"How are you doing?" The voice came from a phone in Hazel's hand.
"I'm good, thanks for asking. And thank you for always checking up on me, Alexa," Hazel replied, a genuine smile on his face.
"No need to thank me," Alexa responded, her voice softening, almost as if she were blushing.
Hazel found himself in a luxurious room, surrounded by opulent furnishings and expansive views. This unexpected comfort was a result of a surprising discovery he'd made since returning from the "forbidden god's" call: he now owned a significant amount of property and wealth. It was confusing, almost unbelievable, but after some investigation, it seemed that many people who had played a crucial role in the apocalypse had returned to riches. It was a strange reward for surviving the end of the world, although it seems another is on its way, but there is a difference in difficulty this time and apocalypse style
"We'll talk later," Hazel said to Alexa, already feeling a hint of the day's events brewing.
"Okay, later then," Alexa replied, her usual cheeriness returning.
"Yeah," Hazel affirmed before ending the call.
Hazel gazed out his massive glass window, which offered a panoramic view of the city. He was in a building that resembled a grand, upscale house, though it was actually a luxurious hotel. Since he hadn't owned a proper home before the apocalypse, this hotel had become his temporary residence.
As Hazel watched the city below, a distant explosion ripped through the sky, sending a shockwave that he could almost feel.
"I was wondering when this would start," Hazel murmured to himself, his expression unreadable.
A troubling thought had been gnawing at Hazel: the stark contrast between those who gained wealth and those who didn't after the apocalypse. With everyone now possessing unique powers, he foresaw inevitable conflicts, especially in the realm of politics. The old political system had been shattered by the apocalypse, but now elections were back. This time, however, the usual corruption was compounded by the unpredictable element of superpowers. Hazel feared this could be even more catastrophic than the apocalypse itself.
Driven by curiosity and a sense of duty, Hazel decided to investigate the explosion. He slid open the large glass door that led to a long, open-air corridor. Without a moment's hesitation, he stepped onto the edge of the corridor and leaped off, soaring into the sky like a bird of prey, heading directly for the source of the blast.
Hazel moved through the air with astonishing speed and grace, eventually landing silently on a building near the explosion's origin. From his vantage point, he observed a tense confrontation unfolding in a nearby park. It appeared to be a street gang attempting to corner and assault a boy who looked no older than seventeen. The earlier explosion, Hazel realized, had likely been caused by one of the gang members.
Remarkably, the boy seemed completely unharmed, a detail that piqued Hazel's interest. He settled comfortably on the edge of the building, preparing to observe the unfolding drama.
One of the gang members seemed to possess pyrokinesis, the ability to conjure fire from thin air, shaping it into deadly fireballs and more. "That person must have caused the earlier explosion," Hazel thought, his gaze fixed on the fiery display.
The fire-wielding aggressor continued to hurl blazing orbs at the boy, but, inexplicably, the flames couldn't get close. It was as if an invisible force was blocking every attack. "Could he be a barrier user who has truly mastered his abilities?" Hazel mused, a flicker of intrigue in his eyes.
The relentless fire attack persisted, but then something astonishing happened. The boy casually stretched out his hand toward the fire-wielding gang member. As the boy raised his hand upward, the fire guy was suddenly lifted into the air, as if by an unseen hand.
The boy slowly began to clench his outstretched fingers, and the fire guy, still suspended, started to be squeezed by an invisible force. This shocking display prompted the other gang members to react. One instantly disappeared and reappeared behind the boy, swinging a baseball bat with full force.
However, the moment the bat connected, it shattered into pieces. The boy, still holding the first assailant aloft, calmly extended his other hand towards the second attacker. The same invisible force seized the bat-wielding gang member, lifting him into the air and beginning to crush him. The remaining gang members hesitated, their bravado replaced by fear and uncertainty.
"What kind of power is this?" Hazel wondered aloud, utterly captivated by the boy's abilities.
Suddenly, the roar of a helicopter filled the air, followed by the screech of tires as several cars rapidly approached. The remaining gang members immediately panicked and scattered, disappearing into the city.
"Oh, who are these guys?" Hazel asked himself, his curiosity deepening.
"Don't make any move! This is the SFC command! Listen, or face punishment!" a booming voice announced through the helicopter's loudspeaker.
"SFC, hmm. Who might they be?" Hazel pondered, an unfamiliar organization now entering the scene.
The cars quickly formed a perimeter around the boy, while the helicopter hovered directly overhead. Several individuals emerged from the vehicles, dressed in sleek, cybernetic-looking gear. Then, a man stepped out, dressed in stark contrast to the others.
This man wore expensive, normal attire, exuding an air of authority and power within the SFC. He appeared calm and collected as he walked towards the boy, who still held the two gang members suspended and visibly contorting in the air.
"Hey kid," the man called out, his voice smooth and commanding, instantly gaining the boy's attention.
The boy looked at him, and the man continued, "Kid, let them go. Don't worry, we won't harm you. And I'm sure you don't want us to."
"I didn't do anything; they attacked me," the kid retorted, his voice surprisingly firm.
"You bloody liar! You stole from us!" one of the suspended gang members shrieked, clearly in pain.
"Kid, just calm down and let them down," the man urged, his tone unwavering.
"What will you do to me?" the kid asked, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
"Nothing. We'll just have a word with you, that's all," the man replied, a subtle manipulation in his voice.
The kid, seemingly convinced, released the two gang members, who immediately dropped to the ground, gasping for air. But before anyone could fully register what was happening, the man had vanished from his spot and reappeared behind the boy. With a swift, precise movement, he smacked the boy firmly on the neck, causing him to instantly lose consciousness and collapse.
Immediately, the uniformed SFC personnel moved in, quickly handcuffing the unconscious boy and the two recovering gang members.
The man then scanned his surroundings, his eyes finally landing on Hazel, who was still calmly watching everything unfold. In a blink, the man disappeared again, reappearing behind Hazel. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice sharp.
Hazel remained seated, completely unfazed by the man's sudden appearance. "Who are you guys?" he asked, his voice even and unconcerned.
"We are the SFC, Special Force Control," the man replied, his tone growing colder as he began to unleash his aura, a subtle display of his inner power. "And if I may ask, who are you, and why did you do nothing while witnessing this fight?"
Hazel didn't even turn his head to acknowledge the man. He continued to sit there, acting as if he hadn't heard a word, which visibly angered the SFC leader. The man reached out to grab Hazel's shoulder.
As the man's hand extended, he suddenly felt a touch on his own shoulder from behind. He reacted instantly, spinning around as fast as humanly possible, only to find Hazel, the very person he had seen a millisecond ago in front of him. But before he could even process it, Hazel was already turning away, calmly walking across the rooftop.
The man stared at Hazel in utter disbelief as the mysterious figure effortlessly leaped from the building and disappeared from sight. "Such immense speed," he whispered, a hint of awe in his voice. "There are truly others stronger than even those in the SFC's highest ranks. I wonder if he could beat our top fighters."
"I'm happy I didn't attack," the man thought to himself, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. "Or I'd be dead."
Hazel arrived back in his luxurious hotel room, the soft carpet cushioning his steps. He collapsed onto his bed, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That kid has potential," he mused aloud. "I think I might want him. But what kind of power was he using?"
"Now that I think of it, there's a high probability that he's using a phantom," Hazel speculated, recalling a rare and mysterious type of ability. "I can't be totally sure, but I sensed something moving from his back, and it was that 'thing' he was controlling and using to attack."