The sight in front of Alex unlocked a memory he had long buried deep in his mind, one that he had every reason to forget. Yet, seeing what was happening now, that memory rushed back to him vividly, as if it had just happened yesterday.
Back when Alex still lived at the Wyndham family house, there was a particular day that always stood out to him. On that day, he had been strictly told not to step outside the house, no matter what. Of course, as a curious child, Alex was dying to know why. His questions were met with silence or vague answers, which only made his curiosity stronger. So, on one of these 'special' days, Alex had sneaked out of his mother's watchful eyes and wandered into the garden.
As he expected, there were unfamiliar faces in the garden that day, and they were dressed in strange clothes. Hiding behind the green flowers that lined a part of the garden, Alex crouched low, peering through the thick leaves. He struggled to get a good view of what was happening, but there was one thing that instantly grabbed his attention.
Two men were fighting. It wasn't an ordinary fight—both men were highly skilled in martial arts, and their movements were swift, powerful, and precise. Punches and kicks were exchanged, and they seemed evenly matched for a while. But then something extraordinary happened.
In the midst of the intense exchange, one of the men did something that completely shocked young Alex. The man threw a punch—but it wasn't just an ordinary punch. As his fist shot forward, it ignited into a ball of condensed fire. The flames wrapped around his hand as if they were an extension of his body. His fiery punch struck his opponent squarely, and the force was enough to send the other man flying backward, defeated instantly.
Seeing this, Alex's natural reaction was terror. His breath caught in his throat, and his chest tightened as he gasped in shock, the sound sharp and involuntary. This reaction was enough to alert the others, making them aware of the presence at that moment. Every muscle in Alex's body froze, his heart pounding in his ears as his eyes widened in disbelief.
What happened after that moment was something Alex wished he could erase from his memory. It was one of the harshest experiences he had ever endured, a turning point that eventually led his mother to move him out of the mansion. The events that followed that day had been burned into his mind, etched with the kind of pain and fear he hoped to never feel again.
Even though time had passed, Alex often found himself thinking back to that day. He would replay the scene in his mind, over and over, trying to make sense of it. Yet, no matter how much he analyzed it, he could never reach a clear conclusion. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Was it a trick of the light? A figment of his imagination? He wanted to believe it was, even as something deep within him insisted that what he saw was real.
Unable to share his thoughts with anyone—no one who could understand or believe him—he pushed the memory deep down, locking it away in a mental vault. He buried it so far that he almost convinced himself it never happened. He hoped that, one day, there might be an explanation, something that would help him make sense of it all.
Years passed, and that haunting memory faded into the background, nearly forgotten in the vastness of his life. But now, as Alex stood frozen in the present, watching the event unfolding before him, something inside him shifted. It was as though this new experience had ripped open that old wound, triggering the flood of memories he had worked so hard to bury.
Looking at the stranger who had come to help him, Alex could see that the man was fine. He stood there, unharmed, with bullets lodged in his face. One bullet had stuck in his forehead, another in his cheek, and the last one had hit his jaw. These were dangerous places to be shot, yet the man seemed completely unaffected by the bullets.
Slowly, the bullets began to fall to the floor, one by one. As they dropped, they crumpled up, leaving only small red marks on the man's skin. The sight was both strange and unsettling, and Alex couldn't take his eyes off the man.
"You... You're not human! You're a monster!" the leader of the robbers shouted, his voice shaking as he started to back away in fear. His steps were slow, hesitant, as if he couldn't believe what he had just seen.
Meanwhile, the man who had been shot simply stood there, still staring, as if he couldn't quite process what had happened. His eyes were fixed on the leader, but his thoughts seemed far away. Inside his mind, he was trying to make sense of it all.
'Just now, I couldn't even outrun those bullets. In the past, dodging a bullet wasn't a problem, but what happened just now?' he wondered, the question swirling in his mind. He couldn't understand why his reflexes had failed him this time. Something had changed, but he wasn't sure what.
'It's a good thing that my body is still at stage five; if not, that bullet would've ended me,' the man thought. He couldn't explain it, but something was building up inside him. A strange feeling washed over him, like he had been in this situation before, though he couldn't recall when. It was like a flash, a fleeting memory, and before he could fully grasp it, something clicked in front of him.
Without warning, he burst into action, dashing toward the robber leader. His movements were swift, almost too fast for anyone to follow.
The leader, seeing this sudden movement, quickly raised his gun and fired more bullets at the man. But before he could even blink, the stranger had disappeared from his sight. In the next moment, the leader felt something strong grab his head, and before he could understand what was happening, his head was slammed hard against the wall, held firmly in place.
The stranger was the one pressing the leader's head against the wall. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as if he had exerted a great deal of energy. He bent slightly, clutching his knees for support as he tried to steady his breathing.
'What just happened...? I didn't mean to attack like that. It's like my body was acting on instinct,' the man thought, confused. His actions had felt automatic, as if his body had moved without his mind's command. Finally, he released his grip on the robber's head, letting him slump to the ground.
The man collapsed onto the floor, unconscious, as blood trickled down from his head. It formed a small pool beneath him, and his body lay still.
"Did... Did you just kill him?" Alex asked, snapping out of his daze, his voice shaky and filled with disbelief.
"He's not dead, at least not yet. But if he's left like this, he'll bleed out," the man replied calmly. He knelt down and turned the unconscious man over. On the side of his head, where it had slammed into the wall, a large wound was clearly visible. It was deep-so deep that part of his skull could be seen through the torn flesh.
Alex felt a wave of nausea rise in his throat. The sight made him want to throw up, but he clenched his jaw, forcing himself to keep it down. He couldn't look away, though; it was horrifying and fascinating at the same time.
The man then placed his hand over the wound and closed his eyes for a brief moment, focusing. After a few seconds, he lifted his hand, and the wound had almost completely healed. The deep gash was gone, leaving only a faint trace of blood on the man's skin.
"This should be enough to stop him from dying," the man said, standing up again.
Alex's mind was racing. He couldn't keep the question inside any longer. "What are you?" he blurted out. His voice was filled with confusion and a growing sense of fear. Everything this man had done seemed unnatural. First, bullets couldn't harm him, then his speed was beyond human, and now Alex had just witnessed him heal a severe wound in a matter of seconds.
"I'm sorry, kid," the man said, his tone shifting to something darker, more serious. He turned to face Alex, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Whatever happened today, you weren't supposed to see any of it."
The man's voice had a grim edge as he continued. "I came to help you, but it looks like I've only dragged you into a bigger mess. Now, I have to make sure that what happened here-what you saw-doesn't get out."
He took a slow step forward, moving toward Alex. Each step felt heavy, and Alex could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he realized that this situation was far from over.
Alex took a step back, his face filled with panic as he stared at the man. He had come to help him, but now it seemed like he might be a threat. Alex's mind raced, trying to understand why this person, who seemed to have extraordinary abilities, might turn against him. He guessed that what he had witnessed must be the reason.
'Is this some kind of secret group that doesn't want anyone to know about them?' Alex thought anxiously. 'What if I tell him I already know about their existence? No, he'd probably just think I'm making it up.' His rising panic made it hard for him to think clearly.
Alex didn't even consider trying to run. He doubted he could escape from someone with such abilities. The thought of fleeing seemed pointless.
"Wait, they have to be away... You can't..." Alex's voice trembled as he spoke. It looked like he was on the verge of breaking down. At that moment, a particular image flashed in his mind.
'I'm sorry, Mum,' he thought, feeling a wave of regret and helplessness.
"Come on, kid, did you really think I'd go through all the trouble of following you just to kill you?" the man said, his voice taking on a slightly more reassuring tone. He tried to smile, but the gesture quickly faded. It was clear the man was trying to calm Alex down, even though his own expression remained tense and serious.
"However, I'm serious about what I said. Someone like you shouldn't know about these things. Even if you do, there are three possible outcomes for you," the man said, his tone grave and unwavering.
"First, as you already know, is that I kill you. Like they say, a dead man tells no tales," the man continued.
"Second, your memory of today could be erased. However, this method has itsrisks. Sometimes mistakes happen, and you might end up losing all your memories," he explained.
"And the third option is that you become like us. You become a Paragon, like us, with great power," the man said, emphasizing the word "power" to highlight the gravity of the transformation.
"Now, kiddo, make your choice," the man said, his expression twisting into a wild grin.