get hurt, Alice? Do you think that's okay with me? Do you think it's only my human family he can hurt me with?"
Alice looked meaningfully at Jasper. A heavy fog of lethargy suddenly washed over Bella, and her eyes closed without her permission. Her mind struggled against it, realising what was happening. She forced her eyes open and stood up, stepping away from Jasper's hand.
"I don't want to go back to sleep," Bella snapped. She walked to her room door and slammed it shut. This time, Alice didn't follow.
For two hours Bella stared at the wall, curled up in a ball, rocking. Her mind spun in circles, trying to come up with some way out of this nightmare. There was no escape, no reprieve. She could see only one possible end looming darkly in the future. The only question was how many other people would be hurt before she reached it.
The only solace, the only hope she had left, was knowing that she would see Edward soon. Maybe, if she could just see his face again, she would also be able to see the solution that eluded her now.
When the phone rang, she returned to the front room, a little ashamed of her behaviour. She hoped she hadn't offended either of them, that they would know how grateful she was for the sacrifices they were making on her account.
Alice was talking as rapidly as ever, but what caught Bella's attention was that, for the first time, Jasper and Carolyn were gone. Kal still slept soundly on the sofa. She looked at the clock — just past seven in the morning.
"Esme says they boarded a while ago," Alice said. "They'll land in forty."
Bella took a breath. Just a few more hours to keep breathing till he was here.
"Where's Jasper and Carolyn?" Bella asked.
"They went to check out."
"You aren't staying here?"
"No. We're relocating closer to your mother's house."
Her stomach twisted uneasily at Alice's words.
But the phone rang again, distracting her. Alice looked surprised, but Bella was already walking forward, reaching hopefully for the phone.
"Hello?" Alice asked. "No, she's right here." She held the phone out.
Your mother, she mouthed.
"Hello?"
"Bella? Bella?" It was her mother's voice, in the same familiar tone she had heard a thousand times in her childhood, anytime she'd gotten too close to the edge of the sidewalk or strayed out of her sight in a crowded place. It was the sound of panic.
Bella sighed. She'd been expecting this, since the message she had left her mother, despite how unalarming she attempted to make it seem.
"Calm down, Mom," she said in her most soothing voice, walking slowly away from Alice, searching for some privacy. "Everything is fine, okay? Just give me a minute and I'll explain everything, I promise."
"Mom?"
"Be very careful not to say anything until I tell you to."
The voice that answered was as unfamiliar as it was unexpected. It was a man's tenor voice, a very pleasant, generic voice — the kind of voice that belonged in a luxury car commercial. He spoke very quickly.
"Now, I don't need to hurt your mother, so please do exactly as I say, and she'll be fine."
He paused, letting her listen in mute horror.
"That's very good," he said, pleased. "Now repeat after me, and do try to sound natural. Please say, 'No, Mom, stay where you are.'"
"No, Mom, stay where you are." Her voice barely rose above a whisper.
"I can see this is going to be difficult."
The voice was amused, still light and friendly.
"Why don't you walk into another room now so your face doesn't ruin everything? There's no reason for your mother to suffer. As you're walking, please say, 'Mom, please listen to me.' Say it now."
"Mom, please listen to me," Bella pleaded, walking very slowly to the bedroom, feeling Alice's worried eyes on her back.
She shut the door behind her, trying to think through the terror gripping her mind.
"There now, are you alone? Just answer yes or no."
"Yes."
"But they can still hear you, I'm sure."
"Yes."
"All right, then," the agreeable voice continued, "say, 'Mom, trust me.'"
"Mom, trust me."
"This worked out rather better than I expected. I was prepared to wait, but your mother arrived ahead of schedule. It's easier this way, isn't it? Less suspense, less anxiety for you."
A pause.
"Now I want you to listen very carefully. I'm going to need you to get away from your friends; do you think you can do that? Answer yes or no."
"No."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping you would be a little more creative than that. Do you think you could get away from them if your mother's life depended on it? Answer yes or no."
There had to be a way.
"Yes."
"That's better. I'm sure it won't be easy, but if I get the slightest hint that you have any company, well… that would be very bad for your mother," the friendly voice promised. "You must know enough about us by now to realize how quickly I would know if you tried to bring anyone along with you. And how little time I would need to deal with your mother if that was the case. Do you understand? Answer yes or no."
"Yes." Her voice broke.
"Very good, Bella. Now this is what you have to do. I want you to go to your mother's house. Next to the phone there will be a number. Call it, and I'll tell you where to go from there."
She already knew where she would go, and where it would end. But she would follow his instructions exactly.
"Can you do that? Answer yes or no."
"Yes."
"Before noon, please, Bella. I haven't got all day," he said politely.
"Where's Phil?" Her voice came out sharper than she intended.
"Ah, be careful now, Bella. Wait until I ask you to speak, please."
She waited.
"It's important, now, that you don't make your friends suspicious when you go back to them. Tell them that your mother called, and that you talked her out of coming home for the time being. Now repeat after me, 'Thank you, Mom.' Say it now."
"Thank you, Mom." The tears were coming. She tried to fight them back.
"Say, 'I love you, Mom, I'll see you soon.' Say it now."
"I love you, Mom." Her voice was thick. "I'll see you soon."
"Goodbye, Bella. I look forward to seeing you again." He hung up.
She held the phone to her ear, joints frozen with terror — she couldn't unbend her fingers to drop it.
She knew she had to think, but her head was filled with the sound of her mother's panic. Seconds ticked by while she fought for control.
Slowly, slowly, her thoughts started to break past that brick wall of pain. To plan. For she had only one choice now: to go to the mirrored room and die.
She had no guarantees, nothing to give to keep her mother alive. She could only hope that James would be satisfied with winning the game, that beating Edward would be enough. Despair gripped her; there was no way to bargain, nothing she could offer or withhold that could influence him. But she still had no choice. She had to try.
She pushed the terror back as well as she could. Her decision was made. It did no good to waste time agonizing over the outcome. She had to think clearly, because Alice, Jasper and Carolyn were waiting for her, and evading them was absolutely essential, and absolutely impossible.
Bella was suddenly grateful that Jasper was gone. If he had been here to feel her anguish in the last five minutes, how could she have kept them from being suspicious? She choked back the dread, the anxiety, and tried to stifle it. She couldn't afford it now. She didn't know when he would return.
She concentrated on her escape. She had to hope that the Arizona sunlight would aid her. Would keep them from being able to chase after her. She knew they couldn't risk exposing themselves. But first, somehow, she had to get away from Alice.
She knew Alice was in the other room waiting for her, curious. But she had to deal with one more thing in private, before Jasper was back.
She had to accept she wouldn't see Edward again, not even one last glimpse of his face to carry with her to the mirror room. She was going to destroy him, and she couldn't say goodbye.
She let it wash over her. Then she pushed that back, too, and went to face Alice.
The only expression she could manage was a dull, dead look. She saw her alarm and Bella didn't wait for her to ask. She had just one script and she'd never manage improvisation now.
"My mom was worried, she wanted to come home. But it's okay, I convinced her to stay away." Bella's voice was flat. Lifeless.
"We'll make sure she's fine, Bella, don't worry."
She turned away; she couldn't let Alice see her face.
Her eye fell on a blank page of the hotel stationery on the desk. She went to it slowly, a plan beginning to form.
There was an envelope there, too. That was good.
"Alice," she asked slowly, without turning, keeping her voice level. "If I write a letter for my mother, would you give it to her? Leave it at the house, I mean."
"Sure, Bella." Her voice was careful. Alice could see her coming apart at the seams. Bella cursed inwardly. She had to keep her emotions under better control.
She retreated into the bedroom again, and knelt by the bedside table to write.
"Edward," she wrote, her hand shaking, the letters hardly legible.
I love you. I am so sorry. He has my mom, and I have to try. I don't know if it will work. I am so, so sorry.
Don't be angry with Alice, Carolyn, or Jasper. If I get away from them, it will be a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Alice especially.
And please, please don't come after him. That's what he wants. I think. Just protect Kal. I can't bear it if anyone else gets hurt because of me. Especially you. Please. This is the only thing I can ask you now.
I love you. Forgive me.
Bella
She folded the letter carefully, and sealed it in the envelope. He would find it eventually. She only hoped he would understand, and listen to her just this once.
And then, she sealed away her heart.
It had taken far less time than she'd thought — the terror, the despair, the shattering of her heart. The minutes were ticking by more slowly than usual. Jasper still hadn't come back when she returned to Alice.
Bella was afraid to be in the same room as her, afraid that she would guess… and afraid to hide from her for the same reason.
Bella would have thought she was far beyond the ability to be surprised, her thoughts too tortured and unstable, but she was still surprised when she saw Alice bent over the desk, gripping the edge with both hands.
"Alice?"
She didn't react when Bella called her name, but her head was slowly rocking side to side, and then she saw her face. Her eyes were blank, dazed… Bella's thoughts jumped instantly to her mother. Was she already too late?
She hurried to Alice's side, reaching out automatically to touch her hand.
"Bella!" her voice was louder than usual and Bella jumped back, "No!"
"Alice!" Bella said, calling out to her with alarm, "What is it Alice? I'm here!"
Alice, eyes still focused far off into the distance, heaved a sigh of relief.
"Bella! Thank god! You're safe! Go to Jasper right now. And don't you dare leave his side! Tell them they need to take you to the airport. Now."
Bella stared in shock.
"Hurry!" Alice spurred her on.
Bella stumbled to her feet hurriedly. Her heart pounded like a trapped animal. She didn't know what danger she was in, but adrenaline and fear pumped through her in equal amounts. She ran, mind whirring, her feet hammering against the floor as she bolted for the door. She wrenched it open and flew into the corridor, a sign pointed her to the elevator and stairs — she barreled in that direction, her mind visualising a shadowy figure chasing after her.
When she reached the end she didn't even look at the closed elevator doors, bypassing them and taking the stairs. She flew down them, Alice's words replaying in her mind.
'Bella! Thank god! You're safe! Go to Jasper right now. And don't you dare leave his side! Tell them they need to take you to the airport. Now.'
She froze mid-step as she realised something. She wasn't in imminent danger.
Alice must've seen her in the mirror room, must've thought that they had failed, that James had gotten Bella from under their noses — she didn't expect that the betrayal would come from inside the house.
It was no coincidence that the vision had come on just after Bella had decided to comply with James' demands.
Bella shed a silent tear as she realised it. For half a moment she had almost felt a kind of relief. If James was here, it meant he didn't have her mother, but reality wasn't that kind. Alice had misinterpreted her vision. James wasn't here. Her mother was still in danger. She would still never see Edward again.
Alice did get one thing right, Bella would disappear from under their noses. But it wouldn't be by someone else's doing. And somehow, that fact made it hurt even more.
Bella unfroze, hurrying down the stairs again — now for a different reason. Alice had unwittingly given her the one thing she needed — time unwatched, the opportunity to escape.
She arrived at the bottom of the stairs quickly. An archway ahead of her lead to the lobby. It was busy, people milling about. It was a large hotel after all. She could even see Jasper and Carolyn waiting in line to be served at the checkout, their gorgeous looks earning them more than a few stares. Only a few people were ahead of them, they would be done and headed back up to the room in minutes.
She hoped to God they wouldn't notice her as she headed for the entrance to her side. Thankfully, she didn't have to walk through the lobby and risk them catching her scent.
Her luck held, slipping outside in seconds. In front of the hotel, a tired-looking couple was getting their last suitcase out of the trunk of a cab. Bella darted forward, running straight for the cab, sliding into the seat behind the driver. The tired couple and the shuttle driver stared at her.
She told the surprised cabbie her mother's address.
"I need to get there as soon as possible."
"That's in Scottsdale," he complained.
She threw four twenties over the seat without hesitation.
"Will that be enough?"
"Sure, kid, no problem."
…
Kal's eyes glowed a steady, controlled crimson, the invisible beam of heat so fine it was barely as thick as a needle, threading through torn flesh with surgical precision. His hands were steady now. No hesitation. No wasted seconds.
The woman in his arms — Alice, not Alice — still breathed.
Barely.
But she breathed.
She had been lost so many times. This time, though… this time he'd gotten ahead of it.
Seal the vessel.
Control the bleed.
Don't overcorrect.
Don't burn too deep.
His jaw tightened as he adjusted the angle by a fraction.
A final pulse of heat.
He cut it off.
Silence.
For a single, fragile second, nothing happened.
Then her chest rose.
Fell.
Rose again — steadier this time.
Kal didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Watching.
Waiting.
Her pulse stabilised beneath his hand.
Alive.
He exhaled slowly, something in his chest unclenching all at once.
"…Okay," he muttered under his breath. "Okay."
A soft pop sounded beside him.
TAD.
"Congratulations," he said calmly. "You have successfully completed the trial."
Kal didn't even look at him.
"Fuck off."
"You're angry."
TAD tilted his head slightly.
"And yet," he continued mildly, "it worked, didn't it?"
Kal's jaw tightened — but he didn't argue.
Because it had.
The world shattered.
The ruined city dissolved into nothing, the smoke, the fire, the noise all gone in an instant.
Darkness.
Then a light.
[Trial of Heat Vision II Complete]
[+100 XP]
[Level 9 → Level 10]
[XP: 22 / 2000]
[Origin Quest Assigned: "Retrieve the Fort"]
Kal blinked as the notifications stacked in front of him, one after another.
And then—
[Level 10 reached. New archetype unlocked.]
A new screen unfolded before him.
Clean. Minimal.
[ARCHETYPES]
A single prompt pulsed at the centre, faintly glowing.
[New archetype unlocked. Draw new archetype?]
[Yes] [No]
Kal stared at it.
His heartbeat picked up — slow at first, then faster.
Excitement.
Anticipation.
Something sharper beneath it.
Trepidation.
He didn't know what this would give him, what would happen.
But he knew it was important.
He reached out… and selected Yes.
[Drawing new archetype…]
[0%… 12%… 36%… 51%… 77%… 94%… 99%… 100%]
The space on the screen before him darkened.
Something began to form.
At first, just a shadow.
Then a shape.
Broad.
Powerful.
Indistinct, yet unmistakable.
Kal's eyes reflected the growing figure, faint light dancing in their depths as the silhouette sharpened, presence radiating from it like gravity itself.
He felt it, not just saw it.
Weight.
Strength.
Hope.
[New archetype unlocked: Hopeful Superman]