Origin 1

Darren had misconceptions about the Vetus gene that he was disappointed to discover he did not have the Vetus gene when he was 19. Now he was almost 35, and he finds out that he does have the Vetus gene, and it activated due to the same accident that nearly killed him.

Did it save my life? He pondered. Darren's eyes looked at nothing in particular but they saw the events that occurred all those months ago. The lightning striking left and right as he ran. He touched his back unconsciously, reliving the moment the lightning struck him down. The fantom pain radiated through his back and traveled to the rest of his body.

Darren's heart palpitated as he was not sure how he should feel about the situation. His blood ran through his veins, fear mixing with anticipation and a bit of excitement as he had no idea what to expect from these new developments.

Tora observed Darren as she placed her plate and mug on the table when she finished eating. His face looked pained as he arched his back. He touched the fanthom scar on his back as he looked dazed. Beads of sweat began to form along the sides of his head. His body trembled, his teeth-gritting, and his eyes fearful. That night haunted him even while he was awake.

"Nathan, I don't think Darren just got new powers. His physiology was affected as well; look at him."

Everyone who looked at Darren nodded.

The voices brought Darren out of his daze. He looked around, noticing the eyes that remained on him. They were looking at him, analyzing him as if they were looking for something specific.

Darren looked at his body, searching for any sign that something was amiss, but he saw nothing. His body seemed fine. It seemed even healthier than before he went into his coma. It seems the others were the only ones who could identify anything wrong with his current state.

Noticing his confusion, Miriam explained, "Darren, you were in a coma for six months, so your muscles should've atrophied. But, you have more muscle mass now than six months ago."

"You're also taller. You were just two and a half centimeters shorter than me, but right now, you're at least ten centimeters taller. When we were talking in the living room, I had to stand on my toes to reach your shoulder." Tora's eyes fell on the table in front of them. "Not to mention, you've eaten most of the food on the cart."

Darren looked at the plate in front of him. There were two apple cores and three oranges, as shown by the perfectly circular peels. He ate three breakfast burritos and most of the boiled eggs that were in the plastic bowl in the center of the table. He looked at the cup of tea in his hand that suddenly tasted like syrup due to the dozen cubes of sugar he added. He had not noticed that he had eaten so much.

Matt arbitrarily brought the cart into the study with a bowl of fruits and a platter of sandwiches and eggs. The cart also had a pot of coffee, a kettle of tea, and a jug for juice.

Darren absentmindedly picked anything from the cart as he felt the need to eat. Looking at his plate, he was still quite unsatisfied. "Um…"

Tora narrowed her eyes as she looked at Darren. "But, there's something else as well. You've noticed some changes to your body, haven't you? In the airport and on the plane, you were distracted and stressed, almost like you could see and hear things that the rest of us couldn't."

Darren had noticed the changes. His senses had become more sensitive. His depth perception allowed him to gauge the distance of objects several kilometers away, in the darkness of the night, in a new place he had never been before. His ears could pick up the smallest sounds from long or close distances like heartbeats and even the leaves of the plants rustling in the wind. He heard a thumping heartbeat when he was talking to Tora. At first, he thought he heard his own heart, but it repeatedly occurred with Miriam and Matt and, now, with Nathan. He could listen to each heartbeat and distinguish between them.

On their way to Colorado, the noise pollution from the passengers beat inside his head like a drum. It was the worst headache he ever felt. With every twist and turn, someone's voice filtered into his ear while other times, every voice registered at the same time. The many voices became indistinguishable from one another. As he could not focus it, he put on a pair of headphones and turned the music to the loudest volume to keep the voices out.

The silence of the desert was a welcomed change from the plane and the city.

Darren nodded. The headache returned suddenly, causing him to clutch his head. Every one of his senses had now become his enemy. Closing his eyes allowed visual relief, but he could not close his ears or nose.

"I can see at night almost as well as I can see during the day time. I can hear things from your hearts beating to the bugs on the desert floor. The smell of the coffee was so strong this morning it gave me a headache. I've adjusted a little," he said painfully. His hand trembled slightly, his heart beat faster as he looked around the room restlessly. "Most of the time, my senses feel like they're being bombarded with information, and I don't know how to make it stop." He cried. He released a wave of white energy from his palm as light began to surround him.

Darren rose off the chair, his hair and eyes slowly changing color. His tears fell down his cheeks. He was surrounded by light but a coldness spread over him. "Make it stop," Darren cried. "Make it stop." He could not find his breath as he hid his face in his hands. His mind raced with guilt and shame. His power. These powers were so strong and mysterious. They were beyond his control. "Please, help me."

"Darren." A crisp, clear voice cut through the voices in his head. He removed his hand from his face to see Tora standing in front of him. She raised her hand toward him. Opened and welcoming, she smiled at him as she reached for him. "It's okay. I'm here. I'll help you." One of his tears landed on her face, sliding down her cheek as if she had been the one crying.

Darren reached his hand down to her. The moment their hands touched, warmth spread through him. His hair and eyes returned to their original color. Darren slowly floated to the ground.

Tora caught him in her arms, feeling the tears stain her clothes. She passed her hand through Darren's hair. "I'm right here. I'll help you."

Her voice washed over his heart like cold water on a hot day. As he slowly calmed down, Tora sat down with him.

Tora looked around the room, nodding to everyone. They swiftly removed themselves from the room, leaving Tora and Darren alone together. "I'll always be on your side. I'm here." She repeated comfortingly as she let him rest his head on her lap.