Its Harder To be hero (11)

At 4:48 AM,

Tamim and Fahim were walking along the quiet road, the cool early morning air hanging around them.

"I saw some police cars near Butterfly Lake earlier. It looked pretty chaotic. At first, I thought it was something to do with the Soul Sorcerer, but then I realized the police don't usually deal with them. What do you think happened there?" Fahim asked, his voice thoughtful.

"How should I know? Doesn't really concern me," Tamim replied, a bit indifferent.

"Honestly, it doesn't feel safe to be just a regular human anymore," Fahim remarked, glancing sideways at Tamim.

"Why ?" Tamim asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, with the Soul Sorcerers and now all these superhumans popping up, it's like the whole world's changed. Normal life feels... uncertain," Fahim explained, his tone more serious now.

"I don't think so. No one really cares about it as much as you think. You shouldn't either. It's pointless to overthink it," Tamim responded, his voice carrying a hint of dismissal.

"Some superhumans and Soul Sorcerers are good, some are bad—it all depends on the person with the power. Like, a few days ago during the flood, there was this guy with elastic powers helping people. He saved a lot of lives," Fahim said, trying to make a point.

Tamim glanced at him. "And what would you do if you were one of them?"

Fahim shrugged. "I don't know… I mean, it hasn't happened to me. But if it did, I'd use it to protect people. I believe if you have power, it's because you were given it for a reason. You've got a responsibility. You know—great power comes with great responsibility."

Tamim smirked. "And what do you get out of saving people?"

Fahim looked thoughtful for a moment. "It's not about what you get. I don't have powers, so I can't speak for them, but those who become corrupt are the ones who seek personal gain or personal fulfillment from their abilities. That's what turns them into monsters. As long as someone cares about others more than themselves, corruption has no hold on them."

"Personal gain?" Tamim questioned, his tone skeptical.

"Yeah, like imagine someone who's poor and suddenly gains the power of invisibility. His first thought might be to steal. That's personal fulfillment—using power for selfish reasons," Fahim explained.

Tamim gave a slight nod. "Hmm."

"You'd see more of this if you watched superhero movies. They show the dark side of personal gain. But you always refuse to watch those, so you wouldn't know," Fahim teased lightly.

"And what exactly am I supposed to learn from that?" Tamim asked, still unimpressed.

"Take revenge, for example," Fahim continued. "It's one of the worst forms of personal fulfillment. There's this anime character who lost his lover, and he ended up hunting down her killer. But the more he embraced revenge, the darker he became, until eventually, he turned into the villain."

Tamim frowned slightly. "I still don't really get your point."

Fahim sighed. "Let me explain it with a quick story, okay?"

"We're already running late," Tamim said, sounding impatient.

"It's just a short summary. Won't take long," Fahim insisted.

" Dude.. I don't want to" Replied Tamim.

"So, the story starts with a regular guy named Ota. He had a beautiful girlfriend, Lisa, and they were going to get married. But then the city's mafia boss, Dio, kidnapped, raped, and killed Lisa. Ota was furious and swore revenge," Fahim began, his voice dropping as he got into the story.

Tamim cut him off. "I said I don't need to hear it."

"Just listen. It's important," Fahim urged.

Tamim sighed. "Okay, continue."

"Dio was a feared mafia boss. He'd killed countless people and done terrible things to women. But Ota, driven by revenge, killed Dio and anyone who got in his way. The day he killed Dio, Dio was sick, and a doctor was there to treat him. Ota killed the doctor too, even though he was innocent. He didn't stop there—he wiped out Dio's entire family, including raping his sister killing his wife and kids," Fahim said, his expression darkening.

Tamim's expression remained unreadable. "Is that the whole story?"

"No," Fahim said, shaking his head. "That's just where the real story begins."

"Ok…Go on," Tamim said, sounding mildly intrigued now.

"After killing Dio, Ota became the new mafia king. But his thirst for blood didn't stop. He became even worse than Dio," Fahim continued, his voice growing tense. "Remember the doctor I mentioned?"

"Yeah," Tamim replied.

"Well, the protagonist of the story is the doctor's son—his name's Sun. He vows to kill Ota to avenge his father. And in the end, he does. He kills Ota."

"So, did Sun end up becoming just as bad as Ota?" Tamim asked, his interest now piqued.

"Nope," Fahim said firmly. "See, Ota's goal was revenge. He didn't care about anyone else. But Sun's goal was different. Sure, he wanted revenge for his father, but his main priority was to save the people from Ota's reign. Both killed the villain of their stories, but one turned into a villain himself, while the other became a hero. It was all about their intentions."

Tamim looked thoughtful. "I see…"

"That's why I said personal fulfillment is dangerous. It corrupts people if they let it," Fahim added, his voice filled with conviction.

"So, that's the story, huh?" Tamim asked quietly.

"Yep, that's it. The story shows three types of people—Dio, who was evil from the start, Ota, a normal person who became evil through revenge, and Sun, the one who remained a hero because his intentions were pure," Fahim concluded.

"Yeah, I get it," Tamim replied with a hint of indifference.

Fahim chuckled softly. "You know what's funny? People these days idolize Ota instead of Sun. What's even crazier is they hate the girl who Sun loved, just because she didn't love him back and loved another guy instead . Meanwhile, they praise Ota, the guy who slaughtered Sun's entire family in his bloodlust."

Tamim shrugged. "I don't really watch anime, so I can't say much."

"That's alright. But honestly, based on how people think these days, I bet a lot of them are gonna misuse their powers. You know how they say villains aren't born, they're made? I think that's wrong. People become villains because of their mentality. No one *makes* them like that. Being a hero is way harder than being a villain. That's what worries me about this whole superpower thing."

10:20 AM - Inside Nextera Esports*

The room buzzed with the rapid clicks of keyboards and the hum of monitors. Everyone was immersed in their games, but Samia sat comfortably on the sofa, her attention on her laptop that streamed all their screens.

"Wow, that was insane! You literally used math to take out that squad from a mile away!" Samia exclaimed, her eyes wide in awe.

"Yeah, I've seen a national player from Japan pull that off, but seeing someone from here nail it like that? Rare," Fahim added, genuinely impressed.

"I'm glad I found you, Faria," Samia said, leaning in closer. "You're an incredible player, but you're still kind of under the radar. Ever think about live streaming?"

Faria shrugged. "I only play to pass time. Never really thought much about it."

As the conversation continued, Tamim sat quietly, lost in thought. "She got into a fight today, yet here she is, as if nothing had happened . I can't even keep my calm like that. She looks too normal and strong I guess, her body structure looks like that. She's not like other girls—no flashy makeup, doesn't conform to any expectations. And her skills... I didn't think someone under 19 could be this good with a sniper. She's something else."

That afternoon, Tamim walked home with Fahim.

"Alright, man. See you tomorrow," Fahim said with a wave before heading off in the opposite direction, leaving Tamim alone.

"I wanted to talk to her about today, but she got into that taxi so fast. It's clear she didn't want to walk with the both of us." He sighed, feeling a strange unease settle in his chest as he continued down the road.

Stopping by a vending stall, he bought a drink called *Rin* and took a sip. As he turned around, he noticed Faria stepping out of a nearby store.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, both surprised by the encounter.

Faria finished and made her way toward him.

"Sorry about today," she said, her voice quiet but sincere.

Tamim raised an eyebrow. "Sorry? For what?"

"Everything that happened... it was kinda part of my plan," she admitted, glancing down at the ground.

"Your plan?" Tamim asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

Faria sighed. "Yesterday, when we talked, I noticed a recorder nearby. It looked like the kind they use for surveillance. So, I dropped that bit about Butterfly Lake on purpose, knowing it would lure them out. I used the situation to get the police some valuable evidence."

Tamim's eyes narrowed. "So... you used me?"

"Yeah, kinda. I didn't mean for it to come to this, though. I'm sorry," Faria said, meeting his gaze.

Tamim's face remained motionless , a slight shock forming on his lips. "I don't really care, as long as I'm still breathing. But I'm curious... How did you know the police got info from me? You must have connections."

Faria shook her head, her expression hardening. "No, I don't. And you shouldn't dig too deep into it."

"That sounds like a cover-up if I've ever heard one," Tamim remarked, his suspicion growing. "Seems like you're more involved with the police than you're letting on."

"Believe what you want, Tamim. Here." Faria pulled out a SIM card and handed it to him.

Tamim took it, eyeing it warily. "What's this for?"

"Keep it in your phone. It's for our private contact, so we can communicate without anyone listening in. It'll keep us both safe."

Tamim nodded, understanding now. "Oh…ok."

Faria turned to leave. "For now, I'm heading off."

"Wait," Tamim called out, but she was already walking away, her pace brisk and her posture firm, leaving him standing there with more questions than answers.

To be continued...