Page 3 of Stars in Nova

He ducked, and it flamed past his ear.

He spun, pinpointing the source—a figure crouched on a nearby upper level, silhouetted against the dome’s silver glow. Without hesitation, he moved.

His muscles surged, his every step amplified by his meta-kinesis.

He leaped, the pavement cracking underneath him, and landed on a metal balcony two stories up.

The shooter fired again, but the man deflected the bullet with a twist of his arm, the kinetic force dissipating.

In a single bound, he closed the distance, landing on the rooftop with enough impact to send a shockwave rippling through the structure.

The attacker staggered, disoriented.

The Eden Guard wasted no time. His fist, surrounded by a crackling aqua aura, struck the man square in the chest.

The punch, delivered with precision, sent a ripple of energy through the attacker’s physique. The man crumpled, his strength sapped, his essence drained.

He slid and fell off the roof.

Kisan leaped, managing to grab his assaulter’s limbs. Utilizing his core to right himself, he positioned his body under the man’s limp one and braced his metanoids with kinetic power.

The pair hit the ground, but Kisan’s dynamic scatter cushioned them.

It still knocked some air from the Rider, and he exhaled, twisting from below his assailant.

Kisan knelt beside him, his glowing eyes narrowing as he focused.

The silver-green light in his irises intensified, scanning the assailant’s biology.

His heartbeat was erratic but stable, and his muscles trembled from the rapid cell fatigue induced by the Rider.

His assassin’s unmistakable Falasian features included distinctive dark skin, sloe eyes, a ridged nose, and a scarified facial structure.

He sent a burst of bio-kinetic pulses through the man, who gasped, spluttered, and struggled to rise.

The Guardian placed a hand on his chest, immobilizing him until he calmed, eyes searching for and fixing on the Rider.

With a scowl, the Falasian fell back.

‘Why?’ Kisan’s growl was edged with wariness.

The aggressor glared at him, his breath ragged. ‘You murdered my kin, Ankis!’

He spat out the name, and the Rider flinched.

‘In the battle of Shigal, in the province of Usum, youfokkin’ waste of space. You slaughtered them like animals.’

The accusation slammed into the meta irised man harder than any bullet.

His mind tripped into a series of jagged memories, and he winced at the tangled mess of battles and bloodshed, faces and names blurred by the passage of time.

Was it true? Had he destroyed this man’s family in his blind pursuit of vengeance?

Before he could respond, more shots rang out, laser shots pinged past him, and he whipped around.

Screams erupted from the street below. Kisan glanced down to see chaos unfolding—more stray beams, downed civilians, and panic rippled through the crowd.

Blood stained the polished moonstone pavement as people scrambled for cover.

---