Chapter 59

A few days have bled into weeks since Peter left, the silence in my old friend's absence a constant echo. He sends texts, assures me his wife's doing better, but the guilt of dragging him into this mess still gnaws. Sneaking out to see Dabi and Hawks has become a twisted routine, a grotesque parody of afternoon tea. Hawks tips us off, Dabi plans, and I play both sides, a puppet dancing on strings of good and evil.

Kenji keeps feeding me villain intel, faces blurred and names whispered. No one suspects I'm neck-deep with two of the most wanted criminals in Japan, and that's the point. Discovery would be catastrophic, a chain reaction that would obliterate everything I'm trying to protect.

Monday's therapy session with Tristain was… unsettling. I spilled it all – the clandestine meetings, the dangerous trust blossoming (or festering) between me, Dabi, shigaraki and Hawks, even the nights I crashed at their hideout, a warehouse reeking of smoke and desperation. Tristain listened, his expression unreadable, peppering me with questions. He finally concluded with a blunt assessment: 50/50. My elaborate, fragile plan could save the city, or it could incinerate us all.

Leaving his office, I felt like a walking paradox, sanity and insanity battling for control of the steering wheel. Why was I doing this? Because I had to. Because I couldn't stand by and watch the world burn like I did before.

Driven by restless energy, I headed to Dad's agency, needing to see him, to reassure myself everything was still…normal. The illusion shattered the moment I walked through the doors.

Chaos reigned. Desks were overturned, papers scattered like confetti in a hurricane. Scorched marks painted the walls, and the air choked with the acrid stench of fire. Dad stood amidst the wreckage, barking orders into a phone, his white hair practically glowing with frantic energy.

"Dad! What is going on?!" I roared, my voice barely audible above the din.

He spun around, his eyes wide with a fear I'd never seen before. "Anos, go home! Get your mother and Izuku. Take them to Kenji's house. Now!"

"Why? What's happening?"

He shook his head, his face grim. "No time to explain. Just go!"

My Superman instincts kicked in, but I knew arguing was pointless. I blasted off, a white streak against the afternoon sky, arriving at our house in seconds. Mom and Izuku were already standing on the porch, suitcases at their feet, their faces etched with confusion and worry.

"Mom, what's going on?" I asked, my voice tight.

She trembled, clutching Izuku's hand. "I don't know, Anos. Hizashi just told us to pack and wait for you..."

I swore under my breath. No answers, just blind panic. I herded them into the car, driving way too fast towards the Kaminari's house. The entire ride Izuku was asking what was going on but neither me or mom had an answer to give.

"Dad just told me to bring them both here," I explained to Kenji, trying to keep my voice steady. "He wouldn't say why. Just that his agency..." I trailed off, gesturing vaguely.

Kenji's jaw tightened, anger flickering in his eyes. He knew. He had to. I told him about the state of dad's agency. He sighed and told me that dad had to protect us, so he didn't tell me what was going on or why.

"I'll be back," I muttered, turning to leave. I needed answers, but I also needed to clear my head.

I drove aimlessly, ending up at the park, then deeper, into the woods. I walked through the trees and found myself standing on the edge of a cliff. The view was breathtaking, but the churning in my gut overshadowed everything. What the hell was going on? Why was this happening? Why was Dad's agency trashed? Why did everything feel like it was spiraling out of control?

I sat down, dangling my legs over the edge, letting the cool breeze wash over me. It didn't help.

Rising to my feet, I started to wander, pushing through the undergrowth, desperate for some kind of distraction. Then I heard it - a voice, pure and hauntingly beautiful, singing a melody I couldn't place. It sounded sweet and angelic, tugging at something deep inside me.

Intrigued and unnerved, I followed the sound, my heart pounding a strange rhythm against my ribs. That's when I saw her.

She sat on a moss-covered rock, bathed in dappled sunlight, completely lost in her song. A girl, maybe my age, with long pink hair cascading down her back, and eyes the color of molten rubies. Beauty marks dotted her soft skin like constellations. But what truly set her apart were the two crimson demon wings sprouting from her back, and the small, curving horns peeking through her hair.

It was something new, something unusual. Something I didn't understand. My feet felt glued to the ground. Do I interrupt? Do I go? Do I leave and pretend I never saw her?

She must have sensed my presence because she suddenly stopped singing. She turned, her red eyes widening in surprise, then softening into a tentative smile. She was pretty, ethereal almost, like a character ripped from a fairytale.

I forced myself to move, walking towards her. "Hi," I said, my voice sounding rough and awkward. "I'm Anos."

"Akira," she replied, her voice soft and melodic. "Akira Amaji."

We talked for what felt like hours, about nothing and everything. The forest, music, the feel of the wind, the taste of cotton candy and the memories of her parents. She seemed innocent, almost childlike, despite her… unique features. She said she was 15.

Then, she asked for the time and when I told her it was almost 12 am her eyes widened, the smile vanished, and panic flooded her face. "I have to go!" She said with a frantic tone, pushing herself to her feet and darting into the trees, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared.

Something didn't sit right. The sudden fear, the desperate flight… why? Why was she afraid?

Instinct screamed at me to follow, to protect her, to understand. But just as I was about to give chase, my phone buzzed. A text. From Dabi.

My gut clenched. This couldn't be good.

I hesitated, torn between the beautiful, frightened girl and Dabi's message. Dammit, I couldn't be in two places at once.

With a sigh, I opened the text chain:

Dabi: hey

Anos: hi

Dabi: look on the news its bad anos

My heart sank. Of course it was. I opened the news app, my fingers trembling. The headline screamed at me: Hizashi Midoriya Agency Under Siege! Multiple Villain Attacks Reported Across the City!

Below, a grainy photo showed Dad's agency engulfed in flames, smoke billowing into the night sky. My blood ran cold. How could this happen so fast? A few hours ago, it was just… chaos. Now, it was a full-blown inferno.

I needed to move, to protect my family, to fight. But Akira… that frantic look in her eyes…

What could I do? What should I do?

Groaning in frustration, I made my decision. The city was burning, but I couldn't ignore the burning question inside me. Dabi and Hawks could handle the chaos for a few minutes.

I glanced at my phone one last time, a knot of dread tightening in my chest. I knew, with a sickening certainty, that whatever I was about to find, it wouldn't be good.

I took a deep breath and followed the direction Akira had fled, pushing through the dense undergrowth. The trees thinned, and I found myself on the edge of a clearing.

And what I saw there… shocked me to my core. It changed everything.