Chapter 1: The Vending Machine Incident

Alden Cross wasn't expecting much out of his night—just a snack from the vending machine before heading back to his dorm. It had been a long day, filled with exhausting lectures, intense physical training, and yet another reminder that he was completely and utterly average in a world where nearly everyone had some kind of superpower. He had spent most of his childhood dreaming of being a hero, but when his Gift never manifested, he had resigned himself to reality.

Now he was just another background character in the grand world of Sentinel Academy, the premier school for hero training.

He stared at the vending machine's glowing interface and sighed. He tapped the button for a chocolate bar, heard the coil rotate, and then—nothing. The snack dangled, stuck between the glass and the metal spirals.

"Of course," he muttered, rubbing his temples. He took a step back, glancing around. The gym hall was empty this late at night, save for the faint hum of the ceiling lights. No witnesses. Good.

He tried shaking the machine. No luck. He gave it a solid slap. Still nothing. His stomach grumbled, mocking him.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. He took a deep breath, planted his foot, and delivered a firm kick to the side of the vending machine.

That was the last normal moment of his life.

The world erupted in blue light. A violent pulse of energy surged from the vending machine, and before he could react, something slammed into his chest. He was thrown backward, skidding across the gym floor. A deafening ringing filled his ears.

For a few seconds, everything was a blur. His limbs felt weightless. The fluorescent lights above him flickered, distorting in his vision. He tried to sit up, only to feel a strange tingling spread through his fingertips.

His whole body buzzed with energy, like static crawling under his skin. His senses sharpened unnaturally, the details around him suddenly too crisp, too vivid. He could hear the faint hum of an old lightbulb across the gym, the subtle creak of metal from the ruined vending machine.

Alden blinked in confusion, staring at his hands. His veins glowed faintly, pulsing with some kind of residual energy.

That was new.

He barely had time to process it before a voice called out.

"Alden? What the hell happened?"

Iris Vale, his best friend since childhood, strode into the gym, eyes narrowed as she took in the scene. With her sleek black hair tied into a high ponytail and golden eyes sharp as a hawk's, she looked every bit the competent hero-in-training she was. Unlike Alden, she actually had a Gift—Shadow Step, an ability that let her teleport through darkness.

Alden groaned, rubbing his head. "Uh. So. Funny story…"

Iris followed his gaze to the vending machine—or what remained of it. The once-sturdy structure was now a heap of molten metal, sparks flickering from exposed wires. The snacks inside had been incinerated.

She exhaled. "What. Did. You. Do?"

He sat up fully, still feeling the strange tingling in his fingers. "I kicked it."

"You kicked it?" she repeated flatly.

"Yeah."

"And it exploded?"

"Yeah."

Iris stared at him like he had grown a second head. "That… That shouldn't be possible."

"I mean, yeah, I figured," Alden said, glancing at his hands again. He clenched his fist experimentally. The glow in his veins faded, but he could still feel the energy thrumming beneath his skin. "Something… weird happened. I don't know what."

Before Iris could respond, another voice cut through the gym, loud and brimming with amusement.

"Well, well! If it isn't Sentinel Academy's biggest underdog making headlines again!"

Alden groaned inwardly as Felix Grayson strolled toward them, wearing the same cocky grin he always did. Felix was built like a human tank—towering, broad-shouldered, and radiating raw physical power. His Gift, Titan's Might, gave him enhanced strength, endurance, and durability, making him one of the strongest students in their class.

Felix had been fixated on Alden ever since their first day at Sentinel Academy, constantly trying to challenge him to fights, sparring matches, or even just petty competitions.

Alden had no idea why. He had never given Felix any reason to think he was a worthy rival.

Felix's eyes flicked toward the destroyed vending machine, then back to Alden. "You finally awaken a Gift, Cross? I gotta say, I didn't expect your first act of power to be committing war crimes against innocent snack dispensers."

Alden scowled. "It wasn't a war crime. It was a minor structural failure."

"Looked more like an explosion."

"A contained burst of kinetic energy."

"Alden," Iris cut in, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You kicked it."

Felix grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Either way, if you finally got powers, we need to test them out. You owe me a match."

Alden groaned. "I really don't."

"You do. You've been dodging me all semester."

"Because I like my bones unbroken."

Felix rolled his shoulders, taking a few steps back. "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you."

Alden had a bad feeling about this. "Felix, I—"

Too late. Felix lunged.

His fist came toward Alden like a freight train, air pressure whipping around it. Alden's instincts screamed. His body moved on its own.

The world slowed.

Alden ducked at the last possible second. The punch missed by a hair. Before he even thought about it, his body twisted, pivoting behind Felix with impossible speed.

A split second later, Alden's fist connected with Felix's ribs.

The result was instant.

Felix was launched backward like a cannonball, crashing through a stack of training dummies before slamming into the far wall. A loud crack echoed through the gym. Dust filled the air.

Silence.

Iris stood frozen. Felix groaned, pulling himself out of the wreckage.

Alden? He just stared at his own fist, heart pounding.

What… just happened?

Felix coughed, then let out a breathless laugh. His eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Oh, now this is interesting."

Before Alden could process the terrifying implications of that statement, the gym's speakers crackled to life.

"Alden Cross. Report to Professor Riggs' office. Immediately."

Alden's stomach dropped.

Iris inhaled sharply. Felix whistled.

Alden closed his eyes.

He was so, so doomed.