When Death Became My Brother

Inside the Capsule…

Nerez felt overwhelming pain. His body trembled violently, as if it were being broken apart and rebuilt all at once. A terrifying energy surged through him, reshaping every fiber of his being.

He didn't grow taller or bulkier, but his speed, strength, and senses all skyrocketed. He felt… different. Stronger. Sharper. Transcendent.

Then

BOOM!

The capsule burst open with a metallic crack. He opened his eyes to find himself back in the chamber, soaked and dazed but very much alive.

"So dizzy…" Nerez muttered, gripping the edge of the capsule for balance.

CRACK.

The metal beneath his hand cracked.

Startled, he looked down. The reinforced capsule built with military-grade alloys was breaking under his grip.

Did I just… crack it? With my bare hand?

Before he could think further, a voice echoed from a speaker above.

"Congratulations on your awakening. Please proceed to the hall where you first arrived."

It was the same soldier....Commander Lourk.

Still stunned, Nerez stepped forward and saw the others, including Seran, emerging from their own capsules. Despite the strange liquid clinging to them, seeing his brother alive made him smile.

"Good to see you, bro," Nerez said with a grin.

"Same here. Still dizzy, though," Seran replied with a chuckle.

"Likewise," Nerez added, laughing softly.

DUN DUN DUN...

Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Commander Lourk entered the room.

"I'm glad you're all well. The dizziness is normal. Within minutes, you'll begin to feel your Cryptic Power stirring," he announced.

Everyone waited silently.

And then, it happened.

Some awakened began manifesting terrifying abilities. One froze the ground beneath him with a single breath. Another radiated intense heat, ..fire forming naturally around him, forcing others to step back.

"Seran. Nerez. Come with me," Lourk commanded, turning around.

The two boys glanced at each other, then followed.

"What about the others?" Seran asked, looking back.

"They'll be handled by someone else," Lourk replied without turning.

They walked into a secure chamber. Lourk led them to a reinforced briefing room and finally turned to face them.

"The reason I separated you from the rest is simple, you're different. Your awakening is unlike theirs. Now listen closely. Let me explain how Cryptic Powers are classified."

He stepped forward, voice steady and eyes glowing faintly.

"There are three major Power Classes:

Class C: Common abilities....fire, ice, wind, water.

Class B: Rare powers like energy manipulation, gravity, teleportation, soul or mind control.

Class A: Super rare, legendary powers...time, space, fate, and now… both of you."

Lourk paused to let that sink in.

"I'm Class B myself, Energy Manipulation. The girl who saved humanity with her visions? Class A,Fate. Another awakened with Creation power was reported just a few states away. And now you two… So tell me, what are your Cryptic Powers?"

Seran and Nerez were stunned. It was a lot to take in.

Lourk remained silent, giving them time to process.

Finally, Seran spoke.

"I think I've felt signs of it before... My power is Time."

Lourk's eyes widened. His breath hitched.

Time?

Time Distortion was Class B but full Time Manipulation?

That was legendary.

He turned slowly to Nerez.

"And you?"

Nerez hesitated, then spoke quietly.

"Mine is... Death."

Lourk blinked.

"Death? As in… destruction?"

"No. Just death. I can sense when someone's about to die… and I can accelerate it if I want. But for now, it only lasts a few seconds," Nerez explained, visibly nervous.

Lourk exhaled sharply. Relief… but also fear.

He's only just awakened, and he can already influence death? What happens when he fully matures?

He turned back to Seran.

"Can you control time yet?"

"Only a little. I can reverse it… by ten seconds."

Lourk nodded slowly, deep in thought.

Death and Time…

Together, they could be terrifying. If Seran accelerated a person's timeline… and Nerez hastened their death…

They were opposites. Complements. Weapons.

"You two are a dangerous pair," Lourk said with a serious tone. "But I'm glad you're on our side. You'll likely be our future leaders

.but for now, survival comes first."

He walked to a console and tapped a screen.

"In thirty minutes, we're relocating to the safe zones identified by the girl with the Fate power. She overused her ability, she's in a coma now, might not recover for a month. But she saved Billions of lives. We owe her that."

He turned back to them.

"You eight will move first. Your training must begin immediately. Animals have started attacking en masse, many now reach over three meters tall. They're mutated. Aggressive."

Lourk moved toward the exit but turned once more.

"And don't return to where the normal humans are. You don't yet understand your strength. Until you learn control… you could snap a human neck just by touching them."

With that, he exited, leaving the twins in the room.

Silence.

"Bro… are we in a movie?" Nerez asked, dumbfounded.

"No bro… this is real. And crazy. We need time to process it all," Seran replied, leaning against a wall.

"Absolutely. I can't believe we awakened Class A Cryptic Powers… Aren't we, like, the main protagonists or something?" Nerez grinned.

"Fool." Seran slapped his head gently.

They both burst into laughter, joking and discussing their powers like old times.

But neither of them knew...

The room was wired..every word was being monitored by Commander Lourk and his team.

**********

Meanwhile, at the Central Military Base...

The most advanced stronghold on Earth.

And the only one housing the Savior of Humanity...the girl who risked her life to guide the world to safety.

"How is she?" a senior military general asked, approaching the medical wing.

A doctor glanced over.

"She's stable. No physical injuries, but her energy has been completely overdrawn. She'll remain in a coma for about a month."

The doctor's eyes faintly glowed...he too was an awakener. Class B: Energy Manipulation.

Most awakened could only use basic forms of their powers. But the girl…

She had performed a complete foresight activation, an advanced technique only a few could ever touch.

Her record was updated immediately:

[Name: — ]

[Cryptic Power: Fate]

[Power Class: A]

[Awakener Rank: Silver]

[Threat Level: B (Can destroy hundreds of meters)]

Only two beings had reached Threat Level B:

The Gravity User who crushed an entire village.

And her..the girl who rewrote the path of humanity. She should be higher but for now this was enough.

She was also the world's only Silver-ranked awakener.

And now, with the twins awakened…

The balance of power was beginning to shift.

******************†**********************†**********

Ps; current known Awakener rank

-bronze (just awaken, can barely control their power )

-silver (begining mastery , can affect surroundings)

Threat level -

-D(above peak humans )

-C (destroy buildings, rooms etc)

-B( destroy hundreds of meters)