The city had not forgotten.
Even after one full year, the memory of that night still lived in every street, every broken wall rebuilt with fresh stone, every silent glance people gave the dark sky whenever thunder rolled.
For Nova, the memory was sharper than anyone else's.
Some nights, she still woke up with her heart racing, hearing the distant echo of screams, the crackle of fire, and the violent roar of wind colliding against darkness.
Kai.
Maria.
Their names never left her mind.
They had not only been teammates.
They had been the heart of the team.
Kai's fire had always burned bright, wild, and fearless.
Maria's wind was graceful, powerful, and impossible to hold.
Together, they had moved like a storm made of flame and sky.
And together, they had fallen.
That morning, the city was unusually quiet.
A pale golden light spread across the skyline as the sun rose behind the tall buildings. Nova stood by her bedroom window, staring down at the street below. People moved on with their lives—students in uniforms rushing toward school, shopkeepers opening shutters, buses growling through the roads.
Everything looked normal.
But inside her, nothing felt normal.
Her fingers tightened around the silver bracelet she still wore.
It had belonged to Maria.
Luna had once said that memories live in objects.
If that was true, then this bracelet carried storms.
A soft knock came from the door.
"Nova?"
It was Millie.
Nova turned.
Millie stepped into the room, holding two cups of hot tea. Her expression was gentle, but there was worry in her eyes.
"You didn't sleep again, did you?"
Nova gave a small smile.
"Not much."
Millie handed her a cup.
"You're thinking about them."
Nova looked away.
Outside, a sudden gust of wind brushed against the glass.
"Yes."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Millie moved closer and stood beside her.
"They wouldn't want you blaming yourself."
Nova's voice dropped to a whisper.
"They died because I couldn't stop Shadowmind fast enough."
Millie shook her head immediately.
"No. They died protecting everyone. They chose that."
Nova lowered her eyes.
The words helped, but the pain remained.
Before she could respond, her phone vibrated sharply.
Aaryan.
Nova answered.
His voice came through fast and urgent.
"Nova, get to Central Park now. Something's wrong."
Her entire body stiffened.
"What happened?"
Aaryan hesitated.
"The statue."
---
The team arrived at Central Park within minutes.
The morning crowd had gathered in a frightened circle around the memorial statue.
The statue of Kai and Maria stood in the center of the park, hands joined forever in stone.
But today, something was different.
The air around it shimmered.
A spiral of wind circled the statue.
Small sparks of fire flickered along the stone surface.
Nova's breath caught.
"No…"
Luna stepped closer, icy mist forming around her hands.
"This energy… it feels familiar."
Aaryan's lightning crackled faintly around his fingers.
"It's them."
Suddenly, the wind intensified.
Leaves and dust swirled violently into the air.
People screamed and ran back.
The flames grew brighter, wrapping around the statue in glowing red and gold lines.
Then—
CRACK.
A fracture split across the stone.
Another.
And another.
The statue began to break apart.
Nova stepped forward.
"Kai? Maria?"
With a thunderous sound, the statue shattered.
A blast of wind exploded outward.
Nova raised a psychic shield just in time.
When the smoke cleared, two figures stood in the center of the broken stone.
Alive.
Kai.
Maria.
Kai's eyes burned like embers.
Maria's hair moved as if the wind itself lived inside it.
Millie gasped.
"It's impossible…"
Nova stared, unable to breathe.
Kai looked at his hands, flames dancing between his fingers.
Maria slowly turned toward Nova.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then Maria smiled softly.
"We came back."
---
But something was wrong.
Nova felt it immediately.
Their energy was different.
Stronger.
Unstable.
Kai looked around the park as if he had returned from a distant dream.
"What happened?"
Nova took a step closer.
"It's been one year."
His eyes widened.
"One year?"
Maria's expression darkened.
"The portal…"
A sudden gust of violent wind burst from nowhere.
Maria grabbed her head.
Pain flashed across her face.
Kai's fire suddenly erupted higher.
Nova stepped back.
"Kai!"
His voice became strained.
"No… something followed us."
The ground trembled.
A deep growl echoed beneath the earth.
Everyone froze.
Then the pavement in front of the statue cracked open.
From the darkness below came glowing red eyes.
Not one pair.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
Nova's heart dropped.
"The Cremodogs."
The creatures burst out from underground like a wave of shadows and smoke.
Massive black wolf-like beasts with glowing jaws and burning claws.
The crowd screamed.
Aaryan shouted, "Protect the civilians!"
Luna raised a wall of ice around the fleeing people.
Millie rushed to help the injured.
Nova's eyes locked on Kai and Maria.
Kai's fire blazed brighter.
Maria lifted her hand.
The wind around the park became a storm.
Kai looked at Maria.
Maria looked back.
No words were needed.
The lovers stood side by side once more.
Fire.
Wind.
Together.
Kai slammed both hands forward.
A river of flame shot across the ground.
At the same time, Maria spun her arms upward, sending a spiraling tornado into the sky.
The fire merged with the storm.
A massive Fire Wind Tornado roared into existence.
It tore through the Cremodogs, burning and throwing them across the park.
Nova stared in awe.
This was the power that had once saved the city.
But now it was stronger than ever.
The sky darkened.
Lightning split the clouds.
From above, a voice echoed.
"Welcome back… my creations."
Dr. Vertex.
High above the city, standing on the rooftop of the old laboratory, he smiled down at them.
Kai's flames surged.
Maria's storm howled.
Nova's eyes sharpened.
The real battle had begun.
---
End of Chapter One: