"THIS IS JUST IN! THE CATEGORY FOUR WALKER HAS BROKEN THROUGH THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE!"
The news anchor pressed her finger to her earpiece. Her voice shook as she reported the chaos spreading across the nation.
"OVER TO OUR FIELD CORRESPONDENT FOR A LIVE VIEW."
The screen flickered with static before showing a shaky helicopter feed. A massive, six-armed humanoid creature, its skin resembling jagged stone, walked across the landscape. Each step covered kilometers of land, but its huge size made the distance seem smaller than it was.
The camera switched to a young woman, small and gripping her microphone against the roaring wind.
"As you can see, the Walker is steadily approaching the West Coast of Great Eulon City. Oh—what's that?!"
The lens moved upward. A small, fast-moving object dashed across the sky, breaking the sound barrier multiple times. The booms rolled through the air like thunder chasing lightning.
Golden arcs of electricity shot from the object, striking the Titan's chest. The creature stumbled but regained its balance, swinging its massive arms with enough force to flatten cities. The object collided with one of its arms—a bright flash followed. When the glare faded, the Titan's lifeless body fell, a smoking crater blown clean through its chest. One arm was completely torn off.
The camera zoomed in, revealing the destroyer: a middle-aged man with dark brown hair, golden eyes, and a four-piece suit that sparkled like woven lightning. The ground shook beneath the Titan's fall, shockwaves reducing everything below to dust, but the man had vanished as quickly as he appeared.
"The Walker has been taken down by none other than Blessing of the Sky—'The Thunder God'—in less than a minute! Back to the station."
The broadcast returned to the anchor, who quickly began discussing new defensive plans for future attacks.
"Alexander Song, put down that phone!"
A sharp, gruff voice jolted Alex from his trance. He blinked and saw the entire class staring at him.
'Crap!' he thought. 'I was so focused on the report that I forgot to pretend to pay attention.'
Tony—tall, blonde, and annoyingly smug—chuckled. "Mr. T, you've got to excuse him. His parents can't afford a beast art, so he's obsessed with watching those who have them."
The class erupted with laughter.
Alex scoffed. "I'm sure your beast art is a starfish. How else could you be so dumb?"
Tony's face flushed red as he slammed his palms on his desk and stood up.
Mr. Tyson—or Mr. T, as everyone called him—tapped the smartboard to regain control. "The only fighting in this classroom will be for first place during exams. Is. That. Clear?"
Both boys nodded reluctantly.
Mr. Tyson turned his glare on Alex. "I'll let it go this time, but if I catch you using that phone again, it's mine. Understood?"
Alex muttered a quick "yes" and put it away.
As soon as the lecture resumed, he zoned out again, mentally replaying the broadcast. He hadn't seen much of the actual fight, but even a glimpse set his blood racing.
'If only I had money for a beast art…' he thought bitterly, glaring at Tony, who was rich enough to own one. The school forbade beast art use during class, but Alex knew the rules.
"Song! What did I just say?" Mr. Tyson snapped.
Alex grinned. "What did I just say?" he mimicked, earning laughs from the class—except Mr. Tyson, whose forehead veins bulged with anger.
After school, Alex sat sulking in the now-empty classroom, groaning every few seconds.
The door creaked open as Tony strolled in with Mr. Tyson. "I brought your detention buddy," Tony smirked before the teacher left and locked the door behind them.
Tony dropped into a chair far from Alex.
"Let me guess—you're here because you couldn't keep your mouth shut," Alex teased.
"Shut up, Song."
Silence stretched painfully long. The ticking clock seemed to mock them both.
"What the hell? Is this classroom distorting time?!" Alex groaned, slamming his head on his desk.
Tony stood, closed his eyes, and placed a hand on the door. A faint glow pulsed under his palm—the lock clicked open.
'He's using his beast art!' Alex realized, grinding his teeth.
Tony smirked smugly as he walked out and locked the door behind him again.
"No fair!" Alex shouted. "Why does he get to cheat and leave detention?! I mean… he shouldn't, but still!"
No one answered.
An hour dragged by before Tony returned—lipstick smudged across his face. Typical, Alex thought with a groan.
Moments later, Mr. Tyson came in, frowning. "I thought I locked this door."
Tony shrugged innocently. Alex felt tempted to snitch but chose the safer lie. "You didn't lock it."
After a lengthy scolding, they were finally dismissed.
The two boys left without a word, heading their separate ways.
Alex's path led from the bustling city toward the quieter outskirts—cracked roads, dim lights, and the distant hum of generators. The scholarship that got him into the school felt both like a blessing and a reminder: he didn't belong.
Still, he took pride in one thing—his intelligence. Behind his mischief and sarcasm was a sharp, restless mind.
He was halfway down the road when a car in the opposite lane suddenly swerved toward him. He jumped back just in time, his heart racing.
"Hey! Watch it, you lunatic!" he shouted.
The car screeched to a halt. A man in a suit stepped out, clutching a briefcase. The road felt quiet—too quiet—and Alex's stomach twisted.
'A kidnapping? With a briefcase? Great. I'm going to die stupid.'
Before he could run, the man hurled the briefcase. It slammed into Alex's chest, knocking the air from his lungs. He tumbled down a steep embankment, scraping against stone and dirt until he hit the bottom, bruised and gasping.
Through the pain, he glimpsed the man's silhouette atop the hill.
"Get that briefcase to the IOA!" the stranger yelled before diving back into his car.
He didn't get far.
A fiery sphere fell from the sky, engulfing the vehicle in blinding light. The explosion roared across the empty road, leaving nothing but scorched metal and silence.
Alex stared, breathless, dust clinging to his skin as the flames lit up the sky.