Chapter 2: Shadows over Skyline
Skyline City—the home of heroes, shimmered beneath the rising sun, a sprawling metropolis of towering glass buildings, neon-lit streets, and soaring skyrails. From above, it looked like a beacon of progress and hope—a symbol of a world shaped by belief, where belief wasn't just an idea. It was Law. Fuel. Power.
Every stone of this city had been laid in the name of one man: Eric, the first true hero. He was said to have wielded the rarest gift of all—neutralization. With a glance, he could still a storm. With a touch, silence a war. In the time of chaos—when rogue power-wielders and violent cults turned cities to ash—Eric rose from the ashes and said, No more.
He founded Skyline city atop the cliffs of the broken world. And the people followed him. Believed him. Loved him. That belief birthed the Belief System—a bond between citizens and their heroes.
In this world, heroes weren't born. They were chosen. The public's belief shaped them, powered them, even kept them alive.The more the people believed in the hero, the stronger the hero became. But that bond worked both ways.Cameras followed every move, and news feeds buzzed with updates. A drop in public faith could mean a loss of power—or worse, death. Some called it justice. Others called it a curse.
Eric died young.
No one knew how. Some said his power consumed him. Others whispered betrayal. A statue in his likeness now stood at the city's gates, carved in darkstone and lightsteel, arm raised to the sky. His smile—calm, eternal—welcomed all.
But today, that statue felt farther from the truth than ever.
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That night, Kael stood before Eric's statue.
"You trusted them," he whispered to the stone. "And they trusted you."
The wind stirred.
"I wonder if that trust ever broke you too."
Behind him, the city hummed with life. Screens played replays of his earlier rescue. People cheered. His name lit the night like a god's.
He should have felt honored.
Instead, he felt trapped.
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Later Kael stood on a rooftop, looking over the city. The wind tugged at his coat, and the faint hum of traffic buzzed below. Screens across the city showed live hero stats, ranking them by their Faith Value. Kael was rising fast. After saving the boy yesterday, his name shot up to fifth place. But with fame came pressure.
"Still thinking about yesterday?" came a voice behind him. His manager, Lira, stepped forward, holding a tablet. Her sleek black suit and sharp eyes made her look more military than media.
Kael nodded. "The kid. The crowd. It's like… it wasn't me saving him. It was their faith that did it."
"That's how it works," she said simply. "You inspire them, and they give you strength. Just don't start doubting it now. You're a rising star. Keep doing what you're doing."
He gave a half-hearted nod, but something inside him felt off. Being a hero wasn't what he expected. It wasn't just fighting villains—it was performing, pleasing the crowd, being perfect.
As they walked back inside, a sharp alert flashed across the sky-screens.
"BREAKING: Masked Vigilante Wraith Strikes Again."
The screen showed shaky footage—blurry and dark, but enough to chill the spine. A cloaked figure moved like smoke through an alley, dodging bullets, taking down a hero with terrifying ease. His mask was featureless—just black with glowing purple eyes.
"No survivors," the reporter said. "This is the fourth hero taken down by Wraith in two weeks. The Heroic Trust Network has issued a high-level alert."
Kael stared at the screen. "Why would someone do this?"
Lira frowned. "Some say it's revenge. Others say he hates the system. No one knows where he came from. He just appeared... like a ghost. No wonder he earned the name - Wraith."
Kael clenched his fists. "If he keeps going, people will start losing faith in all of us."
"That's what he wants," Lira said. "He doesn't just kill heroes. He attacks the belief itself."
Kael's gaze lingered on the screen for a moment before he turned to leave. As he walked away, his bracelet emitted a soft chime, signaling an incoming message. He glanced down to see the screen light up with a notification from Nima Shen.
"Kael, it's me, Nima," the message read. "Meet me back at the alley from yesterday night."
Kael's brow furrowed slightly as he wondered what Nima had discovered. He typed out a quick response: "On my way."
With a sense of curiosity, Kael made his way toward the alley, his mind racing with possibilities. What had Nima found? And why did she want to meet in secret?
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The smell of scorched ozone still lingered in the alley.
Kael stood motionless as he remembered the scenes from yesterday.
The officers moved around him, their voices hushed and urgent. Walter's body had already been covered, but Kael could still see him—eyes wide, skin pale, limbs twisted as if caught mid-spasm.
No blood. Just the faint scent of burning and a lingering hum in the air that made Kael's skin crawl.
It had been electricity. He was sure of it.
Kael clenched his fists. Walter had been a strong hero, a hydrokinesis user, reliable and steady.
His Faith Value had dropped slightly in recent months, but he was still ranked well. Respected.
And now… gone.
Another name erased.
Nima Shen approached from the side, her badge clipped to her belt and her dark coat fluttering as she weaved through the scene. "Kael," she said with a short nod. "You arrived quickly."
"I was nearby," Kael replied, his voice low. "Walter's really gone."
Nima paused, then looked towards Kael.
"He didn't stand a chance, did he?" Kael asked.
Nima shook her head. "It was fast. Clean. No signs of a fight. Just—gone."
She glanced around, scanning the walls and street. "Same Modus Operandi. No footage, no witnesses willing to talk. Four heroes already gone."
"Four too many."
The city's light couldn't reach this far down. The alley was narrow, caged between towering buildings and overhead pipes. Broken neon signs flickered weakly on the wall, casting eerie glows over the damp ground.
Kael turned to Nima. "How does someone keep slipping past all our sensors? Our patrols? The Trust Network should've picked something up."
Nima pulled out her tablet, flipping through data. "Whoever Wraith is, he knows the system. He picks places like this—forgotten corners of Skyline, where belief in heroes is low and surveillance is patchy. It's like he's erasing the concept of heroes, one body at a time."
Kael's gaze hardened. "He's not just killing people. He's targeting the idea of us."
"And he's good at it," she muttered. "No physical evidence again. Just… that."
She pointed to a black scorch mark on the wall, jagged like lightning had struck it. Kael walked closer. Static still hung in the air, making the hairs on his arm rise. The electricity hadn't just killed Walter. It had fried the environment around him.
"He's using electrokinesis," Kael said. "I felt it."
Nima arched a brow. "So Wraith's a powered individual. That narrows it a little."
"Not enough."
They both stood in silence, listening to the quiet hum of the city above. Somewhere far off, an airtrain roared across the skyrail.
Kael finally spoke. "I want to help. More than just showing up after it's done. I want to find him."
Nima gave him a sidelong glance. "You serious?"
He nodded. "Walter was my friend. And I'm tired of watching people die."
She studied him for a long second. "Alright. But this isn't going to be like the hero missions you're used to. This is messy. No camera crews. No Faith boosts. Just digging through dirt."
Kael's eyes didn't waver. "I can handle dirt."
"Then you follow my lead," she said firmly. "I don't care how much the city loves you."
He smirked faintly. "Understood."