After finishing up at the bar, Adam slumped into a chair and scrolled through his phone.
The news was even more chaotic than it had been that afternoon.
First was the MallMart incident. Dozens of confirmed casualties. The attacker? Still unconfirmed. Strangely, the video of the metal golem had vanished—probably scrubbed by the government. Most articles only referred to it vaguely, calling it a "monster" without offering real details.
Adam frowned, scrolling deeper.
There were also reports about the Guzan Border War being abruptly halted in light of "recent events." Again, everything was worded vaguely, carefully. As if someone didn't want the full story getting out.
He shook his head. The post about the strange wind had also been taken down, he noticed.
Just as he was about to close his phone, a fresh post caught his eye. Uploaded mere minutes ago—from a different city.
Footage of rats. Thousands of them. Swarming entire streets. Covering cars, buildings, everything.
Adam stared, stunned, and had to double-take to believe it was real.
Before he could even finish reading the comments, the post vanished.
He kept browsing. More posts were popping up—reports of violent animal attacks. Some had already led to casualties.
One headline stood out: the Happy Smile Zoo in Wist City—Adam's own city—had suffered the worst outbreak so far. A list of dangerous animals was posted.
Three tigers had escaped?
And they still hadn't been caught.
Adam leaned back, mind racing.
Wait.
Maybe I had it wrong.
It's not just humans that were changed by that weird breeze.
Adam's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock on the glass door. Looking up, he spotted Sarah standing outside, waiting.
He got up, crossed the room, and opened the door. "Hey, you're here. I'll show you around the bar fir—" He froze mid-sentence when he noticed the man standing behind her.
Mr. Angelo, the detective.
"Hello, Mr. Sayer," Angelo greeted smoothly.
Adam blinked and glanced at Sarah. "He's not with me," she said quickly.
"That's right," the detective added. "I just caught up to her right after she knocked."
Adam studied them for a moment, then stepped aside and waved them in. "Well, come on in. No sense standing around out there."
Once inside, Adam turned to Sarah. "I guess the tour will have to wait. You want to join the conversation?" he asked, gesturing toward the detective.
Sarah hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Sure."
They all sat around one of the bar's small tables. As they settled in, the detective's eyes drifted to Sarah.
"I take it this is the exploding girl?" he said casually.
Adam's eyes widened in shock. "How did you know?"
Angelo chuckled. "Saw the MallMart footage before it got pulled. What you did there was impressive." He gave Sarah a nod. "You can call me Angelo. I'm a detective."
"Sarah," she replied simply.
"Well, Sarah, thank you for saving those people," Angelo said, a rare warmth in his voice.
"It was just the right thing to do," Sarah murmured.
Angelo leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table thoughtfully. "I'm not holding you responsible for what happened in that alley incident. From what we've confirmed, both of you were victims. Actually, an hour ago... my whole view on things got turned upside down."
Adam and Sarah exchanged tense glances.
Angelo continued, "One of my subordinates awakened powers too. Real magic, right under our noses. It's wild." He chuckled, almost in disbelief, then turned his gaze to Adam. "By the way, Mr. Sayer—mind if I ask? What's your ability?"
Adam answered carefully. "Healing. I can heal myself... I haven't tested it on others. But I'm pretty sure it's only self-healing."
"Ah... that's a shame," Angelo said with a sigh. "A lot of good people who could've used that right about now. Especially with how the city's spiraling."
He rubbed his face, looking more worn than before.
"I don't have any powers myself. I have no idea how or why awakening happens," Angelo admitted.
Adam leaned forward, his voice low. "Mr. Angelo... I saw the news about the animal outbreaks. How bad is it, really?"
The detective's face darkened. "Not good," he said grimly. "We lost three officers today. Those animals went completely rabid. They're stronger, faster... harder to capture. Some were killed, but most either disappeared into the city or escaped beyond it."
Adam hesitated, steeling himself for what he was about to say. "Mr. Angelo... this might sound crazy. But I don't think it's just humans awakening powers."
Angelo and Sarah both froze.
"You're saying..." Angelo muttered, almost in fear.
Sarah's eyes widened as something clicked in her mind. "Wait—this morning. When I saved Ben... the dogs we fought were way too fast, way too strong for normal dogs. I thought it was weird even then."
"If that's true..." Angelo whispered, "then this is even worse than I thought."
He rose to his feet abruptly, the weight of the conversation heavy on his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sayer, Ms. Sarah. I'll have to cut this meeting short. I need to get back to the station and report all this."
Adam thinks for a second, then stood up too.
"Mr. Angelo, wait!" he called out. "Take me with you. I want to help."
Angelo turned back, surprised by the determination in Adam's voice.
Adam glanced at Sarah. "Take care of the bar for me."
Sarah rose from her seat as well, watching Adam carefully. Then she straightened herself.
"No," she said firmly.
Adam blinked at her, confused.
Sarah looked at Angelo, her gaze resolute.
"Take me with you too."
-----------------------------------------------------------
It was desolate. Adam glanced around, taking in the emptiness.
"Most are on duty," Detective Angelo said as he led them inside. "Either helping out on active cases or patrolling. We're severely short on personnel. We need every extra hand we could find."
"Good evening, Mr. Angelo," the receptionist at the front desk greeted warmly.
"Good evening to you too, Ms. Martin. I'm taking these two to our office. By the way, is Beth here?" Angelo asked.
"Yes, she just got back," Ms. Martin replied.
Angelo nodded and continued leading Adam and Sarah deeper into the station. They stopped at one of the side offices where a woman in police unifrom, black hair with a straight bob with angled bangs, just a little shorter than Adam, was flipping through a report. She gave off a strict but upright air.
She turned to them, her voice stern. "What did you call me back for, Angelo?"
Her eyes shifted to Adam and Sarah behind the detective. "Civilians?"
"Beth, these two are the same as you," Angelo said, gesturing to Adam and Sarah. "They have magical abilities. I want to put them under your wing for a while. Let them familiarize themselves with how these powers work — and see what they're capable of."
Adam nodded politely to Beth, while Sarah remained silent, her expression guarded.
Beth crossed her arms. "No offense, but can they even fight? We're dealing with rabid animals out there. Three officers have already lost their lives today. Adding civilians is not a smart move, Angelo."
Angelo smiled faintly. "Remember the MallMart footage, Beth?"
Beth's eyes narrowed.
"This is the exploding girl," Angelo said, nodding toward Sarah.
Beth turned to Adam, studying him. "He doesn't look like the sword-conjuring guy."
"No. He's the survivor of the alley incident," Angelo explained.
Beth raised an eyebrow. "The suspicious guy with no injuries?"
"Yep. His ability is healing," Angelo confirmed.
Beth's eyes lit up briefly with hope, but Adam coughed and said, "I'm fairly certain it only works on myself."
Beth's expression returned to neutral. "Fine. They can be under me while I patrol. Just don't get in the way — follow my orders, and don't be dead weight."
Angelo smiled. "Great. I'll handle the paperwork."
He turned to Adam and Sarah, his voice sincere. "I have faith in both of you."
Beth shot them a glance and jerked her head toward the door. "Let's go."