SUP Chapter 26: Mysterious Past, Day of the Fallen God

Ian stood frozen at the bathroom door.

His pupils reflected the woman stepping out from behind his father.

She seemed to notice him.

“What a special…” Staring at Ian, as if peering through all his secrets, the woman murmured softly. As Clark started to turn for another look.

In an instant.

The world lost its color, fading into a monochrome palette. Clark, mid-turn, froze like a statue, completely still.

Even the air seemed to stop flowing.

Ian’s pounding heartbeat stood out starkly in the frozen space-time.

“What did you do?!” He was genuinely alarmed. His invincible Superman father, affected without resistance, meant this eerie woman’s power far exceeded his imagination.

To the boy’s shocked question.

“I’m merely waiting.” The woman tilted her head. A pendant chain hung around her neck, but whatever it held was hidden beneath her black uniform.

“Waiting for what?” Ian was sure she wasn’t waiting for a meal delivery. He hadn’t built his business empire in America yet, and such a powerful woman’s goals couldn’t be simple.

“Gulp~”

Ian’s throat bobbed.

His peripheral vision caught his father’s petrified profile. Even against mystical forces, his Superman father should never be this powerless.

This woman was at least a “magic god” level powerhouse. She looked young, with the calm of an older sister and the vitality of a teenager.

A contradictory aura blended seamlessly.

Honestly, Ian found it terrifying.

Clearly an ancient monster in disguise.

“What am I waiting for?”

The woman didn’t answer directly. She stepped toward the hallway’s bay window, her pale legs even whiter in this black-and-white world.

“Please allow me to apologize, special child.” She opened the window, gazing at the night outside, and lifted a hand to catch a withered leaf frozen midair.

“You will lose your father, and I will take him away. Rest assured, I promise to care for him well.” Turning to Ian, her lips curved into a gentle smile.

Ian’s mind raced, his breathing growing louder.

“You’re Death…” His mind churned with information, his heart trembling. This fear wasn’t from the woman herself.

But from what he’d guessed.

“You know of Death?” The woman was clearly taken aback, her tone surprised. She studied Ian again, then flipped over to sit on the windowsill.

“No, I’m not Lady Death. How could I be as beautiful, gentle, kind, or approachable as her?” She twirled the withered leaf, her tone full of admiration.

Perhaps with a hint of longing.

Before Ian could ask again, she seemed to anticipate his question.

“I’m Tessa, like them.” The woman, calling herself Tessa, raised her slender hand, her pale skin pointing to the dark night.

Something seemed hidden there. When Ian hesitated and stepped beside Tessa, his pupils contracted sharply.

On the street, countless black figures stood densely.

All in crisp black suits, standing tall in the faded world.

An elderly woman in the front held a black umbrella with bone-white ribs. A boy in suspenders clutched a chick, its eye sockets glowing with eerie fire.

A solemn man wore a top hat.

Men, women, young, and old filled the street, rooftops, and car hoods, all in black suits, standing rigidly.

All staring at Ian’s direction, expressionless. Only Tessa smiled, raising a hand to wave, prompting a response.

They moved mechanically.

The eerie suited group bowed in unison toward the window.

Perfectly synchronized.

As if rehearsed a thousand times. In this black-and-white world, their snow-pale skin made the scene even stranger.

“They’re saluting you… a rare honor.” Tessa glanced at Ian’s hand, as if she could see the brand on it.

And noticed certain secrets.

“Uh, can you explain what’s happening?” Ian’s scalp tingled at the sea of black-clad figures. He tried to keep his emotions steady.

“Honestly, you all look sharp. Wanna partner up to start a company? We could let interesting souls shine at family reunions, shocking everyone and making them question life… I bet we’d get rave reviews.”

Forced humor.

Perhaps Ian’s last shred of defiance.

But his emotional mask clearly didn’t fool Tessa.

“I think you see it.” Tessa gently rubbed the withered leaf, which faded in her hand. “You’re just not ready to accept it.”

“Dear little one… don’t be afraid, don’t be sad.” Tessa reached to touch Ian, “Everything has its end. It’s not punishment, but a new beginning.”

Her voice was profoundly gentle.

But Ian dodged her pale hand.

“Impossible, it can’t be… something’s wrong… you don’t know…” Ian tried desperately to argue.

Her slender finger pressed against his lips.

“We never get this wrong.” Tessa spoke softly, her dark eyes meeting Ian’s, a dizzying depth making him feel the world spin.

“I am a reaper, and so are they. We gather for one reason alone.” Tessa’s voice, soft and slow, shattered Ian’s last hopes.

“Your father, Clark Kent, has a greatness worthy of respect. So, we came, at least those nearby, gathered with love and admiration.”

“Today, a god falls.”

“The martyr’s end, a hero’s death… it demands witnesses.” Tessa’s words exploded like thunder in Ian’s ears, obliterating his final shred of denial.

It was like a ten-thousand-pound stone.

Crushing the boy, who could barely breathe under its weight.

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