005

Unbeknownst to anyone, Ren's abilities were far more complex than mere telekinesis.

When he had overheard Dr. Mendietta's conversation earlier, he convinced himself that the voices had simply been loud enough to catch. But that wasn't the case. Subconsciously, Ren had amplified the sound waves coming from the room, pulling them to his ears without realizing it.

So, when he boarded the rocket and prepared for launch, the truth finally hit him. Just before ignition, their conversation came back to him, clear as day. He heard every word exchanged between Kalor and Mendietta. His heart sank.

The last thought he had before the rocket exploded was simple but desperate: I don't want to die.

When the explosion engulfed the rocket, Ren instinctively threw his arms up as if to shield himself. To his shock, it worked. The searing heat and flying debris bent away from him, as if repelled by an invisible barrier. He felt an overwhelming pressure, like an unseen force extending from his body, pushing everything away.

But now he faced a new problem. The rocket had been high in the upper atmosphere—far above where breathable air existed—and the explosion had left him free-falling toward Earth.

The rush of adrenaline sharpened his focus like never before. His mind, clearer than it had ever been, began to grasp something fundamental about his abilities. Earlier, when he deflected the heat and debris, it wasn't just an invisible hand pushing them away—it was the manipulation of forces around him.

Now, as the ground approached, he felt that same "hand" latching onto something intangible but omnipresent: gravity.

It was strange to describe. He didn't "grab" gravity, not exactly. Instead, he felt the pull of it, the way it influenced him, and reached out to counter it. His fall began to slow, his momentum easing as if he were gliding.

For a moment, it was almost as if he were flying, using his ability to direct himself through the air.

Ren finally broke through the clouds and descended toward a grassland field. His feet hit the ground with a jarring thud, and he collapsed onto his knees, panting for breath. His entire body ached, muscles strained from the immense effort he'd just expended.

But he was alive.

He lay on the grass, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The fact that he was alive felt unreal, like a bad dream he'd somehow woken up from. But as much as his body ached, the sting in his chest was worse. Mendietta had betrayed him. The one person he thought he could trust. He clenched his fists. No way he was letting that slide. He was going back, and he was going to get answers. Whatever it took.

First, though, he needed to figure out where the hell he even was.

After a few minutes of lying there, he forced himself to his feet, his legs wobbling as he floated unsteadily into the air. In the distance, he spotted what looked like a town, its faint glow shimmering on the horizon. It took him longer than he wanted, but after reaching it and stopping a random passerby, he finally got a name: Brunico.

The name jogged something in his memory. He remembered hearing it during his time at NOVA, and there were always those weird tremors back then too. Couldn't be a coincidence. The facility had to be somewhere under the mountain near this town. But what now? He couldn't just stroll in. They thought he was dead, and he was, like, 85 percent sure they wouldn't exactly roll out the red carpet if they saw him alive.

Wait... since when did he start talking like this?

He shook his head and decided to stick to the basics: scope it out and wait for General Kalor to make a move. A few days of keeping his distance told him a few things—mostly that Kalor was keeping annoyingly quiet. Still, one interesting thing came out of this waiting game: his ability.

Somehow, he'd started "seeing" waves. Not just air currents or sound but electromagnetic waves too. It was like his senses had leveled up. Using this, he got a better look at the mountain, and sure enough, something massive and metallic was hidden underneath. Whatever it was, it wasn't small.

Just when Ren was about to give up on waiting and storm the place, General Kalor finally made a move. He wasn't alone either—the doctor, Kai, Yui, and the others were all with him. Ren's curiosity burned. Whatever this was, it had to be big. He decided to tail them.

It wasn't long before they arrived at a private airport, where a sleek, large jet waited for them. Ren's eyes narrowed. This was his chance. Drawing on an idea he'd once heard about, he concentrated, bending the light around him. To his surprise and relief, it worked. He was invisible. With that, he slipped aboard the jet without anyone noticing.

The flight landed in Geneva. Stepping off the plane, Ren was immediately struck by the buzz of activity. Crowds were gathered, and cameras flashed in every direction. What the hell was going on? Keeping his light cloak intact, he moved around the throng of people, positioning himself behind a distracted journalist. Tapping the man on the shoulder, he dropped his invisibility for a moment.

"Hey, uh, what's all this about?" Ren asked, trying to sound casual.

The reporter turned, startled. "You don't know? Why are you even here, then?"

Ren shrugged. "Just... passing through."

The man gave him an odd look but indulged him. "The UN is working with NOVA to introduce the world's first official team of heroes. They're calling them the Neogenes. Big deal, actually—been in the works for years."

Ren's stomach sank as the words hit him. Heroes? Protectors of humanity? Mendietta had never said anything about this. Was this the reason for all their training? The reporter drifted back to his work, but Ren stood there, trying to process everything.

Later, in the heart of the city, General Kalor took the stage in front of a massive crowd. Ren watched from the shadows as Kalor's booming voice carried over the plaza. He spoke of the unidentified phenomenon that had altered humanity 21 years ago, giving rise to the Neogenes. He painted them as symbols of hope, humanity's shield against the dangers of the unknown. The crowd roared as Kalor introduced each member, their names etched into the annals of history as the first generation of heroes.

Ren clenched his fists.

After the ceremony, the group attended an exclusive afterparty. Ren kept his distance, waiting for the right moment. Hours passed, and finally, Kalor left, slipping into a heavily guarded private vehicle.

This was it. It was time for Ren to make his move.