Kairo woke up to the sound of a loud truck passing by outside. It rumbled along the cracked road like it owned the place, making the glass on the window shake. The sun was barely out yet, just peeking through the thin curtains that covered the small window in his room. His bed creaked as he sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes.
"Ugh…" he mumbled to himself.
Another school day.
The air was dusty. His small fan was spinning slow, barely doing anything. His room was cramped. Just a thin mattress on the floor, a low table with some books stacked on it, and a beat-up wardrobe with one broken door. Kairo scratched his head and yawned again, trying to wake up properly. His school bag was by the door, packed from last night.
He stood up and stretched, looking at his hand for a second. He wasn't sure why, but something felt... off. Like he had a weird dream or something. Something about someone being in his room. Needles maybe? He wasn't sure. It was one of those dreams that felt real when it happened, but now it was slipping from his mind like water through fingers.
He shook his head and walked into the small hallway. His little sister, Mina, was already awake and sitting on the worn couch in the living room, brushing her short, curly hair.
"You're up early," Kairo said, grabbing a cup from the dish rack.
Mina grinned. "You snore too loud. Couldn't sleep."
"I don't snore."
"Yes you do," she laughed, poking her tongue out.
Their aunt, Soma, was in the kitchen corner, already stirring a pot of watery porridge over the old gas burner. She looked tired. Aunt Soma always looked tired lately.
"Morning," she said, not turning around.
"Morning, Aunty."
They didn't have much. Just the three of them in this small flat on the lower side of District Nine. Most folks around here were either barely getting by or already tied up in shady stuff. Rent was cheap, power came and went, and clean water was sometimes a luxury. But they had each other, and that was more than most.
After a quick wash and eating just enough porridge to keep his stomach from complaining, Kairo grabbed his bag and headed out.
The street outside was already alive with sounds — loud music from some shops, the smell of burnt oil from a nearby fried food stand, two guys arguing near a broken bike, and someone yelling from a window three floors up.
As he walked, Kairo passed a wall covered in faded posters. Most of them were torn or scribbled on with black marker. But some still showed images of strong, glowing people — mutants — with flashy powers and animal-like features. Wings. Claws. Scales. Fangs. One even had a whole tail. They looked cool. Dangerous too.
He slowed down to look.
"Become more than human. Buy power today."
That was what one poster said. It had the logo of a big company called GeneCore at the bottom. Kairo frowned.
He knew about those places. GeneCore, BioShift, and a few other mega-companies sold mutant serums. With one shot, you could become stronger than ten people. You could gain speed, grow claws, or even talk to animals, some people said.
But those serums cost way too much. Only the rich and powerful could get them. Government officials. Celebrities. Big gang leaders.
People like Kairo? They weren't even allowed near the buildings where those things were sold. If you didn't have money or connections, you stayed normal.
Unless…
Unless something shady happened.
Kairo shook his head again, feeling uneasy. That dream still wouldn't leave him. A shadow. A needle. A voice? No. It was too blurry.
He kept walking.
As he reached the corner, a group of boys stood near a wall, laughing. They weren't students. They wore loose shirts, dark caps, and all had something hanging from their necks — red cords. The color marked them as part of The Iron Fangs, a small street gang that had been growing stronger in the last few months.
People said the Iron Fangs were working with an underground mutant — someone who gave out illegal doses of serum to young boys, training them to be weapons. Most people just stayed away.
Kairo did the same.
He crossed the street and kept his head down.
Further down the road, he passed a closed shop with graffiti on the metal shutter. It showed a big green snake with wires coming out of its mouth. Under it, someone had written:
"They watch. They choose. The next beast rises soon."
Creepy.
He reached the old pedestrian bridge that led to the school side of the district. Just as he was climbing the steps, his hand brushed the cold metal railing, and suddenly, he froze.
Something sharp poked from his fingertip.
He stared at it.
It was small. Just a tiny black claw. Not even half an inch. But it was real.
"What the…?" he whispered, staring at it.
He touched it with his other hand. It felt solid. Like a nail, but sharper, darker, and thicker.
Before he could panic, it vanished. Just like that. One blink, and it was gone.
Kairo looked around fast. No one saw. His heart beat a little faster.
He held his hand tight in his pocket the rest of the way to school.
Maybe it was a trick of the eye. Maybe he was still half asleep.
But in the back of his mind, he remembered the dream.
A needle.
A figure in his room.
Then — a soft ding in his head.
He stopped walking.
System Awakening…
"What?" he said out loud.
The words didn't come from a screen. They were in his head. Not a voice. Just… words. Clear. Cold. Like someone typed it right onto his brain.
[Welcome, Host.
Mutation Detected: Hybrid Type – Unstable.
System Calibration: 12%…]
He looked around again. Still, nobody noticed.
He gulped and kept walking fast.
This was bad. Or maybe good. He didn't know yet.
But one thing was sure.
His life had just changed.