The night pressed in with a dense silence. Between the blinking red lights of the distant skyline, the city groaned softly beneath the weight of its secrets. Elius leaned against the railing of the rooftop, the city breeze tugging gently at his coat. Keith stood opposite him, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable. Between them, the tension curled like a living thing—feral, watching, waiting to pounce.
Elius finally broke the silence.
"I’ll make you a deal," he said, voice even and soft, yet bearing the edge of sothing sharp beneath. "I won’t harm your loved ones. Not your mother. Not Shania. Not even Fraven or Zhark. I promise."
Keith’s eyes narrowed slightly, uncertain of where this was going.
"But," Elius added, "there’s a condition."
Keith stepped closer, his hands balling into fists. "What condition?"
Elius tilted his head, as if studying his younger brother under a magnifying glass. "To clean the ss you’ve made, the mistakes you’ve overlooked, and to finally live up to the mantle of heroism that’s been thrust upon your shoulders... you’ll have to sacrifice them."
A pause.
Keith’s brows furrowed, confused. "What?"
Elius didn’t blink. "You’ll have to sacrifice your friends. Not in blood. Not in death. But in reputation. In trust. In the eyes of the world, they’ll beco the monsters—while you rise as the golden boy the world so desperately wants."
Keith’s face contorted with disgust. "That’s insane."
"Is it?" Elius replied calmly. "Think about it. Right now, the public’s unsure about you. Your power’s growing. Your status is shifting. But your association with Fraven, a telekinesis with volatile control, Zhark, a brute with known tendencies for violent escalation, and Shania—Shania who has her own secrets—their presence around you taints your image. They’re anchors holding you back from ascending into the symbol you were ant to be."
"They’re my friends."
Elius smiled thinly. "So was I. Once."
Keith stepped forward, his spiritual aura flickering wildly. "Don’t twist this."
"I’m not twisting anything," Elius replied coolly. "I’m presenting a solution."
The wind picked up again. The rooftop lights flickered. In the distance, a siren wailed faintly.
"You want to beco the symbol of hope, don’t you?" Elius asked, his voice now edged with a cold intensity. "You want to stand tall as the one who can stand even against soone like . The world will need a face. A clean, shining face. But you’re entangled with shadows. Shadows that refuse to stay hidden."
He took a breath and continued.
"Fraven has committed psychic intrusions. Several. Most of them were covered up thanks to your reputation. Zhark has used his transformation powers in civilian zones during unauthorized missions. He’s caused collateral damage, Keith. And Shania..."
He paused deliberately.
"Shania has made contacts with the Remnant Order. She claims it’s reconnaissance, but we both know how quickly ’information-gathering’ turns into sympathy. And if she were ever caught during one of those etings..."
"No." Keith’s voice was firm, almost desperate. "No. You don’t understand them."
Elius turned to him fully now, his expression darkening. "I do understand them. That’s why I’m telling you this. Because they will be the reason you fall if you don’t act. But if you choose to make it look like they manipulated you, controlled you, poisoned your judgnt—then you walk away clean. You rise."
"That’s not what being a hero ans."
Elius stepped closer, his tone like ice on steel. "Then tell , Keith—what does it an? Is it friendship? Loyalty? Protecting the weak? Or is it just surviving long enough to be the last one standing? Heroes are tools of public trust, Keith. You don’t earn that trust by being kind—you earn it by making hard decisions."
Keith shook his head violently. "There has to be another way."
"There’s not," Elius said bluntly. "You’re in too deep. The only way forward is to cut the strings yourself. Let the world see them as the villains—and you as the lone survivor who was strong enough to escape their grip."
Keith turned away, pacing, trying to breathe.
"Fraven saved my life more than once," he said, voice shaking. "Zhark stood in front of an entire monster swarm so I could reach a wounded child. And Shania... she believed in when even the academy didn’t."
Elius nodded slowly. "And for that, they will be rembered. In silence. Behind closed doors. But in the eyes of the people—your people—you’ll be the beacon that wasn’t corrupted. You’ll shine brighter because of the darkness they took with them."
Keith slamd his fist into the nearby ventilation duct, denting the tal. "This is wrong."
Elius watched him quietly.
"You can’t protect everyone," he said finally. "But you can protect the future. And that future is one where you’re in power. Where your voice decides law. Where you can prevent the next generation from being used the way you were."
"I won’t throw them to the wolves," Keith growled.
"You already have," Elius replied softly. "You just haven’t admitted it yet."
Keith froze.
Elius stepped forward again, voice low and precise. "Every ti you made a mistake in the field and they covered for you. Every ti Shania lied to protect your growing abilities. Every ti Fraven dug into soone’s mind just to keep you from making another mistake. They’ve already paid the price for your future. I’m just telling you to cash it in."
Keith’s breath grew shallow.
Elius tilted his head. "So... are you ready to beco a superhero?"
The air tightened.
"Are you ready to sacrifice your friends?"
Keith’s eyes were wide, pain dancing behind them. "I don’t... I don’t have a choice, do I?"
Elius said nothing.
Keith turned away again, face half-shadowed.
He thought of Fraven’s awkward smiles. Of the way Zhark would eat entire chickens without chewing. Of Shania’s laughter—the only thing that ever cut through his nightmares. He thought of the nights they spent watching stars, bleeding and broken, still smiling. Still believing they were doing the right thing.
And now...
Now, they would be nas in classified files. Villains in the eyes of the public. Sacrifices.
"I..." Keith faltered. His voice cracked. "They’ll hate ."
"Yes," Elius said. "But the world will love you." he said, but his eyes were glinting and Keith knew that it was his mother. His mother would be harm if he didn’t agree.
Another long silence. The kind that seed to stretch for lifetis.
Finally, Keith’s shoulders sank.
"...Fine."
Elius blinked slowly. "Say it."
Keith clenched his fists. "I’ll do it."
Elius stepped back, eyes shimring with sothing unreadable. "Good."
Above them, the stars began to pierce the night sky.
And below, a hero was born—not in light, but in sacrifice.
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