The boy's voice trembled with rage as he faced the officer, eyes burning with questions he could no longer contain.
"Who is behind all of this? Why are they targeting me? Why was my father killed?" he demanded, fists clenched. "You have to tell me everything. I deserve to know the truth. Please… just tell me everything."
The officer hesitated for a moment, eyes clouded with secrets too heavy to speak. Then, with a long sigh, he nodded.
"Alright. I'll tell you what I can."
But before he could begin, the girl—still catching her breath—looked around, dazed.
"Wait… how did we even get here? We were just on that chaotic, crumbling road and now..."
The officer raised a hand to calm her.
"Be patient. I promise I'll answer you both. But first, you need to understand something…"
He looked out the cracked window, as if checking for eyes that weren't meant to see this conversation.
"There is a world hidden beneath the one you know. A world most people live their whole lives never seeing. It's cloaked in shadows, powered by forces beyond science or logic. What you're asking about... your father's death, the people hunting you… all of it belongs to that world."
Outside, the air shimmered unnaturally—waves of distortion rippling across the landscape. A faint golden glow pulsed from nowhere and everywhere at once. Something was lurking nearby, hidden in the folds of the dark.
The officer's eyes narrowed.
"They've found this place. We have to leave—now."
Without waiting, he led the boy and the girl into the basement. There, in the dust-covered shadows, sat an old van—dented, rusted, but clearly modified. He threw open the doors and they climbed in just as headlights pierced through the gloom.
A fleet of sleek black vehicles surged toward them—at least twenty, all armored and bristling with high-tech weapons. Muzzle tips poked from every open window.
"Buckle in!" the officer barked, slamming his foot on the accelerator. "When I say now, pull that lever beside your seat—hard—and hold on tight!"
The van roared forward. As the black cars closed in, blocking the road, the officer shouted:
"NOW!"
They pulled the levers. Springs hissed beneath them and the van's rear tires expanded, launching them into a front-flipping leap over the barricade of vehicles. The van bounced off several car rooftops before landing with a jarring crash—and racing forward.
"Push it back!" the officer shouted, and they reset the levers as the van shot down the road.
Behind them, engines screamed in fury. The black fleet gave chase, weapons locked and loaded. But then, at the end of a desolate stretch of highway, the officer flipped open a panel on the dashboard, revealing a hidden button. He pressed it.
A deep hum vibrated through the van—and then they were gone. The world blurred around them, vanishing into streaks of light and color. They were moving impossibly fast.
The girl clutched the seat, still shaken. "Okay… now can you please tell us what this is all about?"
The officer's voice was calm but heavy.
"This world we've entered—call it magic, call it science, call it madness—exists whether you believe in it or not. You'll understand in time. For now… be patient."
The boy leaned forward, eyes intense. "I don't care about any of that right now. Tell me about my father."
A long silence passed. Finally, the officer said softly:
"He was a good man. A brave one. And he was my friend. But there were things… things he got involved in that not even I fully understand. He was tied to something far bigger than any of us. Something hidden—something the real government doesn't even talk about."
Elsewhere…
On a remote island surrounded by dark waters, a man sat at a long table. Shadows danced on the walls. A subordinate stood before him, nervous.
"How did they escape?" the man demanded, eyes cold. "Didn't you sense the teleport trigger? Why didn't you send an Elite?"
The subordinate bowed his head. "There was an Elite present. But, sir… we weren't expecting the Hidden Lightning to appear."
The man paused, then let out a maniacal laugh.
"So... after all these years, he shows his face again? The coward who disappeared into the fog of myth now hides behind children?" His voice dropped to a growl. "Pathetic."
Outside, two guards whispered.
"They're saying Hidden Lightning appeared during the teleport..."
"If that's true… we're doomed. No one's been able to face him. Last time he showed up, even our top Elites dropped like flies."
Back inside, the man at the table leaned forward, eyes burning.
"Bring me the Iron Tridents. I want them ready by sunrise."
Elsewhere… again.
A flash of golden light crackled in front of a towering, ancient structure but it looked like a modern university. The boy stared at the building.
"Why are we here?" he asked.
The officer glanced at him, his face unreadable.
"Because this… is where you'll both studying and living for the time being."
"A golden eye was watching them from the crack in the sky".