The mall buzzed with evening chatter. Shoppers moved like waves, their footsteps echoing across glossy tiles as neon signs flickered lazily above store entrances.
Jasmine stood behind the counter of her boutique, still in uniform—sleek, stylish, but clearly worn thin by the day. Her hair was tied back, loose strands slipping over her face as she leaned against the counter, sipping warm tea. Today had been nonstop. Behind her, staff members locked up, folded signs, and dimmed the lights.
Then—
"Sorry, we're closed for the day," one of them said politely.
Jasmine glanced toward the entrance, her expression unreadable.
Standing there, beneath the soft glow of the mall's dying lights, was Iris.
Her coat fluttered faintly behind her. Face sharp. Eyes stormy.
Jasmine blinked, pushed herself upright, and walked over. Her voice was calm, edged with quiet concern.
"It's fine. You can go," she said, nodding gently to the staff.
The worker hesitated, then stepped away, leaving the two alone.
Iris exhaled—not tired, but frustrated. Her fingers twitched slightly, as if restraining the urge to punch a wall.
"Thank goodness you came," she muttered, voice clipped, jaw tight.
She wasn't here for tea.
Jasmine folded her arms slowly, studying her.
"You look like hell," she said softly, attempting to ease the tension.
No smile followed.
Iris didn't flinch. Her eyes, faintly glowing beneath the artificial lights, locked onto Jasmine's.
"It's getting worse."
Jasmine's expression darkened.
"Jack?"
Iris nodded once.
"He's changed again. Faster than expected. We can't track him… not even Khrah can trace his dimensional residue."
The name made Jasmine pause. Her throat tightened.
"…You're bringing in The One from myth?" she asked quietly. "He's real?"
"Yes." Iris snapped, then sighed. "It wasn't my call. But I didn't argue. Not this time."
Jasmine looked down, voice low.
"So they want him erased…"
"No." Iris cut in. "They want him sealed. I want him sealed."
Her voice cracked slightly on the last word.
"I don't care what he's become… He's still—"
She stopped herself. Jaw clenched. Fists trembling.
Jasmine stepped closer, resting a hand gently on Iris's shoulder.
"He's still Jack."
Iris nodded slowly, her voice barely a whisper.
"And maybe… just maybe… he can still be saved."
The camera opens on a wide shot: an underground sanctum carved from white crystal and obsidian, pulsing faintly with ethereal light. Towering pillars etched with glowing runes rise into a shadowed dome above. Around a vast circular table sit the Elite Rangers—the highest-ranking guardians of the dimensional floors.
All present… except one.
No one notices.
The tension hums, invisible and heavy, until the focus shifts.
At the center of the chamber stands a figure so still he seems sculpted from intent itself. His presence overwhelms the space, yet he barely moves. Pristine white robes flow from his frame, laced with golden patterns that shimmered as if obeying a higher law.
Crimson eyes glowed faintly, empty of emotion.
Khrah.
The One.
Not merely human—something terrifyingly precise.
One of the Rangers straightens, suppressing awe.
"Thank you for coming, Khrah."
Khrah offers a single nod. Nothing more.
"There has been a rising anomaly," the Ranger continues, voice tight. "A… boy. Jack."
A glowing map flickers to life above the table. Red markers surge upward, sweeping from the 66th to the 99th floor. The room grows heavier with each pulse.
"In a matter of months, thirty-three high-level floors were cleared. Erased. We believe Jack is responsible. If provoked, he could wipe out this HQ in under a minute."
Before another word can form, Khrah speaks.
Low. Smooth. Glacial.
"Is he a threat?"
The room freezes.
The Ranger hesitates.
"…Yes. But—"
A smirk appears on Khrah's face. Subtle. Sinister. Curiosity carved into divinity.
Then he vanishes.
The shock of his disappearance ripples through the chamber like a soundless explosion. Lights flicker. Documents scatter. Several Rangers rise in alarm.
"…He didn't wait for a plan," one mutters.
Another leans back, pale.
"No. He already made one."
The scene fades in calmly.
HQ's entrance lobby glows beneath enchanted skylights. The tension of earlier events hasn't reached here yet. Everything feels… normal.
Iris and Jasmine step inside together. The doors seal behind them with a low hum.
Iris stretches, rubbing her stomach.
"Ugh… I'm starving."
Jasmine chuckles, nudging her.
"I told you to eat before we left."
Iris shrugs, half-smirking as she brushes her hair back.
"Didn't think we'd take this long…"
Down the corridor, two Elite Rangers whisper urgently, their expressions tight.
Something's wrong.
Iris raises a hand, signaling Jasmine to stop, and strides toward them.
"What happened?"
The Rangers freeze.
"I-Iris?!" one stammers. "We didn't expect you back so soon—"
"Speak."
Her tone cuts through the panic.
The other Ranger exhales shakily.
"Khrah. He was here. He left moments ago."
Iris stiffens.
"…What did you say?"
"He's already gone after Jack."
The words barely land before—WHOOSH.
A violent rush of wind as Iris vanishes in a single leap, her coat flaring behind her like wings.
"Iris!!" Jasmine shouts, sprinting after her.
The halls blur as she struggles to keep pace.
"What's happening?!"
Iris doesn't look back. Her voice is firm. Urgent.
"We have to move. Now. Before Khrah reaches him."
The camera pulls wide: the two women racing down the glowing corridor, Iris's eyes burning with resolve—
And fear.
Not of Jack.
For him.
---
The wind was still.
The 100th Floor—an ancient, forbidden land—welcomed him once more. Charred earth cracked beneath each step. The air shimmered with residual aura, enough to fracture weaker minds.
This was where Jack had once been broken. Torn apart. Discarded by beasts faster than anything he'd faced.
But this time was different.
This time… Jack walked.
Casually.
Snow-white hair danced under the pressure of the realm. His expression was calm. Unreadable. One hand rested in his pocket as his body moved like a whisper against thunder—light, precise, arrogant.
From the ridges, the beasts emerged. Towering, horned entities, claws sharp enough to sever time itself.
"Human," one growled. "Why are you here?"
Jack tilted his head, smirking.
"Huh? You malfunctioning or something?" He shrugged. "That's exactly what you said last time. You seriously don't remember me?"
They froze.
Recognition flickered.
"We are born to protect the gate!" the leader thundered.
Jack clicked his tongue.
"Then why do the strong always dump the weak out here as bait?"
He laughed—loud, careless.
"Ah… I get it. Disposable guardians."
They charged.
Claws tore the air. Sonic cracks split the ground.
Jack didn't move.
In less than a blink, the world fell silent.
A sound like silk being sliced.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Heads struck the ground.
Jack was already gone.
At the edge of the realm, a portal shimmered open. Jack stepped through without looking back, cloak fluttering, hand still in his pocket.
"I can't waste time on stupid things."
And just like that—
He vanished.