Eric stepped into the empty dormitory. The silence pressed against his ears. Too still. Too deliberate. But after a moment, he shook it off and kept packing his clothes.

  As he folded the last shirt, a worn photograph slipped from the drawer and landed at his feet. Two smiling boys stared back at him—himself and Kael, younger, na?ve.

  Eric’s lips twisted.

  Eric (muttering): “You should’ve stayed close to the director, Kael. No way I’m letting Alita treat you like you’re worth more than me.”

  He crushed the photo in his fist.

  Eric: “We were supposed to see the world together… but I guess it’ll only be me now. Wicelind is waiting. I’ll grow stronger than anyone. I might even miss this place.”

  A low chuckle slipped from his throat.

  Eric: “But the real fun… will be watching it burn.”

  ---

  Inside Alita’s Office

  Alita sat rigidly behind her desk, a document lying unsigned before her.

  Alita (tight voice): “Sign here. Then it’s done.”

  Across from her, Alex leaned back in his chair, smile sharp and mocking.

  Alex: “Why so guarded, Alita? You already know what I want. Where’s the boy?”

  Alita (cold): “Which boy?”

  Alex (voice dipping, amused): “The one whose family was erased from history.”

  Outside the door, Eric froze. His breath caught in his chest.

  Alita (steady): “I don’t know what you’re talking about. But why kill the other child? And why Eric?”

  Alex rose slowly, his shadow spilling across the floor.

  Alex: “Eric isn’t just a boy. He’s a cornerstone—one of the keys to our plan.”

  Alita (snapping): “He’s just a child!”

  Alex (smirking): “A child with anti-powers. That makes him worth more than you can imagine.”

  He signed the document with a flourish and moved to the door. His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Alex: “Do you know why I told you all this? Because you’ll be dead soon. And distractions… make death sweeter.”

  When he stepped outside, Eric was waiting, eager.

  Alex: “Eric. Time to go.”

  Eric: “Sir… when you destroy the orphanage, I want to be there.”

  Alex (arching a brow): “Why?”

  Eric (smiling): “Because I want to see it burn—up close.”

  Alex (after a pause, grinning): “Very well.”

  ---

  Later – Kael & Alita

  Alita hurried down the hallway, blood pounding in her ears. She found Kael in the library, lost in a book.

  Alita (urgent): “Kael, there you are! This place isn’t safe—we have to leave tonight.”

  Kael (confused): “What’s going on? Why are you—”

  She knelt before him, gripping his shoulders. Her eyes softened, but her voice was grave.

  Alita: “Before we go, you need to know about your eyes. I should’ve told you sooner.”

  Kael (frowning): “My eyes? What about them?”

  Alita: “They’re the strongest known in Wicelind. People would kill to control them.”

  Kael (nervous laugh): “Come on, Miss Alita. That sounds ridiculous. My eyes? Strongest in the world?”

  Alita (firm): “Listen. Your eyes can copy any power you witness. Not just mimicry—true replication. If you see it, you can wield it.”

  Kael stared at her, speechless.

  Kael: “You’re serious? If I saw someone conjure fire, I could…?”

  Alita (nodding): “Yes. But there’s a price. The ability consumes enormous wais. More than most vessels can hold. Without balance, it will demand sacrifice. Blood, life… something irreplaceable.”

  Kael (shaken): “So I could copy… anything? Even things not of this world?”

  Alita (hesitant, whispering): “Maybe. Your eyes don’t see limits—only possibilities. But Kael…”

  She cupped his cheek, fierce and pleading.

  Alita: “Promise me you won’t use them until you’re ready. If you give in too early, your own power will devour you.”

  Kael looked away, torn between fear and disbelief.

  Kael (softly): “It still feels like a joke…”

  Alita (pressing a small book into his hands): “Then treat it as one until you can believe. Read. Learn. Be ready—because tomorrow, everything changes.”

  ---

  The Attack

  Night fell heavy over the orphanage. Kael drifted into uneasy sleep, the book still open on his chest.

  Then came the voices.

  Mage (outside, cold): “Spare no one. Kill them all.”

  Screams ripped through the night. Shadows flooded the courtyard—men in black steel, blades flashing in moonlight. Children cried out, begging for mercy.

  Kael pressed his hands to his ears.

  Kael (whispering): “Make it stop… make it stop…”

  The door burst open. Alita staggered inside, blood soaking her clothes.

  Alita (urgent, gasping): “Kael—no time. You have to leave!”

  She shoved a bloodstained card into his hands.

  Alita: “When you reach Ashlyn, find the person named here. He’ll know what to do. Run, Kael. Don’t look back!”

  She dragged him through the smoke-filled hall, out the window into the night air. But in the courtyard—

  Alex (smiling): “We meet again. Don’t worry, Alita. I’ll kill you quickly. Consider it… respect for Eric.”

  He snapped his fingers. A fireball roared toward them. Alita twisted aside, barely dodging.

  Alita (panting): “Run, Kael!”

  Kael stumbled forward—and froze.

  Eric.

  His childhood friend stood ahead, sword gleaming under the moonlight. Kael’s heart stopped as Eric stepped forward and, without hesitation, drove his blade through Alita’s throat.

  Her body fell limp, blood soaking the dirt.

  Eric (cold, almost tender): “You always looked at him… never at me. If I can’t have you, Alita, then no one will.”

  Kael’s scream shattered the night. Rage surged through him, burning away fear.

  He lunged, reckless.

  Eric (reeling back, shocked): “You—? How are u still alive ?"

  Kael collapsed to his knees beside Alita’s body, hands trembling as her blood seeped hot and sticky through his fingers. His chest heaved, but no air filled his lungs. The world dulled—smoke, screams, even Eric’s face blurred into nothing but a smear of red and shadow.

  His scream tore out, raw and broken, a sound not of a boy but of something breaking apart inside him. His vision shook with tears, yet behind them, a heat began to burn.

  Eric pulled his blade free with a slow, deliberate motion. His voice was cold as steel.

  Eric (flatly): “You were never meant to survive, Kael. This world doesn’t need you.”

  Behind him, Alex raised his hand, flames coiling into a massive sphere. The fire reflected in Kael’s eyes, but for the first time, the reflection moved. The air around him rippled, trembling as if reality itself recoiled.

  Alex (smirking): “Don’t worry, boy. You won’t suffer long.”

  The fireball roared forward.

  Kael’s grief twisted, curdled, and ignited. His body convulsed, veins glowing faintly as if molten fire surged through them. A pressure built inside his skull—then crack—a sound like shattering glass echoed in his mind.

  The air quivered. Shadows recoiled. Even the flames seemed to hesitate.

  Kael’s scream tore into something deeper than flesh; it shook the ground, the walls, the night itself. His vision drowned in red and gold light, and in that instant, the seal inside him ruptured.