A thin flash of violet light split the sky — and in an instant, everything vanished.
Johnny's vision blurred as gravity twisted beneath him. His feet left the ground. He felt Cassy's hand slip from his grasp, and then — darkness.
When his eyes opened, he wasn't in the real world anymore.
The Nether.
A dead, silent place. Cracked black earth beneath, crimson mist swirling in the air, and a twisted red moon hanging above. Everything screamed wrong.
And standing there, a monster with skin like molten steel, glowing veins running through his arms, and a dagger forged from obsidian flame. Its laugh echoed like metal scraping against bone.
"So this is all they sent? A boy with no weapon and a girl who bleeds too easily?"
Johnny didn't answer. He stepped in front of Cassy, fists clenched, blood rushing to his ears. Cassy struggled behind him, her shoulder slashed open, breath shallow.
"Run," she whispered.
"I don't run," Johnny muttered, eyes fixed on the monster.
"You look lost, little boy. Did you take a wrong turn into death?"
Johnny smirks, eyes glowing with unshaken fire."Na... I walked straight into it—so I could teach death how to beg."
"Big words for a soft body. I'll rip the soul from your spine."
Tension cracks the air as Johnny steps closer."Try it. And when you're crawling in your own blood, remember... I didn't kill you out of duty. I did it because the world deserves to breathe without your stench."
"I've ended warriors stronger than you before breakfast."
Johnny tilts his head, grinning like the devil just whispered a secret."Then guess what? I'm your midnight snack... served cold, cursed, and hungry for vengeance."
"You're just noise."
Johnny walks through the smoke, untouched.
"And you're just a moment. I'm the reason legends exist."
The beast lunged.
The first strike came low — dagger slicing upward, aiming for Johnny's ribs. Johnny twisted, barely dodging, and countered with a sharp knee to the monster's gut. It stumbled half a step.
"You kicked?" it growled.
"I punch too."
Johnny's fist slammed into its face, snapping its head sideways with a crack. But the monster didn't fall. It just grinned, licked the blood off its lip, and came back swinging.
A dance of death began.
Johnny ducked, rolled, kicked. Every move was survival. He had no sword, no armor — just muscle, instincts, and rage. The monster was faster, stronger, armed — but Johnny was untouchable in motion. He blocked a dagger slash with his forearm, took a shallow cut, and landed three brutal jabs to the monster's ribs.
But then…
A scream.
Johnny turned — Cassy had tried to crawl away, and the monster had thrown a dagger from distance.
It was embedded in her leg.
She cried out and collapsed, blood mixing with the Nether dust.
And something in Johnny broke.
He didn't scream. He didn't roar. He just… changed.
His movements went from precise to brutal. His fist hit the monster's jaw so hard, its head snapped back and it staggered three steps. Then a knee to the spine. Then a spinning kick to the temple. Bones cracked.
The monster growled, "You fight like an animal!"
Johnny replied coldly, "That's what you woke up."
The monster lunged with the dagger again — but this time Johnny caught its wrist mid-air, twisted it until the bones cracked, then slammed his elbow into its face — once, twice, thrice — until the dagger fell.
Then Johnny grabbed the beast by the throat, leapt up, and drop-kicked its chest, launching it into the Nether rocks. It crashed hard, growling, trying to get up.
But Johnny was already there.
He didn't stop.
A punch to the jaw. A knee to the ribs. An elbow to the skull. Another, and another — until the monster's mask of confidence shattered into fear.
"She wasn't your target," Johnny said, voice low and shaking with fury, "but you touched her."
Then one final kick — straight between the monster's legs.A crunch.A scream.And silence.
The creature didn't rise again.
Johnny turned, chest heaving, knuckles bloodied.
He crawled to Cassy, lifted her in his arms, held her trembling hand in his. "Hey… hey, look at me."
She blinked weakly.
And then — his hand glowed.
Not a power. Not a weapon.Just the warmth of something deeper — energy he didn't understand yet.Her wound began to close. Slowly. Her breathing steadied.
The Morning After
The early sunlight filtered in through a narrow window, cutting across the dim room like a blade. Cassy stirred slightly and slowly opened her eyes. As the blur in her vision faded, she realized she was lying on a soft bed — one that didn't belong to her. The walls around her were unfamiliar. The smell of old metal and healing herbs lingered in the air.
She sat up suddenly, her head spinning."Johnny...? What... what happened last night? Was it... was it all a dream? Why am I here? Who was that... that thing?"
Johnny, who stood across the room near Daniel, turned quickly. His eyes widened as if caught in something."You're awake," he said, stepping closer, trying to sound calm. "Don't worry, Cassy. You fainted... maybe you were just... dreaming strange things. It's nothing."
Daniel's eyes narrowed. "Are you seriously going to lie to her again?"
Johnny shot him a quick glance, whispering, "Not now."
But Daniel wasn't one to wait. "You know this is a problem now, right? By healing her, you passed a portion of your power. That energy — that Epic core — it's inside her now. We can't leave her behind."
Johnny clenched his jaw. "I can't take her to the hell that place was. She doesn't deserve that."
From the bed, Cassy tried to stand but stumbled. Johnny rushed and caught her in his arms just before she fell. Her hand rested on his shoulder, trembling."I... I'm sorry, I don't remember you properly," she said weakly, "Who... who are you, really?"
Johnny gently helped her sit back down and turned to Daniel with a sigh. "Bring James."
After a while James stepped into the room, rubbing his eyes, half-asleep. "Alright, what now? Why the dramatic call? If this is about that weird glowing ring of yours again, bro, I swear—"
"Sit," Daniel said sharply.
James raised an eyebrow but sat, groaning. "Can someone please explain what the hell is going on before my brain explodes?"
Daniel took a step forward, his expression turning serious — the kind that made even James sit up straight.
"Listen carefully," he began, his voice low but intense, like a storm rumbling far away. "The world you know... this Earth... is just a small fragment of something far, far greater."
He glanced at Cassy and James, making sure they were listening.
"There are millions of universes — layered like pages in a never-ending book. Among them exists a special one... a reality unlike any other — the Glowverse. A place where stars float like fireflies in violet skies, where cities were built on clouds of energy, and beings lived in harmony with nature and power."
He paused for a moment, eyes narrowing.
"It was a realm ruled by balance, peace, and unmatched power — all under the watch of one man: Gline. He wasn't just a king... he was an Epic, one of the highest beings to ever exist. His very breath shaped the winds, his touch could restore dying stars. For centuries, Gline maintained order, protecting not just his people but the structure of the multiverse itself."
James whispered under his breath, "That's... insane..."
"But peace never lasts forever," Daniel continued, his tone darkening. "From the other end of creation came a different force — Simon, Gline's own blood. Ruler of the Zinoverse. He grew jealous... hungry for more. And one day, he made his move."
Daniel's fingers clenched into fists.
"The Great Collapse began. Entire worlds were turned to dust. Planets that once shone like suns were eaten by black holes. Children born with gifts were turned into weapons. Entire civilizations were erased in seconds. The war between the Glowverse and Zinoverse... it's still burning. It's been 403 years."
Cassy's hands trembled slightly. Even James had gone silent.
Daniel stepped closer to Johnny. "Now... only half the multiverse remains untouched. The rest? Corrupted, twisted, or simply gone. We needed hope. We needed someone who could challenge Simon. Someone who had Gline's soul. That's why you were born, Johnny. You're Gline's son — the last light in a dying cosmos."
He pointed to the faint glow at Johnny's chest. "That spark inside you — it's the inheritance of the Epics. The power of a god... buried in the heart of a human."
Cassy gasped, her voice barely a whisper, "And... and last night, that monster...?"
Daniel nodded. "It was from the Nether, Simon's realm. Just the beginning. If you don't awaken your powers in time... Earth will be next."
Cassy gasped softly. James's mouth hung open.
"Wait... wait... WHAT?!" James jumped from his seat. "Are you telling me that the dude I've been calling 'bro' all this time is actually some glow-in-the-dark prince of a multiverse empire?! What's next? You gonna tell me I'm a unicorn?!"
He turned toward the door dramatically. "I'm out, man. I'm going to flirt with some normal girls before my brain combusts!"
Daniel, without missing a beat, said, "There are many girls. Gorgeous ones. On the other planets."
James froze. "Girls...? Hot girls?"
Daniel nodded. "Very."
James turned around, closing the door slowly. "Who said I was leaving? I was just checking the lock. What if someone heard us?"
Cassy looked up at Johnny, eyes glassy. "Johnny... is all this real? Last night... that place... that monster... and now... powers?"
Johnny moved closer, placed a hand gently on her cheek. "Hey... calm down. Look, no matter what happens... I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise, I'll protect you... even if it costs me everything. Do you trust me?"
Tears welled in her eyes. She gave a small, shaky nod.
"Come with us," Johnny whispered. "You're part of this now."
Evening – Construction Site, Rooftop Beam
The sky had turned a soft orange. Crows cawed in the distance. Johnny and James sat on a high steel beam, legs dangling off the edge, wind brushing through their hair.
"Last night..." Johnny began slowly, "...we were taken to another realm. The Nether. A monster dragged us there. I fought with nothing but my fists... while it tried to kill Cassy."
James nodded silently, for once not joking. "And now she's part of all this?"
"She has part of the Epic now," Johnny said. "There's no turning back anymore."
They both stared at the setting sun. Somewhere behind it, war was waiting.
To be continued...