A World Watching

The tension in the safe house was thick enough to cut. Luca stood in the middle of the room, staring at the images on the tablet screen. News channels had latched onto the footage of him, flames roaring around his body as he took down the final enemy. They weren't calling him a hero.

They were calling him a threat.

Rayna paced near the window, her expression unreadable. "It was only a matter of time before this happened."

Julian crossed his arms. "They're not just reporting on it. They're debating what to do about you."

Luca ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling beneath his skin. "I saved them."

"Yes," Evelyn said, stepping forward. "But they didn't ask to be saved by someone they don't understand."

That stung.

Rayna let out a sharp breath. "It gets worse." She clicked on another clip, this one from a political broadcast. A suited man sat behind a desk, his expression grim.

'What we're dealing with is an unknown entity—someone with powers beyond human comprehension. Do we really believe he should be allowed to walk freely among us?'

Luca clenched his jaw. "They think I'm a walking disaster waiting to happen."

Julian scoffed. "Gee, I wonder why. Maybe because you turned half the city into a warzone?"

Luca shot him a look, but he wasn't wrong. The battle had left destruction in its wake, and while Luca had fought to protect people, the sheer force of his power had made him look just as terrifying as the enemy.

Evelyn moved closer, her voice softer. "You knew this would happen eventually. People fear what they don't understand."

Luca sighed, looking down at his hands. The flames were gone, but he could still feel the energy, like a storm waiting beneath his skin.

"So what now?" he asked.

Rayna leaned against the wall. "We lay low. Let the world calm down."

Julian shook his head. "That's not going to work. Hiding will only make them more suspicious."

Evelyn frowned. "Then what do you suggest?"

Julian hesitated, then looked at Luca. "You step into the light."

Silence fell over the room.

Luca raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"You can't let them define your story. Right now, the media is shaping you into something dangerous. You need to show them who you really are."

Luca considered that. The idea of stepping in front of cameras, of exposing himself to the world's judgment, made his stomach twist. But Julian was right. If he stayed in the shadows, people would only fill in the blanks with their worst fears.

He met Evelyn's eyes. "You think this will work?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "It's risky. But I think… if you speak from the heart, people will listen."

Luca exhaled. This wasn't the battle he had prepared for. But maybe, just maybe, it was the one that mattered most.

"Alright," he said finally. "Let's do it."