K-BOOM!
The spirit exploded — SPLASH! — blue liquid covering Kayo's face. It was the spirit's blood.
The lab was once again filled with thick smoke, swirling and choking the air. The shattered pieces of the spirit slipped out of Kayo's body, like shards of glass melting into mist.
Nightscape
Kayo lay motionless on the tin roof of a small hut, his face still smeared with the spirit's glowing blue blood. The night was silent — eerily silent.
Slowly, he came around. His eyelids flickered, heavy as stone. He struggled several times before forcing them open. The world careened. He sat up, dizzy, then stood — only to stumble and fall with a metallic CLANG! against the roof.
Groaning, he tried again and managed to stand. His body trembled, his mind flashed with strange broken images: him inside the spirit, the explosion, blood dripping down his face.
Confusion overwhelmed him. His body was weak. Memories flickered like lightning — chaotic and sharp.
Then came the sound of shouting and running feet from beneath.
He leaned over the edge of the roof and saw a crowd gathering — villagers armed with sticks, swords, and even guns. They surrounded a man sitting calmly on a rock. Behind the man, the forest was burning, its flames crackling and roaring in the night.
One man came forward and shouted, "You idiot! Why are you doing this? Why won't you leave us alone?"
Kayo squinted to get a clearer view of the man on the rock. He shifted positions, crawling along the edge of the roof.
And then he froze.
It was… his dad.
Kayo's eyes widened.
"DAD!!!" he screamed.
But his voice didn't carry. It was as if the air swallowed his words whole.
Back at the Lab (Present Day
Dr. Olympus had managed to save three people by then.
Dr. Olympus turned to another scientist and said grimly, "He has something… unusual."
Back to the Nightscape
Again, Kayo screamed, his throat tight with panic.
"DAD!!!"
But once again no one heard his voice and his voice echoed in his body.
Down below, his father rose to his feet. "What did I do?" he yelled to the crowd. "I only tried to protect you all from the Veil Monsters! And now you call me traitor?"
The head of the group returned to him, "You're one of them! We don't want you or people like you here!"
Whole crowd roared on the statement together.
"Yeah! We don't want you! Get out!
His father's expression hardened. "And what if I don't leave?"
One man shouted from among the crowd, "Then we'll burn your family alive!"
Not far from there stood a small house — quiet, dimly lit.
Inside the House
A young boy, little Kayo, clutched his mother's hand. She held his baby brother close to her chest.
"Maa," Kayo asked softly, "what's going on outside? I want to see Dad. Please call him."
His mother smiled weakly. "Baby, Dad is just busy with work. He'll come soon."
Back on the Roof
Older Kayo tried to climb down, but his legs gave out. He could only watch.
His father screamed again to the crowd, "I'll tear you apart if anything happens to my family!" He started walking towards his house, crowd maddened and in fear they give him side to go.
He turned toward his house and knocked. His wife opened the door with fear in her eyes.
From the roof, Kayo whispered to himself, "Where am I? Is this. the past?"
Inside, little Kayo ran and hugged his father tightly.
His father smiled weakly and said, "You're all going to Andosind."
His wife shook her head. "If you're not coming, we won't go either."
He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Who said I'm not coming? I will — after I handle those people outside. Take this blue stone and go quickly."
He kissed his wife, Kayo, and his younger son. She began packing hurriedly.
Three-year-old Kayo grasped the glowing stone tightly as his father turned back toward the crowd.
"Do whatever you want," he said coldly. "I'm right here."
His voice whispering in his mind, "I hope someday Kayo uses this stone. and my power well."
Suddenly — RAT-TAT-TAT! — shooting began. The special police had arrived and their bullets sliced through the night.
An arrow struck Kayo's father, yet he continued to run - directly into the burning forest. The flames roared as he vanished into the fire.
His wife, holding their sons, watched from a distance, her eyes filled with tears. She didn't stop, however; she ran towards Andosind.
Back on the Roof
Older Kayo shrieked and dropped to his knees. His vision blurred as his father disappeared into fire. The crowd torched his childhood home — CRACKLE! WHOOSH! — until everything was consumed by flame.
Memories crashed into him like waves.
Was my dad… good or bad?
His head throbbed. Everything turned into black color his body was turned into white color. He saw a mirror falling on calm-soothing water— SPLASH! — breaking into countless shards underwater.
Present Time Lab
Dr. Olympus checked Kayo's vitals, but suddenly — WHOOOM! — a burst of red energy exploded from Kayo's body. The blinding flash threw Olympus back.
The whole lab turned crimson.
The ruined walls cracked and crumbled into dust. The ground beneath shifted, forming small cliffs as tectonic plates pulled apart. The air rained red smoke and glowing embers from a dying sky.
When the smoke finally began to clear, Dr. Olympus deactivated the emergency shield and stepped out.
Suddenly, several armored vehicles and choppers came down with a loud WHIRR! WHIRR!
"Evacuation team and special forces are here! Don't panic!" boomed the voice over the speakers.
From one of the vehicles, a woman stepped out, reloading her gun with a metallic CLACK!
A young man came following her and said, "Muskan, you ready?"
Muskan nodded. "Let's move.
While the Ground Mesh Corps moved civilians out of the area, the special forces began searching it.
As he rummaged through the debris, a lone figure sat quietly on a rock facing away from him. This was Jein. "Hey! It's not safe here! Come on, the Ground Mesh Corps is helping people evacuate!" he cried out. The man didn't move at first, then replied calmly, "Yes… you're right. It's not safe, Mr. Jein." Jein frowned. "Wait -- how do you know my name?" He stood up slowly, heavy in aura, humming the air around him with energy. The red haze swirled violently. The smoke parted — and Jein's eyes widened in shock. The man was none other than… Kayo.