Zane froze, his bare feet glued to the cold floor. The blue lines under his skin pulsed, the Synthorium humming in his chest, urging him to move. But his mind was stuck on the news screen he'd just seen, his face, labeled SUSPECT: ZANE EDWIN, PRESUMED DEAD. Clara, his foster mom, and Sophia, his best friend, thought he was gone. And now this shadow-lady wanted to make that true.
"Stay back, rookie!" Jaxon shouted, his black jumpsuit glowing as it hardened into armor. He stepped in front of Zane, fists clenched. Liora flanked him, sparks crackling between her fingers, her green eyes locked on the woman. Mr. Corin hung back, his silver hair catching the flickering lights, his face unreadable.
"Who is she?" Zane whispered, his voice shaky. The Synthorium's voice—Protect—pushed at him, but he barely knew how to use his powers. That lightningجاد
The woman stepped closer, her shadows coiling like snakes. "You can't run from me, Zane Edwin," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "Not after what you did."
Zane's stomach dropped. "What I did?" His mind raced, sifting through his past, carjacking, store thefts, late-night gigs to keep Clara fed and the neighborhood kids clothed. He wasn't a saint, but he'd never hurt anyone. Not like this.
Jaxon charged, his armored fist swinging. But the woman's shadows lashed out, wrapping his arm like ropes. He grunted, struggling as they tightened. Liora fired a bolt of electricity, but the shadows absorbed it, swallowing the light.
"Enough!" Mr. Corin barked, stepping forward. "Identify yourself!"
The woman's lips curled into a bitter smile. "You don't remember me, do you, Zane?" Her shadows parted slightly, revealing a face, sharp cheekbones, dark hair streaked with gray, eyes burning with hate. Something about her felt familiar, like a half-forgotten dream.
"Do I… know you?" Zane asked, his throat tight.
Her laugh was cold, jagged. "You should. You ruined my life." She raised a hand, and the shadows surged, slamming Jaxon into a wall. He hit with a thud, groaning. Liora dodged a shadow tendril, but another caught her leg, yanking her down.
Zane's chest burned, the Synthorium's hum growing louder. Act. His hands glowed blue, energy crackling like static. He didn't know this woman, but she knew him and she wanted him dead. He thought of Clara's worried hugs, Sophia's teasing grin. He couldn't let them lose him for real.
"Stop!" he shouted, raising his hands. Blue light flared, and a pulse of energy shot out, slicing through the shadows. The woman staggered, her shadows flickering, but her eyes stayed fixed on him.
"You don't even know," she spat, regaining her balance. "You and your crew, stealing cars, breaking lives. You left me in that warehouse, Zane. Trapped. Bleeding. My brother died because of you."
Zane's blood ran cold. A warehouse job—three years ago. Him, Tony, and a few others hitting a black-market deal. It went south, cops showed up, and they ran. He remembered smoke, screams, a woman's voice begging for help. He'd thought she got out. He'd told himself she was fine.
"You… you were there?" Zane's voice cracked. Guilt twisted in his gut, sharp as a knife. He'd never meant for anyone to get hurt. He'd just been trying to survive.
"My name's Mara," she said, shadows coiling tighter. "And I spent years in a cell because of you. When I got out, I found this." She raised her hand, revealing a shard of dark crystal, pulsing with red light. "It gave me power. It gave me purpose. To make you pay."
Zane's head spun. This wasn't just revenge, it was personal, raw, and righteous. He saw her pain, her loss, and it hit too close to home. He'd lost his dad at sixteen, felt that same helpless rage. But he wasn't that scared kid anymore. He couldn't be.
"Mara, I'm sorry," he said, stepping forward, hands still glowing. "I didn't know you were trapped. I swear. But this—" He gestured to the wrecked hallway, Jaxon and Liora struggling to stand. "This isn't justice. It's just pain."
Mara's eyes flickered, a crack in her hate. For a moment, he thought she might listen. Then her face hardened. "You don't get to decide what's justice." Her shadows exploded outward, a wave of darkness that swallowed the light.
Zane dove, the Synthorium's energy flaring to shield him. The shadows grazed his arm, cold and sharp, drawing blood. He hit the floor, pain searing, but the Synthorium pushed him up. Fight. Jaxon was back on his feet, armor dented but intact. Liora freed herself, sparks flying as she stood beside him.
"Together!" Jaxon yelled. He charged, drawing Mara's shadows. Liora flanked her, electricity arcing. Zane focused, the Synthorium's hum guiding him. He fired another energy pulse, aiming for the crystal in Mara's hand. It cracked, red light sputtering, and she screamed, shadows faltering.
But Mara wasn't done. She raised the broken crystal, and the air warped, like reality was bending. A portal shimmered behind her, dark and jagged, pulling at Zane like a vacuum. "You'll pay, Zane," she snarled. "Even if I have to tear this world apart."
Zane's heart raced. The portal's pull grew stronger, papers and debris flying toward it. He thought of Clara, waiting for him. Sophia, probably crying over his "death." He couldn't let Mara win—not like this.
"Stop her!" Mr. Corin shouted, his calm cracking. "That portal's unstable!"
Zane gritted his teeth, the Synthorium blazing. He didn't know how to fight a portal, but he knew how to fight for the people he loved. He raised both hands, blue energy surging, and aimed for Mara. The light hit her chest, knocking her back toward the portal. Her shadows lashed out, grazing his cheek, but he held firm.
Mara's scream echoed as the portal swallowed her, snapping shut with a thunderclap. The hallway went silent, the red lights still flashing. Zane collapsed to his knees, chest heaving, the Synthorium's glow fading. His arm bled, his face stung, but he was alive.
Jaxon clapped his shoulder, breathing hard. "That was something, rookie. You okay?"
Zane nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. Mara's words—You left me—cut deeper than her shadows. He'd messed up, hurt people, even if he didn't mean to. And now she was gone, maybe dead, because of him.
Liora dusted herself off, her braid frayed. "She's not gone," she said, reading his face. "That portal wasn't a death sentence. She'll be back."
Mr. Corin approached, his suit pristine despite the chaos. "Liora's right. Mara's crystal was Synthorium-based, corrupted but powerful. She's out there, and she's not alone." He fixed Zane with a hard stare. "Your past is catching up, Zane. You need to be ready."
Zane's throat tightened. Ready? He could barely stand. But the Synthorium hummed, steady and warm, like it believed in him. He thought of Mara's pain, her brother's death. He couldn't undo the past, but he could do better. For Clara. For Sophia. For himself.
As they limped down the hall, alarms still blaring, a new sound broke through—a low hum, like the one from the truck. Zane's skin prickled, the blue lines glowing again. Down the corridor, a faint red light pulsed, and a shadow moved. Not Mara's. Something bigger. Something worse.
"Zane," Jaxon said, voice low. "Tell me you see that."
Zane did. And it was coming for him.