[End of Class]
"What's taking them so long?" I grumbled, stretching out of boredom.
Ate Clydelle's words cut through my impatience. "Maybe there's an emergency meeting. Frank's the president of the JHS Student Council, right?"
"Ah, yeah," I nodded, a flicker of understanding replacing my irritation. Just then, a blur of motion caught my eye.
"Ateeee!" Tyler exclaimed, running toward us.
"Where's Frank?" I asked.
"I'm not sure," he replied, out of breath.
"Aren't you two supposed to be at a conference today?" Ate Clydelle asked, her gaze fixed on Tyler.
"No, that was cancelled. But I saw Aimee dragged Frank away for a talk," he responded, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Ate Clydelle's eyes widened. "Ehh?! Perhaps Frank's finally going to confess his feelings for Aimee!" she exclaimed, her laughter echoing in the empty hallway.
"No way," I scoffed, a smile tugging at my lips. "He's way too awkward for that."
Tyler burst out laughing. Even his favorite cousin knew Frank was "torpe," a Tagalog word for being shy and unable to express his romantic feelings.
"But you said Aimee asked him for a talk?" I pressed, my curiosity piqued.
"Yeah, it had to be something important," Tyler said, his earlier playfulness replaced by a thoughtful frown.
"Well, then, let's just wait for him at the cafeteria; standing for too long is tiring," Ate Clydelle suggested.
"Tyler, please text Frank our location," I said.
So we waited for almost an hour, and I could hear my stomach rumbling as if it was begging for my favorite dish, pork sisig.
[Pork Sisig - is a popular Filipino dish. It can be considered as a main dish or an appetizer. The composition of this dish is mainly of pig's parts such as minced pork meat, ears, and face.]
An hour later, Frank finally arrived, and he was a disaster. He shuffled toward our table, a dreadful aura radiating from his pale, tear-streaked face.
"Let's go," he mumbled, eyes downcast.
"Whoa, what happened between you and Aimee?" I asked, concerned.
"How did you—" He paused and sighed, "She's leaving next week," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Her parents are making her study abroad."
"No way! And you still haven't told her how you feel?"
"I did," he replied, a hint of sadness in his voice. "I told her everything—how and when I started liking her. And she said she felt the same. We're official now."
"That's great! So why do you look so miserable?"
"I just told you, she's leaving!" he grumbled.
Seeing his pain, I playfully smacked him on the head before wrapping my arm around his shoulder. "Hey, cheer up. You'll have all the social media apps you need to keep in touch."
Frank pulled my arm away. "She said that wasn't possible."
"What? Not possible? How?" I yelled, "This is a Code Red! We need to do something!"
"Are we getting drunk?" he asked, pouting.
"Of course not, you idiot!" laughed Ate Clydelle. "You're still a minor! We're not doing anything like that."
"Then what are we going to do?" he asked.
I leaned in close to Frank, plopping my arm on his shoulder again. "Shooting range," I whispered, revealing our plan with a dramatic flourish.
"Oh, that sounds fun!" my brother cheered, his earlier gloom replaced with excitement.
"What are you waiting for? The car's here!" Ate Clydelle called out, already heading for the door.
Hours later, the fun was long gone, replaced by a deep, bone-weary exhaustion. I collapsed onto the nearest bench, a yawn escaping my lips. "This is so tiring... I just want to go home," I said sleepily.
"This was way more intense than our usual training with Grandma Naomi," Clydelle groaned, stretching her aching muscles. "I feel sick."
"Of all the options we had, why did you have to pick the one with parkour, Frank?" Tyler complained, sitting on the ground in front of me.
Frank, however, was beaming. "I needed a distraction," he said proudly, a triumphant chuckle escaping his lips. "Besides, you guys needed a good challenge."
"Alright, let's head back," I said, forcing myself to my feet. "I have a debutante party to get to, and I need to be in top form for that." I stretched, trying to shake the exhaustion from my limbs.
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the dusky air.
"KYAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The sound echoed from a nearby pastry shop, and we watched in stunned silence as a wave of panicked civilians burst out of the doors, running hysterically down the street.
Frank's face immediately turned serious.
"Guys, I think they need help," he said, turning back toward us.
"Seriously? After you drained all our energy?" I complained, rolling my eyes.
"No, let's not get involved. We're teenagers; this is a job for the authorities," Clydelle said, her voice firm.
But Frank was already moving. "Then I'll go by myself," he declared, jogging toward the shop.
He didn't get far. A bizarre, monstrous creature lumbered out of the pastry shop, its unnatural form freezing Frank in his tracks. His bravado vanished instantly, and he bolted back to us, fear etched on his face.
"What the—what kind of creature is that?" my brother exclaimed, the sight of the beast a jarring shock that instantly cleared our exhaustion.
"Ate?" I said, looking to Clydelle for her approval. It wasn't a question born of fear, but of seeking permission to act.
She sighed, her eyes on the chaotic scene, and nodded. "Alright."
The moment she gave her consent, I took a deep breath. "Time pause," I whispered, the words a silent command as a shimmering wave emanated from my fingertips, stopping the world around us. I then touched each of them, releasing them from my control, and we prepared for whatever came next.
[Saori Mina Moon, 18: Time Control]
[My ability, Time Control, allows me to pause the flow of time itself. The power is absolute, but for me, it is limited to a mere minute and a half. Exceeding that limit will cause time to resume on its own, and I will lose consciousness, leaving everyone vulnerable. I can touch those I don't want to be affected, freeing them from my ability.]
"Ate, can you identify that?" I inquired, my gaze fixed on the monstrous creature.
She nodded, her eyes briefly closing before snapping open, a flicker of light passing through her eyes. It was a telltale sign of her ability at work.
[Clydelle Jones Park, 19: Clairvoyant]
[A Clairvoyant, she can perceive a living creature's identity, history, and vulnerabilities just by looking at them. The information is vast, but it comes at a cost; pushing her ability too far can lead to permanent blindness.]
"It's not from our dimension," she confirmed, her voice urgent. "It can breathe a massive amount of fire every two to five minutes depends on how far the range of it spitting fire. Its weakness is the glowing ball at the end of its tail." She pointed a trembling finger toward the monster's tail, where a pulsating orb of light seemed to glow with a faint, fragile energy.
The creature was a grotesque hybrid, a horrifying chimera of different animals. It had the massive, muscular body of a giant lion, but its face was that of a Komodo dragon, with eyes a milky, sightless white. Dragon scales covered its entire body, and its impossibly sharp teeth were like a shark's.
"We only have some minutes, ate Sari, please think quickly," Frank pleaded, his voice laced with anxiety.
I nodded, my mind racing. A silent pulse of energy emanated from me, and the world froze around us. The dust motes in the air hung perfectly still, the frantic civilians were suspended in mid-sprint, and the monstrous creature was a terrifying statue.
"I have a plan that might work," I stated, the weight of the ticking clock heavy on my shoulders. "Frank, I know you still can't fully control your telekinesis, so you'll be our fallback striker for wide-range destruction. Clydelle and I will aid you later once you're done."
"All right," he replied, his nervousness still evident.
[Frank Douglas Moon, 16: Telekinesis]
[Frank's power, Telekinesis, is the ability to control and levitate anything he wants. At its peak, he could destroy an entire country in an instant. However, his lack of control means he risks being affected by the collateral damage.]
"And you, Tyler, transform yourself into a robust animal capable of smashing the monster's tail, while ate Clydelle and I focus on diverting the monster's attention."
"All right, I'll turn into a gorilla," Tyler agreed. A blinding, green light enveloped his body, and in an instant, he was gone, replaced by a towering, 8-foot-tall gorilla, flexing its powerful arms.
"Good choice! Now everyone, go to your assigned locations. In 30 seconds, I'll resume the time."
[Tyler Adamson, 16: Shape-shifting and Power Mimicry]
[Tyler is a Shape-shifter, but his ability is focused on animals. He can also mimic their powers and skills. His transformations are powerful, but they are taxing and difficult to maintain for long.]
"What about the civilians, ate Sari?" my brother asked, his eyes scanning the chaotic scene.
Clydelle's voice was grim. "Most have evacuated, but some who remain in the store are dead. A few still have pulses."
My brother's face hardened with determination. "Then I'll go look for them."
"All right, be careful," I said, a wave of concern washing over me.
Everyone was in position. My heart pounded in my chest as I counted down the last moments of our paused reality. The fate of everyone hinged on my ability to control time just long enough for the plan to work.
"Time Play."
The city shook with the monstrous roar of a beast gone mad. It was a tantrum on a colossal scale, an unstoppable force of destruction. Buildings crumbled into dust, streetlights bent like reeds, and the very ground beneath our feet trembled.
Ate Clydelle, and I were a whirlwind of motion, arriving on either side of the creature just in time. Debris, torn from the city itself, became our ammunition. We dodged, we weaved, we threw perfectly sized rubbles we'd grabbed on our ran,
All while keeping its attention as we waited for Tyler to make his move. He was our ace in the hole. When he finally leaped onto its back, grabbing its tail, we thought we had it.
The plan was simple: smash the orb on its head that seemed to fuel its power. But the monster whipped its tail, a furious blur of muscle and rage, sending Tyler flying.
"Ate Clydelle, let's go!" I yelled, seeing an opening. I grabbed a metal rod and sprinted toward the monster. Its attention was caught by the flickering light of a broken lamppost, a lucky distraction. I scrambled onto its back, ready to shatter the orb, but it wasn't that easy. The beast went into a renewed frenzy, and I was thrown against a wall.
"Damn it," I hissed, a searing pain shooting up my spine.
Ate Clydelle saw me and tried the same thing, but she was tossed aside just as easily. Fortunately, Frank caught her before she hit the ground.
"How is this thing even here?" I grumbled, pushing myself to my feet.
From a rooftop, Tyler's voice cut through the chaos. "Ate Sari! Can you pause time again?!"
I focused, calling upon my power. "Time pause," I whispered, but nothing happened. "I've hit my limit!"
Tyler hesitated for a moment, then, with a new surge of determination, he leaped onto the monster's back again, raining blows down on its head. The beast roared, and to our horror, it began to breathe fire.
"Tyler, its tail!" I screamed.
He scrambled down, but the monster's tail lashed out, smacking him against a wall.
"Oof, that had to have broken something," I muttered, my stomach churning with worry.
I was getting furious. Why did this bizarre creature have to appear here, now? If I could just land one solid punch, I'd turn it into a pile of goo. But my thoughts were interrupted as the monster's head turned to me. "Oh crap..." I turned and ran, the beast is chasing me.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHH! HELP MEEEE!!" I shrieked.
"HEY! LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!" Frank yelled, running behind it.
"FRANK! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO RAGE AND DESTROY EVERYTHING!" I yelled back, but his expression was a mix of confusion and embarrassment.
"I... I FORGOT HOW MY ABILITY WORKS!" he confessed.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" My voice cracked with disbelief.
"I haven't used it in two years!"
"FRANK, I GAVE YOU THIS TASK BECAUSE YOU WERE AT LEAST PRACTICING ON SUNDAYS SO THAT EVEN IF YOU CAN'T FULLY CONTROL IT— AAAAAHH!" I screamed as I found myself trapped in a dead-end alley.
"I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T THINK WE'D EVER ACTUALLY GET ATTACKED!" he shouted, throwing a piece of concrete to distract the beast.
"WE HAVE WEIRD ABILITIES! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! A POSSIBILITY OF A MONSTER ATTACK IS INEVITABLE!" I shot back, throwing my own rubble.
My eyes widened as smoke billowed from the creature's nostrils, its fiery gaze locked on me. "Time pause, time pause, time pause..." I chanted, a desperate prayer.
The monster's mouth opened, a maelstrom of flame gathering in its throat. I braced for the end, but the flames never came. A figure in a hooded cloak appeared, and in the blink of an eye, the monster was gone. And my brother, standing behind it, had passed out.
What just happened? I thought, my mind confused.
The figure lowered his hood, revealing a masked face and a cascade of platinum white hair. He turned, his sharp yellow eyes locking onto mine. Just as quickly, they softened to a gentle twilight purple.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
"H-huh?" was all I could utter.
He was another one of us, a person with an ability, but his power was on a completely different level...