Chapter 6: Kael’s Awakening

Kael had always been a man of routine. His days were predictable, his nights uneventful. He worked at a small tech firm, spent his evenings at the gym, and his weekends catching up on sleep. Life was simple, mundane even, and he liked it that way. But all of that changed in an instant.

It started with a flicker.

He was walking home from work, the city alive with its usual chaos—cars honking, people shouting, the distant hum of music spilling out of bars. And then, without warning, the world slowed to a crawl. The noise around him stretched and distorted, like a record player spinning at the wrong speed. The people on the street moved in slow motion, their faces frozen in exaggerated expressions. Even the air felt heavier, as if time itself had thickened.

Kael stopped in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat. He looked down at his hands and saw them flicker, as though he were fading in and out of existence. His heart pounded in his chest, a frantic rhythm that drowned out the distorted sounds around him. What the hell is going on? he thought, his mind racing.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped.

The world snapped back into focus, the noise rushing back in a deafening wave. Kael stumbled, his legs giving out beneath him, and collapsed against the brick wall of an alley. His head spun, his vision blurred, and he felt like he might vomit. He clutched his chest, trying to steady his breathing, but his heart was racing too fast, too loud.

"What… what was that?" he muttered, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own panic.

He looked down at his hands again, half-expecting them to flicker once more, but they were steady. Normal. Or at least, they seemed normal. But something inside him felt… different. Like a door had been opened, a door he hadn't even known existed. And now, whatever was on the other side was spilling out, flooding his body with a strange, unfamiliar energy.

Before he could process what had happened, a voice broke the silence.

"Impressive."

Kael's head snapped up, his heart skipping a beat. A man stood at the entrance of the alley, his silhouette framed by the faint glow of a streetlight. He was tall, with sharp features and eyes that glowed faintly in the dark—a pale, icy blue that sent a shiver down Kael's spine. The man stepped closer, his movements smooth and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey.

Kael scrambled to his feet, his back pressing against the wall. "Stay back!" he shouted, his voice cracking with fear.

The man raised his hands in a gesture of peace, but the smirk on his lips made it clear he wasn't intimidated. "Relax," he said, his voice low and smooth, like velvet over steel. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help."

Kael's mind raced. Help? What did that even mean? And how did this guy know he needed help? "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice trembling.

The man tilted his head, his smirk widening. "My name is Lucian. And like you, I'm caught in the middle of something much bigger than either of us."

Kael shook his head, his confusion mounting. "I don't understand. What's happening to me?"

Lucian took another step closer, his glowing eyes never leaving Kael's. "You've just unlocked a power, Kael. A power that makes you very special. But it also makes you a target."

Kael's stomach dropped. "A target? For what?"

Lucian's expression darkened, the amusement fading from his eyes. "There are people—organizations—that will stop at nothing to control people like you. People with abilities. And if they find you before we do, you're as good as dead."

Kael's mind reeled. Abilities? Organizations? This had to be some kind of joke. Or maybe he was dreaming. Yeah, that had to be it. He'd fallen asleep at his desk, and this was just some bizarre, stress-induced nightmare. But even as he tried to convince himself of that, he knew it wasn't true. The weight of Lucian's words, the intensity in his gaze—it all felt too real.

"How do you know my name?" Kael asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lucian's smirk returned, though it lacked its earlier amusement. "Let's just say I've been keeping an eye on you. You're not the only one with… unique abilities."

Kael's heart pounded in his chest. This was insane. Absolutely insane. And yet, deep down, he knew Lucian was telling the truth. The flicker, the way time had slowed—it wasn't a dream. It was real. And if Lucian was right, he was in danger.

"What do you want from me?" Kael asked, his voice trembling.

Lucian's expression softened, just slightly. "I want to help you. But to do that, you need to come with me. Now."

Kael hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to run. But where would he go? If what Lucian said was true, there was nowhere safe. Nowhere he could hide. He looked at Lucian, searching his face for any sign of deception, but all he saw was a strange, unsettling sincerity.

"Okay," Kael said finally, his voice barely audible. "But if you try anything…"

Lucian smirked. "You'll stop time and run. I get it. Now come on. We don't have much time."