What happens when everything you know—everything you love—is torn away in an instant?
At the time, I didn't have the answer to that question.
I do now.
That day had started like any other.
I walked home from school with Lucas and Nova beside me. Lucas kept throwing terrible jokes into the conversation every thirty seconds, while Nova alternated between laughing too loudly and threatening bodily harm over his puns.
I trailed slightly behind them, listening quietly.
Honestly, moments like those felt... normal.
Safe.
Our neighborhood, Crescent Grove, was usually peaceful during the late afternoon. Rows of modest homes lined the streets, small gardens swayed gently in the breeze, and stray cats wandered around like they owned the place.
It was familiar.
Comforting.
But comfort could be deceptive.
Without warning, a deafening roar split the air apart.
The ground shook violently beneath my feet.
Before I could even process what was happening, an explosion erupted from the center of the neighborhood.
The shockwave hit us instantly.
I barely had time to turn before the force hurled me backward onto the pavement.
Pain shot through my body as dust and debris swallowed everything around us.
For several seconds, all I could hear was ringing.
Then the dust began to settle.
And the world I'd known disappeared with it.
The houses were gone.
Reduced to rubble, ash, and twisted debris.
Smoke choked the air, thick with the stench of scorched earth and burning wood.
My vision blurred as I stared at the destruction around us.
Then the horrifying truth hit me.
Everyone was gone.
"Mom! Dad!"
Nova's scream tore through the silence.
Raw.
Desperate.
Lucas staggered to his feet beside me, his irises flickering white as his Light Eyes activated instinctively.
"Adrian, Nova—are you hurt?"
I shook my head automatically, even though my entire body trembled.
Then panic surged through me.
Lucy.
She was home.
My breathing quickened as I searched frantically through the wreckage.
And then I saw it.
A small shimmering barrier glowed faintly beneath the rubble.
Inside it, curled into herself and covered in soot, was a little girl no older than ten.
Lucy.
My little sister.
Alive.
Relief slammed into me so hard my knees nearly gave out.
I stumbled toward her and collapsed beside the barrier as it flickered weakly around her.
Her Uncommon Class shield ability had saved her.
Barely.
The moment the shield disappeared, Lucy threw herself into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
I held her tightly against my chest.
"It's okay," I whispered shakily. "I'm here. You're safe."
But even as I said those words, the reality around me settled like poison inside my chest.
Our parents were gone.
Our neighbors were gone.
Everyone was gone.
We sat there in the ruins of Crescent Grove for what felt like hours.
Nova cried silently nearby, clutching a broken necklace she'd pulled from the rubble with trembling hands.
Lucas stood guard a short distance away, his usual easygoing expression replaced with grim focus.
I glanced down at Lucy beside me.
Her shield flickered weakly around her every few seconds before disappearing again.
How did she survive?
Why did this happen?
Why does this world never give us peace?
I stared blankly at the destruction surrounding us.
And like always, my mind searched for answers.
In our world, powers weren't just conveniences or status symbols.
They were humanity's defense against extinction.
Extraterrestrial Threats.
ETTs.
That's what the government called the creatures emerging from dimensional portals.
Demons.
Demi-humans.
Dragons.
Angels.
Beasts.
Monsters from worlds beyond our own.
Centuries ago, portals had started appearing without warning across the planet, changing human history forever. Cities fell overnight. Entire countries vanished before humanity adapted.
Powers stopped being blessings after that.
They became necessities.
Every awakened ability—no matter how weak—became another weapon against the ETTs.
I remembered something my father used to tell me whenever the news showed another attack.
"We don't fight because we want to, Adrian. We fight because we have to."
But as I stared at the ruins of my home, those words felt empty.
The ETTs had taken everything from me.
My home.
My parents.
My sense of safety.
And for what?
My fists tightened slowly.
Something about this felt wrong.
This wasn't random.
I could feel it deep in my gut.
This was targeted.
Deliberate.
I dug my nails into my palms hard enough to hurt.
For most of my life, I'd been powerless.
A spectator in a world ruled by strength and spectacle.
But now?
Now everything I cared about had been reduced to ash around me.
And only one thought remained burning inside my chest.
This isn't over.