The tournament dragged on.
Knox sat high above the battlefield, arms draped over the throne's armrests, his patience thinning by the second. Fighters clashed, steel met flesh, explosions rocked the arena—but it all started to blend together. He had seen enough.
Seraph sat beside him, perched like a predator, her fiery eyes still watching the matches with mild amusement. "Bored already?" she asked, smirking.
Knox exhaled through his nose. "Yeah."
That was all he said, but Seraph, understood.
A few moments passed before he finally stood up, rolling his shoulders. "That's enough of this."
He trapped a button on his throne's armrests, activating the comms. "Max."
Max's voice cracked through the receiver. "Yes, boss?"
"Move Richter, Evelyn, and Gregor up the rank. End the tournament."
There was a brief pause.Then Max chuckled. "You really don't care about the rest, do you."
"No," Knox said bluntly. "Wrap it up."
Max didn't argue. "Alright, you got it."
Below, the tournament announcers scrambled to adjust the rankings, the fighters looking around in confusion as the event abruptly concluded. Bit Knox didn't care about their complaints.
He was already moving.
Knox walked over to the circular elevation platform, Seraph following at his side. As soon as they stepped on, the mechanism rumbled to life, lifting them upward. The vault door above split open, revealing the night sky.
Knox shot upward in a blur, breaking past the lower clouds. Behind him, Seraph's wings unfurled with a snap, her white feathered form glowing under the moonlight as she followed him into the sky.
As they soared, she spoke. "So... why'd you end it like that?"
"I was bored," Knox said simply.
A flat voice immediately cut in—Kaelina.
["That has to be the stupidest thing I've heard."]
Seraph let out a short laugh, but her own system, Luminara, chimed in next.
["I concur. That was irrational. You didn't even see everyone's abilities or what they're capable of."]
Knox shrugged. "I left it to Max to handle."
Luminara sighed. ["You are impossible."]
Seraph tilted her head toward him. "So what now?"
Knox smired. "Wanna race?"
Seraph raised a brow. "Seriously?"
"First one to the moon wins."
She scoffed. "You're so childish."
"Scared you'll lose?"
Seraph narrowed her eyes. Challenge accepted.
The two of them hovered side by side, the vast sky stretching endlessly before them. Knox prepared to lunch—but then he stopped, glancing at her.
"...Wait. Can you even breathe in space?"
Seraph blinked. "I—" She hesitated. "Maybe?"
Luminara cut in. ["Seraph should be able to. Ever since she first transformed into her angelic form, her DNA had been changing. According to my analysis, breathing in space should be no big deal anymore."]
Knox gave Seraph a sideways glance. "Guess we're about to find out."
Seraph smired. "Guess so."
They lowered into position.
Then they shot off—blasting through the clouds, piercing the heavens like twin comets.
Far away, deep within the GPA's headquarters, a dimly lit black chamber pulsed with quiet tension.
Around a circular table, Graves and Caldwell sat stiffy, their expressions carefully controlled—but not enough to hide the subtle sheen of sweet on Graves' brow.
Across from them sat five figures, their forms obscured by the shadows.
The air was thick, charged with something otherworldly.
Graves cleared his throat. "I want to thank you all for coming on such short notice. I apologize for the inconvenience." His voice was polite, but his shoulders were tense.
One of the figures shifted, their voice drifting through the darkness like an angelic hum, beautiful yet chilling.
"It's no big deal.
From the tiny flicker of light in the room, a glimpse of golden hair streaked with black become visible.
Graves swallowed. Even speaking to them felt dangerous.
He pressed forward. "Well, the issue is... a group of criminals, calling themselves the Nexus Syndicate. Their leader, Knox, had become an escalating problem. They've grown in size, built an army, and soon—whether we want it or not—a war might break out."
One of the figures let out a low, rumbling sigh. Their voice, deep and resonant shook the walls.
"And you couldn't just dispatch the heroes you've gathered? You had to trouble us?"
Craves clenched his first under the table. "M-My apologies, sir. We just wanted to ensure that if we start losing, we have... back up."
Another voice—a woman's—cut in sharply.
"Shut it, Zerath."
Her voice echoed through the space, commanding instant silence.
Zerath, the one with the booming voice, didn't respond.
The woman leaned forward slightly, still hidden by the shadows. "Since Knox and his little gang are a problem, we'll stay in the city. If anything happens, we'll handle it."
Graves exhaled in relief. "T-Thank you. We appreciate your cooperation."
The five figures stood as one.
One of them raised their hand—a portal flickered into existence.
Without another word, they stepped through, disappearing into the abyss.
As soon as they left, Graves and Caldwell both let out a deep breath.
Caldwell leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "That... went better than expected."
Graves didn't answer immediately. Instead, his gaze drifted down to the five files folders sitting on the table.
Each one contained nothing but a single name.
Everything else? Question marks.
The names read:
Vaelith Solvair
Zerath Kael'Vorne
Nyxara Veyne
Draeven Mal'Zorr
Iskander Vhalros
Graves exhaled. There were the monsters they had just called upon.