The forest did not scream. It simply… accepted. A body hit the ground with a dull, final sound. Then silence followed, thick and unmoving, as though the world itself had decided not to interfere. Seth stood there, still and watching. The assassin lay twisted against the earth, limbs bent at unnatural angles, the dark aura that once clung to him now dissipating like smoke chased away by an unseen wind. For a moment, nothing happened but then something shifted.
The skin, it… sank. Not slowly, not naturally but rapidly like time itself had lost patience. Seth's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed.
"…that's fast."
The corpse began to wither, flesh tightening against bone before collapsing inward, the structure beneath it weakening at an alarming rate. This scene was like one straight from a horror movie yet he stood there unmoving. Within seconds, the body that should have remained intact for weeks—months, even—was already breaking apart. Advanced Humans did not decay like this. They endured even in death, especially depending on their Tier. Yet this one was unraveling too quickly and too cleanly.
"…covering tracks," Seth muttered under his breath.
Or—
Something worse.
A soft crunch echoed behind him. He didn't turn immediately because he already knew.
"…you took your time."
Footsteps stopped a few paces away, measured and calm. A familiar presence.
"You handled yourself well."
Seth turned then, his gaze landing on the man. The one who always stood behind Willow. Quiet and unassuming as usual. Invisible until he chose not to be.
"…you're her shadow," Seth said flatly.
The man didn't respond to that. Instead, his eyes drifted briefly to the decomposing corpse. He scrutinized the corpse and guessed at something with a slight frown.
"Your instincts led you here?"
Seth tilted his head slightly.
"Something like that."
A pause lingered, thin and sharp.
"You sensed me too," the man added. That was not a question.
Seth's lips curved faintly.
"…barely."
The man studied him carefully. He exhaled helplessly while shaking his head a bit. It was brief though. Then—
"Go home." Simple and direct.
"I'll handle the rest."
Seth neither argued nor did he question. He just bent down, picked up his bag, and slung it over his shoulder.
"…try not to leave a mess."
The man almost smiled. Almost! He couldn't believe his ears. Seth turned and walked away. The man watched him go for a second, two... His gaze narrowing just slightly.
"…interesting."
Then his attention shifted back to the corpse or what remained of it but his thoughts weren't there anymore. They lingered on the moment before. Earlier, Seth trembled in a pathetic and broken manner. Every movement screamed weakness, fear and desperation. The perfect prey. Hidden among the trees, unseen, the man observed. He had arrived long before. Long before the assassin revealed himself. Long before Seth spoke. He had waited, watched and measured and what he saw— It didn't align.
The fear was too clean. Too deliberate that only a spectator would notice. The breathing was uneven but controlled beneath it. Even the stumble… was timed.
"…you noticed."
The realization came quietly and sharp. Seth wasn't panicking, he was performing. Drawing the predator in by forcing proximity, testing response, timing and testing…him. The assassin moved fast. Too fast for most but not for him, not for Roy. He even believed that Seth would have a hard time keeping up with that speed if he were to engage with the assassin.
The moment the blade cut through air, Roy stepped in. Not rushed, not strained but just there as if space itself had decided to place him between death and its target. The air changed. No—It collapsed. A presence surged outward. It was not wild, not chaotic but precise and focused. Directed entirely at one individual.
The assassin froze. Not physically at first but internally. Something crushed him, not his body but his will, senses and his very existence screamed at him to kneel, to submit and to disappear. His eyes widened. Horror flooded them as he understood too late that he had stepped into something far beyond him.
"…impossible—"
The thought never finished.
Roy moved and in a single motion. A clean and efficient twist of his hand, space seemed to distort, much to Seth's surprise. Final! And just like that the life was gone. No resistance, no struggle and no regret. Only silence prevailed.
Presently, Roy exhaled slowly.
"…he set the stage."
That much was clear. Seth had forced the reveal, forced the intervention and forced him to act. A test subtle but deliberate.
"…dangerous boy."
Roy turned away. The forest swallowed his presence as he began cleaning what remained. Seth, meanwhile, walked, unbothered and unhurried. As though nothing had happened. As though death had not brushed past him minutes ago. By the time he reached home, the sun had already begun its descent. The sky painted itself in muted gold and dying orange. He stepped inside but silence greeted him. So familiar and comfortable. The shower was cold. Deliberately so. Water ran down his skin, washing away dust, sweat and something unseen. His eyes remained open the entire time. Unblinking and thoughtful.
Minutes later, he entered his room and there— Chaos. Not the loud kind but the calculated one. His desk was buried beneath papers, books, scattered notes. Photographs pinned and unpinned. There were faces circled and names scribbled. Arrows connecting fragments into incomplete truths. It was an ongoing personal investigation.
"…still missing something."
He moved quietly, organizing, stacking, aligning. Every movement of his was precise and intentional. Until— Order returned but the puzzle remained unsolved. He stared at it for a moment then turned and grabbed his jacket.
"…time to move."
Far from the city—
Far from structure—
Far from comfort—
The world remembered what it once was. Centuries ago—Heaven fell. Not metaphorically nor symbolically but it fell. The event reshaped existence itself, tearing through the fabric of the world and rewriting the rules that governed life. What descended was not salvation, nor destruction alone—but transformation. The sky fractured and the earth responded. Energy—unknown and unmeasured—poured into every living thing. Humanity changed and so did everything else. Those who adapted became something more...Advanced Humans, those who failed became something else entirely, the Fallen. Creatures stripped of reason, driven by instinct, yet empowered by unstable evolution.
Since that day—The world was no longer Earth. It became Divine Earth a place where power dictated survival. Where Awakening determined fate, where Gifts defined existence and where evolution never truly stopped. In a remote expanse, where nature grew untamed and the air carried a weight not found in cities—Five figures moved in silence, their presence blended into the environment. Not by accident but by skill.
"Target confirmed."
A whisper so sharp and controlled resonated amongst them. Ahead, something moved. Wrong and distorted. A Fallen! Its body twisted, proportions unnatural, movements erratic yet purposeful. It even maintained a humanoid figure despite its amorphous figure. Dangerous, very dangerous.
"Engage."
They didn't hesitate. One moved first. Fast and precise. Energy flared—Though subtle, it was controlled. Red waves of energy held the abomination in place. It was caught off guard and before it could freeze itself, a blue lazer flashed through it a few tens of times in a split second. The clash was brief. Violent and decisive.
Kyyyiiieeeekkkgggrr!!!
The Fallen shrieked in an inhuman voice before it fell. Silence reclaimed the space.
"…too easy," one muttered.
"Stay sharp," another replied.
"That was the last one though." A small loli said satisfactorily
It was then that the leader froze. His eyes unfocused for half a second. Then—
"…Soul Message."
The others turned upon hearing that.
"Orders?"
He exhaled.
"…we're pulling out."
Confusion flickered. They had just embarked on this quest and yet they were ordered to pull out!? This was unacceptable for most of them.
"What? Why?"
"Directive from above. All units return to Point Tower."
That shifted everything.
"Now?"
"Yes."
A pause. Then—
"…something's happening."
The leader didn't answer but his silence confirmed it. They moved quickly and efficiently with no wasted motion. Because if The Order was calling them back—Then the hunt had just changed instead of being dropped.
Back in Starland City, Roy stepped into the estate. It was silent and clean as usual. The weight of the forest no longer clung to him. Austin stood at a balcony, deep in contemplation. He was still and composed. Watching something far beyond the visible. Roy approached and bowed slightly.
"Report."
In the next few minutes, Roy explained everything that went down without leaving out any details. He was precise with no embellishment and no omission. Austin listened, eyes narrowing just slightly at one point. Then a nod.
"Understood." Austin said and with a flick of the hand, d the man was dismissed.
Roy turned and walked away but soon paused because Willow stood nearby, waiting with her usual composure slightly… cracked. He knew right away what was up.
"…is he okay?"
The question came faster than she intended. Roy studied her briefly, a ghost of a smile clinging onto his face.
"…he's fine."
She exhaled, relief flickering in her eyes. Roy was amused upon seeing this young miss of his slightly worked up because of some boy. Then—
"…this is my fault, isn't it?"
Roy shook his head. Never would he have imagined this scene before but here it was.
"No."
He paused. Then—
"His family."
That answer landed differently. It was heavier than she expected. Willow stilled.
"…I see."
But she didn't, not really because for all her digging, all her searching Seth remained…Unknown. Her gaze shifted toward the balcony where her father stood watching the horizon, unmoving and unreadable.
"…what do you want from him?" She wondered.
The question stayed in her mind, unanswered.
Meanwhile, Seth sat inside a cab, looking out the window. The buildings outside that shone with many star-like crystals, made the view unimaginably beautiful. He loved looking at such night views
"…maybe something faster this time."
His mind drifted, not to the assassin nor to death but to bikes. This was so him. Seth hated holding on to useless things or 'trivial' matters as he liked to say.
"…yeah. Definitely faster."
The city lights reflected in his eyes. He smiled in a calm and detached manner as if nothing had happened, as if nothing was coming. For the first time in a while, Seth pulled out his gadget, a phone! Though he didn't like using such things, they usually came in handy when doing what he was going to do.