Deep beneath Washington, D.C., the command room remained silent.

  The same footage replayed again and again across the main monitor.

  The sky turning red.

  Clouds twisting.

  The massive crimson moon hanging over the planet for a few seconds.

  Then disappearing.

  No explosion.

  No spell signature.

  Just pressure.

  Ancient, overwhelming pressure.

  A technician wiped sweat from his forehead.

  “I ran the comparison three times.”

  The man in uniform standing at the head of the room did not move.

  “Run it again.”

  Keys clacked rapidly.

  Numbers scrolled.

  Mana resonance graphs overlapped.

  Two files appeared on the main screen.

  Crimson Moon Event.

  Blue Demon Incident.

  The curves aligned perfectly.

  Not similar.

  Identical.

  Someone near the back whispered.

  “That’s impossible.”

  Another analyst shook his head slowly.

  “No… it’s worse than impossible.”

  He pointed at the data.

  “It means the same person caused both.”

  The officer exhaled slowly.

  “Then the conclusion hasn’t changed.”

  He turned toward the communication desk.

  “Transmit the order again.”

  The operator nodded.

  The message spread through secure networks across the planet.

  Hero Associations.

  Military agencies.

  Magical research divisions.

  One alert.

  One classification.

  Level One Global Threat.

  Because everyone in that room understood the same thing.

  The Blue Demon had not returned.

  He had never disappeared.

  Thousands of kilometers away, Hero Associations began moving.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Emergency protocols activated across multiple nations.

  Mana detection systems turned online.

  Observation satellites adjusted their focus.

  And inside several hero headquarters, the strongest individuals in the world were being briefed.

  One such room contained a handful of elite heroes.

  Most of them looked serious.

  Focused.

  Concerned.

  But one man leaned casually in his chair, spinning a pen between his fingers.

  His uniform coat hung loosely over his shoulders.

  A badge rested on the table.

  S Rank.

  One of the strongest heroes in the country.

  And possibly the most unstable.

  A projection of the crimson moon hovered above the conference table.

  An officer finished the explanation.

  “The mana pressure matches the Blue Demon incident exactly.”

  Silence followed.

  The S Rank hero tilted his head.

  Then he smiled.

  A wide, almost excited smile.

  “So he’s alive.”

  Several people in the room glanced at him uneasily.

  One hero spoke carefully.

  “You felt that pressure.”

  “Of course I did.”

  “And you’re not concerned?”

  The S Rank hero laughed quietly.

  Concerned?

  “No.”

  His eyes shone with something closer to fascination.

  “Do you have any idea how rare this is?”

  The officer frowned.

  “Rare?”

  The hero leaned forward slightly.

  “History’s greatest monster might still be walking the planet.”

  His smile widened.

  “And you’re asking if I’m concerned?”

  A quiet pause followed.

  Then he finished.

  “I’m thrilled.”

  The room went silent.

  Because excitement was not the reaction anyone expected from a sane person.

  Later that day, back in the non magic world, school ended late in the evening.

  Students poured into the hallways.

  Everyone was still talking about the crimson sky.

  Phones buzzed constantly.

  Videos replayed across social media.

  Near the school entrance, Akary walked beside Miro.

  She had been watching him all day.

  Something was wrong.

  Very wrong.

  His skin looked pale.

  Not just tired pale.

  Almost sick.

  Like someone who had not slept in days.

  Or someone who might collapse at any moment.

  Even his steps seemed slower than usual.

  Akary finally spoke.

  “Miro.”

  He looked at her.

  “Yes?”

  “You look awful.”

  He blinked once.

  “That’s a very direct way to say it.”

  “I’m serious.”

  She stepped closer, studying his face.

  “You look like you're about to pass out.”

  “I’m fine.”

  The answer came quickly.

  Too quickly.

  Akary narrowed her eyes.

  “You always say that.”

  Before she could push further, two students walking behind them began whispering.

  “Wait… look.”

  “Isn’t that Akary?”

  “With Miro again?”

  “Didn’t they argue a while ago?”

  “Yeah.”

  A quiet laugh followed.

  “Looks like they made up.”

  “Or maybe they’re back together.”

  Akary froze.

  Her face warmed immediately.

  She kept walking, pretending she hadn’t heard anything.

  But the words stayed in her head.

  Back together?

  Her thoughts tangled awkwardly.

  She glanced sideways at Miro.

  He looked exactly the same as always.

  Calm.

  Quiet.

  Completely unaware of the rumors.

  That somehow made things worse.

  Why does that bother me?

  She frowned slightly.

  Another thought followed.

  Why do I care if people think we’re together?

  Akary quickly looked forward again.

  Confused with herself.

  And the person beside her was not helping.

  Because despite walking next to her, Miro still felt distant.

  Like his mind was somewhere else entirely.

  Later that night, I returned alone to the magic world.

  Akary had already gone home.

  The city here was different tonight.

  New structures had appeared across rooftops.

  Tall metallic towers hummed quietly.

  Mana sensors scanning the environment.

  Observation drones floated through the air.

  Cameras placed at intersections and major buildings.

  The Hero Associations were moving fast.

  Faster than expected.

  I stepped onto a rooftop and looked across the skyline.

  Every few blocks, another sensor tower blinked faintly.

  Interesting.

  They were serious.

  The entire world had started searching.

  I leaned slightly against the railing.

  Remaining unnoticed had always been easy.

  But with this level of surveillance…

  Staying a nobody might become difficult.

  My breathing felt heavier than usual.

  I pressed a hand lightly against my chest.

  The aftereffects were still there.

  Using Doom was never free.

  Even now, hours later, my body still felt hollow.

  Mana channels strained.

  Muscles weak.

  That pale look Akary noticed earlier was not an act.

  The power I released had only lasted seconds.

  But even seconds were expensive.

  I exhaled slowly.

  The air here carried the faint hum of scanning mana fields.

  Hero Associations installing eyes everywhere.

  Trying to find the monster they feared.

  I looked up at the night sky.

  Calm now.

  Normal.

  As if the crimson moon had never appeared.

  Across the world, heroes were preparing.

  Governments panicking.

  And somewhere out there, a slightly unhinged S Rank hero was probably smiling at the idea of fighting me.

  The thought almost made me laugh.

  People really do chase dangerous things when they think they understand them.

  The wind moved quietly across the rooftop.

  I looked across the city lights one more time.

  Sensors.

  Cameras.

  Search teams.

  The hunt had begun.

  And for the first time in a while, a small practical problem appeared in my mind.

  If the entire world is looking for the Doom user…

  How exactly am I supposed to keep living like a nobody?

  The night offered no answer.