Meanwhile
All the guards lay unconscious on the ground. Finian stood among them, bruised and battered.
"Where the hell did Ron go?" Finian muttered.
He took a few steps before suddenly grabbing his back.
"Damn… that hurts."
Finian sighed and sat down to rest for a moment.
He closed his eyes.
A few seconds later, he felt it.
Someone was staring at him.
Finian slowly opened one eye just a little. From his position he could only see the person's legs and torso. If he lifted his head any higher, his fake sleep would be exposed.
If I act unconscious… he'll leave, Finian thought.
So he stayed completely still.
Minutes passed.
That guy should be gone by now… it's been twenty minutes, Finian thought.
He slightly opened his eye again.
The man was still standing there.
Damn… he's even more stubborn than me.
Finian finally opened both eyes.
The man standing in front of him wore a strange device over his right eye.
"Oh… you must be Shadow," Finian said calmly.
Shadow simply looked down at him.
Finian stood up and extended his hand.
"I am a big fa—"
Before he could finish—
BOOM!
Shadow kicked him straight in the face, sending Finian crashing through a wall into another room.
Finian groaned as he stood up from the rubble.
"Damn… you're just like the rumors say."
He looked up—
Another kick was already flying toward his face.
Oh no.
On the other side
Ron and Kruex stood facing each other.
Suddenly—
Ron felt a presence behind him.
He turned slightly.
It was Vincent.
Without a word, he charged at Ron.
Ron casually grabbed him mid-attack and hurled him across several rooms. Vincent blasted through walls before finally being thrown out of the mansion entirely.
Kruex immediately attacked.
But Ron dodged effortlessly.
So… he was playing with me, Kruex realized.
Suddenly—
ALARM! ALARM! ALARM!
The emergency sirens blared throughout the building.
Ron glanced at Kruex.
"I really enjoyed our fight," Ron said calmly. "But I'm short on time. So tell me… where are the research papers?"
Kruex was silent for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"Follow me."
He walked toward a nearby bookshelf, pulled out a book, and opened it.
Inside was a USB drive.
Kruex tossed it to Ron.
Ron caught it.
"Why give it to me now?" Ron asked.
"Because I've already gathered everything from it," Kruex replied. "It's useless to me now."
Ron frowned.
"Then why waste my time?"
Kruex smirked slightly.
"I wanted to fight you… and see your abilities."
Ron shook his head and walked toward the stairs.
Suddenly—
His phone vibrated.
Finian:
Hey Ron. The building is about to explode.
"You must be kidding," Ron muttered.
He walked downstairs—
And froze.
The lower floors were already engulfed in flames.
His phone vibrated again.
But Ron didn't check it.
Instead—
Flash.
He teleported outside next to Finian.
"Ron? You're here?" Finian said.
"Yeah."
"Then hurry, let's get out of here!" Finian said urgently.
"Why?"
"Didn't you read my message?!"
Finian grabbed Ron's arm.
"The entire colony is about to explode! Almost everyone has already been evacuated!"
Ron looked around.
"What about Kai?"
"And Ava… and my sister?"
"They're already outside," Finian said. "Now move!"
Ron grabbed Finian's shirt—
FLASH!
They teleported outside the colony where hundreds of people had gathered.
Ron immediately turned around.
But Finian grabbed him.
"Where are you going?"
"Kruex is still inside. I need to save him."
Suddenly—
BOOOOOOOM!!!
The entire colony exploded.
Everything inside was instantly vaporized.
"No…" Ron whispered.
A massive cloud of dust rose into the sky.
Ron slowly turned.
He saw the civilians.
Kai.
Ava.
Liora.
All alive.
Ron exhaled slowly.
"Finian… take Ava and Liora with you," Ron said. "I'll make sure everyone here gets a new place, food, homes… everything."
Finian looked at him for a long moment.
Then he placed a hand on Ron's shoulder.
"Fine. I'll go."
He sighed.
"But Ron… you can't save everyone."
"In the future, there will be times when you'll have to choose who lives… and who dies."
Finian patted his shoulder and walked toward Ava and Liora.
Ron watched as Liora immediately punched Finian in the stomach.
Ron smiled faintly.
Then he noticed Ava staring at him.
Ron looked away.
He pulled out his phone and called someone.
Brian.
"Hey Ron! How are you doing?" Brian said.
"I'm good. What about you?"
"Same here. So how can I help?"
"I need a place," Ron said. "Somewhere with a small population, but good jobs and environment."
"Why? Moving house?"
"No. Not me. Other people."
"How many?"
"About… a thousand."
Brian paused.
"Then bring them to my village. It's huge but barely populated. Jobs, land, everything."
Ron smiled.
"Thanks, buddy."
"Just send em. I'll handle everything."
The call ended.
Ron tapped on his phone.
Five minutes later—
A massive futuristic plane descended from the sky.
"Everyone! Get inside the plane!" Ron shouted.
People had nothing left to lose.
They entered.
The inside was enormous and luxurious.
Aldrio stepped out.
"Greeting, Sir Ron."
"Aldrio the Great," Ron said, hugging him. "How have you been?"
"As soon as Sir Bruce informed me, I purchased this jet," Aldrio said proudly. "It is expandable and one of the most advanced aircraft we have."
Ron chuckled.
"Bruce really is a smart guy."
Then he nodded toward the civilians.
"Take them to Brian's village."
"As you wish."
Aldrio boarded the plane.
Soon—
The jet shot into the sky at incredible speed and disappeared.
Ron stood there silently watching it vanish.
Then—
Flash.
He teleported home.
Dream walked out of the room, about to say something.
But Ron suddenly hugged her tightly.
"You're back," she said softly. "How was your trip?"
Ron held her closer.
"I missed you."
Dream looked at him, slightly surprised.
"Pa… pa!"
Ines crawled across the floor toward them.
Ron immediately rushed forward and picked her up.
"How's my little princess?"
Ines giggled happily.
Dream watched them.
A warm feeling spread through her chest.
But deep inside…
She knew the inevitable was coming.