“...but was it all cursed or blessed? In the end, it is the fate that was bestowed upon us by the star. Only Death tore it apart…”
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As late afternoon approached, the scene unfolded with a blend of tension and urgency. In the shadowy alleys, a familiar gang came into view, their presence unmistakable.
They were the same group encountered in the cafeteria that morning, caught in the act of harassing a nerdy-looking boy. An internal sense of justice stirred within him, compelling him to act.
His instincts, he always despised the strongest looking down on the weakest, always reminded him back to his past, the feeling of helplessness. Without hesitation, he sprang into action, driven by a deep-seated conviction.
With practiced efficiency, he slicked back his hair and untied the bandana from his wrist, wrapping it securely around his head to prevent his hair from catching his vision in the fight.
From his back pocket, he retrieved the broken handles he always carried—compact, inconspicuous, and lethal, designed to enhance the force of his punches. Clenching them tightly, he sprinted towards the gang, ready to intervene.
Axka ducked as a fist swung under their heads, the motion swift and instinctive. “HUP!” he grunted, his own fist shot upward, connecting sharply with a gang member's submental. The impact reverberated through the narrow alley, a dull thud echoing against the brick walls.
The man he had knocked out earlier that morning, now recognizing him, shouted in fury, “YOU AGAIN!”
A fierce fight erupted. Axka dodged another punch, narrowly escaping the blow, feeling the force of it brush past his cheek. His heart pounded, muscles coiled and ready. In a fluid motion, he spun on his heel, his knuckles slicing through the air in a brutal arc aimed at the next attacker.
There was no pause, no respite. Axka was in constant motion, his body a weapon—punching, kicking, elbowing, dodging. His countless fights shaped his mindset, thinking that raw power and quick reflexes would be his second nature. The sharp crack of bone meeting bone echoed in his ears, sweat stung his eyes, but he blinked it away, refusing to let it slow him down.
Axka known this wasn’t a cartoon he had seen once, where one punch ended the fight; they kept getting up as long as they could.
His mind echoed a single thought: They don’t stop, and neither do I.
Even the toughest fighter couldn’t avoid every blow. Axka taken a solid kick to the abdomen, the force driving the air from his lungs as he staggered back.
Physical pain been nothing new to him.
Axka gritted his teeth, feeling the sharp sting of the kick, a sensation he learned to endure. He channeled the pain into a furious energy that propelled him forward.
“YARGH!” Axka kicked back harder, making the attacker double over in agony. The street filled with the sounds of fists and heavy breaths.
As Axka taken down one of the last fighters, he seen another gang member—the one he had knocked out in the cafeteria—standing up and grabbing the nerdy boy as a hostage.
“I swear, I'll break every bone in his scrawny body if you so much as blink,” the thug growled, his voice laced with a venomous mix of fear and anger, each word spat out like a curse.
A familiar surge of power welled up inside Axka, a tingling sensation spreading from his core to his limbs. Memories of the first time he discovered his Anomaly flashed through his mind. The alley seemed to close in, time slowed as he focused on the thug’s sneering face. Without conscious thought, he unleashed one of his Anomalies.
In the blink of an eye, His fist shot forward, and a translucent barrier shimmered around it, amplifying his strike. The punch landed even from a distance, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. The thug staggered backward, eyes wide in confusion and terror, his body unable to comprehend the force that had struck him from not so far away.
Axka knew the truth. If he used his full force without his defensive Anomaly, his hands would shatter, and the person’s face would splatter.
The surroundings were scanned, and it was realized that Axka had inadvertently used his power to prevent the nerd from being further harmed by the attacker.
SHIT! I didn’t mean to... Why now? Axka seethed, his fists clenching at his sides.
The thought echoed internally. A conflict raged within. Selflessness had foolishly exposed Axka’s Anomalies. A mix of anger and worry swirled up inside him.
Shit! Shit! What if someone saw it? What if The Federal came for me? Axka scanning the quiet street. Worry twisted in his gut, each heartbeat amplifying the potential consequences of his Anomalies in the stillness around him.
Axka then noticed the nerd student, having been saved, was shocked and seized the opportunity to flee the scene. In his haste, the boy heard Axka shout from behind.
“WAIT!”
As the boy ran, his vision blurred by a swollen eye, he mistook Axka’s power for a dangerous technique.
He’s really a beast in fighting, the boy’s heart raced in terror, his panic escalating as he escaped.
Axka watched him dissapeared from the scene and glanced at the thug, a flicker of memories breaking through. That first time the power surged inside him. He knew that he was bad at learning things, but he was certain that the feeling for something was raw and untamed within.
“Two Anomalies,” he whispered to Mika and Takoda once, the only ones he trusted with his secret.
The term Anomaly was named The Federal, a name given to rare and unpredictable abilities that emerged decades ago. Their origins were shrouded in mystery; some whispered it was a genetic mutation—a curse passed down through bloodlines. Others believed it was a universal gift, a mark of destiny.
Whatever their true nature, Anomalies were both feared and coveted.
Still, he heard rumors that it was passed down through generations, sometimes even skipping one. With that in mind, he wondered if he inherited this Anomaly from his ancestors, predating his parents.
To wield an Anomaly is to be recognized by The Federal and officially name it to be certified. Without their sanction was to invite a lifetime of surveillance, or worse.
Axka grown up hearing stories of those who defied The Federal— ‘Rogue’ and ‘Renegade’ whose identified as the term for criminal of such power, refused to be chained by their own gifts.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
He always kept it hidden and never felt the need to name this power.
All he knew was that one allowed him to manipulate physical force, enhancing his movements and attacks with a speed and power beyond human limits. Like the force he demonstrated earlier, enabling him to cover distances in the blink of an eye and confront threats head-on. The other was defensive, a shield of sorts, triggered instinctively to protect him from harm. In fact, there was more to it; he just hadn’t tried to master it.
It was like pressing the gas pedal to push a car forward and relying on the windshield to protect from anything outside. He needed to use both Anomalies simultaneously and balance them. Still, if he used only one, there always seemed to be a bad outcome.
He heard that possessing an Anomaly was rarer than finding diamonds and more valuable than mountains of gold. The Federal was eager to recruit individuals like him, claiming it would secure the nation and foster a prosperous economy in return. They offered high-ranking roles, a luxurious lifestyle, and public recognition as a Paragon.
But their price? Complete allegiance to them.
Many praised the government’s program, convinced that Paragons could bring about a golden era. But he didn’t actually care for their ideology or tempting offers.
Having an Anomaly implied serving them. While many considered this noble, accepting their offer would mean leaving his brother on his own.
The thought clenched at Axka’s heart, a raw, consuming pain that threatened to shatter his resolve. Memories of the past flashed before him, they tried to understand their new reality without their parents.
The scars of abandonment ran deep, and though his brother grown stronger, it didn’t overshadow their past. He couldn’t abandon him now, not when the stakes were this high. The mere idea was unthinkable.
Now, A wave of dread settled in his stomach, cold and unyielding as the gravity of his mistake sank in. He had spent years hiding in the shadows, masking his abilities, all to protect the one person who mattered most—his brother.
He had to protect Mika; he couldn’t afford to lose him, not after losing so much already. And yet, every time he used his Anomalies, he drew closer to that dreaded exposure. He was caught between his love for his brother and the fear of his own power—a cruel, unending cycle.
With a single lapse in judgment, he risked everything. Axka clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms until the pain was sharp and real.
I couldn’t let this power be known; I can’t let this happened again
The fire of determination surged within him, but so did the cold grip of fear. Memories of the first time he felt the power surge through him flooded back—the shock, the exhilaration, and the immediate realization of the danger it posed. He had to keep it hidden, to protect himself and Mika. And yet, here he was, on the brink of exposure.
Perhaps his recent promise to Mika had been on his mind, making him hope that his Anomalies could save many people.
If anyone had seen... I shook the thought away. I couldn’t think about that now.
He took a deep breath, the air cold in his lungs, grounding himself in the present. He clung to the hope that the boy might forget what he had seen.
Having everything under control, he taken off his bandana and tied it to his wrist while making a warning to the guy he knocked out earlier: “Think about the consequences before you talk. Our little secret, okay sugar?” He given a threatening smile, his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.
As he straightened up, he glanced at his shirt. “Ah, shit. Fucking great. Now my shirt is all dirty because of you fuckers,” he mumbled, standing while they lay on the ground. He sighed and continued on his way to where he had left the wheelchair.
Pushing aside the adrenaline of the moment. He paused, glancing over his shoulder, but the alley remained empty, save for the bodies he’d left behind.
With the wheelchair in tow, he pressed on towards the hospital, the city lights guiding his path.
Meanwhile, a shadowy figure watched Axka from a high-floor window. He had been observing since the fight started, stationed across the street from the other side of the building. Holding his phone, he whispered, “I found our new potential.” A voice on the other end replied, “Keep watching him.”
***
With the distant hum of traffic and the soft glow of streetlights, the night settled in. He had already been at home after returning the rented wheelchair. As they finished their dinner, Mika was on his way to bed.
Out of the blue, Mika had turned towards him. "Hey, what if we go stargazing before I’m back to school tomorrow morning?" he had blurted out, almost breathless with excitement.
“Why the sudden wish? You still haven't fully recovered, and yet you're thinking of school and going to the ridge?” he had asked, curious.
“I can walk with my walking sticks, y’know,” he began. “I don’t want to miss anything at school,” Mika explained, determined to pursue the knowledge for his studies.
Unlike Axka, his little brother was far more intelligent in education due to Axka’s late entry into the education system after enduring such a dark past. Axka never felt jealous but was instead even more proud of him, hoping he wouldn’t become like himself.
Thank the Ancestors he’s smarter than me. I could never become like him.
But then, he shot another question to Mika, “And the stargazing?”
Mika replied softly, “I couldn’t go outside to see the night sky when I was at the hospital. I thought we’d see it early tonight, before our usual timing.”
Axka smiled, recalling weeknights when they’d sit on the grass at their usual spot, making up stories about the constellations. After all, Mika was the only family he had left. He couldn’t refuse his brother’s simple request, not when he knew how much these moments meant to both of them.
“I can carry you there,” he said softly, trying to mask the worry in his voice.
“But we won’t stay too long, okay? You need to sleep early for your recovery and for your school.” Mika looked up, his face lighting up with a smile, eyes wide with a childlike excitement that momentarily eased the tight knot in Axka’s chest. He couldn’t help but feel a wave of protectiveness—his brother’s joy was so fragile, like glass, and Axka was determined to keep it from shattering.
“OK!” he replied, the simple joy in his voice easing some of the tension in Axka’s chest.
Before leaving, Axka secretly texted his boss:
Hazelnut Elementary Manager
Last seen at 6:32 p.m.
Boss, im not working tonight <
got something important to do <
Sent at 7:52 p.m.
Just hoping he wouldn’t be in a bad mood when he saw the message, Axka slipped his phone to his pocket.
They reached their car, the familiar rumble of its engine breaking the night's stillness as Axka turned the key. The vehicle was more than just a mode of transportation; it was a relic of their past, the only memento left by their parents. Though it had seen better days, it had been well taken care of, held countless memories of journeys taken and stories shared.
As they pulled away from the city’s bright lights, leaving the shadows of buildings behind, Axka felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. The road ahead was dark and winding, much like the uncertain path of their future but for now, he focused on the comforting hum of the engine and the quiet presence of Mika beside him.
When they had reached the base of their destination, he had carried Mika on his back and navigated the jungle trail to their special spot they both cherished.
That strategic spot had been perfect for stargazing, with a cliff to dangle their legs over and a calming river below. As he had reached the place, he had softly put down Mika, ensuring he was comfortable on the grass near the cliff’s edge.
The moon, in its soft glow, had cast silvery reflections over the river. They had sat side by side, the cool breeze rustling their hair. They had been lost in the serenity of the night and each other's company as they gazed up at the sky.
It had stretched above them, like an endless canvas of twinkling stars, their shimmering light casting a gentle glow over their faces. He had seen Mika’s gentle smile, warming his heart while he had been surrounded by the night’s chill.
But amidst the constellations, one star had seemed to flicker, almost beckoning. Looking at it, memories of the Exemplar of Paragon had flashed in his mind, making him wonder:
I wonder how should I become like how I promised to Mika…?