Smoke curled lazily over the jagged horizon, twisting into strange shapes under the golden sky. Rayen and Jessica crouched behind a shattered wall, the acrid smell filling their lungs.
"There's someone over there," Rayen muttered, squinting at the silhouette in the distance.
Jessica tilted her head. "Should we go check it out?"
Rayen shrugged. "Why not? Better to know than run blind."
They stepped cautiously toward the source. As they drew closer, they could see him clearly. A man stood tall, brown skin glowing under the golden light. His frame was muscular yet lean, wearing black gloves. His green hair was buzzed short, and his gaze held an unsettling calm.
Rayen stepped forward first. "Hey… who are you, bro? What are you doing here?"
The man tilted his head, eyes locking onto Rayen's. Then, a slow smile spread across his face.
"Hahaha… I knew you guys were Stables," he said, his voice casual yet dripping with amusement.
Rayen froze. His stomach dropped at the smile — there was something eerily familiar about it, almost… mocking.
Jessica frowned. "Why are you smiling, bro?"
The man straightened, crossing his arms. "I… I am Tee Rexx," he said, his tone deliberate, each word echoing authority. "I am the head of the Aero Capital."
Jessica cocked her head. "The… Capital? What's that?"
Tee Rexx let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "You really don't know, do you? Capital… it's an area — could be the size of a city, a state… but each capital is ruled by someone strong enough to maintain order."
He stepped closer, the sunlight glinting off his gloves. "I rule the Aero Capital. There are many capitals — each governed by different people. Every capital is divided into territories. We Stables built this system to protect the weak — Stables and Normals alike — from Unstables."
Rayen's mind raced, Prince's words echoing again: "The world is divided… Stables are good, Unstables are bad." His fists clenched. They were walking into a system that mirrored Prince's philosophy, yet here, the Stables were protecting people, not exploiting them.
But before he could think further, a sudden movement startled him. Tee Rexx's hand shot out in a blur of speed.
Jessica screamed as he grabbed her neck effortlessly, holding her suspended in the air. Her legs kicked, but his grip was iron.
"Let go!" Rayen roared, shadows flaring around him instinctively.
Tee Rexx tilted his head, still smiling, as though enjoying the struggle. "Relax… I'm not here to hurt her… yet."
Jessica gasped, struggling, her eyes meeting Rayen's.
Rayen's heart hammered. He realized they were at the mercy of this man — and the situation was far more dangerous than they expected.
The smoke swirled around them, the golden sky painting everything in blood-red light. For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
Rayen tightened his shadow energy around his fists, ready to strike, but something in Tee Rexx's calm, confident gaze gave him pause.
This guy isn't just strong… he's something else, Rayen thought. And if he's ruling a Capital, the world is bigger — and deadlier — than I imagined.
To be continued