Earths sovereign is a DEMON

The Defender glided silently through the cold expanse of space, its engines a low and quiet hum, inside tension clung to the air like smoke—thick, heavy, and suffocating.
In the dimly lit medical bay.

Aika sat curled up on one of the narrow beds, knees pulled tightly to her chest, her small frame trembling. Her wide, tear-filled eyes stared blankly at the wall as though the weight of everything that had happened would crush her if she moved. The light in her that had once shone so brightly—gone. Shattered by what they'd witnessed.

Nearby, Kai leaned against the cold wall, his arms crossed, but his composure was unraveling. His jaw clenched, his breathing uneven. Finally, his hand rose to his face.

"This can't be real..." Kai muttered, his voice strained and hoarse, more to himself than anyone else. "It can't be real. It's just... a nightmare. I'll wake up. We'll all wake up."

The words hung in the air, hollow and unconvincing. He knew it wasn't true.
The silence that followed was unbearable. Arnik, unable to take it anymore, stepped forward, his boots scuffing softly against the floor. He approached Aika carefully, placing a hand on her shoulder—gentle, but firm.
"Aika..." His voice was low, steady, as though he was trying to hold them both together with his words. "I know it's bad, but we've got to stay positive. If we give up now—"
"Positive?"
Aika's voice cut through the quiet, a sharp and brittle sound. Her head snapped up, her tear-streaked face twisted with anguish. "How can you stand there and say that? Did you see what happened?!" Her voice broke as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "People died, Arnik. Families—innocent people... my mom!"
Arnik flinched as though struck. Kai lowered his hand, his eyes wide with shock, the weight of Aika's words crashing into him like a tidal wave.
The others turned to look at her, her ears drooping and tail limp as she clutched her arms around herself. Her voice wavered, barely audible as she continued. "I don't even know if my family made it out. Mom... Dad... my little brothers. I hope they're alright, but..." She swallowed hard, blinking back tears. "I don't know."
Aika stared at Rose for a long moment, her sobs quieting just a little as a shared understanding passed between them—two friends clinging to fragile hopes.
Rose looked down, her voice cracking. "I hope they're somewhere safe."

I just...

Aika's lip trembled, and fresh tears streaked down her face as she nodded faintly, whispering through her sobs.

Me too...

Arnik's hand slipped from Aika's shoulder as he sank to one knee, facing her. "I don't know," he admitted softly. "I don't know how we win. But if we lose hope now... then we've already lost. And you..." He hesitated, his voice faltering before he continued, "you're stronger than this, Aika. We all are."
Aika looked at him, her expression unreadable for a moment, before fresh sobs wracked her small frame. Arnik didn't hesitate this time—he pulled her into a steady hug, her tears soaking into his jacket as she cried into his shoulder.
The pounding on the door grew louder, Rose's voice rising with frustration.
"Open this damn door already!"
Inside, Kai's patience snapped like a brittle wire. He spun toward the door, his voice cutting through the room like a whip.
"STOP that, Rose! You're just making useless noise!"
The pounding stopped, silence hanging for a breath. Then Rose's muffled voice shot back, sharp and venomous.
Rose's fists tightened, trembling at her sides. "It's better than sitting on your ass acting like this is normal!"
Kai's glasses caught the dim light as he pushed off the wall, his calm facade shattering. He closed the distance between them in a few quick steps, glaring down at her.
"You think I haven't lost anything either? Huh? How selfish can you be?" His voice rose, sharp and cutting. "I lost just as much as you! I'm just not panicking!"
Rose opened her mouth, but Kai wasn't finished. He pointed toward the bed where Aika sat curled up, trembling like a fragile leaf.
"Look at Aika! She needs her best friend right now!" Kai's voice softened, but the intensity in his glare remained. "That's something me and Arnik can't do. So stop yelling at me and go to her!"
Rose's fists trembled at her sides, her breath hitching as Kai's words struck deeper than she'd expected. Her legs gave out, and she sank to the floor, her hands covering her face as tears threatened to spill over.
Kai's glare softened as he watched her crumble. The sharpness in his demeanor faded, replaced by something steadier, more grounded. He crouched down beside her, his voice quiet but firm.
"Be strong," he said, his hand hovering hesitantly before resting gently on her shoulder. "For Aika's sake."
Rose's breath hitched again, and she peeked at Aika through her fingers. Aika sat curled on the bed, her face buried in her knees, trembling. Guilt stabbed through Rose like a blade. Her voice came out a broken whisper. "I'm sorry... I was being selfish."
Kai nodded slightly, his tone even. "You're not alone in this, Rose. We've all lost something. But Aika needs her best friend right now, and you're the only one who can reach her."
Rose's hands dropped from her face as she wiped at her tears hastily. "I get it," she said softly, trying to pull herself together. "You're right... I've been so caught up in my own head, I—"
Kai shifted closer, his hand hovering awkwardly. "It's okay to break down sometimes. Just... don't push everyone else away while you're doing it."

He hesitated for a moment before leaning in, arms outstretched, clearly intending to offer a hug. The gesture was clumsy, but genuine.

Rose's expression wavered, a flicker of gratitude shining through before she caught herself. She sniffled, and her lips quivered into a faint, forced smirk. "Don't touch me, you four-eyed perv," she said, slapping his hand away in a quick motion.
Kai froze, blinking in stunned disbelief. His face turned red as he shot upright, flustered and defensive. "I was trying to be nice!" he snapped, crossing his arms in frustration. "Gosh, you can be such a pain in the ass!"
Rose chuckled softly despite herself, her shoulders shaking with a mix of leftover tears and the faintest hint of amusement. "And you're terrible at being nice."
Kai huffed and turned away, adjusting his glasses. "Well, excuse me for trying," he muttered, his ears still pink with embarrassment.
From the corner of the room, Arnik shook his head with a small, tired sigh. "You two are unbelievable."
She darted toward Aika, shoving Arnik aside in her haste. Caught off guard, Arnik stumbled and banged his head against the wall. "Ouch!" he exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot and glaring at Rose, but she didn't even notice.
Rose wrapped her arms tightly around Aika, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry, Aika," she whispered, her tears spilling freely. "We'll get through this together. I promise."
Aika stiffened for a moment, surprised, but then melted into Rose's embrace. Her small hands clutched at Rose's shirt as she buried her face in her friend's shoulder, her quiet sobs breaking the silence.
Arnik groaned, still nursing his head. "You could've said 'excuse me,' you know..."
Kai adjusted his glasses with a sigh, muttering, "At least she's finally doing something productive."
Kai leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression a mix of frustration and curiosity. "Arnik, why didn't you tell us about your mutation?"
Arnik's shoulders tensed, and he looked away. "It's not that I didn't trust you. I just... wasn't ready. It's complicated. It's about my dad."
Kai's eyebrows raised. "Oh, yeah. Your dad. Andrew Handerfall. Literally the Baron on Earth. Sometimes it feels like I don't even know you."
Arnik sighed, his voice quieter now. "After my mom died, my mutation awakened. I showed him, hoping... I don't know. Maybe hoping he'd see me differently."

Flash back

**A younger and hopeful Arnik, no older than 15, stood in front of his father. "Dad, look!" He held out his hand, letting a small flame flicker to life in his palm. It was brief but radiant. Then, the flame abruptly shifted, crackling and morphing into streaks of blue lightning that danced around his fingertips. "It just happened... I didn't know I could do this."
Andrew Handerfall's face hardened, his usual stern demeanor now colder than ever. He gripped Arnik by the shoulder. "Never show this to anyone. Do you understand me?"
"But—"
"Not. Anyone." His voice was like steel.
Days later, Andrew approached Arnik in their empty home, his face unreadable. "Arnik, I have something to tell you. You're going to Japan."
"What? Why?!" Arnik's voice cracked with desperation. "I haven't even seen you in weeks, and now you're sending me away?"
Andrew's expression tightened, his fist clenching at his side. "There's... something dangerous happening in my life. I can't have you involved. You're going to live your life without me."
"Why?"

Arnik's voice trembled, almost breaking into a sob.

"Why are you doing this?"

Andrew didn't answer, turning away. His voice, colder than before, came as he walked out of the room. "Get packed. You're flying out today."

Present:

"Not long after that, an article came out saying I'd died in a car crash. My own father disowned me, wiped me out of his life completely."
Kai started, struggling to find the right words.

"Arnik... I had no idea."

The med bay door slid open.

Andrew Handerfall stepped in, his presence filling the room with a heavy authority.

"So... you all survived," Andrew said, his tone unreadable, eyes scanning the room.
Andrew Handerfall stepped in, his presence filling the room with a heavy, unspoken authority.
Arnik's entire body tensed. His fist clenched tightly at his side, trembling slightly, but his gaze never wavered. He stared at Andrew with a piercing intensity, his jaw tight, his expression hard as stone.
Andrew's eyes briefly met his son's before settling on the others, his voice calm but sharp. "If you have something to say, Arnik, then say it."
The silence hung thick for a moment before Arnik took a step forward, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "Yeah. What the hell just happened? Our Sovereign was a demon."
Andrew's gaze remained steady as he nodded. "Correct. There's much I need to explain to you. Follow me, Arnik."
Arnik didn't budge. His fists clenched at his sides as he glared at Andrew, his voice rising with anger. "NO! Why am I so important?!"
Andrew met his son's fiery stare with an unwavering expression. "Like I said," he replied firmly, "there's a lot to explain."

Arnik's glare didn't waver as he took a step forward, his voice sharp and unwavering. "I need to know something first." His voice cut through the tension like a blade, his fists trembling at his sides. "Where is Markus?!"

"He's alive... but not well." Andrew walked over to a terminal and pressed a few buttons. The screen flickered to life, displaying Markus strapped down to a medical bed. Medical personnel worked frantically to close his wounds as he thrashed violently, blood streaking his face like tears.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!" Markus screamed, his voice raw and filled with anguish.