To be a hero is easy, but to be a villain is so much easier; you just need a trigger that will
change him into one. This story is not about a hero—maybe it is, or maybe it's about a villain—but
the sure thing is that it's about a man who thought he was doing right after he lost what he loved.
The story of our hero doesn't go on one path; there are so many possibilities, but which one will he
choose?
The story of our hero doesn't go on one path; there are so many possibilities, but the one he chooses
will lead him to Core City—the city where the story is going to begin. And it's not just a name; it's a
city that has one of the biggest sources of power ever made. One percent of its energy can keep a
whole country running for ten years.
But there is a twist: the crystal that shares this kind of energy can't be moved from its place—not
because it's heavy but because it's unstable and powerful. Last time, a group of the richest people in
the world, people who almost controlled the world, tried to control its power for their personal use
and paid over the odds so they could move it from its place for their own interests. When they tried
to remove it, they caused the destruction of the whole city.
So there was no choice for them or anybody else except to leave it where it belonged. And, of
course, the rich people—or as they called themselves, M.C.T.W.—paid double for their crimes. But
the world didn't forget what happened. The casualties of that day were unbelievable.
Even those who survived the incident suffered afterward due to the gases that were released
from the crystal, giving them terrible breathing problems. They had to use a strange machine so
they could breathe clean air, but the bad thing about this machine is that it needed to be attached
to their bodies 24/7.
Everyone lost something that day, whether it was a family member, a friend, or even their life.
That incident affected so many people that it was taught in schools for generations to come—
until the sons of M.C.T.W. showed up, doing their best to undo what their parents did, knowing it
would be hard but believing it was the right thing to do.
By helping the poor, aiding those in need, and driving away the bad, they became like kings, giving
hope to everyone. Most importantly, they rebuilt Core City, giving a new chance to those who lost
their homes and a first chance to those who never had one.
The company name stayed the same, but the ones who ran it changed. They built their company
above the core crystal so they could avoid the same tragedy from happening once again. They
studied the crystal and hired the best of the best scientists around the world to do good for
everyone—or at least that's what we thought.
A lot of villains around the world were still not convinced that the core crystal was unstable.
They believed it was just a lie created so nobody would try to consume its power and cause
another disaster. The villains of the world are not normal humans—they have super strength,
super speed, and abilities you have never seen in your life.
But unfortunately for them, the new generation of M.C.T.W. was the same. Led by three guys,
each one controlled a different power. The left hand controlled the earth, the right hand
controlled the wind, and the one with the mind controlled any kind of water, making him a living
Poseidon.
How do I know all of this? I was one of them. I joined them after they asked for my help.
The story begins in the M.C.T.W. tower, where anything that happens around the world, they
know it, and they try to secure every situation using their advanced technology that isn't
published to the world. Only they have it—exclusively for them. No human being has what
they have, because money can provide you with things that no one else could or should have,
and that is one of their sources of power.
Everything starts when news comes to the leader of everything—the Mind—and his name is
Noah.
His secretary, Sarah, comes to his office to deliver some news, as usual giving him updates
about the status of the city and the crystal core.
Sarah: Sir, I got some news for you.
Noah: Is it the usual?
Sarah: Yes, sir. Everything in Core City is going well. The people are happy, and the crime
level has reduced from 5% to 3%, making Core City the safest city in the entire world.
Noah: What about the crystal core?
Sarah: Well, unfortunately sir, scientists are doing their best, but they still haven't figured out a
way to use the crystal's power except for generating electricity for the city and filtering water.
Noah: (exhaling air) Doing their best? DOING THEIR BEST? Sarah, I need beyond the best.
They need to work harder than that. This is the M.C.T.W.—only the best of the best work here. If
they're not going to help me understand that crystal, replace them with better scientists.
Sarah: I can't. They're the best on the planet—maybe the universe.
Noah: I know, Sarah. It's just… it's been five years since my dumb father and his friends decided
to destroy Core City without knowing what source of power they were messing with. I took an
oath that I will protect this city and its people from anything or anyone. I can't let what
happened five years ago happen again. Not again. Not on my watch. I can't risk it. Sarah, I need—
I need to understand that source of power the crystal provides!
Sarah: OK, sir. I will talk to the scientists and they will work harder. And I will try to reduce the
crime from 3% to 0%.
Noah: (smiling) Thank you, Sarah. I don't know how I could have managed things without you.
Is there anything else?
Sarah: Actually, sir… there is.
Noah: This is unusual. What is it?
Sarah: It's—
Before Sarah finishes her sentence, the tower suddenly shakes with everyone inside it.
But it doesn't collapse. That's because the tower is surrounded by the strongest materials in the
world that can protect it and prevent it from getting destroyed while protecting the crystal core from any sort of power. Then it turns out that the tower is getting hit by one of the Minotaurs—
a half-human, half-bull creature. He speaks in a strange ancient language that no one
understands. With his huge size and his giant hammer, he roars in front of the tower. The moment
he does, Noah shouts to Sarah to use the shockwaves. With one press of a button on Sarah's smartwatch,
a huge shockwave bursts out of the building and pushes the Minotaur far away. In that
moment, Sarah says:
Sarah: That was easy.
Noah: Don't get your hopes up yet; this kind of creature doesn't give up that easily.
Sarah: How do you know—
(getting interrupted by Noah)
Noah: Here it comes.
While both of them look into the sky, something is falling from above extremely fast, like an asteroid.
It turns out it's the Minotaur. Sarah quickly activates the invisible barrier surrounding the
tower—hard to penetrate and extremely durable. The Minotaur hits the barrier so hard
he crashes to the ground.
Before he can stand up, a group of highly trained soldiers surrounds him with high‑tech
weapons and starts shooting, but they can't even scratch him. The Minotaur's skin is so
strong that even their weapons can't harm him. With one quick swing of his hammer,
the group of soldiers is sent flying.
Then he goes back to hitting the barrier, trying to break it. He hits it twice in a row, and on the
third attempt, as he tries to strike again, a blast of water shaped like a dragon hits him and sends
him flying. The one who launched that attack is Noah. While looking at the Minotaur calmly, he says:
Minotaur:(speaking ancient language)
Noah: You've caused me enough trouble for the day.
Noah:(summoning a blue, high‑tech, three‑pronged spear) I don't speak your
language, and I don't need to understand you, because I already know what your motive is.
I know you want to consume the power of the crystal core. You're not the first one to try
this, but I took an oath to protect the city no matter what it takes. That means if you want—the crystal core, you need to come through me.
Minotaur:(angry roars)
They both start running toward each other so one of them can strike the other, but instead,
their weapons clash, creating a great burst of wind that destroys some of the things
around them. Then the Minotaur uses all of his power to try to hit Noah, but Noah keeps
parrying every attack. No matter how big the Minotaur is, Noah parries him like a leaf. Then
he stops the hammer using his spear and hits the Minotaur in the elbow with his hand,
causing the Minotaur to drop his hammer. Then he summons the spear again and strikes the
Minotaur, sending him flying.
The Minotaur grows even angrier and hits the ground with full power, causing the ground
to shake and collapse. Smoke spreads everywhere. In the middle of the smoke, the Minotaur
sees someone and tries to strike, thinking it's Noah. But it was only Noah's spear he saw.
Behind him, the sound of the ocean grows, coming from a small blue glowing ball inside the smoke.
When the smoke clears, it turns out it's Noah preparing his final attack. As he launches it, a
dragon made of water bursts out of the blue glowing ball, striking the Minotaur and sending
him far into the sky, then slamming him back to the ground. The impact is so strong that the
Minotaur loses consciousness. Even though Noah stays calm during the fight, after winning
he still screams:
Noah:(angry) DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ON MY OWN? Where are the
OTHERS?!
Sarah: That's what I was going to tell you before we got interrupted by this creature.
Noah: Go ahead and tell me, please.
Sarah: Luke and Liam are in the middle of the Black Sea waiting for you.
Noah: What the hell are they doing there?
Sarah: It's hard to explain, sir, but what you need to know is that there's some weird
energy coming out of it.
Noah: Weird energy? Is it another core?
Sarah: I'm not sure, but to find out we need you in the Black Sea with Luke and
Liam.
Noah: Got it. I'm going to start moving now.
Sarah: Should I call the plane—
Before Sarah finishes her sentence, Noah calls for a horse made of ocean energy—
the same energy he uses. Its sides are surrounded by Platonic stones, the same stones
that form the Earth's mantle. The horse's name is Arion.
Noah: No need for a plane. I have Arion here. Watch Core City for me, Sarah.
Sarah: But sir, before you go—what about the creature and the civilians? Some of
them got hurt during the fight.
Noah: Just do your usual healing using our tech, give them some money, and tell
them their lives are going to change for the better. And for that thing—you know what to
do with it. I don't need to tell you. I'll be back soon.
While Sarah watches him, Noah jumps into the water riding the horse. But he doesn't
drown—instead, he walks on the surface. Then, with one trot, the horse starts running so
fast it goes under the ocean. Fish‑like fins grow on Arion's limbs, making him even faster
underwater. Noah breathes normally with no effort; this is his environment.
In less than a minute, he reaches the Black Sea where Luke and Liam are.
Noah sits on his horse, Liam flies in the air using his air powers, and Luke stands on a
floating piece of ground. All three of them begin talking.
Noah:(smiling) Hi there, guys.
Luke & Liam: HI, Noah.
Liam: What's all the delay about?
Noah: Yeah, you know—just another day, another creature trying to get to the core.
Liam: But—
Luke: The important question is: what got you smiling like that, man?
Noah: It's just good to see you two. It's been a long time since you came back to the
tower. I miss you guys there.
Liam: We miss you too, Noah, but you know we had to separate so we could make the
world a better place.
Luke: He's right. We started this to help people, but it came at a cost. We all wanted
to help, but in different ways. So yeah, we had to separate so we could help without
problems.
Noah: Forget about that now. What matters is we're all here again. So—what do you
need me for anyway?
Liam points behind Noah so he can see what's there.
The moment Noah turns around, he sees something unexpected—a massive hole in the
middle of the Black Sea. Every fish and animal is being pulled into it. Noah is shocked by
the size of the hole, then sees a white beam shooting out of it.
Noah:(shocked) What kind of power did this? Even at full power, I couldn't create
a hole like this in the ocean.
Liam: We don't know, but we think the answer is down there.
Luke: The only problem is the deeper we go, the water pressure pushes us back
up—flinging us into the air—which is weird because…
Noah: How is there water pressure without water? And why is the ocean pressure
pushing up, not down?
Luke: I tried using my powers to create a rock bubble around me and Liam so we
could go deeper. Liam even pushed with his air powers. But the same thing keeps
happening.
Liam: But for you, Noah, that's normal because this is your environment.
Noah: So that's why you need me. You figured that because I use ocean power, I
can go down there using it.
Both Luke and Liam get embarrassed because their conclusion sounds kind of racist.
Noah laughs because he can't keep a straight face. They can't even raise their heads,
but Noah tells them he's joking and it's not a big deal. He says they weren't wrong anyway.
He explains that his power isn't just controlling water—it's the entire ocean. Any water
coming from rain or the ocean is under his control.
Luke: So we were right?
Liam:(relieved) Oh my god, I was scared for a second. So it'll work, right?
Noah:(smiling) Yeah, but don't be racist next time, my friends.
After they laugh, Noah claps his hands once, releasing white energy that he shares with
Luke and Liam. The energy gives them enough power to break the water pressure. Then
all three jump into the hole, falling fast. They don't even feel the pressure until they almost
hit the bottom—then they break through it.
They easily found themselves in front of a temple. They were mind‑blown by what they saw:
a giant temple, but it was empty; no one was inside. Then Liam started talking.
Liam: How the hell is it that no one ever discovered this?
Noah threw a small rock toward him and said, "Catch, Liam." He caught it and looked at it,
saying it's no time to play. Then Noah asked him:
Noah: Where did you see that same kind of rock?
Liam: I don't know!
Luke: Can I see that?
Liam: Sure, here you go. (throws the rock to him)
Luke:(catches the rock) Huh, this is a Platonic stone. It's the same stone that surrounds your horse.
Noah: Exactly. That means we are almost in the center of the Earth.
Liam: That's why no one discovered it.
Luke: And that's why the water pressure was so strong?
Noah: But it still doesn't explain why the water pressure was going up and not down.
Luke: I'm not sure, but one thing I'm sure of is that our answer is inside that temple.
Liam: Also, where is the beam coming from?
Noah: So, we need to go there then.
They tried to enter the temple, but the doors were locked and couldn't be opened normally.
So they had to destroy it. Luke used his power to create a giant boulder from the ground
and smashed it against the door, busting it open.
They started exploring the temple, examining the design. They didn't know anything about it,
but they did take some samples and pictures, sending them to Sarah using advanced drone tech.
They tried to call her, but there was no signal.
They continued exploring and eventually found themselves in the middle of the temple.
There, they saw where the beam was coming from. They were amazed at how the beam
was above a pyramid, coming from a box with a weird design. Every face of the box was
designed differently from the last, each with different symbols.
Noah, Liam, and Luke all stared at the box, not knowing what to do with it. They didn't know
what it was or where the beam came from, so they had to make a decision. They decided
to take the box back to the M.C.T.W. tower for further analysis.
The last thing they had to do was choose who would touch the box. Luke and Liam immediately
pointed at Noah.
Noah: Why me?
Liam: Because we voted, and you lost. Plus, you're the leader—you're the one who needs
to do the hard work.
Noah: You guys literally called me to do almost everything. But fine, I'll do it.
Noah walked toward the box. He reached out to take it, and before he could touch it,
the box received a small electric charge from Noah's hand and then exploded,
pushing all three of them back.
While they tried to understand what was happening and stood up, they saw more than one
beam shooting into the sky. From the smoke of the explosion, something white and glowing appeared.
They all saw it, but they didn't know what it was. Liam swung his hand and created an air blast
to clear the smoke. They realized the glowing white object was a white shard from the crystal.
They were shocked because the shard looked like the crystal in the M.C.T.W. tower, but
smaller. While they were looking at it, Luke said:
Luke: (panicking) Why the hell does that shard look like the one in the tower?
Noah: I don't know.
Liam: Has anyone ever gotten close to it?
Noah: No, I was guarding it myself.
Liam: Then how...
Before Liam finished his sentence, something strange began to happen to the shard as it began to vibrate and absorb energy from around it as if it were about to explode. The more it absorbed, the faster it vibrated, and Noah shouted to the others.
Noah: PREPARE YOURSELVES, IT'S ABOUT TO EXPLODE!
The moment they got ready, the shard stopped shaking. They didn't expect that, but the worst thing was yet to happen. The shard started to change shape into many things and animals, but it wasn't clear because it was all just white energy until it stopped in the shape of a human — but modified to be bigger. In the end, it came out as a massive monster with bones coming out of its body.
The first thing the monster saw was Noah, Luke, and Liam. As he looked at them, he smiled evilly, causing them to shiver with fear, freezing them in place. Then he started talking.
The Monster: Who are you, little ones?
Liam: (offended) Little ones?
Noah: After you, buddy...
The Monster: I'm Retnuoc. I was the lord of this temple a long time ago, but a great explosion happened and trapped me in this damn box.
Luke (whispers to Noah): Could it be the same explosion that our fathers caused a long time ago?
Retnuoc: I heard that. What do you mean by your fathers?
Noah: Nice way to go, Luke.
Luke: I'm sorry.
Noah (talking to Retnuoc): Yes, our fathers were arrogant people. They tried to control the world by using a great crystal core. But don't worry, it's safe, and we're protecting it. What happened to you won't happen again.
Retnuoc: There is a crystal core here?
Noah: (slaps his head)
Luke (mocking Noah): Nice way to go, Noah.
Noah: SHUT UP, LUKE!
Retnuoc: I used to rule by fear using that crystal core, and no one could tell me no. I was great back then, but your dads took that from me. I was in my prime, and to get back to how I was, I need that crystal core. So I'll ask you just once... give me the crystal core.
Noah: Sorry, but I can't risk it.
Retnuoc: By doing that, you've chosen death for you and your friends.
Luke: I don't think that was a good idea. Noah, we still don't know what kind of monster this is or what his power is.
Noah: I know, but we can't risk the crystal core. Plus, he doesn't know where it is.
Retnuoc: I can feel crystal cores somewhere underground in some tower.
Luke: Noah, you really need to stop talking.
Noah: You're the one who talked first.
Luke: I whispered, Noah. I whispered!
Liam: You both started this, but the important thing is we need to stop him before he goes to the surface.
Retnuoc: So I'm still underground. Thank you for your cooperation.
Luke and Noah (at the same time): LIAAAAAAM!
Liam (looking at them sadly): I'm sorry.
Noah: It doesn't matter, don't give him a chance to attack!
Liam tried to attack using his air arrows, but before they touched Retnuoc, the arrows disappeared. Liam was shocked, so he kept throwing his air arrows one by one, but Retnuoc didn't move. He stood still, smiling evilly. None of Liam's arrows worked; they just kept disappearing.
Then Liam created a huge arrow with his hand and tried to attack directly. He jumped in the air in front of Retnuoc and attacked from close range, but the huge arrow disappeared as if it had never existed. Then Liam understood — he found himself no longer floating when using his power but falling to the ground.
But before he fell, Retnuoc moved fast to the left and, with one hit, sent Liam into the wall.
Immediately after that, Luke wasted no time and jumped from underground behind Retnuoc, creating a huge hammer made of Platonic stones. He tried to hit him, but the same thing happened — half the hammer disappeared before touching Retnuoc.
An evil smile appeared on Retnuoc's face as he looked at Luke. Luke tried to use his power, but he couldn't.
Retnuoc grabbed Luke by the neck and said:
Retnuoc: Is this all you've got? You're weak — you and the other one. Let's see if your leader is strong enough. (looks at Noah)
Noah started charging his attack, the same one he used on the Minotaur. He shouted to Luke:
Noah: Come on, Luke! Get out of there! Use your power!
Luke (struggling): I can't! Something is blocking it. Just do it!
Noah didn't hesitate and launched a water dragon blast straight at Retnuoc. It hit him, but it struggled to harm him. The blast was fast and strong, but it didn't hurt Retnuoc, and somehow Luke was safe at the end of it.
Both Luke and Noah were shocked, unable to speak.
Then Luke felt something enter him — it was Retnuoc's bone, stabbing him through the hand. Retnuoc then threw Luke toward Noah. Noah caught him and quickly raised his head to find Retnuoc, but he wasn't there.
He looked around, but he didn't need to. Retnuoc appeared beside him, staring at him with an evil grin. Noah couldn't move from fear, but he tried to attack using his hand. Retnuoc caught his hand.
Retnuoc: You are weak. Completely weak. You are not worthy of me wasting my time and energy. I need a worthy opponent.
With one kick, Retnuoc sent both Noah and Luke flying toward Liam, and a wall fell on all three of them.
As the wall fell, the last thing Noah saw was Retnuoc's smile before he disappeared.
But at that moment, not only did Retnuoc vanish — the huge hole in the Black Sea began to close, trapping Noah, Liam, and Luke in the temple underwater.
Between the wall debris, all three characters were stuck. Noah and Liam tried to hold the debris so it wouldn't crush them. Noah tried to control the water to avoid drowning them, and Liam tried to create an air barrier so they could breathe. Luke was unconscious from the injury Retnuoc gave him.
Noah: We need a way out of here.
Liam: If you can control the rocks, that would help, because the only guy who can… is maybe dead. Did you at least try to contact Sarah?
Noah: We can't reach her. We're underwater. There's no signal here. The only thing that can get us out of here is—
Before Noah could finish, the three of them began to shine white. In a blink, they disappeared and found themselves back in the M.C.T.W. tower.
Noah: ...the teleporter. Oh, we're back!
Sarah: Welcome back, boys.
Liam: Sarah, where is Luke? Did you forget about him?
Sarah: No. I knew he was injured, so I teleported him directly to the emergency room. Right now, our best doctors are working on him.
Luke: Oh, thank God.
Noah: How did you find us, by the way?
Sarah: The devices we use to contact each other have trackers in them.
Noah: And did you figure out anything from what we sent you?
Sarah: Not much, but something that could help you. But, sir… if you don't mind me asking… what the hell happened down there?
Noah explained what happened and who Retnuoc was, and how they couldn't use their powers near him. Sarah also explained what she found. It turns out the temple was a prison. Someone long ago locked Retnuoc in that box and hid it so no one could find it. But because of the crisis that happened, the box woke up and started sending energy signals, like it was calling someone all these years. At the same time, it was charging power from natural sources around it, preparing to explode and break free.
Sarah also explained that their powers were fine — the reason they didn't work near Retnuoc was because Retnuoc's ability disables any power that gets close to him. And there is no way to disable his ability, because his body is that power.
They all panicked. Everything in the tower runs on power, and if Retnuoc got inside, there was nothing to stop him from recreating the ancient crisis.
(After analyzing the situation for 24 hours, and after Luke woke up…)
Liam: So there is nothing that could stop this monster?
Sarah: I'm afraid not, sir.
Luke: Oh my God, we're doomed. What about our defenses?
Sarah: The defenses can slow him down… that's only if they can hurt him first.
Liam: And that damn monster is almost invincible.
Noah (starting to realize): Sarah… what about someone with no power?
Luke: Are you stupid? How is a normal human going to do anything against that monster?
Liam: Buddy, I think you need a break.
Sarah: It could work… but we'd need someone who at least has super strength.
Liam: Isn't super strength a power?
Noah: Not if it's in your body like Retnuoc… and you have no powers.
Sarah: I'm sorry, sir… but what the hell are you saying?
Luke: Noah… what are you thinking?
Noah: Sarah, prepare the defenses. Luke, Liam — you're coming with me.
Liam: Where are we going?
Noah: To see someone who could help us.
Luke: You know someone? Why didn't you tell us?
Noah: Because this guy is not… normal.
Luke: Wait, what do you mean by—
Noah: You'll understand when we get there. But trust me.
Luke: Okay… lead the way.
After Noah convinced them, he didn't say a word until they reached the center of Africa. There was an unknown, empty place where no one lived, except for a clean, civilized-looking house.
Noah: This is our stop. (jumps from the plane)
Luke: I've never seen him this serious. Even when the crystal core was in danger.
Liam: I don't think the danger to the crystal core has anything to do with this. It's something more.
(Both Luke and Liam jump from the plane too.)
The three of them stood in front of the house of the man they were seeking. They saw a sign pointing to a door leading to a small store. Inside was a small office and a chair. Someone seemed to be sitting there, but it wasn't clear. They looked at the chair, trying to see who it was.
Then someone whispered to Luke.
The Stranger (whispering): What are you guys looking at?
Luke (whispering): We don't know, but we think someone is sitting there.
The Stranger (whispering): Oh.
Liam (whispering): Who are you talking to?
Luke (whispering): Wait… if you're here… then who am I talking to?
They all got scared and jumped back, preparing their powers. But the stranger recognized Noah.
The Stranger: Noah? Is that you?
Noah: Hello, Shane. Seems like your ridiculous ways haven't changed.
Shane: Huh, you know me. I like to enjoy everything.
Liam: Is this the guy?
Noah: Yes.
Liam: How do you guys know each other?
Shane: Come on, tell them!
Noah: There's no time, we need—
Shane: My help. Your friend already made that clear. And don't worry about time… we have time for everything.
Shane and Noah looked at each other in suspense, ready to reveal the story of how they met.
to be continued...