Celestial Judgment

"Me? Joining your academy?"

Nox felt like he was being played. That offer had come out of nowhere, and no one could blame him for staring at the man like an idiot. After all, he had spent the last two years wandering the streets alone—no home, no family. It was just him and his will to survive, the only thing that had kept him going.

And now, someone was offering him his dream.

His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst. He wanted to grab onto this offer, to hold it tight, afraid that if he let go, it would vanish like a fleeting illusion—just another dream that would dissolve back into the nightmare he called life.

The middle-aged man called Night Fury watched the boy's blue eyes, momentarily lost in thought. It was as if he understood the boy's heart. A soft, reassuring smile rose on his lips—warm and natural, the kind that could put anyone at ease. But that was just who he was. A superhero. Perhaps a retired one, but a hero nonetheless. He had saved countless lives in his time, a life filled with danger and sacrifice. And now, with some time to spare, he sought out new talent—those who carried the heart of a true hero.

He saw something in Nox.

But at the same time, he was surprised. Most kids would be jumping with excitement at an offer like this. Yet Nox was different. Even his chosen hero name—Nox, meaning night—sounded more like something a villain would use. And the way he carried himself, distant and unreadable, made it seem as if his emotions were locked away behind an impenetrable door.

Even Night Fury, a seasoned veteran who prided himself on reading people, couldn't see what lay beneath Nox's guarded exterior. He had no way of knowing that inside, Nox was bursting with joy. That deep down, he wanted to believe in this moment, to embrace it. But on the outside, he simply didn't know how to show it.

He hadn't smiled in a very long time.

"Do you think I'd joke about something like this?" Night Fury asked, a bright smile on his face.

"No, sir, I'd never doubt your words, I just… I messed up. I injured countless people when I tried to help… and—"

"Which superhero has never messed up before?" The middle-aged man let out a hearty laugh. "Well, maybe not on your level, but still. You have a strong ability you know, that electricity of yours. Does it have a name?"

"Excuse me? A name for my power?" Nox's voice was flat, unreadable.

"Well, of course."

Before Nox could question it, the entire room was swallowed by darkness. Then, the man in front of him transformed. His body shifted, his form stretching and twisting until a massive, man-sized owl stood in his place.

The jail cell groaned under the weight of his power. Cracks spread like spiderwebs along the walls, and chunks of stone began to collapse. But before they could reach Nox, the owl's massive wings unfurled, shielding him from the falling debris.

"Look at this," the deep, echoing voice came from the towering creature before him. "This is my ability—The Big Owl."

He ruffled his enormous feathers, the dim light of the emergency lamps catching in his piercing golden eyes.

"Not the flashiest name, I know," he said with a grin—or at least, what an owl's version of a grin might be. "But when villains hear it, they still piss themselves."

Nox watched in amazement and confusion as the room crumbled into darkness. It was hard to see, but the sounds didn't lie. Or… did they? Because the next second, as Night Fury returned to his human form, everything snapped back to normal. The jail cell, which had been in ruins just moments ago, now looked completely untouched—like nothing had ever happened, as if time itself had been reversed.

"That is amazing…" Nox said. He tried to sound excited, but the words came out flat, almost indifferent.

Night Fury's eyebrow twitched slightly, but he let it slide.

"So," the middle-aged man continued, unfazed. "What's the name of that flashy lightning of yours?"

Nox hesitated. He hadn't really thought about it before.

What he didn't realize was that this wasn't just a casual question. It was a test. If a superhero couldn't sell well to the public—if their name was lame, if they lacked the presence of a true savior—then the academy simply wouldn't recruit them.

He had resolve, sure, but resolve alone wouldn't be enough—not in a society that relied on the system to protect the weak. Superheroes stood above ordinary heroes, who were more like public servants—police officers, doctors, rescue workers. To be a superhero meant being something more. And for Nox, his answer would determine if he had what it took to join them.

Or at least, that's how it seemed.

In truth, the decision had already been made. From the moment Night Fury saw Nox in the square, he knew he had to intervene before the boy did something reckless. But everything had happened too fast even for him. One second, Nox had cast his ability, and the next, his power had already struck the villain. Even Night Fury, a seasoned veteran, hadn't been able to track the moment it happened.

That kind of power was terrifying.

If Nox didn't end up as a superhero, he'd be too dangerous to leave unchecked as he could potentially turn to become a supervillain.

Nox lowered his head, deep in thought. A moment later, he raised his hand, and blue electricity crackled to life in his palm, flickering like wild lightning.

"In my eyes, this ability was given to me to punish those who commit wrong and to save those too weak to protect themselves," he said, his tone as flat as ever. "And even if it has hurt those it didn't intend to many times… it still insists on trying."

His electric-blue eyes gleamed for just a second before returning to normal. With a small flick of his fingers, he canceled his ability.

"I'll call it Celestial Judgment."