Sergeant Jones nodded at him and continued moving forward with his team.
Theo leaned on the wall briefly, catching his breath, before pushing himself forward. His eyes darted from room to room, scanning for any sign of his mother. "Mom!" he called out, his voice echoing down the corridor.
But room after room only brought disappointment. Soldiers were already escorting survivors down the fire exits, tagging and recording them. None of them were her.
Frustration burned in his chest, but he refused to give up. He charged ahead, past Sergeant Jones's team, his heart pounding with urgency.
That was when it happened.
Low, guttural growls suddenly erupted from behind. They were close, close. The soldiers barely had time to react as something lunged from the shadows, crashing into them with terrifying force.
Theo spun around, his eyes going wide.
A new Meteorborn burst from the shadows and slammed into Theo brutally. Before he could react, he was thrown out of the fourteenth-floor window with a violent crash, glass shards slicing through the air around him as the world spun wildly.
For a moment, it felt like deja vu.
Falling again from a high place. The rush of air. The weightlessness. The fear.
He braced himself, expecting the bone-breaking crash. And yet… He didn't hit the ground.
Instead, his body slowed midair, the force around him softening until he was hovering just a few feet above the pavement.
A calming pressure held him in place, gentle yet firm.
Then, a familiar voice drifted into his ears, smooth, teasing, and unmistakably cold.
"You do love falling from high places, don't you?"
Theo blinked, disoriented, facing someone he hadn't expected to see again.
The young female police officer he'd met at his mother's hospital before everything spiraled into chaos. The same AMS woman who had stayed behind at Metro Doctors Hospital, choosing to join the government's AMSO - Awakened Meteor Survivor Order.
Dressed in sleek steel blue combat gear with silver trim, the AMSO emblem gleamed on her chest, right above her name and rank: Lexa Spears - Class 4 AMS.
Her long black hair fluttered in the lingering force of her ability, strands dancing in the charged air. Her cold, alluring azure eyes glowed faintly, the hue as sharp as ice, focused directly on him. One hand remained raised, effortlessly channeling the very energy that had just saved his life.
Theo narrowed his eyes and quickly activated Observer's Insight, his gaze unintentionally scanning Lexa from head to toe.
[Observer's Insight Activated
Name: Lexa Spears
Affiliation: Awakened Meteor Survivor Order (AMSO)
Rank: Class 4 AMS
Power: Telekinesis
- Can move, control, and manipulate objects or people using her mind within a wide radius
- Capable of precise and high-pressure force control
Combat Skills:
- Expert in close-quarters combat
- Proficient with firearms and bladed weapons]
"Whoa," Theo muttered in awe, eyes still lingering a bit too long.
Lexa's cheeks flushed slightly. "Stop ogling me, pervert!" she snapped, shooting him a glare. With a flick of her hand, the telekinetic hold vanished, sending Theo straight onto his butt.
"Ow… hey!" he yelped, more surprised than hurt.
He quickly scrambled back to his feet, eyes wide in disbelief as he dusted himself off. "Was that really necessary?" he muttered.
Lexa crossed her arms, expression flat. "Consider it a warning. Keep your eyes where they belong."
Theo opened his mouth to protest, then wisely shut it. He rubbed the back of his neck, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Sure, he had been admiring how stunning she looked, the uniform hugged her curves perfectly, and there was no denying how attractive she was. But the real reason his mouth had dropped open was because he was in awe of her power and skill.
Of course, he couldn't explain that. The system was something only he could see and hear. Telling her about it might raise suspicions and make him look crazy, so for now, it was safer to keep it to himself.
Lexa huffed and brushed past him without another word.
"Wait! Thanks for saving me!" Theo called after her, but as he turned to follow her inside, a pair of soldiers at the entrance blocked his path.
"Hold on. Orders from above. No unauthorized civilians past this point," one of them said firmly.
Theo frowned. "I'm not just a civilian-"
"We know who you are. You're an unauthorized civilian Sergeant Jones let in. Because of that, he's going to face disciplinary action," one of the soldiers said firmly.
"Orders are orders," the other cut in. "You have to follow rules and protocol. If you want access, join the AMSO."
Theo clenched his fists. He couldn't just stand around while his mother might still be trapped inside.
"You're looking for your mother, right?" the second soldier added. "Check outside, they've already released the names of survivors and casualties. The clearing is almost complete. The only remaining survivors are the ones on the fifteenth floor."
Just then, Theo's phone rang.
The ringtone, his special one for Aries, made his chest tighten. He yanked the phone from his pocket and answered immediately. "Aries? What is it?!"
He heard soft sobs from the other end. His heart pounded. "Aries, what's going on?!"
"Theo… I… please hurry and come here. I'm outside the hospital."
Theo ended the call, his hand trembling as he lowered the phone. A heavy silence settled over him. Every step he took felt like dragging chains, his legs barely responding, his chest tightening with each breath.
"Please… God, please let her be safe," he murmured under his breath, eyes locking onto the line of soldiers moving out from the hospital, each carrying bodies shrouded in white cloth. A quiet dread began to claw at his insides.
As he stepped beyond the barricade, Aries burst toward him, her face streaked with tears, her body shaking. She threw herself into his arms, holding him like she was trying to stop the world from falling apart.
"Theo-" her voice cracked. "Mom… her name was on the list. She's gone. She's dead, Theo! Mom is gone!" she wailed, the grief pouring out of her in choked sobs.
Theo's heart dropped. The world tilted.
"No…" he breathed, eyes wide, voice barely a whisper. "No, no, no… this can't be…"
His knees buckled, and he held onto Aries like she was the only thing anchoring him to reality. The pain tore through him like fire… raw, cruel, and merciless.