**Volume 2: Upper World**

  **Chapter 96: Fading Hair**

  March 10th, 11:47 p.m. – Villains’ Base (Jason’s Room)

  The room was dark except for the faint blue glow from a cracked phone screen on the floor. Jason sat on the edge of his bed — elbows on knees, head hanging low. His sandals were kicked off in the corner, white socks still stained from earlier blood. The air smelled like old concrete and metal — the same smell that always followed him now.

  He cried.

  Not loud sobs — just quiet, broken tears that fell straight down onto the floor. His shoulders shook once — twice — then stilled. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, but more came.

  “Why didn’t I do something back then?” he whispered to the dark. “I just… stood there. Like a fucking coward.”

  He saw it again — the thin sliding door, the crack he peeked through. Mom’s muffled cries. The man’s grunts. The buttons popping like gunshots. He was 6. Small. Helpless. He wanted to run in, scream, hit, be the superhero he drew on notebook paper. But he didn’t. He froze. And every night after, when the men came back, he still froze.

  “I should’ve done something,” he said again — voice cracking. “Anything.”

  He wished he had. Wished he’d grabbed a kitchen knife, yelled for help, thrown himself at the man. Anything to make her look at him and see her little protector instead of a scared kid hiding. But he didn’t. And she kept smiling the next morning — making extra egg in the ramen, ruffling his hair — like nothing happened. Until she got sick. Until the rain. Until she didn’t wake up.

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  The tears kept coming — hot, endless — until his eyes burned and his throat felt raw. He couldn’t cry anymore. Just sat there — empty, staring at the floor.

  A soft knock on the door.

  Jason didn’t move.

  “What?” he rasped.

  Leo’s voice — quiet, careful.

  “You okay?”

  He stared at the door for a long second.

  “Yeah.”

  Silence.

  He got up slow — walked to the tiny sink in the corner. Turned the faucet — cold water splashed his face. He scrubbed hard — like he could wash the memories away. Looked in the cracked mirror.

  He couldn’t remember her face anymore.

  Just her hair — long, dark, messy after work. The way it fell when she leaned over to kiss his forehead. Everything else blurred — eyes, smile, voice. Gone.

  He slammed his fist down on the counter — porcelain cracked under his knuckles. Blood welled up — he stared at it — then stopped. Took a breath. Washed his hands slow, watching the red swirl down the drain.

  He dried them — walked outside.

  The rift pocket base was quiet — low red lights along the walls. Ray stood in the main room — white hair glowing faint purple, looking at nothing. Jason stopped in the doorway — stared at him.

  Ray had helped him. Found him at 13 — starving, angry, alone. Trained him. Gave him power. But Ray could kill him if he wanted. One touch — aging to dust. Jason knew it. Ray knew it.

  Jason looked away — back outside — into the fake night sky Ray had made in the pocket.

  Maybe the good guys were right. Maybe fighting for something — protecting people — mattered. Maybe he could’ve been different.

  But Ray was there. Ray was always there.

  Jason turned — walked back to his room — closed the door soft.

  ---

  Meanwhile — Rebuilt Academy Training Field

  March 10th, 11:52 p.m.

  Sky and Max were in the middle of the field — shirts off, sweat shining under the string lights. Sky moved first — light blue aura flickering — 600 fps dash — fist snapping toward Max’s ribs. Max shadowed back — loyal shade blocking — then countered with a quick hook. Sky slipped it — elbow to Max’s jaw — Max staggered but grinned.

  “Getting faster, bro.”

  Sky didn’t smile — just nodded — reset stance.

  Off to the side — Frosty vs Taka in a 2v2 with Hiro & Aoi watching. Frosty slid on ice — nails forming — spiked toward Taka. Taka parried with his sword — sparks flying — then lunged. Frosty froze the ground under him — Taka slipped — she kicked him in the chest — he rolled, came up laughing.

  Lola sat on a bench nearby — knees up, arms wrapped around them — watching quiet. No words. Just eyes on the fights — like she was trying to memorize every move.

  Sky glanced over — saw them all — his people.

  For a second — just a second — he let himself imagine it ending. All of them alive. Normal. High school somewhere far away. Soccer. Fries. Laughter.

  Then the phone in his pocket buzzed — unknown number from earlier.

  He didn’t answer.

  Just kept training.

  The chapter ended.

  To be continued…