Theo sat alone, arms folded, eyes flicking to the clock on the wall.
The clock seemed to tick louder than usual.
The sun had long dipped beneath the horizon, painting the room in orange twilight.
A warm breeze from the half-open window rustled the edges of a wrinkled poster on his wall, a faded print of a scifi movie he used to adore. It flapped softly, like a warning, or maybe a whisper.
His mother should've been home by now. Normally, Audrey was never this late.
"Must be some emergency at work."
he muttered, though a little knot of worry tightened in his stomach.
Boredom gnawed at him, so he wandered into the kitchen in search of snacks. The fridge light flickered on, revealing..
..
..
..
nothing.
Not a single edible thing.
Not even the weird mystery yogurt he usually avoided.
"This house is a wasteland." he cried out loud, closing the fridge door with more drama than necessary. His stomach growled in betrayal.
With a heavy sigh and defeated slouch, Theo climbed back upstairs.
He flopped onto his bed and grabbed his phone, determined to find something useful about his powers. He typed in everything he could think of:
"laser vision origin"
"cosmic radiation symptoms"
"superhuman flight unexplained"
Obscure terms like "emergent psionics" and "organic plasma projection."
Even delved into obscure fan forums filled with people roleplaying as extraterrestrials or gods reincarnated into teenagers. A rabbit hole of pseudoscience and conspiracy swallowed the next hour of his life.
Page after page offered nothing. Just random scifi theories, clickbait, and fanfiction about radioactive squirrels.
Just as he was about to give up, something caught his eye:
"The Inheritance from the Stars : What They Don't Want You to Know!"
He clicked it.
And was immediately greeted by a familiar tune.
🎵 We're no strangers to love.
You know the rules and so do i.🎵
"Goddamn it."
Theo whispered with a bitter smile. "Even in 2025, I'm not safe."
He shut the phone, but for the briefest moment, just a flicker. an image flashed. A distorted face. A pair of glowing, lidless eyes. But it was gone before he could register it. Maybe his tired brain was playing tricks.
The door clicked downstairs.
Audrey arrived home shortly after. Her nurse's uniform was wrinkled, her eyes shadowed with fatigue. But she still smiled when she saw him.
"Hey, sorry I'm late." she said, setting down a bag of takeout.
"We had an emergency and my phone was acting up. Hospital's chaos right now."
"It's fine." Theo said, walking over to hug her. "Thanks again for the necklace."
"You liked it?" she asked with a tired smile.
"I loved it."
She leaned back, brushing a few strands from his face. "Good. Now, did you finish your homework?"
"Yeesss....mom." That was a horrible lie, but she let it slide with narrowed eyes.
"Fine, fine. We're eating like royalty tonight." she said, revealing containers filled with steaming, mouthwatering dishes. Dumplings, noodles, even sushi."
After dinner, Theo sat on his bed again, mind drifting. The food had helped, but questions still buzzed like static in his head.
He looked down at the glowing necklace around his neck, the lobster shaped charm.
"I'm gonna get in so much trouble if this lobster snitches." he muttered, unclasping it and hiding it under his pillow. Then, he opened his window and leapt out.
The night air welcomed him like a second skin. He soared into the sky, letting the chill wind cut through his thoughts. He didn't stop until he landed in a forest clearing, his unofficial training ground.
"Let's see what I can do." he muttered.
A montage of movement followed:
Bursts of flight, trees shaking as he pushed his speed.
Punches against thick tree trunks, leaving splintered wood.
Beams of focused laser heat, melting bark and leaving scorched trails.
The wind howled with each sonic boom, animals fled, and branches cracked under the pressure of his efforts.
For seven straight hours, Theo tested every ounce of his strength.
When he finally collapsed onto the grass, his chest heaved with exhaustion as he gazed at the stars.
He had trained until his muscles burned and the night air stung his skin. His powers responded with more precision now.
"Okay…*pant* maybe I still do have limits." he panted, wiping sweat from his brow. But even in his fatigue, he felt something else, something watching him.
Movement. Between the trees. A figure.
Theo shot up, instincts on edge. He scanned the darkness.
Then he saw it, just for a moment. A humanoid shape, standing still, just barely visible in the moonlight. Tall. Still. Not breathing.
He flew toward it in a burst of wind and speed, but as he reached out
Gone.
His blood turned cold.
Back home, Theo barely slept. His dreams were fragmented, flickering with glimpses of the forest and shadowy figures that didn't belong.
--------------------------------------
The next morning, nothing had changed. Same mirror, same cracked glass. Maybe the crack was bigger. He wasn't sure.
As he got ready for school, Audrey called from downstairs.
"Oh, and Theo? There's a science fair today at your school."
"Wait, what? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I did, you just never open your school emails. So much for being 'motivated' lately."
"Dang… Alright," Theo said, quickly dressing in his uniform.
--------------------------------------
On his way to school, Stuart appeared out of nowhere, trying to scare him from behind. Theo effortlessly dodges Stuarts pathetic act of a scare.
"How the hell did you know I was behind you?" Stuart asked.
"Gut feeling, I guess." Theo shrugged.
"You of all people should've joined the science fair. You live for this stuff. What gives?"
"I… forgot." Theo lied. Stuart didn't seem convinced.
"You okay? You look like crap." Stuart said cheerfully.
"Didn't sleep."
"Fair."
--------------------------------------
School was buzzing. The halls had transformed into a chaotic marketplace. Students rushing around, makeshift booths being set up, the air electric with anticipation, projector screens, plastic models, buzzing circuits. Projects ranged from exploding vinegar volcanos to recycled junk turned into robots.
Theo wandered the fair, unimpressed until he heard a familiar voice. His eyes fell on Lily.
"Fragments of god." she was saying. "Unpredictable. Dangerous. Some say they choose their hosts."
Theo blinked. Hosts?
She seemed to be quoting an obscure and niche book, but her expression was serious, like she believed it.
Then he saw it: a booth labeled "TOTALLY REAL METEORITES."
As he approached one of the stones, his hand twitched involuntarily. Without thinking, he reached toward the rock. For a split second it glowed.
"Sorry dude, these are display only." said the kid running the booth, grabbing Theo's arm.
But Theo had heard something, a faint whisper. Not words. A feeling.
His head pounded. He stumbled away, trying to breathe.
At the center stage, judges examined the projects. One man stood out. Tall. Cold. Familiar. Theo's eyes narrowed and locked eyes with the man in a gray coat. Something in Theo's gut twisted. He'd seen that man before.
"That's the guy who was smoking on the balcony…"
"Yo!"
"Why are you looking at the judge like he killed your family?" Stuart asked, suddenly appearing.
"Huh? Nothing," Theo said, brushing it off.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lily again, this time staring at the judge, visibly uneasy.
Then it happened. In the crowd, a figure, that figure. standing still, towering over everyone else, mimicking Theo's exact posture, his head tilt. A beat later, it was gone.
Later, Theo sat on a bench, staring blankly into the sky. Lily walked up to him.
"Excuse me?"
Stuart, grinning, backed away. "I'll leave you two to it."
"Screw off." Theo muttered.
Lily sat down and stared at the evening sky. "You saw it too, didn't you?"
"What?"
"The humanoid shadow thing. Blacker than black, always watching."
Theo's silence gave him away.
"They only appear to people like us." Lily said, eyes locked on his.
"I call them Watchers. They don't speak. They don't move unless seen. They observe. Especially when someone awakens."
"You have powers too?" Theo asked.
"Of course. But not flashy ones like yours, Mr. Laser Vision. I see things. Hear things. Patterns. Warnings."
Theo leaned closer. "Do you know what it wants?"
Lily shook her head. "Not yet. But don't fly at night. That's when they're clearest."
She stood up, and started walking away.
She paused for a bit before looking back with a smile.
"Oh, and thanks for saving me that day, paper bag."
Theo blinked. "What?"
But she was already gone.
--------------------------------------
That night, when he finally returned home, Audrey greeted him with a warm hug.
"Took you long enough. So, how was the fair?"
Theo forced a smile. "Weird... but fine. Is there any food left? I'm starving."
The day ended, but the questions didn't.
And somewhere out there, something still watched.
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