Bound by the king of destruction

As I lay unconscious beneath the rubble, my body numb and breathless, I drifted somewhere else. A void that pulsed with life.

It wasn't the cold, empty space I'd imagined as a child. It was luminous, breathing with strange energy. The dark stretched infinitely, but it shimmered with alien light, like stars had bled their colors into the abyss.

Around me floated broken fragments: slabs of stone, jagged mountain peaks, and entire trees twisted midair. Pieces of ground hovered, carrying patches of moss and roots as though a living world had been violently ripped apart and left suspended.

It was beautiful, but in a dead, hollow way. A place that looked like it had died yesterday, yet carried the silence of centuries.

I spun through the air, drifting past the floating remnants of homes, windows intact, staircases leading to nowhere, rooftops dangling sideways. No humans. No movement. Only dust and memory.

A realm that had stopped breathing.

Then something shifted.

The unseen force holding me aloft vanished, and gravity reported to duty. .

It gripped my body with ferocity, yanked me down like a missile launched in reverse

The air tore past my ears as I plummeted, arms flailing, mouth open in a scream swallowed by the void.

The deeper I fell, the heavier I became. Gravity thickened, like the earth itself wanted me buried beneath its weight.

Then—impact.

THUD!

The sound cracked the silence as my body slammed into the ground, carving a crater where I landed. Dirt and debris erupted around me, raining down in clouds of ash.

For a long moment, I lay there, unsure if I was alive.

Then, with slow, shaking arms, I pushed myself up from the hole.

---

The world had changed.

I stood on cracked earth, barren and lifeless. No trees. No birds. Only a scorched sky and a wasteland stretched thin like paper over old scars.

Shattered ruins littered the ground: broken helmets, splintered spears, rusted swords half-buried in dust. Tiny homes collapsed in heaps. The air reeked of ash and forgotten battles.

This place… was a graveyard.

---

Then came the flashes.

Memories… or maybe visions… struck me like lightning.

A monstrous figure loomed in my mind's eye: towering, with skin the color of blood and eyes that glowed like molten iron. His fangs jutted like daggers, and his long black hair whipped wildly around his shoulders. In his hand, he carried a massive iron bat studded with cruel spikes.

I saw him swing it, again and again, tearing through the green-skinned humanoids who lived here. Their bodies were frog-like, their limbs long and twisted, their sunken noses flaring in terror. They tried to fight back, but they were nothing to him.

The creature roared with every strike.

"I am the greatest!"

Even the strongest of them fell.

And when he was done, he raised his head and screamed a sound so powerful it shattered the last standing walls into dust. The air itself cracked under his voice.

Then—darkness.

I snapped awake, still buried in rubble.

---

An early Wednesday morning, my grandmother stood in front of a towering building in the city. Its mirrored glass reflected the pale sky, and above the main entrance, bold silver letters gleamed:

No Power, No Command.

She stared at the sign with a tight jaw.

"Damn it… I hate that this is my only option," she muttered.

With a stiff breath, she stepped forward. The automatic doors slid open with a hiss, revealing a sterile, polished lobby that smelled faintly of metal and glass cleaner. She crossed to the elevator, pressed the button, and rode up to the 17th floor in silence.

When the doors opened, she marched down the hallway and stopped at a door marked:

SALIN CLICK.

She knocked.

"Come in," a smooth voice called.

---

Inside, a man sat at a sleek black desk. Not too old, not too young, perhaps early forties. His crimson hair, tied in a low ponytail, gleamed faintly under the lights. A white shirt, sleeves buttoned, hugged his frame, and a neat red tie added a deliberate sharpness. His fox-like eyes narrowed the moment they landed on her.

A slow, predatory smile curved his lips.

"Elunara," he said softly, tilting his head. "What a pleasant surprise."

She didn't return the smile.

"Tell me you have nothing to do with it."

Salin's eyes glinted, the whites almost disappearing.

"What do you mean by that?"

"My grandson has been missing for two weeks," she said. "Tell me you know nothing about it."

Salin chuckled low, leaning back in his chair.

"Two years since we last saw each other, and that's how you greet me? No 'how are you,' no kind words? Straight to accusations?"

"You're obsessed with science, invention, and dangerous experiments," Elunara shot back. "I'm a hundred percent sure you're involved."

He rose slowly, unbothered. His polished shoes clicked against the floor as he walked around the desk to face her.

"You're right," he said smoothly. "I am obsessed with science. But tell me… is this really the only place you thought to look?"

He leaned close, smiling softly.

"How about I help you find him?"

His voice was calm… too calm. Too sweet.

"Not a chance," she snapped. "You'd only drag him into one of your facilities."

Salin gave a knowing smirk and returned to his seat, folding his hands in front of his chin. The light reflected off his glasses, hiding his eyes.

"You know me, Elunara. I always ask for permission first."

She turned sharply to leave, knowing this was the wrong place to look.

"Hope I see you again soon," Salin called after her, his tone dripping with amusement. Then he muttered under his breath:

"She hasn't changed a bit. Still stunning…"

---

Outside

On the street, Grandma stopped and pulled out her phone. Her thumb hovered over a contact: Nyra.

After a long pause, she sighed and slipped the phone back into her pocket.

"I don't want to worry her," she murmured.

She looked back at the building one last time, eyes narrowing at the silver letters:

No Power, No Command.

Then she walked away.