Darkness was the last thing Audrey Sarasvati Laurent remembered.
It had swallowed her whole, drowning her in a void where pain no longer existed. There was only silence—an endless abyss of nothingness. And then, suddenly—
She awoke.
A sharp inhale filled her lungs as she lurched forward, gasping for breath. The air around her was thick, tinged with the scent of something unfamiliar, something ancient. Her hands trembled as she pressed them against the cold marble beneath her, her pulse roaring in her ears.
This wasn't her apartment.
She was somewhere else.
Audrey's eyes flickered open, and she found herself in a vast temple unlike anything she had ever seen before. Towering marble columns reached toward an ethereal sky, swirling with golden light. The air shimmered as if the entire space was alive, pulsing with an unseen force. Large ornate mirrors lined the walls, their silvered surfaces reflecting something strange—
Her breath hitched.
The woman staring back at her was not her.
Her hands shot up to touch her face. Her high cheekbones, the delicate slope of her nose—everything was different. Her hair, once long and dark, was now a cascade of wavy silver-blonde strands. Her once deep brown eyes were now a piercing shade of icy blue.
She wasn't the only one.
Three others stood nearby, each mirroring her same confusion.
The first was a tall man, his once American features altered. His complexion had lightened slightly, his dark eyes now a haunting shade of emerald green. He ran a hand through his now dark auburn hair, jaw clenched as he examined his reflection.
Next to him, a woman stood stiffly, her hands curled into fists. Her raven-black hair had turned an ashen gray, her once almond-shaped eyes now a vivid violet. She radiated quiet fury, her stance rigid and defensive.
The last of them—a broad-shouldered man with Indonesian features—was frowning at his own reflection, his hair now a shade of stark white, his hazel eyes nearly golden. He touched his face hesitantly, as if afraid he would disappear.
Audrey's heart pounded.
This wasn't real. It couldn't be real. And yet—
"I see you are all awake."
A voice, smooth and commanding, echoed through the temple.
Audrey turned sharply.
The woman from before—the goddess—stood at the center of the temple, her golden eyes alight with knowing. Draped in flowing silver robes, she exuded an air of power that made the very air around her tremble.
The Goddess of Justice.
Audrey's stomach twisted as the memories surged back. Nate. The violence. The pain. The offer.
She had chosen vengeance.
And now, there was no turning back.
Third Person POV
The four figures stood in stunned silence, absorbing the gravity of their transformation. The goddess regarded them with an expression of quiet amusement, as if she had witnessed this exact scene unfold countless times before.
"You have been given new identities," she stated, pacing gracefully before them. "This is necessary. In the human world, your bodies remain in a coma. Should anyone recognize you, it would interfere with your missions. You must remain undetected."
Kenzo, the former journalist, narrowed his golden eyes. "Missions?" His voice was rough, as if he had been screaming before waking here.
The goddess inclined her head. "Yes. Your path to justice is not so simple as waking up and taking revenge. If you wish to reclaim your lives, you must first prove yourselves worthy."
Hana, the substitute teacher, crossed her arms. "And how exactly do we do that?"
A slow smile curved the goddess's lips. "By delivering justice where it has been denied."
The air around them shifted, and suddenly, the walls of the temple shimmered. Images flickered across the mirrors—scenes of corruption, suffering, cruelty. A child cowering as his mother was beaten. A man wrongfully imprisoned while his abuser walked free. A woman crying in an empty alley, her bruises fresh, her pleas unheard.
Audrey's breath caught.
The weight of the goddess's words settled over them like a shroud.
"Ten missions," the goddess continued, her gaze sweeping over each of them. "Complete them, and you will earn the right to seek your own vengeance. Fail—" she paused, her golden eyes darkening—"and your souls will be lost forever."
Silence stretched between them.
Damian let out a slow, bitter laugh. "So, no pressure then?"
The goddess's expression remained unreadable. "You have been granted gifts to aid you. Powers shaped by your past, by the pain you have endured. But be warned—these abilities are not without consequence."
Audrey felt it then—the thrumming energy beneath her skin. She clenched her fists, and a flicker of warmth danced across her fingertips, like embers stirred by the wind.
She turned to the others, seeing similar realizations dawn upon their faces.
Kenzo's gaze sharpened, as if he could see beyond what was visible. Hana's fingers twitched, and for a brief moment, shadows curled around her like smoke. Damian flexed his hands, an unspoken power humming through his limbs.
They were no longer ordinary.
They were something else entirely.
A cold breeze brushed against Audrey's skin. She stiffened as an unfamiliar sensation curled within her chest—something dormant awakening.
The goddess turned to her first.
"Audrey Sarasvati Laurent," she said, her golden eyes piercing. "You who perished by the hands of a monster, your power is one of perception. You shall see beyond deception—every lie ever spoken before you will unravel at your will."
Audrey's breath caught. A rush of energy flooded her veins, visions flickering in her mind—glimpses of hidden truths, false smiles, whispered deceit. She swallowed hard, grounding herself as the sensation settled.
The goddess moved to Hana next.
"Hana Nakamura," she intoned. "You who fell to brutality and cruelty, your power is one of memory. You shall peer into the past, alter recollections, and erase pain—but beware, for tampering with memory is a dangerous thing."
Hana's eyes widened slightly, but she nodded, expression unreadable.
"Damian Arka Fitzgerald," the goddess continued, turning to the tall, silent man. "You who suffered under impossible expectations, your power is one of resilience. Strength will be yours—unwavering, unstoppable, beyond mortal limits."
Damian exhaled sharply, fingers flexing at his sides as if already feeling the power coursing through him.
Finally, the goddess faced Kenzo.
"Kenzo Raphael Moreau," she said. "You who uncovered the darkest secrets, your power is one of truth. The shadows will bow to your sight, and no falsehood shall remain hidden from you."
Kenzo's jaw tightened, something dangerous flickering in his golden eyes.
"Your first mission awaits," the goddess announced. "You will be sent to the human world, but not as yourselves. You will be given new lives, new histories. Learn them. Adapt. And when the time comes—act."
Audrey swallowed hard.
There was no room for doubt. No space for hesitation.
This was her second chance.
She wouldn't waste it.
Audrey's POV
The world shifted again.
One moment, she was standing in the temple. The next, she was falling.
Wind howled past her ears, a rush of sensation that sent her stomach lurching. She braced for impact, for the inevitable pain of colliding with the earth—but it never came.
Instead, she landed with surprising ease, her feet meeting solid ground as though she had simply stepped forward.
Audrey's eyes snapped open.
She was no longer in the temple.
She stood in the middle of a dimly lit street, neon lights flickering overhead. The air smelled of rain and concrete, the distant hum of the city filling her ears.
She was in the human world.
A sharp inhale came from beside her.
She turned to see Hana, Kenzo, and Damian standing nearby, each of them wearing unfamiliar clothes, their expressions mirroring her own shock.
Audrey glanced down at herself.
Gone was the flowing white robe from the temple. Instead, she wore a sleek black jacket over a fitted shirt, dark jeans hugging her legs. Her hands were encased in gloves—black leather, smooth against her skin.
She looked up.
Damian caught her gaze and smirked. "Well, at least we're not naked."
Kenzo shot him a dry look. "Small mercies."
Hana, ever the pragmatist, scanned the street. "We should move. We don't know who might be watching."
Audrey exhaled, steadying herself.
The goddess had said they would be given new lives. That meant new names, new pasts—
And an imminent mission.
Her fingers curled at her sides.
This was it.
The first step toward justice.
She lifted her gaze, determination burning in her chest.
"Let's go."
And with that, the four of them disappeared into the night—
Ready to begin.
Audrey's POV
The air was thick with an eerie stillness, the neon lights above flickering like dying stars against the damp pavement. The scent of rain and asphalt clung to the night, mingling with the distant hum of traffic.
Audrey inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, the cool leather of her gloves pressing into her skin. She felt different. Everything felt different.
The four of them stood in silence for a long moment, taking in their surroundings. It was as if reality itself had warped to accommodate them, placing them neatly into a world that was both familiar and foreign.
It was Damian who spoke first, his deep voice cutting through the tense air. "So, I guess we're really doing this."
Kenzo let out a slow breath, his sharp golden eyes scanning the dimly lit street. "No turning back now."
Audrey turned to look at them—her new allies, bound together by fate and vengeance. Hana stood slightly apart from the group, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her violet eyes clouded with unease. Damian, broad-shouldered and unreadable, kept flexing his fingers as if trying to confirm that he was still real. And Kenzo… his gaze flickered with something close to excitement beneath the wary exterior.
"So," Audrey began, voice quieter than she intended. "I think we need to talk."
Kenzo smirked, rubbing a hand over his auburn hair. "Talk? That's an understatement."
Audrey nodded, exhaling. "We don't know each other. Not really. But if we're going to do this—whatever this is—we need to start somewhere. We need to understand who we are, what we can do."
A heavy silence settled over them. Then, Damian sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Fine. I'll start."
He took a step forward, glancing down at his hands before looking up at the others. "Name's Damian Arka Fitzgerald. My father was a businessman and my mother was a model. Their obsessed with appearance and people's opinion. Push me into the brink of starvation. Controlled everything. I grew up under their rules, their expectations. And when I refused to become their puppet, they had me silenced"
Audrey watched as his fists clenched at his sides. "That's why you're here," she said softly.
He nodded, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "Yeah."
Hana shifted, her gaze flickering to the ground. When she spoke, her voice was calm but heavy. "Hana Nakamura. I was a substitute teacher. My students… they were my life." Her hands tightened into fists. "I tried to protect them from people who had no right to be near them. When I spoke up, they silenced me."
Audrey felt her stomach twist at the implication. She didn't ask for details—she didn't need to.
Kenzo let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Kenzo Raphael Moreau. Investigative journalist. I spent my life digging up dirt on the worst of the worst, exposing corruption, ruining careers. Turns out, people don't like that." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I got too close to something big. Too close to the wrong people. Next thing I knew—bam. Here I am."
Audrey exhaled, feeling the weight of their stories pressing into her chest. She had been so focused on her own pain that she hadn't thought about theirs. They were all here for a reason, all tied together by the same cruel hands of injustice.
A beat of silence passed before Kenzo turned to her, tilting his head. "What about you, boss?"
She hesitated for only a moment. "Audrey Sarasvati Laurent," she said finally. "I trusted the wrong person. A man who swore he loved me. He took everything from me. My trust, my dignity, my life. And now… I want justice"
Damian's gaze darkened. "So, we were all screwed over."
"Seems that way." Hana's voice was quiet, thoughtful. "But now… now we're something else."
Silence fell over them again, heavier this time. Each of them was lost in thought, absorbing the reality of their situation.
Then, Damian shifted uncomfortably. "Is it just me, or does anyone else feel… off?"
Audrey's breath hitched. She knew exactly what he meant. There was something inside her—an energy, an awareness—that hadn't been there before.
Kenzo rolled his shoulders. "It's like there's something crawling under my skin."
Hana's fingers twitched at her sides. "It's more than that," she murmured. "I can feel… something."
Audrey inhaled sharply, placing a hand over her chest. It was like a second heartbeat pulsed beneath her skin, a dormant force waiting to be called upon.
"We should test it," she said suddenly.
Hana frowned. "Test it?"
Audrey nodded. "Before we go after anyone, before we start doing whatever the goddess wants, we need to understand what we're capable of."
Damian grunted. "Makes sense."
Kenzo's lips curled into a smirk. "I was hoping you'd say that. We need to figure out what we can do about our gifts"
They moved to a more secluded alleyway, away from prying eyes. The city pulsed around them, alive with distant voices and the steady hum of traffic, but here—in this quiet, dimly lit space—it was just them.
Audrey took a deep breath. "Alright," she said. "Let's see what we can do."
She focused, closing her eyes for a moment. The sensation within her stirred, like an ember catching flame. When she opened her eyes, everything sharpened. The shadows stretched differently, the air hummed with unseen truths.
Then it happened.
She turned to Kenzo—and suddenly, she knew.
"You lied about something," she blurted out.
Kenzo blinked. "Excuse me?"
Audrey's pulse quickened. "Just now. When you said you were 'too close to something big.' That's not the whole story."
Kenzo's smirk wavered.
Hana's eyes widened. "You can see lies?"
Audrey swallowed. "I think so."
Kenzo chuckled under his breath. "Damn. That's a terrifying skill."
Damian exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. "Alright, my turn."
He clenched his fists, focusing on the energy inside him. The air shifted. A crack echoed through the alley as the brick wall behind him splintered slightly.
"Shit," he muttered. "I didn't even hit anything."
Kenzo whistled. "Someone's got super strength."
Hana hesitated, rubbing her arms. "I don't know if I can do mine yet."
Audrey turned to her. "You don't have to force it."
Hana nodded, but her expression remained troubled. "I just… don't want to lose control."
Audrey understood that fear all too well.
Kenzo, meanwhile, was quiet. Then, he lifted a hand, eyes narrowing. The shadows around them flickered unnaturally.
"I see things," he murmured. "Not just what's there. What's hidden."
Audrey shivered. This was real. They were different now.
And soon, they would have to use these powers for something far greater than themselves.
Kenzo's voice was the first to break the silence. "Alright. We know what we can do." His expression darkened. "Now, what's our first mission?"
Audrey exhaled slowly. "We find out soon enough."
And as if on cue, the air around them shimmered. A vision unfolded before them—a scene playing out in the ghostly reflection of the city lights.
A policeman. A drunk night shift. A teenager left bleeding on the pavement.
A lie that needed to be undone.
Their first mission had arrived.
Audrey's hands curled into fists. "Let's get to work."