[Bundang Vista Towers, 99th Floor - Aurelia Draxen's Apartnt]
Aurelia sank onto the plush living room couch, spreading her arms along the back, an exaggerated gesture against the emptiness.
Restless, she turned her gaze toward the display cases housing countless trophies – stark reminders of past achievents.
Her fingers traced the inscription on one plaque: Pinnacle Academy Exclusive Tournant, First Place.
mories of thrilling battles and hard-won victories flooded back, a bittersweet contrast to her current stagnation.
Although Aurelia was a valuable hero, an undeniable asset to humanity, she was forced to live this... this plain, predictable life. All because of International Heroes Association President Milio Idris.
It had all started with the Tower Crisis. She'd simply been in the right place at the right ti, single-handedly subjugating 32,250 monsters within a frantic three hours, B to A Class... a feat so compared to that of The Great Hero, Garrick Florentina.
Before the ache could settle in, her gaze shifted to the large flatscreen on the wall. It wasn't for entertainnt, but a flickering lifeline to the world she was supposed to be protecting.
Click!
The news filled the room with its usual fanfare:
— "This just in, a pack of Orcs have taken over Dobong District. Heroes have been dispatched to the area, so please evacuate as soon as possible."
The sight of the newscast made her forget the simple chores of just going outside to slay monsters.
Everything was so normal... lower-ranked heroes tackling minor incidents, new updates on technologies from the Starcasters, and the usual food comrcials that were enough to make her stomach growl with hunger.
"I think I'll just-"
Before she could switch the tv off, the channel changed. A newscaster's urgent voice cut through the banality.
— "... Attention all residents along the coast of North Arica... reports of an unidentified creature has just been sighted erging in the Pacific Ocean," the newscaster's voice cut through her resigned apathy.
— "Those by the beach and anyone within the area please run as far as possible." The second reporter cut in.
"Finally, sothing interesting!" she declared, her voice a touch too loud for the empty apartnt.
"Maybe I should..."
But as she watched images of the ocean fill the screen, this dead feeling wasn't the excitent of a mission briefing that made her focus, but a strange mix of longing and the dreaded certainty that her forced retirent was about to end.
It pulsed with an unsettling energy, unlike any beast she'd encountered before.
"Ugh,"
She muttered, the booming confidence of monts ago fading. A hesitant frown replaced her earlier grin.
"That… That's not right."
The initial thrill of potential action warped into a prickling unease. Yes, she was the strongest, but her forced inactivity had left her rusty.
And this… this thing didn't feel like a straightforward fight where overwhelming power would solve everything.
"Maybe they won't even need ."
The traitorous thought snaked through her mind, followed by a pain of disappointnt.
"They probably have so specialized mid-rank guilds with experience in aquatic threats..."
She shook her head, refusing to dwell on what-ifs, but the doubt lingered.
The newscaster's escalating voice filled the apartnt.
"Our caras are capturing shocking footage! The creature appears far more agile than anticipated..."
Footage zood in, blurry but showing the creature lashing out with surprising speed.
GRAHHHH!!!!!
SLASH!
"Oh my God!" The newscaster's professionalism cracked. "It took out the chopper!"
A lucky strike caught a helicopter's rotor, sending it into an uncontrolled spiral.
The image of the creature vanished as the channel abruptly cut out.
"Seriously?!" Aurelia's brow furrowed. She clenched her fist, prid to vent her frustration.
"I'm gonna—"
RING!!!!...RING!!!!...RING!!!...
The piercing ring of her landline shattered the silence. She trudged towards it, a frown montarily creasing her brow. "If it's another one of those blasted sponsors, I swear…"
Then she saw the caller ID. Her heart made a small leap: International Heroes Association.
She snatched up the receiver, her disappointnt instantly evaporating.
"Hello! This is Aurelia Draxen, right?" Her voice echoed with a hopeful lilt, a touch of desperation she couldn't quite hide.
"It is!" Aurelia practically shouted, her voice overly bright. "It… it is, absolutely!"
"Miss Draxen, this is the IHA Ergency Response team. We've analyzed the situation in the Pacific. There's a rapidly escalating threat that requires your imdiate attention..."
The assistant continued, relaying the barest details of the monster and its projected course.
Aurelia listened intently, a mix of dread and a twisted eagerness making it difficult to focus on the specifics.
The call ended, and the instructions were clipped and impersonal.
It was everything she'd always feared and secretly longed for – her quiet life was officially over.
A spark ignited in Aurelia's eyes, a fla that hadn't burned so brightly in years.
With renewed passion, she turned away from the silent television, the creature montarily forgotten.
"Finally!" Her voice bood through the apartnt, a triumphant cry infused with years of pent-up anticipation.
She strode toward her bedroom, every step a shedding of her manufactured cheer and forced routine.
Inside, a shining white bodysuit hung ready, the intricate gold designs shimring faintly as though it starved for the touch of her power.
It had been so long since she'd donned this, her true uniform.
Fingers moved with a familiar speed, yet laced with a silly excitent.
Supple material slid over her skin, each motion like re-arming a forgotten part of herself.
The fastenings at her wrists and throat pulsed with a faint blue light as her dormant power responded to their call.
Next, the grand centrepiece – the flowing brocade cape.
Each fold whispered with the mory of victories past.
The soft white fur tickled her skin, a strange mix of comfort and fierce, battle-ready energy.
Finally, a glance at her old watch. Once used for tracking training tis, now it synced seamlessly with the IHA feed.
The screen lit up with mission details, the creature analyzed, its projected path a nacing red line.
A small smirk played on her lips. No ti for sponsors or photo shoots today.
Today was for fighting.
_______________
To Be Continued!
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Authors Notes:
- The previous rank 1 hero was Gerrard Freya who held the title of strongest for 12 years and before Gerrard Freya was Dawn Frisk who held the title up until retirent.
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