Manifest: The story

Chapter 112: Nikolov IV [The New York Festival Arc]

November 5th 2024, Elaina and Vlad who after the whole Diara and Nyan situation, they were supposed to take the next step, yet they never did due to Vlad being hospitalised for the 1st month and a half and now...

Now both sat on the couch in the Vans mansion and Elaina sighs as if something is wrong.

Vlad: What is wrong?

Elaina: I had a plan really during Adumfor after the tournament for us to hang out, maybe even more, but those two demons ruined it so I was wondering...

Elaina leans closer and their faces were close to each other, but they were not close enough for a kiss or something like that.

Elaina: Wanna go out at the festival with me, I have a surprise that I wanna show you... So?

Vlad: S-Sure, but uh...

Elaina blushes, so does Vlad knowing they were too close to each other and Elaina backs away a little away from his face.

Yet, despite all, their first meeting was way after, once he was 15...

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Vlad was young, trapped in that facility, but one day he managed to escape with Iliana, a friend of his that he will not forget as they split and ran, Vlad had the basics done for his manifestation to be able to also give himself a boost like Iskra does with her Sun energy and he manages to outspeed the chaser, Iliana finds her own way and both were split...

Hours of running and dodging most of the bullets shot at him, he did get injured at somepoint, but he only stopped once the pain grew on him, he coughed as he fell to his knees.

Vlad: D-Damn it... Ugh... Lubo died, I was kidnapped and experimented on to be turned into one of them, these guys... I knew it...

Vlad sighs as he pulls out the phone he stole, this phone contained information about the Vidin Incident and the plan, he knew someone that goes by The Third Order was behind it and that a girl named Selena was killed during the incident by a god-level threat that suddenly appeared on their radars, but then again he curses these guys for ruining his life as he continues to walk despite his injuries, putting the phone away and continuing until he finally fell to his knees until he heard footsteps 2 minutes later and he was scared, did they finally catch up and he tries to get up, but suddenly before he could a girl grabbed him and turned around running through the direction she came from and Vlad could not resist, he was way too weak after that shooting which led for him to faint.

Hours later, he woke up in a hospital bed and looked as he saw a girl...

Vlad: Who... Are you?

The girl sighs.

Elaina: Elaina, Elaina Vans. A third year in training of a hero school, some kid ran from the forest and we found her, her name was Iliana, a kidnapped Bulgarian like you.

Vlad was surprised.

Vlad: Is she okay?!

Elaina: Mhm, in the other room, she seems to have sustained less injuries so she'll recover and under her request we'll return her to Bulgaria, but what about you?

Vlad: Hm?

Elaina: Would you like to go back or maybe stay here? You know, as a hero it is my job to listen and respect the victim of a bad ending's choice.

Elaina pets Vlad on the head smiling, she seems worried yet wonders what he will pick...

Vlad: Well, now that I think about it, if I go back, I may be kidnapped again and be put into another facility in a different country-

Vlad realises, he never asked her.

Vlad: By the way, what country are we in?

Elaina: United States of America, New Jersey hospital. Now, back onto the choice.

Vlad: But if I stay here, I have a chance of safety and protect my family back in the country... So I choose to stay for their sake, not mine.

Elaina was surprised by the respond, there is rarely any hero that wants to say that outside of the pro-heroes currently, yet she smiles.

Elaina: Well, would you like to live with me?

Vlad: W-Why you asking it?

Elaina looks away.

Elaina: Well it is that since we got a free room and I am worried they may come back for you if we let you off the hook with an apartment on the Vans family rent. Plus our mansion at New York is secure and it will be perfect for you, we may also have to get you a citizenship in the country, but that will be easy. So, would you like to live with me?

Vlad: Well...

Vlad sighs.

Vlad: I see no other place to go, I am just a Bulgarian who is stuck here now, well I do not mind.

Elaina: Yipeeeeee!

Elaina seemed excited, she was very much hiding something else...

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Back in the present Elaina pets Vlad on the head, he seems to like it and then gently moves her hand away.

Vlad: Still the same ay, I remember your reaction when I accepted to live with you. I do really hope our future is bright from now on, but shame UltraX had to die...

Elaina: ...Yeah...

Elaina's mood changed, even she was struck by UltraX's death being confirmed, but his body was not found which confuses her, yet  she knew who he was really... Amelia told her during Adumfor everything while training that is for Ultra's identity, so did Ultra let it happen, but she could not tell Vlad this, if he knows that his best friend survived and died for real this time, it might bring trauma from the past to a higher level...

Elaina: I'll miss sensei alright, he did teach me well.

Garrick Vans and Saniya Vans walked in the room, it seems they have been listening in on their playful behaviour and this serious part.

Garrick Vans: Well, that boy sure did us good, especially since without him Adumfor would be theirs and well, you kids would be dead.

Vlad and Elaina turned around to look up at Garrick and Saniya.

Saniya: Well, the Ivanov family is truly rich on power, their strongest fighter was their youngest son and their daughter which we never knew they had, the more you know.

Vlad: Mhm, yeah. Seems like she also survived the incident.

Saniya: Amelia Ivanova, huh... Her manifestation is the same as Elena Alexova which raises a question if they were the same person-

Vlad: That is stupid, no way that Villian was her!

Vlad was a little pissed as it is, he did not wanna believe it, yet he felt like something seems fabricated about it, the story of UltraX, he didn't doubt it at first, but with all rumours of it and the fact that it seems like there is more to it, he wanted to investigate himself, but first he had a festival to prepare for. 

End of Chapter