The Nexus.

Three years later, I turned sixteen. I still hadn't regained a single memory of my life before the coma, but the new memories I'd made over those years were enough to feel whole again—or at least close enough.

"Kaleb, come downstairs! Malique's waiting on you!" Mom's voice rang from the kitchen. I hurried down to find Malique leaning casually against the counter, chugging orange juice straight from the carton.

"Happy birthday, man," he said, offering a fist bump as he wiped his mouth.

"Thanks," I replied, bumping him back. "Though it sucks having a birthday on a school day."

"Tell me about it," he said with a grin. "But at least there's free cafeteria cake, right?"

"Pass," I said with a laugh as we headed out the door.

As we walked to school, Malique gave me one of his signature looks—the kind that meant trouble was brewing. "So," he began, smirking, "remember when we first met—well, met again—and you freaked out about sunlight? What was that all about? Don't tell me you're a vampire or something."

"Ha-ha, very funny," I said, rolling my eyes. "I was in a coma after a major accident, lost my memory, and apparently forgot sunlight was normal. My bad."

Malique laughed, but there was curiosity in his eyes. He never pried too much about my accident, which I appreciated.

When we reached school, I told him I'd meet him in class. "I've got to hit the restroom first," I said casually.

"Alright. Don't take too long, birthday boy," he replied, heading off.

In the restroom, I locked myself in a stall, pulled out my grounding bands, and strapped them onto my wrists. The moment the metal touched my skin, I felt the familiar rush of energy leave my body. It was like pouring water out of an overfull glass—calming and necessary.

With the bands safely tucked back into my bag, I made my way to class.

At lunch, my friends were deep in one of their usual debates about superheroes.

"Voltaris is the strongest, no question," Darrell declared, his voice carrying across the table.

"Are you kidding me?" Delilah countered. "Astrion is undefeated. That makes him the strongest, period."

"Such a basic answer," Ski chimed in, shaking his head. "Everyone says Astrion. Be original for once."

Before the argument could escalate, Leon appeared, his face glued to his phone. "Guys! Have you seen the news? Mr. Magnetic just killed Velo Hawk."

The table fell silent. For a moment, no one moved. Then, as if on cue, every phone in the cafeteria buzzed simultaneously.

I looked down at my screen, where a video had started playing. Mr. Magnetic stood at the center of a shadowy group, his magnetic gauntlets crackling with energy.

"Citizens of America," his deep voice boomed, "behold! For too long, you've placed your trust in heroes. You cheered for them, worshipped them, and believed they'd protect you. But what can they do now?"

The camera panned to reveal Astrion, the invincible hero, bound and battered, his golden armor cracked.

"Your mighty defender lies powerless before us," Mr. Magnetic sneered. "And Velo Hawk? Gone. Your champions have fallen. We are the Harbingers of Doom, and we are your reckoning."

His voice grew darker, colder. "No more heroes. No more resistance. The age of heroes is over. The reign of the Harbingers has commenced."

The video ended abruptly, leaving a suffocating silence in its wake. Around me, students began scrambling to call their parents. My own phone buzzed with an incoming call from Mom.

"Kaleb, stay put. I'm coming to get you," she said, her voice tense.

Thirty minutes later, she pulled up outside the school. The moment I got in, she was already giving orders. "Pack your essentials. Quickly," she said, her tone brooking no argument.

As soon as we got home, I ran to my room and grabbed my bag. But as I started packing, a strange sensation washed over me. My parents' voices floated to me, clear as if they were standing beside me.

"You know it's the right thing to do, Sabrina," Dad was saying. "If I don't act now, imagine how much worse it could get."

"You gave up that life for us. For this family," Mom replied, her voice trembling.

There was a long pause before she whispered, "You didn't... did you?"

Dad's response was quiet but unyielding. "I can't let them take our home. I just can't."

"And what about the kids?" Mom demanded, her voice rising.

"Hide them," Dad said firmly. "They don't need to be part of this."

"You don't know how long this will take, Marcus. You don't know what it'll cost," she argued.

Silence fell again, heavy and suffocating, until Mom finally broke it. "If you walk away now... don't bother coming back."

Dad's reply was almost a whisper. "Take care of them, Sabrina."

The sound of rushing wind ended their conversation.

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. My dad was a superhero. And now he was gone.

I collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming down my face as the weight of it all crushed me. My dad, a hero? My family, hiding powers? It was too much to process.

As I sat there, something stirred within me. A strange pull directed my gaze to the light switch on the wall. My hand moved almost on its own, reaching for it.

Ignoring the grounding bands beside me, I let my fingers brush the switch. The moment I made contact, a rush of euphoria surged through me, unlike anything I'd ever felt. My hands glowed faintly red, pulsing with energy.

Standing up, I reached for the grounding bands and released the power back into them. My breathing steadied as I looked at the Astrion action figure on my shelf.

"I'm just like you," I whispered.