Marcus Evans pushed open the door to his apartment, the dim lights greeting him like a hollow echo of the man he had become. His footsteps were heavy, his mind replaying the cold act he'd committed that night. He had told himself it was strength… but even he felt something twisting in his chest.
Brianna was waiting for him.
She stood in the middle of the living room, blonde hair falling over her shoulders, green eyes bright—but filled with hurt. The moment he saw her, Marcus froze. She was the one person who had ever made him feel human again.
"Marcus," she whispered, her voice trembling, "we need to talk."
He didn't speak. He already knew.
"I love you," Brianna said, stepping closer, tears forming. "You know I do. More than anything. But… I can't follow you if this is the path you've chosen."
Marcus swallowed hard. "Brianna—"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "You're hurting people. You're becoming someone I don't recognize. Someone you don't have to be."Her voice cracked. "I can't stay and watch you destroy yourself."
Something inside Marcus shattered.
"Please," he whispered, barely audible. "Don't go."
Brianna cupped his cheek gently—one last touch he would never forget.
"I'm sorry," she said. "But if you keep going down this road… I'll lose the man I fell in love with. And I can't lose you like that."She stepped away. "Goodbye, Marcus."
The door closed behind her.
Marcus stood alone.
Three Weeks Later
The apartment was silent. Days blurred together. Marcus barely slept. He stared at the ceiling for hours, wondering how everything had fallen apart so quickly.
He thought of his parents—the plane crash three years ago that had taken them. The moment his life began spiraling. And then… Brianna. The one bright, steady light that pulled him out of his darkness.
And now she was gone too.
He needed money. He needed direction. Power seemed like the answer. Golden Hawk offered him purpose. But that path had only pushed him further from the person he once was.
One night, unable to take the silence anymore, Marcus stepped outside.
The cold air hit him sharply. He walked aimlessly until he found himself standing before a massive billboard—one showing Atomic Man, smiling confidently, the words Hope Begins Here printed below.
Marcus stared up at it, breathing slowly.
"Life starts and ends with a choice…" he murmured.His eyes narrowed, not in anger, but in realization.
"Who I was yesterday… doesn't define who I'll be."He placed a hand on his chest."But the choices I make tomorrow… define what I can become."
A single breath left him. Not pain. Not anger.
Determination.
"I can do better."