Harvor’s eyes were fixed on Stanley’s body, which now lay on the hard, cold floor. They were widened and focused, and he wasn’t even blinking as the golden energy flickered in his eyes. Memories started to form in his head of him and Stanley. Stanley was different compared to everyone else in the One Gang, at least to Harvor, because the two of them had known each other even before they became Altered. Even before the AFC had been created. Their journey went as far back as when they were both in school. They had grown up in a Tier-1 city, and the school they attended was filled with affluent kids whose parents were part of major corporations or held high-level connections. When attending the school, the two didn’t really know much about each other. They only exchanged pleasantries and had a few classes together here and there. However, there was a large difference between the two. While Stanley excelled academically, he struggled to communicate or talk to others, leaving him with a lack of friends. Harvor, although not bad in school, wasn’t the best academically. Yet naturally, people would surround him. He had a magnetic personality, excelled at sports, and possessed other strong physical attributes. Perhaps this was why he had caught NIRV’s attention and had been selected for the project all those years ago. He was a person that could mesmerize a person and burn an image of them in their head after seeing them perform just once. But there was a drastic change in Harvor’s life. His parents had been involved in a car accident—both of them passing away—leaving him the sole member of his immediate family. Surely, the family money would have been passed to him, but his extended family had swooped in. They forced him to sign contracts he didn’t fully understand, claiming they were helping him, and in the end, he was left with nearly nothing. At school, his status fell. Maybe his personality had changed due to everything that was happening, or perhaps word had spread that he might not be able to remain at the school for much longer. Regardless, Harvor’s situation worsened, and he found himself in circumstances where he was using his fists far more often, taking his anger out on others. One day, Stanley happened to cross paths with trouble. Normally, he stayed out of the way, invisible to the world, but on his walk home, students from another school started harassing him. He didn’t know why—whether it was his clothes or just that he seemed like an easy target—but the situation looked grim. That was when Harvor stepped in. He took care of the other students, driving them away. When Stanley asked why Harvor had helped, Harvor had simply replied that they wore the same uniform and had always gotten along. He also mentioned that Stanley was one of the few people who hadn’t treated him differently after everything had happened. This act stayed with Stanley, and in turn, he decided to repay the favor. He asked his family to fund Harvor’s school tuition, brought him into his world, and over time, using his knowledge, he helped Harvor recover everything his extended family had taken from him. This was the start of their friendship, one that only grew stronger over time. It was coincidental that Stanley had become a Wyvern and Harvor had become a Dragon. Explore stories at empire Yet Stanley felt it was his duty to serve Harvor, drawn to his presence, while Harvor agreed from that day forward to always listen to the only true friend he had—Stanley. Now, that friend—the one he had built everything with—was lying lifeless on the floor. Would the two of them ever share a smile again? Would they ever talk and reminisce about their past? None of that would ever be possible again. None of it. And why? 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖 Because the people in front of him were in his way, trying to stop him. "Stanley… Stanley… STANLEY!" Harvor screamed, his voice echoing as he yelled at the top of his lungs. At that moment, his body began to transform. His arms grew in size, his legs enlarged, and his upper body expanded, becoming massive. His entire body was now covered in scales rather than partial patches, and even the wings on his back grew to nearly ten times their previous size. A massive shadow was cast over both Gary and Chen, and they felt as if the space around them—not just the cage but the entire stadium—was growing smaller. Finally, Harvor stopped growing. He stretched out his wings, sending chairs and debris flying across the area, breaking and scattering them everywhere. "He’s used his full Altered transformation!" Chen exclaimed, looking up. The others had seen this transformation before. They had seen the full Dragon that had chased them through the city, and now it stood before them once again. Harvor began to open his mouth, golden energy condensing into a ball in front of his razor-sharp teeth. The energy grew, swirling as it gathered more and more power. Daphne, watching from the ground, stared at the situation. Everyone else gazed up at the massive creature, which looked entirely out of place in the world, as it prepared its devastating strike. "This isn’t good," Daphne muttered as she turned, ready to flee the scene. It wasn’t just her but even the members in the One Gang themselves were terrified about the sight in front of them, but was there even anywhere for them to run? The condensed golden energy in Harvor’s mouth reached its peak before being unleashed across the entire stadium, blasting outward. From outside the city, in an instant, half of the area was destroyed. A golden flash streaked through the city, crossing the river and continuing far out, leveling several buildings in its path. For updates for MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below. 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