The headlights at the end of the street— no longer looked like light.
Too bright.
Too fast.
Like something—
coming to take someone away.
VROOOOM.
Four black Dominion vehicles tore through the night.
Brakes screamed.
Stopping—
hard.
Silence—
fell instantly.
Then—
the doors opened.
They Weren't Alone
Men in black suits stepped out first.
Clean.
Trained.
But unimportant.
Because what came after them—
was worse.
Two teenagers.
Their steps were calm.
Too calm.
And when they lifted their heads—
their eyes—
golden.
Not the Same
Sinta immediately stepped forward.
"Formation."
Not loud.
But enough to make everyone move.
Bimo let out a tired sigh.
"…why does every problem now come in bundles?"
Farhan stared at the monitor.
"Two signals."
Lila added quietly,
"…and both are stable."
Rani understood immediately.
"…not like Kai."
Reaction
Kai didn't move.
His body stiffened.
His eyes trembled.
"…they…"
He stepped back slightly.
"…they're like me."
Arga stood beside him calmly.
"…no."
Kai looked at him.
Arga stared at the two figures ahead.
"…they never got to choose."
More Perfect
The two teenagers stopped several meters away.
No emotion.
No hesitation.
Only—
purpose.
"Subject Kai."
Their voices were flat.
"Failed unit."
"…you are to return."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Kai slowly shook his head.
"…I don't want to."
Command
The first teenager raised his hand.
Golden energy gathered instantly.
Dense.
Stable.
Dangerous.
KRAK.
The asphalt cracked—
without warning.
The second teenager stepped forward.
"Dominion orders remain unchanged."
"…bring him back."
The Clash Begins
"Now!" — Sinta
WHOOSH!
Bimo charged first.
Fast—
even by their standards.
But—
too late.
A blast of golden energy swept toward him.
He twisted his body at the last second—
barely avoiding it.
"…they're not playing around!"
Dika rushed in from the side.
A direct strike.
Hard.
But—
blocked.
Without effort.
Without emotion.
Not a Normal Fight
Rani pulled a metal pole into position.
CLANG!
It blocked the attack—
for a moment.
Then—
cracked apart.
Golden energy pierced through it.
Forcing its way forward.
Sinta leaped onto a nearby car.
Her eyes sharpened.
"They're not reacting…"
"…they're adapting."
Farhan stared at the readings.
"Their energy is completely stable."
Lila spoke softly.
"…but it doesn't feel alive."
The Difference
Kai remained still.
Watching them.
Like staring at reflections of himself—
versions that never got to choose.
"…I'm just like them…"
Arga answered immediately.
"…no."
Kai looked at him.
"Why?"
Arga raised his lunch box.
Warm light emerged.
Not overwhelming.
But—
enough.
"Because you stopped."
"…and they were never given the choice to."
Silence—
brief.
But enough.
Choice
Kai stared at his hands.
Golden light appeared again.
But this time—
it wasn't wild.
Wasn't forcing itself outward.
He took a deep breath.
Slowly.
Calmly.
"Then…"
He clenched his fist.
"…I'm not going back."
The energy surged once more.
But different now.
More—
stable.
More—
his.
Resonance
Arga felt it immediately.
The nine rice grains inside the box pulsed together.
Synchronized.
"…he changed."
Sinta watched carefully.
"…he made a choice."
Confrontation
Kai stepped forward.
Alone.
"Stop."
The two teenagers stared at him blankly.
"Kai."
Their voices did not change.
"You are defective."
The words weren't loud.
But enough—
to cut deep inside him.
Kai didn't step back.
"…I'm not defective."
He raised his hand slowly.
"…I'm different."
Collision
The first teenager lunged forward.
Fast.
Inhumanly fast.
But—
Kai didn't dodge.
He moved forward too.
BOOOOOOM!
Two waves of golden energy collided violently.
A shockwave exploded outward.
Streetlights shattered.
Windows trembled.
The ground shifted beneath them.
Everyone stepped back instinctively.
Something New
Bimo stared in disbelief.
"…okay…"
"…this is way beyond our level now."
Dika steadied himself.
"…this is their war."
But Arga—
didn't move.
He simply watched.
And understood.
The Real Difference
Dominion created them—
to obey.
To take.
To control.
But they missed one thing—
something that could never be manufactured in a laboratory.
Choice.
In the middle of the street—
three children stood facing one another.
With the same power.
But—
different paths.
And for the first time—
this wasn't about who was stronger.
Not about who would win.
But—
who got to choose.
And who—
never had the chance to.