GARC

Classified Briefing — Geneva — Switzerland — Global Awakened Response Coalition (GARC) Emergency Session

President Lafleur of France leaned back, her fingers steepled under her chin, her eyes fixed on the looping footage playing silently on the large screen at the far end of the room.

The clip showed an scene: Sil Lan—his hair wet, dressed in plain civilian clothes, his arms wrapped tightly around the Awakened girl now codenamed Blind Star—locking lips with her amidst the smoking ruins of what used to be a residential block in Beijing.

The two stood like gods, completely unbothered by the tanks, drones, and hundreds of surrounding soldiers. In the background, the Chinese military forces, defeated and ashamed, retreated with heads bowed.

The clip ended, and a heavy silence returned to the room, broken only by the hum of the ventilation system.

General Bradwell, the American Secretary of Defense, leaned forward, jaw tight and expression grim. "We're dealing with two complete unknowns here. One already leveled half a district in Beijing by accident. The other disabled an entire active coalition base in Mongolia. Alone." His voice was low but filled with undeniable tension.

The Russian envoy, Viktor Malinov, let out a humorless, harsh, dry laugh. He lit a cigarette, the flare of the lighter a defiant flicker in the no-smoking room. No one dared to stop him.

"Two kids," Malinov scoffed, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "One girl who can vaporize a city by sleeping. One boy who made an entire base go silent, made nuclear missiles disappear, and teleported 500 kilometers by riding lightning. And now they're sleeping together in the ruins."

He took a long, slow drag from his cigarette, his eyes scanning the faces around the table. "We have no plan for this."

President Lafleur finally spoke, her voice sharp, cutting through the tense air. "We need one."

A grim, uncomfortable silence followed, each delegate grappling with the sheer scale of the problem.

"We could try to take them out," suggested General Bradwell, though even he sounded like he didn't fully believe his own words. "Preemptive strike. Orbital kinetic rods, if we can track them long enough and get a clear shot."

"You think any strike would work after what happened in Beijing?" Kessel, a sharp-faced intelligence analyst from Germany, snapped back, his voice edged with frustration. "We're not dealing with standard Awakened. They're past the limit. Beyond the established Awakened classification system."

"We didn't even see them use their ability," the Japanese representative added softly, her voice filled with quiet dread. "That was the worst part. Even the girl, she just… stood there."

Lafleur looked around the table, her gaze meeting each set of anxious eyes. "We can't just sit on our hands."

The Chinese delegate—Minister Zhao—had been quiet this whole time, his hands folded on the table like carved stone, his face unreadable.

"They are still on our soil," he said finally, his voice deep and steady. "And Beijing is our responsibility. I will handle it. Alone."

A few heads turned sharply, startled by his bold statement.

General Bradwell raised an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism in his voice. "You're not seriously suggesting China can contain this alone? We just watched your entire capital's military stand down like it was a parade."

Minister Zhao's eyes narrowed, a cold fire sparking within them. "Do not mistake caution for weakness. We are not done." The implied threat hung heavy in the air.

There was a moment of heavy tension. Then Lafleur leaned forward, tapping a button on the table. A hologram blinked to life in the center of the room: Sil Lan's photo, then Mei's, followed by complex statistical projections, thermal maps, and known abilities, all swirling around their images.

"Here's what we do know," she said, her voice shifting into a more clinical tone. "Sil Lan appears to possess the ability to store large objects, teleport along lightning, and summon lightning or clouds that can strike lightning—which one, we are not sure. So far, we had only seen one type of ability per Awakened person, but Sil Lan appears to be an exception."

"We hold no data nor proof whether these are his full capabilities or if he still has more he has not shown yet. The possibility of him acquiring new abilities over time is very high, since if he had those abilities in the first place, we analyze he should not have been obedient enough to come with authority to the control center."

She paused, then continued, her gaze sweeping over the holographic data for Mei. "As for the individual known as Mei, she is likely beyond S-rank. We have no idea how strong S-rank individuals truly are, but the only known S-rank, Sil Lan, does not show these terrifying energy levels. So we give her a new class as Catastrophic-class."

Lafleur gestured to the projections. "So far, she has shown that her ability will protect her automatically once she is threatened. Her shield appears to be able to withstand bombings and even sonic attacks with no sign of wearing down."

"We have no measure of how much energy her ability uses, the highest limit her shield can withstand, nor how long it can sustain, but we are sure at least it is more than 3 hours from the data of the battle with her and the military. She also appears to be able to put a huge amount of pressure on the surrounding 700 meters, and a mild pressure within 2 kilometers, when in her cocoon state."

"Since she did not take active action, we are not sure if these count as her controlled abilities or whether she can unleash them at will, but the possibility of her being able to control them is extremely high."

"Sil is intelligent. Calculating. He shows rational decision-making," President Lafleur stated, her voice calm and firm as the holographic data about Sil flickered. "Mei, on the other hand, is unstable, emotionally volatile, and catastrophically powerful. But she listens to him. He's the key."

Another tap of her finger on the table. A simple sentence appeared in stark red letters on the hologram: Control Sil. You Control Mei.

General Bradwell scowled, his skepticism clear. "You mean manipulate him?"

"No," Lafleur countered, her gaze unwavering. "I mean talk to him. Treat him as a sovereign power. Diplomatic backchanneling. Promise him high status, promote him in a good light. He's not hostile—yet. He can even become the sharpest knife of humanity, a powerful asset."

Malinov, the Russian envoy, raised an eyebrow, a sardonic twist to his lips. "Containment through cooperation? I feel like this is something the government did to Superman in DC. I think America is suitable for the task. They've dealt with that before in movies." He cracked a joke to himself, a dry, humorless laugh that grated against the tense atmosphere in the room.

"For now. If that fails—"

"Then we pray whatever god gave them those powers isn't watching."

The lights dimmed slightly as the final satellite scan loaded onto the central screen.

In the center of the blast zone, surrounded by collapsed buildings and ash fields, two faint human silhouettes.

Sil's Apartment

The rain had stopped. Ash still clung to the cracked walls, and the sky beyond the broken windows was dull and gray. Dust motes floated in the damp air, catching faint rays of light that spilled through gaps in the shattered ceiling.

Sil lay still on Mei's lap, his breathing shallow, his body warm from sleep, but his face twitched slightly—likely from the sharp pain in his eyes.

Mei, now clothed again in a makeshift robe woven from her own energy, sat with her back against the bed's remnants, her fingers slowly running through Sil's messy hair. Her other hand lightly traced his cheek, a gentle, comforting touch.

"Tell me straight," Sil said, his voice even, cutting through the quiet. "What happened?"

Mei hesitated, her fingers still in his hair. "I lost control, I guess. I was scared. My head was full of noise. I couldn't think. And when I accepted it—" She touched her temple, a frown creasing her brow.

"The pressure didn't stop. It got worse. The more people around, the more whispers I heard. Memories. Feelings. Pain. Greed. Lust. Everything. Also, Sil, I feel like I'm losing myself day by day."

She looked down, her voice barely a breath. "It keeps growing. I think it feeds on people and destruction around."

Sil rubbed his face, a weary gesture. "So, you're basically a moving chemical weapon. Great."

"I tried to control it," she said, her voice cracking, a hint of desperation in it. "But it's not like controlling your hand. It's like trying to hold a moving train with bare fingers."

Sil didn't speak for a moment, absorbing her words. Then, quietly, he said, "You're not a monster, Mei."

"I know," she said, but her voice didn't sound like she believed it.

Sil exhaled slowly, letting out a long sigh. "I've been thinking about this, even before I got here. This whole power thing… It changes everything."

He shifted his position on her lap, sitting up slightly, his eyes serious now. "We're not normal people anymore. And the world's not going to treat us like we are. You saw it already. One mistake, and they'll try to bomb you into ash."

He changed his sleeping position, shifting uncomfortably. "...I had a dream," Sil mumbled, his voice rough with fatigue and emotion. "There were no missiles, no superpowers, just you, me, and a stupid golden retriever that kept stealing my socks."

Mei smiled faintly, a soft, wistful curve of her lips. "Sounds peaceful. Maybe we can get that dog someday."

Sil's eyelids opened partway, revealing the faint shimmer in his pupils beneath the haze of fatigue. "That future feels… far away now," he whispered. "Doesn't it?"

Mei didn't respond right away. Her expression was calm, but her hand trembled slightly as it rested over his heart. The silence between them lingered—gentle, heavy, necessary, allowing the unspoken fears to settle.

Finally, she spoke, her voice low. "We're monsters now, Sil."

"You're terrifying. I'm more of a slightly upgraded Lightning Rod with teleportation," he muttered, forcing a weak grin, trying to lighten the mood.

She chuckled softly, a quiet, melancholic sound, then sighed. "What do we do now?"

Sil sat up slowly, wincing as a sharp pain lanced through his eyes. He helped Mei to her feet. "We'll do what we've always done."

"And what's that?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Live. Quietly, if possible. With dignity, if we can afford it. But mostly—together." He reached for her hand and held it tightly, his grip firm and reassuring.

A faint breeze blew through the ruins, rustling the debris. The silence resumed for a moment, a brief calm before the storm of their uncertain future.

"But the world's changing too fast," Mei said, her voice a fragile whisper.

"I know."

"We might have to kill again."

"I know."

"Does that scare you?"

"Yes," he admitted, looking directly at her, his voice raw. "But not as much as losing you."

She rested her head against his shoulder, finding comfort in his warmth. "I don't want to fight. I just want to see the ocean with you. And wear normal clothes. And I'm fine being blind, just so you'll hold my hand tighter."

"You're allowed to say things that don't break my heart once in a while, you know," Sil teased gently, a faint smile on his lips.

Sil stood up slowly, helping Mei to her feet. "So what's our plan? Hide in a mountain and grow potatoes?"

"You decide. I follow where you go. I rest where you rest. I die where you die. Life without you is worse than death. Sil, I love you. I'm yours for all life, and I will always be with you," Mei said, her voice intense, her hands cupping Sil's face.

Her expression was slightly mad, utterly devoted. Then she leaned in for a kiss. Sil responded strongly, pulling her close.

Sil's heart pounded as Mei's lips met his, her words echoing in his mind. He kissed her back with fierce intensity, pouring all his fear, longing, and desire into the kiss. His hands roamed her body, tracing the curves he knew so well, even in the dim light. He tugged at the makeshift robe, eager to feel her bare skin against his.

Mei gasped as Sil's hands explored her, arching into his touch. She tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him close as she deepened the kiss. Her tongue danced with his, stoking the flames of desire higher.

Sil broke the kiss to trail his lips down Mei's neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin. He pushed the robe off her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. His hands cupped her breasts, thumbing her nipples until they pebbled under his touch.

Mei moaned, tilting her head back to give Sil better access to her neck. Her hands fumbled with his shirt, desperate to feel his skin. "I need you," she panted, grinding her hips against his growing hardness.