The ground shook beneath Kira's feet. Her lungs burned as she sprinted through the shattered streets, her mother's hand gripping hers like a lifeline. Buildings that once stood tall now crumbled, engulfed in smoke and fire. Screams filled the air, drowned out by the monstrous shrieks of the invaders tearing the walls
"Kira, keep running!" her mother urged, pulling her forward as debris rained down around them.
Kira's legs ached, but the fear pounding in her chest was stronger. The monsters had broken through the wall of the city
Ahead, the evacuation zone loomed, but the crowd was in chaos. the Police fired weapons at the dark, shifting figures emerging from the wreckage, but the creatures barely slowed.
Something roared behind them. Kira turned-and her blood ran cold.
A massive shadow lunged toward them.
Kira barely had time to register the jagged limbs, the gleaming black carapace, before her mother yanked her hard to the side. The creature's claws sliced through the air, missing her by inches. It crashed into a collapsed transport vehicle, metal shrieking as it tore through the wreckage.
Her mother didn't stop. Didn't look back.
"Kira, don't stop running!" she shouted.
The evacuation zone was just ahead, but the streets were in chaos. People ran, some screaming for help, others already dead. The Zenith weren't here.
Kira's breath came in ragged gasps. Why weren't they here?
She knew the answer. She had seen the leaderboard screen flash just before the attack-the top Zenith were in the inner city, where the high-value zones were.
This neighborhood was worth almost nothing in the system.
The points didn't justify a rescue.
A deep, inhuman screech split the air. Kira turned in time to see another monster leap from a ruined building, its eyes locked onto them.
Her mother shoved her forward. "Go! Now!"
Kira stumbled, heart hammering. "Mom-"
The creature struck. Faster than she expected.
A flash of claws. A sharp cry of pain.
Kira's world tilted. Her mother fell.
The monster loomed over her, its claws dripping with blood-her mother's blood.
Kira felt something break inside her. A scream built in her throat, but before she could release it, A flash of silver cut through the air.
The monster lurched, its screech choking into silence as a blade pierced straight through its skull. It twitched violently before collapsing, lifeless.
Through the smoke, an armored figure stepped forward, blade dripping with black blood. Not just any Zenith. A top-ranked one.
Kira knew her face. Everyone did.
Elysia Vance. Rank 4.
Her sleek black-and-gold armor gleamed under the burning city lights. The emblem of the Zenith elite was etched onto her shoulder, proof of her status. She had fought in the Inner City Wars, taken down over a hundred creatures, and had a score so high, she hadn't left the leaderboard in months.
And yet, she had arrived too late.
Kira stood frozen, her breath shallow. She could still hear the faint drip of blood hitting the pavement. Her mother's blood.
Elysia glanced down at the body, then at Kira. No sorrow. No regret. Just another casualty.
With a flick of her wrist, she cleaned the blade against her armor. Then she raised her wrist, speaking into her comm. "Sector 9 cleared. No high-value survivors."
Kira's stomach twisted. No high-value survivors.
Her mother had died because she wasn't worth the points.
Elysia turned away, sliding her sword back into its sheath. Already focused on the next target. The next calculation.
Something inside Kira snapped.
She clenched her fists so tightly her nails cut into her palms. The rage was sharp, bitter, overwhelming. She wanted to scream, to tear that leaderboard down with her own hands.
She swore in that moment-
And one day, she would make Elysia Vance regret ever turning her back on her.
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A dull beeping filled Kira's ears. Slow. Steady. Alive.
Her eyes fluttered open, the blinding white ceiling of the hospital room swimming into focus. The scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, mixing with the faint hum of machines monitoring her vitals. Three days. She had been unconscious for three whole days.
Her body felt weak, but not broken. The wounds were gone-healed with the hospital's advanced regeneration tech. A thin bandage wrapped around her wrist, the only sign she had even been injured at all.
And then, a voice.
"Kira..."
She turned her head and saw him. Her father.
His brown hair was unkempt, his face pale with exhaustion. He looked... older. Tired. Guilty.
"I should have been there," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I should have protected you and your mother."
Kira felt her throat tighten, but she said nothing. She didn't know what to say. Nothing would bring her back.
The silence was broken by a news broadcast playing on the large holographic screen in the room.
"Breaking News: Zenith Leaderboard Update. Due to the tragedy in Globe #3, Elysia Vance has dropped to Rank 5."
The reporter continued speaking, but Kira had stopped listening. Dropped to Rank 5? That was it?
Her fingers curled into fists as she stared at the screen. Her mother was dead, and all that mattered was the rankings.
She couldn't stay here.
Kira pulled the hospital blanket off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her father stood up. "Kira, you should rest."
"I need some air."
She stepped into the hospital hallway, the sleek metallic floor cold beneath her feet. The hospital was more than just a medical center-it was a marvel of technology. Transparent walkways extended between buildings, offering breathtaking views of the city beyond.
And what a city it was.
From her vantage point on the hospital's high-rise platform, she could see the towering skyline of the Globe. Glass skyscrapers shimmered under the artificial sky, their neon lights casting a blue glow over the streets below. Hovercars zipped between buildings, moving seamlessly through the city's airways. It was beautiful. And it was a lie.
Because outside these walls, the Abyssals still roamed. And people were still dying.
Lost in thought, Kira wasn't paying attention when she turned a corner and bumped straight into a nurse.
"Ah-sorry!" Kira stepped back as the nurse crouched to pick up the scattered papers.
"It's alright," the nurse said with a polite smile before walking into a nearby room.
Kira bent down to grab one of the fallen papers, intending to return it-until she heard something that made her stop.
Through the slight gap in the door, voices whispered.
"I still can't believe it," one nurse murmured. "Elysia Vance was assigned to rescue Globe #3."
Kira's breath hitched.
"She was?" another nurse asked.
"Yes, but instead, she and the top 3 started fighting for points in the Inner City. If they hadn't been so busy competing, they could've saved more people."
Kira's fingers tightened around the paper.
She didn't need to hear anything else.
She turned and walked back to her hospital room, her mind blank and her body moving on its own.
When she entered, her father was still there. "Kira?"
She looked him in the eyes.
"I want to become a Zenith."
His expression shifted, a mix of shock and concern. "Kira, you-"
"I'm going to break the leaderboard system."
She took a deep breath, her voice steady.
"And I'm going to make Elysia Vance pay"