The fire had already consud most of the vehicle.
Thick black smoke filled the interior, coiling like a living entity as it invaded every inch of space, suffocating and rciless. The heat intensified by the second, turning the tal fra of the SUV into a burning cage.
Jinhoo struggled to breathe.
"Hah... Hah... Those bastards... Who sent them..."
His voice ca out hoarse, barely audible as the smoke clawed at his throat.
He tried to steady himself, forcing his mind to focus. His hand trembled slightly as he attempted to summon his power.
But nothing ca.
"Kugh... Co on... Appear... Appear..."
He gritted his teeth, pushing harder, reaching deeper within himself. Normally, his abilities would respond instantly, bending space and reality to his will.
But now?
Nothing.
"Ugh... At least teleportation!!"
His voice rose in frustration, but the result remained the sa. Instead of power, all he got was more smoke filling his lungs, choking him from the inside.
"Cough... Cough... Damn it..."
Jinhoo covered his mouth with his hand, his body shaking as he coughed violently.
His vision blurred.
Still, he refused to give up.
He lifted his leg and kicked the window as hard as he could.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
But the glass didn’t even crack.
"Kugh... Damn it... I regret buying this damn expensive car... The glass is too strong!!"
His frustration boiled over, but it did nothing to change his situation.
For a brief mont, he stopped.
Silence filled his mind.
’They... the ones who did this to ... they’re definitely not villains... They rely on strategy and intelligence... There must be soone behind all of this...’
His thoughts slowed, but they remained sharp.
Then—
A sll.
"...Oh no..."
His eyes widened.
Oil.
The car’s oil had leaked.
It spread across the ground beneath the vehicle, slowly reaching the flas.
And then—
The fire grew.
Violently.
Explosively.
The flas surged upward, engulfing the car entirely.
"Hah... Damn it..."
And in the next second—
BOOM!!
The car exploded.
In the middle of the city street, chaos erupted instantly.
People scread.
So stepped back in fear, others froze in shock.
"What the hell was that!?"
"Soone call the fire departnt!!"
"Is there soone inside!?"
Panic spread like wildfire.
Phones were raised, ergency calls were made, and confusion dominated the scene.
At the sa ti, not far from there—
Lightnova was in the middle of an interview.
"Miss Lightnova, earlier you seed to be enjoying the fight. Is there a reason for that?"
One of the reporters asked carefully.
Lightnova smiled gently.
"Ah... I was just observing his abilities. Nothing too special."
Pens scribbled across notepads.
Caras remained focused on her.
But suddenly—
A loud explosion echoed from a distance.
BOOM!!
Lightnova’s expression changed instantly.
She turned her head toward the source of the sound.
’An attack?’
Without hesitation—
She vanished.
Her body transford into a streak of golden light as she shot toward the explosion at incredible speed.
Monts later, she arrived.
Landing smoothly on the asphalt, she returned to her human form.
What she saw made her pause.
It wasn’t a battlefield.
It was a burning car.
Three fire trucks were already there, firefighters desperately trying to suppress the flas.
Lightnova frowned slightly.
"This isn’t a normal fire..."
She walked toward the crowd.
The civilians imdiately reacted.
"Lightnova!"
"Miss Lightnova!!"
She smiled softly and waved.
"Hello, everyone."
Then her tone turned serious.
"Can you explain what happened here?"
A woman stepped forward nervously.
"A-ah! Of course!"
She took a deep breath before speaking.
"So... earlier, there was an SUV driving normally... but then two black sedans suddenly appeared and hit it from both sides..."
Lightnova listened carefully.
"The driver panicked and lost control... the car flipped over... I don’t know everything, but I saw a man in a suit, wearing sunglasses, like a bodyguard... he locked the car door from the outside with so kind of device..."
Her voice trembled.
"He trapped the driver inside... and then... the car caught fire... and exploded..."
Lightnova narrowed her eyes.
She looked at the others.
"Is that what happened?"
"Yes, we saw it too."
"It’s true!"
Her expression darkened slightly.
’This is clearly a planned murder...’
She was about to think further—
"L-look!!!"
A man suddenly shouted, pointing at the burning wreck.
Everyone turned.
The fire roared violently.
Then—
BANG!!
The car door burst open.
It was kicked out with trendous force, flying straight toward the crowd.
Lightnova reacted instantly.
She stepped forward and caught it with her bare hand.
The impact was heavy.
"...!"
She dropped it onto the ground imdiately.
’Ugh... It’s hot...’
Her palm had been burned.
But she ignored it.
Her gaze shifted back to the flas.
And then—
From within the fire—
A figure erged.
Slowly.
Step by step.
A man.
Wearing a suit.
A cloak.
A fedora.
And a black mask.
Indigo.
The crowd gasped.
"I-Indigo!?"
Fear spread instantly.
Lightnova stared at him.
Her guard rose imdiately.
She knew him.
But—
She also knew.
That wasn’t always him.
Indigo stretched his neck slightly.
Crack.
Then—
He turned his head toward her.
Lightnova’s heart skipped a beat.
’His eyes... they should be blue... or colorless... but if they’re red... that’s dangerous...’
mories flashed in her mind.
The ti she almost died.
At the hands of a fake Indigo.
She clenched her fists.
’He’s quiet... that’s not like him...’
Then—
From behind the mask—
His eyes glowed.
Red.
Lightnova’s pupils shrank.
"S-sothing’s wrong—"
She turned toward the civilians.
"Everyone! Get back!!"
But it was too late.
In an instant—
Indigo disappeared.
And reappeared—
Right behind her.
Lightnova froze.
She felt it.
That overwhelming presence.
She tried to turn—
But—
A hand landed on her shoulder.
And in the next mont—
They vanished.
A few seconds later—
They reappeared.
On top of a skyscraper.
High above the city.
Lightnova stood there—
Frozen.
Her eyes shut tightly.
Her body trembling slightly.
Then—
A familiar voice.
Calm.
Gentle.
"Nona Lightnova, you can open your eyes now."
Her eyes snapped open.
She looked around.
And realized—
She was being carried.
In his arms.
Like a princess.
Just like before.
Her face turned red instantly.
She buried her face into his chest.
"P-p... put down..."
"Hmm? I didn’t hear that."
"Put down!!"
Indigo blinked in surprise.
He imdiately set her down.
Lightnova stepped back, her face still flushed.
"W-what are you doing!? You almost made relive my trauma!"
"Hmm? What do you an?"
"I an... your eyes!! They changed color!!"
Indigo paused.
Then—
Understanding dawned on him.
"Ah... You’re scared just because of my eye color?"
Lightnova puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms.
"Hmph!"
Indigo chuckled softly.
"Don’t worry... the fake Indigo has already been defeated. And I can control my eye color now."
To prove it—
His eyes shifted.
Blue.
Then red.
Then back to blue.
Lightnova looked away.
"Hmph! Next ti don’t show the red one... it’s scary..."
Indigo laughed again.
"Alright, alright..."
Slowly—
The tension faded.
Lightnova relaxed.
A small smile ford on her lips.
For a mont—
They just stood there.
Above the city.
The wind blowing gently around them.
It felt—
Peaceful.
Like a reunion.
Between two people who stood on opposite sides of the world.
And yet—
Were sohow still connected.
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