Ethan had been inside the police station for forty-eight long hours. Hours that felt like sand slipping through his fingers—dry, rough, and impossible to stop. They kept him in a small holding room, then questioning rooms, then another waiting area. But since there was no concrete proof, the police had no choice.
They had to let him go.
When the metal door finally opened, Ethan stood in the main hallway of the station. His eyes were lifeless, as if color had drained out of them forever. The hallway was busy—officers moving in and out, phones ringing, people complaining, some crying, some shouting.
A few glanced at him. Others ignored him completely. It all passed like fog around him.
After about five minutes, the head of police stepped out of his office holding a small file. He approached Ethan and held it out.
"These are the documents… about your sister."
Ethan took them without looking up. He turned around to leave.
But the head officer called out, "Hey… wait, kid."
Ethan stopped and turned slightly.
The officer sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I know it's hard. I know it feels like the world is ending. But don't lose hope, alright? It… it gets better , it will get better."
He gave Ethan a warm, soft smile.
Ethan didn't respond. His face didn't move. He simply turned again and walked away, his steps slow and empty as he left the station.
The moment he stepped outside, sunlight hit him—but he didn't feel it. Instead, he saw them.
Cole. Amanda. And… Mrs. Darcy.
All three standing together right outside the gate.
The moment they spotted him, they ran toward him.
Cole and Amanda reached him first. Without hesitation, they wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Ethan! Are you okay? Are you fine?" Amanda's voice cracked immediately. "I'm so sorry—I'm so sorry I couldn't come earlier—I'm sorry—"
Tears rolled down her cheeks. Seeing her cry made Cole's eyes water too.
"We missed you, man," Cole said, voice shaking. "We're here for you. No matter what."
Mrs. Darcy stepped forward too, placing a gentle hand on Ethan's shoulder.
"Ethan," she said softly, "let's go back. You have a lot of syllabus pending. We'll manage everything. Come with us."
For a moment—
Something inside Ethan twisted.
Something cold.
Something terrified.
Something that whispered from the past.
What is happening?
Why are they here?
Why are they acting like this?
Didn't these same people kill me in my last life?
The thought stabbed into him. His mind spun. His breathing slowed.
Then…
Something strange happened.
Amanda's hands on him slowly started fading.
Her crying face lost color.
Cole's teary eyes blurred—then his smile stretched unnaturally as his body began dissolving into thin air.
Mrs. Darcy vanished like smoke.
The sky above turned pitch black.
The wind stopped.
Cars disappeared.
Buildings melted into nothing.
Within seconds… Ethan was standing in a completely empty world.
Alone.
His heart pounded once.
Twice.
Then—
Thud.
He collapsed on the cold road, fainting instantly. His body hit the ground like it had no strength left, no will left.
People nearby noticed and stopped.
"Isn't he the… suspect?"
"Should we help him?"
"I don't know…"
Whispers.
Fear.
Judgment.
They stepped closer, then backed away, unsure.
But then the murmurs suddenly changed.
Because someone tall—very tall—walked through the crowd.
A muscular figure, radiating a calm but terrifying pressure.
The crowd froze.
"L-look… it's… Aren Vaylen…"
Gasps spread.
People instinctively stepped aside, creating a clear path.
Aren didn't pay attention to any of them. His light blue eyes stayed fixed on Ethan's unconscious body. Without hesitation, he bent down, lifted Ethan effortlessly into his arms, and tucked the scattered documents neatly under his other hand.
Then—
Boom.
He disappeared.
The wind rushed into the space where he had stood.
People were silent for a moment, stunned.
A few whispered—
"Why would the Aren… carry him like that?"
"What is happening…?"
....
Inside the Government Tower, Two Days Before Aric's Return ( Number one hero )
Inside the highest floor of the Solara Government Tower, the atmosphere was heavy. The room was wide, lined with clear glass walls that overlooked the glowing night city. Dozens of officials, ministers, and Hero Association executives sat around an oval table. No one dared to speak too loudly.
The reason was simple.
Aren Vaylen.
His warning had shaken the entire power structure.
A large hologram played in the air — Aren's message from the press conference. His calm voice echoed through the room:
"Don't interfere. If you do, you will regret your actions."
When the recording ended, silence crushed the room.
A government advisor finally broke it.
"We need to shut this case. The longer we drag it, the more pressure that man can put on us."
Rika Mamou — State's Number One Hero — leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed. Her yellow eyes glowed with irritation.
"He isn't just a principal," she said. "He's a monster with authority. If Aren Vaylen gets serious, even the Hero Council can't move freely."
Someone gulped at her words.
The Minister of Internal Affairs slammed his palm on the table.
"How did this even happen? A murder inside Astral Academy? And now the prime suspect is a first-year student? The media is eating us alive!"
Another official whispered shakily, "And Aren is protecting that boy… almost too much."
Rika's eyes narrowed.
"He's hiding something. Aren never moves unless he has a reason. If he shielded the student, he must have seen something."
Across the table, the Hero Association President — an older man with steel-grey hair — rubbed his forehead.
"Forget Aren for a moment," he said. "We have a bigger issue."
Everyone turned.
He took a deep breath, then spoke the name with weight:
"Aric is returning."
The room froze.
Aric — the strongest hero in the nation.
A man who stood at the top of all combat rankings.
A human whose power rivaled monsters and military weapons.
He had been outside Solara for months on an international mission. And now, he was coming back in two days.
The Minister of Defense swallowed painfully.
"If Aric returns and finds the government hiding the truth… the consequences could be worse than Aren."
Rika's voice lowered. "You know how he is. He doesn't care about politics. If he thinks something is wrong, he'll tear the whole system apart to fix it."
A chill ran through the group. Aric wasn't known for patience. He acted first, questioned later.
The Hero Association President leaned forward.
"That's why we have to close the case before he arrives. We cannot let the strongest human walk into this chaos."
Another minister protested, "But Aren is in our way! He has evidence we can't access and he's threatening the whole state!"
Rika stood up slowly, her eyes focused.
"Then we move fast. Hide the files. Silence the investigators. Push the media. Make the case 'unclear' and pass it to the local courts. By the time Aric arrives, it'll be over."
Someone whispered, "And Aren Vaylen?"
Rika's expression hardened.
"Aren is dangerous… but he's not stupid. He won't start a war with the government while the strongest hero is returning."
But deep inside, even she wasn't sure.
The Hero Association President ended the meeting with a single line:
"Close the case. Before Aric steps foot in Solara… or we won't be able to control what comes next."