Comfort

Facing Zhang Ye's outstretched palm, Kara did not freeze or remain motionless. But soon, she suddenly closed her eyes. A high-frequency sound beyond ordinary human hearing pierced her ears, giving her an unbearable headache.

"Don't worry, this is normal. I need you to calm down, focus on me, listen carefully to what I'm saying, and don't let other sounds distract you." Seeing her reaction, Zhang Ye immediately understood. Kara had just been enhanced by the Yellow Sun and had yet to adjust.

Under Zhang Ye's guidance, Kara chose to trust him. Before long, the chaotic noises gradually faded away. Only then did she feel a little better. She looked up at Zhang Ye, confusion in her eyes.

"Why do you seem to know so much about me? What exactly is going on? Why is your planet so strange?" Kara narrowed her eyes slightly and suddenly realized that she could seemingly see Zhang Ye's skeleton.

Under that gaze, Zhang Ye's instincts immediately sounded the alarm. It was an incredibly strange sensation, as though she had seen straight through him, as if he were naked and completely exposed to her scrutiny.

Zhang Ye understood that she had apparently unlocked X-Ray Vision as well. Suppressing his discomfort, he spoke.

"What's strange isn't this planet, but the sun. This should be your first time being exposed to a Yellow Sun, right? Its radiation can greatly strengthen your body, making you an invulnerable 'Superman.' At the same time, it amplifies your senses to an unimaginable degree."

As she quietly listened to Zhang Ye's explanation, Kara slowly descended from the air and landed on the rooftop. She was now deeply curious about the human before her.

"I know you have a lot of questions. Ask whatever you want. As long as I know the answer, I can tell you. Consider it a gesture of good faith to earn your trust." Zhang Ye shrugged and spoke calmly.

"Who are you? Why do you know so much about me?" Kara immediately asked the question she most wanted answered.

"I already introduced myself. My name is Zhang Ye, and I come from another universe. Strictly speaking, my companions and I are searching for a universe suitable for us to live in. You could also think of me as a wanderer in the Multiverse."

Zhang Ye chuckled softly, seeming to mock his own experiences over this period, before continuing. "As for why I know so much about you, it's because I know quite a bit about the Multiverse, including you and your cousin."

"You know my cousin!" Kara suddenly grew agitated. She interrupted Zhang Ye and asked anxiously, "Do you know where he is now? Was he captured by these humans too?!"

If there was anyone in the world Kara worried about most, it was undoubtedly her cousin, Kal-El. In other universes, however, Kal-El had another name that was far more widely known—Clark Kent, also known as Superman.

Kara was much older than Kal-El. When they had left Krypton aboard their ships, Kal-El had still been an infant in swaddling clothes. That was what worried Kara most. He had been just a baby. If her cousin had been captured and studied by humans, Kara could hardly imagine what might have happened to him.

Seeing Kara's urgency, Zhang Ye did not keep her in suspense. He said seriously, "Kara, I know you're anxious, but you'd better calm down. What I'm about to tell you may be difficult for you to accept."

"..."

Upon hearing that, Kara immediately realized that her cousin had likely met with misfortune. She slowly clenched her fists, and a surging force burst forth. Zhang Ye, who stood closest to her, immediately stepped back twice. He knew Kara was desperately suppressing the fury in her heart.

It was a terrifying emotion like a tsunami. Kara's eyes visibly turned red, immense energy filling them as though devastating destruction might burst forth at any moment.

But Kara ultimately forced herself to calm down. Through clenched teeth, she slowly spat out a single word.

"...Speak."

Zhang Ye sighed. "Don't misunderstand. What happened to your cousin had nothing to do with Earth. He died at Zod's hands. I believe you should remember that Kryptonian general."

"General Zod? That Kryptonian rebel? How is that possible? He was clearly exiled to the Phantom Zone!" Kara immediately refuted him, disbelief filling her eyes.

"That's true, but you need to understand that exile allowed him to escape Krypton's destruction. Afterward, he led his remaining forces to intercept your cousin's ship. He spent decades creating the World Engine and locating you."

At that, Zhang Ye looked deeply at Kara and spoke flatly. "His goal was to find the central codex containing Kryptonian genes and use it to rebuild Kryptonian civilization. He believed the codex was inside your cousin, so he tried to extract it from him, and then..."

Zhang Ye did not continue. In truth, there was no need to. Kara had clearly understood what had happened. She had never imagined that her cousin's interstellar journey had ended before it even began—and that the person who killed him had been one of their own Kryptonian people.

Kara's lips trembled slightly. She took deep breaths again and again, trying to soothe her emotions and the rage in her heart. Then, clinging to her last shred of hope, she said, "Why should I believe you? You could be lying to me."

"But you know in your heart that I'm not lying, because your eyes and ears can clearly perceive my heartbeat, can't they? Besides, Zod has already arrived on Earth. His ship is parked above Australia. If you don't believe me, you can go ask him."

After saying that, Zhang Ye saw Kara looking eager to move and hurriedly continued. "Wait, you're not really going to ask him in person, are you? His purpose for coming to Earth is to find you. Are you planning to throw your life away?"

"If what you said is true, then I'll avenge my cousin!" Kara roared.

"Easy for you to say. How are you going to avenge him? You're a Kryptonian, and so is he. Both of you have been enhanced by the Yellow Sun now, and he has obviously been enhanced far longer than you. I admit you're powerful now, but if you want to kill him, that's simply impossible!"

As his words fell, the rooftop fell silent. Kara's expression twisted as the anger and unwillingness in her heart finally erupted, turning into endless grievance.

As one of Krypton's surviving children, she had only wanted to bring her cousin to a new world and live there. They did not need to accomplish anything grand. Even if they simply grew up peacefully, married, and had children, that would have been enough. But she had never expected that her cousin had already fallen victim to such cruelty.

At the same time, she herself had been captured by the military the moment she arrived on this planet and imprisoned until now. She had finally been rescued, yet she could not even avenge her cousin.

During the time she had been imprisoned, it was precisely because she worried about her cousin's safety that Kara had been able to endure until now.

That immense pain crushed Kara's fragile heart. She collapsed onto the rooftop, buried her head between her legs, and let out quiet sobs.

Seeing Kara like this, Zhang Ye hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and gently patting her head.

"Don't worry. I'll help you."