Periun, Kettlia
Ashtarium Nation
North American continent
November 22nd 2019
"Come on, be serious," Eli said, leaning back on the park bench. The sun had started to dip beneath the treetops, casting golden rays across the open park where he, Mark, and Sarah sat together, a few hours after returning from their school trip. Jack stood in front of them, bouncing slightly on his heels. He had called them here, said it was important, so naturally, they thought it had something to do with Carrie. They hadn't expected this.
"I am serious," Jack said, arms crossed. "I awakened superpowers."
Mark snorted. "And I'm Uberman. C'mon, Jack. If you fumbled asking Carrie out, just admit it. We're not gonna roast you."
"Yeah," Sarah added gently. "We've got your back. Friends don't judge."
Jack exhaled, half-laughing, half-frustrated. He couldn't blame them. If he hadn't lived through it himself, he wouldn't believe it either. But he had. The Codex had whispered the name of his power like a secret carved into the cosmos.
"Alright," he said quietly. "I'll show you."
He closed his eyes and reached inward, drawing on the last reserves of mental energy he'd regained since earlier. A soft hum began to rise in the air around him. Then—
"Zone Drive: Zone Placement."
A ring of luminous energy surged from beneath his feet, expanding outward in a perfect circle—its glow subtle but undeniable. The pulse swept across the grass, benches, and trees, settling like an invisible dome over the entire park.
"What the—?" Eli said, eyes narrowing.
And then Jack vanished. In a blink, he reappeared behind them, seated casually on the backrest of the bench they were sitting on, grinning like a trickster god. His friends froze, processing the fact that Jack had just teleported.
"Hey guys," he called out.
They turned—only for Jack to disappear again. In the same breath, he materialized beside Sarah and tapped her shoulder, making her yelp in surprise. Then he was gone again, flickering into existence high above the path in midair—
—and finally, he appeared in front of them, landing with a solid thump before casually teleporting down beside Eli.
His breathing was heavier now, his body swaying slightly. The radiant circle beneath his feet flickered and faded as his stamina gave out. The zone collapsed. But Jack didn't care. The looks on their faces—the stunned silence, the widened eyes, the giddy disbelief—made it all worth it.
Mark's mouth hung open. "How the hell did you do that?"
Eli stared at him, jaw tight. "You... you just teleported. Like, multiple times."
Sarah leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "Jack... how did this happen?"
Jack leaned back on the bench, panting softly, a grin spreading across his face despite the exhaustion weighing down his limbs.
"I don't fully understand it myself," Jack said, his voice rough with fatigue. "But something changed… and now I have this power. The—"
A sharp pulse cut through his skull, silencing him midsentence.
He winced, staggering slightly as a sudden headache throbbed behind his eyes.
"Ascendant Ryan is not authorized to disclose the Codex's existence to uninitiated bystanders," the voice whispered within his mind, calm, cold, final.
Jack blinked hard, trying to push through the pain.
"You okay, Jack?" Sarah asked, rising from the bench. "You're bleeding—look." She pointed at her nose, indicating the thin trail of crimson now running from his.
Jack touched under his nose and swore softly under his breath. Sure enough—blood.
"I'm just… exhausted," he said, forcing a small smile. "Guess using it takes a toll."
"Damn. Careful now," Eli muttered, concern furrowing his brow.
"Guys," Mark said, eyes wide, "this is just like those stories Cam used to tell. Remember? The gang war stuff from Periun? His brother's friend swore it was real—talked about people with powers, underground fights…"
"Yeah, but that was just Cam being Cam," Eli said, skeptical. "I mean, come on. Superpowers aren't real."
Eli paused. Then blinked.
"…Okay, except for Jack literally vanishing in front of us."
Mark grinned. "Exactly!"
"Who knows, maybe the drinks in the museum cafeteria were laced," Eli grumbled, rubbing his temple.
Jack chuckled faintly, still catching his breath. "You know what this means, right?"
His friends looked at him.
"What?" Sarah asked.
"It means…" Jack stood taller, his grin returning. "No more running from Joe. No more getting shoved into lockers. No more hiding."
He spread his arms dramatically.
"Junior year just got a lot better."
They burst out laughing, the thought of Jack turning the tables on Joe and his gang far too satisfying. That laughter lingered, the kind of shared joy that made them feel like the world might finally be changing in their favor.
Jack spent a little more time showing off his power, teleporting around the park once his stamina returned. His movements were still a little shaky, but each time he disappeared and reappeared, the others whooped and cheered like kids watching a magic show. Eventually, twilight deepened, and it was time to head home. They said their goodbyes, with Jack promising he'd see them at school.
As he walked alone down the quiet stretch of Bedlam Street, the lamplight flickering overhead, Jack stared up at his apartment building. He raised his hand.
"Zone Drive: Zone Placement."
A faint ripple of energy swept out from his feet, washing over the structure. The zone locked in. In a blink, he vanished from the sidewalk and reappeared on the rooftop. He landed softly. A cold breeze stirred his hair as he stepped to the edge and gazed out at the cityscape beyond, bathed in amber and neon.
A slow grin spread across his face. With his newfound power, he wouldn't have to run anymore. Jack couldn't wait to experiment with his ability.
****
Over the week, with the help of his friends, Jack began to familiarize himself with Zone Drive—his newly awakened Ability Factor. The power operated through a manifested Zone, a circular area of effect centered around him, extending outward to a maximum radius of one hundred meters. Within this zone, Jack could teleport to any point instantly, as long as it remained active.
At first, it felt like something out of a dream—blinking from place to place, skipping the spaces between steps. But as he practiced, he learned more than just the basics.
He discovered that he could move objects within the zone as well. Chairs. Backpacks. Water bottles. At one point, he even yanked Mark's entire desk across the classroom during a study session. The look on their teacher's face had been priceless.
But the ability had limitations. He could only summon one zone at a time. Once active, the zone allowed him five jumps before dissipating. After that, there was a recharge period of approximately sixty seconds before he could cast it again.
It wasn't ideal. But Jack, ever the improviser, found a loophole.
By teleporting once, then manually dismissing the zone before the rest of the charges were spent, he could summon it again immediately—still with five fresh jumps at his disposal. It was like resetting the meter. He even tested a trick where he'd jump, run a short distance, then resummon a new zone, effectively chaining mobility across a much wider area.
That morning, during lunch, Jack leaned across their usual table—tucked in one of the cafeteria's quiet corners—and grinned.
"I've been thinking," he said, lowering his voice. "What would you guys say to me… taking you with me during a jump?"
Eli froze mid-bite. His fork clattered onto the tray as he stared at Jack like he'd just grown antlers.
"You what?" he said. He glanced at Mark and Sarah, who were equally stunned.
"I mean it," Jack said. "If I can move objects, maybe I can bring people too."
"That sounds like a terrible idea," Mark said, shaking his head. "What if our bones liquefy or we just—poof—turn into paste mid-jump?"
"Yeah," Eli agreed quickly. "Your body's probably gone through some weird changes. Maybe your cells are reinforced or… tuned differently. Ours aren't. We're still normal."
"I'll try," Sarah said softly.
Both boys turned to her.
"You what?" Mark asked.
"I trust Jack," she said simply, giving him a small nod.
Jack smiled, just as a shadow fell over their table. He looked up—and froze.
Carrie was standing in front of them, smiling, her usual confidence wrapped in casual charm.
"Hey guys," she said, giving a friendly wave. Then her eyes settled on Jack. "So… you're still coming later, right?"
Jack blinked. "Oh, right—the Drama Club meeting."
"Yeah," Carrie said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "We're doing that improv game you were interested in. Don't leave me hanging."
Jack chuckled nervously. "Wouldn't dream of it."
"Nice," she said with a teasing smile. "See you there." She turned and strolled back toward her friends.
The moment she was gone, Sarah leaned forward, grinning.
"Wow. I told you she likes you."
Jack stared after Carrie. "Seriously?"
"Absolutely," Sarah said. "She doesn't talk to anyone else like that."
Mark chimed in. "Dude, now that you're an Uberman, your odds are officially better than ours combined."
Jack rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide his smile. "Alright. This time… I won't chicken out."
His friends raised their drinks in mock salute. "We'll hold you to that."
****
Jack wasn't sure what he'd expected walking into the room—but it wasn't this. The air was alive with creativity: students improvising scenes, warm-up exercises echoing off the black-painted walls, and the faint scent of dust and old velvet lingering in the curtains. It was chaotic, but not in a bad way. It felt like a world apart from the rules of school life.
Carrie found him quickly.
"There you are," she said, tugging him by the sleeve toward the center of the room. "You're in my group. Hope you're ready to make a fool of yourself."
Jack smirked. "I make a fool of myself every day. I'm well-practiced."
She laughed—a bright, melodic sound that made the room feel warmer. "Good. You'll fit right in."
Their exercise was simple: three students, one random scenario. Tonight's prompt was a magician loses his rabbit and accuses his assistant. Jack played the magician. Carrie was the assistant.
The moment the scene started, Carrie slipped into character with effortless grace. Jack tried to keep up, stumbling through exaggerated gestures and wild accusations about enchanted carrots and teleporting top hats. Every time he fumbled, Carrie met him with a witty line or a playful roll of her eyes, effortlessly guiding the scene forward. By the end, their audience was laughing. And Jack was too—sweaty, breathless, and grinning from ear to ear.
"You're not bad, Ryan," Carrie said, nudging him with her shoulder as they stepped off the mock stage.
"Thanks," he said, still catching his breath. "But you—you were amazing. You're really talented."
Carrie shrugged, but the compliment clearly pleased her. "Acting was my escape, back when things sucked. Guess I just never stopped escaping." Jack nodded quietly. He understood that feeling more than she knew.
The meeting ended just before sunset, the last traces of gold fading outside the window. Most of the members had already left, but Carrie stayed behind, helping put away props and chairs. Jack stayed too—more than happy to carry boxes just to have a few more minutes near her.
They worked in silence for a bit, stacking costume bins and folding old scripts.
"You know," Carrie said, glancing at him. "You were good today. Natural, even if you were kind of a chaotic magician."
Jack grinned. "I'll take it."
She hesitated for a moment. "I'm glad you came."
"Me too."
Across the room, Carrie's friends—Amber, Layla, and Zoey—were gathering their bags. They glanced at the two of them, whispered something to one another, and giggled. Then, just loud enough for Carrie to hear:
"Sooo… Carrie," Amber called with a knowing smirk. "What'd you think of Jack the Magician?"
Carrie flushed, flustered and defensive. "Shut up, Amber."
"We're just saying," Layla chimed in, her voice laced with mock innocence. "He's cute. Adorkable, even." Carrie hesitated, then glanced at Jack—who had definitely heard every word.
"…Yeah, he is," she admitted under her breath.
Jack blinked. His heart did something weird—like it skipped, then forgot how to beat altogether.
But the moment shattered. The door slammed open. Joe strutted in with his usual entourage, four thick-necked goons flanking him like dogs off the leash.
"There you are, Jackie boy," Joe said, his voice oily with disdain. "Still trailing after Carrie like the simp soy-boy you are."
Amber rolled her eyes. "Go away, Joe."
Joe turned toward her, face twisting. "Shut up, bitch."
Carrie stepped forward instantly, shielding her friends. "Back off, Joe. What do you want?"
Joe's eyes slid over her, predatory and smug. "Always looking good, Carrie," he said, reaching toward her golden hair.
He never made it. Jack was there, in an instant. His hand shot up and caught Joe's wrist mid-air. The room fell silent. Joe froze, stunned by how fast Jack had moved. He tried to yank his arm free, but Jack's grip didn't budge. In fact, it tightened. Carrie's eyes widened. Jack's hand wasn't just holding Joe's wrist—it was crushing it.
"You should be more careful how you talk to the ladies," Jack said evenly.
The pressure intensified. Joe winced, teeth gritted, a pop sounding from within his wrist. It felt like something was about to snap. Then Jack let go. But not gently. The force of it shoved Joe backward, sending him stumbling into one of his goons. Joe clutched his hand, face twisted in shock and fury.
"You little—"
"Leave. Now," Jack said, voice calm but cold. "Before I really get annoyed."
Joe glared at him, then at Carrie—his pride bruised and ego bleeding. But something in Jack's eyes made him hesitate. He wasn't the same scrawny kid Joe remembered. Without another word, Joe turned on his heel and stormed out, his gang trailing behind him.
Silence lingered.
Then Amber whispered, "Holy crap."
Layla added, "Okay, that was hot."
Carrie looked at Jack, breath caught in her throat. "You… how did you do that?"
Jack just shrugged, trying to play it cool, though adrenaline still hummed in his veins.
"Guess I've been working out." He chuckled. Carrie laughed—a little breathless, a little stunned.
"…Thanks," she said, softer now. "For standing up for me."
Jack gave a small smile, brushing a hand through his hair. "Anytime."