— The Blood Message —
As time passed, the group could be seen walking slowly toward the gates of the ruined base.
Bunny walked among them, the strange feeling of familiarity still clinging to her like a shadow.
Suddenly, one of the soldiers pointed toward a nearby wall.
Everyone turned.
Written in dried blood were the haunting words:
> "Fall into the Unknown, and fear the Unknown."
Confusion spread across their faces.
Some showed disbelief. Others… fear.
Lexy stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"Everyone, back to the transport zone immediately," she ordered sharply. "We need to report this to the higher-ups. Now."
---
— Training in the Dark —
The scene shifted.
Demon hung from a ceiling bar in a quiet, dimly lit room, pulling himself up with slow, steady movements.
His breathing came rhythmic, low.
"…That Gunther fight… too slow… should've ended it sooner…" he muttered.
"You really should stop talking to yourself," came a dry, familiar voice. "It's getting creepy."
Demon dropped down, towel in hand, turning toward Void—who sat casually on the bed, arms folded behind his head.
"Not like you're any better," Demon muttered.
Void chuckled softly.
"Says the guy with a hundred demons inside him."
Demon rolled his eyes and tossed a pillow.
Void caught it mid-air, grinning. "Between me and you," he smirked, "you're the creepy one."
---
— War's Arrival —
The door swung open with a loud creak.
War stepped in, grinning ear to ear.
"Yo!" he called out. "Everyone's getting used to the new home real fast."
He held up a tray with three cups.
"Extra cocaine, just like you both asked."
Demon and Void each took a cup.
"Thanks, War," they said in unison.
War flopped onto the floor, sipping from his drink with a satisfied sigh.
---
— The Broadcast —
A soft chime echoed through the room.
Hakimi's voice came through the speaker system, crisp and urgent.
> "Everyone, please turn on your TVs or go online. The Hero Association is making an urgent announcement."
Immediately, everyone grabbed a remote or device.
The screen flickered to life.
A press conference appeared on the screen.
The president of the Hero Association Verek lookman stood behind the podium—sharp suit, composed expression—with Celestial beside him, cold and unreadable.
The president's tone was grave, his voice steady and commanding.
> "We have discovered that a secret criminal organization attacked one of the world's most trusted military bases…"
He paused before continuing.
"This base, known as CODE, was completely destroyed. Every individual within—killed. We have confirmed this same organization was behind the recent attack in Lagos City."
Reporters exploded with questions, shouting over each other.
The heroes on stage tried calming them, while the president raised a hand.
"The name of this organization?" he repeated one of the questions aloud. "We're not certain… but what we found might be their signature."
He gestured toward the screen behind him.
It changed—revealing the photo of the blood-written message.
The crowd gasped in unison.
Millions watching from home felt a wave of unease, fear, and anger all at once.
The president continued, vowing to find the culprits and bring them to justice.
The audience erupted in cheers—inside the hall and across the world.
---
— The Unknown's Laughter —
The TV screen went black.
Demon stood silently for a moment—then laughed.
"How quickly the world labeled us as international terrorists."
War chuckled beside him.
"The world's now calling us The Unknown. Has a nice ring to it."
Void frowned, clearly annoyed at how casually they were taking the situation.
That is—until his eyes landed on the bounty figures flashing across the bottom of the screen.
His jaw dropped.
"Yo! Look at this! We're that wanted!?"
War burst out laughing again while Demon smirked faintly, unbothered.
---
— A New Spotlight —
Weeks later…
The camera panned over a brightly lit TV set.
A talk show host smiled into the lens, her energy sharp and practiced.
She sat across from several seniors of Ascenders High, who were invited to speak about the upcoming tournament.
"So," the host began, "with the current global tension, will Ascenders still be giving it a hundred percent focus this year?"
One of the seniors, Capper, smiled confidently.
"Of course. No matter what's happening out there, Ascenders will always do its best."
The host grinned, her tone bright and curious.
"Now that's the spirit."
The broadcast continued—yet beneath the smiles, tension hung in the air.
The echoes of The Unknown still haunted every word unspoken.