The first thing Ikazuchi noticed wasn't the massive underground facility or the hundreds of polished white halls—it was the silence. Not the kind of silence that felt empty, but the kind that hummed with hidden weight. Like everyone here was carrying something.
He walked beside a stern-looking man who hadn't said a word since they entered. A silver badge on his chest read Division 3 - Intake. The Spark Syndicate HQ was nothing like he imagined. There were no dramatic labs or superhero capes. Just clean uniforms, glowing panels, and an occasional glance from someone with brightly colored eyes.
Eyes like his.
Ikazuchi's yellow eyes darted away as they passed two recruits in the hall, one with soft teal irises, the other with deep amber. They both looked at him with curiosity—and maybe something like recognition. His hands tightened into fists. This was real. He was one of them now.
The intake officer eventually stopped in front of a metallic sliding door and turned to him. "This is where you'll be stationed. You and your team will be under Division 2, supervised by Hana. You'll meet her and the other new recruit inside."
The door hissed open, and Ikazuchi stepped in.
A girl with layered auburn hair and bright pink eyes spun around from where she was lying—half asleep—on a low couch. "Oh, Hi. You're supposed to me my teammate, right?"
Ikazuchi blinked. "...Uhh, I think so?"
The girl sat up and grinned. "Man, do you seriously not know what's going on. You're such an idiot."
The girl lowerd her voice. "Don't worry, I have no idea what I'm doing either"
She waved lazily. "Yuna."
"Right," he said. "Ikazuchi."
Before he could say more, another voice boomed across the room. "You two already flirting?"
A woman with short choppy hair and gold-orange eyes appeared from a side door, hands covered in thick gloves. She had a wide, mischievous grin and an easy energy about her. "Hana. Mentor. Mastermind. Very good cook. You'll get used to it."
Ikazuchi blinked again. She was… not what he expected.
Hana's grin softened when she looked at him. "We'll get to training soon, but first—do you even know what a Spark is?"
He hesitated. "Kind of. I mean… I just used mine without knowing. And then everything happened."
Hana nodded. "Figured as much. Don't worry. Most people with awakened Sparks start like that—panicked, clueless, and wildly destructive." She clapped her gloves together, then tossed one on a table. "And that's why I'm here. To make sure the two of you don't end up killing someone, or yourselves or fuck up in any other way."
Over the next few days, Ikazuchi was shown around the Spark Syndicate's base—an enormous, multi-layered structure built into the side of a cliff overlooking an endless sea of clouds. The tech here was sleeker than anything the Inferno had. But more than that, it felt alive. Real. Not just manufactured power, but the presence of people who gave a damn.
And for the first time, Ikazuchi was one of them.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was during one of their first formal training sessions that Hana sat him and Yuna down in a small open arena beneath the base. Pillars rose around them, each carved with intricate channels that pulsed with Spark energy. The wind here carried the scent of ozone.
"Alright, you two," Hana said, tossing a small cube into the air and catching it. "Let's talk Sparks."
Yuna leaned back against one of the pillars. "Bet he doesn't know jack."
Ikazuchi frowned. "I… sort of know. Energy powers. People with colored eyes."
"That's a start," Hana said. "But let me break it down properly."
Hana leaned against the counter. Her tone dropped just slightly—less playful, more serious.
"First thing to know: Sparks are secret. Not 'cool mysterious' secret—forbidden by the government kind of secret. You ever wonder why most people don't even know they exist? That's on purpose. They cover up Spark awakenings, rewrite memories, bury incidents. We're walking anomalies, and they don't want the world knowing that power like this even exists."
Ikazuchi frowned. "Why?"
"Because imagine if the public found out that some people can bend fire or rip through walls with a thought," Yuna chimed in, kicking her feet over the couch. "Society wouldn't know what to do. People would panic. Governments would scramble. The world runs on balance—and Sparks break that."
"Exactly," Hana said. "And imagine if they knew that all they had to do to get those powers was to die. Who's gonna stop them from swan-diving down a building. So, they -and us by extension- make sure that the world stays blind."
Ikazuchi looked at his hand. "So how exactly do Sparks even awaken?"
Hana crossed her arms. "Near-death. You don't earn a Spark. You survive it. Your body only activates its Spark when it's absolutely certain you're done for. And even then, there's only a small chance it'll actually awaken. That's why there are so few of us."
Yuna held up a finger. "And that's why everyone's eyes change. It's the giveaway. Night-black turns into color. My eyes were pitch black once—now look." She pointed to her soft pink irises.
"Apparently, I'm a C-type."
Ikazuchi tilted his head and squinted, visibly confused. "Hold on... What the hell is a 'C-type'?"
"There are three kinds of Sparks," Hana explained, holding up 3 fingers. "First: Modiant—any Spark that transforms the body. Think big monster, animal thing, or just a simple change in appearance. Second: Nemental—element or nature manipulation. Fire, water, light, lightning, that kind of thing. Third: C-type—anything weird, wild, or rule-breaking that doesn't fit in the first two. Those are usually the most dangerous."
Yuna added, "Like someone who can freeze time or manipulate thoughts, like me. That's C-type."
Ikazuchi absorbed all of it quietly. His yellow eyes lowered to his palms again. What then was he? The captain of that other organization said he absorbed the storm. Was he a C-type then? But he kept overhearing from some people in Spark Syndicate when he was recruited that his lightning was amazing. So, then he's most likely a nemental?
So... what exactly am I then?" Ikazuchi hesitantly asked.
"I..." Hana started, then paused.
"... have absolutely no friggin idea kid. It's not like it's written on your forehead or anything."
"Don't worry," Hana said after a moment. "We'll figure it out. You've got a long way to go, but you're not doing this alone."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
The days blurred together after that. Morning meditation, then physical conditioning. Energy channelling. Aura visualization. Hana taught through jokes and random metaphors that weirdly worked. Yuna, though blunt and sarcastic, pushed him hard, sparring until they collapsed.
Yuna began to tap into some of the capabilities of her spark. Hana taught her the power of illusion, implanting thoughts, visions and sounds into an opponent's head. During training, Hana set up simulation enemies, and Yuna learnt how to distract them by making one think he's being watched while the other forgets where he put his weapon.
After their first training session, Hana deduced that Ikazuchi's spark was lightning manipulation; Nemental. From the way Ikazuchi's body flickered with lightning when he fought, to how goddamn spiky his hair got sometimes, to her it was pretty easy to figure out. And for now, it fit perfectly
Ikazuchi learned to control his lightning, to draw it out in controlled bolts, in streams from his hands and bursts for power. He also learned that he could accumulate a bunch of power up in his legs and release it at once to propel himself into the air. Bit by bit he was understanding his power, and as he got used to the fact that he was 110% into all this shit, a part of him smiled.
It was actually kinda fun.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
A week later, Hana entered the training deck holding a datapad, her tone different.
"We've got a mission."
Yuna perked up. "Already?"
"It's a low-risk op, or so they say." Hana made a face. "Energy fluctuations in a remote district. Old relay towers fried, scanners picking up weird surges. Could just be a rogue reactor… or something else."
Ikazuchi stepped forward. "What do we do?"
"We check it out, contain it if needed, and report back." Hana looked at both of them. "Standard recon."
She paused.
"Unless it's not."
They geared up. Yuna slid dual tonfas into place at her hips. Hana checked her wristbands—gloves that shimmered faintly with reactive molecules. Ikazuchi wore his first official Syndicate gear—light armor tailored to his specs, lined with a pulse-thread that synced to his Spark signature.
The briefing room was dimly lit, its holographic maps casting uncertain shadows on the tense faces gathered around. A low murmur of classified details filled the space. The Syndicate's leaders—kept anonymous—had entrusted this mission to a small team: Ikazuchi, Yuna, and their mentor Hana.
Hana's voice carried a mix of playful banter and serious purpose as she outlined the objective. "We've got intel on a research facility on the edge of the city. There's abnormal energy detected—maybe some rogue cell trying to harness something it shouldn't. Our job is to infiltrate, secure any unusual readings, and if needed, rescue any hostages."
She glanced at Ikazuchi with a teasing smile, "You'll be our spark on the front line, Zuchi—don't blow anything up, okay?"
The team set out under the cover of darkness. Their transport—a futuristic matte black vehicle—cooled in the night air as it hovered above deserted back roads. The facility came into view: an aging building on the fringes of a sleeping city, lit sporadically by faulty streetlights.
"Stay sharp," Hana ordered as they approached on foot. "We're here to secure energy readings, not cause a scene. Remember, secret."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Under a bruised sky, the Spark Syndicate team moved quietly through the crumbling corridor of an abandoned research facility on the edge of the city. The neon glow from distant streetlights barely penetrated the darkness inside. Hana led them with an easy, almost playful stride, though the set of her jaw and the keen glint in her eyes betrayed the seriousness beneath her humor. Yuna, less composed than one might expect—a spark of youthful impatience in her tone—followed close behind, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow with barely concealed nervous energy. Ikazuchi trailed them, his heart pounding not just from the adrenaline of the mission but also from the raw uncertainty of what lay ahead. He could still feel the ghostly hum of the storm's energy pulsing through his veins—a reminder of that fateful night when everything changed.
Ikazuchi stepped out first, his boots crunching on cracked pavement as he surveyed the building. He could feel the residual energy in the air—a barely perceptible hum that sent shivers along his spine. Yuna moved alongside him, her eyes scanning the perimeter for any sign of movement, while Hana led the way with relaxed confidence.
Every step was measured, every shadow scrutinized. The facility's facade was grimy and scarred, its windows dark and impenetrable. As they drew closer, a faint, almost rhythmic pulse of light and sound emanated from a side entrance.
"Looks like they're using some kind of power grid or backup system," Yuna whispered, her voice tinged with curiosity. "It might be linked to that abnormal energy we tracked."
Hana's smile was enigmatic. "Let's find out."
They went through the side entrance and slipped inside. The corridors were lined with peeling paint and flickering fluorescent lights. As they advanced, the echo of steady, deliberate footsteps suddenly cut through the silence. A group of Inferno operatives, clad in dark uniforms and armed with cold precision, emerged from a narrow passage. In an instant, the atmosphere shifted from stealthy tension to full-blown confrontation. Shouts rang out as orders were barked over the din of alarms, and the operatives surged forward with practiced, ruthless efficiency.
"Looks like this isn't gonna be as covert as we thought," Hana said with a smirk. "No problem. It's just us here anyway, we can let loose."
Ikazuchi and Yuna got into a fighting stance as the Inferno operatives circled them. "Easy now..." mumbled Ikazuchi to himself, his arms igniting with yellow lightning.
"You ready Yuna?"Ikazuchi asked, turning to her.
"I wouldn't have joined that organization if I wasn't." She replied, locking onto several targets, about to use her spark on them
For a moment, everyone was still. Then
BOOM!!
Ikazuchi ran through an operative with a lightning jab. "I think I hear someone up there!" Ikazuchi pointed to a raised ledge. "Sounds like a hostage. Imma go check."
Ikazuchi concentrated lightning into his legs, in a jumping position. "Okay..." pant "Here goes..."
Ikazuchi released all of it in one yellow burst as he jumped, sending himself high into the air. He landed onto the platform, hitting one operative with a ranged lightning blast.
"FUCK! The monster's here!" An operative cried out.
"Shit! Forget what we came for, our lives are more important. Grab what you can and bail."
"Monster?" Ikazuchi thought to himself. "Is that really how they see me? What happened after I blacked out in their base that they're so scared?"
"No-No time to think about that. I have to stop them" Ikazuchi moved towards them
"Wait, what about that hostage kid?" A moustached operative asked
"Just kill him. Serves no use when that thing's here. Besides, it's his fault for snooping around"
"Wait... Did he say 'hostage'? I have to make sure that guy's okay." Ikazuchi followed them with more determination, boosting himself with his lightning.
"Ngh! Let me GO!" cried a voice in angry protest.
As Ikazuchi drew nearer, his face turned grim
"I know that voice... Please no. Don't let it be..."
As Ikazuchi jumped in between the operatives about to kill the hostage, his blood ran cold. There, in a dimly lit corner of the corridor, bound to a metal chair and bathed in the sickly glare of emergency lights, was his best friend Jin. The sight struck him like a physical blow. Jin's eyes, wide with terror and disbelief, met Ikazuchi's in a silent, desperate plea. For a moment, time seemed to fracture. Ikazuchi's heart clenched at the sight of Jin, a kid he remembered as reckless and fun-loving, now reduced to a trembling, terrified hostage. His voice, usually steady, broke with anguish as he cried out, "Jin!"
Jin's shock was palpable—he looked as if he couldn't believe his eyes either. His hands, bound and trembling, seemed too small to contain the storm of emotions swirling within him. "Ikazuchi…?" he managed, his voice barely more than a whisper, laced with confusion and fear. The contrast between his usual bravado and his current state was stark, and it sent a shiver down Ikazuchi's spine. "Wh-What is Ikazuchi doing here? Is he... part of them? No..."
Desperation surged through Ikazuchi. He stepped forward, his body charged with uncontrolled energy, his yellow lightning flickering erratically as his protective instincts roared to life. Yet, as he surged toward his friend, Hana's firm command cut through the rising chaos. "Ikazuchi, wait! You're not ready—remember who you are! We can't let this slip into a public incident!" she shouted, her voice a mixture of stern authority and genuine worry
The operatives' shouts and the clatter of weapons filled the air as the situation devolved into a melee. Inferno guards lunged, some firing stun rounds that exploded in harsh flashes of light. Amid the fray, Ikazuchi's focus narrowed solely on Jin. He moved with a mix of desperate determination and raw panic, his energy surging uncontrollably with each step. But as he closed in, the chaos around him made every moment blur into a cacophony of noise and confusion.
Concentrating, Ikazuchi created a ball of lightning in his hands and fired 3 scatter shots which stunned the operatives around Jin. Ikazuchi moved towards Jin and used his enhanced strength to rip apart the bindings on Jin.
"Jin! Are you okay? What are you doing here? You could get killed!" Ikazuchi grabbed Jin, gently shaking him.
"Wh-What are you doing here? How did you just..." Jin asked in pandamonium, not understanding how his best friend could do that? "How does he have superpowers? Am I having an acid trip? This can't be happening... This isn't real"
"Don't worry about that, I promise I'll explain. Right now, you have to get out of here, it's not safe for someone like you." An inferno operative fired a block of concrete at Ikazuchi and Jin. "Look out!" Jin exclaimed, but Ikazuchi fired a blast of lightning at the projectile, destroying it.
Despite the pain in his body, Jin refused to leave his friend, at least not until he got answers. "No..."
"No? TF u mean 'no'? It's not safe!"
While Ikazuchi was talking, an inferno with a nemental spark (Sasquatch) lunged at him from behind and flung him across the room. "Ack-! Jin... Get. . . out of here. Please."
In the midst of that disarray, Jin's eyes flickered toward a pile of debris near the back of the room. Hidden beneath shattered glass and dust was a massive, ancient sword with cryptic etchings along its blade. The weapon lay almost innocuously, as if forgotten, but in that moment, it seemed to pulse with latent potential. Jin's gaze locked onto it, and for a heartbeat, all the terror in his expression gave way to a fragile, trembling hope. He stared at the sword as if it might offer salvation, even as his voice wavered, "I… I can't just sit here."
Jin scrambled forward and grasped the sword. The moment his fingers closed around its hilt, something in the air shifted. In a brilliant flash that momentarily outshone the failing emergency lights, white flames erupted along the length of the sword. They were not the searing heat of conventional fire, but a cold, ghostly blaze that danced and shimmered with an otherworldly purity.
The scene left everyone momentarily stunned. Ikazuchi's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw his best friend—once so vulnerable—now become the unlikely wielder of a weapon thought to reject its bearer. Jin himself stared at the weapon, shock and confusion mingling with an instinctive surge of power. "What… what is happening?" he gasped, his voice cracking as he took a tentative swing. The white flames leapt from the blade, trailing across the floor like spectral ribbons, and struck one of the advancing operatives. The enemy soldier's cry was cut short as he collapsed, the impact both brutal and surreal.
As the corridor erupted in a flurry of desperate skirmishes, every combatant became part of a chaotic ballet of energy and desperation. Ikazuchi, torn between his duty to rescue Jin and the protocols that demanded restraint, found himself torn by emotion. He fired off surges of raw lightning, the unpredictable energy sparking in violent arcs that sent operatives sprawling. Yet, every time he glanced at Jin—bound, terrified, yet now fighting with a wild, untrained vigor—his resolve hardened. He had to save his friend, no matter the cost.
The corridor became a battlefield of human frailty and superhuman force. Each punch, each spark, each desperate cry was steeped in the raw emotion of survival. Yuna, her youthful fire replacing the calm veneer she'd tried to maintain earlier, darted in and out of the fray. She unleashed bursts of her mind-manipulating power, creating disorienting illusions that made the enemy falter, though her voice trembled with both anger and uncertainty as she shouted, "We have to end this—now!"
Hana moved like a seasoned fighter, her humor giving way to focus as she parried and struck, all the while keeping a wary eye on Ikazuchi. "Don't lose yourself, Zuchi!" she called, her tone gentle yet commanding. "This isn't just about saving him—it's about keeping our secret safe."
In that moment, the human cost of their world became painfully clear. The operatives were not faceless enemies; they were individuals who had been trained to serve a dark purpose. Their fear, their resolve, and even their last moments of panic echoed in the clamor of battle. But as each enemy fell, the overwhelming surge of raw, untamed power in the corridor began to turn the tide.
Finally, as the chaos slowly subsided, the last echoes of combat faded into a heavy silence. The corridor was littered with fallen figures and the scattered remnants of shattered technology. Jin, still clutching Hexen with white, ghostly flames licking along its edge, looked around with wide, trembling eyes. His heart hammered in his chest as he took in the devastation, his voice barely audible as he murmured, "I… did it."
Ikazuchi's gaze found Jin across the wreckage. Their eyes met—one pair filled with desperate relief, the other with raw, unspoken fear and shock. In that fleeting moment, the world seemed to tilt, the weight of everything they had just endured pressing down upon them. Ikazuchi's voice, hoarse and laden with emotion, broke the silence, "Jin, I'm so sorry… I never meant for this to happen."
Jin's expression flickered between confusion and gratitude. "It wasn't your fault," he whispered, voice shaking. "I—I just… I never thought I'd ever be fighting like this." His eyes glistened with tears unshed, the reality of his newfound power and the terror of its cost mingling on his face.
Hana knelt beside them, her usual humor replaced by a quiet gravity. "Listen, we're not here to hurt you further," she said softly, though her eyes burned with determination. "We have to extract you from here without making a scene. The public can't know about all this—not yet."
Yuna stepped forward, her voice a mix of indignation and concern. "We have protocols, Ikazuchi. I know you want to rush in and save everyone, but we need to keep our secret safe. We're in this together, but we have to be smart about it."
The weight of her words hung in the air, a stark reminder that while the battle had been won, the war was far from over. The echoes of raw power, fear, and unexpected heroism faded into a heavy silence as they carefully secured the wounded operatives and gathered Jin. The mission had been a chaotic collision of lives and destinies—a violent, human struggle where every spark of energy was a testament to both the beauty and the horror of their hidden world.
"So, you can wield that thing huh kid?" Hana asked Jin as they made their way back to base.
"Uhh. I guess so?" Jin replied, still a bit shaken, but taking everything surprisingly well.
"Hold on..." Yuna whispered to Hana. "Why exactly are we taking this guy to Spark Syndicate?"
"Because Yuna, that weapon isn't an ordinary one. Nobody's ever been able to wield that thing and use its power in decades. So, when you see someone being able to so freely use it, you take interest. Besides, he didn't seem to take no for an answer."
"What's so special about this sword?" Ikazuchi and Jin asked as they talked amongst themselves-best friends.
"That blade right there is known as 'Hexen'. Hexen is a strange one, it's like the blade has a spark of its own. You see those flames he conjured up there, those are the Flames of Malevolency. Those cold white flames can burn through energy. That sword can do a lot more, heck even I don't know all it can do. You hit the jackpot kid. What's your name again?"
"Jin"
"Nice to meet you, Jin. You're gonna stick with me. I ain't letting go of a prospect like you. From here on out You're officially my student, just like these two idiots" Hana said with a grin as she bonked Ikazuchi and Yuna on the head.
"Owww!" Ikazuchi and Yuna exclaimed. "What was that for?"
As they came nearer, Ikazuchi and Yuna asleep with Yuna on Ikazuchi's shoulder, Jin took a look at the Spark Syndicate base, wondering what's in store for him and also, whether he would also get an awakening at some point.