The Burning Skyline

POV A Random Guard:

The corridor's dim light flickered eerily, casting deep shadows as the group in black suits cautiously advanced through the devastated corridor. The walls, ceiling, and floor were bent, with sections of the walls and floor missing entirely. Scorched imprints marred what was once a mirror-like finish.

Each footstep echoed ominously, the distorted metal groaning beneath their boots. The atmosphere was heavy with dread, and their anxiety was reflected in their jittery fingers and wavering gun barrels.

A static-filled voice broke through their intercoms: "We have lost contact with team four. Dispatch all reinforcements!"

'Shit!' Thomas paled as he spotted the scenes before him.

Blood was splattered all over the walls, and the dismembered bodies of his colleagues sprawled on the ground, their heads gruesomely detached from their bodies, resting in the puddle of their own blood.

Thomas choked, the metallic smell of blood invading his senses. The stench overpowered him, and nausea swirled in his stomach. Despite his years in security, having faced danger and even taken a life, nothing had prepared him for this gruesome spectacle.

The haunting thought gripped him: 'I could have been one of them.'

There was no sign of the perpetrator, and a rush of relief washed over Thomas. 'Thank goodness, we are late.'

Regardless of his paycheck, no amount was worth this kind of horror. He was happy the perpetrator was gone and he didn't have to face them.

Beside him, a shaky voice whispered, "Who... or what could've done this?"

Without conscious thought, barely audible, Thomas murmured, "Only a monster..."

POV Tia:

The glass pane of the window shattered under the strike of the invisible force, the light refracting in the thousands of shards, creating a dazzling display. Tia sprinted straight toward the window, her long black hair trailing behind her like a tail.

Leaping fearlessly, she was embraced by a gust of fresh air, which caressed her flushed skin and played with the hem of her ebony dress. Harnessing her power, she shot upward, the emerald expanse below receding rapidly.

She landed gracefully on the rooftop's edge like a cat, giving her the perfect overview of the entire property.

The perimeter was ablaze with pulsing blue and red sirens. The ominous hum of engines grew louder, converging from every conceivable direction. She was encircled and trapped.

'They said they would pick me up from the roof.'

All she could do was hold her breath and pray that they wouldn't leave her there. However, she couldn't see any escape vehicle nearby, making her anxious.

Her attention moved toward the horizon. 'Uhh? Is this also our work? It must be. Otherwise, it would be too big of a coincidence.'

A gargantuan inferno roared in the distance, encircling a majestic skyscraper illuminated in an ominous red hue. Pillars of dense, black smoke billowed upward, punctuating the starless canopy above.

The relentless luminance of the sprawling cityscape had swallowed the stars, leaving only the fiery display and the lights of the tall buildings of glass and steel to dominate the night.

'So this assassination was only a piece of the puzzle. Who knows what the end goal is behind all this?'

A sudden gust roared, causing Tia's hair to whip around her face in a chaotic frenzy.

Then, as if conjured from thin air, the space before her rippled, coalescing into a sleek, graphite-black hovercar.

'Camouflaging technology?!'

The vehicle hovered above the green lawn below and alongside the roof's edge. Its doors opened, and the sudden influx of light almost blinded her.

The green arrow projected into her vision pointed straight at it.

'So this is my way out.' Seeing the flashing lights of the drones quickly approaching from each side, Tia didn't hesitate for even a moment and jumped straight into the awaiting vehicle.

The doors smoothly closed behind her, and the next moment, she was pushed back into the seat as the world outside its windows turned into a blur.

At last, relief washed over her. Her mission was complete, and she had emerged unscathed.

'Systems, please show me my current status and compare it to when I started.'

As if she desired to sense the joy of her growth, she opened her status.

/<

True Name: Tiariel Morduine

Soul species: ???

Vessel species: Space Human

Witch level: Novice

Psionic level: Latent Esper

Esper Points: 10

Witch Points: 16

Vitality (VIT): 8 -> 9

Strength (STR): 6 -> 8

Agility (AGI): 9 -> 11

Defense (DEF): 7

Endurance (END): 10 -> 11

Energy (ENE): 32 -> 46

Intelligence (INT): 15 -> 25

Will (WIL): 34 -> 48

Magic (MAG): 36 -> 38

Abilities: <Basic Pyrokinesis II>, <Basic Telekinesis VI>, [Apprentice Potionmaking (12%)],[Apprentice Artificing], [Novice Runic Spellcraft]. [Dimensional Plunder], [Novice Material Assessment]

>/

'The handler wasn't lying—my physical stats are also slowly climbing up without doing too much.' Seeing her growth, Tia couldn't help but feel like all her struggles and battles weren't for nothing.