The red alert echoed through the academy halls.
PM2Ω detected. South District. All hero teams prepare for deployment.
Lacky stood frozen.
The display screen updated automatically. Coordinates. District map.
His breath caught.
South District…
That area wasn't unfamiliar.
His fingers trembled as realization struck.
That's where Aunt lives.
The room felt smaller.
A memory forced its way into his mind—
Team Vidant struggling.
Heroes bleeding.
Control lost.
People screaming.
If I wasn't there that day… how many would've died?
"What if they can't stop it again?" he whispered.
Fear drowned discipline.
"I—I need to use the washroom," Lacky said suddenly.
Mr. Xi Yung didn't look convinced, but training had already been suspended. He gave a short nod.
Lacky didn't walk.
He ran.
---
The bicycle felt unstable beneath him as he pushed harder than he ever had before. Streets blurred past. Sirens wailed in the distance. Evacuation drones crossed the sky.
Please be safe. Please be safe.
By the time he reached the South District, chaos had already spread.
Smoke. Panic. Broken roads.
And there—
his aunt.
She was helping elderly civilians move toward the evacuation route, her face strained but steady.
"Aunt!" Lacky shouted.
She turned, startled. "Lacky? What are you doing here?"
"Please—come with me. The monster is close."
She shook her head immediately. "Not yet. Some of them can't move on their own."
His chest tightened.
"I'll help them," he said quickly. "You go first."
She hesitated, searching his face—then nodded and followed the evacuation path.
Lacky turned back.
Helping people came naturally.
Guiding. Carrying. Supporting.
But the ground shook.
A shadow loomed.
The PM was close—too close.
"Go!" he shouted to the last group. "Now!"
They ran.
Lacky turned toward the open outskirts of the district.
Just push it away.
Non-civilized area. That's all.
He reached for his NORD.
Nothing responded cleanly.
He tried again.
Pain surged.
"No… not now."
His pulse spiked. His breathing shattered.
Suddenly, the air twisted.
Dust lifted. Wind screamed.
A vortex began forming around him.
"No—stop—!"
The reaction spiraled beyond control.
A massive tornado rose, swallowing debris, tearing apart streets.
Lacky screamed as the force dragged him upward.
---
Hero Academy response was immediate.
Multiple suppression units deployed.
Wind-control specialists entered the zone, forming barriers, stabilizing pressure, forcing the rotation downward.
Inside the storm—
"There's someone at the center!"
"He's generating it!"
With coordinated effort, the tornado collapsed inward, dispersing violently but safely.
Lacky fell unconscious before hitting the ground.
---
Lacky regained consciousness slowly.
The sound came first—steady beeping, distant and rhythmic. Then the weight. His body felt heavy, restrained, unfamiliar.
He opened his eyes.
White ceiling. Medical lights. NORD inhibitors humming softly around his wrists.
The Hero Academy hospital.
A shadow moved beside him.
"You're awake."
He turned his head.
Alia Bhardwaj stood near the bed, hands behind her back, expression unreadable.
"The tornado was neutralized," she said calmly. "Evacuation was completed. No civilian casualties."
Relief rushed through him. "My aunt—?"
"She is safe."
Only then did his breath slow.
There was a pause.
"You acted without authorization," Alia continued. "You lost control of your NORD and created a secondary disaster."
Her tone didn't change.
"You are a registered student of the Hero Academy. Under academy protocol, all damages caused by trainees fall under institutional responsibility."
She stepped closer and placed a thin digital notice on the side table.
"This is a formal notice."
Lacky stared at it.
"You are required to meet the CEO," Alia said. "After medical clearance."
No accusation.
No comfort.
Just consequence.
"I will escort you when you are released," she added.
Alia turned and left the room without another word.
The door slid shut.
Lacky lay still, staring at the notice beside him.
This time, the academy hadn't saved him from danger.
It had saved others from him.
And now, he would have to answer for it.