The Red Spark
1183 Words
The dust from the cave-in hung heavy in the air. Xin’s lungs burned, but the sight in front of him made his blood turn to ice.
The Elemental was massive, its body made of jagged obsidian and flowing lava. It held Old Chen off the ground with one hand. Chen, the man who had taught Xin how to tie a safety knot and shared his lunch every day for three years, looked like a broken doll.
"Put him down," Xin said. His voice wasn't shaking anymore. It was flat and cold.
"Come and take him, little Spark," the Elemental hissed. Its grip tightened. Chen let out a strangled groan.
"Warning," the voice in Xin’s head rang out. "Emotional distress detected. Host energy is turning volatile. If you attack now, the Engine will enter 'Overdrive.' You will gain power, but you may lose your mind."
I don't care, Xin thought. Save him.
"Xin... don't..." Chen wheezed, his eyes bulging. "Just... run..."
"I'm done running, Chen," Xin said.
Xin didn't wait for a plan. He didn't wait for Mei or the Captain. He lunged.
The silver mark on his chest didn't glow blue this time. It turned a fierce, angry red. The power didn't flow through his veins; it tore through them. He felt like he was being filled with boiling lead.
[Level 4 Unlocked: Berserker Pulse.]
[Condition: Rage-Induced Evolution.]
Xin hit the Elemental with the force of a freight train. He didn't use a clever time-reverse or a thermal blast. He just punched. His fist, wrapped in red energy, cracked the creature’s obsidian chest.
The Elemental roared in surprise, dropping Chen. Mei scrambled out from the rubble and dragged Chen toward the safety of a concrete pillar.
"Xin! Stop!" Mei screamed. "The energy is turning black! You’re going to burn out!"
Xin didn't hear her. He saw only red. He tackled the monster, and the two of them crashed through a brick wall into the supply depot.
Inside, the depot was filled with rows of glowing vats. This was the "Evolution Fluid" Captain Han had mentioned—thick, neon-green liquid used to power the alien army.
The Elemental kicked Xin off and stood up, its chest smoking. "You think a little anger makes you a god? You are still meat and bone!"
The monster raised both hands. The lava flowing through its veins surged, and it shot a stream of molten rock at Xin.
Xin didn't dodge. He stood his ground and held up his hands. The red energy formed a jagged, vibrating shield. The lava hit the shield and splashed harmlessly to the sides, melting the floor.
"Host," the voice warned, sounding distorted. "Energy levels at 150%. Physical body sustaining damage. Please... vent... the... power..."
"Venting!" Xin screamed.
He grabbed one of the nearby vats of Evolution Fluid and ripped the lid off. He didn't drink it—he jammed his glowing red hand directly into the liquid.
The reaction was violent. The green fluid turned silver, then red, then exploded. The shockwave knocked the Elemental back into a rack of weapons. Xin stood in the center of the explosion, absorbing the raw energy.
[Level 5 Unlocked: Core Integration.]
[New Ability: Weapon Manifestation.]
The heavy metallic glove Captain Han had given him began to melt and reshape itself. It fused with the silver mark on Xin’s arm, forming a sleek, armored gauntlet that hummed with power.
Xin felt his mind clear. The red rage cooled into a sharp, focused blue. He wasn't a window cleaner anymore. He looked like a soldier from the future.
"My turn," Xin said.
He pointed his new gauntlet at the Elemental. He didn't fire a blast. Instead, he pulled. The gravity in the room shifted. The Elemental was yanked toward Xin as if caught on an invisible hook.
As the monster flew toward him, Xin swung his gauntlet. A blade of solid light erupted from the wrist. With one clean motion, he sliced through the creature’s core.
The Elemental froze. Its eyes flickered, then went dark. It shattered into a thousand pieces of cold stone.
Silence filled the depot. Xin stood there, his chest heaving, his new armor glowing softly.
"Xin?" Mei’s voice was small. She and Chen walked slowly into the room.
Chen was limping, his face bruised, but he was alive. He looked at Xin—at the glowing armor and the cold light in his eyes—and he didn't smile. He looked afraid.
"What did they do to you, kid?" Chen whispered.
Xin looked at his hand. The gauntlet felt like it was part of his skin. He realized he couldn't take it off. He had traded a piece of his humanity for the power to save his friend.
"I'm okay, Chen," Xin said, though his voice sounded robotic. "I'm just... upgraded."
"We found the Fluid," Mei said, trying to break the tension. She looked at the smashed vats. "Well, what’s left of it. Captain Han is going to be happy. With this energy, we can power the Resistance's EMP jammer."
"It won't be enough," Xin said, looking up. His Pulse Sense was stronger now. He could feel the giant spire in the center of the city humming. It was getting louder. "The Reverse protocol has reached 80%. We have less than an hour."
Suddenly, the ground groaned. Not from an explosion, but from the earth itself.
Outside, a car floated into the air. Then a mailbox. Then a stray dog.
"It's starting," Mei gasped, grabbing onto a heavy metal pipe. "The gravity... it’s flipping!"
Xin planted his boots. His armor locked onto the floor with magnetic force. He grabbed Chen and Mei, holding them down as the world around them began to fall up.
"Host," the voice said. "The Elemental General is calling for you. He is at the top of the spire. He says if you don't come, he will drop the city from ten miles up."
Xin looked at Chen. "I have to go."
"You can't fly, Xin!" Chen yelled, clutching the pipe for dear life.
Xin looked at his glowing gauntlet. He felt the Engine inside him, ready to roar. He looked at the giant spire piercing the clouds, the center of the nightmare.
"I don't need to fly," Xin said. "I'm just going to fall... in the wrong direction."
He released his magnetic lock. Instead of falling to the floor, Xin was sucked toward the ceiling. He smashed through the skylight of the depot and shot into the air, falling toward the sky.
Beneath him, the city was a mess of floating debris and screaming people. Above him, the golden fortress waited like an open mouth.
And standing on the very tip of the spire, surrounded by a whirlwind of lightning, was the General.
- Writer
