The world around them broke like shattered glass. They were in the decaying walls of the safe home one minute and then swallowed by an overpowering nothingness the next. Darkness extended forever, punctuated by faint, ghostly lights that flickered like dying stars.

  Maya, Taz, and Luke's bodies were abruptly split as if an unseen force had spread them across the abyss.

  Maya landed across a bleak scene. The earth beneath her feet was a mirror that reflected not only her appearance but also fragments of her history.

  Towering over her were sculptures of herself, each carved with accentuated characteristics of power and authority, yet weakened and neglected.

  "You desire power," said a deep and booming voice that echoed from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

  Maya whirled around with her hands clenched. A humanoid creature emerged from the darkness, veiled in changing shadows, its face blank but for two flaming white eyes.

  "I am The One"

  "The One," she murmured, taking an instinctual step back.

  The One looked at her, bending its head slightly. "What are you going to do with the strength I give you? "Will you protect or destroy?"

  "I'll protect," she said firmly.

  Taz’s World

  Taz awakened in a thick fog, the air heavy with oppressive quiet. He looked down and realised he was back in the boxing ring of his boyhood. The usual sights and noises returned: the clamour of a crowd, the stinging perspiration in his eyes, and his opponents' mocking words.

  But the audience had become quiet, their faces flat and featureless, looking at him with vacant eyes.

  "You fear failure," The One replied, arriving just outside the ring lines. "You mask it with loyalty and humour, but deep inside, you are paralysed by the thought of letting others down."

  Taz straightened his shoulders and glared at the shadowy figure. "I am not frightened of anything. "You don't know me."

  The One waved a hand, and the boxing ring disintegrated. Taz found himself standing outside his parents' house, the lights dim and the door open. Inside, he saw his family, their expressions marked with disappointment.

  "You abandoned them once for your dreams," The One replied with a harsh tone. "And you're afraid you'll forsake your new family and friends when the power overwhelms you. You and Lee are not alike; both have familial difficulties that have led you down this path of crime."

  Taz clenched his fists. "That is not true. "I would never—"

  "Prove it," The One urged.

  Luke’s World

  Luke stood in a library that appeared to go on forever, the shelves stacked with volumes tied in chains. He approached one with a title that reminded him of a long-buried memory. When he grabbed for it, the book recoiled, and the shackles tightened.

  "You take pride in the term justice," remarked The One, coming out from behind a bookcase. "But even justice can be overturned by turpitude."

  Luke's fingers persisted above the linked book, and his jaw tightened. "What do you mean with turpitude?" I've respected the law. "Justice has kept me steady."

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  The One drew closer, its shadow growing impossibly long. "You talk about fairness, yet your background suggests compromise. Do you recall the cop who let evidence escape in order to protect a brother-in-arms? Or the informant you neglected because they no longer fit your story? "When were you in the IPC?"

  "That's not…" Luke paused, a hint of distrust coming into his voice. His thoughts jumped, alleviating memories he stored deep. He had briefly served with the IPC during a joint task force mission, but he had moved on from that life. Or so he thought.

  "You remember the IPC, don't you?" The One pressed, its frying stare fixed on him. "A sign of order, yet full of its own rot. You were one of them, Luke. You witnessed justice corrupted by power. You decided to join in when it suited you."

  "I've left that behind. I did not want to be a part of their politics or machinations. "I walked away."

  The One shakes his head. " Nonetheless, the stains persist. You behave as if leaving will exonerate you, yet the alternatives remain. You speak about justice as if it were a shield, yet you have used it as a weapon to serve your boss, Amir Poldoski. Why haven't you mentioned that name to your comrades?"

  The name sliced through the vacuum like a razor, sharp and accurate. He hadn't said that word in years, and he hadn't dared to revisit the chapter of his life associated with it.

  "How do you know that name?" He asked, his voice quiet but tense.

  The One drew closer, its searing stare unwavering. "Because your decisions reverberate beyond time, Luke Pierce. Amir Poldoski was a guy who twisted the law his way and expected others to do the same. Did you obey his orders? Even when they jeopardised your treasured justice.

  Luke remained silent until…

  “I did obey his orders If I could turn back time I would. Shit, I don’t how was able to leave. But one thing is clear right now If I can fight this upcoming war and deal with that man with the Skull Mask Power…. Give it to me now !”

  "I did follow his directions; if I could go back in time, I would. I have no idea how I was able to depart. If I can use the Skull Mask Power to fight the next conflict and deal with that man, you can transfer it. Give it to me now!"

  Maya’s Realm

  The One cocked its head, its blazing gaze narrowing. "You talk about protection, yet even protectors waver. Will your resolve break or sharpen when confronted with those you can't save?

  Maya looked at the damaged sculpture, the fragments echoing her troubled expression. "I've made mistakes," she acknowledged, her voice steely. "My strength, however, is not perfection, but rather the ability to never give up. "I'll protect what matters, even if it means breaking myself."

  The One observed her, its shape wavering. "We shall see," it whispered.

  Taz’s Realm

  The One appeared alongside him, its voice low and resonant. "You hide your uncertainty with confidence, but below it is dread. Will you fail when the people closest to you need you the most?"

  Taz straightened his shoulders and clenched his fists. "I've already lost a lot because I hesitated. Not again. Whatever this is, whatever power you're providing, I'll use it to defend them, even if it means putting myself at risk."

  The One's shadow appeared to ripple with curiosity. "These are brave words. Prove they aren't hollow.

  The connection with The One reached a peak. Its shape pulsed, sending forth waves of raw energy that appeared to distort the weave of the emptiness around them. Maya, Taz, and Luke, each filled with clean resolution, stood tight as The One's voice resonated one last time.

  "You've demonstrated your will but will is nothing without action in people. I offer you the power you crave, but be aware that the road you have chosen is irrevocable. Wear the Skull Mask with purpose, or it will eat you.”

  The emptiness broke, giving way to a spinning tornado of energy that curled around them all. The Skull Realm reacted to their core convictions by shaping their identities into new shapes that mirrored their innermost realities.

  "FROM HERE HUMANS, YOU'RE THE NEW BREED !"

  Taz exploded with an electric charge that crackled like a live wire. Golden light fire rose from the earth, engulfing him in a tempest of raw, unbridled force. His body tensed, veins throbbing visibly beneath his skin as the light blasted into him, creating something new.

  Blue and crimson flames swirled about Luke, crackling as they danced through the air, flashing like lightning. The heat turned into a furious storm that engulfed him, creating a cobalt-blue skull mask. Its creepy orange eyes shone through the commotion, and the sharp, black contour of the lips gleamed like jagged fangs. Armour began to appear on his body, the red and blue plates blending smoothly together, while bright orange lines followed the edges of his gloves and knee pads, throbbing with hazardous energy. He placed his feet firmly on the ground, every inch of him exuding a calm, deadly concentration. His voice penetrated the silence, low and firm.

  "For justice, I'll wield this power."

  A whirling tornado of white, black, and yellow fire engulfed Maya, pulling her off the earth in a smooth, nearly weightless rise. The light twisted and pulsed, eventually becoming her mask, which was spotless white with sharp red fangs and empty, black eyes that glittered like an unsaid menace. Next, a sleek white bodysuit was put over her, with black and yellow armour plates appearing in crisp, exact patterns. With a blinding flash, magnificent wings sprang from her back, their golden edges gleaming in the sun.

  "This power will protect what matters most."

  A burst of golden flames exploded about Taz, crackling like a live wire and buzzing through the air. His body tightened as if the force was drawing him into shape. The light distilled transforming into a bright yellow skull mask with jagged black lines, the intensity of which reflected in his fire yellow eyes. The energy continued to mould him, and a black trench coat appeared over a sleek yellow bodysuit, the cloth expanded with sharp, black patterns that seemed to pulse with vitality. He clenched his hands, his scowl broadening as he stood tall, prepared for what was ahead.

  "Time to bring the fight."