Alex was buried on the grounds of the specialized training facility, beneath a tall steel arch that overlooked the open training fields. The rain had stopped by then, but the sky remained dull and heavy, as if the world itself hadn’t finished grieving. Soldiers stood in neat rows, heads bowed. Engineers, medics, trainees, everyone Alex had ever trained or mentored never left the city, they were all remained in the city because of the trust they had for him. No speeches were made, none were needed. His legacy stood in the people he had shaped. Michael stood at the front, silent. After the burial, he met with Alex’s development team in the lower wing of the facility. Half-finished components lined the walls. The prototype battlesuit rested in its frame, dark and lifeless without its creator. One of the engineers spoke hesitantly. “Alex was the lead developer. He designed the core systems himself. We helped, but he did most of the work.” “You still built it.” Michael interrupted cal

“Like my new skill, brother?” Mira asked, her voice calm and cruel at the same time. A twisted smile spread across her face as the crimson pressure tightened around Michael’s body. The raindrops above them that froze in the air sharpened and turned into thin, piercing drops that stabbed into his skin. “That pressure you’re feeling? Like your body’s about to crush itself? Yeah… It doesn’t go away easily. You’ll still feel it even after I let you go.” Michael tried to breathe, but his chest felt heavy, like something massive was sitting on it. Every breath burned and his knees shook as the invisible force squeezed him from all sides. The blue glow in his eyes flickered weakly. His vision blurred as sounds became distant, as if he were sinking underwater. His body had reached its limit. Mira stepped closer, enjoying the sight. The rain hovered around her, obeying her will. Then… Wham! A loud metallic sound echoed through the rain. Mira’s head snapped forward as something struck the

Inside the facility, everything was chaos. Alarms blared nonstop, red lights flashing across the corridors as soldiers rushed civilians toward emergency exits. Medics shouted orders, boots pounded against metal floors, and the sound of distant explosions shook the structure every few seconds. Dust drifted down from the ceiling as parts of the upper levels cracked under pressure. Richard and Adrian burst through a side corridor, moving fast with Celia between them. She was breathing hard, her hands clenched at her sides. Both men were wearing Alex’s battlesuit, the finished version. The armor hugged their bodies perfectly, reinforced plating locking into place with a soft mechanical hum. Blue and red markings pulsed faintly along the surface, reacting to their movements. They barely made it three steps into the open hall before the ceiling above them exploded inward. Mira dropped down from above like a meteor, tearing through concrete and steel. Rock and sand sprayed everywhere as