Morning arrived heavier than it should have.
Lacky Iman opened his eyes and immediately closed them again. His body felt distant—like it didn't fully belong to him. Every movement demanded effort. Even breathing felt slow.
He sat up carefully.
The weakness was unfamiliar. Not sickness. Not exhaustion.
Something deeper.
His thoughts drifted back to yesterday—
the fight,
the pressure,
the moment his body pushed past its limits.
Nord.
The word echoed.
After a moment of hesitation, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin, metallic card.
Alia Bhardwaj.
He activated it.
The response was instant.
---
Lacky explained his condition plainly—weakness, delayed reactions, unstable focus.
There was a brief pause on the other end.
"This is NORD burnout," Alia said. Her voice was calm, clinical. "Your NORD bank was overdrawn. It is directly connected to your life energy."
"So… my body is paying the cost?" Lacky asked.
"Yes," she replied. "First-time activation without regulation has the highest risk factor. Your body lacks adaptive recovery."
He swallowed.
"Can it heal on its own?"
"No."
She didn't soften the answer.
"We have burnout healers," Alia continued. "They can stabilize your condition. But recurrence will worsen outcomes."
After treatment at the Academy's medical wing, the weight in his limbs slowly eased. The fog in his head cleared—but the memory remained.
Alia stood beside him as the healer finished.
"You have two options," she said.
She raised two fingers.
"Option one: basic NORD control training at the Hero Academy. Not hero deployment. Regulation only."
Her second finger lifted.
"Option two: permanent NORD bank lock. You will not access your power again. Normal life resumes."
Lacky didn't answer immediately.
His thoughts went to the evacuation.
To chaos.
To fear.
To the moment he saw her frozen in place—seconds from dying.
If he hadn't acted—
If he hadn't had power—
She would be dead.
"I don't want to be a hero," Lacky said quietly.
Alia waited.
"But I don't want to be helpless either," he finished.
He met her eyes.
"I'll take the training."
Alia nodded once.
"Decision recorded."
---
The airship stopped above Delhi University as the sun dipped low in the sky.
Before leaving, Alia handed him two items.
A slim Hero Academy card.
And a thin training manual.
"Your program starts tomorrow," she said. "Be on time."
Lacky looked at the card, then up at her.
"One question," he said.
She paused.
"What's your rank?"
Alia looked at him without expression.
"Your training doesn't require that detail."
For a second, there was silence.
Then—unexpectedly—Lacky smiled.
The airship lifted away, leaving him standing at the university gate, card in hand, heart racing.
Tomorrow, his life would change.
Whether he wanted it to or not.