March 14th, 2025.
The day the world changed—though no one knew it yet.
Final exams had ended, and the air itself felt lighter. Across cities and schoolyards, dorm rooms and quiet villages, students exhaled all at once. Laughter spilled into the streets, sleep stretched into late mornings, and every teenager alive felt it: freedom.
It should've been just another celebration.
But something happened.
At exactly 11:59 PM, Earth held its breath.
As the clock struck 12:00 AM, a light—bright, pure, and impossibly fast—washed over the planet.
For less than a millisecond, the world blinked.
No explosions. No thunder.
No alarms or tremors.
Just a flash of white, unnoticed by every satellite and every scientist on Earth.
Not a single soul saw it.
And then... it was gone.
At exactly 8:00 AM, in a quiet house on a quiet street, a sixteen-year-old boy named Naeem opened his eyes.
He stretched lazily beneath the warm rays of morning sunlight, the comforting silence of no school settling over him like a favorite blanket.
Vacation.
No lectures. No textbooks. No pressure.
Just peace.
He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and headed into his room for what had become a daily routine: a personal promise.
He worked out hard—push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, stretches—thirty minutes of sweat and focus. Not for anyone else. Just for him.
And then, when his heartbeat had steadied, he sat.
Legs crossed. Back straight. Eyes closed.
Meditation.
For most people, it was about relaxation. A mental cleanse.
But for Naeem... it was something more.
Something deeper.
He had always believed in power. Not the kind you read in textbooks or see in politics—real power. Hidden. Dormant. Waiting to awaken. He didn't just imagine it. He believed it. With all his heart.
Today, that belief answered.
Halfway through his breathing rhythm, a pulse struck deep inside his chest—sudden and electrifying, like lightning trapped inside his bones.
Naeem's eyes snapped open.
His fingers twitched.
Then—without thinking—he raised his hand.
And it appeared.
A glowing orb of dark purple energy, swirling with arcs of chaotic electricity, hovered just above his fingertips. The air shimmered around it, space warping and crackling as if reality itself were being rewritten.
He froze.
And then—his face lit up with joy.
Disbelief. Wonder. Triumph.
"I... I am Naeem!" he shouted, voice shaking with emotion. "I will be the ruler of this world! I am the chosen one! HA! HA! HA!"
His laughter roared through the room—wild, powerful, uncontainable.
But then… everything changed.
He grabbed his phone to post the moment, his thumbs shaking.
But the second the screen lit up, his world shifted again.
News alerts. Everywhere.
"Mass Awakening: Humans Gaining Powers Overnight!"
"Supernatural Abilities Detected in Over 50 Countries!"
"The Element Era Has Begun."
Videos. Photos. Status updates.
People levitating. Flames dancing in palms. Water swirling midair. Bolts of lightning shooting from fingertips. Walls of stone rising from city streets.
A new set of hashtags burned across every screen:
#Awakened
#ElementBorn
#NewEraBegins
The purple orb in Naeem's hand faded. His grin vanished.
He wasn't the only one.
He wasn't chosen.
He was just… one of many.
His hands fell to his sides.
His chest tightened.
The fantasy he'd clung to for years had come true—only to be swallowed by millions.
He sat there in silence.
Until finally, a whisper escaped his lips:
"No."
"This isn't the end of my dream," he said, voice growing stronger. "It's the beginning."
His eyes hardened.
"If everyone has powers... then I'll rise above them all. I'll master mine. I'll grow stronger. I'll become someone the world can't ignore."
Later that day, he met up with his friends.
But nothing felt the same.
Not the air.
Not the smiles.
Not them.
They gathered in their usual spot, but the world had left "usual" behind.
One friend flicked his wrist and summoned fire. Another twirled water in the air like a ribbon. Naeem's best friend stomped the ground, raising a chunk of solid earth like it was nothing.
Then Naeem raised his hand—and summoned it again.
The dark purple orb flickered to life, humming with raw, strange energy.
They all leaned closer.
"That's not fire," one muttered.
"Not water either," said another.
His best friend stared. "It's not earth… or air. I've never seen anything like it."
Confusion. Admiration. A hint of fear.
Then a phone buzzed.
Another alert.
"Only 10% of humanity has awakened."
"90% remain unchanged."
The number hit like a punch.
Their powers weren't common. They were part of a rare, unknown elite.
Suddenly, their small group felt… important.
But also—alone.
That night, Naeem returned home.
He couldn't sit still.
That orb, that power, still pulsed in his thoughts.
"I need space," he murmured. "Somewhere I can train. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere safe."
He paced his room, thoughts racing.
Then—like lightning—it struck.
A memory.
A place.
Long forgotten... but perfect.
And with a deep breath, Naeem stood.
Not the dreamer.
Not the boy.
Something else.
Something new.