A new day, but something feels off. Gaining powers isn't just about strength or speed; it's about pretending you're normal when everything in your body screams otherwise.
I drag myself out of bed, brush my teeth, shower, and throw on my uniform. The house is quiet, empty like usual. Outside, Zack waits.
"Got a new math project," he says. "Mr. Baldy thinks he's funny."
I snort. "He's bald?"
"Like mirror-on-the-head bald. Shiny enough to see your soul."
I laugh, trying to mask the exhaustion pulling at me. "Sounds terrifying."
Zack eyes me, frowning. "William… you okay? You look… drained."
I force a smile. "I'm fine. Really." No one talks about how exhausting it is to pretend to be normal when you can feel molten fire in your veins.
A car horn blares. My ears scream. I shake my head. "Nothing. Come on, we're gonna be late."
Halfway to school, Ava joins us. "Guys, guess what?"
"What?" we say together.
"I've been assigned to investigate the deaths last night. Eight more."
I freeze mid-step. "Eight? That's dangerous. You shouldn't—"
"It's my job," she interrupts, scowling. "Someone has to do it. Why not me?"
"Because you're a reporter, not a Dragon Keeper," I mutter under my breath.
Zack shrugs, unfazed. Ava's sharp glare cuts through him like a blade. I sigh. Let's just get to school.
Class drags on. Every noise makes my senses scream: pencils snapping, chairs scraping, bells echoing like war drums. I can feel the world too vividly now, every vibration, every shadow.
Lunch passes. After school, I duck out. Cameron waits downtown. We walk to the blue coffee shop—the usual route—but the normal world feels suffocating. I can't relax. Not yet.
Sliding down the trapdoor into the underground base, I hit the floor with a hard thud.
"Ow…" I groan.
Shu's silhouette emerges from the shadows. "Nice to see you finally, William."
Jordan smirks. Maya rolls her eyes. Cameron gives me a small nod.
Shu claps his hands. "Today, we build a team. Four versus one. All of you against me. Let's see how well you work together."
"Uh… that doesn't seem fair," Maya says, arms crossed.
"Too bad," Shu snaps. "Teamwork isn't fair; it's survival. Begin."
Immediately, chaos erupts.
Cameron dashes forward, electricity crackling around him, attempting to boost into a punch. Shu sidesteps with terrifying speed, using Cameron's momentum to fling him across the room. Sparks scatter off the walls.
"Whoa!" Cameron groans, getting up, hair smoking.
Jordan leaps next, kunai spinning, trying to strike Shu from above. Shu catches one of the blades mid-air and tosses it back, clipping the wall inches from her head.
Maya doesn't move at first. Calm as still water, she lets the fight unfold. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sends a wave of water surging toward Shu. It's fast, twisting through the air like liquid snakes, but Shu slices through it effortlessly, steam rising where fire meets water.
I grip my sword, heat flaring along my arm. We can't all just rush in.
"Jordan, left flank!" I shout. "Maya, cover the back!"
Jordan glares at me. "Since when are you giving orders, Fireboy?"
"Since we actually need to coordinate and not die!" I fire back, swinging my sword in a wide arc. Flames lick the edges of the mat as I miss Shu's rapid counter.
"Stop arguing!" Shu barks, ducking another combined attack from Maya and Cameron. Sparks and water collide violently. "You're supposed to be a team, not toddlers fighting over toys!"
Jordan charges head-on again, kunai spinning in a deadly blur. "I don't take orders from someone who got lucky picking up a sword!"
"Lucky?!" I roar, flames bursting around my arm. "You're just mad because you can't lead!"
Shu sighs, exasperated. He spins, knocking us both flat with a flick of his staff. "Enough! Fighting amongst yourselves while your enemy approaches is how heroes die!"
The room descends into a storm of elemental chaos.
Cameron arcs through the air, bolts of lightning shooting, trying to intercept Shu's counterattacks. Maya's water flows through the battlefield as both shield and weapon, creating openings. Jordan strikes from shadows, tossing dirt and rocks, testing my reactions. I focus, flames roaring along my arms, trying to coordinate with the others, but the arguing keeps throwing us off.
Shu leaps, landing between our attacks. "Do you see? Fire, lightning, water, earth—alone, you are children playing with fire. Together, you might survive a fight someday."
I glance at Jordan. "If you just listened for once—"
"I am listening!" she snaps. "You're just a rookie!"
I grit my teeth. "I might be a rookie, but I can lead!"
Shu slams his staff into the floor. Sparks fly. "Enough arguing! Work together or die! Dragon Keepers survive through unity. Not ego!"
The next few rounds are brutal, but we start syncing.
Cameron uses lightning to boost my sword strikes, letting me land precise fire-infused hits. Maya's water flows through the battlefield as both shield and weapon, creating openings. Jordan manipulates earth to launch debris, forcing Shu to adjust, giving us critical breathing room. I finally coordinate flames with our combined movements, directing energy instead of attacking recklessly.
For a brief moment, the four of us move in near-perfect synchronization. A clash of fire, lightning, water, and earth surrounds Shu. He leaps back, raising an eyebrow, clearly impressed.
"Progress. Marginal, but progress. You might survive a fight together someday."
We collapse, bruised, singed, and drenched. My chest heaves.
Cameron mutters, "We actually did something."
Maya smirks faintly. "For once, chaos didn't kill us."
Jordan groans. "Barely."
I look around at them, my team. My responsibility. Leadership isn't about being strongest. It's about surviving together, learning together, and somehow winning together.
Shu's voice cuts through my thoughts. "Rest. Tomorrow, we'll push harder. Your enemies will not wait for you to get your act together. The world won't wait."
By the time we leave, night has fallen. My body aches in ways school never could. And yet, I feel a fire inside, not just in my arm, but in my chest.
We're going to survive this. Somehow.