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When Victor Nova regained consciousness, the first thing he felt was the searing pain coursing through every inch of his body. It was as if embers had been embedded in his muscles—every breath was a battle, every movement a fresh stab of agony.
He slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze fell upon Mira, sleeping beside him on the cold, unforgiving ground. Her face was drawn with exhaustion, yet her expression overflowed with worry. Even in slumber, her hand clung to his wrist, as if afraid he might vanish again.
Looking down at his wounds, he noticed the makeshift bandages—strips of torn fabric wrapped around his injuries, with the faint scent of medicinal herbs lingering in the air. She had been tending to him all this time. He couldn't help but murmur to himself:
"Why is it that the people around me always suffer? I couldn't even protect myself from a band of lowly raiders..." His gaze drifted back to Mira, recalling the unexpected resilience she had displayed. "This girl… she hides more than she shows."
It wasn't long before Mira stirred. She opened her eyes groggily, and the moment she saw Nova awake, she jolted upright in relief.
"Mr. Nova!" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion, her eyes welling with tears. "I can't believe you're awake! I'm so sorry… if I had been faster, I could have saved you before they tortured you… I'm sorry…"
Nova remained silent for a moment before reaching out and gently patting her head. "Don't apologize, Mira. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. You shouldn't have had to go through all this because of me. But… thank you."
Mira gave a shy smile before regaining her composure. "I want to understand… how did all of this happen? Who are you, really? And why does everyone say you're dangerous?"
Nova took a deep breath, pushing past the pain in his ribs. Then, in a voice weighed down by the burden of the past, he began to speak:
"I was just a child, born into a poor, broken family. I never had a real childhood—I was always working, learning that the world shows no mercy to the weak. When I turned thirteen, something inside me changed.
I heard a voice in my head, one that didn't belong to me. Cold, sharp, filled with an unsettling wisdom. It told me, 'I am Johan, and I am here to guide you down the right path.'
I wasn't crazy—I knew it was someone else, someone living inside me. And for some reason, I trusted him. He taught me how to gain influence, how to manipulate people, how to seize opportunities. By the time I was seventeen, I was a millionaire, all thanks to Johan's guidance.
But Johan wasn't alone. There was another voice… a different presence entirely. Chaotic. Bloodthirsty. His name was ZY. Unlike Johan, he didn't guide me—he tried to take control.
The first time I lost control was in an alleyway when a mugger tried to rob me. When ZY saw blood, he went insane. He took over my body, lunged at the man like a predator, and sank his teeth into his throat. He didn't just want to kill—he wanted to savor it."
Mira instinctively recoiled slightly, but she remained silent, listening intently.
"I fought him, but it wasn't easy. In time, I found balance. I used Johan's intelligence and ZY's instincts to build an empire. I invested in armies, politics, and global markets. But when war broke out between the East and the West, I wasn't prepared for what happened next.
When the United States decided to unleash nuclear weapons, there was no escaping the fallout. The world as we knew it ended. And now… here we are, trying to survive in the ruins."
Mira sat in stunned silence, struggling to process everything she had just heard. "So… you're never really alone, even when you are?"
Nova nodded. "Some things can't be explained. But this is my reality." He exhaled slowly. "In any case, tomorrow we have to move. That gang won't let us go so easily, and we need to be ready. On this journey, I'm going to train you. You'll need to be stronger."
Mira's eyes lit up, despite the darkness surrounding them. "Really? Does that mean I'll be as strong as you?"
Nova let out a quiet chuckle. "Stronger than me, even."
Without warning, Mira threw herself at him in a tight embrace, unfazed by his injuries. For a moment, Nova didn't move. Then, slowly, he raised a hand and patted her back.
But just then, a distant explosion rumbled across the horizon.
Nova's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing in concern. "Looks like trouble found us sooner than expected. Get ready, Mira… survival is only the beginning."
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