Jin's eyes flutter open. The room around him is sterile, humming faintly with machines. Everything smells faintly metallic. The bed beneath him feels soft—too soft—compared to the debris-strewn Earth he remembers.
He tries to sit up. The air feels strange. Lighter. Like gravity itself is uncertain.
High-tech panels pulse on the walls. Strange tubes glow faintly. He's not on Earth. He knows it in his bones.
Nurse(softly, startled): "My goodness, you're awake! We need to run some more tests before—"
Jin(hoarse, confused): "Tests? Wait, what's going on here? Where am I?"
The nurse hesitates.
Nurse(nervously): "I… I'm not sure how to explain this… um, we've been monitoring you since the… incident."
Jin: "Incident?"Flashes hit him: destruction, light, chaos... and then blackness.
Before she can explain, the door hisses open.
A tall figure steps in—sleek black uniform, commanding aura.
Mysterious Figure(low and cold): "That will be enough, Nurse. Leave us."
The nurse scurries out. The man steps forward.
Mysterious Figure(calm, clinical): "You're awake. That's good."
Jin(tense): "Who the hell are you? Where am I?"
The man studies him. Not with concern—with calculation.
Mysterious Figure(smirking slightly): "You're in a secure facility, Jin. A space station. We've been observing you."
Jin(heart racing): "Space? No way. This is a joke, right?"
Mysterious Figure: "This is no joke. Earth isn't safe. The Astral Society has intervened. Earth is under invasion, Jin. And you're at the center of it all."
Jin(angry and confused): "Invasion? Why am I here?"
Mysterious Figure(detached): "You were born for something greater. Your power has awakened. You're part of something far bigger—something that will determine the fate of countless worlds."
Jin(whispers): "No… I didn't ask for this."
Mysterious Figure: "None of us ask for our roles. But you'll play yours—willingly or not."
Jin(defiant): "I'm not your tool."
Mysterious Figure(coolly): "You don't have a choice."
Vaulter(introducing himself): "My name is Vaulter."
He pauses, measuring Jin with his eyes.
Vaulter(smirking): "Come with me. We've got matters to attend to."
Jin(resisting): "No way. I'm not letting you boss me around."
Suddenly—Jin slams to the ground, gravity crushing him. He gasps, pinned.
Vaulter(kneeling beside him): "Do you believe in gravity, Jin?"
Jin(straining): "What the hell are you talking about?!"
He tries to summon his powers—nothing happens.
Vaulter: "Don't bother. I'm in control here."
Eventually, Vaulter releases him. Jin gasps, chest heaving.
Vaulter(standing up): "Come on. We've got a game to catch."
As they walk through the cold halls of the station, Vaulter begins explaining.
Vaulter: "There are others like you, Jin. People with powers. That's why you're here."
Jin(skeptical): "People like me? I'm not special."
Vaulter(ignoring the doubt): "Well… we've got a problem. When I used my gravitational powers, you couldn't activate yours. I don't think it's a coincidence."
He stops in the hallway.
Vaulter: "Try now."
Jin concentrates, trying to summon any of the power he felt before… nothing. He clenches his fists, mutters, focuses—still nothing.
Jin(frustrated): "What the hell am I doing wrong?"
Vaulter(observing): "Interesting…"
Then, solemnly:
Vaulter: "My diagnosis? Sealment. Your powers are sealed."
Jin(baffled): "Sealed? By who?!"
Vaulter: "No idea. You'll figure it out—or you won't. Either way, let me show you how this place works."
Astral Society Ranks
Rank E: Novice – Fresh recruits. Weak powers, minimal control.
Rank D: Initiate – Beginning to learn. Still unreliable.
Rank C: Adept – Stable powers. Ready for simple missions.
Rank B: Sentry – Reliable, strategic, combat-proven.
Rank A: Vanguard – Leaders of elite squads. Highly trained.
Rank S: Enforcer – Top warriors. Powerhouses of destruction.
Rank S+ (Archon) – Commanders. Genius tacticians, reality-warpers.
Rank SS (Celestial) – Legendary. Said to reshape reality itself.
Jin: "Sounds like a video game."
Vaulter(flatly): "This isn't a game, you idiot. Now, touch that ball."
Jin eyes the orb. Skeptical.
Jin: "Just touch it?"
Vaulter: "Yeah. It reads your life force."
Jin touches it. It hums.
Life Force Level: 10,000
Vaulter(blinking): "10,000? That's… terrible."
Jin(offended): "Wait, that's bad?!"
Vaulter: "Slightly above human average. Barely. Might've rescued the wrong guy…"
Jin(sighs): "So what now?"
Vaulter: "Now? The trials. One week. You and 100 others are going to Mars."
Jin(alarmed): "Wait, what trials?!"
Vaulter(casual): "Trial by fire, rookie. Can you breathe in space?"
Jin: "…No idea."
Vaulter(shrugs): "We'll find out."
That night, Jin rests. Lying in a bed more comfortable than anything he's known in years. He opens his hand. A tiny spark of flame flickers in his palm.
Jin(quietly):
"They have no idea what's coming…"