The modern hospital waiting room was pristine, its glossy tile floor reflecting the stark white light of LED fixtures.

A faint antiseptic scent lingered in the air, mingling with the low hum of conversation from the crowd. Rows of neatly arranged chairs were packed with people of all ages—silver-haired elders, young adults glued to their phones.

The intercom occasionally crackled, calling out numbers, interspersed with the hurried footsteps of nurses and whispered exchanges.

Shadow and old man Nite sat in a corner near a large window overlooking the hospital’s lush courtyard.

Nite clasped his gnarled hands tightly, wearing a grave expression.

Shadow sighed. “Don’t overthink it. Losing your veteran insurance was due to her issues. This was the responsibility she wanted to bear.” She paused, her gaze distant. “The only thing she cared about, the only thing tying her to this world, was you. When she thought she was dying and planned to hand this body to me, her only request was that I take care of you. So, take care of yourself and wait for her to recover.”

Nite grunted softly, but his expression grew heavier. His cloudy eyes stared at the floor, offering no comfort. Mai had gotten injured trying to earn money for this damn Purification.

Outside, a gentle breeze swayed the trees, but inside, the air between them remained heavy with unspoken emotions.

A five-year-old girl with neatly braided brown hair skipped down the hallway, only to trip and stumble. Mai swooped in, catching her before she hit the floor. The girl looked up with wide, momentarily frightened eyes, then broke into a smile, safe.

Hurried footsteps approached—a woman in her twenties, her face tinged with youthful vibrance yet softened by mature allure. Her golden hair was loosely tied up, stray strands curling around her pale neck. A light green sundress swayed with her steps, a breath of fresh air in the sterile hospital. She knelt, scooping the girl from Mai’s arms, her voice warm and captivating: “Ella, are you okay? Thank you!”

Mai smiled. “Hello, Officer Emma.”

Emma had been one of the cops at the bank robbery scene, the one who had shown her the file on the robber, Jack Thompson.

Mai remembered her vividly because as she had been leaving, Emma had called her back, voice firm: “The bank manager’s here. You should request the security footage and copy it to your phone. It might come in handy later.”

Mai hadn’t fully understood but followed through when the manager eagerly agreed, thanking her profusely. Emma had been seasoned in these matters, and Mai knew better than to ignore the advice of someone with experience.

“Oh… you’re Mai!” Emma said, recognizing her. That bank heist performance had been unforgettable.

“This is my grandfather, Nite,” Mai said, gesturing to the old man, who sat up straighter, his eyes less weary.

Emma smiled, shaking Nite’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you. This is my daughter, Ella, five years old.”

Ella, still clutching her mother’s hand, gazed at Nite curiously. Mai noted Emma’s faint worry but didn’t pry—they weren’t close enough for that.

Since Ella’s arrival, Nite had seemed brighter. He pulled an old coin from his pocket, performing a simple magic trick that made Ella giggle. “Look, the coin’s gone!” he said, hiding it behind his hand before “magically” pulling it from behind her ear.

Ella clapped, demanding an encore. The two hit it off, with Ella sitting beside Nite, chattering about her favorite doll while he listened patiently, nodding and smiling—a rare smile softening his weathered face, as if Ella were a small light piercing his gloom.

The intercom called Nite’s name and number. Ella, having finished her Purification, stood with Emma. “We’re heading out. Wishing you a speedy recovery!” Emma said warmly. Ella waved, her voice bright: “I’ll come back to play with you, okay?” Nite nodded, his eyes briefly alight, but as the mother and daughter disappeared, he sank back into silence, his face heavy again. Mai watched him, sighing softly.

---

The small, orderly Purification room carried a sharp ozone scent, as if freshly sterilized, blending with the soft hum of the air filtration system and faint beeps from a heart monitor.

Nite lay on a gray leather treatment chair in the center. Mai stood a few steps away, near a digital control panel.

“Doctor, may I [Observe]?” she asked softly.

The doctor, a middle-aged man with neatly cropped salt-and-pepper hair in a crisp white coat, looked up from his clipboard. His round glasses slipped slightly down his nose, and he pushed them up with his index finger, eyeing Mai with mild surprise, as if sizing her up.

A faint smile crossed his lips—not quite friendly, but knowing. He nodded, waving briefly: “Go ahead, young lady.”

[Observe] was a basic Vorn skill taught to newly awakened Raisers. Original Mai had never tried it, lacking Vorn. Mai focused Vorn into her eyes, feeling invisible lenses form, sharpening her view of the Vorn flow. Tiny Vorn particles glimmered like stars, drifting in the air, a thin mist rising from Nite’s body, especially around his chest.

The doctor, calm to the point of coldness, placed both hands on Nite’s gnarled wrists. A brilliant white energy erupted from his palms, like heatless flame, distinct from the rainbow shimmer of typical Vorn.

This was [Purification]. The light, pure and nearly transparent, resembled sunlight on water but sharper, more potent. It flowed from the doctor’s hands into Nite, a river of light threading through veins and muscles.

As the white energy met the Vorn in Nite’s body, the sparkling Vorn particles were expelled, like dust swept away by an invisible breeze, escaping through Nite’s skin as wispy trails that danced and dissolved.

Nite groaned softly, his weathered face tightening, wrinkles deepening. His lips pressed together, enduring the pain without complaint. Each surge of white light made his body twitch, as if jolted by an unseen current. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his eyes remained fixed on the ceiling, resolute.

When Purification ended, the white light receded, absorbed back into the doctor’s hands, leaving only the soft LED glow and machine hum. Nite exhaled heavily, his body relaxing but visibly drained. His shoulders slumped, his cloudy eyes half-closed, as if weathering an internal storm.

The doctor stepped to a touchscreen on the wall, pulling up Nite’s digital chart with graphs and vitals. “See anything?” he asked, his voice low and even, tinged with curiosity, as if testing her. One eyebrow arched slightly.

Mai responded calmly, her tone thoughtful. “From what I saw, Purification forced the Vorn out rather than neutralizing it inside the body. It seemed more like an expulsion process than a transformation, wasn’t it?”

The doctor’s slender fingers danced across the virtual keyboard. He nodded, a subtle smile curving his lips, his eyes glinting with approval and surprise. “Not bad,” he said, then explained in a measured, professional tone: “Raisers have an evolved DNA segment that uses Vorn as energy to optimize their genome. Normal people lack this, so Vorn enters unprocessed, causing erratic ‘optimization’ that harms the body. Usually, the immune system expels Vorn as an intruder.”

The screen updated with Nite’s heart rate, Vorn levels, and other vitals. The doctor checked the data, continuing: “But in high-Vorn environments, the immune system gets overwhelmed or desensitized—we’re not sure which—losing its ability to expel Vorn. That’s when [Purification] or similar abilities are needed to filter it out periodically before it causes damage. That’s the core principle.”

He tapped the screen, saving the chart, then turned, pushing his glasses up. The light caught the lenses, flashing coldly, highlighting a fleeting sharpness in his gaze—not malice, but keen curiosity, like a scientist eyeing a rare specimen. “In rare cases, some with evolved DNA still have immune systems that reject Vorn as an intruder. These immune systems are unusually strong, unable to be overloaded or dulled into losing their ability to expel Vorn, unlike in normal people.”

He crossed his arms, tilting his head, his voice dropping with a mix of jest and gravity: “I’ve said a lot. Not too much to borrow your body for a look, right, Miss Defective Raiser?”

His tone wasn’t mocking but like a researcher naming a prized lab rat, brimming with fascination. His eyes locked onto Mai, as if he had long suspected something unusual and now sought confirmation.

Defective Raisers weren’t unheard of, but one using Vorn and performing [Observe] with such precision was new to him. His eyes sparked with intense curiosity, like a scientist on the cusp of a breakthrough. He asked half-jokingly, but Mai spread her arms casually: “Be my guest.”

Her tone was light, though both knew it was mere courtesy—with his higher rank, no one could have stopped him. The doctor focused, his eyes glowing faintly as [Observe] activated. He froze, then let out an astonished “Oh.” Within Mai, Vorn didn’t just exist—it flowed in a perfect cycle, like a dedicated bloodstream, steady and precise, threading through every cell.

“Remarkable!” he blurted, unable to contain himself. “You make Vorn circulate slowly, letting your body digest it bit by bit, overriding your immune system’s rejection. How?”

He caught himself, pushing his glasses up, voice softening with apology: “Sorry, I overstepped. That’s a big secret.”

Mai smiled, unfazed: “No worries. You’ll find out soon enough.” She shrugged.

The doctor’s eyes widened, his glasses slipping again. “You know the value of this technique?” he asked, voice low but urgent, disbelieving.

Mai nodded: “I do.”

He fell silent, asking no more. He knew this technique offered little to high-tier supers with natural Vorn compatibility—direct absorption was faster. But his broader vision recognized its potential to shake humanity. He took a deep breath, his sharp gaze now tinged with respect as he looked at Mai.

As Nite sat up, Mai seized the moment: "Doctor, after intense exercise or injury, if I channel Vorn to those areas, the wounds seem to absorb it faster—and once it heals, the Vorn isn’t expelled afterward. Is that normal?”

The doctor paused, turning to her, his eyes alight with interest, as if she had hit his favorite topic. He pushed his glasses up, a faint smile crossing his face. “Good observation,” he said, voice low but animated. “Faster Vorn absorption has a scientific basis. Like weightlifting tears muscle fibers, triggering repair and stronger regrowth, the body consumes oxygen and nutrients—especially protein—faster. The same applies to Vorn.”

He paused, thinking. “Your case, where the immune system doesn’t reject Vorn during healing, has never been documented, since Defective Raisers typically lack Vorn altogether. In medicine, it’s possible that during injury, some immune cells shift from attack to repair mode, treating Vorn as rebuilding material rather than a threat. Other theories, like a tolerogenic response, suggest the immune system ignores Vorn in specific contexts.”

He shrugged. “It can be explained through immune system mechanics, but if you want to understand it thoroughly, further research is needed. "His eyes flashed with that dangerous curiosity again.

Sensing it, Mai quickly pulled Nite toward the door. The doctor flicked a business card her way, saying, “Contact me anytime you’re interested.”

Mai snatched the card, stuffed it in her pocket, and bolted.

---

On the livestream, streamer Alex was electric and breathless, her voice bright with excitement as she stood in the bustling plaza outside Lost Angel’s city hall. “Oh my gosh, it’s packed, guys! Look at this crowd—you can’t even move! It’s National Hero Entrance Exam registration day, the hottest event in Lost Angel! Ready? Let me show you the full scene!”

Alex panned the camera across the dazzling plaza. The city hall loomed grandly, its tempered glass facade reflecting sunlight, steel pillars engraved with broken-winged angel motifs, and a crystal dome gleaming like a giant gem. The crowd—candidates, families, onlookers—buzzed with excitement, drones hummed overhead, holographic screens replayed epic moments from past exams.

[ Bro this crowd looks like a SailorSwitch concert ? ]

[ Somebody just lost a shoe lmaooo ]

[ Swear i saw like 3 dudes faint already =)) send help ]

[ This city hall deadass looks like Revengers HQ ? ]

[ Been in line forever, still not inside ? ]

[ Lost angel? more like lost ME, got lost twice ? ]

[ Chill Alex, that camera spin makin me dizzy ]

[ IDC about the exam im here for the drama =)) ]

[ Yooo is F4 here yet?? ]

Alex zoomed toward a girl near the registration booth, her sharp eyes and confident stance standing out. “No 4 Clans yet, but we’ve got familiar faces! That’s Selene from House Evermarch! And beside her was Rowan from House Crowmere! These two are from Lost Angel’s 7 Houses!”

[ Selene looks like she boutta solo the whole exam ? ]

[ Green hair?? green flag ✅ ]

[ Rowan standing there like he owns the place ]

[ Crowmere?? bro that name sounds like a villain already ]

[ Imagine being rich AND a super… couldn’t be me ? ]

[ Ayo Alex acting like a professor rn lmaooo ]

[ Just tell us when F4 shows up]

[ Wait so what’s the difference between houses and clans fr?? ]

[ Yeah alex explain that lore dump pls, i’m lost ?‍? ]

[ All i know is clans >>> houses, don’t fight me ]

Alex lowered her voice, adopting a knowing tone.
“Alright, for those not from Lost Angel, let me break it down. In Lost Angel, we talk about 4 Clans and 7 Houses. The 7 Houses are big names in business, politics, culture—like Evermarch or Crowmere I just pointed out. They’ve got money and influence.”

She lifted a finger, gesturing toward the plaza as if revealing a secret to her audience. “But they are still below the 4 Clans, the real powerhouses—ancient families with tons of super-powered members. Clans marry other supers to keep the bloodline strong, since super parents have a higher chance of super kids. The Houses try to climb that ladder too, but it takes generations!”

[ Bro talking like I shoulda studied for a history test before this stream ?? ]

[ Lowkey same in my city, we got houses and clans too but nobody calls it “4 Clans and 7 Houses” lolol sounds like some old Honk Kong triad movie ? ]

[ So houses are like rich ppl with money, clans are the ones who actually throw hands right? ]

[ Basically clans = power, houses = clout ? ]

[ Ohhh so that’s why all those arranged marriages & political weddings be popping off huh ?? ]

[ Giving big Game of Crowns energy rn ?? ]

[ Imagine being born for love but ending up in a merger deal ? ]

The chat scrolled faster.

[ Wait, I thought Lost Angel only had supers up to F-rank?? All that effort just to squeeze out a few F-ranks? ? ]

[ Yeah last time just one E-rank bug showed up and they had to call Boltcrack from another city ? ]

[ Bro, wasn’t it Inferno Knuckle who killed it?? ]

[ That fight was peak cinema ngl ]

[ These clans even got C-rank supers. But if you wanna hit higher, you gotta climb the Tower—so most of them stuck to the frontline cities. Out here they just swatted random Gates. ]

[ This exam lowkey feels like Winker for houses and clans ? swipe swipe ]

[ Nah but marrying only supers sounds like some weird eugenics stuff ]

[ Clans really gatekeeping the gene pool fr ]

[ Houses grinding for generations just to maybe catch up ?? ]

The camera swung to a guy in line, wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt and oversized sunglasses. “Haha, check this out! That’s Shou Maru, youngest son of House Maru. You might not know House Maru, but you have definitely eaten MaruChamps instant noodles, right? That was their brand—they had just clawed their way into the 7 Houses.”

[ Bro really pulled up to the exam lookin like he’s on vacation ?? ]

[ Tell me why he looks like an npc side quest giver ]

[ Maruchamps?? yo i ate that ramen last night ?? ]

[ Ain’t no way a ramen company counts as a house ]

Wait isn’t that the ramen brand sidekick kick-the-side girl cooked on the show?? ?? ]

The plaza erupted like a volcano as four blinding streaks tore across the sky, leaving trails of light. The roar of engines, a high-tech symphony, sent the crowd of hundreds into a frenzy of cheers and screams. Drones circled above, camera flashes sparkling like stars.

Alex nearly leapt out of her skin, shouting into the mic, eyes blazing: “GUYS, F4 IS HERE! Get ready to lose it—this is the main event!”

Her camera swung wildly from one hovercar to the next as Alex screamed into the mic: “SILVER TEAR! NIGHT REAPER! CRIMSON JUGGERNAUT! TESLUXE! These babies were straight-up legends—custom-crafted! You couldn’t just buy these with money, folks, they were next-level elite!”

[ Wait… how does Alex know so much about cars tho ? ]

[ Lmao she only knows the expensive ones =)) ]

[ Idc what y’all say, that Tesluxe looks CLEAN]

[ OMG 4 clans finally here let’s GOOOO ?? ]

[ F4! F4! F4! ??? ]

[ Side note: alex hold the camera steady pls im shaking ]

[ Bro my screen bouncing harder than the crowd rn ? ]

The hovercar doors slid open, light bursting like fireworks as four figures stepped out, radiant as gods descending in a halo of brilliance. The plaza quaked with screams, the air ablaze. Alex yelled into the mic, nearly drowning out the engines: “HERE THEY ARE, F4! THE STARS OF THE SHOW!”

One was hulking, muscles straining against a camo tank, eyes burning under a mess of brown hair.

Another cut a lethal figure, tall and lean in a razor-sharp black suit, long hair tied back, eyes glinting like a panther.

The third moved with refined grace, golden hair perfectly styled, pearl-white suit gleaming as gray eyes sparkled with wit.

And the last radiated icy regality, silver-gray hair shimmering like moonlight, crimson vest hugging broad shoulders and long legs, his face carved to perfection.

The camera panned wide, capturing the four men striding through the plaza, confident as kings owning the universe. Girls screamed, eyes starry, waving frantically. Boys muttered among themselves, some impressed, others sizing them up with sharp gazes. The crowd parted like magic, even candidates in line stepping aside.

“Hear those screams? The girls are going crazy for F4!” Alex laughed, her voice buzzing with excitement. “And the guys—look at those jealous glares, hahaha!”

[ Bruh these people goin crazy, it’s just Raisers not pop idols ]

[ For real, they walking like stars ]

[ Idols can’t compare tho—these guys gonna protect us for real in the future ? ]

[ YOO even the girl candidates screaming?? aren’t they supposed to be rivals?? ]

[ Competition? Nah they too busy fangirling rn ? ]

[ Classic… risk your life later, simp for now ? ]

[ At the end of the day it’s just thirst talking—same everywhere ? ]

The camera swept the crowd before snapping back to the four men. Suddenly, the muscular one stopped, breaking formation as he strode through the throng toward a girl in the corner—eyes glued to her phone, oblivious to the chaos.

[ Yo is that… MAGNUS breaking formation?? ? ]

[ Bro just ditched F4’s cool walk for a side quest ]

[ Crowd splitting like he’s the final boss ]

[ He really walking like a whole earthquake rn ? ]

[ She still on her phone… girl got no idea the hulk is coming ]

[ This some main character crossover vibes fr ]

[ Wait isn’t that the sidekick kick-the-side girl?? ]

[ Drama alert ?? ]

[ Alex ZOOM ZOOM pls ?? ]