(July, 2010)
Most of Earth was still asleep when the screens started to flicker.
Tokyo Stock Ticker? Signal lost.
CNN overnight? Gray screen, silence.
Houston Control Center? Color bars where cloud maps should be.
It lasted fourteen seconds — an eternity in the digital heartbeat that powered communication in that decade.
At 05:11:03 AM, the telemetry from all satellites using K band dropped to 20 dB — below the cosmic background noise.
Then it came back, as if nothing had ever happened.
Press Room — GDA, Virginia — 07:45 AM
Reporter Susan Thayer from Global News Wire adjusted her microphone. Dark background, GDA logo projected behind. LED lights made the sweat on the technicians' foreheads glisten.
"Good morning, everyone. Specialist Dr. Cownwell should be arriving shortly to comment on the K band blackout that affected roughly eight thousand satellites. GDA experts are calling it the 'Minus Twenty Decibel Crisis.'"
Camera murmurs. Some intern knocks over a tripod. Time keeps ticking.
The door opens. Cownwell enters without a blazer, sleeves rolled up, holding a mug that says World's Okayest Boss. Behind him, Donald Ferguson carries a folder filled with printed graphs.
"Let's not waste time. The blackout wasn't caused by any known terrestrial villain. Someone… or something… just wanted to show us they could shut everything off — or it was an unintentional phenomenon. We have no evidence of an attack."
Hands shoot up, questions flying. Cownwell raises a finger — still in charge.
"Point one: the failure was selective — K¹¹ and K¹² bands, average altitude 36,000 km.
Point two: no hostile code was injected and no data was lost.
Point three: no local supervillain has the range to pull this off. Not even Doctor Brashear after the quantum generator overhaul."
A journalist from the Daily Planet tried:
"And what about Angstrom Levy?"
"He's been in a cell since March. No chance he operated any external tech," Donald replied.
"In short: if it were war, we'd still be without GPS. But we're not. There's no indication this was intentional."
Flashbulbs. Someone asked, "Could it be extraterrestrial?"
"No speculation until we have more data. Thank you," Cownwell ended.
Low Orbit — Sky Watch Lab
Fifteen minutes after the press conference
Green Ghost floated in a translucent containment suit between solar panels on an observation satellite. She spoke through the intercom:
"Control, this is Ghost. Equipment's intact. No discharge marks. Memory's fine. It's like... flicking a flashlight off and on."
In the same channel, Aquarius hovered in a globule of compressed water, adjusting a UHF antenna.
"Dimensional jumps sometimes leave echoes in this range. My kingdom has recorded it before. But this… this is clean. Almost textbook."
Guardian Room — GDA HQ (09:02 AM)
Immortal rotated holographic screens; War Woman read the transcript. Red Rush ate cereal at tornado speed.
"Who tests something like this without wanting to be seen?" Immortal asked.
"Someone who doesn't need to hide — just wants to show power," War Woman answered.
Rush shrugged, his voice a blur.
"Or a dramatic villain who sends invites before the death party."
Everyone turned toward the corner, where Omni-Man leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"Fourteen seconds is just a warning," Nolan said quietly. "The real threat comes when no one's watching the clock anymore."
A heavy silence settled. The holo-clock ticked to 09:03.
Chicago Suburbs — The Grayson House — 09:35 AM
Kai woke up late — night training had left dark circles under his eyes. He grabbed a cup of coffee already waiting in the kitchen, flipped on the TV for background noise.
This time, he actually paid attention.
"…unprecedented signal drop… technicians confirm planes en route switched to L-band redundancy, preventing any accidents…"
Mark came in seconds later, combing his hair.
"Hey! Did I miss something? I'm not ready for another alien invasion and getting chased by crazy monsters!"
"Nothing major. Just the planet remembering it's not in charge," Kai said.
Mark made a face, grabbed a piece of toast, and switched the channel to cartoons. But Kai kept thinking about what Nolan had said the night before: "normal days still exist."
Maybe not for much longer.
Central Public Library — 10:27 AM
Samantha Eve Wilkins walked along the opposite sidewalk, hoodie up, earbuds in. She had just left the central public library — the only place where a "twelve-year-old girl" could flip through advanced science magazines without being questioned.
She shouldn't have gone out, but her curiosity about the event made her sneak away: "20 dB Crisis: Glitch or Signal?"
She bit her lip — feeling a nearly imperceptible vibration while walking. She curled her wrist: a tiny pink spark faded out.
No. This isn't about me.
She kept walking, eyes scanning the street for another opportunity — like the bike kid from the other day.
Query Entry — Classified File (Tag: "Grayson's")
GDA – Analysis Room – 11:15 AM
"Boss, not to press, but there were some low-level electromagnetic spikes near the Grayson residence — exactly when the blackout occurred. Weak, but synchronized. Coincidence?" Donald asked.
Cecil looked at the screen and took off his coat.
"Coincidences give me ulcers. Just keep watching. Don't wake the dragon yet... And nice work at the conference with Dr. Cownwell."
"Thank you, sir. I stuck to the script we wrote."
"Do we have readings from Cosmic at the time of the interference? Where was he?" Cecil asked, leaning on his hand.
"He was home, sir. Far from the Graysons. We had a similar spike there… but we spoke to him already. He said he felt something, but doesn't know what it was."
Cecil walked over to one of the analysts.
"Were there more energy spikes during the blackout?"
"A few minor variations and ripples, but not like the ones we discussed."
Cecil raised an eyebrow.
"And where did they occur?"
"Several scattered points, hard to track precisely. All we know is, they were somewhere in Illinois... But after the blackout, we detected new anomalies near Chicago Central Hospital."
"Investigate that. Priority zero," Cecil said firmly.
Global Ripple Effects — News Recap on TV
Paris — European Space Agency: astronomers review logs, find a "smooth spectral wave, like a tide."
• Mumbai — GPS call center: complaints rose 40% as drivers lost routes.
• Brazil — ITA: professors rolled formulas and celebrated having offline backups.
• Beijing — military satellite evaluates "point of origin" but returns "undeterminable."
• The scientific community informally names the phenomenon "The K Drop."
Not long after, conspiracy theorists had a new favorite obsession.
Somewhere Else in the Universe — A Distant Galaxy
That same night, in a far-off galaxy, sensors identical to those on Phobos recorded a 14-second failure.
A man in a tight white uniform — no helmet, no breathing gear — floated near a next-gen satellite. He touched a point on his suit and spoke without moving his lips.
"Officer Veron reporting. Phobos Intelligence has detected a 'true membrane oscillation.' No visible damage, but the readings confirm the alert."
He looked around, observing floating boulders nearby. With slow movements, he flew toward them and pushed them one by one away from the satellite.
After securing the area, his communicator beeped. Veron tapped it again.
"...Veron, if no substantial cause is found, change plans. Gather those stationed in the northern galaxies and return. We will rejoin the empire and focus on restoring our strength. You have five years."
Veron frowned.
"But sir, all of us?"
"...Those were Argall's orders. If anything ever happened, we were to present ourselves to the new ruler of the empire. You know what this signal means. There are too few of us left to handle that kind of threat."
"Understood, Garken. Orders received."
He remained floating in the void for a few more seconds, lost in thought.
Protect these satellites… that was the prime directive. Ensure the safety of the universe… Even among the highest ranks, few knew the truth.
A growing weight settled in his mind.
Damn... Around twenty of us on this mission... And now we all need to return? All of us?
The One Who Doesn't Get Involved
Chicago Secondary School — Monday, July 5th, 2010, two days after The K Drop.
The sun crept lazily through the windows of classroom 8-B, painting the floor with golden rectangles that crashed into the legs of the desks. The AC was broken — again — and the ceiling fan sounded more like a helicopter about to fall.
Ms. Alden was talking about ethics in times of crisis. Most students pretended to listen. Others doodled in the corners of their notebooks, passed notes, or launched paper airplanes.
Kai was lying on his arms, eyes wide open, staring into the void. Not the emotional void — that one he knew before he was even born. The other one. The one that lived in the cracks of the world.
His Six Eyes were activated. The information was constant, yet subtle. Vibrations from the floor. Heat patterns. An accelerated heartbeat — someone angry — coming from the back row.
Mark nudged his brother with an elbow.
"You coming to my group for the debate or staying in full-on zen recluse mode?"
"I prefer sarcastic recluse," Kai replied, without lifting his head.
"Oh great. Guess I'm stuck with Derick again."
Derick, on the other side of the room, gave a thumbs-up while Becky and July struggled not to laugh.
During the debate, Mark argued that superheroes shouldn't need licenses to act — "because sometimes you don't have time to ask permission to save the world."
Kai, in the opposing group, said only one thing that made the teacher pause for a few seconds:
"Acting without limits just makes you the villain of the next generation."
Mark looked at his brother, surprised — but then smiled.
"Dude... You barely speak, but when you do… it's like a punch to the gut."
Kai tilted his head slightly. A faint smirk. That was enough.
The mood in the classroom shifted a little after that. The conversation faded until the class finally ended.
As the students got up, Mark gave Kai a light shove.
"Come on, man. Recess. Don't stay here meditating or whatever."
Kai just shrugged. He didn't bother answering. Funny how the movement around him didn't bother him anymore. Instinctively, he followed Mark's flow.
Once outside, the heat hit them instantly — overlapping voices and laughter everywhere. The place was crowded, as usual.
The cement benches were all taken. The cafeteria juices had lost their ice. And their friends were all gathered under the only decent tree on school grounds.
Becky was telling them about a weird fever dream involving an alien selling gravity-flavored ice cream. July laughed loudly, leaning on her knees, saying she also had a fever but had been home alone — she just slept through it and woke up fine. Derick was trying to draw the alien in the corner of his notebook, glancing at Becky with a goofy expression.
Mark listened while devouring a bag of chips like he was feeding a black hole.
Kai… arms crossed, leaning against the tree, observed every microexpression, every detail — not to judge, but because he no longer knew how not to notice.
"You're acting weird today," said Becky.
"I'm weird every day. It's in the contract," Kai replied.
"No... Today you're, like… more present. You came to hang out without us dragging you here."
Kai looked at his brother. Mark was now shaking the chip bag upside down to get the last crumbs.
He didn't want to admit it… But not getting involved was becoming too hard.
Because he was already part of it.
Something he never would've allowed before. Never even tried.
Of course, he didn't say any of that. He just looked away and stayed there until the bell rang.
The bell signaled the end of recess, and the group headed back toward class.
But what seemed like a simple walk down Hall B turned into something unexpected.
A scuffle had broken out between two middle schoolers. A playful shove. A joke taken the wrong way. A fake slap.
Kai, alert, saw it coming. He didn't need his Six Eyes to notice the tension — but he activated them anyway. Muscles tensing. Fists clenching. Accelerated breathing.
One of the boys was about to push the other — right into the path of Derick and July, who were walking by, completely unaware.
Kai saw it all before it happened.
In a blink, he moved. Swift, subtle. Hands in his pockets, he positioned himself between them — and casually redirected the incoming shove toward a nearby locker.
The kid stumbled awkwardly. No real harm done.
The other students glanced over, confused — another harmless school scuffle.
Derick didn't notice a thing. July glanced sideways with a puzzled look. The boy who almost got shoved muttered a curse and walked off.
Kai blended back into the group before anyone could tie anything together.
Except Becky. She saw something. Her side glance was sharp — suspicious.
"You walked that way, then came back… You saw it before it happened, didn't you?"
"Just instinct."
She narrowed her eyes but didn't push further. Even without understanding what happened, she knew Kai wasn't easy to figure out.
The rest of the day passed with the same monotonous pace. At the end, as they all said goodbye, Mark made a dramatic hand gesture.
"Thanks, champions of the 8th-grade rebellion. More school and more heat tomorrow!"
Kai, beside him, adjusted his backpack — and realized… he didn't hate being there.
Mark walked ahead with one shoelace undone.
He tripped. Naturally.
Kai caught him by the collar without even blinking.
"I was gonna recover!" Mark insisted, stopping to tie the lace with a grin.
"Sure. Just wait next time before blasting off like a rocket."
"You don't trust me?"
"I trust you. I don't trust gravity."
They both laughed.
And in that moment — even if he didn't know it — Mark carried something rare:
The certainty that, no matter what happened…
His brother would always be close.
Variables and Secrets
The next day – 02:10 AM
The sky was overcast. No stars. No moon. A thick veil of silence draped the forest like an old blanket. Except for one small clearing — alive with subtle distortions, where the air pulsed with a rhythm that didn't belong to the world.
Kai arrived with slightly slouched shoulders, hands in his pockets, and the face of someone woken up before doomsday.
His backpack bumped with each step, the half-open zipper swinging like a soundtrack to his boredom.
"Seriously? Two in the morning? Is there some rule on your planet that says training only counts if it comes with dark circles?" he said as he stepped into the center of the clearing.
Cosmic was already there — standing in the middle, arms crossed, wrapped in that ever-present aura hovering between sacred and extinct. The visor of his armor shimmered with soft reflections, his hidden eyes watching patiently.
"The night offers silence. And silence lets us perceive... what usually goes unnoticed," he replied.
"Poetic. Still, insomnia is not a mystical gift," Kai said, voice dry with sarcasm.
Cosmic smiled with his eyes.
"Let's begin."
"Close your eyes," Cosmic instructed.
"If I pass out, that's on you," Kai muttered with a faint smirk — but he obeyed.
"You're trying to command the energy like it's a tool. But it's a principle. A concept. And you don't tame a concept. You understand its rhythm... and follow it."
Kai took a deep breath.
"You want me to waltz with the void?"
"I want you to breathe with it. The void doesn't exist, has no shape. But for someone who carries it... it has presence. When you force it, it resists. When you accept it... it adapts."
Kai tried again.
This time, the Blue manifested more gently. A sphere hovered above his palm, pulsing in steady cycles. The headache still came — but delayed. Lighter. Bearable.
He opened his eyes slowly, focused.
"Okay… that's new."
Cosmic nodded.
"You didn't overpower the void. You… synchronized."
Kai rolled his eyes.
"Great. Now in addition to insomnia, I have to become a martial philosopher," Kai muttered with dry sarcasm.
The floating Blue sphere in Kai's hand began to emit faint sparks. The headache flared, and he dispelled it quickly.
"Looks like the void doesn't like yoga class," Kai said, breathing heavily.
Cosmic smiled again as he walked closer.
"It's not about full control. It's about tolerance. The void isn't a river to swim against. It's an inner ocean — you dive, or you drown."
Cosmic removed his transformation bracelet and handed it to Kai.
"Let's focus on what we don't know yet," Cosmic said. "I asked Cecil to install an energy gauge into my bracelet. That way, we can monitor when your side effects begin."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Make the Blue sphere again. Just one. But hold it for as long as you can. I'll track your aura."
Kai took a breath, activated the Six Eyes, and formed the sphere. Small. Dense. But... stable.
Five seconds. Ten. Twenty. Thirty.
His muscles tensed. His eyes began to vibrate.
Cosmic observed every shift.
"Your aura is starting to implode... You're on the edge of instability."
"I can hold longer."
"You can — but your body starts to pay for it."
At fifty seconds, faint white strands began to appear at the crown of Kai's head.
He dispelled the sphere and collapsed to his knees, gasping.
Cosmic approached.
"Gauge reads 59.4%. Looks like my people's theory was right."
"So… now what? What are the consequences if I keep going?"
"Based on observations and cross-referenced patterns? Symptoms start here. Melanin crystallization. Cranial pressure. Light neural collapse."
Kai sighed and sat back, hands bracing behind him as he caught his breath.
"So... if I go past that?"
"At seventy percent, everything intensifies. At eighty, the pain becomes overwhelming. At ninety, maintaining consciousness would be nearly impossible — your physical strength would be drained by the stress. At one hundred... You'd fall into a coma until your Viltrumite regeneration heals your brain and body."
Kai remained silent. His breathing still labored.
"If you reach one hundred... You might lose more than strength. You could lose control. Identity. Your mind, your core... could fracture."
"Would the change be permanent?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Or maybe you'd regenerate. But even if you came back... would you still be you?"
"I don't know. But the amount of energy I can use now is higher than it was years ago."
"You're progressing because your Viltrumite body is adapting. Early growth is faster, especially now that your powers are developing… but it'll plateau eventually. Your body has a limit."
Kai lay back on the ground, arms outstretched, still recovering.
"Makes sense…"
Cosmic spoke again.
"Kai… there's something I don't understand. Your eyes — what are they?"
"You know... I'm not entirely sure what they can do. I used to base them on something from my past life, but I've noticed some differences..."
Cosmic stayed silent, intrigued.
"First thing I noticed — they use less energy than forming the void. And they only activate when I channel a small amount of the void into them. Doesn't take much — even a fraction is enough."
Kai sat up again, facing Cosmic.
"It's like… I was blind my whole life. And when I turn them on… I see. After that, it's hard to regulate how much energy I'm using to keep them active. It's mentally exhausting too — all that input, and somehow my brain tries to process everything."
"Fascinating. In all my existence, I've never seen anything like it. Void eyes…"
"I call them the Six Eyes. But sure, Void Eyes works too."
They both chuckled.
Cosmic suggested testing them. An hour passed in training…
"Based on how you react and dodge things with them active, I think you rely too much on reaction. But something happens before that. A hidden pulse — the void vibrates when something's about to happen. If you learn to feel that... you can move first," said Cosmic.
"Premonition?"
"Prediction based on causal vibration. Time, even when it feels random, has rhythm. The void hears it. And your eyes... seem to perceive it too."
Kai stayed silent.
Cosmic threw a small rock behind Kai — no warning.
Kai turned before the sound even registered. He caught it.
"I saw your movement, even while you were behind me. It's strange, but not premonition. I just… see everything."
"That was synchronization. Try again."
The night continued with tests. Reflexes. Vibrations. Attempts to read the instant before the action — where the void whispered.
And Kai listened. Not with his ears. With something deeper.
Another hour passed. They both sat on a bed of leaves, breath steady. Kai was still sweating, but no serious signs of strain. Real progress.
"I've been thinking about the Blue..." he began. "It's… my way of shaping the void, right?"
Cosmic nodded.
"Yes. The Blue is how you interpret the void. Your body and mind assign structure to the formless. That's why... it manifests this way."
"So if I change how I understand it..."
"You might discover new forms."
Kai looked up at the sky. A single white strand glowed in his hair, visible even in the dark.
"Great. So on top of unstable energy and neural risk, now I have to deal with a magical philosophy system."
"Or a gift… you haven't learned to unwrap."
Kai shrugged.
"Since we're sharing… can I tell you something I've never told anyone?" Kai asked, the air shifting.
Cosmic simply watched him.
"Before I got here… I died."
"You mentioned that. But not how."
Kai leaned forward, elbows on knees.
"I was an adult. In my world. Tired. Isolated. It was a mistake. No warning. A blink… and it was over."
Pause. Heavy. Long.
"I remember everything. A bullet in my chest, from someone who got the wrong person. My vision faded, but I didn't feel sadness — just relief. I thought I'd finally rest. But instead… I woke up. In a place too white. Too silent. There was only one thing there. A presence. A deity."
Cosmic leaned in slightly.
"A… deity?" Cosmic asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
"Yeah. Then another showed up. They said I was a variable. An exception. That my early death dropped me where I didn't belong. They looked at me like a glitch. A problem they couldn't delete."
Kai looked at his own fists.
"But they couldn't erase me. Rules. Cosmic codes. So… they gave me a 'chance.' Reincarnate. In another world. With one condition: I had to agree."
"And you… accepted?" Cosmic asked.
"Hell no. I laughed. Said I'd only accept if I came back with the powers of some overpowered anime character. I was joking. Tired. Frustrated. I just wanted to be left alone."
Kai chuckled — but bitterly.
"They… took it seriously. Said those powers were impossible. But they adjusted. And dropped me here. As an apology for pushing too hard, they gave me a blessing of luck that lasted two years. Only later did I realize that is what kept me from dying when I first got the powers," Kai said, with an indignant tone.
"And ever since… you've remembered everything," said Cosmic, now looking at Kai with empathy.
"From day one. From the damn crib. Living as a baby with an adult mind... is a punishment no one deserves," Kai said, complaining in frustration as he slammed his palm over his eyes.
Cosmic lowered his head for a moment, then looked up again — soft.
"And now you're here," Cosmic stated in a tone that mixed understanding with empathy.
"Stuck here. Not knowing if I'm who I used to be… or this new Kai."
"Maybe you're both. Or something new."
Kai didn't reply. Only silence remained between them for a moment.
"No one knows this, Cosmic. Not my mom. Not my brother. Not… him." said Kai.
"Him... your father? Will you ever tell him?" Cosmic asked curiously.
Kai looked away.
"Maybe. But not now. And definitely... not him. I don't know..."
Cosmic understood without asking more.
"Since you shared so much… let me tell you about my people."
Kai nodded.
Cosmic looked up at the sky.
"We lived in a binary system. Two suns. Three moons. We studied the void as a principle. Not a weapon. It was... our religion, our physics, our philosophy."
"And what happened?" Kai asked, now looking at cosmic.
"Ambition." was the answer, quick, simple and concise.
Cosmic closed his eyes.
"Some tried to capture fragments of the void. To incorporate. Amplify. But... the void isn't power. It's boundary. It's what doesn't want to be shaped."
"And you shaped it," Kai said, eyes fixed.
"They tried… and we lost. One by one, we became part of what we swore to understand. I… was the only one who resisted. Not out of merit. Just because I was far enough away when it happened."
Kai said nothing.
"If wandering through the void counts as resistance... But ever since, I carry the echo of what remains."
"And now you're here. With me," Kai said, echoing Cosmic's words with a faintly sarcastic but empathetic smile.
"And now… I'm here with you," Cosmic replied, serene.
Silence took over the clearing. This time, comfortable.
Two beings. Two stories. Two forces that were never meant to coexist.
And yet, somehow, they had found each other.
And as improbable as it was…
They understood one another.
Like old friends.
Family Trip
July 2010 — Road to rural Wisconsin
A few days later, the sun stretched like a golden blanket over the asphalt. The trees along the road swayed gently, as if lazily greeting the passing cars in the summer heat. In the front seat, Debbie softly hummed along with the radio. Nolan was driving, a rare half-smile on his face.
Kai and Mark were in the backseat. Mark had his feet up near the window, practically hanging out, laughing at something in a superhero comic book.
"Hey Dad, are we really stopping at that park with the river and paddle boats?" Mark asked excitedly.
"We are. And if there's time, we'll hit that trail your mom loves. The one with the suspension bridges," Nolan replied, adjusting his sunglasses.
"Oh no… not the trail," Kai muttered.
Debbie glanced in the rearview mirror.
"It'll be good for you. Breathe some fresh air, see the open sky, maybe smile once without looking like you're eighty."
Kai let out a dry, ironic sigh.
"I'm already smiling on the inside."
"Looks more like poisoned on the inside," Mark teased, earning a light elbow.
"If you spill that juice on me, I'm throwing you out of the car," Kai said, still staring out the window.
"Sibling love," Nolan muttered without taking his eyes off the road. Debbie laughed.
Later — Rented cabin by the lake
It was an old wooden house, with a creaky porch, the smell of stacked firewood, and a small dock out back. Simple, but cozy. The kind of place where time seemed to move slower.
Mark dropped his backpack with a dramatic "Whew!"
Kai just leaned his in the corner and went straight upstairs. Small room. Window with a view of the lake. He lay on the bed without taking off his shoes, eyes fixed on the wooden ceiling.
He felt nostalgic for something he never really experienced.
That landscape… the sound of birds… the artificial peace… it all felt like a generic dream of the "good life." But in it, Kai was just a misplaced piece. A spectator — not a player.
The next day, they went to the famous trail Debbie liked.
The family walked a shallow path surrounded by dense vegetation. Mark jumped from rock to rock, trying not to step in the mud. Debbie held a crumpled map, complaining about the forks in the trail. Nolan walked behind her, looking surprisingly relaxed.
Kai trailed in the back.
From time to time, he glanced aside, activating the Six Eyes for a few seconds — not to train, just out of habit. A trail of ants crossing the ground, a squirrel watching from the branches, even the faint movement of a mosquito flying toward his neck.
"What a pain," Kai murmured, too quietly to be heard.
He slapped the mosquito midair without missing a beat.
"Kai?" Mark's voice pulled him back.
"What?"
"I think I found a cave. Let's check it out?"
"You want to go into a dark hole, no idea what's inside, wearing canvas shoes?"
"Of course! Adventure, man."
"You didn't learn anything from Rock Cliff, did you?"
Mark fell silent, staring at the ground.
Kai realized the weight of what he said — but it was too late.
He knew that could trigger a trauma in Mark. Kai sighed tiredly, looked at Nolan, and raised an eyebrow.
"Can we?" he asked.
Nolan, chatting with Debbie up ahead, shrugged casually.
"Be quick. And don't go too far."
Mark perked up again and they entered...
The cave wasn't big. Some mineral formations. The smell of damp soil. Mark got excited over every detail like a pro explorer.
So much for trauma. I think I got fooled. The protagonist of this world is alive and kicking, Kai thought.
But when Mark climbed a rock to take a photo, he slipped and fell backward.
"Mark!" Kai rushed over. The fall wasn't serious.
Kai helped him sit up. Mark laughed, even in pain.
"I think my dignity cracked along with that rock."
"You're an idiot," Kai said — but his voice trembled.
With the Six Eyes activated, he assessed the impact. Nothing serious. A small cut on the palm. No broken bones. Still… the scare hit hard.
He gripped his brother's arm tighter than he should have. For a second, his hand trembled. A flash crossed his mind — not of Mark, but of anyone he couldn't save in time.
In that moment, he realized the trauma wasn't Mark's. It was his.
Mark noticed the tension. He dropped the jokes.
"Hey… I'm okay. Kai?"
"You need to stop running into the dark without checking if there's ground first," Kai said, scolding him.
"But you're always here," Mark replied — simple. Like it was obvious.
Kai looked at him. A reply swelled in his chest… but never left.
They returned to the trail, quickly finding Debbie and Nolan, who had stopped to wait for them.
By nightfall, back at the cabin
The fire crackled. Debbie sliced marshmallows while sipping red wine with Nolan. Mark retold the fall like it was a war story.
Kai watched the fire. The warmth on his face. His brother beside him.
Nolan looked at him for a moment. Those eyes that once held judgment… now held something even he didn't quite understand.
"You take good care of him."
Kai didn't respond.
"You've always been the quieter one. But… you know, I—"
"I know," Kai cut in, dryly, not looking at Nolan.
Nolan simply nodded. And said no more.
Debbie arrived with two cups of juice. She sat between her sons.
"Promise me you two won't kill each other before the trip ends?"
"I promise," Mark said.
"Depends. Are there more trails?" Kai replied with his usual sarcasm and a faint smile.
"A very mature twelve-year-old," Debbie said, laughing.
Everyone laughed. And then they went quiet around the fire.
And the silence was good.
For the first time in a long time, the Graysons felt… just like a family.
Even if one of them carried an impossible secret.
Even if another was destined to become a hero.
Even if the father had killed… and would kill again.
On the last night of the trip…
The lake was like a mirror. The clouds had cleared, letting the sky reveal every star. Kai now sat alone on the pier, feet nearly touching the water.
He recalled his talk with Cosmic. "The Blue is how you understand the void. Your body and mind assign structure to the formless. That's why... it manifests this way."
And then he wondered about the origin of his powers — based on a concept from his previous world.
If I can use Blue with the void... maybe I could try Red… But where do I even begin? When I use the void's energy, it just creates space for the universe to correct — pulling everything in. I don't try to do that... it just happens…
Kai sighed heavily.
No way of knowing how much those deities tampered with the powers to make them "possible"…
He stood up, activated his eyes, confirmed no one was nearby. He extended his hand, palm open. Closed his eyes and imagined… red energy.
In front of his palm, a small, unstable red sphere formed — less than half a centimeter in diameter.
Exhaustion hit instantly, like a snapped rubber band. The sphere collapsed... no effect.
Nothing pulled.
Nothing pushed.
Just failure. Total failure. And double the fatigue.
He sat again, staring at the opposite shore while catching his breath.
The reflection of the sky blended with his own. A boy who wasn't just a boy — lost between two worlds he never asked for. But somehow… still there.
He let out a weary sigh, drifting in thought. It would be nice if I could control the void like that girl controlled her pink power… She made a flower… What else could she create? Shaping something with her energy… With the void, that's impossible...
A few minutes later, Mark appeared slowly, barefoot, a blanket draped over his shoulders.
"You always disappear when things are finally good," he said, sitting beside him.
"Still awake?" Kai replied, not taking his eyes off the water.
"Sometimes I think you're so busy trying to understand the world that you forget to… live it."
"Maybe. But it's hard to live in a world that doesn't feel made for you."
Mark thought for a second.
"I feel that way sometimes too. But if we're here… maybe it means we're supposed to be."
Kai looked at him. He knew Mark couldn't truly understand — but it was clear his brother just wanted to be near him. He stayed silent for a few seconds.
"Yeah. Seems like we came to the right place to think about that."
"Or maybe we came just to realize that… even feeling that way… we're still here."
Kai looked at his brother. And for the first time that night… he smiled. A real one. Brief. Light.
"You should write motivational quotes for fortune cookies," Kai said.
Mark burst out laughing, startling a heron across the lake. They watched its reflection fade into the starry sky.
"You scared the bird," Kai said, glancing at him.
Mark raised a hand over his forehead, looking across the lake.
"What bird?"
"Geez, Mark, you're as silent and observant as a blind guy screaming in a shootout," Kai said, now laughing.
Mark laughed even louder.
No threats.
No secrets.
No missions.
Just two brothers.
And the sound of water… and Mark.
Movies, Pizza, and the Summer
July 29, 2010 — Becky's House — Quiet Suburb of Chicago, Illinois
The night was warm, the kind that announces summer with the sweet scent of freshly cut grass and the distant hiss of automatic sprinklers.
Kai walked in silence beside Mark, hands in his pockets, a small backpack on his back. His brother, on the other hand, talked like he was narrating an intergalactic adventure.
"It's gonna be awesome, man. Becky said her mom ordered pizza with cheese-stuffed crust. And July's bringing a horror movie banned for under 13s."
"We're twelve."
"Technically, yeah. But that's just a number. Like height."
"Your logic is… impressive," Kai muttered with his usual skepticism.
When they arrived, the door was already open and Becky's lively voice echoed from the living room.
"Mark! Hurry up, July's already here!"
Kai looked at the door and almost turned back — but Debbie pulled up behind them in the car, elbow resting on the window.
"You're going in too, Kai."
"I thought I was just dropping Mark off."
"New plan. Go on, socialize. I promised Janet you'd stay till the end of the night."
He looked at the door, then at his mom, then up at the sky.
"The universe is against me."
"Go. Or you're grounded until you're taller than me."
Kai sighed and walked inside. Debbie drove off smiling to herself.
Inside the house
Becky's house was bright, decorated in light woods and smelled of freshly baked garlic bread. Framed phrases like "Home Sweet Home" lined the walls, and a floral carpet stretched down the hallway.
In the living room, Becky and July were sitting on the floor, surrounded by cushions and holding sodas. Derick, as always, half-leaned in the corner, fiddling silently with a Rubik's cube.
"Hey, the crew's here!" Becky said, dragging Mark into the group.
"Kai came too?" July raised an eyebrow. "Thought he'd send a clone and go train with shadows or something."
Kai just raised his hands in surrender and leaned against the doorway.
"I was coerced."
Becky rolled her eyes and went back to her soda. Kai stepped into the kitchen, where Becky's mom, Janet, was slicing a fresh pizza.
She smiled when she saw him standing there, looking out of place.
"Want a slice before the sharks attack?"
"I don't think I'd survive July's bite," he said, with a faint smile.
Janet laughed, handing him a plate with a slice.
"You're… different."
"I hear that a lot."
She leaned back against the counter, letting out a small sigh.
"You look tired," Kai said noticing Janet's tired look
"Yeah. Grown-up stuff."
"I see… Grown-up life's about as fun as waiting in line at the bank," Kai said sarcastically. "What happened?"
Janet chuckled, then glanced sideways at him.
"You know, grown-up things. I've been wondering if I made the right choice accepting that new offer…"
"Job change?"
"Yeah. Higher salary, but stricter company. Worse hours. And… Becky. There's Becky."
Kai took a bite of pizza and swallowed before replying.
"If you need the money, take it. But set boundaries early. Don't let them get used to you saying 'yes' to everything. Most mistakes start when you agree."
Janet blinked.
"How old are you again?"
"Somewhere between twelve and eighty."
She laughed, surprised by the answer. Then went quiet for a moment.
"Thanks, Kai."
"You're welcome. Just don't blame me if it goes wrong... And remember: good employees always get punished with more work." Kai added with a dry smile, his tone joking — but his words held a certainty that only someone who'd lived it could express.
Before the conversation could continue, Mark and Derick appeared to drag him back.
"Come on! We're playing charades!" Mark said.
"No."
"You had pizza, you're in. House rules," Mark insisted, pulling him by the arm.
"This isn't democracy. This is kidnapping," Kai complained rolling his eyes
Kai was dragged to the middle of the room. First charade: "airplane." He just stretched his arms out and stared blankly at the others.
"Airplane!" Derick shouted.
"My God. You look like a zombie with wings," Becky said.
"Maybe I'm representing the airline."
Laughter filled the room. Even July chuckled.
The game continued. Mark mimicked a chicken, Derick tried to act out the Pope, Becky did a volcano complete with sound effects. For some reason, Kai guessed almost all of them correctly.
"You peeked at the answers, didn't you?" Becky accused.
"Maybe I'm just good at reading people."
"Or he read our souls," Derick said, dramatically.
The night rolled on with soda, laughter, inside jokes, and a disastrous round of made-up charades.
Later that night
After all the laughing and pizza, the group sprawled across pillows and blankets in the living room.
Kai lounged in a corner of the couch, watching as July and Becky debated which version of Godzilla was cooler. Mark was pretending to be the monster with a pillow over his head. Derick recorded everything, laughing nonstop.
Kai grabbed another slice of pizza and looked around.
They laughed at silly things. Argued without malice. Shoved each other without fighting.
And for all the ways he still felt out of place… there was something here.
A moment. A pocket of warmth in his ever-present cold.
He took a bite of pizza and thought:
Maybe… just maybe… living isn't so unbearable after all.
At least for tonight.
Interlude — Between Lines and Stars
August 2010 — Quiet night at the Grayson household
The bedroom light was off, except for a faint beam coming from the hallway, where the door left slightly ajar let through the distant murmur of a television. Kai lay awake, staring at the ceiling with the kind of expression worn by someone who didn't belong to the comfort around him. Mark snored softly in the bed next to his, curled to the side, hugging his pillow like a shield.
Kai sat up slowly.
Silent as always, he pulled on a jacket, left the room, crossed the hallway with light steps, and headed toward the attic, thinking:
I'll try using 'Red' one more time...
The wooden stair creaked once, then quieted.
He didn't know exactly what had drawn him there — maybe an impulse, maybe the void whispering again — but something had left him restless.
The Graysons' attic was a pile of the past: boxes labeled "Christmas 2004," old toys of Mark's, a surfboard Debbie swore she used every summer when she was younger. And in the back, near a dusty window, there was a cardboard box with a faded label:
"Published Books — N.G."
Kai approached.
The box was partially open. Inside, books bound in sci-fi styled covers, slightly worn at the edges. Gold-lettered titles printed across the fronts:
Beyond the Blood Nebula
• Legacy of the Stellar Codes
• Silent Ruin: Chronicles of B'Valthor
• The Last Light of Gharn
• Posthumous Planet
Kai picked up the first one. The smell of old paper, with a faint trace of mold and cinnamon — something Debbie probably tried to mask with scented sachets. He sat in the corner, opened the book, and began to read.
"The emissary fell from the sky like a silent comet. His body carried the strength of ten armies. But he did not speak. He only looked. And the people of Ralketh, in silence, knelt."
Kai frowned. Kept reading.
"The Genetic Council had declared purity the path to progress. The weak would be assimilated. The resistant, corrected. The disloyal... eliminated."
He stopped. Turned back the page. Read it again. The terms, the tone, the brutality disguised as order. This wasn't the imagination of a writer. It was a veiled record. Someone had lived this.
He flipped forward a few more pages.
"Gravity on Gharn crushed most travelers. But not him. His bones were reinforced. His heritage, untouchable. The throne of the conqueror awaited him."
Kai closed the book slowly. The cover made a soft crack.
His eyes fixed on an invisible point.
This wasn't fiction.
This was a journal. A veiled testimony.
Kai stood up and looked around the attic. Everything now felt... stranger — like the walls knew too much. He placed the book back in the box, not carelessly, but with reverence. As one would return a weapon to an ancient chest.
Trying to silence the thoughts, he remembered why he had come.
He stepped forward, raised his hand and... Red.
The same result as at the pier.
"Would've been nice if this came with a user manual," he muttered before turning to leave. He glanced once more at the books, and at the name printed at the spine's corner:
"N. Grady"
Grady... Grayson.
On his way down, the steps felt quieter than before. The floor, colder.
Back in the bedroom, Mark was still asleep, his breathing light. Kai sat on his bed, eyes lost in the curtain swaying softly with the breeze.
And he thought:
He wrote it all. As if hoping someone would understand someday. Or maybe... because he couldn't hold it in anymore.
These books... they're memories. Scars with hardcovers.
Kai lay down again, eyes on the ceiling.
It wasn't surprising that Nolan's civilian disguise involved writing novels — that was how he kept his Omni-Man identity secure. But now Kai knew something more, something no one else had noticed.
His father had left a trail.
And he… was learning how to read it.