Heroes' Odyssey: Varunton

Prologue

Lilith (1974)

In a cozy little cottage nestled at the edge of a picturesque village, two young girls snuggled beneath their soft blankets, waiting for their mother, Lilith, to greet them goodnight. After finishing the dishes, Lilith entered their room and sat on the edge of their bed. Seeing the heavy rainfall, Lilith thought that telling them a bedtime story might help them sleep better.

"Before you drift off, how about a little bedtime story?" Lilith smiled at her beautiful daughters.

They groaned in response, with one of them protesting, "Can't we just go to sleep, Mom?"

"We're already twelve years old, Mom. We don't need a bedtime story anymore," complained the other.

"No, no, no. Trust me, a mother's words can ensure a good night's sleep," Lilith insisted, hopeful that her plan would work.

"Fine," they both sighed.

"Since the beginning of time, there have always been abilities, talents, and superpowers. They were called syndromes, and those who possessed them were called mutants. But as the world evolved, those who fought for justice became known as superheroes, while those who sought power were called supervillains. Mutants gained their syndromes through three sources: being born with them, being blessed by a divine or spiritual being, or as a result of cruel experimentation."

"This feels more like a history lesson than a bedtime story," one of the girls whispered to her sibling.

"Let's just listen, or Mom will scold us," her sibling replied.

Lilith continued her story, "Ordinary citizens, or nulls as we call them, are always affected by the conflicts between mutants. Regardless of the outcome, nulls bear the burden of the clash between good and evil. In a world where some are born without syndromes, life can be challenging as they often require help during times of crisis. Unfortunately, mutants and nulls have limited communication, occupying separate social groups, attending different schools and workplaces..."

Lilith looked at her daughters, who had fallen asleep during the story. It might have been a bit boring, but it worked. She quietly tucked their blankets and planted gentle kisses on their foreheads.

As the girls entered deep slumber, Lilith knew that the tale she shared was not mere fiction but a reflection of their reality. She left their room, closing the door, and stepped into the stormy night. The raindrops falling seemed different somehow.

"This is no ordinary rain," she thought. Lilith ran toward the dark and treacherous woods as the rain intensified, the wind howling in mockery of her defiance.

She soon heard a voice say, "You're not ready."

Lilith knew this isn't just a voice for a normal human being, "Where are you? Show yourself!" she called out.

"Show myself? Why would I reveal myself to a null like you?" the voice responded, laughing.

"If only you didn't exist, trying to destroy our city, we could have lived in peace," Lilith retorted.

"All you have to do is give me something that will prevent me from destroying Varunton," the voice replied.

"When will this end? I don't want my daughters to grow up in a dangerous environment while you continue to exist and create chaos," Lilith spoke up.

The voice laughed. "Let them grow up, and I'll be willing to reveal myself to them. They are mutants, unlike a useless null like you."

Lilith raised her arms, determination in her eyes. "I stand here to protect my daughters from you," she declared as the wind toyed with her presence.

A crackling bolt of lightning split the sky. Lilith's eyes widened, realizing she had underestimated the wrath of this mysterious voice. She refused to back down, even in the face of imminent destruction. With an ear-splitting crack, the lightning struck Lilith directly, surging through her body.

And...

And...

...

...

A loud, buzzing sound jolted Mari awake. She sat up in bed, waking her sleeping husband, Takashi, beside her.

"What is it?" Takashi asked, surprised at his wife for waking him up.

"I had that dream again," Mari told him.

"The one where you have two daughters and got struck by lightning?" Takashi confirmed.

"Yes, it doesn't feel like a dream anymore. It feels so real," Mari replied, concerned for the woman and her daughters in her recurring dream.

"If it were real, it would be in the news by now. Besides, we are the city's best heroes. If those two children are in danger, we can save them," Takashi reassured her, inviting her into a comforting cuddle.

"You're right. Varunton is a safe place with the five of us fighting for our city," Mari said, accepting her husband's embrace.

TO BE CONTINUED