FLARE MANSION
Inside the mansion, Icarus Flare sat in a luxurious leather armchair, swirling a glass of dark red wine. His reddish-white hair was perfectly styled, catching the ambient light of the crystal chandelier above.
Opposite him sat his son the head of the flare, Valerion Flare, adjusting the gold cuffs of his expensive suit jacket.
"Well, very soon we'll have control of the Border," Icarus Flare said with a smooth voice, .
"Then we can bring order into the Border. Our family will rise to power."
Valerion smirked, swirling his own glass. "The public is practically begging for a leader who can fund the reconstruction without the Xenocides' military dictatorship. The seat is already ours."
Both men let out a dark, synchronized laugh that echoed off the walls. To them, the upcoming election wasn't a democratic choice; it was a corporate takeover.
Down at the 10th Division base, the atmosphere was completely different. Kealen sat alone in the main room , his eyes glued to the television screen. The broadcast had just finished showing a massive campaign rally held by his grandfather, Icarus Flare. The crowds on the screen were cheering, waving banners with the crimson Flare family crest.
Kealen turned off the television. The screen went black, reflecting his own tight, bitter expression. He stood up slowly, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. He thought how he's family treated him and rejected him .
Without saying a word to anyone Kealen turned around and quietly walked of the base .
In the specialized training room ,
Renji stood in the center of the room. The gravity dampeners were screaming, the red digital dashboard displaying a terrifying 1000x standard weight. His knees were bent, his boots literally sinking into the ground as the artificial mass tried to crush his spine into dust.
"Damn it!" Renji roared, sweat pouring from his forehead like rain, instantly vaporizing against his hot skin. "After all the training... I couldn't last one minute against him!"
The memory of Elias's effortless palm strike burned in his mind. Renji's Star Eyes flared into their vicious Third Edge pattern. "Then I'll work harder... and harder!"
He snapped his fingers, and the room's automated combat simulation engaged. Dozens of advanced military robots dropped from the ceiling, their weapons charging, while high-intensity laser grids flashed across the room. Under the crushing 1000x gravity, Renji lunged forward, his fists shattering metal and his body twisting at impossible angles to dodge the burning light beams.
Meanwhile, at King Orlox's palace, the dark corridors were silent. Valerius Flare walked with heavy, echoing steps toward the grand balcony where Valkhyre stood .
Valerius had completely abandoned his human form. In his pursuit of absolute power, the former prodigy of the Flare family had accepted the Zethrian bloodline, transforming into a terrifying half-Zethrian, half-human hybrid.
"I'm going out for a while... don't worry, I'll come back," Valerius said, his voice carrying
Valkhyre turned around slowly, a smooth, smiling expression spreading across his face as he looked at the monster he created. "I see. It's ok, you can go."
"An unexpected turn of events," Valkhyre said in his mind, his eyes narrowing with deep amusement as Valerius turned away.
. He stepped off the balcony, he flew straight toward the Border.
Meanwhile
Elias was walking down a dusty perimeter path alongside his brothers, Zane and Tyson. The wind was quiet, and the horizon was completely still.
"Don't you guys feel this is weird?" Elias said, looking up at the clear sky.
"Yeah. No attack for the past two weeks, and no world-ending threat," Tyson said, stretching his arms behind his head. "It feels like the whole universe suddenly forgot we exist."
Zane shoved his hands into his pockets, . "Well, it's better than almost getting killed all the time. Enjoy the peace while it lasts, ."
"Yeah, you're right," Elias said,
"Oh yeah, you two follow me," Zane suddenly said, veering off the main path toward a sleek, black military transport vehicle parked near the tree line.
Elias's eyes brightened slightly. "Cool. Road trip."
Tyson looked at the dark vehicle, then at Zane's unreadable expression. A cold shiver ran down his spine. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Back at the 10th Division base, Nyx sat alone on the edge of her bed, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. She was staring blankly at the metallic ceiling, .
The electronic lock clicked, and Sloane quietly entered the room,.
"Nyx, are you ok? You haven't been yourself lately," Sloane said, walking over and sitting on the edge of the mattress.
"I don't know," Nyx muttered, her voice incredibly small. She looked at her hands, her fingers twitching nervously. She took a deep breath, her face flushing a deep pink. "Can I tell you something? Promise me you won't tell anyone."
Sloane's expression immediately turned serious. . "Sure I won't. I promise."
"Ok... I think I like Elias," Nyx said, burying her face in her hands as a massive blush erupted across her cheeks.
Sloane's eyes widened to absolute circles, a huge, excited smile instantly breaking across her face. "Omg! Like... like like?!"
"Yeah," Nyx groaned, her voice muffled by her palms. "I have been having it for a while and it's just changing me. I can't do anything. Once I see him, my heart starts beating fast, and I get nervous. Sloane, I fought aliens. I fought giants, and I don't get scared... but this is just... I don't get it."
"Ok, Nyx, calm down, it's normal," Sloane said, placing a comforting hand on Nyx's back, trying to suppress her giggles. "You're dealing with human emotions, . When you face an alien, you know exactly where to strike. But when you like someone, there's no manual. Your heart gets confused because Elias is the first person who made you feel safe outside of a fight."
Nyx peeked through her fingers, her eyes wide with panic. "But it's annoying! I teleported away from him today because I couldn't breathe! What if he thinks I hate him?"
"Trust me, Elias doesn't have the emotional capacity to think that deep," Sloane laughed gently, patting her shoulder. "Just take it slow. You don't have to change who you are. The right time will come."
High above the clouds, a reddish streak tore through the atmosphere . Valerius Flare descended like a meteor, landing flawlessly on the manicured lawns of the Flare mansion without making a sound.
He walked up to the grand glass doors,
He pushed the heavy doors open and stepped directly into the grand drawing-room.
Icarus Flare and Valerion Flare froze, their wine glasses stopping mid-air as they saw the massive, demonic silhouette standing in the doorway. Both men stood up instantly, their expressions twisting into absolute defensive hostility.
"How did you get in? Who are you?!" Valerion demanded,
"It's me, Valerius. I'm back. I've gotten stronger," velarius said, his layered voice vibrating through the glass windows of the room.
Valerion and Icarus didn't believe him. They stared at him , To them, he looked like a Zethrian assassin.
Valerius saw the disgust in their eyes. Slowly, his deformed lips moved, and he spoke a low, rhythmic phrase in a secret, ancient language—a private family code that only the three of them knew.
The room went completely dead silent. Icarus's jaw tightened, his aristocratic composure cracking as absolute shock washed over his face. It really was him.
"Valerius... you failure," Icarus spat, his shock instantly turning into pure, unadulterated disgust as he looked at his grandson's altered body. "Look at you. You turned yourself into a piece of shit."
Valerion stepped forward, his eyes burning with cold rage as he stared at his own son. There was no love, no relief, and no warmth in his gaze.
"Just go, Valerius," his father, Valerion, said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "You've failed this family and disappointed me. I thought you'd make me proud... guess not. I wished you were never born."
Valerius's eyes widened, the dark pupils trembling as those words hit his chest. The raw power humming in his veins suddenly felt heavy and hollow. "I did everything you ever wanted," Valerius whispered, his demonic voice cracking with human agony. "I gave my entire life to you. The training, , the Xenocides... I did it all for the family name!"
"And you failed," Icarus cut in brutally, turning his back on his grandson as if he were nothing but trash. "The Flare family doesn't harbor losers who crawl to the enemy for leftovers."
Valerius gripped his fists, his . "Did you ever love me... or you only loved my ability?"
Valerion looked at his son with utter indifference. "You were special because of your ability... until you failed. You're no different from your brother a failure now. Go, before I kill you."