"Judge me?" Henny scoffed, shaking her head with a sneer.


    "You think you''re qualified to do that?"


    "Everyone, shoot him! He''s alone-we''re forty!"


    Gunfire erupted like a thunderstorm. Bullets tore through the air, all aimed at Alex.


    "Die, you arrogant freak!" Henny screamed withughter, convinced this was the end of him.


    But theughter turned to gasps.


    The bullets froze—suspended mid-air—just a meter from Alex''s body, caught in an invisible wall of force.


    "He''s a superhuman!" one guard cried out, pale and trembling.


    He fired again—more bullets.


    Yet, every single shot hung lifeless in the air, powerless.


    Panic rippled through the room.


    In a sh of desperation, Henny yanked out her pistol and pressed it to Florence''s head.


    "Stop this or I''ll blow her brains out!"


    Alex didn''t flinch. He smirked, eyes locked on her.


    "Oh, please. Do it. You''d be doing the world a favor. One less parasite like you.


    And if you''re running low on bullets, I''ll dly hand you more."


    Snarling, Henny turned her weapon on him and emptied the entire clip.


    Bang. Bang. Bang.


    But every round stopped cold-frozen in the air, circling him like useless insects. Not one touched him.


    Alex stepped forward, slow and unstoppable.


    Henny''s grip on the gun trembled. Her voice cracked, raw with fear.


    “I made a mistake! I''m just a weak old woman—please, stay away from me!"


    "ying the innocent now, huh?" Alex growled.


    Suddenly, the front doors burst open. Two guards made a break for it, bolting toward freedom.


    They didn''t get far.


    Their bodies froze mid-step, stiff like statues.


    A voice echoed behind them.


    "Final judgment hasn''t been delivered. No one leaves."


    Several guards dropped to their knees.


    "Please, Superhuman!" one begged, eyes wet. "I''m just a hired gun! I never hurt


    anyone! I needed the money for my daughter''s surgery!"


    "Same here," another cried. "I''ve got two wives, five kids! I''m the only one feeding


    them. Please! If you kill me, they will die too!"


    Voices rose in desperation, a symphony of guilt and fear.


    Tears flowed.


    They all knew the truth-when you stand before a high-ranking superhuman, mercy is not guaranteed.


    For the first time, Henny''s mask cracked. Her voice trembled.


    "If you care about justice, then call the police! I''ll face court-I''ll prove myself there!"


    Alex''s eyes burned with fury.


    "Justice?" he scoffed. "When the poor steal a chicken, they rot in a cell."


    "But when people like you murder and destroy, you walk free. The only ones who


    end up behind bars are the corpses you leave behind."


    Henny''s hands shook. "W-What are you going to do to me...?"


    Alex stepped right in front of her.


    "True justice is simple-eye for eye, tooth for tooth. What you wanted to do to others... will now happen to you."


    He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her effortlessly off the ground. But she wasn''t alone—every single one of the forty guards rose with her, suspended by his unseen force, choking.


    "I won''t kill you," Alex said, his voice vibrating with power. "But everything you nned to do to Sophia... will now return to you."


    "Let me go!" Henny gasped, wing at his hand.


    He threw her across the floor like trash.


    The spell broke. The guards dropped to the ground, coughing and trembling.


    Then Alex turned to the guards.


    "All of you-whatever you were ordered to do to Sophia, I want you to do it... to Henny and rissa. Perfectly. If you follow through, I''ll let you live."


    "I''ll do it!" one gasped, clutching his throat.


    "Me too!" another cried. Others quickly followed, desperate to cling to life.


    "Then what are you waiting for?" Alex barked. "Do it."


    The guards moved. Without hesitation, they surged toward Henny and rissa.


    "Get your hands off me!" Henny screamed. "I PAID you!"


    One guard punched her across the face.


    "You can''t pay for my life!" he shouted.


    Another grabbed rissa, ignoring her kicks and screams.


    "You two are poison. If I have to hurt you to survive, I won''t lose sleep over it."


    "Stop it!" Henny shrieked.


    "Really, Henny? Would you have stopped if Sophia begged you while you held the power?"


    "I... I..." Henny stuttered, lips trembling, unable to answer.


    "That''s what I thought," Alex said, cold as death. "Now live with it."


    One of the guards turned to Alex, voice shaking.


    "Sir... Can I borrow thergest room in the house?"


    Alex didn''t even look at him.


    "Don''t ask me. Just do exactly what she ordered you to do to Sophia. Every detail.


    Or none of you walk out alive."


    "Yes, sir!" they all echoed in unison and scrambled toward the hallway.


    Two of them stopped just long enough to unpack a recording camera.


    Alex narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is that for?"


    One guard answered, almost ashamed.


    "The old woman... she told us to film it. She wanted it streamed live-to destroy Sophia''s reputation and ruin her chances of bing Governor of Paris."


    Alex''s jaw tightened. He could already see the full picture.


    Henny had no intention of just winning-she wanted to erase her. And if she


    couldn''t have the Monire seat, no one could.


    Another guard pulled out a bottle of pills and held it up nervously.


    "And what the hell is that?" Alex asked.


    toet


    The man swallowed. "Viagra. She gave it to us. Told us we''d need tost for 48 hours-nonstop. Said we''d keep going until Sophia was... broken."


    Alex''s stomach twisted. He closed his eyes, his voice t and cold.


    "That''s enough. I don''t want to hear another word. Just do what she told you to do. Let her taste the nightmare she created for others."


    He stood there, watching as thest guard disappeared into therge room.


    Forty mercenaries. Two wicked women. And now, they were going to face the very fate they once forced onto others.


    Suddenly, the sound of sirens broke the silence.


    An ambnce arrived. Four doctors rushed inside-part of a private hospital team


    Alex had called.


    They took Sophia, Florence, and Jack on stretchers, moving quickly and


    professionally.


    They also handled the bodies of the two dead police officers.


    Alex scribbled a note and ced it on the hallway table.


    "When you''re done, burn this house to the ground."


    Without another word, he turned and walked out into the night. His mind burned


    with questions.


    Was this justice? Or had he be something worse?


    His phone buzzed. Jasmine.


    "Alex, can we meet tomorrow?" she asked, her voice soft.


    "Of course," he replied. Then paused. Something stirred inside him.


    "Jasmine... if someone tried to hurt you-deeply, truly hurt you-what would you


    do?"


    There was a beat of silence, then her voice came back-sweet, but sharp.


    "Simple. I''d erase them. Return the pain tenfold. And bury them alive."


    "You sure?" he asked.


    "Absolutely. No hesitation. That''s how I''ve always lived."


    "Alright," Alex said. "See you tomorrow."


    He ended the call just as he reached his clinic.


    Josephine was inside, feeding thest of the city''s homeless with her usual warm


    smile. When she saw him, her face lit up.


    "Alex! You''re here."


    They sat together on the clinic steps after thest guest had gone. The air was


    still, the stars spread wide above them.


    Alex turned to her.


    "Josephine... Can I ask you something?"


    "Of course." Her eyes met his, calm as ever.


    "What would you do if someone wanted to hurt you? I mean... truly do something


    evil to you?"


    She paused, breathing in slowly.


    "That''s a hard question. But... I''d still be kind. I don''t believe anyone is born with a


    bad heart."


    Alex stared at her, trying to see if she meant it.


    "Even if they wanted to hurt you?" he pressed. "If it meant you could die?"


    Josephine nodded, slowly.


    "Then maybe it''s just my bad luck. But I wouldn''t return evil with evil. That''s not


    who I am. I would still choose kindness."


    "Even if it kills you?"


    She smiled. A calm, unshakable smile.


    "Yes. I chose this life, Alex. No matter what happens, I won''t touch hatred. I will


    love until the very end."


    Alex leaned forward. His voice was quiet.


    "What if I told you... I was the one nning to hurt you?"


    Josephineughed softly, reaching out and touching his cheek. Her eyes held no fear-only truth.


    "You?" she whispered. "No matter do to me, I''ll never


    you. still care for you. I''ll stilet


    You de no


    That''s just my way."


    Alex had never met anyone like her.


    A woman so full of light, it made his darkness feel small.


    "Are you really going to hurt me?" Josephine asked gently, gazing into him with eyes that had no shadows.


    Alex didn''t answer. He just whispered, "Yes."


    And then-without knowing how it happened.


    Their lips met beneath the millions of stars and the soft glow of the clinic''s porch


    light.


    For the first time in a long time, Alex felt... peace.