Chapter 34 - Ytrisia’s Suspicion
LIVE from NNTV News—
"We're standing at the ruins of what was once the regional cartoon broadcasting center. Behind me—"
The camera panned to a colossal, lifeless husk of a centipede—its armored body cracked, smoldering, and twitching in its final death throes.
"—the creature responsible for terrorizing this block, crushed beyond recognition. Eyewitnesses say a young villain escaped moments before authorities arrived. The motive remains unclear, but damage is estimated in the millions."
Dust still clung to the air. Ash and the scent of ozone lingered like static on skin.
"No word yet from the Hero Association on who responded to the attack—"
Just behind the chaos, out of frame—while the voices of dray porters faded into the background—Volta stood with her arms crossed, watching the boy sob quietly in the back of an unmarked van. He was wrapped in an emergency blanket, eyes red and swollen.
No cameras had caught her landing. No news anchor knew the truth: the strike had been a single blow. Clean. Efficient. No casualties.
"So, why did you do it?" Ytrisia asked, her gaze settling on the boy she had just saved—perhaps from destruction, or perhaps from a label that would ruin his life. There was anger in him, yes. But no one to guide him. No one to tell him that his powers might define his future.
"Noona—sniff—they canceled my favorite cartoon show," the child cried, both hands wiping tears from his cheeks, a tiny centipede resting on his head. The creature shifted gently, as if trying to comfort him.
Volta narrowed her eyes.