Dawn crept quietly over the city, painting New York in soft shades of gold and silver. The air felt fresh-unnaturally calm for a city that never truly slept. A gentle breeze moved between towering buildings, carrying the faint hum of hovering traffic and distant energy grids. For a moment, it felt like the beginning of a perfect day.
Inside a modest apartment tucked between two towering spires, a boy was fighting a much less peaceful battle.
Kyle stood in his room, slightly out of breath, struggling to pull his jeans over his waist. His lean frame twisted awkwardly as he hopped on one foot, frustration written clearly across his face. His brown eyes narrowed in determination, dark hair falling messily over his forehead.
"Come on... seriously?" he muttered under his breath.
After an intense five-minute struggle, victory was finally his.Kyle straightened up, grabbed his phone from the bed, and without a second glance at the room, dashed out of the house.
The streets of New York were alive.
Flying cars zipped through invisible traffic lanes above, their engines emitting soft blue glows. Holographic wardens hovered at street corners, projecting calm voices that guided pedestrians and monitored threats. Massive screens wrapped around buildings, flashing news updates about Omega Corp and the ongoing resistance against the Intergalactic Invaders.
This was the future Kyle had grown up in.And today, he might finally become part of it.As he ran down the bustling street, his eyes caught sight of a familiar figure standing near a glowing signpost. A tall boy with sharp features and restless energy waved impatiently.Bill Andrews.
"What kept you this long?" Bill said, tapping his foot while trying to hail an automated taxi. "We're gonna be five minutes late."
Kyle slowed to a stop, catching his breath.
"Just had a little difficulty," he replied, forcing a grin. "Nothing much. Only that my jean couldn't fit.You should be glad I even made it."the taxi descended beside them, its doors sliding open with a soft hiss.
"Man, if today goes wrong, I'm blaming your jeans."
They climbed in.The ride to Omega Corp headquarters took thirty minutes, but for Kyle, it felt much shorter-and much longer at the same time.
Even though he had been here before, the sight still stole his breath every single time.
Omega Corp's headquarters rose from the ground like a monument to humanity's defiance. Massive metallic towers curved skyward, surrounded by energy shields that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Fleets of defense drones patrolled the air, silent and watchful.
This was where legends were made.
Kyle clenched his fists slightly.
I'm this close, he thought. One step away from becoming one of them.
The heroes.
The defenders.
The people who stood between humanity and extinction.
The taxi stopped at the entrance, and they were quickly ushered inside.
The assessment hall was vast and cold.
Twenty other candidates stood scattered across the room, stealing glances at one another. Some looked confident. Others nervous. A few stared straight ahead, eyes burning with ambition. The air was thick with tension-as if everyone saw everyone else as a rival.
Kyle stood beside Bill, trying to calm his racing thoughts.
Ten minutes later, the door creaked open. A man walked in. He looked exhausted-dark circles under his eyes, shoulders slumped, movements slow. He gave off the impression of someone who had seen too much and cared too little.
"Everyone line up according to your registration numbers," he said flatly. "You'll go in groups of five. Door on the left when you're called."
Using what seemed like his last ounce of energy, he pointed toward the door-then turned and walked out without another word.
Kyle and Bill were first.
Along with them stood a girl with long blonde hair and a slender build, completely absorbed in her phone, unaware of anyone around her. To Kyle's left was a quiet boy-calm, unreadable, his expression steady in contrast to the nervous energy filling the room. The last girl scanned each of them suspiciously, as if memorizing their faces.
Kyle tried to ignore it all.
Do I even belong here? he wondered.
Do I have enough power to matter? Enough to survive? Suddenly, a sharp pain twisted in his stomach. Kyle winced.Before he could stop himself, he turned and hurried toward the restroom.The pain hit him like a storm.Kyle gripped the sink as his stomach burned violently, his breathing turning shallow. His heart pounded in his chest.
Then...
his necklace began to glow?
A bright blue light pulsed against his skin, growing hotter, brighter.
"What the..." he whispered.
Before he could finish the thought, darkness swallowed him whole.
Kyle stood in an endless void. No walls. No floor. No sky.
Just darkness. As fear crept into his chest, a white door erupted from the ground before him, flooding the void with light the only source of illumination in the endless dark.
Drawn forward by something he couldn't explain, Kyle pushed it open.
Inside stood a being of pure light blinding, radiant, like a living star. Chains of energy bound it to the chamber, crackling softly.
Kyle's voice trembled.
"Who... who are you?"
Silence stretched for a moment.
Then the being spoke.
"I am Astrael," it said, its voice echoing through Kyle's mind. "Guardian of your universe. Protector against all threats that seek its end."
Kyle swallowed hard.
"I have been imprisoned for years," Astrael continued. "Defeated by those who call themselves the Invaders-beings who now seek to conquer Earth and the eight other planets. Release me, and I will reclaim my duty."
Kyle's thoughts raced.
"The Invaders are already here," he said quietly. "They've been here for forty years. We've fought them... barely. And I don't know how much longer we can last."
Despite his uncertainty, Kyle reached out-and the chains shattered.
Astrael's light flared.
"Thank you," the being said. "But I must ask more of you. I am not at full strength. Two fragments of me remain scattered across Earth. Together, we must find them."
Energy surged through Kyle's body.
"For now," Astrael said, "I will lend you my power. Grow stronger. Prepare. The fate of this universe depends on it."
Kyle nodded.
"Okay."
He woke with a gasp.
Cold tiles pressed against his back. He was on the restroom floor.
Kyle scrambled to his feet and checked the time.Barely a minute had passed.
His heart burned with something new-power, purpose, resolve. When he stepped back into the assessment hall, his fear was gone.In its place... Hope.