š” Chapter One (Reforged):
Title: "The Empty Chair"
(Von reacts to Orin's death and prepares for Veylar)
> "You always leave the window open, Orin."
Von's voice was quiet as he walked into the house, wind brushing past the curtains like a lingering echo.
But there was no voice waiting for him. No half-sipped coffee on the table.
Only silence.
And the empty chair.
The room still held Orin's presence ā a long coat draped over the rack, the dent in the couch he never fixed, and the family photo taken when Von still smiled with his eyes.
> "You said you'd be back before dinner."
But dinner had gone cold.
Orin had left for a mission five days ago. One assigned by the Hero Organization ā high-level threat, off-world instability. He never told Von the details.
And now, he never would.
Von stood quietly, keys still in hand, staring at the chair where Orin used to sit.
A faint pulse of energy radiated from Von's core, sealed but stirring ā as if reacting to his grief.
---
š¤ Flashback ā Orin's Last Day:
> "If anything happensā"
"Don't say it like you're gonna die." Von had interrupted.
"Justā¦ if anything does. Go to school. Stay normal. Don't chase ghosts."
"I won't. You're coming back anyway."
Orin had only smiled, rough hand resting on Von's head. "One day, you'll realize that normal is harder than power."
---
š Present Day:
Von dragged the chair away from the table.
He didn't cry. He hadn't since he was ten. Not when Orin's wife left. Not when they had to move off-world. Not even now.
He just stared at the floor.
Still. Breathing. Watching.
> "...I'll go to Veylar."
"I'll go to school."
Not because he wanted to. But because Orin's memory demanded it.
---
š Meanwhileā¦ Across the City:
In the neon heart of the Veylar district, screens played replays of recent battles.
News anchors speculated about the Mountain-Level Hero lost in the Void Mission.
Von's name was never mentioned.
No one knew the boy who now carried a buried storm in his chest.