An Unfinished World

***The News:

"—and we're receiving breaking news from the presidential residential district."

The journalist's voice filled the television studio, accompanied by footage of a ruined street. Smoke drifted between damaged buildings. Emergency vehicles crowded the roads, while soldiers and rescue workers moved through the chaos.

The camera shifted to a man standing among the ruins.

“Gabriel, one of Aureon's most celebrated heroes, arrived at the scene shortly after the first reports of a monster attack. Several important figures were trapped inside the presidential residential district. Thanks to his intervention, all were successfully evacuated.”

The footage showed Gabriel walking away from the destruction.

His blond hair was slightly disheveled, and his brown eyes remained fixed on something beyond the camera. He looked almost untouched by the chaos surrounding him.

“Another remarkable achievement,” the journalist continued. “Aureon has once again demonstrated its commitment to protecting humanity.”

The screen changed to the organization's emblem.

The report continued, listing the names of those rescued and praising the hero who had saved them.

For millions of viewers, it was another reason to feel safe.

For others, it was simply another reminder of how little had changed.

Theo Veylan sat in front of his computer, the news report playing on a second screen.

His black hair fell loosely over his forehead, almost hiding his blue eyes. He was tall, with a strong build that contrasted with the quiet concentration of his posture. A pair of eyeglasses rested nearby, occasionally used when his work demanded closer attention.

He barely listened to the journalist.

Instead, he rewound the footage.

Then again.

He paused at the moment the monster appeared.

His eyes narrowed.

“That's not right.”

He enlarged the image, studying the creature's movements. Something about the footage bothered him. Its behavior, its reaction to the surrounding environment... it didn't fit the patterns he had been researching.

He opened a file containing his previous observations and compared the two.

The discrepancy remained.

Theo leaned back, his expression growing colder.

“They're still hiding something.”

He closed the news report, but not before saving a copy of the footage.

There was a reason he had been removed from Aureon's research.

And he was beginning to suspect that he had been right all along.

Across the city, another screen displayed the same report.

Mikaela Varen sat quietly, watching.

Her short blond hair framed her face, drawing attention to her unusually dark, almost black eyes. She barely moved as the journalist praised Gabriel's latest achievement.

She wasn't interested in the rescued officials.

Nor was she interested in Aureon's promises.

Her attention remained fixed on the man on the screen.

Gabriel.

She paused the footage.

For a moment, she simply stared at his face.

Then she opened a drawer and took out a folder. Inside were old photographs and documents, some worn from being handled too many times.

She looked at one photograph for a long moment.

Her fingers tightened around its edges.

Years had passed.

She had followed every possible lead, searched through records that were never meant to be accessed, and spent countless nights trying to find someone who might no longer exist.

Yet here he was, appearing on television as one of humanity's greatest heroes.

Mikaela closed the folder.

“Not yet...”

She turned off the screen.

***Aureon's headquarters stood apart from the surrounding city, its modern architecture reflecting the organization's influence and resources.

Inside, far from the cameras and public celebrations, Gabriel stood in a private laboratory.

Dr. Vivienne Sorel was reviewing a set of documents at her desk.

Her long black hair fell neatly over her shoulders. Her sharp black eyes gave little away, and her skin remained remarkably smooth and clear despite her age. There was something unsettling about the contrast between her composed appearance and the authority she carried.

She did not look up when Gabriel entered.

“You wanted to see me?”

Gabriel walked further into the room.

“I want more power.”

Vivienne continued reading.

“That is not possible.”

His expression changed.

“Not possible?”

“Your current condition is stable. Further procedures would introduce unnecessary risks.”

Gabriel let out a short laugh.

“Unnecessary risks? I saved the people you sent me to save. I did everything you asked. Aureon took all the credit, and now you won't even give me what I want?”

Vivienne finally raised her eyes.

“You are a hero, Gabriel. Protecting people is your duty.”

For a moment, he stared at her.

Then he laughed again, this time with open disbelief.

“What? Do you believe your own lie now, hero?”

He stepped closer.

“In cities with millions of people, people are dying while your heroes are nowhere to be seen. But when a monster appears in a neighbourhood full of important people, suddenly you send me.”

His voice grew sharper.

“Don't pretend this is about saving humanity. You didn't send me because people needed help. You sent me because the right people needed protection.”

Vivienne listened without changing her expression.

“Your emotions are interfering with your judgment.”

“Perhaps.”

Gabriel turned away, then stopped at the door.

“But don't confuse my position with obedience.”

Vivienne's gaze followed him.

“You should remember who gave you that position.”

He looked back at her.

“And you should remember that I don't intend to play this game forever.”

The door closed behind him.

Vivienne remained still for several seconds.

Then she returned her attention to the documents.

***Beyond the city, behind tall stone walls and a carefully maintained garden, stood Elias's spacious villa. Its elegant architecture and large windows reflected his wealth and former status. Yet the house was unusually quiet.

In his private office, the sound of a fist striking a desk echoed through the room.

“How long?”

Elias Ward stood behind his desk, staring at the men in front of him.

His white hair contrasted with the deep wrinkles marking his proud face. His eyes were blue, but their colour was faint and pale, almost faded. Age had left its marks on him, but it had done little to diminish the authority in his presence.

“How long have you been searching for my wife?”

Neither man answered immediately.

Elias's expression hardened.

“I'm asking you a question.”

“Sir, we've searched every location mentioned in the reports. The area was heavily damaged. According to the official investigation, the monsters—”

“Don't repeat that.”

His voice was quiet now, which somehow made it worse.

“They told me monsters killed her. Fine. Then where is her body?”

The men exchanged glances.

“Where are her belongings? Where are the witnesses? Where is the evidence?”

Silence.

Elias looked away, trying to contain his anger.

Yara had disappeared during a monster incident. The official report claimed that she had been killed in the attack.

But he had never believed it.

“Leave.”

The two men exchanged another glance before exiting the office.

Elias remained standing behind his desk.

A moment later, the door opened again.

One of his men entered, carrying a folder.

“Sir, we found something.”

Elias turned.

“What?”

“The incident timeline doesn't match the evacuation records. Some documents were removed from the original archive, and the remaining records contain inconsistencies.”

He placed the folder on the desk.

“We also traced an authorization connected to the institution responsible for the investigation.”

Elias opened the folder.

His eyes moved across the documents.

“Aureon?”

“We can't confirm direct involvement. But the authorization traces lead to an institution connected to them.”

Elias remained silent.

He looked at the photograph lying on his desk.

Yara.

For a moment, the anger in his face gave way to something quieter.

Then he closed the folder.

“Investigate Aureon.”

“Sir?”

“Discreetly. I don't want anyone knowing we're looking into this.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man left.

Elias picked up the photograph.

The world had changed. Monsters appeared without warning, heroes were celebrated, and people disappeared beneath the ruins.

Everyone seemed willing to accept the explanations they were given.

He wasn't.

Not anymore.

───

End of Chapter One