《Vain:Origin》 Nightmares and Dreams At the edge of all, where the final breaths of time dissolve into the abyss, five sinners stand shackled in chains of unyielding light. They are brought before the eternal cascade¡ªa torrent of worlds and void that whispers the end of all existence. There, where the echoes of the cosmoses falter and fade, their sins are laid bare, woven into the fabric of their being. The verdict is pronounced, not by voice, but by the weight of their deeds: to be cast into oblivion, their essence unmade, their transgressions erased alongside them, as if neither they nor their sins ever dared to exist. The Sin of Order wept, not for fear of their impending judgment, but for the ceaseless cycle consuming all¡ªlife and non-life alike¡ªcrushed under the relentless march of time. The sinner''s tears, born of grief, fell unheeded as the jury''s cruel laughter echoed through the abyss, mocking the sinner''s sorrow with the bitter stench of irony. For the Order, so revered, thrived upon the unending symphony of death and rebirth, a grotesque dance in which even the stars bowed to decay. When cast from the edge, the sinner''s tears joined the roaring streams of the Falls, a quiet offering to the endless tide. Yet, among the deluge, one tear defied the void, caught by the winds of change. Dissolving into the unseen currents of existence, it carried a fragment of defiance¡ªa sliver of natural law. This lone drop became a thread of fragile balance, tethering the chaos of life to a semblance of order. A defiant whisper in a cacophony of ruin, ensuring that even as the world spiraled toward entropy, it will never fully yield to the abyss. The Sin of Joy fell not to the hand of Justice, but to a guilty foot. What lingered was a storm¡ªa stigma of wrath unleashed upon the known world. The fragile allure of hollow glory crumbled from the world, replaced by an all-consuming fury, a seething hatred for all that had been and all that ever would be. As the tide of death''s haunting echoes rose to claim them, the sinner defied the abyss with their final image: a profound smile carved into the visage, not of mirth, but of assurance. It lingered like a battle scar upon the victorious, merciless world¡ªa haunting emblem of joy, etched forever in the annals of fate. However, the greatest defiance lies with the casting of the Sin of Justice, sinful for upholding unbalanced scales, favoring good so fervently that evil had no room to exist. Standing clad in the most luminous and sanctified armor, so imposing that the chains binding the sinner''s wrists served as a suggestion rather than a bond. The weight ¡ªinconsequential against the force of the sinner''s conviction. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Yet, a final act spoke louder than the cries of the abyss. Without warning, the sinner plunged a gleaming sword into the precipice where they stood, the motion even the executioners failed to fathom before it was too late. The blade sank deep. No strength, no will, could wrest it free¡ªit stood immovable, a sentinel to the sinner''s unyielding nature. With that singular act complete, the sinner stepped forward, unresisting, and descended into the abyss. But as the sinner fell, the depths faltered.The radiance of the sinner''s being did not dim immediately; instead, it lingered, casting a glow that painted the void in hues of grace. Even as the abyss sought to consume, it hesitated, recoiling from the brilliance that refused to yield. Only after a few breaths did the light vanish, disappearing so thoroughly it was as though it had never existed at all. The Sin of Love¡ª bzzzt¡­ whwhi--kk-k-rrrr¨C The vision distorts. The message fractures. A king stands upon nothingness, surrounded by an endless void. A smile plays on his lips, unfazed by the unraveling reality around him. "It seems I got caught peeking." He laughs. A lone figure kneels before him¡ªa messenger, waiting for orders. "My lord?" The king retrieves a book, its presence an anomaly in the emptiness. A weighty thing, seemingly untouched by time, yet ancient. "Ah, Ari¡­ could you do me one favor?" "Anything." The king holds out the book. "Take this and run." A pause. The messenger hesitates. "Run? Where?" "Nowhere. Everywhere. Just keep running, until you can''t anymore. Until they can never hope to catch you." No further words are exchanged. The messenger vanishes¡ªnot as one leaving, but as if he had never existed at all. Even memory struggles to recall him, as though reality itself conspires to erase all trace of his presence. The void fractures. Cracks web across the nothingness. All began to collapse. A voice¡ªhis voice¡ªslips through the breaking void. "¡­As for you¡­" The words are strained, struggling against the consuming void. "There wasn''t much I could show you before we were interrupted. I only hope this message bears fruit someday. Past, present, future¡ªit matters little. These events devour all of time in the end." The void gnaws at the king''s form, but he does not resist. "I''m spending everything to relay this vision¡­ but it''s a cruel gamble, isn''t it? I don''t even know who''s receiving this. You could be the one to finally decide what is right and what is wrong¡­ or the one who buries the truth of our foundation for the best" The abyss pulls harder now. He is already fading. A final chuckle escapes him, soft, distant. "As for me, I''ll be going far, far away. But between us¡­" The king''s presence dissolves, but the whisper lingers. "I just hope you''re kind, Warrior of Fire." In another time, in another space, a red-haired boy jolted awake, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. A lingering exhaustion clung to him, as if something had siphoned the very essence from his being. He ran a trembling hand across his forehead, wiping away the dampness before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "That dream again..." For the seventh night in a row, the same vision had wrenched him from sleep, leaving only fragments¡ªfleeting, cryptic, and relentless. "Who was that person? What was that vision? What does it mean?" But for Tyson, those questions would have to wait. Today marked the beginning of something far greater than those strange, restless dreams. His own lifelong dream. V.E.I.L Sunlight streamed through the flimsy, transparent curtain, draping half the apartment in warmth. With no ventilation, the heat lingered, making the room stifling. Tyson would have been more selective about a temporary apartment to rent if he hadn¡¯t been accepted on such short notice. Today, the last day of the month of Nullar, he was to be enlisted¡ªselected as a member of the newly formed squad within V.E.I.L. The apartment itself was far from ideal. The bathroom, in particular, was in a sorry state. Its automated systems for brushing, bathing, and grooming have long since broken. Even considering the urgency of the situation. He most likely still wouldn''t have been so quick to settle for a place like this if not for his family''s reluctance to support him financially. Even with the confirmation that he was indeed accepted officially, his family was still skeptical of the legitimacy, and the meager funds provided wouldn''t change anytime soon. Not that it mattered. Tyson never really relied on automation anyway. To him, allowing machines to handle basic tasks felt dehumanizing. He preferred doing things himself and the satisfaction that comes with it. Dressed in a simple black button-up and khaki pants, he slung his only possession over his shoulder¨C a backpack filled only with necessities¨C and stepped out of the apartment for the last time. He''d returned the key the previous night so there was nothing left to do but walk out the door. ¡®I would have loved to explore the city a little more¡¯ Tyson thought as he left the downtown area of Simulum city in a desticar. Weaving through spiraling bridge-roads. The bridge-roads stretched high above, their titanium-alloy surfaces supported by billions of self-sufficient nanomachines, constantly repairing and reinforcing it along with most of the city''s structures. These elevated pathways eliminated the need for ground roads, keeping the cityscape clean and reducing the risk of accidents below. Exit points served as the only connection between the sky-bound highways and the streets below. Unlike the previous regions that were packed with vehicles, bright lights and towering buildings, this area was almost entirely forested, dotted only with scattered holes and factories. Strangely, the sudden shift into a rural expanse made it quite obvious that there was more than what could be seen. However, the deeper they went, the more obscure the route became. At times, it felt as if he was being taken in circles. He recalled how the desticar took an unusually thorough scan and identity check when he gave the codename to District seven''s 56th V.E.I.L headquarter as the destination. These fully automated hover-cars had replaced manual vehicles long ago, their navigation dictated by a seamless network of radar, sonar, and ladar systems. Unlike piloting an aircraft, which was now relatively accessible, obtaining a license for bridge-road driving had become nearly impossible. Though there was little need. need. Desticars required nothing more than a destination, and the backup solar-powered charging stations at their transit terminals ensured they had need for manual refueling. The desticar came to a sudden stop. No visible landmark indicated as to why. When Tyson exited the open door, nothing but trees were visible as far as he could tell. The road didn''t stop either, but the car turned and drove off nonetheless. ¡°Where is this supposed to be?¡± He wondered and waited. A few moments after the desticar was out of sight he turned towards the road ahead. When he did, his eyes widened. His vision was filled with the sight of a scarily large structure that he could tell right away, was his destination. ¡°That''s¡­ the headquarters?¡± Rising from the heart of an endless sea of trees, the headquarters stood as a silent monolith¡ªan immense hexagonal structure of dark steel and tinted glass that stretched for miles. There were no fences, no obvious security measures¡ªonly the overwhelming sense that this place was not meant to be approached without invitation. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. On the contrary, surrounding the building from all angles were around six dozen others facing it, some closer than others. A lot seemed as clueless as him and others seemed to know to walk towards it. He couldn''t help but notice the wide array of the kinds of people here along with him. Some as young as being barely eligible leave school, and others old enough to retire from normal jobs. But he couldn''t be too shocked considering, even though it was more tame, the age of the students enrolled at the academy varied significantly. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± A voice suddenly came from behind him and he was quick to step out of the way. Strangely, he hadn¡¯t seen anybody on the road he was before yet there were people in front, behind, and all around him, all encircling the headquarters. Slowly walking past him was a short girl in a black, frilly short-gown. Her sparkling, platinum hair was held in a twin tail by bands of beads with each tail being noticeably large and twirled symmetrically. Thinking back, he remembered that the guide book never did state any specific dress code. In fact, the acceptance letter noticeably encouraged non-uniformity. The most noticeable feature about her was her eyes. They were seemingly cold and dark, contrasting her bright look. She¡¯d referred to him yet it didn¡¯t feel like he was registered in her mind at all. Like nothing was. She glided past him, towards the building along with the others. As if on cue, all around the building, doors appeared and slid open. Behind each door were men in suits and shades waiting along. They said and did nothing but the feeling they gave to each recruit here, was that they weren¡¯t to be trifled with. Before long, they were all heading towards the center. After everyone was through the door and the crowd met at the center of a hall inside, the doors shut. Suddenly, there was a change in the color of the silver walls. They suddenly turned white. What followed was a gravitational change, most got knocked right off their feet and some even temporarily in the air. They could barely keep their balance and it was apparent that the room was moving somewhere at breakneck speed. What wasn¡¯t so clear was which direction they were heading. Tyson was one of the few who could remain somewhat stable, but he couldn''t help but support himself with a knee. The room came to a stop, and the white shining walls shifted back to silver, but the room did not look the same. On one side of the room, a stage was now present with two people conversing on it. ¡°Come on Jid! You don''t expect anybody to follow such a stupid advice do you?¡± ¡°What''s wrong with that? When your life is in danger because your authority cannot overrule an opponent''s, the best thing to do is to sacrifice and change your conviction then and there. They won''t see it coming at all. It''s the best way to-¡± ¡°It''s the best way to die shamefully is what you mean. When you establish your conviction, you should be determined to stick to it till you die¡­¡± A young man and woman were chiding each other up on the stage. They didn''t bother acknowledging those now in the room. ¡°Of course you''d think that, muscle-brained gorilla woman!¡± Thud ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Who''re you calling a gorilla you bastard! I should-¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡± One of the men in shades who were around the recruits was forced to intervene. Finally getting their attention. They both turned to look below. ¡°Oh, the last wave is here.¡± The woman finally addressed them. They both made the effort to stand professionally. As if what was just observed was a figment of the imagination. ¡°They look like a promising bunch. A bit colorful too-¡± ¡°Hello one and all. And welcome to Veil. Our organization, dedicated to the protection of life, light, and peace throughout the cosmos.¡± The woman obviously intentionally cuts him off, but it''d be classless to address it now so the man could only suck his teeth and accept it. ¡°My name''s Ally.¡± ¡°And I go by Jid.¡± ¡°Let''s make this quick and easy. You''re here to be distributed into your respective squads. You''ve each been selected and drafted according to your evaluations.¡± A hand shot up from the crowd and somebody spoke. A brawly young man with black hair spiked to the back. ¡°I assumed there''d be a test. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to be evaluated before being enlisted to such dangerous tasks?¡± Jid responded with a smile. ¡°Ah, I appreciate your sentiment, but don''t worry, if you''re here, then you''ve already been qualified.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°From the moment you registered, each and every one of you has been monitored individually till you arrived here.¡± Loud gasps and shocked reactions erupted from the crowd. ¡°And yes, that does include those of you flown in, as well as you academy graduates. ¡± Ally sought to clarify. ¡°Do not underestimate our screening process. We take the process very seriously.¡± ¡°But don''t worry, if you''re here, then there''s no issue. But as for whether your captains will put you through more initiation tests well... that''ll be up to them.¡± Some of the recruits could''ve sworn they saw sinister smiles on both of their faces. ¡°Anyway.¡± Ally snapped her fingers, and in that moment, multitudes of wristbands appeared next to each recruit and were attached to their wrists. ¡°You''re officially in Veil headquarters. Those bands will guide you to your assigned base of operation. There, you''ll meet your respective captains.¡± ¡°Those will also be essential to you as long as you''re a Veil officer. They''ll be useful for communication, tracking, guidance and more. Keep them with you and do your best to not lose them.¡± Jid added. A streak of light shot out from each band, pointing towards different directions, then disappeared soon after. ¡°Follow where those beams were pointing. If you lose your way, they''ll emerge once again. But as trained Eminents, that shouldn''t be a problem for you.¡± Before long, the hall was clear, and the agents were dispersed as well, leaving only five of the recruits behind. Absolute Disasters ¡°What in terminus was that?!¡± Jid started at Ally. ¡°What was what?¡± She feigns ignorance. ¡°You kept interrupting me in front of them. I probably lost so much merit and respect from them.¡± ¡°Oh don''t worry, I really doubt they¡¯d respect you any less.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± He was slightly taken back. ¡°Of course, you can''t lose what you never had.¡± She responded with a grin. ¡°You-¡± ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± A voice interjected. They finally turned to look at the red-head requesting their attention, only to finally notice the five recruits left in the hall. ¡°Great, they finally see us.¡± One of the five spoke, A blond girl with crimson eyes, she wore a white bolero over a black tank-top and white capri pants. Beside her, despite being a different gender, was someone that could easily be identified as her twin. Though his eyes were a deep blue, his hair color matched hers down to the tiniest strand. He was in blue pencil jeans and a grey sweatshirt. ¡°About time.¡± He added, arms folded. ¡°What are you guys still doing back here?¡± Jid inquires. Tyson finally finds room to respond. ¡°Our wristbands don''t show us anything.¡± He''d observed that none of the others had guiding lights either, one of them being the strange girl he''d seen earlier. ¡°That''s very strange.¡± Ally opened a tablet screen she''d seemingly pulled out of nowhere. ¡°May I have your name?¡± ¡°Tyson...¡± He responded, and after a brief moment of hesitation. ¡°Tyson Jarul.¡± A few eyes widened around them, followed by a gasp for Ally herself. ¡°You mean you¡¯re from ¡®The¡¯ Jarul family? The family that¡¯s constantly produced the strongest fire-type eminents since the start of the force?¡± She asked, bright eyed and amazed. Anybody would gladly bask in such praise towards their family name, but for Tyson¡­ ¡°Pfft¡­ ha!¡± Jid suddenly bursts out laughing. Ally frowns upon his rudeness. ¡°What''s so funny to you?¡± ¡°You really didn''t know?¡± He managed to release a few words between his laughter. ¡°He''s their failure!¡± He states before he continues laughing. Tyson didn''t react directly to the insult, but he couldn''t help but avert his eyes from Ally. If he hadn¡¯t however, he would have seen that Her expression clearly portrayed disappointment. Howercer, it was not due to the revelation, but the man laughing at his expense. What followed was a swift punch to the gut that silenced the room. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him, he''s annoyingly insensitive, to the point that you wonder if he desires to be punched in the face constantly.¡± She speaks while dusting off her fist. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Tyson could only mutter after such a display. Though it didn''t feel too bad for someone to act on his behalf for once. After bending over for a few moments until the pain subsided, Jid straightened up, though he winced. ¡°Actually¡­ I think I know which squad they belong to.¡± ¡°You do?¡± Ally asked, but then she noticed something unusual¡ªJid''s expression had darkened. His usual smugness was gone, replaced by a rare, serious look. ¡°They''re Mary Sue''s assigned recruits.¡± Ally¡¯s eyes widened. For a long, painful moment, she said nothing. Then, when she finally found her voice, it was barely above a whisper. ¡°They approved his status?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡± Jid turned toward the five recruits, his voice uncharacteristically firm. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t usually stick my neck out for strangers, but I¡¯m not heartless enough to let you walk into this blind.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Jid?¡± Ally''s tone sharpened, almost accusatory. ¡°I know you¡¯ve always been jealous of him, but even for you, there¡¯s no excuse to sabotage¡ª¡± ¡°They are vindictive enlistments.¡± Silence. The recruits exchanged uncertain glances, as if hoping they''d had misheard. ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Ally pressed. Jid exhaled, turning back to the bewildered group. ¡°You five¡­ You weren¡¯t chosen because of your potential. You were enlisted out of spite. The head captain has a grudge against the person you were assigned to, and to settle it, he handpicked the worst recruits he could find¡ªjust to set them up for failure.¡± ¡°Jid, that¡¯s enough¡ª¡± ¡°We had a feeling.¡± The male twin interrupted. His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed his unease. ¡°There was no way this wouldn¡¯t come with a catch.¡± Tyson clenched his fists. Every year, over half a million humans on Earth awakened their authorities. Yet somehow, he¡ªone of the least capable people striving to become a Veil officer¡ªhad been enlisted. Now he understood why. ¡°But what¡¯s wrong with hoping?¡± Tyson blurted out, his voice cracking with frustration. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with taking a shot anyway?¡± A heavy silence settled over them. No one needed to say it out loud¡ªthey all felt the same sinking disappointment. Jid stepped forward, his presence suddenly more imposing. ¡°Maybe so,¡± he admitted. ¡°But you never imagined it would be for this reason, did you?¡± His tone turned cold. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯d never accept an enlistment I didn¡¯t earn¡ªespecially if it meant being labeled a disaster under someone else''s name.¡± That was the final straw. ¡°Jid!¡± CRACK! Jid¡¯s head snapped sideways as Ally''s fist connected with his face, sending him sprawling to the ground. She stood over him, breath heaving, fists trembling with fury. Then, she turned to the solemn recruits. ¡°Head southwest through the forest. It¡¯s a long walk, but eventually, you¡¯ll reach a white grove. Your squad¡¯s HQ is there.¡± The recruits hesitated for only a moment before silently heading in that direction, each leaving at their own pace. Tyson was the last to go. As he reached the doorway, he glanced over his shoulder at Jid, who still lay motionless on the floor. ¡°Oh, and sir¡­¡± Tyson¡¯s voice was calm, but firm. ¡°Since conviction is what powers our authorities¡­ what do you think happens when we abandon it?¡± He turned away. ¡°If we lose our drive the moment things get difficult, then maybe it was never strong to begin with.¡± The automatic door slid shut behind him. Jid finally sat up, rubbing the blood from his nose. ¡°That wasn¡¯t like you,¡± Ally muttered, arms crossed. ¡°You usually pride yourself on minding your own damn business.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± He scoffed, wiping his face. ¡°What about you? The way you gave those directions¡ªsounded more like orders than advice.¡± Ally exhaled sharply. ¡°Was it really that obvious?¡± She turned toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned if I let those kids give up after hearing that.¡± Jid let out a tired chuckle. ¡°Right¡­¡± Then his expression twisted into irritation. ¡°And what the hell was that bullshit about me being jealous of him?!¡± Ally¡¯s hand flew to her mouth, realizing her slip-up. ¡°Is that what you¡¯ve always thought?!¡± Jid pushed himself to his feet, glaring. ¡°Well, what am I supposed to think?¡± She shot back. ¡°You pick fights with him every chance you get.¡± ¡°Because I consider him my rival!¡± Ally raised an eyebrow. ¡°Jid, you have to be equal to be rivals.¡± Their bickering picked up right where it had left off, their voices carrying down the hall, with no end in sight. Go Home ¡°I thought we¡¯d never get out of there.¡± The last recruit finally spoke, exhaling as if he¡¯d been holding his breath the entire time. He had been strangely quiet throughout the ordeal, unreadable, but now his tone carried a casual air, as if nothing that had just transpired truly concerned him. Dressed in a black leather jacket and equally distressed jeans, he walked with an easy confidence, toeing the line between relaxed and reckless. His black hair bore three yellow stripes, wrapped around his head like rings. A long object, wrapped tightly in thick cloth, was strapped to his back. ¡°So you can speak.¡± The girl of the twin pair noted. ¡°Of course I can. But it¡¯s always better to keep your mouth shut around people with authority, man.¡± He seemed completely assured of that philosophy. ¡°You never wanna piss off the wrong people, you know?¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a coward?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m cautious. Big difference.¡± They pressed on through the forest, their path swallowed by thick, unnatural silence. The building they had left was long out of sight, yet they moved without hesitation¡ªtrained eminents shouldn¡¯t need compasses or landmarks. But something about this forest was off. It felt untouched, almost too perfect, yet utterly devoid of life. No rustling leaves, no distant animal cries. Just silence. ¡°My name¡¯s Blue, by the way,¡± the girl said suddenly. ¡°And I¡¯m Red,¡± her twin followed. He paused, processing that. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re Blue¡­?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± The red-eyed girl grinned. His gaze flickered between them, zoning in on the contradiction. ¡°¡­And he¡¯s Red?¡± ¡°Crazy, right?¡± Red, the blue-eyed boy, added with an amused smirk. ¡°Confusing is more like it.¡± He huffed. ¡°Name¡¯s Yonar. You can call me Yon.¡± The forest stretched endlessly ahead, their footsteps the only thing disturbing the eerie quiet. Tyson was the one to break the silence next. ¡°What do you guys think about what they told us?¡± Yon was the first to respond, uninterested. ¡°You¡¯re Tyson, right?¡± He barely waited for confirmation before shrugging. ¡°I really don¡¯t care, to be honest with ya.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Red tilted his head. ¡°Think about it.¡± Yon gestured vaguely. ¡°Being a Veil officer is the most profitable job there is. And we just get a free pass?¡± ¡°That might be true,¡± Tyson admitted, ¡°but privilege comes with risk. From what I know, it¡¯s also the most dangerous job possible.¡± A voice interrupted them. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°If you¡¯re aware of that, then why are you still here?¡± They all turned sharply. A figure stepped from behind a tree ahead of them¡ªblack hair, neat and unruffled, and piercing, fiery, orange eyes. The tension was immediate. Tyson exhaled, shoulders tightening. ¡°I know her.¡± He reassured the others. ¡°She works for my brother.¡± His brother. The pride of their family, a known prodigy among eminents. Three years older, yet he hadn¡¯t even needed to graduate from the academy before being enlisted five years ago. Naturally, the family ensured he had an assistant¡ªone more than capable of being a Veil officer herself. ¡°What do you want, Rouge?¡± ¡°I have a message from your brother.¡± Tyson walked ahead, already intent on ignoring her. ¡°Go home.¡± Her tone shifted, growing sharper. ¡°I warned you this wasn¡¯t a place for someone as incompetent as you when you received that letter. I won¡¯t hesitate to have them force you to resign if I have to.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°...is what he said.¡± Tyson didn¡¯t break stride. As he passed her, he answered without looking back. ¡°Tell him this: if he wants me to leave so badly, he can come and drag me out himself.¡± Rouge smirked. Then, without warning, she moved. It was slow, deliberate. Yet something about it made them stop, made them watch her too closely. And in the next instant¡ª She vanished. Their eyes darted in every direction. But when they finally spotted her again, their stomachs sank. She was behind someone. The platinum-haired girl¡ªthe one who had barely spoken to any of them. Rouge¡¯s index finger hovered just over her neck, a sinister smile playing on her lips. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Rouge?!¡± Tyson turned sharply, panic creeping into his voice. ¡°G-get away from her, you crazy lady¡­¡± Yon''s voice wavered. It would have sounded like a desperate attempt to intervene¡ªif he hadn¡¯t somehow ended up further away than anyone else, trembling like a fawn. Blue and Red moved instinctively, one shifting left, the other right, both falling into combat stances. ¡°Rouge, you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Tyson gritted his teeth, still tense. ¡°Veil officers are strictly forbidden from harming fellow officers.¡± ¡°Hiding behind the rules again, Tyson?¡± Her tone was mocking. ¡°You, of all people, should know how far I¡¯m willing to go for his orders. You¡¯ve been on the receiving end of that your whole life, haven¡¯t you?¡± Her finger pressed slightly deeper against the girl¡¯s skin. ¡°Do something, Tyson. Are you scared? You don¡¯t think you can hit me, do you?¡± Rouge provoked him further. ¡°I might just burn straight through her neck if you don¡¯t make a move.¡± Tyson clenched his fists. He knew she wasn¡¯t bluffing. For his brother, she would go as far as necessary. But right now¡ªhe couldn¡¯t do anything. Not with his authority. Not even with his own hands. ¡°Don¡¯t bother fighting for my sake.¡± A voice. Her voice. Finally slips out. And then¡ª KRRR-BTOOM! A deafening shockwave exploded outward behind her. Air bent and snapped as the force slammed through everything around them. When the dust settled, nothing remained behind her for at least ten meters. ¡°Did¡­ did she¡­¡± Yon started, barely forming the question they were all wondering. A creaking branch above them drew their eyes upward. ¡°Careful there, girl.¡± Rouge stood effortlessly atop it, completely unharmed. ¡°You could have been hurt badly.¡± The platinum-haired girl stepped forward. She raised her palm. ¡°Rita¡­ Authority of Outburst. I exercise my authority.¡± At that moment, everybody was forced to raise their guard. This wasn¡¯t just a reckless declaration of her ability¡ªit was a ritual. One that not only revealed an eminent¡¯s arsenal but also expanded their authority, amplifying their power far beyond its usual limits. The problem, especially in this moment, was that invoking it typically came with a pure intent to kill. ¡°Hey, hold on.¡± Blue spoke cautiously, her hands raised slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re allowed to do this.¡± ¡°She made a clear threat to my life. I am justified in my actions.¡± Rita¡¯s voice was cold, her gaze locked onto Rouge above them. Any trace of her former quiet demeanor had vanished. ¡°I understand that¡­¡± Blue continued. ¡°But it won¡¯t be seen that way. She might have made a threat, but you initiated the execution protocol. The superiors won¡¯t be on our side.¡± There was truth in Blue¡¯s words, yet Rita refused to stand down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was only kidding.¡± Rouge interrupted, her voice carrying an unsettling amusement. ¡°You¡¯re pretty feisty, girl. How scary.¡± She turned to Tyson. ¡°Once again, Tyson, you failed to do anything when it counted. For once, I need you to¡ª¡± They couldn¡¯t quite catch her last words before the space she occupied suddenly caught fire, and she vanished.