Year: 5050

Aiden stood in the desolate streets of a world forever changed, the air thick with smoke and the distant wails of sirens echoing through the city’s ruins. Once, this had been a thriving metropolis, teeming with life, a symbol of progress and unity. Now, it was nothing more than a broken shell, a graveyard of shattered dreams and broken promises.

He stared at the distant horizon, where the setting sun cast a blood-red hue over the skyline, and he clenched his fists, his body trembling with the force of the emotions he could barely contain. The flames inside him threatened to break free, to scorch everything in his path. But he held back, barely, if only because of the promise he’d made.

“I swear, Lyra,” he whispered, his voice hoarse, “I’ll make them pay for what they did. I’ll avenge you. I won’t stop until they burn.”

---

Just three years ago, Aiden and Lyra had been ordinary people, living in the slums of a sprawling mega-city. They had grown up in the wasteland of District Seven, an industrial zone filled with factories, toxic fumes, and a population struggling to survive. Life in District Seven was a constant battle against poverty and oppression, where the rich lived above, in towering skyscrapers, while the poor suffered below in the filth and squalor.

Aiden and Lyra had known each other since childhood. They had grown up in the same broken apartment complex, a crumbling relic of a better time, forgotten by the world. They had both lost their families at a young age, victims of the disease that ran rampant through the district, and had clung to each other for support.

For as long as they could remember, they had dreamed of escape. Of leaving behind the grime and poverty, of finding a way to rise above the life they had been condemned to. The Unity Pact had offered them that chance.

The Unity Pact was the ruling government body, a coalition formed after the wars of the 4900s had left the world divided and shattered. The nations of Earth, once fractured by endless conflict, had come together under the Unity Pact in an effort to rebuild society. Their mission was to bring peace and stability to the world, but the truth was far darker. Behind the façade of unity and progress, the government controlled everything, from the food supply to the media, and most importantly, the people.

When the Unity Pact approached Aiden and Lyra, they were desperate. The government had promised them a way out of their misery—a chance to participate in an experimental program that would give them extraordinary powers. It was a new initiative, aimed at creating superhumans capable of enforcing peace and order in the increasingly unstable world. Aiden and Lyra had been chosen as the first subjects, their genetic makeups deemed perfect for the modifications.

It had been too tempting to resist. They had nothing left to lose.

“We can’t say no, Aiden,” Lyra had said, her voice filled with hope. “This is our chance. We could change everything.”

“I know,” Aiden had replied, though he had felt a pang of uncertainty. Something about the offer didn’t sit right with him, but the promise of freedom was too strong. They had been promised riches, power, and the chance to become something more than the impoverished nobodies they had always been. They had been told they could help save the world.

But the truth had been far from the promise.

---

The laboratory where they had been taken was an underground facility hidden beneath the city, far from prying eyes. The moment they arrived, Aiden had felt a chill run down his spine. The walls were stark white, the air sterile, and everything smelled of chemicals and machinery. It was nothing like the bustling, noisy slums they had grown up in—it was a prison of silence and isolation.

The experiment had begun almost immediately. Aiden remembered being strapped to a table, needles piercing his skin, tubes connected to his body as the scientists injected the genetic modifications into his bloodstream. The pain had been excruciating, his entire body burning from the inside out. He had screamed until his throat was raw, but no one had come to help. Lyra had undergone the same process, her body reacting violently to the serum they had been given.

Days passed in a blur of agony and fever. Aiden’s body had changed, his cells rewiring themselves, his DNA mutating in ways he couldn’t understand. He had felt the fire rising within him, a searing heat that seemed to come from his very soul. Lyra had been different—her body had turned cold, her breath freezing the air around her.

When they had finally been released from the laboratory, they were no longer the same people. They were something else, something far more dangerous.

Aiden had gained the power to control fire, his body now a vessel for the flames that lived inside him. He could summon fire at will, manipulate it, shape it, and use it as a weapon. But it was a power he could barely control. The fire raged within him, a constant threat to everything around him.

Lyra, on the other hand, had gained the power of cryokinesis. She could manipulate ice, freezing anything she touched, and lowering the temperature of the air around her to lethal levels. But like Aiden, her power was unstable, tied to her emotions. When she was angry or upset, the temperature around her would plummet, causing everything nearby to freeze.

They had been promised training, guidance, and control. Instead, they were left alone, isolated in the laboratory, as the government observed them from a distance. Weeks passed, and the money they had been promised never came. They were prisoners, not heroes. Lab rats, not saviors.

---

It had all come to a head one night, after weeks of frustration and fear. Aiden had been pacing the lab, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He could feel the flames inside him, threatening to break free. The promises the government had made to them—the wealth, the power, the freedom—had all been lies. They were trapped, and no one was coming to save them.

“We can’t stay here anymore,” Lyra had said, her voice soft but firm. She sat on the edge of the steel bed they had been given, her hands trembling. “They’re never going to give us what they promised. We need to leave. We need to get out of here.”

Aiden had turned to her, his eyes burning with frustration. “And go where? Do what? We can’t just walk out of here. They’ll find us. They’ll kill us.”

“They’ll kill us if we stay,” Lyra had whispered, her voice breaking. “Aiden, we can’t control these powers. We’re dangerous. We’re not… we’re not human anymore.”

“We can figure it out,” Aiden had argued, his voice rising. “We just need more time. We’ll learn to control it. And then we’ll make them pay for what they’ve done.”

But deep down, Aiden had known she was right. Their powers were unstable, dangerous. They had been created to be weapons, not people. And the government had no intention of letting them live once they had outlived their usefulness.

That night, Lyra had broken down. She had cried, her body shaking with sobs as the realization of their situation hit her. Aiden had tried to comfort her, but his own anger had gotten the better of him. The fight that followed had been explosive, both literally and figuratively. In her emotional distress, Lyra’s powers had spiraled out of control, freezing the entire lab in an instant. The walls had been coated in a thick layer of ice, the temperature dropping so low that the metal fixtures had cracked and shattered.

Aiden had tried to reach her, but the flames within him had reacted to the cold, and before he could stop himself, he had unleashed a wave of fire. The lab had become a battleground of ice and fire, the two elements clashing violently as Aiden and Lyra’s powers raged out of control.

It had been a moment of pure chaos, a storm of destruction that neither of them could control.

---

The alarms had blared, and within minutes, the Unity Pact’s soldiers had arrived. They were heavily armed, dressed in black tactical gear, and they had been given a single order: eliminate the threats.

Aiden and Lyra had no choice but to run. They had fled through the labyrinthine corridors of the facility, their powers leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Aiden’s fire had scorched the walls, while Lyra’s ice had frozen the floors and ceilings, creating a treacherous path for anyone who dared to follow.

They had made it to the surface, bursting out of the underground facility and into the cold night air. But the city above had been no safer. The Unity Pact had eyes everywhere, and within minutes, they had been tracked and pursued by the government’s enforcers.

Aiden and Lyra had run for hours, weaving through the city’s decaying streets, dodging patrols and drones. But no matter how far they ran, they couldn’t escape. Lyra’s powers, still unstable, had flared up again, the temperature around them dropping so drastically that the very air had started to freeze. It was her power that had given them away.

“They’re coming!” Lyra had shouted, her breath visible in the freezing air

“They’re coming!” Lyra’s voice rang out, sharp and panicked, her breath swirling visibly in the freezing air. Aiden glanced back, his heart pounding in his chest. The once-quiet night was now alive with the distant hum of drones and the faint but unmistakable sound of boots hitting the pavement.

He grabbed Lyra’s hand. “We have to keep moving,” he said, pulling her forward. The icy mist that clung to her body trailed behind them, leaving a crystalline path in their wake. Her powers were out of control again, a side effect of the stress that gripped her heart.

“We can’t outrun them forever!” Lyra’s voice trembled, the exhaustion evident in her tone. She stumbled, her legs shaking from fatigue. The experiment had pushed their bodies to the limits, but they were still human underneath it all. They still felt pain, still needed rest—something they hadn’t had since the moment they’d escaped.

Aiden’s mind raced, searching for options, but there were none. The Unity Pact had sent an elite team after them, and they wouldn’t stop until both of them were dead. Every government across the world had sanctioned this operation. They were branded as dangerous fugitives, the very weapons the Pact had created now seen as threats too unpredictable to be left alive.

He squeezed her hand tighter. “I won’t let them get to us. I promise.”

They darted into the narrow alleyways between the crumbling buildings, the remains of a once-great city that had been abandoned by the wealthy elite. This part of town was a wasteland, devoid of life save for a few scavengers and vagrants who barely scraped by. It was a fitting place for them to hide, but hiding wasn’t enough anymore. They needed a plan.

Ahead, a cluster of rusted cars and debris blocked the road. Aiden skidded to a stop, looking around for another path, but the alley was boxed in on all sides.

“We’re trapped,” Lyra gasped, leaning against a crumbling wall, her breath coming in ragged bursts. Her power was still fluctuating wildly, the air around them growing colder by the second. Her body was shaking, not just from fear but from the strain of holding back her ability.

Aiden cursed under his breath. There was no time. The soldiers would catch up any minute now, and with Lyra’s ice marking their path, they might as well have been shining a beacon for their pursuers. He needed to take control.

He turned to Lyra, forcing her to look him in the eye. “You need to calm down. Focus. You’re freezing everything, and they’ll track us.”

“I’m trying!” she snapped, her eyes welling with tears of frustration. “I can’t—control it, Aiden. It’s too much.”

Aiden’s heart ached as he saw the desperation in her face. She was strong—stronger than anyone he’d ever known—but this life, this power, was tearing her apart. He couldn’t let that happen. He needed to be strong for both of them.

“They’re getting closer!” Lyra’s voice cracked as the rumble of vehicles grew louder in the distance. “We’re going to die here.”

“No, we won’t.” Aiden took a deep breath, the fire inside him sparking at his fingertips. He had to act quickly. His flames were his only defense, but using them here would draw even more attention. They had to be smart. He couldn’t let their location be fully revealed before they had a chance to escape.

With a quick glance at the barricade of debris, an idea formed. Aiden raised his hands, summoning the fire that lived inside him. It surged up his arms, pooling in his palms, and with a single burst of energy, he launched a stream of flames at the rusted cars, igniting the metal in a roaring blaze.

The fire spread fast, the heat radiating outward in waves. It wasn’t just an attack—it was a diversion. The soldiers would see the flames and think they had already caught up, buying Aiden and Lyra a few precious moments.

“Let’s go,” Aiden urged, grabbing Lyra’s arm and pulling her down a side alley that led to a collapsed building. It was dark, the shadows swallowing them whole, but it provided a momentary reprieve.

As they ducked into the remains of the building, they crouched behind a broken wall, the sounds of the approaching soldiers now only a block away. Aiden’s fire continued to rage behind them, masking their scent and drawing the enemy to the wrong location—for now.

Lyra’s teeth were chattering, both from the cold of her own powers and the exhaustion that was hitting her like a tidal wave. “How long do you think we have?” she whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

“Not long,” Aiden said, scanning the darkened streets. “But it’s enough to get some distance. We’ll find somewhere to regroup. We can figure out our next move.”

Lyra nodded, though she looked anything but convinced. She clutched her arms, trying to stop the shivers that wracked her body. “Aiden… I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Aiden said sharply, his voice firmer than he intended. “We’re going to survive this. Both of us.”

But even as he spoke the words, doubt gnawed at him. Their powers were getting harder to control with every passing hour, and it wasn’t just the Unity Pact that was after them. There were whispers of other groups—rebels, mercenaries, and rival governments—who had caught wind of the experiment and wanted to capture them for their own purposes.

As they sat in the shadows, the fire roaring in the distance, Aiden couldn’t help but think back to the moment everything had changed. The night they had escaped from the lab, when the government had turned on them, branding them as threats instead of saviors.

They had been betrayed, and now they were running for their lives.

---

Three Weeks Ago: The Laboratory

Aiden still remembered the cold, sterile halls of the Unity Pact’s secret research facility. The place had felt more like a prison than a laboratory, with its white walls and endless rows of observation rooms. The scientists had kept them under constant surveillance, monitoring every aspect of their abilities, but they had never given them the training or guidance they had promised.

“They’re just using us,” Lyra had whispered one night, as they sat alone in their containment chamber. “We’re nothing but weapons to them.”

Aiden had wanted to argue, to tell her that things would get better, that the government wouldn’t just throw them away after all they had done. But deep down, he had known she was right. The Unity Pact had never intended to let them live freely. They had been experiments from the start, and now that their powers were manifesting in dangerous ways, the Pact saw them as liabilities.

The breaking point had come during a routine evaluation. One of the scientists had made an offhand comment, a slip of the tongue, about the government’s plans to “neutralize” the subjects if they became too unstable.

Lyra had overheard.

That night, as the fear and rage built inside her, her powers had spiraled out of control. The temperature in the lab had dropped rapidly, ice spreading across the floors and walls. The machinery had frozen, and alarms had blared throughout the facility. Aiden had tried to calm her, but it was too late.

The soldiers had been called in to contain them, and they had barely escaped with their lives.

---

Present Day: The Pursuit

Aiden’s thoughts snapped back to the present as the sound of boots echoed through the alleyways. The soldiers were closing in. He could hear the clatter of their weapons and the crackle of their radios as they communicated with their command center.

“Sector Five is clear. Move to Sector Six. Engage on sight.”

Aiden clenched his fists, willing the fire inside him to stay contained. They had to stay hidden, at least for a little longer. But Lyra’s powers were still active, the cold radiating from her in waves. She was struggling to keep it under control, her breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps.

“They’re getting closer,” Lyra whispered, her eyes wide with fear. “What do we do?”

Aiden glanced at her, then back at the alley. They couldn’t stay here, but moving now would expose them. He made a decision.

“We need to get to the subway tunnels,” he said quietly. “They won’t expect us to go underground. It’ll give us some cover.”

“But the tunnels have been closed for years,” Lyra said, her voice trembling. “There could be—”

“I know,” Aiden interrupted. “But we don’t have a choice. It’s the only way we’re getting out of this alive.”

He helped her to her feet, and together they moved silently through the shadows, careful not to make any noise. As they slipped into the maze of side streets and alleys, the sounds of the soldiers grew fainter, but Aiden knew they were far from safe.

They were being hunted, and it was only a matter of time before their luck ran out.

Lyra’s voice echoed in Aiden’s mind as they descended into the oppressive darkness of the abandoned subway tunnels. “They’re coming.” The words hung heavy in the air, a constant reminder of the danger stalking them relentlessly. The tunnel’s stale air mixed with the scent of decay and rust, remnants of a forgotten world, abandoned years ago. The dim, flickering light from Aiden’s hand, a flame no larger than a candle, cast long, eerie shadows along the cracked walls, barely enough to see, yet enough to signal they weren’t alone.

The dimness heightened every other sense—his own labored breath, the soft hiss of Lyra’s, the faint crackle of distant radios, and the unmistakable sound of boots crunching over debris. They were being hunted, and it was only a matter of time before they were cornered.

Aiden stole a glance at Lyra. She was trembling uncontrollably, not just from fear or fatigue but from the icy mist that clung to her skin. The frost, a byproduct of her powers spiraling out of control, had started to thaw, leaving her breath visible in the air. Her emotional turmoil had always triggered her abilities, and tonight was no exception. They had been running for hours, but the look in her eyes told him she was on the verge of collapse.

“How much further?” Lyra’s voice broke through the silence, weak but desperate.

“Not much,” Aiden lied. The truth was he didn’t know. The subway tunnels stretched on for miles beneath the city, an endless maze of forgotten routes. The map he had memorized was ancient—back when the subway still functioned—and he wasn’t even sure they were on the right track anymore. But stopping wasn’t an option. Stopping meant death.

“They’ll never stop, will they?” Lyra whispered, her voice barely audible.

Aiden hesitated before answering, the weight of the truth pressing heavily on his chest. “No... they won’t.” He hated saying it aloud, hated the finality of it. There was no running from this. The Pact would hunt them to the ends of the earth. They were no longer seen as people, only weapons that had outlived their usefulness. The governments of the world didn’t tolerate unpredictability, especially not with something as dangerous as them.

“We need to figure out how to control our powers,” Aiden said, his voice more determined than before. “It’s the only way we can fight back.”

Lyra glanced at him, exhaustion etched in every line of her face. Her light blue hair clung to her damp forehead, and her usually sharp eyes were dull, flickering with uncertainty. “How? Every time I try, I—” Her voice faltered, tears threatening to spill. “You saw what happened at the lab. I couldn’t stop it.”

Aiden felt a knot tighten in his chest as he watched her. She had always been the stronger one, the one who believed in their cause, even when doubts gnawed at him. But the events of the past few weeks had changed her, drained her. Aiden reached out, gently cupping her face with his hand.

“It wasn’t your fault. None of this is.” His words were soft, but there was a quiet intensity behind them. “We weren’t trained for this. They used us, and now they’re trying to throw us away.”

“But people died,” Lyra whispered, her voice cracking as she spoke. “Because of me. And I can’t control it. I... I don’t know how much longer I can do this.”

Aiden shook his head firmly. “No. Don’t think like that. We’re in this together, Lyra. You and me.” He tightened his grip on her hand, feeling the cold seeping from her skin. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Not again.”

Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps echoed in the tunnel, growing louder. Aiden’s entire body tensed. The soldiers—they were close. Too close. His flame flickered out as he extinguished it with a thought, plunging them into darkness.

“Move,” Aiden whispered, his voice urgent. He grabbed Lyra’s arm, pulling her forward as they stumbled deeper into the tunnel, their footsteps muffled by the layers of dust and debris that lined the floor.

They moved quickly but quietly, navigating the labyrinthine passages of the subway with practiced urgency. Aiden’s heart pounded in his chest, his senses heightened by the adrenaline surging through him. He could hear the distant hum of the Unity Pact drones, scanning the area aboveground, while the elite soldiers moved through the tunnels below.

“They can’t be far. Stay alert,” a voice crackled over the soldiers’ radios, distorted by the echoing walls.

Aiden’s pulse quickened. He tightened his grip on Lyra’s hand, pulling her down a narrow side passage. The passage was dark and cramped, but it offered them temporary cover. They pressed themselves against the damp walls, trying to become invisible.

The sound of boots on metal grating sent a fresh wave of panic through Aiden’s body. He held his breath, his heart racing. Lyra trembled beside him, her breath shallow and erratic.

“We can’t keep running,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “They’ll catch us.”

“Not if we keep moving,” Aiden said, though his confidence was wavering. His mind raced through their options, but the tunnels were endless, and their enemies were closing in. He needed to think of something, fast.

Just as the soldiers’ footsteps grew fainter, Aiden caught sight of an old maintenance door at the end of the passage. It was partially rusted, the hinges corroded with age, but it looked sturdy enough to keep them hidden for a little while longer.

“There,” Aiden pointed toward the door. “We can hide in there until they pass.”

Lyra nodded, too exhausted to argue. They made their way to the door, and Aiden yanked it open with a grunt, the metal groaning in protest. They slipped inside, closing it just in time to hear the soldiers’ voices growing louder.

They huddled in the darkness, Aiden’s arm protectively around Lyra’s shoulders. The room was small, cramped, and smelled of mildew. The only light came from the faint glow of Aiden’s hand as he let his flames flicker back to life, casting soft shadows on the walls.

“How long do you think we have?” Lyra asked, her voice shaking.

“Not long,” Aiden admitted. “But enough to catch our breath.”

For a moment, they sat in silence, listening to the faint echo of voices and footsteps outside the door. Aiden’s mind was racing, trying to formulate a plan. They couldn’t stay here. They needed a way out. But with every passing second, their options seemed to dwindle.

He could feel Lyra’s heartbeat slowing, the tension in her body easing slightly as she rested her head against his shoulder. She was scared, but she was strong. Stronger than she knew.

“I won’t let them take us,” Aiden whispered, more to himself than to her. “I’ll burn this entire city down before I let them touch you.”

But before Lyra could respond, the door burst open with a deafening crash.

A single shot rang out, the sound reverberating through the small space. Lyra gasped, her body jerking violently as the bullet tore through her side. Aiden barely had time to react before she collapsed into his arms, her hand clutching her wound, blood seeping between her fingers.

“No!” Aiden’s voice broke as he knelt on the cold, damp floor, cradling her body. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused, as her breath came in short, ragged gasps.

“Aiden...” she whispered, her voice weak, barely audible above the pounding in his ears. Her blood soaked through his hands, hot and sticky.

His mind went numb, the world spinning around him. He pressed his hands to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but the crimson stain was spreading too fast.

“No... no, no, no,” Aiden muttered, his voice cracking as panic set in. He couldn’t lose her. Not like this.

But Lyra’s breathing was shallow, her skin growing paler by the second.

Aiden’s heart pounded in his chest, every beat a painful reminder of the seconds slipping away. He had to act fast, but what could he do? The soldiers were just outside, their boots crunching over debris, their voices muffled but close.

He didn’t have time.

With a desperate look at Lyra’s pale face, Aiden clenched his fists, flames roaring to life around him. He had held back for too long. No more running. No more hiding.

They had taken everything from him.

And now, he was going to take it all back.

---