EPISODE 2:Where the journey started

As they arrived home, the bright orange glow of sunset had already faded into a deep blue night sky. Exhausted, March went straight to her room and dropped onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, then slowly raised her hand toward the air.

“Bamm.”

She tried to cast a spell.

Nothing happened.

Only silence answered her.

“Huft… well, there’s still tomorrow to find out,” March muttered. Without overthinking it, she rolled to her side and quickly fell asleep.

The next evening, the sky burned orange as the sun set once more. A cold breeze drifted through the air, and the sound of a television broke the silence inside a quiet house. A woman lay lazily on the couch, repeatedly switching channels with the remote.

“I’m home,” a man’s voice came from the front door.

“Welcome home, Lloyd. How was work?” the woman asked.

“Quit asking, Lily. Nothing special,” Lloyd replied tiredly, gently nudging her aside as he passed.

Lily Fortera—Lloyd’s older sister—had bright pink hair that always drew attention. Her clingy personality often annoyed her brother, but she was deeply caring and fiercely protective of her family, even if she loved teasing them.

“Is Father home yet?” Lloyd asked.

“He’ll be back any minute. Go take a shower—I’ll make dinner,” Lily called as she headed to the kitchen.

“Whatever.”

Lloyd placed his things down and went to the bathroom. As warm water filled the tub, silence settled in—broken only by dripping water and the faint sound of the TV from the living room.

Lloyd stared blankly at the ceiling.

A sudden white flash crossed his mind.

“My dream is to become a Zenith Warrior and protect everyone.”

March’s voice echoed in his thoughts.

“Z Academy, huh…” Lloyd muttered.

As if struck by a realization, he suddenly stood up, threw on his clothes, and hurried out of the bathroom.

Entering the living room, he saw a tall, middle-aged man sitting on the couch.

“Father,” Lloyd greeted him, sitting beside him.

Torres Fortera—their father and captain of the police department—radiated authority. Tall, broad, and bearded, he often spent his evenings watching TV, sometimes falling asleep on the couch after long days at work.

Soon after, night fully settled in. Heavy rain pounded the ground outside as the three of them sat at the dining table, eating dinner in silence.

“So, Lloyd,” Torres finally spoke, “how’s your new job?”

The sound of utensils stopped. Lloyd stared at his plate for a moment.

“It’s normal. Nothing special,” he replied before continuing to eat.

“Heh,” Torres chuckled. “You’ve grown a lot, Lloyd. Ever since your mother passed away… you’ve changed.”

“Quit it, Father,” Lloyd said, embarrassed.

Bzzztt!

Bzzztt!!

Bzzztt!!!

The walkie-talkie suddenly crackled.

Torres immediately stood and answered it.

“What’s the situation?”

“A bank downtown has been robbed,” a woman’s voice reported. “Thirteen hostages taken. Nearby officers are overwhelmed—requesting immediate backup.”

Without hesitation, Torres grabbed his gear and rushed out.

As the door closed behind him, Lloyd stared at the floor, deep in thought. Without a word, he turned and walked to his bedroom, leaving Lily confused.

Downtown, chaos erupted.

Crowds gathered. Reporters swarmed the area. As Torres arrived, he quickly assessed the situation and attempted to negotiate, but the robbers refused and grew more aggressive.

Before violence could erupt—

A figure dropped from above.

The impact stunned everyone.

A man stood at the center of the scene, wearing a white shirt, a long black mantle, and a crow mask covering half his face. Officers raised their weapons, mistaking him for an accomplice—

Until—

“BAM!”

“UGHH!”

The man moved.

Too fast.

In seconds, the robbers were knocked out one by one. Human eyes couldn’t even follow his movements. Just as suddenly, the hostages were freed.

After checking the building, the mysterious man stepped back outside.

“Don’t move!” Torres shouted, aiming his gun. “Who the hell are you?!”

Before an answer came—

SBUUMM!

The man threw something to the ground. Smoke engulfed the area.

When it cleared, he was gone.

Torres could only stare at the empty space, questions filling his eyes.

By morning, footage of the incident had gone viral.

The world gave the mysterious hero a name:

...Raven....

The next day, under a bright blue sky, everyone gathered once again inside the cave.

“Raven, huh?” Frank said. “Everyone’s talking about him.”

“Maybe once we unlock our powers, we can do that too,” March said excitedly. “That’s why we’re here—to understand the ritual.”

Hours passed.

Nothing happened.

“I’m done. I’m going home,” Sylpha said, exhausted.

“What? Giving up already?” Aura tried to stop her.

“I’m not giving up. I’m just tired of this superhero nonsense.”

“But the crystal chose yo—”

“I KNOW!” Sylpha snapped. “And nothing has changed!”

“So you’re just hiding?” Aura taunted. “Like a scared little pig afraid of lightning?”

Sylpha froze.

“What did you say?”

She stormed toward Aura and grabbed her collar, fury burning in her eyes.

“I didn’t say you were giving up,” Aura said calmly. “I said you’re a coward.”

That was enough.

Sylpha slammed Aura to the ground and began striking her wildly. Blood stained the stone floor.

“No one tells me what to do!” Sylpha growled.

Suddenly—

Flames ignited around her fist.

Bright, blazing fire wrapped around her hand.

Sylpha staggered back, staring at her reflection in the water. Her neck glowed red as the Zenith Crystal awakened—then slowly faded, sinking back into her body.

She looked at Aura.

Aura lay injured, blood dripping from her nose and mouth.

Sylpha collapsed to her knees, shaking.

“I—I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” she sobbed.

Aura slowly stood up and hugged her.

Silence filled the cave.

“…That flame,” March whispered, eyes wide. “That was real… right?”

“How did you do that?” Frank asked.

“I don’t know,” Sylpha said weakly. “My body felt lighter… faster… my senses sharper.”

Excited chatter erupted.

“That’s enough,” Andrew said firmly. “We’re done for today. Aura needs treatment.”

Under the daylight, March, Aura, and Sylpha walked through the streets, searching for a hospital.

“We’re here,” Sylpha said, pointing ahead.

A small white building stood before them—old-fashioned and quiet.

March blinked.

“Are you sure… this is a hospital?”

“Oh? You don’t believe me?” Sylpha asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No—no, it’s not like that,” March hurriedly replied. “It’s just… uh—”

Her words got stuck.

Once inside, Sylpha brought Aura into one of the rooms for a checkup, leaving March waiting outside.

Several minutes passed.

Sylpha eventually stepped out alone.

“It’s going to take a while,” she explained. “So… what are you planning to do now?”

Before March could answer—

Grrruuwwlll—

Her stomach betrayed her.

March froze, quickly covering her stomach, her face burning with embarrassment.

Sylpha sighed and shook her head. “Come on. Follow me.”

Outside, March lowered her head. “Sorry you have to deal with all of this… our problems, I mean.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sylpha replied. “I get it.”

She paused, then continued, “I had an older sister too. Four years older than me.”

March looked at her.

“She went missing three years ago… during the outbreak.”

Before March could respond—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the air.

People screamed.

Crowds scattered in every direction.

March and Sylpha ran toward the source—and froze.

A humanoid robot stood in the street, its massive frame tearing through buildings and vehicles alike.

A child stood frozen in its path.

March moved without thinking.

She grabbed the child and leapt aside just as debris crashed down where they had been standing.

Before the robot could advance, Sylpha charged forward, slamming her fist into its body.

The impact echoed.

But it wasn’t enough.

The robot retaliated, hurling Sylpha away. She crashed into a wall with a sickening thud.

March rushed to her side.

“It’s no use,” Sylpha muttered, forcing herself up. “My strength alone can’t beat it.”

“Then we do it together,” March said, stepping beside her.

They charged.

Strikes came from both sides—left, right, again and again—but the robot barely reacted. Instead, it grew more violent.

In one swift motion, it grabbed Sylpha by the arm and March by the neck.

Sylpha was thrown across the street, slamming into a wall.

March was smashed into the ground.

Pain exploded through her body. Blood trickled from her mouth as she struggled to move.

She forced herself up and looked toward Sylpha—

Too late.

One of the robot’s arms transformed, reshaping into a cannon.

A blazing fireball formed.

It fired.

The attack was impossibly fast.

March couldn’t run.

She couldn’t move.

She stood frozen, bracing herself.

So this is it…

Then—

Slaaash!

A black figure appeared in front of her.

The fireball was split cleanly in half.

March’s breath caught.

“Ra… ven…?”

Her voice trembled.

Before the robot could react, Raven vanished—and reappeared in an instant.

One strike.

Then another.

The robot was torn apart, metal fragments raining onto the pavement.

Silence followed.

March exhaled shakily and collapsed to the ground.

Raven approached the wreckage, prying open its remains. From within, he retrieved a glowing core marked with a strange M symbol.

He pocketed it.

Then he turned toward March.

He stood there for a moment, silently watching her.

Her vision blurred.

Darkness crept in from the edges.

Raven reached up and removed his mask.

March forced her eyes open just enough to see his face.

“…Mr. Lloyd?”

Her strength gave out.

The world went black.

March passed out on the location....

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