The office door closed behind Kairo, Xavier, and Chack with a soft hum.
They had spoken with the President for over an hour, recounting every memory, every emotion, every second of the hell they had lived through in Dinamus. The atmosphere still hung heavy around them like a stone slab, thick with silence and grim expressions. They barely exchanged words as they stepped out. What they had experienced was too recent... and too incomprehensible.
They wandered through the headquarters' main corridor without a clear destination, dragged along by the silence. But then, a different sound pulled them from their daze: the firm, synchronized footsteps of several people approaching from the north wing.
"What...?" Chack muttered, coming to a halt.
At the far end of the hallway, five figures approached, flanked by security personnel. Their strides were firm, confident—like the world itself moved aside to let them pass. As they drew nearer, the very air seemed to thicken with invisible pressure.
Kairo felt his heart pound in his chest. His body reacted on its own, tense. Instinctively, he stepped back half a pace.
Even the nearby Rank A Heroes moved aside at their approach. They averted their gazes. Some swallowed nervously. The energy radiating from them was dense, almost tangible—like each one carried the weight of a thousand victories… and just as many unseen horrors no civilian could ever imagine.
"That's them…" Xavier whispered. "The S-Rank squad."
Leading the group was Valeria, a woman with snow-white hair, pupil-less eyes, and an aura that seemed to absorb the very light around her. Beside her walked Gael, arms crossed, tall and solid as an oak, his scars visible even beneath reinforced armor. Next came Arthus, his body crackling with elemental energy; each step left behind a faint electric buzz in the air. Nira moved in complete silence, nearly undetectable, her face hidden behind a dark mask and twin daggers crossed on her back. And finally, there was Hakon... the only one without armor or visible weapons, yet his gaze alone was enough to make even the most seasoned Rank A tremble.
"They're... monsters," Chack whispered, a mix of fear and awe in his voice.
The five stopped in front of the presidential office. Without the need to knock, the door opened automatically. The President was waiting inside.
"Come in," he commanded firmly.
One by one, the S-Rank Heroes crossed the threshold without saying a word.
Kairo, a few meters back, watched them with a tight knot in his stomach. Part of him felt relief. If anyone could face that shadow, it was them.
But another part, buried deeper, knew the truth.
What they were about to face… was something no one could ever truly be ready for.
Kairo said nothing more.
He stared at the closed door for a few seconds before turning around.
"I'm going home," he murmured.
Xavier glanced at him, concerned, but nodded in silence. Chack raised a hand in farewell without a word. None of them had the strength to say more.
The sky above Zarion was covered by a thick layer of gray clouds.
Kairo walked silently through the streets, heading home, but his mind was so saturated that everything around him felt distant, foreign. Aerial vehicles buzzed overhead, and the city carried on as usual, as if nothing had changed. But to him, everything was different.
When he arrived, his grandfather was already at the door, surprised to see him so soon.
"What happened?" he asked bluntly. "You're back sooner than I expected. Was the mission that easy?"
But then, the old man noticed it.
There was a shadow in his grandson's eyes that he recognized all too well: worry… and something deeper. Sadness.
Kairo lowered his head.
"A Rank A Hero died. And I... almost died too."
His grandfather's face tensed. He said nothing, but placed a firm hand on Kairo's shoulder.
"Come. You need rest. And a proper meal."
Kairo sat in silence while his grandfather served two plates. They ate without speaking for a long while, until the old man finally broke the silence.
"Your eyes… they've changed. And you've gained muscle. I was a Hero for many years, and I've never seen such a drastic change in such a short time. You've been through something brutal. And what impresses me most... is that you came out stronger. Anyone can see it."
Kairo blinked.
"Changed how? Stronger? I hadn't noticed."
"It's like you've seen something no one should ever see," his grandfather replied, eyes steady. "And yes, you're stronger. Not just physically. Inside too."
Kairo didn't answer. Because it was true.
He had leveled up fifteen times in one go—something completely unnatural, impossible to explain without revealing the unthinkable: that he had died… and come back.
How could he ever tell his grandfather something like that?
He didn't fully understand it himself… and on top of that, he was bound by a life-or-death pact—one that held his very soul in its grip.
That night, he slept poorly. The nightmares returned with force.
The shadow.
The screams.
The death.
And amid the chaos… the voice of the Creator, speaking to him from a place beyond all reason and comprehension.