Marvel: Sin Lord

Inarius didn't know how long he stood frozen in the alley after the man disappeared. The sight of the girl's lifeless body rooted him in place, his mind spinning. She couldn't have been more than a year or two younger than him. Her face, pale and delicate, was frozen in an expression of fear, her hands curled as if she had tried to shield herself from whatever had happened.

For a moment, all Inarius could do was stare. His chest tightened, and a hollow ache filled him. He had seen death before—caused it, even—but this was different. She didn't deserve this. She was just a kid, like him.

A deep, seething anger began to build in his chest, directed at the man with the blue flaming sword. How could someone do this? How could they take a life so young, so carelessly? The image of the man's weapon, burning bright and cold, was burned into Inarius's mind.

Finally, he forced himself to move. He knelt beside the girl, his hands trembling as he reached out but stopped just short of touching her. He didn't want to hurt her, didn't want to absorb her memories, her pain. She deserved better than that.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'm so sorry."

He looked around the alley, desperate for help. There had to be someone who could do something, someone who could take her away from this place. Spotting a faint light in the window of a nearby building, he bolted toward it, his heart pounding.

He banged on the door until it opened, revealing a tired-looking man in his forties. The man's eyes widened when he saw Inarius, disheveled and frantic, standing in the doorway.

"What's going on?" the man asked, his voice wary.

"There's a girl," Inarius said quickly, his words tumbling over each other. "She's... she's dead. In the alley. Someone killed her. You have to help."

The man frowned, but something in Inarius's tone convinced him to follow. Together, they returned to the alley, where the girl's body still lay in the dim light. The man cursed under his breath, pulling out a phone to call the police.

"They'll handle it," he muttered, glancing at Inarius. "You shouldn't be out here. Go back to wherever you came from."

Inarius ignored him, staying by the girl's side until the sound of sirens filled the air. Soon, the alley was flooded with flashing red and blue lights, and uniformed officers descended on the scene. They pushed Inarius back, questioning him briefly about what he had seen.

He told them about the man with the blue sword, his voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside him. The officers exchanged glances, their expressions dark.

"He's one of them," one of them muttered under his breath.

"Damn mutants," another replied, shaking his head.

Inarius stiffened, his stomach twisting. He had always known there were others like him, people with powers, but hearing the word spoken with such venom sent a chill down his spine.

"First it's property damage, then it's bank robberies," one officer said bitterly. "Now they're killing kids. They're all monsters."

The words stung more than Inarius expected. He clenched his fists, trying to push down the surge of anger and fear rising in him.

Another officer turned to the small group of bystanders that had gathered, including the man who had helped Inarius. "This is why we need stricter laws," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Mutants are a threat to all of us. They don't belong in civilized society."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, and Inarius felt their eyes on him. They didn't know, but he could feel their hatred, their fear, directed toward people like him.

As the police loaded the girl's body into a van and the crowd began to disperse, Inarius stayed behind, hidden in the shadows. He watched until the alley was empty, his mind racing.

The man with the blue sword had killed that girl, but somehow, the blame had shifted to all mutants. People like him. The unfairness of it gnawed at him, but more than that, it terrified him.

If they ever found out what he was—what he could do—would they look at him the same way? Would they call him a monster too?

Inarius slipped away, his thoughts heavy as he made his way back to the shelter. The memory of the girl's lifeless eyes haunted him, and the anger he felt toward the man with the blue sword burned brighter with each step.

He didn't know who the man was or why he had done what he did, but Inarius swore to himself that one day, he would find out. And when he did, he wouldn't let him get away with it.