The aging elevator creaked with a dull metallic grind as the floor numbers ticked slowly upward.
Zack stared at the changing numbers and took a deep breath, trying to fill his tight lungs with fresh air.
He was alone in the cramped cab.
The faint scent of raw blood from the pork ribs wafted into his nostrils, repeatedly summoning the image of that exploding mist of blood back into his mind.
The crimson dot in the upper-right corner of his field of view remained stably hovering.
[Target Locked: Joanne.]
[Emotional Fluctuation Value: Extreme Volatility / Extreme Loneliness.]
As the elevator ascended, the red dot drew closer to his position on the radar.
The invisible pressure was like an unseen mountain, steadily pressing down on his airway.
*Ding—*
The fifteenth floor.
Zack stepped out, and the motion-sensor lights in the hallway clicked on.
He pulled out his keys, forcing his movements to look casual and unhurried.
Inserting the key into the lock, he turned it and pushed the door open.
The apartment was pitch-black.
Closing the door behind him, he shut out the noise of the city along with the gory memory, and flicked the light switch on the wall.
Warm yellow light flooded the room, illuminating a spacious living area.
Inherited from his parents, it boasted not only a stunning view but also a huge outdoor balcony overlooking most of Queens’ night skyline.
The very second the light came on, the sky outside turned completely dark.
Early autumn weather in New York was fickle as a child’s temperament.
Heavy rolls of thunder rumbled deep within the clouds, and fat raindrops began hammering erratically against the French doors, making a sharp pattering sound.
Zack carried the plastic bags into the open kitchen, took out the ribs, and dropped them into the sink.
Turning on the tap, cold water washed over his hands, carrying away the cold sweat slicking his palms.
He looked up, his eyes crossing the kitchen island to focus on the large floor-to-ceiling glass door in the living room.
On the radar interface at the edge of his retina, the crimson dot that had been hovering motionless at high altitude suddenly moved.
It plummeted straight down at a speed defying all laws of physics.
Even through the thick soundproof glass, Zack could hear the wind outside twisting unnaturally—the atmospheric distortion created when an object of immense density forcefully rent the air apart.
The crystal chandelier in the center of the living room crackled softly with static interference, its lights flickering uncontrollably twice.
Zack turned off the tap.
The sound of running water stopped abruptly.
The entire room plunged into a suffocating silence.
He didn’t dry his hands, letting droplets fall from his fingertips into the sink.
His gaze remained locked on the balcony.
Outside, the rain had thickened.
Gale-force winds whipped sheets of rain across the glass, leaving blurred trails.
A stark white bolt of lightning cleaved the night sky, illuminating the darkness for a fleeting moment.
Beyond the balcony railing, a figure appeared out of thin air.
Her feet hovered in midair, floating surreally outside his fifteenth-floor window.
Her long blonde hair was drenched by the rain, plastered against her fair cheeks.
The iconic red, white, and blue stars-and-stripes suit looked shockingly vivid against the dark, her cape snapping violently in the wind.
It was Joanne—the most powerful being on Earth, Vought International’s crown product, and the Sword of Damocles hanging over all humanity.
Right now, this godlike heroine was staring intently at Zack on the other side of the glass.
Her eyes were no longer the deep, enchanting azure seen on billboards; instead, they burned with a crimson glow intense enough to melt steel.
High-temperature energy brewed within her sockets.
Raindrops coming within inches of her face vaporized instantly into puffs of white steam.
Zack’s heart slammed hard against his ribs, his blood pumping faster.
As a reincarnator familiar with the story, he knew all too well what those glowing red eyes signified.
If Joanne’s emotions slipped out of control by even a millimeter, twin beams of high-energy heat vision would slice through the fragile glass and sever his upper torso in half.
The “Body of Steel” granted during his starter protection came with a notoriously terrible restriction: it only activated in bed or during deep physical embraces.
Being blasted through glass by heat vision definitely fell outside that safety net.
Zack forced his breathing to stay steady.
If he showed even a sliver of panic, screamed, or made a move to run, he would instantly become prey in the eyes of this tyrant.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing his attention on the data panel at the edge of his vision.
[Emotional Fluctuation Value: Extreme Volatility (Near Overflow) / Extreme Loneliness.]
[Mental Defenses: Like a tattered rag full of holes.]
Loneliness.
Volatility.
Zack’s brain whirred at high speed on the precipice of danger.
Why was she here?
Perhaps she had just left a sickening Vought executive meeting; perhaps Madelyn Stillwell had once again exerted pressure using that nauseating, phony maternal love; or perhaps she was simply bored, flying aimlessly over New York and happening to stop outside a balcony that looked slightly agreeable to her.
Whatever the reason, her current state was that of a giant baby who had suffered immense grievances outside yet possessed a nuclear launch button.
Everyone treated her as a god, a cash cow, or the most terrifying weapon alive.
Nobody treated her as a human being.
Zack casually pulled a paper towel from the kitchen holder and unhurriedly wiped his wet hands dry.
He stepped around the island counter and walked straight toward the balcony glass door.
Outside the window, Joanne tilted her head slightly.
The crimson glow brewing in her eyes didn’t weaken; if anything, it intensified as Zack drew nearer.
Her gaze was filled with scrutiny, vigilance, and a touch of cruelty.
She was accustomed to how mortals reacted to her presence: either groveling, screaming worship, or terror so deep they wet themselves.
Yet the Asian youth before her, wearing gray loungewear, walked with steady steps.
There was not a single trace of awe or dread in his eyes.
Zack reached the floor-to-ceiling glass and met those glowing red eyes head-on through the cold pane.
Less than a meter separated them.
Zack could even clearly see raindrops sliding down Joanne’s high bridge and hitting her tight jawline.
Her flawless face bore an unapproachable chill and a violent menace that warned everyone away.
Zack took a deep breath.
He raised his hand and took hold of the metal door handle.
*Click.*
The soft sound of the lock disengaging should have been imperceptible on a stormy night, but to Joanne’s super-hearing, it rang out like a thunderclap.
The glass door rolled open slowly.
A gust of gale-force wind carrying freezing rain swept into the living room, tossing Zack’s bangs.
The warm indoor light spilled onto the balcony, softening the shadows on Joanne’s dark expression.
Red heat vision still churned in her pupils; a slight tilt of her head, and Zack’s skull would pop like a watermelon.
Zack looked directly into those suffocatingly intimidating eyes.
His tone was calm.
“It’s raining pretty hard out there.”
Zack released the handle and stepped aside slightly, clearing half the doorway.
“If you don’t plan on snapping my balcony railing, do you want to come inside and get out of the rain?”
The sounds of wind and rain seemed to hit pause.
The crimson light in Joanne’s eyes froze distinctly.
Floating in midair, a flicker of bewilderment and shock crossed her face—a face usually stretched tight with chronic suppression and neurotic tension.
This fragile mortal, whom she could crush with one hand, was complaining that she might break his railing, and then…
inviting her inside to take shelter from the rain?
At the edge of his retina, the crimson emotional fluctuation bar dipped down slightly—by a tiny millimeter.
[Emotional Fluctuation Value: Extreme Volatility (Paused) / Surprise / Slight Curiosity.]
Joanne didn’t pull back her overwhelming pressure.
Yet in those eyes that seemed ready to shoot heat vision at any second, the red glow magically dimmed under the rain’s wash, revealing her original deep, mesmerizing blue once more.