I slept through the rest of the day, my mind still spinning from everything that had happened. When I finally woke, morning light was cutting through the blinds in quiet, uneven lines.
For a moment, I just sat there, staring at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all—the power, the time shift, the silence that came after.
My eyes drifted toward the shelf across from my bed. A small lineup of old action figures stood in formation, untouched. They were the same ones I used to play with before the world demanded I grow up.
The sight of them made me sigh. I swung my legs off the bed, stood, and walked to the mirror. My reflection looked back—tired, pale, and distant. I whispered, "What now?"
The question hung in the air.
"I should take a shower," I muttered, if only to escape my thoughts.
The hot water hit my skin, steam clouding the glass. It was the first time in a long time that anything felt normal. The sound of rushing water drowned out everything—the noise in my head, the guilt, the silence of the Nexus. When I finally stepped out, I felt human again.
I toweled off, got dressed, and walked toward my room. But halfway down the hall, I froze. Downstairs, at the front door, Booker was standing stiffly. And on the other side of the door was a voice I knew all too well.
Joe Wann.
My pulse jumped. I bolted for the stairs, calling down before Booker could say a word. "What do you want?"
Joe's voice came back smooth, casual, dangerous. "Hello, my na—"
I cut him off. "We know who you are, Joe Wann. What do you want?"
He smiled like a man who enjoyed the game. "Well, excuse me, young man. Who might you be?"
"Cut the shit, old man. I asked you a question."
Silence stretched. I could feel him studying me, the weight of his presence seeping through the doorway. He knew I wasn't buying the act.
Finally, he said, "My team picked up a massive surge of energy coming from this residence yesterday. I'm… investigating."
"This home is vacant of superpowers," I said sharply. "So get lost."
His smirk didn't fade. "Well then, you wouldn't mind if we took a look, would you?"
Before I could respond, Mom appeared behind us. "Who is it?"
Joe turned to her with mock politeness. "Ma'am, Joe Wann, Sentinel Solutions. We have reason to believe—"
"It's someone from Sentinel Solutions," I said before he could finish.
Mom's voice turned sharp. "Leave my home."
"Whoa, whoa," Joe said, raising his hands. "No need for hostility. We have a warrant to inspect this property for the improper use of metahuman abilities—signed by the Governor himself." He looked at me pointedly. "And your child claims this home is clean, so we shouldn't find anything, should we, Mom?"
Mom took the paper, eyes narrowing as she read it. Finally, she said, "Very well. Make it quick, Joe."
"Excellent," he said, feigning cheer. "My team just needs a moment to prep."
When he turned away, I looked past him through the window. Blacked-out vans lined the street like a silent parade.
Mom shut the door fast. "Kaleb, why did you say that?"
"Don't worry," I said, already channeling energy into my palms. "I've got a plan."
A faint hum filled the air as I released the power outward, forming an invisible, undetectable barrier over the entire property.
Mom's eyes widened. "What did you do?"
"I masked the house," I said. "They won't find a trace of metahuman energy in here."
Two sharp knocks came at the door.
Mom opened it, revealing Joe—and half a dozen agents with scanners that looked like they belonged in another century.
She stepped aside, and they entered one by one, their eyes scanning every inch of the place. Then I saw her—Rem.
She froze when she spotted us, almost tripping over a cable before recovering smoothly. She gave me a brief, subtle nod. I nodded back.
Joe entered last. "Now then," he said, rubbing his hands together, "for the questioning. Who's first?"
Aaliah stood halfway down the stairs, curiosity pulling her closer.
Joe spotted her instantly. "Ahh, that one. She goes first."
My stomach twisted. Booker and I exchanged a worried glance.
The interrogation lasted nearly thirty minutes. The low murmur of their voices from the kitchen kept everyone tense. When they finally came out, Joe gestured to Mom. "You're next."
Booker leaned close to me and whispered, "You sure that mask will hold?"
"If I did it right, yes," I whispered back.
Mom went in. The minutes crawled.
When she returned, she sat beside me on the couch, her face pale.
"All clear?" I asked quietly.
"Yes," she said, voice low. "But he knew my past. He knew I used to be a hero. I told him I gave it up—to start a family." She swallowed. "He's good, Kaleb. He acts like he knows something."
"That's Joe Wann for you," I muttered, scrolling through my phone just to keep my hands busy.
Booker was next. When he came back, it was my turn.
I walked into the kitchen, sat across from Joe, and waited. He smiled like a cat that had already caught the mouse.
"Ah, young Kaleb," he said smoothly. "Been waiting for this."
He snapped his fingers. One of his agents approached with a sleek handheld scanner. "These aren't normal detectors," Joe said. "They trace energy down to the gamma level. We made these especially for you."
I stayed silent, expression unreadable.
"Well, maybe for you," he added with a grin, "if you were a metahuman."
Still nothing.
"Silent treatment?" he asked. "Alright then—let's talk."
He leaned forward. "Do you believe in time travel?"
My heart stuttered, but I kept my face calm. "I don't know what I believe in. I'm three years out of a coma with barely any memory. Next question."
His smirk deepened. "We picked up an anomaly from this sector—strong temporal distortion. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"You guys pick up anomalies every week. Maybe it's another false positive."
He hummed thoughtfully. "You've lived here your whole life, right? Nothing unusual lately?"
"Just the usual—neighbors fighting, lights flickering. Small-town weirdness. Oh, and random people showing up uninvited."
He smiled thinly. "No unexplained surges, odd weather, missing time?"
"If there was, I must've slept through it."
"You said no one in the home has powers, correct?"
"That's right. No metas. No gifts. No accidents."
His gaze sharpened. "You look tired. Dreams keeping you up again?"
"Haven't been sleeping much. Too quiet lately."
"You ever wish you could go back and fix things?"
"Every day. But wishing's harmless."
"The last time we saw readings like this, a city block disappeared. You wouldn't hide something like that, would you?"
"If a city block vanished, I'd probably notice."
He drummed his fingers on the table. "If I asked you point-blank whether you changed something, would you tell me the truth?"
"Depends on whether you'd believe it."
"The place looks different. New paint—or just a new timeline?"
"New paint. The timeline's doing fine."
He smirked. "You're good."
"I try."
He stared, testing me, trying to find the fracture point.
Then he said quietly, "You're lucky. Some people never get second chances."
"Guess I made the most of mine."
We locked eyes. The air between us thickened—two liars pretending to be honest.
He shifted gears. "We traced a wave signature that resets its own trail. What do you make of that?"
"Sounds like a glitch in your instruments."
"Our sensors clocked an eight-second blackout in local time. Ever experience déjà vu in real time?"
"Sometimes. Usually means I skipped breakfast."
He leaned closer, voice low. "You can tell me, Kaleb. Whatever you did—it wasn't small. You felt it too, didn't you? The world holding its breath?"
"You need a breath mint," I said, summoning a small tin of mints into my hand.
He blinked. "Nifty trick. How'd you do that?"
"A magician never reveals his secrets."
His smile twitched—anger barely suppressed.
"Anything else, Mr. Wann?" I asked.
He straightened. "No further questions."
I stood. "Pleasure as always."
Back in the living room, one of his agents was holding something—my mother's old super suit.
Joe arched a brow. "Interesting find."
Mom kept her voice steady. "It's a collector's item. From another life."
"Good answer," I muttered.
"You say something?" Joe asked.
"You're hearing things, old man."
He laughed dryly. "Well, we didn't detect or find anything suspicious today."
"And never will," I whispered.
He glanced back, curiosity flickering in his eyes, but said nothing.
At the door, he gave a final smirk. "Y'all be safe during these times."
When they were gone, I exhaled, tension leaving my shoulders all at once. "They definitely left a wire," I said. "You all know what that means."
I went to my room. The air felt different—charged. Through Nexus sight, faint glows marked where they'd hidden their bugs. Small, careful, almost invisible.
They wanted to play games?
Fine.
I'd play too.
And I'd make sure they were the ones losing sleep.