The Unknown Threat (06)

A few days passed, and Tamim's first day at university finally arrived.

Standing at the bus stop, Tamim stared off into the distance, lost in thought. " The university started just days after the results were released. Everything's moving way too fast," he mused, feeling the pace of his new life catch up to him.

Tamim sighed and pulled a paper from the file he was holding, his eyes scanning over the university regulations. "Eighty percent attendance, or I can't sit for the final exams? What a pain." he grumbled internally.

As he stood there, a voice broke through his thoughts.

"Excuse me… Are you Neon?" a boy asked excitedly from behind.

Startled, Tamim turned to face him. The boy's eyes were wide with admiration. "I'm a huge fan! Can I take a picture with you?"

Tamim agreed with annoyance inside. "Amm..yah i guess"

" Now if i don't take pictures, then again some people will throw hate comments at me. Social media shit is crazy" Tamim thought while the boy took the picture with a fake smile.

" Thank you very much Neon." Said the boy and added " Now i can tell my friends i met Neon..yay"

As soon as the boy was out of sight, Tamim's fake smile faded. "This is exactly why I hate taking my mask off in public. I have to pretend to be this friendly person, when honestly... I'm not friendly at all.

I don't know why people become fans of people or call others fans. Being a fan wont help them in life." Though Tamim was standing there.

Later that afternoon at Nextera Esports, the mood was brighter.

"Guess what, guys? I found a new player for the team!" Samia announced with excitement as she entered the room, her energy instantly lifting the atmosphere.

"That's awesome! When do we meet them?" Fahim asked, leaning forward with interest.

"Tomorrow, I'll meet her, and the day after, she'll join us for practice," Samia replied with a grin.

"A girl? Wow!" Rafi exclaimed, his tone too enthusiastic for Riya's liking.

"What did you just say, Rafi?" Riya narrowed her eyes, her voice carrying a warning edge. "Remember, you're my boyfriend."

"Sorry, sorry! I was just curious, that's all," Rafi stammered, quickly apologizing with a sheepish look.

As the door creaked open, Tamim stepped into the room, catching the tail end of the conversation.

"A new player, huh?" he muttered.

He walked to his desk and sat down "It's always hard to adjust when someone new joins. It could affect our teamwork and practices."

Samia smirked, teasing him, "True, but you will face the most problem tho . She's a sniper, and we both know you're not the best at working with new people."

"I know, that's exactly why I said it," Tamim replied, his tone serious. "I'm a mid- to long-range player, so without understanding the sniper's playstyle, it's going to be hard to coordinate strategies."

"That's why I always tell you to be more friendly," Samia shot back. "If you were better at getting to know people, you wouldn't have this problem."

"No worries, I'll make him social," Fahim chimed in with a grin. "Just give me time."

Tamim snorted. "We've been friends for over seven years, and you still think you can change me?"

Laughter erupted from the group, filling the room with warmth.

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The next day, Tamim stood at the bus stop again, wearing a brown full shave shirt and white pants staring up at the sky, his thoughts drifting once more.

"Winter's almost here. The air feels cold, but... something's off. I don't feel it the same way. I barely feel anything, temperature-wise. It's like everything's dulled. This all started after I discovered my powers. Even though I haven't used them in days, I wish I could forget I ever had them."

His brooding was interrupted by a voice behind him.

"Can I talk to you?"

Turning around, Tamim's eyes met a tall girl, only four centimetres shorter then him, with silver eyes, short black hair, and an angular jawline.

She wore a crisp white t-shirt tucked loosely into a pair of wide-legged black trousers, a sleek black leather jacket was over her shoulder.

The girl was Faria.

"Did you ask me?" Tamim raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.

"Yeah, I did," she replied coolly.

"Another fan, probably," Tamim thought, already tired of the conversation before it began.

"I don't have time to talk," he said aloud, his tone curt.

"I want to talk about something important to you, " the girl insisted, her voice unwavering.

"Important?" Asked Tanim

" Yas, important and i think you should know this " Said the girl

"Fine, let's see what she wants." Tamim sighed. "Alright, make it quick," he said, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"You're in danger," the girl said, her eyes locking onto his.

Tamim felt a chill run down his spine. "Danger? What kind of danger?"

"It's because of your powers," she stated bluntly.

"What?" Tamim's heart raced as he tried to keep his face neutral. "I don't have any powers," he lied, his mind racing. "How does she know?!"

The girl's gaze didn't waver. "That's a lie. I can prove it right now"

" I never told anyone about my power.. How the hell does she knows" Tamim thought.

" What do you mean? Maybe you have some misunderstanding, "said Tamim.

" No mistake however, I want you to know that this power may cause you trouble that may be unknown to you" Said the girl.

" Huh? What trouble? Sorry i am no one like that with superpower or something. " Tamim said again.

" I know you are trying to hide and it's completely normal but if you try to hide, you will never know the problem and that will be worse" Said The girl.

A bus stopped beside them and few people were coming out.

The girl looked at the bus and again turned and said " If you really want to know more, meet me at the park where you fought that monster. Four o'clock. I will be waiting but i will suggest don't come if you don't want to"

Without another word, she turned and boarded a bus, leaving Tamim standing there, in his thoughts he was unable to understand what to react.

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That afternoon, at 3:40 PM.

Inside Nextera Esports, Tamim was slumped over his desk, his head resting against his arm.

In his other hand, he absentmindedly scrolled through his phone, his mind far from the screen.

"What should I do? If I go, it'll confirm I have powers, but if I don't, I'll never know what she's talking about. And what if it's a trap?" His thoughts raced, each option as unsettling as the last.

"Hey, what's going on with you? You don't look alright," Fahim's voice broke through the fog in his mind.

Tamim didn't lift his head. "I'm not feeling well... I think I should go home," he muttered, his voice low and distant.

Samia glanced over with concern. "It's fine, take care of yourself, Tamim," she said softly.

"Yeah, thanks," he replied, getting up and heading out of the room. But his mind wasn't on going home—it was on the girl and the park.

After leaving that place.

Tamim arrived at the park. The cold air wrapped around him.

He spotted her standing by a tree, her eyes fixed on her phone as she casually scrolled. When she saw him approaching, she pocketed the phone.

"So, you came... I wasn't sure if you would," she said calmly, her voice steady.

Tamim stopped a few feet away, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah, I came. Now, tell me—how do you know about me? Who are you? And what's this 'danger' you keep mentioning?" His tone was sharp, demanding answers, though the growing unease in his chest kept his guard up.

The girl exhaled, leaning back against the tree, as if weighing her words. "That's a lot of questions...I am not good at conversation but.. I'll do my best to explain." She paused, locking eyes with him.

"I saw you fight that transformed monster. I saved you that day, though you probably didn't realize it. But I can't tell you who I am, not yet. As for the danger—it's not something I can explain in just a few words. There's more to this than you understand, and that's why I needed to meet you."

Before Tamim could reply, a sudden whistling sound pierced the air. His instincts kicked in—something was wrong. The girl's hand snapped up, catching the bullet aimed at her in a split second.

The metal crunched in her fist as if it were paper.

Another bullet, headed for Tamim, whizzed by, and without thinking, he jerked to the side, narrowly dodging it with reflexes he hadn't even realized he had.

He glanced at the girl, but before he could speak, she vanished, a portal opening and closing in the blink of an eye. He whipped his head around, trying to process what just happened.

High on top of a nearby building, the sniper cursed under his breath. His target—the girl—had disappeared. He scanned the area through his scope, searching frantically for any sign of her.

" What the hell..where did the girl go?" the sniper guy said.

A voice came from behind him, low and menacing. "Looking for someone?"

The sniper froze, his blood turning cold. He spun around, only to find the girl standing there, calm, almost bored.

In a panic, he fired off a shot, but it was futile. She dodged the bullet with ease, her grip tight as she stared at him with those cold, unblinking eyes.

The sniper's hands trembled as he dropped his gun, turning to flee. But before he could take more than a few steps, crackling electricity erupted around him, forming a web that ensnared his limbs.

He was yanked off his feet, dangling helplessly in the air.

The girl stepped forward, her expression still unreadable, though the air around her seemed to thicken with danger. "You're not getting away that easily," she said, her voice calm but with an underlying edge that sent shivers down the sniper's spine.

He squirmed, trying to free himself, but the electrical web only tightened, small shocks surging through his body. "W-what do you want?!" he stammered, his voice cracking with fear.

"Information," she replied coolly. "Who do you work for? What were you trying to accomplish?"

The sniper's breath quickened, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cold. "I... I can't tell you... He'll kill me," he whimpered.

The girl's eyes darkened, and the web of electricity pulsed brighter. "If you don't talk, I will intensify the pressure." Her voice was ice.

The sniper screamed as the electricity surged through him, his muscles spasming uncontrollably. "Please! Please, stop!" he cried, his voice cracking under the pain.

"Then talk." Her tone remained flat, unfeeling.

Panting heavily, the man gasped, "I'm Kabila... I work for Doctor Shohan. He's trying to create a superhuman drug, a formula using enhanced DNA, but—"

"Everyone knows that," the girl cut him off, unimpressed. "Tell me something useful."

Before he could answer, a faint beep sounded from somewhere on Kabila's body. The girl's eyes widened in recognition.

"No—!" she started, but it was too late.

A sharp crack echoed in the air as the small device embedded in Kabila's neck detonated.

His head exploded in a spray of blood, brain matter, and bone, painting the rooftop in a grotesque display of violence.

His lifeless body crumpled to the ground, twitching as the last remnants of electricity coursed through him.

The girl stood still for a moment, blood spattered across her face, and the roof.

To be continued…