BOOM-!
The entire building shook.
Nicholas, standing near the edge, lost his balance and fell, only managing to catch himself at the last second and pull himself up.
"What… what the hell was that?"
He peered over the edge and saw smoke rising from the building below.
'An explosion..? What could have…' Then it clicked. 'The facility.'
Ambulances and police cars surrounded the school, sirens wailing. It didn't look like they had expected an explosion; there were no firefighters on the scene.
'Shit. They're not going to go inside. What if someone's still in there?'
Without hesitation, Nicholas sprinted for the doors leading back into the school.
The moment he stepped inside, smoke clawed at his lungs. He coughed violently and stumbled back out.
"Dammit." He couldn't just enter; he had to make some way to protect himself.
He dismissed his current mask and formed a new one, covering the lower half of his face. It fit snugly, shielding his nose and mouth.
This won't give me much air, but at least it'll block the smoke.
He couldn't do anything for his eyes; he'd have to endure.
Once more, he charged in.
The smoke was so thick it turned the world grey. He held onto the wall to guide himself as he moved, each step slow and deliberate.
Minutes passed. Breathing grew harder. He still hadn't found anyone.
He checked the men's and women's restrooms, classrooms, and even the teachers' lounge—nothing.
He even checked the bathroom where he had left the three students who had attacked him, yet they were not there.
Did everyone already escape?
He wanted to believe that. But the thought that he'd simply missed someone, that they were lying somewhere unseen, terrified him.
Then his leg hit something soft.
He looked down.
Ms. Heath, his homeroom teacher, lay unconscious on the floor. And next to her, Lillie.
Can I carry them both?
He clenched his jaw. 'No. I have to.'
He hoisted Ms. Heath onto his back, then gathered Lillie in his arms. He formed masks for both, unsure if they'd even help, but he had to try.
With that, he started running, his muscles screaming under the weight. They were on the second floor. He had to move fast.
Their breathing was shallow—if they were breathing at all.
He charged down the steps, half-stumbling, half-sprinting, making sure he didn't drop either of them.
Then he sprinted out the door into the cool night air, quickly dissolving all of their masks.
Finally, he burst through the doors into the cool night air. The masks dissolved into nothing.
Blinding red and blue lights flashed in his eyes, forcing him to squint. He staggered but caught himself before falling.
Police officers spotted him immediately. They rushed over, taking Lillie and Ms. Heath from his arms and handing them off to the medics.
Nicholas collapsed to the ground, gulping down desperate breaths of clean air.
"Are you alright?" one of the officers asked, staying by his side.
Nicholas nodded weakly. "Yeah… yeah. Just–just make sure they're alright."
"They'll be fine. But you. Are you okay?"
Nicholas furrowed his brows, forcing himself upright. "I said I'm fine," he replied between ragged breaths. He nearly fell again, but the officer caught him.
"Let's get you checked out, just in case," the man said. "I can't imagine carrying both of them through all that smoke. You're one tough kid, huh?"
"No… I'm really not."
The screech of tires cut through the noise. A car stopped nearby.
A man rushed out. "Nicholas!"
"I'm here, Dad…" came the faint voice—from the blond Nicholas.
The man ran straight to his son, relief etched into every line of his face.
Nicholas Darklight watched from the sidelines.
…Crap. Dad.
How could he have forgotten? His suit was torn, scorched, and full of cuts—his father would surely ask questions. And the police…
Another set of tires screeched as a car pulled up.
"Nicholas!" Niko Darklight sprinted toward his son.
"He's yours?" the officer beside Nicholas asked.
Niko nodded quickly. "He's mine."
The officer smiled. "The resemblance is uncanny." Then he stepped aside.
Nicholas managed a shaky, awkward smile. "H-hey, Dad."
Niko sighed and pulled his son into a tight hug.
"Hey, Dad… This is kind of embarrassing," Nicholas mumbled.
His father didn't care. He held him close before finally letting go. "What happened?"
Nicholas hesitated. For a moment, he almost told him everything.
But then he stopped himself.
"I-I don't know. One moment, the building shook, and the next… smoke everywhere."
He'd continue keeping his secret.
Niko ran a trembling hand through his son's hair, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank God you're safe."
Nicholas's eyes softened.
For a brief moment, guilt coiled tightly around his heart—only to be torn away by something unseen.
Then his expression dulled, returning to those same dead eyes.
"I think… I wanna go home now, Dad."
Niko brushed a hand through his hair, glancing at the chaos of people moving around them.
"Yeah, yeah… just go wait in the car. Take a rest. You've earned it."
Nicholas almost asked what he meant by that, but decided against it. He quietly made his way to the car and sank into the back seat.
"Phew…" He yawned. "Wow… Guess I am kind of tired."
Within seconds, he drifted off to sleep.
…
"Ah!" He jolted awake with a start. "What… where am—?"
He blinked, taking in his surroundings. He was still in his dad's car, parked inside the garage.
"Oh… I'm in the garage." He exhaled. "Guess I panicked for nothing."
He checked the time on his phone. 03:12.
"Damn. Slept for a while. Guess Dad didn't wanna wake me."
He checked his pockets; everything was still there. Then he pulled out the tattered blue corsage. For a moment, he stared at it in silence before setting it down beside him.
Next, he took out the crystal.
"Aw, what…?"
It had lost its glow. What once pulsed with energy now looked dull and transparent, so brittle he felt he could crush it with one hand.
He sighed, disappointed, and stepped out of the car. Picking up the corsage, he checked to make sure the garage door was locked and quietly entered the house through the indoor entrance.
Up the stairs he went, careful not to wake his brother or his exhausted father.
Once in his room, he placed the corsage and the crystal on his desk. He changed out of his father's damaged suit and into something more comfortable, then sat down with a tired groan.
"You… can stay in the corner there," he murmured to the corsage, placing it neatly on the far-right corner of his desk. He'd decide what to do with it tomorrow… or later today, technically.
He opened one of his drawers and tucked the crystal behind a few books, right next to a small black vial.
When escaping from the Mind, he had stumbled upon his collection of black vials. He'd taken two, just in case. It turned out to be a wise choice; the Mind had demanded one back, never realizing there was another.
He was grateful the Mind hadn't used its power to peer into his memories.
Although… part of him almost wished it had, now that he understood the true nature of those cursed vials.
His vial sat encased in foam, sealed inside a small jar.
"Black blood… a substance capable of completely changing one's physical appearance. No, it doesn't just change it; it destroys and rebuilds it into something new. Something terrifying."
He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he continued to monologue about the vile thing.
"A mutation… I think I can see it. Whoever made this is trying to force evolution onto humans. But why? And is this even something worthy of being called 'evolution'?"
The thought made him shiver. To think such a madman could exist out there.
He sighed. It seemed he would have to do some digging.
His finger hovered over the computer's power button, but he hesitated. His gaze landed on the tattered corsage resting on his desk. He leaned back and stared at it.
What thoughts went through his mind in that moment?
Whatever they were, they never showed. His face stayed neutral. Blank.
He stared at the corsage for two hours before he finally blinked and seemed to return to himself.
"Uh…" He rubbed his eyes, confused, and leaned his head back, now staring at the ceiling.
Another hour passed.
"Jeez. What's wrong with me? Am I really that tired…?"
The clock read well past six in the morning.
"Don't think I'll be getting any more sleep now."
With a weary sigh, he turned his computer back on and began searching the web for any recent firings or layoffs from KhyberCorp or TraitShare, the two biggest tech companies in the city.
In his mind, it made sense. If there really was a deranged scientist behind this, they'd have some connection to one of the two.
"Maybe I'm just watching too many superhero shows…" he muttered.
Hours passed as he scrolled through names and faces.
"Aaron Jefferson, Clyde Mann, Zoran Buskovic, Tim Myers, Hadiza Mandela, Kaoru Miura, Monika Horvath, Carlos Ganto, Patrick Willey…" he read aloud, one after another.
Nothing.
Every profile looked normal, ordinary people with ordinary lives.
"These all just seem like regular people…"
He sighed and smacked his forehead.
'Really, what were you expecting to find? A villain résumé?'
"Ugh." He rubbed his tired eyes.
For now, he decided to leave it alone. This kind of digging had never been his strength anyway.
Not like he had any.
Upon leaving his room, Nicholas could faintly hear the sound of the TV coming from the living room downstairs.
Curious, he made his way down the stairs.
"Once more, philanthropist Quarral Grimlock has donated to the victims of last week's kidnapping in the city's villain district," the reporter announced.
The screen showed a bulky old man with snow-white hair, what little he had neatly combed, handing out oversized checks to several people.
Nicholas glanced toward the couch, where his father sat with a mug of coffee in hand, eyes fixed on the TV.
"Mr. Grimlock has also stated that he will aid in the ongoing investigation–"
Niko turned off the television and looked over his shoulder with a grin.
"Ah, you're up, my eldest son. Pray tell, how did you sleep?"
Nicholas blinked. "Why are you talking like that?"
His father shrugged. "Just trying to shake things up a bit."
Nicholas sighed. It was just another one of his dad's antics.
"I slept fine… What happened after I passed out?"
"Well, I don't know when you fell asleep exactly–"
"As soon as I got in the car," Nicholas interrupted.
"Ah." Niko nodded thoughtfully. "Well, let's see… I'm sure what you want to hear first is that there were no casualties. You're partly to thank for that."
Nicholas nervously pointed a finger at himself. "Me?"
Had his identity been exposed?
His father tilted his head and smiled with confusion. "Yeah? You saved two lives last night, son."
Nicholas stared at him with confusion briefly, before remembering he did, in fact, carry two people out of the building while he was just himself and not Unknown.
He sighed in relief at having managed to keep his identity a secret.
"You're relieved to hear they're alright, yeah? You did good."
It seemed his father came to an innocent misunderstanding.
For better or worse.
"I'm proud of you, son." His father suddenly spoke up, breaking Nicholas away from his thoughts.
"Oh… I…" Nicholas stumbled over his words.
It wasn't the first time he'd heard his father say that, but somehow, this time felt different. He couldn't quite explain why.
"What else happened?" he asked, shifting the conversation back.
Sensing the unease in his son's voice, Niko followed along. "You won't be having school on Monday," he said lightly.
Nicholas allowed a chuckle to escape from his mouth. "Just Monday?"
"Yeah, can you believe it. They actually expect you to come back on Tuesday."
"Oh? Does that mean you'll let me stay home?"
"Nope."
"Tch."
"It'll be your last day of school, at least for this year. Who knows what might happen by next school year, y'know?"
"Dad, there's like two months of difference. Hardly time for a break."
"Been there, done that," his father said with a wave. "When you get a job, you'll wish you had those two months back."
Nicholas shook his head. "Sounds like a terrible system."
"Yeah, well, all you can do is make the most of it," Niko said, taking another sip. "Oh, speaking of systems, later today, you'll need to stop by the station. They've got a few questions for you as a witness."
Nicholas grimaced with a strained smile. "I really hope being questioned by the police doesn't become a habit."
"Hey, you should be thanking me. I didn't let them drag you out of the car last night. Your old man fought hard to make sure you got some rest."
Nicholas's expression softened. "Yeah… Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome, champ." Niko set his mug down. "Now go wake your brother if he's not up yet. I've got a surprise for you both."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow but didn't press. Instead, he turned and headed upstairs a little faster than before.
…
Evan, still groggy from being woken up, stood beside his brother with an excited look, as enthusiastic as one could look right after getting out of bed.
At first, he refused to leave the covers, only to spring up the moment he realized it was Nicholas. He hugged him tightly, asking if he was alright. Once Nicholas confirmed he was fine, Evan immediately tried to go back to sleep.
It wasn't until Nicholas mentioned the magic words — "Dad" and "surprise" — that Evan finally got up.
Now the two stood in the living room side by side, as if they were in boot camp rather than their own home.
"Alright, cadets! Line up!" their father barked in mock authority.
His sons played along for the sake of the surprise.
"Good! My little soldiers," Niko continued, pacing before them. "Are you ready to explore a previously dangerous and totally inhospitable zone of this household?" His grin was so smug it could've been weaponized.
"Yes, sir!" both boys answered in unison.
"Then let's move out!" Niko threw open the basement door. "Go, go, go!"
The brothers descended, holding hands.
"Just be careful, Evan."
"I know, I know," Evan muttered. He loved his brother, but sometimes Nicholas could nag a bit too much.
"Dad, it's really dark. We can't see anything," Nicholas called.
"Yeah, that's kind of the point, son," Niko replied from behind. He reached out to the wall and flipped several small switches.
The sudden flood of light made both boys shield their eyes. When they finally adjusted, they froze.
The basement, once a dusty, cluttered mess, had been completely transformed.
A long sofa stretched across the room, facing a giant TV mounted on the wall. A small kitchen setup stood off to the side. It looked like their living room had evolved into something sleeker, brighter, and undeniably cooler.
Niko stepped in front of them, striking a triumphant pose. "Welcome! To my man-cave! Or rather, our man-cave." He gave a sheepish grin. "So… ready for the tour, boys?"
"What…" Nicholas started.
"Awesome!" Evan cut in, vaulting over the couch and running to the table under the TV. "It's the newest console! It's not even out yet!"
Nicholas blinked. "How did you even–?"
"Oh, the console? As I've been saying, your dad's got a connection." Niko flashed a grin full of pride.
"Somehow that's the least surprising thing here," Nicholas said dryly. "No, what I meant was, how did you afford all of this?"
"Please," Niko waved him off. "You haven't seen anything yet. Wait till you see the other rooms."
He grabbed Nicholas's hand and motioned for Evan to follow. "Come on! There's more!"
The next room looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie — all white walls, polished surfaces, and equipment lining every corner.
"My personal lab," Niko announced proudly.
Both brothers smiled. At least now their father would have a space for his projects, instead of invading theirs.
When Evan tried opening another door, Niko quickly stopped him. "Eh, don't go in there. That's just the pipes and wiring."
The 'storage' room.
The next space was covered in soft flooring and filled with workout equipment, the 'gym.'
Finally, they reached the last door.
"Now this one," Niko said, pausing for dramatic effect, "is your surprise, Evan. A few days early for your birthday, but…"
He opened the door. The room wasn't large, but it was cozy, with two beds that could expand into more, and in the center, a sleek podium with a device on top.
Once they stepped inside, Niko nodded at Nicholas. "Turn off the lights, would you?"
Nicholas flipped the switch. The room went dark.
That was an interesting thing he had noticed. All the rooms so far had their own switch for the lights, and yet there were switches at the stairwell as well.
'Talk about convenience.' Nicholas pleasantly thought. Their father really went all out.
Then their father pushed a button, causing the device in the middle to activate.
Planets of all shapes and sizes suddenly appeared, including Earth.
"Think of it as an upgraded map," Niko explained. "You can explore parts of space we know about or zoom in on Earth. The whole system's interactive."
Holograms. The entire room was a projection chamber.
Nicholas and Evan stood speechless, awestruck.
"I know you've felt left out, Evan," their father began softly. "Your brother's had friends over, and you've always felt like you couldn't."
Evan turned his back to hide his face, but Nicholas reached over and ruffled his hair. "It's alright," he murmured.
"And this," Niko continued, "is my gift to you. A space where you can have your friends over, sleepovers, whatever you want. But just a boring room with beds? Nah. I had to make it special."
Evan launched himself into his father's arms.
"Oof! Easy there, kiddo," Niko laughed, patting his back.
"Thanks, Dad…" Evan whispered.
"Yep, yep. Best dad in the world, right?" Niko said with mock bravado.
Nicholas shook his head, smiling faintly. "You've really outdone yourself this time, Dad."
Then his tone softened. "But… can I have a word?"
He stepped outside, leaving Evan to explore galaxies. They kept the door open, just enough to watch him play with the holograms.
Nicholas turned to his father. "So… how did you afford all this, Dad?"
"Don't worry about that," his father said quickly, hoping to put Nicholas's worries to rest. "I've been saving up for this man-cave for a long time."
"And when exactly did you do that?"
"While you and Evan weren't home. Trust me, this has been in the works for a while. And I knew neither of you two would go into the basement."
Nicholas paused, then asked the question that had been sitting on his mind.
"Why?"
Niko pressed his lips together before answering. "Well, there's a lot I could say about that… but I guess the main reason is that I didn't want you and your brother to feel confined." He drew a slow breath. "With my schedule, being gone for hours, sometimes even days, I know it can get lonely."
Nicholas stayed quiet, waiting.
"I wanted you two to fill this house with people, friends, laughter. I want you to feel like it's yours, not something you have to 'book' around my life."
"You know, when I was a kid, my brother and I… your uncle. We used to live in a small house. It was barely enough for four people, let alone having friends come over."
There was a flicker of sadness in Niko's eyes as he was reminiscing.
"And I guess it's just always been a dream of mine."
"Your dream… was to have a 'man-cave'?" Nicholas tilted his head.
"Yeah," Niko said with complete sincerity. "I mean, I had two dreams to have a family and a man-cave. Now that I've got both, I'd say I'm doing pretty well."
Nicholas looked away, his expression thoughtful.
"Is something like that really enough for a dream?"
Nicholas looked back towards his father, only to see him staring at the upgraded living room.
"I'd say it's enough." Niko then looked back at his son and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Life doesn't have to be something grandiose. Sometimes it's the little things that make you enjoy it."
Nicholas did not respond; however, his father could tell there was great turmoil in his mind.
"I don't know what's weighing on you," Niko said softly, "but you'll have to tell me one day; otherwise, I'll never know."
Nicholas gently brushed off his father's hand.
"I'll figure it out."
There was a steadiness in his tone that Niko hadn't heard before, quiet but burning, a spark of determination in contrast to his usual emptiness.
Niko smiled. "Okay."
For a few seconds, silence settled between them before Nicholas broke it.
"Sick device, by the way. Did you get that through your 'connections' too?"
"Oh, that?" Niko grinned. "I made it."
Nicholas blinked. "What."
"Yeah. It's for Evan to show him I care about what he loves. And come on, it's space. What's not to love? Plus, the kid's adorable when he starts rambling about it."
Nicholas chuckled softly. "That he is…"
Silence lingered longer.
Silence lingered a moment longer before Niko clapped him lightly on the back. "C'mon, what's with the gloomy look? How about a game of pool against your old man?"
"Huh?" Nicholas gave him a puzzled look.
Niko pointed toward the far corner of the room.
Only now did Nicholas notice the pool table tucked beside the TV area. He must've overlooked it in the shock of everything else.
"So, what do you say?" Niko asked, cue already in hand.
Nicholas smiled. "Sure."