Chapter 1: The Moment Everything Changed

The streetlights flickered, their dim glow barely pushing back the night. Michael leaned against the chain-link fence outside his rundown apartment complex, arms crossed, hood up. The city was loud—cars honking, distant sirens wailing—but in his mind, everything was quiet, calculated.

His eyes flicked toward a group of guys across the street. Four of them. Two were smoking, one was scrolling through his phone, and the last was watching Michael.

"Yo, nerd," the guy called out. Jax, one of the local thugs. "Thought you'd be studying, not hanging out past curfew."

Michael sighed. "Didn't know I had a bedtime."

Jax chuckled, flicking his cigarette to the ground. "Heard you think you're some kind of genius. Bet you can't dodge this."

Before Michael could react, Jax swung. A sloppy right hook. Michael's instincts kicked in. He sidestepped, letting Jax's fist hit nothing but air. In one smooth motion, Michael caught his wrist, twisted it, and sent Jax stumbling forward. The guy barely caught himself before eating pavement.

The other three straightened up.

Michael let go and stepped back. "I don't have time for this."

Jax growled, rubbing his wrist. "You little—"

Then it happened.

A car screeched down the street, headlights flashing. Too fast. Too close. A little girl, no older than seven, stood frozen in the middle of the road, clutching a stuffed rabbit.

Michael didn't think. His body moved before his brain could process it.

One second, he was on the sidewalk.

The next, he was standing in the street, arms wrapped around the girl.

The car should've hit him.

But it didn't.

Everything stopped. The headlights froze mid-flash, rain hung in the air like tiny crystals, and Jax's angry shout was trapped in his throat. The world had turned silent.

Michael's breath came out in shaky gasps. His heart pounded like a war drum. He turned his head, slowly.

The car was inches from his face, but it wasn't moving. The driver inside was locked in place, his eyes wide with terror. The little girl in his arms blinked up at him, confused but unharmed.

"What… the hell?" Michael whispered.

Then, like a rubber band snapping, time lurched forward. The car swerved at the last second, tires screeching as it barely missed them, smashing into a streetlamp instead. Sparks rained down. The girl's mother ran onto the street, screaming her name, and Michael stood there, shaking, as reality caught up to him.

But he wasn't the only one who noticed.

A black sedan, parked down the block, suddenly roared to life. The windows were tinted, but Michael could feel it—someone was watching him.

Then, his head pounded. A voice—no, a presence—whispered in his mind.

You have been chosen.

Michael staggered back, clutching his temple. "What… what does that mean?"

The sedan's doors flew open, and three figures stepped out, all dressed in sleek black suits. Their movements were too smooth, too precise. Like they already knew what was happening.

One of them spoke into an earpiece. "Target identified. He's awakened."

Michael's stomach dropped. Awakened? What the hell did that mean?

Jax and his friends bolted. The girl's mother scooped her up and ran. But Michael stood there, frozen. His fight-or-flight instincts screamed at him.

"Michael Vale." The tallest of the three, a man with cold, gray eyes, stepped forward. "Come with us."

Michael took a slow step back. "Yeah… I don't think so."

The man sighed. "Unfortunate."

Then he moved.

One second, he was ten feet away.

The next, he was right in front of Michael, fist coming straight for his face.

Michael barely ducked in time. His heart raced. They're fast—too fast! He spun on his heel, trying to make a break for it, but another agent was already blocking his escape route.

"No way," Michael muttered. Are they using the same power as me?

The second agent lunged, aiming to grab him. Michael acted on instinct, raising his arms—

And time snapped.

Everything froze again. The raindrops. The agents. The wind itself. But this time, Michael felt something else. A current running through his veins, an invisible thread tying him to something much bigger. He wasn't just stopping time—he was standing outside of it.

His pulse pounded. His breath came in ragged gasps. Move. Now.

Michael didn't hesitate. He twisted, running past the frozen agents. The moment he willed it, time snapped back to normal, and he was already halfway down the street before they could react.

The man with gray eyes turned his head, watching him escape. He sighed, pressing his earpiece. "Subject is fully activated. Prepare for pursuit."

Michael ran.

He had no idea what was happening.

But one thing was clear—his life would never be the same again.

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit office miles away, a young woman watched the events unfold through a series of surveillance screens. Her sharp, calculating eyes followed Michael's every move.

A smirk tugged at her lips.

"So, you're the new one."

She leaned back in her chair, fingers steepled.

"Let's see how long you survive."

Her name? Evelyn.