Odyssey Of Survival

The air was thick with tension, suffocating and heavy as Nate stepped forward, his gaze locked onto the man who had attacked Alice. Every muscle in his body was wound tight with fury, his mind an inferno of rage that demanded retribution. But before he could reach his target, three men immediately rushed in, blocking his path. They weren't foolish—they had seen the expression on his face, the sheer intent to kill radiating from him like a storm on the verge of destruction. If they let him reach the man, there would be no saving him.

Nate's eyes flickered with annoyance as he glanced at the three men standing in his way. They were trembling slightly, fear evident in their stance, but they had still dared to stand in front of him. He almost smirked at their bravery. Almost. But he had no time for distractions. Without a word, his hand snapped up, and in an instant, a violent streak of lightning burst forth, crackling with raw energy. The strike slammed into the three men, sending them flying like rag dolls, their bodies crashing against the cave floor, unconscious—or worse. Nate didn't bother to check. He didn't care if they were dead or alive. They had chosen to stand in his way.

In the next moment, before anyone could even react, Nate appeared in front of the man who had hurt Alice. His speed was terrifying, beyond anything any of them had seen before. The man barely had time to process what was happening before Nate's hand shot out, gripping his throat like a vice and lifting him clean off the ground. The man's legs kicked helplessly in the air, his fingers clawing at Nate's arm, but it was useless—Nate's grip was unyielding.

"You called me a murderer," Nate said, his voice eerily calm, dangerously quiet. "I didn't react." His grip tightened slightly, the man's breath coming out in choked gasps.

"You called me a rapist," Nate continued, his tone still unreadable, his eyes void of emotion. "I didn't react."

Then his voice dropped even lower, a promise of death lingering in every syllable.

"But you hurt her."

Nate's eyes burned as he glared at the man struggling in his grasp. The moment played over and over in his head—Alice collapsing into his arms, blood dripping from her mouth, her body going limp against him. The rage inside him boiled over, and before anyone could even blink, flames erupted from his hand.

"Nobody touches my woman"

The man's scream never even had the chance to leave his lips.

In a burst of blinding heat, fire consumed him entirely. His body disintegrated into ash within seconds, his form vanishing as if he had never existed. The sheer intensity of the flames left a scorch mark on the cave floor where he once stood. Silence filled the air, a suffocating, absolute silence.

Then—

Panic.

People didn't step back. They ran.

A full-blown stampede erupted as men and women scrambled away from Nate in sheer terror, pushing and shoving to get as far away as possible. He had just killed an ability user—one of their own—as if he were nothing. Not in a battle. Not in a fight. Just like that. Incinerated. Erased from existence.

The fear spread like wildfire.

Even Claire and Axel, who had been standing there smugly just moments ago, found their legs shaking uncontrollably. Claire's hand instinctively latched onto Axel's wrist, her usual confident, arrogant expression completely gone. Now, in the face of absolute power, she was nothing.

Axel, gritting his teeth, tried to be brave, stepping forward as if to shield Claire. But his bravery was useless.

Nate barely even looked at him before swinging the back of his hand.

The impact was devastating.

Axel was sent flying across the cave, his body crashing violently into a stone wall. His head slammed against the rock with a sickening crack, and he collapsed onto the ground, groaning in pain, blood dripping from the side of his mouth.

Now, only Claire was left.

Nate turned to face her fully, his footsteps slow, deliberate. The cave walls flickered with the light of the lingering fire around his hands. Claire's entire body was trembling, her breathing ragged, her lips parted in terror.

But Nate didn't attack. Not yet.

Instead, he stared at her, his face unreadable, his voice almost… disappointed.

"Why?" he asked, his tone quieter than before, but somehow heavier. "I started off on a good page with you. I was nice to you. I never disrespected you." His fists clenched at his sides, flames still dancing between his fingers. "So why?"

His voice carried a sharp edge of betrayal.

Claire didn't speak.

She didn't try to explain. She didn't try to plead. She just stood there, frozen, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something—but no words came out. She knew. She knew there was nothing she could say that would save her. Not now. Not after everything.

Nate studied her face for a long moment, searching for something—anything—that could explain why she had done this. But there was nothing. No remorse, no regret, no guilt. Just fear.

He exhaled sharply and shook his head.

"It seems like you've already made up your mind," he muttered.

His fingers flexed, the flames coiling around them like hungry serpents, burning hotter and hotter as he raised his hand.

He didn't hesitate.

This wasn't rage. This wasn't blind fury. This was a choice. A decision. Claire had played her game, and now she would pay for it.

The moment his hand reached its peak, he let the fire loose—

But nothing happened.

Nate's eyes widened slightly as he tried again, willing the flames to erupt from his palm. Nothing. No heat. No energy. Just… nothing.

A problem.

His powers weren't working.

His brows furrowed as confusion flickered across his face. He hadn't felt anything change—hadn't sensed any disturbance in his energy. Yet, somehow, it was as if his abilities had just… vanished.

Then, slowly, he turned his head.

And there, standing behind him, was Jack. Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire

Jack's eyes met Nate's, his expression unreadable, but his presence alone was enough to give Nate the answer. Jack's ability—it was suppression. Within a certain range, he could strip ability users of their powers, turning them into nothing more than ordinary humans.

And standing right behind Jack was Ryder.

Nate clenched his fists as he processed the situation. He wasn't just powerless—Ryder was too. That meant Jack was using his ability to neutralize both of them. If Ryder's powers were gone, then it was clear whose side Jack was on.

Ryder stepped forward, his voice steady but firm.

"Nate," he said. "Stop this."

But Nate didn't stop.

He didn't even acknowledge that his powers were gone.

Instead, he kept walking toward Claire.

His eyes, once burning with flames, were now burning with something else entirely.

"I don't care," he said, his voice void of hesitation. "I don't care if I don't have my powers." His footsteps echoed through the cave, slow, heavy, unrelenting.

"I won't stop until she is dead."

****

Support With Power Stones And Golden Tickets.