Red Leaf City was now at the center of chaos.
The evacuation had been halted. Those who once stubbornly refused to leave their beloved city and homes were now filled with regret, wishing they could run. But they couldn't.
Not because they were ordered to stay or physically restrained—no. They were frozen by fear. Not ordinary fear, but a paralyzing dread of the unknown.
Triple-colored flames raged from the sky, crashing down with terrifying intensity. Wherever they landed, the ground sizzled and dissolved as if drenched in bone-melting acid, leaving behind massive craters.
BOOM!!!
The earth trembled under the citizens' feet. Screams and cries filled the air as the panic escalated, fear wrapping around their hearts like chains.
Meanwhile...
Several figures raced deeper into the heart of Red Leaf City—the Special Force. They moved swiftly, determined.
BOOM!!!
The explosion shook the ground beneath them. The squad staggered but kept moving. None of them looked back or questioned it—they knew what that sound meant.
Their squad leader, a woman with a firm gaze and sweat dripping down her brow, urged them forward. We need to move fast, she thought grimly. Whatever fell from the sky... it has already landed. And civilians might be near it , which doesn't seem good cause they could all still feel the suffocating presence in the air but they force themselves to ignore it but could the normal civilian withstand or even survive this pressure.
With gritted teeth the squad leader tried pushing her body to run faster but such a simple task proved to be impossible for her, it was as if she was trying to run under water.
They could still feel the suffocating pressure in the air, a weight that pressed against their lungs and slowed their steps. Yet they pushed on, their training and instincts overriding the fear.
Soon, they emerged onto a street—then came to a complete stop.
Dozens of transport vehicles, buses, and civil service vans were gathered in chaos. These had likely been prepared for the evacuation, but there was no movement. Civilians stood frozen, their eyes locked on a wide crater at the center of the street, easily over 200 meters across and 15 to 20 feet deep. Faint, flickering triple-colored flames lined the edges, glowing ominously.
A flimsy barricade tape had been stretched around the crater like a crime scene, a precaution more symbolic than effective. Even the most reckless individual wouldn't dare step near those flames.
Then, nine figures approached the barricade.
Two police officers stepped in front of them, blocking their path.
"Please step back. This is a restricted area," one of them said firmly with a pale face.
The squad leader's lips parted, about to respond—when a calm, commanding voice cut in from behind them.
"Rookies, step aside. Don't you recognize who's standing before you?"
The female officer gasped slightly as she turned, quickly saluting. Her voice was laced with respect. "Apologies for the inconvenience, ma'am. We don't get to see the Special Force up close every day."
At the mention of "Special Force," the policemen straightened instantly, their faces filled with shock and reverence. They saluted deeply. "Apologies, ma'am. We didn't recognize you. It won't happen again."
A ripple of relieved murmurs spread through the civilians nearby.
"The Special Force is here!"
"Thank goodness... We're safe now!"
The squad leader said nothing for a moment. Then she turned to the female officer.
"This is where the unknown landed, right?" she asked in a low, plain tone.
"Yes, ma'am," the officer replied promptly. "You can see those strange flames around the crater... We haven't approached."
" You haven't attempted to investigate?"
"No, ma'am. This is beyond our level. We've been waiting for your arrival."
"Very well." The squad leader stepped forward, approaching the barricade.
"Be careful, squad leader," Lucy said softly from behind, almost shyly.
The leader nodded slightly, then crossed the barricade.
The moment she did, a wave of intense heat washed over her face, forcing her to halt mid-step. Her brow furrowed.
"These look like flames… but the colors… they're unnatural," she murmured.
After ten seconds of careful observation, she silently retreated back.
The female officer stepped forward, about to speak, but the squad leader cut her off.
"Get the firefighters here. Now."
"Yes, ma'am!" the officer responded, saluting before dashing off. Though clearly older than the squad leader, she didn't hold a candle to her authority or presence.
"Squad leader, what are you planning?" Dustin asked, stepping beside her.
"I want to see if water can extinguish those flames," she replied calmly.
Dustin's brows tightened. "Do you think that'll work?"
"We won't know unless we try."
He nodded, not arguing further.
Soon, the officer returned with four firefighters in uniform. They'd already been briefed and were in awe as they bowed deeply. "Good day, squad leader!"
She nodded. "Try putting out the flames—if you can."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Without delay, the firefighters drew summoning symbols. In a burst of energy, four massive elephants appeared beside them, these elephants were commonly known as the tank elephant because of their function of spraying water and they are one of the most common tools for the fire fighters.
Gripping the elephants' trunks, which elongated as the beasts moved cautiously closer to the barricade, they prepared to douse the flames. A slap on the trunks signaled the start—and a heavy blast of water surged forth.
At first, smiles crept onto the firefighters' faces.
Then—
"What the—?!" one of them gasped.
The triple-colored flames flared violently, surging toward the water like it had been challenged. In shock, the firefighters instinctively released the trunks.
In seconds, the flames latched onto the elephants' trunks.
AHRRHHH!!! The elephants shrieked, thrashing in agony.
Everything happened so fast.
The squad leader's eyes widened, and she rushed forward—only for the flames to suddenly pull back, withdrawing into the crater as if they'd never been there.
The elephants collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.
Silence followed, for nearly about 30 seconds no one moved.
Then the squad leader spoke.
Her voice was cold. Unshakable.
"I'm going down there."
"What?!" her squad echoed in unison.
"Squad leader, that's too dangerous!" Jasmine protested.
"I know. But standing here won't get us anywhere."
"I…" Jasmine tried to argue, but the words failed her.
"Then I'm coming with you," Dustin said firmly, leaving no room for debate.
"…Fine." The squad leader replied with her usual plain tone.
They both crossed the barricade. Dustin paused briefly, noticing a policeman crouched outside the tape, his face blank.
Reaching the crater's edge, the two looked down.
Dense smoke swirled, obscuring everything. Without another word, they nodded to each other—
WHOOSH!
They jumped in.
BAM!
They landed hard on solid ground. The smoke was thick, but they kept moving, scanning the surroundings cautiously.
Suddenly, the smoke cleared—vanishing as if it had never been there.
The squad leader's eyes narrowed. Her gaze caught a figure up ahead, curled on the ground.
She moved fast but still remained alert, Dustin right behind her.
Just a few steps from the figure, a single word slipped from his lips, soft and filled with emotion:
"Maya…"
The name carried such warmth and care, it stopped them in their tracks.
Then—his eyes flew open slowly.
His irises flickered gold… then black… then red… before settling into a sharp, piercing blue.