Riley stood frozen in the middle of the burning room, her eyes unfocused.The next second, her body gave up, and she collapsed onto the floor.
"Riley!" Adrian shouted.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward, dodging falling debris and waves of fire. The heat burned his skin, but he didn't stop. He lifted her into his arms and sprinted through the flames until he spotted a window. With one powerful leap, he flew out of the building, the night air hitting them like a wave.
He didn't slow down until he reached his house.
Carefully, he placed Riley on his bed and covered her with a blanket. After making sure she was breathing normally, he turned back toward the burning building. He searched every floor, every room, but all he found were flames and lifeless bodies.
There was no one left to save.
When he returned home, exhaustion finally caught up to him. He collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep instantly.
The next morning, Adrian woke up much later than usual.
He tried to sit up, but pain shot through his entire body. Every muscle screamed in protest. The battles, the flying, the injuries—everything had piled up at once. He clenched his teeth and tried again, but his body refused to move.
"…Tch," he muttered, giving up.
Just as he closed his eyes again, footsteps echoed from the hallway.
A moment later, Riley entered the room, holding a tray of food.She looked a bit tired, but she was smiling.
"Oh, you're already awake?" she said gently. "I made you something. You must be exhausted."
Adrian blinked in surprise. "I thought you left already."
"Left?" Riley repeated softly. Her smile faded. "Go where? My house burned down. I don't have anywhere else to go."
There was a brief silence.
"You can stay here," Adrian said quietly. "As long as you want."
Riley's eyes widened. "Really? Thank you… and, um… thank you for saving me last night."
"It's nothing," Adrian replied. "Friends help each other."
She hesitated for a moment, then asked carefully, "Adrian… where's your dad?"
His expression darkened.
"He died," he said. "During the beetle invasion."
Riley froze. "I… I'm so sorry."
"It's fine," Adrian replied, though his voice lacked emotion.
After talking for a while, Adrian ate the food Riley had made and thanked her. Soon after, he left the house and headed toward the Hero Headquarters.
His decision was already made.
He was going to quit.
But just as he reached the entrance, someone stopped him.
The man had white hair, glasses, and wore a dark suit. His presence felt strangely unsettling.
"Are you sure you want to resign?" the man asked calmly."Don't you want revenge for your father?"
Adrian frowned. "What are you talking about? I already killed the commander beetles."
The man chuckled softly.
"You really think commander beetles killed a Light of Justice?" he said. "They're strong, yes, but it would take at least ten of them to defeat someone like your father."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?"
The man leaned closer, his smile growing darker.
"Your father wasn't killed by beetles," he whispered."He was killed by a human. Someone extremely powerful."
Adrian felt something twist inside his chest.
"…Who are you?" he asked.
"Oh, me?" the man replied casually. "Just a random B-class hero. I happened to overhear something interesting from the council."
His eyes gleamed behind his glasses.
"And if you continue being a hero," he added softly,"you will definitely meet the person who killed your father."
Adrian stared at the man in front of him, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
"I don't trust you," he said coldly. His voice was calm, but the anger beneath it was obvious. "But I'll stay a hero for now."
The man tilted his head slightly, amused.
"If I don't find the person who killed my father within a month," Adrian continued, his eyes burning, "I will personally kill you."
For a moment, the hallway felt unnaturally quiet.
Then the man smiled.
Not a normal smile.
It was the kind of smile that felt wrong.
"Deal," he replied softly.
Meanwhile, in the Hero Headquarters' secret laboratory…
The room was filled with cold white light and the sound of machines humming. Tubes, wires, and strange devices surrounded a large glass chamber at the center of the lab.
Jake stood there, his expression confused and uneasy.
"Dad…" he said slowly. "I thought I was going to another country."
His father stood in front of him, arms crossed. He was tall, muscular, and wore an expensive suit that perfectly matched his cold personality. His eyes showed no warmth.
"I lied," he said simply.
Jake's heart skipped a beat. "What…?"
"The council has seen potential in you," his father continued. "They want to turn you into the ultimate weapon."
Jake felt his stomach drop.
"You will become something far beyond the Lights of Justice," his father said in a calm, emotionless tone. "A being with limitless regeneration. No fear. No hesitation. No free will."
Jake stepped back instinctively. "What? No— I don't want that! I don't want to become a machine!"
His voice trembled, but his father didn't even flinch.
"You will do as I say," the man replied coldly. "I am your father. You should be proud that you were chosen. Most people would beg for this opportunity."
Jake's hands shook.
"Tch…" he muttered, anger and pain mixing in his voice. "I hate you. I really do. You never cared about me. You only care about power and status and—"
He didn't get to finish his sentence.
Before he could even react, a presence appeared behind him.
In the next instant, sharp pain struck the back of his neck.
Jake's vision blurred.
His body went limp.
As he collapsed, the last thing he saw was the silhouette of an S-class hero standing behind him, expression completely emotionless.
Then everything went dark.