The city they were in wasn't an earthquake-prone area. Small tremors like this happened maybe once every year or two, but they rarely caused any real damage to buildings or infrastructure.
Then a commotion started. People got out of their cars, pointing ahead as smoke rose from about half a kilometer away. A mall had partially collapsed, with half of it caving in on itself.
Many pulled out their phones to record, while a few others quickly called for the fire department.
Inside the car, a figure suddenly popped into existence, making Rownak jolt back.
"Ahh! Baby Ghost?!" he yelped, clutching his chest.
Jay didn't even glance at MJ, who had just appeared. With a serious look, he tapped his wristband. A new display slid out from the dashboard, displaying several controls. With a few quick presses, the car's outer shell shimmered and blended into its surroundings before vanishing completely from view.
The tires retracted and transformed into booster-like structures, releasing streams of blue flame. The car lifted smoothly into the air and soared upward.
No one around noticed. Only a few people nearby glimpsed the car vanishing, but before they could react or shout, Jay wiped the moment from their minds.
Rownak's eyes nearly popped out as he watched through the window. "We're… we're flying?"
Qew, seeing the look on Jay's face, asked quickly, "Brother, what's going on?"
Jay didn't answer her directly and instead instructed MJ, "Tell them what you told me."
MJ nodded and began, "The epicenter of this 4.0 earthquake was within the city. The tremor didn't cause large-scale damage, but several poorly built structures collapsed. Most were small and old buildings. The only major structure affected was the city's largest mall, AMC Mall."
"There apparently was a structural integrity issue in it. Water leaks weakened several main support columns, and the steel inside them had corroded over time. The quake triggered a chain reaction, and the entire right half of the mall caved in. Several people are dead, and many others are trapped in the rubble, including Dante and his uncle, Roberto."
Qew and Kay exchanged tense looks. They hadn't expected Dante to be caught in this. Jay's serious expression made sense now.
Kay leaned forward and asked quickly, "What about Dante and his uncle? Are they okay?"
MJ replied, "They're fine for now. But they won't be for long."
Kay exhaled slowly, a hint of relief appeared on his face. He wasn't worried about Dante, but Roberto was a regular human with no way to protect himself against such heavy debris.
He thought for a moment and then asked, "How many people are still inside the mall? What's the situation now?"
MJ nodded and brought up several holographic screens. The functioning CCTV feeds from the section that hadn't collapsed flickered to life.
Most of the footage showed smoke, rubble, flickering lights, and sparking wires hanging from the ceiling. Storefronts were shattered, and people who weren't trapped were running for their lives, some carrying or helping injured friends and family as they tried to escape.
Among the screens were many smaller ones with low clarity feeds from mobile phones inside the collapsed section, at least from those still working.
MJ reported, "From what I've gathered, there were 6,944 people inside when the quake hit. In the East Wing that collapsed, 3,617 were present at the time. Before the full collapse, one-third managed to reach the West Wing. Another one-third are injured but not in immediate danger. 412 people were crushed during the initial collapse. The rest are alive but trapped. If they aren't rescued soon, their chances drop by the minute."
Kay's face turned grim at the death toll. More than four hundred had already died, and many more might not make it before official rescue teams arrive.
As MJ finished the report, their camouflaged car reached the top of the mall and hovered above a large opening in the roof.
Kay turned to Jay. "Brother, if we step in now, we can save a lot of them. Can't we?"
Jay was about to reply, but Qew spoke first with a firm tone. "Kay, don't be reckless. Yes, we could save many if we went all out. But doing so risks exposing our abilities. Even if MJ scrubs the digital records, how can brother erase the memories of so many witnesses? Word would spread, and once it does, it will bring danger to our family.
Brother can't always be here protecting us. Once the Beta Program begins, we'll all be in the Trial World. What happens then? What about our parents, Uncle and Aunt, and our Enterprise? What about all the people depending on it?"
Kay hesitated and remained silent. He knew Qew was right. Exposing themselves could bring far greater danger to their family and allies.
After all, Jay couldn't be there to protect them all the time. He had to spend most of his time in the Trial World, growing stronger, leading his faction, and training to reach new heights.
Even Kay, Qew, Lokesh, Moro, and the other trusted bodyguards would have to take part in the Beta Program starting from Day-31. If they drew too much attention now, their family and the Enterprise would be left unprotected, and his actions could endanger them all.
Kay lowered his head, his fists tightening as he struggled with the decision. He wanted to save as many people as he could, even if it meant exposing his abilities. But the fallout from doing so wasn't something he could handle.
Jay watched his younger brother struggle, beating himself up for not being strong enough to save everyone. Qew's concerns were valid, but she didn't truly understand how powerful Jay had become. The mere presence of MJ alone was enough to make governments and powerful organizations back down.
Seeing his brother torn apart, Jay couldn't stay still. He placed a hand on Kay's shoulder and said, "Go. Save them. Leave the rest to me."
Qew was taken aback by his assurance. She started to speak but paused, saying softly, "But…"
Jay cut her off and said in a reassuring voice, "Trust me, Sister. I have this under control."
The confidence in his tone stopped Qew from arguing further. Kay, though hesitant, wondered if Jay was only putting on a brave front, but quickly dismissed the thought. His brother never made empty promises. If anything, he was likely downplaying his capabilites.
That was enough to give Kay the resolve to act without holding back.
Jay opened the car door and said, "I'm going down to the lower ground floor for Dante. You two focus on rescuing people from the top five floors. Follow MJ's instructions to prioritize those in immediate danger and reduce casualties. I'll assist you both whenever necessary while working to stabilize the mall's structure from further collapse."
With that, Jay leapt from the car, plunging through the opening in the mall's ceiling about forty meters above the ground. Kay and Qew followed right after.
Rownak, left alone in the hovering car, sat in stunned silence. The events and the conversation he had just witnessed were overwhelming enough, but watching Jay and his siblings leap from such a height left him even more shocked.
The only way any of it made sense was if the story Qew had told earlier was true.After what he had seen, he no longer had any reason to doubt it.
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Author Note:
Due to ongoing piracy concerns, the final 22 chapters of Volume 3 (Ch.351 to 372) are not posted publicly. They are exclusively available through:
📘 Amazon Kindle – Volume 3 eBook & PATRE0N
👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRQNP1ZS
📅 Chapter Release Schedule
A total of 4 chapters every week, with 2 chapters / week for each book:
Earth's Alpha Prime – Volume 4
🗓️ Wednesday & Saturday
ALTER REALITY: Online – 1st Side Story of EARTH's ALPHA PRIME
🗓️ Monday & Friday
📖 Go check this new book out if you haven't already!
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Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
https://discord.gg/EmqX6fh9cV
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