Chaldea...

The Organization for the Preservation of Human Order, known as Finis Chaldea, is a secret agency created with the purpose of preventing the imminent extinction of humanity. This observation laboratory recruits the most talented scientists and sorcerers to study the magical and scientific aspects of the world. Its primary objective is "to preserve the reign of Human Order above all else." Although it presents itself as a research entity, its internal structure resembles that of a military organization.

The mere existence of something like this can be astonishing. However, its purpose, while seemingly beneficial, is more complex than it appears. Under this logic, security should be maximized, but actions in the dark can trigger a horrific disaster.

At least, that was what she thought as she slowly awakened amidst the chaos. Red lights flooded her vision while smoke intensely filled her nostrils. An explosion, and all she could think was:

What? When? Why now?

So many questions and so few answers. Looking around, she saw the bodies of workers she had once considered colleagues. Now, everything had been swept away in an instant.

Wanting to get up to at least try something, she found herself in terrible pain. She turned her head slightly and saw:

"Whoa…"

A massive stone crushed half of her body, and she knew the damage must be severe by now. Was she going to die?

Normally, such a thought would drive anyone to the brink of madness, but for her... it was disappointing.

Disappointing? It wasn't surprising, considering how she was raised—if it could even be called that. Her life had been an experiment, a failed purpose, with strict control over her personal experiences. This resulted in a questionable understanding of what it meant to live.

So yes, she felt disappointed. She hadn't managed to fulfill even a part of her life mission, and now she would die like this. Perhaps she would feel bad for the person who was the closest thing she had to a mentor… So she would be there, waiting for the cold death. Just waiting.

Crack*

Her eyes blinked. Something caught her attention. A huge pile of debris a few meters away began to move. The rocks shifted quickly until, after a few seconds, a figure emerged...

The girl's eyes widened in surprise at the figure that had appeared. For a moment, she felt confused and bewildered, until her gaze focused on something else: the silhouette of an unconscious woman, held by the person who had arrived first.

—Director... —the young woman called out from beneath the rock.

However, her reasoning was not entirely correct.

The young woman had caught the boy's attention a moment ago, and now she could observe him better.

—Damn...

The boy laid the woman's body on the ground, whom he now identified as the director of the place. However, the young woman noticed that he had done so gently. In fact, from her new position, she could see that she was breathing. She felt a slight relief.

The boy approached her, and in a few steps, they were face to face.

—Hello...

—Hello...

—You're not in a good place... —she blinked at the comment, wondering if he was being ironic. It wasn't the first time someone had been with her.

—I'm sorry... I'll get you out of there... —the boy averted his gaze toward the rock.

She watched as he moved closer, thinking it would be a futile effort. Her surprise was great when she saw how the rock began to shift with a slight push, and he managed to lift it. His expression turned serious, and she assumed why.

—Damn it... —he muttered.

—Is it that bad? —she asked, aware of the obviousness.

He sighed, clearly.

—I'm sorry... If I had seen you, I would have...

—Why are you apologizing? —she interrupted him, confused.

The green-haired boy sighed without looking at her.

—I could have saved you... —for the first time, she showed surprise.

—Do you blame yourself for not saving me?

—Not just you... Maybe if I had anticipated things...

—If you didn't know, how could you have anticipated it?

Silence reigned between them until the girl decided to break it.

—My name is Mash.

The boy looked at her for a few seconds and replied:

—Izuku.

—Could you do me a favor, Izuku?

He nodded as he approached.

—I've never liked solitude... Could you stay with me while... I pass?

Izuku nodded and sat beside her, not noticing a computer screen displaying a countdown:

Initiating Ray Shift protocol... in 15...

—I'm glad you saved the director —Mash said.

—I found her before the explosion —Izuku replied.

—You reacted quickly, didn't you? —Mash commented.

—Something like that... —he murmured.

—No one expected this...

—Tell me about it —he laughed bitterly.

Ray Shift in 8...

—Could you take my hand? —she asked, recalling stories where a person asked a loved one to hold their hand in their last moments.

He nodded, as if he were familiar with such situations. She noticed it, and saw in his gaze something that seemed to say... "Again..."

It was the first time she saw such an expression.

Ray Shift in 4...

—You know, we don't know each other, but if I could ask for something... it would be to have fulfilled my purpose...

—And I... I wish I could have done something to make that happen —Izuku replied with a smile.

Perhaps because of the melancholy of the moment, he didn't notice that reddish marks glowed on his right hand.

Ray Shift initiated! 100% charged! Good luck, Masters!

Wow...

What a dazzling smile...

Izuku Midoriya thought that as he looked at the smile Mash gave him as a farewell. Perhaps due to fatigue and the wounds from the explosion, he mistook that smile for the blue glow that surrounded him... and a tunnel he swore he had seen before welcomed him back.

To be Continued...