The Balance Shifts

Kal arrived at school on Monday with a clear purpose.

The weekend had offered time to reflect, to let the emotions settle. He had been shocked at first, but had quickly reined it in, coolly avoiding being seated next to her on the way back with a few quick words about having to comfort Bella. 

He had faced more than vampires. He had stared down meteor storms, fought through fire, and fallen through a burning atmosphere. He could handle this.

Alice Cullen was a vampire. It didn't change his goals.

She was just another variable — one that needed to be studied, catalogued, understood. Not trusted. Certainly not befriended.

He had known her for less than a day. That was all.

Kal slid into his seat in biology just before the bell rang. The chair beside him was still empty. He opened his textbook, pretending to review the previous lesson, though his eyes drifted toward the classroom entrance every few seconds.

He wasn't sure what he expected. But he certainly didn't expect her.

Alice Cullen walked in like the air parted for her — light on her feet, effortless, composed. Kal stiffened the moment he saw her. Something tightened in his chest, involuntary. He told himself it was wariness. 

She wasn't supposed to be here.

And she was as stunning as he remembered.

Not just beautiful, but otherworldly. There was something in the way she moved, in the brightness of her expression, that made it hard to look away — even now, when he shouldn't be looking at all.

She approached Mr. Molina's desk and leaned down to whisper something, handing him a piece of paper. Kal caught the teacher's surprised blink, followed by a quick nod as he took the slip and tucked it into a folder.

Her voice was soft, but not quite beyond his hearing.

"I transferred from Mr. Banner's class."

Realisation settled in. She'd switched into this class. No warning. No reason he could think of — except one.

Then she turned, scanning the classroom casually… and her eyes lit up when they found him.

Her smile bloomed instantly. Like she'd been hoping this was where he sat.

Without hesitation, she crossed the room with a bounce in her step that nearly bordered on a skip and slid into the seat beside him.

"Hey," she said brightly, setting down her bag. "Looks like we're lab partners."

Kal didn't look at her. "Looks like it."

Silence stretched.

She tapped her pencil lightly on the desk, once, twice. "I figured I'd switch. Mr. Banner's class was getting a little repetitive. Thought a change would be nice."

Kal didn't respond.

Alice tilted her head slightly, watching him. "How was your weekend?"

"Fine."

"That's good," she said after a pause. "Did you do anything fun?"

Kal stared at the front of the room, waiting for Mr Molina to start. "Nothing important."

"Right," Alice said, nodding slowly. Her voice remained light, but something in her posture shifted. She was leaning slightly away now. "You seem different."

"I'm fine," Kal replied, his voice perfectly even.

That silence again.

Kal didn't mind it. Silence was useful. And safer.

The teacher began reviewing their last assignment. Alice took notes in quick, practiced motions. She didn't speak again until halfway through the period.

They worked in relative quiet at first, trading the occasional word as they prepared their slides. Kal focused on the task, grateful for the simplicity of it — glass, lens, light. Objective, mechanical. Things that didn't ask anything of him.

But Alice didn't stay silent for long.

"So," she said lightly, adjusting the microscope's focus knob, "you seemed like you were going to bolt the second I sat down. Did I do something?"

Kal didn't look up. "No."

"Do you always talk like this," she asked quietly, "or am I just lucky today?"

He sighed. "I'm just trying to focus on the work."

She tilted her head. "Sure. But that doesn't mean we can't talk while we do it."

Kal didn't answer. But a few minutes later, when she quietly pointed out the pattern in their cell sample — a spiraling structure he'd missed — he surprised himself by saying, "You're better at this than I thought."

Alice blinked, surprised. "Thanks?"

Kal didn't know why he said it. He didn't know why it didn't feel wrong. Or why he kept talking.

"You see things like that often?"

The question was out before he could stop it. His voice was low, curious. Human.

He blinked, unsure why he'd asked — or why he suddenly wanted the answer.

Alice perked up, sensing the crack in his defenses. "All the time. I like patterns. In things, in people. There's a rhythm to the world if you know how to look."

Kal raised a brow. "People have rhythms?"

"Absolutely. Micro-expressions. Word choices. Tones. Most people repeat themselves without realising it."

In her head she couldn't help but list a few more — heartbeats, something else, breathing patterns.

"And me?" he asked before he could stop himself. "What's my pattern?"

Alice looked at him for a moment, considering. "You're quiet. You observe. You give as little as possible. Like you're waiting for something to go wrong."

Kal stiffened slightly, unsure what to say.

She continued, more gently now. "I think that's what draws me to people like you. You make me want to understand."

"Understand what?" he asked, guarded again.

"Why you try so hard not to be seen — and why it doesn't work." She smiled, a little crookedly, "Besides you being giant of course." she gestured to his 6'4" frame.

He laughed a little.

"Everyone's giant to you." he defended.

She gave a dainty chuckle, hand flying to her mouth. It fluttered in his ears, pleasant, gentle.

"You might be right." her eyes glistened, "But not everyone acts like you."

He glanced at her. "And that interests you?"

Alice shrugged. "I like puzzles. And you... you're not what you seem. There's more going on with you than you let on. And I like trying to figure people out.""

There was something in her tone — not flirtatious, not probing — just honest. Curious.

That was when the realisation hit.

'What am I doing?'

He stiffened. His fingers curled around his pencil like it might anchor him.

He shouldn't be speaking to her like this. She was a vampire. An apex predator pretending to be human. He couldn't fall for it. He couldn't let himself forget what she was.

She could kill innocent people without hesitation.

She could even be luring him in — soft smiles, clever questions, careful warmth, a facade to

But… it didn't feel like that.

She looked at him again, head tilted. "Kal? Are you okay?"

Kal's jaw tightened. "I'm fine."

He couldn't do this.

He needed to reestablish control. He was deviating from the mission. Letting the equation skew. Emotions were noise — and he'd let the signal drown in it.

He needed discipline. A hard reset. Something he could control.

Without another word, Kal slowly set his pencil down. Rested his arms on the desk. Let his eyelids drift shut.

[Initiating Combat Trial]

His breathing slowed.

Alice blinked.

At first she thought he was just ignoring her again. But then she listened. 

His heartbeat was steady, even. His breaths shallow and rhythmic.

He was asleep.

Actually asleep.

In the middle of class. Mid-conversation.

Alice frowned. "What the hell…?"

She stared at him, confused — and just a little unnerved. But even through the surprise, her brow furrowed slightly. There was concern there. Something close to hurt.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cafeteria was a low hum of clattering trays and overlapping voices, sunlight trying to pierce the gray sky through wide windows. Kal sat once again with Jessica and her friends — Mike, Angela, Tyler and the ever-animated Eric.

"Last time I went to La Push, I skipped a rock so hard it hit Canada. True story. Might be why I'm banned from beach sports."

Eric climbed onto his chair, miming a dramatic skip like a stone-slinging gladiator.

"Shut up, Eric," Mike groaned, eyes rolling — to a round of easy laughter.

Kal joined in, forcing a chuckle. But his mind was elsewhere.

His eyes flicked to the Cullens' table. They sat apart, as always, speaking in low tones like a council of carved marble. Alice was with them. His gaze didn't linger — he didn't want to risk catching hers. He had already run into her twice in the corridors — both times she had waved at him and smiled that brilliant smile of hers. He'd only nodded back coolly, despite the fact his heart beat faster each time he saw her.

His other senses however stayed focussed on their table as he dialled in to their conversation.

A page turned. Then a voice — soft, silky, threaded with superiority, "These prom dress trends are tragic. I'm offended on behalf of silk."

That should be Rosalie, she'd been the one with a magazine in hand.

"Tell me about it. They're so outdated. They look like something I would've worn back in Calgary."

Another voice, also female. It wasn't Alice — he knew that for sure — so it could only be Carolyn.

"I dunno. As long as mine has sequins, I'm good," chimed a male voice — clearly joking.

"Shut up, you," Rosalie murmured. The soft affection in her tone made Kal glance over just in time to see her press a kiss to the mouth of the broad-shouldered Emmett.

Then came a voice from across the table. Low. Frustrated.

"She's not supposed to be like this. I can't read her. It's… maddening."

Edward.

'He has to mean Bella,' Kal thought. 'Is that supposed to be romantic?'

Another pause — tension curling in the silence — and he continued.

"It's like she's a black box. Everyone else… it's like they're shouting. But with her? Nothing."

Now his brow furrowed — even as Rosalie's voice interrupted. Harsh. Demanding.

Kal's brow furrowed. His curiosity piqued. But before he could focus deeper, Rosalie cut in — sharp, scornful.

"Then we stay away from her. Problem solved."

Emmett chuckled. "Unless Edward imprints on her, or whatever it is he's doing over there."

Edward's glare could've iced over the tray in front of him.

"Don't ever compare me to the dogs. And this is serious."

Alice's voice sliced in next — cool and musical, but firm.

"Her presence changes things. I can feel it. The air's… heavier."

"You're not angry with her Edward. " a new voice, calm and resonant. Kal's eyes snapped to the speaker. Angular face. Honey-blonde locks that fell to his collarbones. 

Jasper Cullen.

"You're afraid."

"I—"

"Don't try to argue Edward; you know I'm right."

Edward's gaze drifted — searching. Kal followed it. Bella had just walked into the cafeteria, awkward as ever, her steps unsure, her eyes quickly locking onto Edward's.

"I just— I just don't know," Edward muttered. Something clattered softly onto the table. Kal's eyes followed the sound.

Just a cookie.

Then he saw it.

Alice was looking directly at him.

Their eyes met.

His chest tightened. A weird lurch in his core.

She tried to smile. Soft. Vulnerable.

Kal turned away too fast. Like he hadn't seen it.

But they both knew he had.

He heard a breath catch across the space between them — a sharp little inhale.

"At least she actually talks to you," Alice's voice followed, quieter now. Tinged with something raw.

Kal winced. It shouldn't have hit him like that. But it did.

"What do you mean?" Carolyn asked gently.

Alice exhaled, soft and aching. "Nothing…"

Alice let out a small, sad sigh that pulled at Kal's heart.

Kal dialed down his hearing.

He couldn't listen anymore.

Thankfully, Bella had arrived at his table — shifting the mood, bringing new energy with her.

"La Push, baby. You in?" Eric asked her excitedly.

"Should I know what that means?" she replied, brow furrowed.

Mike leaned in. "La Push beach down at the Quileute Rez. We're all going tomorrow."

"Yeah. And there's a big swell coming in," Jessica added.

"And I don't just surf the internet." Eric posed like a surfer, knees bent in exaggerated form. Mike mimicked him.

Jessica laughed. "Eric, you stood up once. And it was a foam board."

"But there's whale watching too. Come with us," Angela offered, warm and hopeful.

"La Push, baby. It's… La Push."

"Eric, I'll go if you stop saying it like that," Bella said, earning a chorus of laughter.

Mike added, "Seriously, dude. It's creepy, man."

"What? That's how you say it. Whatever, man. Anyway, Kal, are you in?"

Kal didn't answer right away. His eyes were elsewhere again.

Edward Cullen had stood and was approaching Bella — fast.

Kal's gaze narrowed. What's he about to do?

Edward reached her just as she passed the lunch counter, his voice startling her enough that she dropped an apple from her tray.

"Edible art?"

Then, with a flash of speed, Edward kicked the apple up with his foot, catching it mid-air — a clean, controlled movement.

Superspeed. Subtle. Showy. And Kal could tell nowhere near his limit.

'Seriously? You're using superspeed to flirt?'

Kal rolled his eyes and tuned out their conversation. Whatever it was, it probably came with dramatic music and brooding eye contact.

"Earth to Kal. Do you read?" Eric's fake robot voice jolted him back to the table.

"Sorry — what'd you say

"I said La Push, baby. Are you in, or are you in?"

Kal opened his mouth to say no. He had training to finish. Quantum mechanics to learn. Criminals to stop. The usual — It wasn't rocket science. Wait, actually, sometimes it was rocket science.

But that wasn't important; his thoughts were noisy.

Too noisy.

Alice's voice echoed in his head — soft, uncertain, aching.

"At least she actually talks to you…"

He clenched his jaw. He didn't want to care.

He didn't ask for any of this — not the stares, not the attention, and especially not the way his pulse kicked up every time she looked at him. Like some part of him was rewiring itself, without permission.

He needed an outlet. Something physical. Something loud enough to drown out the whirlwind in his chest.

The ocean wouldn't care if he hit the waves harder than he should. The wind wouldn't judge if he outran it. He could toss stones like cannonballs and still play it off with a smirk.

The beach didn't ask questions. It just let you move.

Yeah. That sounded perfect.

He looked Eric in the eye.

"You know what? Sure."

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The van jostled slightly as it rolled down the winding road, pine trees zipping past in a blur of green and grey. Kal sat in the front passenger seat, his elbow resting against the window, eyes unfocused as he stared outside. Eric was driving. Mike was half-asleep in the back seat, earbuds in, nodding to music only he could hear. The girls were in a separate van trailing behind them.

"How long till we get there?" Kal asked, voice low.

Eric chuckled. "Dude, chill. Not long now. You've been wound tight all day. You afraid of drowning or something?"

Kal didn't answer. He just gave a noncommittal shrug.

He had been on edge all day, and for good reason.

That morning's biology class had been... a disaster. He'd already been stressed before it happened, but it had gone so much worse than he thought.

It had started with silence.

Not a tense kind of silence — at least not at first — but a thick, heavy quiet that draped itself over their lab table like fog. Alice had sat beside him, neatly organised as always, fingers folded on the desk. Kal hadn't looked at her. He hadn't dared to.

Two minutes passed before she finally spoke.

"Did I do something?" she asked, soft but steady.

That was the second time in as many days.

Kal's jaw clenched. He shook his head. "No."

"I don't believe you."

He inhaled through his nose. "That's your choice."

Alice tilted her head, exasperation creeping into her voice. "Why are you so off and on with me?"

Kal finally turned toward her. Her expression was open — not angry, not accusing. Just… confused. Hurt.

"Why are you so off and on?" she hissed under her breath. "Friday, you talked to me the whole trip. Then yesterday, you freeze me out again. Then we talk — and I thought we were okay — and before I can blink, you're back to acting like I don't exist. You went to sleep before I even—"

"I was tired," Kal said quickly.

"Bullshit." Her voice spiked before she could catch herself. A few heads turned. She noticed — gave them an apologetic smile — then leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a whisper-sharp edge.

"You shut me out. Like we were strangers again. No — worse. Like you didn't want to know me."

And that's when he said it.

"Maybe that's because I don't."

The words felt like acid the second they left his lips. He knew he should never have said it as soon as they had been uttered.

But it was too late.

Alice froze. Her eyes flickered, and her mouth parted like she might say something — but she didn't.

Instead, she whispered, "Oh."

Kal felt it immediately — like a thousand tiny needles pricking at his chest all at once. He wanted to take it back. He wanted to say anything else.

"Alice I—"

Alice stood up.

"Where are you going?" he asked, voice suddenly small.

"Bathroom," she said. And then she walked out.

She didn't come back the rest of the period.

And Kal — who should have felt relieved, who had told himself this was the best outcome — was left sitting there, hollow and alone.

Eric's voice cut through the haze.

"Yo, Kal. Look."

Kal blinked and turned his head toward the windshield. A weathered sign loomed ahead on the roadside.

Welcome to the Quileute Reservation.

"La Push is just in there," Eric added, pointing. "We're almost there."

The van bumped gently as they crossed onto reservation land.

And in the quiet of Kal's mind, a notification suddenly chimed.

[Your mark stirs.]

Kal stiffened, eyes narrowing at the prompt. A strange warmth pulsed faintly in his chest — not painful, not strong, but awake. He pressed his palm over it subtly, like that would reveal anything.

His fingers drummed against his thigh. 

'What's here? Why now?'

There was something in the reservation. Something connected to the mark — and maybe to that towering wolf that had given it to him.

The guardian...

He kept the thought to himself.

The vans pulled into a dirt lot overlooking the coast, and everyone piled out, buzzing with chatter. As the others retrieved towels and gear, Kal kept to the back, watching the tree line, the cliffs, the ocean churning with distant whitecaps.

They started changing into wetsuits in pairs or small groups, some joking about the freezing water. Kal pulled his on with practiced ease, rolling his shoulders under the tight material, when three boys approached from the trail beyond the lot.

Jacob Black waved as he neared, his long black hair tied back, a casual grin on his face. "Hey, Bella."

Bella's eyes lit up. "Hi! Jacob!"

Bella turned to the group. "Guys, this is Jacob."

Jacob gave a small wave and greeted them, "Hey." he said, then gestured to the two boys behind him. "This is Quil and Embry."

Quil offered a slight nod, Embry a lopsided smile. Kal watched them closely. 

Jacob moved to sit on the edge of the van, next to Bella.

"What, are you like, stalking me?" she joked.

"You're on my rez, remember?" he chuckled, then "Are you surfin'?"

Bella looked surprised at the question.

"Definitely not." she said passing him a Twizzler.

"You guys should keep Bella company. Her date bailed." Jessica said.

Bella blushed slightly but ignored it. 

"Date? What date?" Eric questioned dramatically, feigning anguish.

"She invited Edward." she explained somewhat mockingly.

Shaking her head, Bella tried to defend herself.

"To be polite, that's it."

Angela chimed in softly, "I think it's nice she invited him. Nobody ever does."

Mike scoffed. "That's because Cullen's a freak."

Embry snorted. "You got that right."

Kal's head turned sharply at that. So did Bella's.

"You know him?" she asked.

Embry glanced at Quil, then shrugged with forced nonchalance. "The Cullens don't come here."

He didn't elaborate.

But Kal caught the emphasis. The weight.

The Cullens don't come here.

Not 'don't live here'. Not 'don't hang out'. More like they're not allowed to come here.

Did they know what the Cullens were?

He didn't press. Not yet.

As he peeled off his hoodie and began changing into the wetsuit, Kal felt eyes on him. Jessica was blatantly staring, her mouth slightly parted. Mike and Eric weren't much subtler, shooting side glances that weren't exactly hostile — just baffled admiration.

"Dude, what's your gym routine?" Mike asked.

The perks of Kryptonian genetics, apparently.

The group migrated down toward the beach proper, spreading towels across the sand. The air was cold, but the clouds had lifted, revealing weak sunlight over the crashing surf.

Most of the others were grabbing surfboards or taking pictures. Kal simply walked toward the water.

"You going in without a board?" Angela asked, surprised.

Kal nodded, already ankle-deep in the waves. "I'm a strong swimmer."

"Dude, that current's serious," Mike warned. "Be careful."

Jessica added, "Try not to get eaten by a shark or something."

Kal smiled faintly and dove into the cold, cutting through the surface like a knife.

The water gripped him like ice — but it felt real. Alive. Every nerve in his body lit up with sensation. Down here, under the crashing waves, there was no school, no System, no Alice. Just the pressure, the roar, the freedom.

A swell surged over him, and as the others rode it in, Kal ducked beneath.

And let go.

He punched the water with enough force to send a shockwave rippling through the current. Fish scattered in glittering schools. He propelled himself forward at a speed no human could track, slicing through the ocean like a living torpedo. The world blurred.

He didn't need to breathe yet. Not for minutes. He danced in the depths, every movement a release of tension, every kick a letting go of control.

Kal stopped briefly, suspended far beneath the surface, watching the fractured light above.

Then he punched downward, the force rippling out like underwater thunder. A shoal of fish was scattered as the shockwaves passed by them.

Eventually, his emotions let out, Kal rose slowly toward the surface, swimming back toward the beach, he was quite far out now, and had been gone for a while.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He waded out of the ocean a few minutes later, brushing his wet hair back, only to see the group clustered in a panic.

Jessica was clutching her phone, frantically speaking into it.

"—we've already looked! We can't see him — what if he's—"

Angela turned first, gasping. "Kal?!"

He blinked. "What's going on?"

The group turned toward him in collective relief. Bella rushed forward, followed by Mike, Angela, and Jessica.

"Where were you?" Mike demanded.

"We were looking for you for, like, ten minutes," Jessica said, lowering the phone. "No one could see you out there. We thought you drowned or got pulled out."

"You didn't come up after that last wave," Angela said, her voice still tight. "We couldn't see your head. You didn't shout back when we called."

Kal's eyes widened slightly, then he quickly covered. "I was just swimming farther out. Probably a little too far. With the waves breaking, you probably couldn't see me. Sorry, I didn't mean to worry anyone."

Jessica huffed, but she was clearly just relieved. She turned back to her phone. "False alarm. Yeah — no, we found him."

She hung up.

"Maybe we should stay out of the water," Bella suggested, still looking pale.

"I'm down for that," Mike said, dropping his board. "Campfire time?"

Quil and Embry were already gathering driftwood. Jacob gave Kal a sidelong look but didn't say anything — just helped start the fire.

Kal sat near the edge of the group, drying slowly in the fading sun, legs stretched toward the fire's warmth.

The conversation turned casual again. Someone passed out snacks. Laughter started to creep back in.

And then Bella asked Jacob, careful but direct.

"So, Jake… what did Embry mean earlier? About, you know, "The Cullens don't come here"?"

Kal didn't react outwardly.

But he listened very closely.

"You caught that, huh?" he asked wryly, "I'm not really supposed to talk about it."

He glanced at Bella's expectant eyes.

"Really, it's just like an old scary story," he laughed, downplaying it.

"Well, I wanna know." Bella pushed.

Jacob deliberated for a second, mouth twitching, before he relented.

"Okay," he sighed, "did you know Quileutes are supposedly descended from… wolves?"

"What? Like, wolves? Like real wolves?" came her incredulous reply.

Jacob laughed, "Yeah, well… that's the legend of our tribe."

From across the campfire, Kal's eyes glistened as he continued to eavesdrop. 

First the system notification as soon as he passed the border into the Quileute reservation:

[Your mark stirs.]

And now he learnt that the Quileute were supposedly descended from wolves. It had been a wolf that had given him the mark. Maybe there was more to this story than just legend.

"So what's the story about the Cullens?" Bella asked Jacob, bringing Kal's attention back to their conversation.

"Well, they're supposedly descended from this, like, 'enemy clan'." he explained, "My great-grandfather, the chief, found them hunting on our land. But they claimed to be something different, so… we made a treaty with them."

Kal's brows furrowed.

"A treaty?" Bella asked.

"Well, if they promised to stay off Quileute lands, then we wouldn't expose what they really were to the palefaces."

Bella was confused, "I thought they just moved here?"

Jacob paused for a moment.

"Or moved back."

Kal was certain of it now. The Quileute of the past had discovered what the Cullens were. The same Cullens who lived here now — not their supposed 'ancestors'.

They had seen them. Hunting. As for what they were hunting? Kal couldn't yet determine if it was an animal… or a human.

"Hey, Kal." Eric's voice caused Kal to turn to him, "You want a smore?"

He offered him a stick with a white marshmallow skewered on its end.

Kal's eyes — and ears — focussed back on Bella and Jacob.

"Well what are they really?" Bella pressed.

Jacob laughed, "It's just a story Bella."

Their conversation ended, Jacob turning to talk to Embry by his side.

Kal turned back to Eric.

"Sure. I'll take it."

They left La Push not long after, soon after it turned dark, the grey winter skies fading to a deep black.

As the van Kal was in crossed the border, the system stirred once more.

[Your mark falls dormant once again.]

That sealed it. Kal was certain the Quileute were related to the guardian.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pod's interior hummed with quiet energy as Kal stepped inside, the door sealing behind him with a hiss. The crystal panels pulsed with dim white light, flickering in response to his presence.

"Welcome back, Kal-El," came the familiar voice of Jor-El, his father's AI projection forming in the center of the chamber. "You were gone longer than usual."

"Needed to let off some steam," Kal muttered, sinking onto the seat before the central console. "The ocean helped."

"As it should," Jor-El replied. "The sea, like the stars, grants clarity to those who listen."

Then, without missing a beat, Jor-El launched back into the lesson he'd begun the night before — an impossibly complex lecture about quantum field harmonics and the interdimensional resonance patterns Kryptonian data crystals could emit when keyed with the correct genetic signature. Kal tried to focus. He really did. But even with his growing intellect, some of this stuff made his brain ache.

Jor-El continued for several minutes—until suddenly, he paused mid-sentence.

Kal noticed. "What is it?"

"Stand by," the AI intoned. Several glyphs flared across the pod's interior. Jor-El's voice turned grave. "The passive scans I initiated—meant to trace the lost crystal fragment—have intercepted an anomalous energy signature."

Kal straightened. "You found the outpost crystal?"

"No." Jor-El's tone sharpened, urgency creeping in. "This is not the crystal."

A brief silence passed. Then: "The readings match the radiation signature of Kryptonite."

Kal blinked. "Kryptonite?" The word hit him like a punch. "But that's — how is that even possible?"

"I do not know," Jor-El admitted. "Some debris from Krypton's destruction must've passed through the wormhole created by your escape pod's Phantom Drive. But that matters not! The energy spike is intensifying. It is not stationary. It is approaching our position. Rapidly."

Kal's heartbeat thudded. Without a word, he sprinted out of the pod, the door retracting behind him as he ran into the cold forest night.

The trees loomed tall and quiet, but something was wrong. He could feel it. A buzzing, nauseating sensation was creeping through his limbs — a sickly unease burrowing under his skin, sapping the warmth from the sun still in his cells.

Then he saw it.

Padding from the shadows like a ghost made flesh was a massive wolf—its coat snow-white and shimmering faintly in the moonlight. Its yellow eyes glowed like embers. It moved with deliberate, predatory grace.

And in its mouth, clutched gently between its teeth, was a jagged, pulsing shard of green crystal.

Kal's breath caught. Even at a distance, he could feel the radiation gnawing at him — leeching the strength from his muscles, dulling the energy in his core.

His stomach turned. 

'That's Kryptonite.'

The wolf stopped at the edge of the clearing. They locked eyes.

Then… something happened.

A voice — not spoken, but felt — touched the deepest part of Kal's being. Not heard in his ears or mind, but resonating in his soul.

"You are not of this world. You are power unchecked. You are the storm that should never have touched this land."

"And you cannot be allowed to exist."

The words lingered like an echo in a canyon. The wolf's eyes narrowed.

Kal didn't move. Couldn't move.

But, suddenly, he steeled his will, breaking free from the shock that had frozen him. This was now about survival. He couldn't afford to freeze.

[QUEST ASSIGNED: "The Mark Stirs"

You are being hunted. If caught, you will be killed.

Objective: Survive.

Reward: 500XP]

The system notification only proved his point.

The wolf's eyes glinted under the moonlight, emerald light from the Kryptonite shard pulsing between its jaws. Kal clenched his fists, a fire in his gut igniting against the icy dread pooling in his chest.

I can't let it get close to the pod… or me.

He exploded forward in a blur of motion, the forest floor cracking under the force of his dash. His fist drew back, poised to strike with all the power he could muster before the Kryptonite leeched it away completely.

But as he closed the gap, he felt it.

A sickening wave rolled through his body — the drain on his cells intensifying, his limbs growing sluggish, strength bleeding out like sand through a sieve. He realized, too late, that if he actually reached the wolf… he'd get one hit. Maybe. After that, he'd be nothing more than a normal man — one facing a beast armed with the one substance that could kill him.

He veered sharply, skidding to a halt, panting, heart hammering in his ears.

The wolf stood there, calm, composed. Its glowing eyes almost… amused.

Mocking him.

Kal growled, but didn't take the bait. I can't fight it. Not like this.

But he could still fly. The wolf wouldn't be able to keep up with him in the air.

He crouched low, gathering what strength remained in his legs.

The wolf's eyes narrowed. It sensed his intent.

It launched forward—but Kal was faster.

He was airborne.

For half a second.

Then his stomach turned over as gravity reclaimed him, yanking him down like a puppet with cut strings.

He crashed into the ground, dirt and snow exploding around him. His shoulder burned. His mind reeled.

No…

He rolled onto all fours, breath rasping. He understood now — the Kryptonite's field was blanketing the area, dragging him down, stealing more and more from him.

Flight's gone. Fine. Then I run.

He bolted into the woods.

The wolf followed.

Faster than before.

He still outpaced it — barely — but each second, his legs grew heavier, his lungs tighter, the power in his muscles fading just a little more.

It's draining me. Not all at once. Not enough to cripple him. Just… gradually. Constantly.

A war of attrition.

The bastard was wearing him down.

Just like the corrupted guardian in the veil had tried. Just like before.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours later.

The sky burned faintly gold as dawn kissed the horizon. Snow crunched beneath Kal's feet, but they no longer felt solid beneath him. His muscles ached with every motion. His breathing was ragged, shallow.

He estimated he'd lost 80% of his power — maybe more.

Behind him, the wolf loped steadily, closing the gap inch by inch. Never rushing. Never striking.

It didn't need to.

Kal knew its plan. Had known for hours.

Wear him down. Drain him dry. Kill him when he was too weak to fight back.

A smart predator.

'And I'm the prey.'

He felt he understood the primal, all-consuming fear that must have gripped the hearts of the animals hunted by primitive humans long ago. A relentless predator that never stopped, always following, but never struck — waiting for you to tire yourself out, to become weak, vulnerable.

His steps faltered as he stumbled over a root. He gritted his teeth and kept going.

Then… a sound.

Voices.

Laughter.

He burst through the tree line and saw them: a family of campers — two adults, three kids — standing near their van, unloading gear. Cheerful. Oblivious.

Kal's heart lurched.

He looked over his shoulder.

The wolf was already slowing, gaze fixed ahead. It saw them too.

Kal hesitated. He could lead it away. Lure it. Maybe it would follow him instead.

He veered off course, heart pounding. Just a little farther.

Then a scream ripped through the air.

One of the children had wandered too close to the treeline. The wolf was closing in.

'Damn it.'

Kal stopped. Every instinct screamed at him to keep going.

But he couldn't. He wouldn't.

Even if it meant dying.

Kal turned back, feet slamming into the earth as he sprinted toward the screams. The wolf had emerged from the treeline, a monstrous, spectral-white shape gliding with lethal grace. Its eyes glowed like coals beneath snow.

The family had frozen — caught in the gravity of a nightmare. The father stood protectively in front of the children, arms out. The mother clutched the smallest child to her chest. The eldest, a girl no older than ten, screamed again, sobbing hysterically.

The wolf crouched low.

Kal didn't hesitate.

He leapt — every last drop of strength surging in his muscles.

And slammed his fist into the side of the wolf's face.

The blow landed with a sickening crunch. The wolf snarled, knocked sideways, skidding across the snow.

"RUN!" Kal bellowed, his voice like thunder tearing through the trees.

The father obeyed, scooping up the middle child as his wife grabbed the girl. Together, they fled, stumbling over roots, too terrified to scream.

Kal didn't look back.

The wolf growled, shaking its massive head, teeth bared, green light flickering around its jaws like toxic fire.

Kal lunged again — not to punch, but to climb.

He landed on the wolf's back, arms locking tight around its neck. Muscles strained. His vision swam. The Kryptonite crystal was inches from his face — every breath felt like swallowing glass.

But he held on.

The wolf thrashed violently, bucking like a demon, crashing into trees, throwing itself into the snow, trying to dislodge him. Kal grunted as his spine slammed into bark, but he held. His grip was iron. He just needed to buy time.

For thirty agonizing seconds, he stayed atop the beast.

Then with a deafening roar, the wolf twisted mid-roll, jaws snapping up and under him — and hurled him.

Kal's body ragdolled through the air.

He hit the tree back-first.

Something broke.

Then came the ground — hard, cold, final.

The pain disappeared into numbness.

He tried to lift his arms.

Nothing.

Tried to move his legs.

Nothing.

His head lolled to the side. The family was gone. Safe.

The wolf stood at the treeline again, breathing heavy, glowing crystal still clutched in its jaws, but it made no move to strike.

Kal exhaled slowly, every breath shallower than the last. His vision blurred at the edges, curling inward.

But beyond the wolf, he saw the sun breaking through the canopy. Light, warm and golden, spilled across the snow like honey.

He smiled, faintly.

"It's… beautiful," he whispered.

His eyes fluttered closed.

And Kal Kent died.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AUTHOR'S FINAL MESSAGE:

Thank you guys so much for reading my fanfic. It was originally meant to be a lot longer, but I saw that a lot of people were unhappy with how certain aspects of the story was going, so I've decided to end the story here.

Let me be clear that this is in no way a reflection on you, or a 'punishment' — this is a personal decision.

As an author, I'm dedicated to constantly trying to improve myself and my work, and only put out work that is the best it could possibly be. This fanfic, while short, has been a massive help with that, and I think I've massively improved as a writer, but there are clearly still aspects I need to improve on, so I can't in good conscience continue this fanfic.

I thank you all for the time you've taken to read my work, and all the support you've shown.

And if you're still reading this message, I'm just fucking with you, the fanfic continues below. Tell me how you reacted though.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the vast, suffocating darkness, Kal's mind drifted, caught in a haze. Then, a familiar voice broke through, clear and urgent.

"Kal! Kal! Wake up!"

It was Alice's voice. Soft, pleading, distant — but filled with a tenderness that stirred something deep inside him.

Wake up.

Her voice seemed to echo, like a soft ripple in the dark. Kal tried to hold onto it, pulling himself from the abyss. The pull was gentle, but strong — like the tug of something he couldn't ignore.

With a sharp intake of breath, Kal fought against the weight dragging him down. He couldn't let himself slip further away.

Wake up.

His vision blurred, but he felt a surge of life. The darkness began to lift, just enough for him to feel the world return around him.

"Kal! Kal! Wake up!"

This wasn't Alice's voice. It was Jor-El

"Kal, are you okay?! You blacked out for a few seconds. Regain control."

The familiar, authoritative tone steadied him. Kal's eyes snapped open, and the world came rushing back. The pain, the exhaustion, the sense of weightlessness. He wasn't dead. He was still here.

Kal's breath hitched as his senses slowly returned. He blinked hard, the strange dizziness of the soulscape lingering in his mind. He was no longer in the forest, but standing in front of his pod once more — the familiar metallic surface, the quiet hum of the alien technology.

His heart pounded in his chest as he stood there, his gaze locked on the large white wolf. The creature had not moved. But something was different. Its eyes, once predatory and mocking, had softened. They no longer looked at him like an enemy.

He took a hesitant step forward. "What... What is this?"

The wolf tilted its head, as if considering his question carefully. Then, in a voice that resonated deep within his soul, it spoke.

"You chose to die. Not to protect yourself. But others."

Kal froze, shock flashing across his face. "That wasn't real?" His voice was small, shaken. Was this another test? Another trick?

The wolf's gaze remained calm, unblinking. "No. It was real where it mattered — in your soul."

Before Kal could process the words, the wolf's form began to change. Slowly, almost impossibly, it shrank in size and morphed into a tall, regal man. His features were sharp and strong, his skin dark like the earth, his eyes still holding the same weight as the wolf's. Kal felt an odd sense of recognition, as if the man had always existed in the deepest parts of his being.

"I am Taha'Aki," the man said, his voice deep but warm. "The first spirit-wolf. The first Chief of the Quileute. Servant of Se'Laan, the Sunshade, and his wife Taha'ska, the Moonfang."

Kal stood frozen in disbelief. The words tumbled from his lips without thought. "I... I don't understand. Why? Why me?"

Taha'Aki's eyes softened as he studied Kal. "Because the power you carry — the power of your soul — affects the Great Balance. We must understand your character. Your choices."

"The Great Balance?" Kal's voice faltered. "What is that?"

Taha'Aki shook his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "The time is not yet right for you to understand, Kal Kent. But you will soon learn." His gaze lingered for a moment longer, before he stepped closer.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, Taha'Aki's form shimmered and a new symbol appeared on Kal's chest, burning with soft light. It was an intricate, circular design, the lines dark and defined. His soulmark, but now something more.

[Your mark has evolved.]

[TRAIT GAINED: "Guardian's Blessing"] 

The very power of Earth herself safeguards your soul. While on Earth, your soul cannot be manipulated in any way.

Kal stared at it in shock, his hand instinctively moving to touch the mark. He hadn't felt anything, not until now.

Taha'Aki's voice was calm, but heavy with significance. "We have granted you this boon. If your soul were ever taken advantage of, like I was able to, the consequences would be... unimaginable. The power of the Earth herself protects your soul."

Kal's brow furrowed, a hint of worry in his eyes. "Does that mean you can... control my soul? Manipulate me?"

"No," Taha'Aki replied, his voice firm. "We protect, not control. While we can draw from the power of the Earth, we are not greater than it. Your soul is protected even from us. Otherwise, we would become your weakness, not your safeguard."

A shiver ran down Kal's spine. He nodded slowly, still processing everything. It didn't feel like a trap, but there was something weighty about the situation that unsettled him.

Then, to his surprise, Taha'Aki reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a small, glowing green crystal. The very sight of it made Kal's stomach twist with an odd combination of fear and revulsion.

It was Kryptonite.

Taha'Aki held it out, but his voice was steady. "Take this. We give it not as a weapon — but as a gesture of trust. We know what it can do. And still... we give it to you."

Kal hesitated, the strange aura of the crystal seeming to draw in all his focus. For a long moment, he looked at the green rock, then back at the man who had been a wolf only moments ago. He understood. Despite everything, Taha'Aki was offering this because of something beyond their differences. It was a sign, not of threat, but of faith.

Slowly, Kal reached out, accepting the Kryptonite with a mix of humility and confusion. His fingers brushed the cold surface of the crystal, and a strange sense of... weight settled over him.

He felt it's insidious influence wash over him, draining his cells of their solar power. This close to him, the effect was almost immediate. His knees nearly buckled.

Taha'Aki nodded, as if seeing some unspoken answer in Kal's eyes. "Be warned, Kal Kent," he said, his voice growing quieter but no less intense. "We are not the only ones who took notice of your arrival. Others came to the forest after your fall. Strangers. Humans. We do not think they know who you are. Yet."

Kal's heart skipped a beat.

"They took some of these crystals. We do not know how much."

The words struck deep into Kal's chest, a cold realization settling in.

Taha'Aki turned, walking slowly away from him, his form starting to fade as the light around him shimmered and bent. His final words echoed in the air, lingering in Kal's mind.

"Know this, Kal Kent — we are not the only ones watching."

With that, the spirit-wolf chief disappeared into the forest, leaving Kal alone, his chest heavy with the weight of the revelation. The glow of the Kryptonite still burned in his hand, and the world around him seemed colder than before. The balance had shifted, and Kal was no longer certain where he stood in it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AUTHOR'S MESSAGE (REAL THIS TIME):

Thanks for reading the chapter. Sorry if I scared you earlier. But, I do actually have an important announcement. I have exams coming up so I'm going to need to lock in for like a week, so don't expect any chapters in the next week — don't worry though, it's not dropped.