Smoke and dust coiled like ghosts around the broken courtyard. Gunfire faded. Sirens stopped. Only roars and screams remained.
And in the center—
Samar stood shaking, transformed by force rather than choice.
His dark eyes had turned fully black. Not demonic—awakened. His veins glowed a faint molten gold under the skin, like fire trapped inside glass.
His breathing came in violent shudders. His fists clenched, bleeding from gripping too hard.
[Samar—Awakening: 100%] [STATE: FORCED AWAKENING] [INSTABILITY: EXTREME—12 MINUTES UNTIL COLLAPSE]
Arjun tried to push himself up despite his broken lower ribs and torn side.
"S—Samar… stop… please…"
His voice cracked with pain.
He couldn't stand. He couldn't walk. He could barely breathe.
But Samar heard nothing.
The Titan Mutation roared at Samar, towering like a corrupted god.
Samar roared back, voice raw and shaking.
And he ran straight at it.
Samar hit the Titan's chest with a punch that cracked the monster's plates. He slammed into it again—and again—and again—fists flying like strikes from a collapsing star.
Each impact echoed louder than bullets.
Arjun watched in disbelief. Even Rudra's eyes widened a fraction.
Rahul whispered faintly:
"…he's not human…"
Meera collapsed to her knees, trembling.
"Samar—Samar stop—please—your body…"
But Samar wasn't choosing anymore.
This wasn't strength. This wasn't control.
It was collapse masquerading as power.
The Titan grabbed Samar with one massive hand—lifting him into the air.
Meera screamed. Rahul froze. Arjun's heart stopped.
"SAMAR!!"
The Titan squeezed. Samar's ribs cracked audibly.
But Samar didn't scream.
He laughed.
A broken, wild, terrifying laugh.
He slammed his glowing fist into the Titan's face at point-blank. Bone shattered. The Titan stumbled.
Samar tore himself free like an animal tearing its own leg loose from a trap.
He fell—rolled—and charged again.
Rudra whispered:
"If this continues… he'll die."
Arjun's breath hitched.
"THEN HELP HIM!"
Rudra stepped forward.
"No," Rudra said quietly. "You help him."
Arjun stared in disbelief, trembling in pain and fury.
"How?! I can't even stand!"
Rudra crouched beside him, gripping Arjun's jaw.
"You are the only person he still listens to," Rudra said. "Even in this state. Even at the edge."
Arjun's eyes widened, tears welling.
"But—I'm—I'm not strong enough—"
"You don't need strength," Rudra said. "You need to reach him."
Meera crawled beside Arjun, tears streaming down her face.
"Arjun… please… stop him… he'll kill himself…"
Arjun swallowed thickly.
Then he began to crawl.
Arjun Crawls Through Hell
Each movement felt like knives driving into his ribs.
Blood dripped from his side.
His breath came in broken gasps.
Still—
He crawled.
Toward Samar. Toward the fight. Toward death.
Meera followed him, sobbing.
"Arjun—please—stop—your ribs—Arjun—!!"
But Arjun kept going.
His fingers dug into the cracked concrete.
The Titan swung at Samar.
Samar dodged—barely. But each dodge destabilized him further.
[Warning: Samar—Internal Bleeds] [Time Remaining Until Collapse: 10 Minutes]
Samar punched again—but his body faltered for the first time.
He fell to one knee.
The Titan raised its foot—ready to stomp him flat.
Meera screamed.
Rahul shut his eyes.
Arjun forced his crushed lungs to inhale.
And he shouted:
"SAMAR!!"
Samar froze.
His black eyes turned.
He saw Arjun.
Bleeding. Broken. Crawling toward him.
His breath shattered.
His fists unclenched.
His awakening flickered.
The Titan's foot came down—and Arjun threw himself forward, grabbing Samar's arm.
Samar's eyes widened a fraction.
"Arjun…?"
Arjun whispered:
"Don't do this alone."
Samar trembled violently.
Rudra's voice carried across the courtyard:
"Good. He's coming back."
Meera sobbed in relief.
The Titan roared and swung again.
Arjun pushed Samar aside—
The Titan's backhand slammed into Arjun's ribs.
A sound cracked. Something snapped.
Arjun flew backward ten meters.
Meera's scream broke the courtyard.
"AAARRRJJJUUUNNN—!!"
He hit the ground hard, rolling until he stopped face-down in dust.
Silence.
Samar stared, frozen.
Rudra didn't move, but his expression hardened.
Rahul whispered:
"…oh god… oh god… he's not moving…"
Meera ran forward —
Rudra grabbed her arm.
"NO."
"LET ME GO—ARJUN—!!"
Rudra's tone sharpened like a blade.
"If you reach him before he stabilizes, he will die."
Meera fell to her knees in despair, sobbing into her hands.
Samar looked at Arjun's motionless body.
Something inside him broke.
He roared in agony—not anger. Loss. Fear.
His awakening surged again —
[Samar—Stability: 0%] [Critical Overload Imminent] [Forced Awakening Collapse in 3 Minutes]
Samar screamed:
"ARJUN—DON'T YOU DARE D—!!"
He couldn't finish the word.
Arjun lay still.
Silent.
Then—
The System flickered inside his shattered mind.
[Emergency Protocol: Origin Stabilization] Origin Path: 94% → 97%] Instinctive Flow—Level 4] Cognitive Sync 60%] Vital Signs: Weak… stabilizing…]
Arjun's fingers twitched.
He inhaled. Barely. But alive.
Meera saw it. She gasped, sobbing harder.
"A–Arjun… he's… he's breathing…"
Samar fell to his knees, shaking.
Rudra exhaled—a tiny, quiet breath of relief.
"Good," Rudra murmured. "The boy isn't done yet."
Arjun's eyes cracked open.
The world was blurry. Red. Painful.
But he spoke.
"S… Samar…"
Samar crawled toward him, expression breaking.
"Arjun… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I can't control it—I—"
Arjun grabbed Samar's trembling wrist.
Even barely conscious, his voice was steady.
"You're… not a monster."
Samar shook violently, tears falling.
Arjun whispered:
"You're my friend."
Samar froze.
Completely.
Something inside him snapped into place.
Awakening power settled—not fully controlled—but no longer destroying him.
[Samar—Forced Awakening Stabilized: 57% Control]
He wasn't safe. But he wasn't dying.
The Titan Mutation Enters Berserk Mode
The Titan roared louder than before.
Wounds closed. Bones reset. Its muscles bulged grotesquely.
[Titan Mutation—Core Berserk Triggered] Strength × Speed × 1.5 Pain Response Disabled]
Rudra muttered:
"...damn. It evolved."
Velocity agents screamed as the Titan began killing everything in sight.
Rudra clenched his jaw.
"To think it would reach this stage… His presence accelerated even the monster."
He glanced at Arjun.
"You are a catalyst. Everything reacts to you."
Arjun pushed himself upright despite the agony.
Blood dripped from his chin.
His voice was ragged:
"What… else… reacts to me?"
Rudra's eyes shifted downward.
"To the thing under the school."
Arjun felt his pulse freeze.
"The WHAT—?"
But before Rudra could answer—
A deep rumble shook the ground.
Cracks spread across the courtyard.
Dust rose.
The walls trembled.
Meera grabbed Arjun's arm in terror.
"Arjun—something's—something's under us—!!"
Rahul shouted, "THE BASEMENT—IT'S BREAKING—!!"
Samar looked up, eyes wide.
Rudra whispered:
"It's waking."
Arjun whispered back:
"What… is it?"
Rudra stared into the ground as if he could see through it.
"The experiment your father tried to destroy."
Arjun's blood ran cold.
[WARNING: ORIGIN ENTITY DETECTED BENEATH FACILITY] Threat Level: UNKNOWN—Potential Catastrophic Countdown: 1 Hour Remaining
The Titan Mutation roared again.
Arjun exhaled.
Bleeding. Broken. Barely conscious.
But ready.
He rose to one knee.
Meera held his shoulders, crying.
Samar stood beside him, fists trembling.
Rudra cracked his neck.
"It's time," Rudra said. "Everything awakens tonight."
The ground split open—
And something enormous stirred beneath the school.