CHAPTER TITLE: Fractured Truths
Metro sat still on the couch, his eyes locked on the glowing crystal in his hands. The warm pulse of light within it seemed to echo with faint whispers—like a memory just beyond reach. His fingers trembled slightly as he ran them along the edges of the stone. Something about it felt right, yet everything Lucien just said felt wrong.
Lucien stood beside him, his expression unreadable, arms crossed over his chest like a father burdened with too many truths. He spoke calmly, gently, as though trying not to shatter an already fragile boy.
"That crystal... your mother gave it to me before she died. She was once a Slayer, Metro," Lucien said. "She fought alongside the First Slayer in battles most people have never heard of. She was one of the best, fierce and kind."
Metro slowly turned his head, eyes wide, face blank.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, voice low. "My mom was a pharmacist. She worked long shifts and always smelled like herbs and medicine. She wasn't some sword-wielding demon hunter..."
Lucien nodded, as though expecting that.
"I know it's hard to accept, but your father... he wasn't always what you thought either. Before he became who he is now, he was a brilliant but ridiculed scientist. He sought answers the world rejected. That rejection led him down a path—"
"Stop." Metro's voice was cold and sharp.
He stood up, clenching the crystal in one hand, his energy crackling slightly under his skin. His aura pulsed unconsciously.
"My dad was a businessman," Metro said firmly. "He was just busy all the time. I barely saw him, but he loved us—or at least he loved her... and my mom? She used to hum songs when she cooked. She bandaged my wounds when I fell off my bike. She never held a blade. She wasn't some soldier from a secret war!"
Ryo opened his mouth to speak, his eyes serious, but Lucien raised a hand.
"It seems we got the wrong person," Lucien said calmly, almost too calmly. "My apologies. I've caused you enough trouble, Metro. Maybe… another time."
Metro stared, confused and hurt. As if pieces of his world were being pulled apart by invisible strings. He watched as the three strangers turned toward the door. Before they left, Nova turned to give him a final, unreadable look. Ryo lingered at the threshold, seeming conflicted. Kael simply kept his eyes low, silent.
And then they were gone.
---
Outside Metro's Building
Nova stormed past a cracked sidewalk, arms folded, voice rising.
"Why'd you let him off like that? We're wasting time! That kid's drowning in confusion!"
Lucien gave a small, almost mysterious smile. "You don't force a lost man to walk a path. He needs to find it himself. Metro's memories are scattered. Shoved into the dark by something—or someone. He won't believe us now. But someday, he'll remember."
Keal, who had barely spoken until now, frowned. "But are we just going to leave him here? In a city crawling with demons? His father is looking for him."
"We're not leaving," Lucien said. "We'll stay in Neo City… quietly. And when the time comes, we'll be ready to fight for him. Whether he wants us to or not."
---
The Next Morning
Mark stood beneath a cloudy sky, his bag slung over one shoulder. He tapped his foot, glancing up at Metro's building.
"Metro, you late fool… come on."
He waited, then sighed. No sign of him. Eventually, Mark walked off alone, adjusting his backpack with a concerned expression.
---
Elsewhere in the City — Inside a Futuristic Therapy Clinic
The walls were lined with holographic panels, shifting gently between calming landscapes and digital health diagrams. Metro sat on a reclining seat, hands folded, eyes staring ahead as a soft-voiced therapist typed notes onto a floating interface.
"...And you're saying you saw a demon in your living room?" she asked carefully.
"Yes," Metro said simply. "He had red energy. He knew my father. Said I was supposed to go with him."
The therapist blinked, unsure if she was supposed to be alarmed or sympathetic. "And you believe this... demon is real?"
Metro exhaled slowly. "It felt real. Everything feels real. The people that appeared at my house. The crystal. The powers. The voices. The pressure in my head…"
She leaned forward gently. "I think you're under an immense amount of stress. Possibly trauma from your childhood. Have you considered seeing a specialist? A psychiatric counselor?"
"No," Metro said quickly. "I don't need medicine or therapy. I need answers. Someone knows what's happening to me, but no one's telling me the full truth."
The therapist looked at him with a blend of pity and concern.
"Metro, you're not alone. But sometimes what we think is real is just our mind's way of coping."
Metro stood up. "I'm not crazy," he said, voice sharp.
"I didn't say you were," she replied gently. "But don't carry this burden alone. If you ever want to talk again, my door is open."
He nodded politely and left.
---
Outside the Clinic
Metro stepped into the street, head low, still turning over everything in his mind. Then he saw him.
Standing near a lamppost with his hands in his pockets was Caleb.
Metro froze.
Caleb's face was calm, even soft. He lifted a hand slowly in greeting.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," Caleb said.
"…Why are you here?" Metro asked, stepping closer.
"To talk."
"About what?"
Caleb smiled, a strange glint in his eye. "About your father."
Metro stiffened.
"Don't," he muttered. "Not you too."
"You're caught in something bigger than you know," Caleb said as they began to walk slowly. "I don't want to hurt you. But there are truths that will find you, whether you want them or not."
Metro looked down at the sidewalk, fists clenched. "What if I don't care? What if I don't want to know?"
"Then your past will eat you alive."
Metro didn't answer. They walked in silence for a few seconds, footsteps echoing in rhythm.
"You ever think your memories don't match your pain?" Caleb asked quietly.
"…What?"
"You think your mother was a pharmacist. A normal woman. But why do you feel this void in your life? This unexplainable rage… confusion… power?"
Metro didn't answer.
Caleb continued, "You're afraid of who you really are. And deep down… you know something's wrong."
They stopped at a crosswalk. Caleb turned to him fully now, voice low and intense.
"The war your father started… the demons… the world cracking apart beneath us—it all started the day your mother died. And you, Metro… you were the key from the beginning."
Metro swallowed hard.
"I don't know what you're trying to do," he whispered, "but I'm not your key. I'm not anyone's."
"Then why do demons keep finding you?" Caleb asked. "Why did Lucien come to your home?"
Metro looked away.
"Think about it," Caleb said, stepping back into the shadows. "The truth is already inside you. Waiting to be remembered."
And just like that… Caleb vanished.