Roy opened his eyes to darkness.
No sun. No stars. Only a pale, full moon hanging high above, cold and silent. The ground beneath him was pitch black, endless and empty. Not a sound. Not a breath of wind.
He took a slow step forward. Then another. His footsteps echoed like whispers in a hollow world. A soft glow shimmered ahead of him: a lake, still as glass, reflecting the moon perfectly.
Roy crouched near the edge and leaned closer. His reflection stared back at him. For a moment, everything was quiet.
Then the reflection changed.
The eyes in the water turned black. Horns grew from the reflection's skull, its skin twisting into something inhuman, something demonic. The mouth stretched into a cruel smile.
And then it burned.
Roy's breath caught. He stumbled backward in panic.
He fell into a second lake.
The moment he touched the water, it felt like a living thing wrapped around him: heavy, cold, and endless. It dragged him down, deeper and deeper. He tried to kick, to swim, to fight, but the darkness swallowed him whole.
Then came the vision.
Through the black water, it appeared. A town. A place he didn't recognize but knew. Houses torn apart. Streets covered in blood. Bodies scattered everywhere. It was silent, but the silence screamed louder than any sound.
Roy's chest burned as he struggled for breath, but he couldn't look away. His eyes were forced open.
The world shifted.
Then it disappeared.
As Roy began to lose consciousness, he saw the moon change into a bright sun. A silhouette of a man appeared in front of it. The sun turned it golden.
That was the last thing he saw before his final attempt to free himself from the black water.
But he couldn't.
Roy screamed.
And shot up from his bed.
His heart pounded against his ribs. Sweat clung to his forehead and neck. His hands trembled as he dragged one over his face and placed the other on his chest, breathing hard.
"…Not this dream again," he whispered.
Outside his window, the night was calm, the light of the moon slipping through the glass.
After he calmed down a little, he said to himself, quoting Marie:
"'My past life is me.' 'There was a good reason.'"
Then he continued.
"I really wish it was that simple."
He sighed and looked at the moon.
"Maybe that's my punishment."
---
The moon disappeared and the sun rose.
At the National Awakening Center, Roy stood waiting for Omar, his arms crossed as he leaned against a wall. He didn't wait long before he saw Omar running toward him like an excited kid, energy radiating from every step.
It didn't take long for Omar to reach him.
"Roy, my man!"
Omar said, getting his hand ready for their usual greeting.
"Hey."
Roy responded as they dapped each other up, the familiar rhythm of their friendship playing out effortlessly.
They started walking toward the entrance together, their footsteps echoing in the morning quiet.
Before they could enter, they heard a familiar voice call out.
"Hey, you two!"
It was Marie.
They stopped and waited for her to catch up. She jogged over, her white hair catching the early sunlight.
Omar offered a handshake with a friendly grin.
"Marie, how are you?"
Marie shook his hand with a smile.
"Good."
She turned her attention to Roy, her expression shifting to something more concerned.
"You look tired. Is something wrong?"
"Didn't have the best sleep," Roy answered simply, his tone flat and unrevealing.
"Are we gonna just stand here, or go inside already?"
Roy said with a slightly annoyed edge to his voice.
"Sure," Marie said, moving toward the entrance first.
The electric door slid open for her, and Omar followed with Roy trailing behind.
The building was busy. People moved in every direction—some excited, some nervous, all caught up in the gravity of what this place meant for their futures.
There was a line with a sign above it that read "IDs Here."
All three joined the queue. Even though they'd arrived early, there was still a line, so they stood and waited, the low hum of conversation filling the air around them.
"Are you nervous?"
Omar asked Marie, his tone lighter than usual, trying to ease the mood.
"Yes, a little. I still don't believe I'm getting an A-rank," Marie admitted, fidgeting slightly with her hands.
"It's just a card," Roy said flatly
"Just a card? Man, this is the key to my future!"
Omar shot back, his voice full of genuine enthusiasm.
"Yes, it's more than just a card," Marie continued, nodding in agreement with Omar.
Roy sighed audibly.
"Okay, I know why Marie wants it and why she wants to be a hero. But you, Omar? You never said anything about it. So why?"
Omar's face turned uncharacteristically serious for just a moment.
"It just sounds fun."
Roy slammed both hands over his face in exasperation, while Marie let out a small, amused laugh.
"Why did I think there'd be a real reason from you? I should have known better," Roy muttered through his hands.
At that moment, they reached the front of the line.
Omar stepped forward first.
"Name and age," the worker said in a monotone voice.
"Omar Khalil, sixteen years old."
It didn't take long before she handed him his ID. He took it with a satisfied grin and stepped out of the line.
Then Marie went forward.
"Marie Quinn, sixteen years old."
She also received her ID quickly and stepped aside, clutching it like it was something precious.
Roy moved forward, but instead of stopping at the counter, he walked right past it, heading straight for the exit.
Omar and Marie looked at each other, confused.
Omar called out after him.
"Hey, Roy! You didn't get your ID. Why are you leaving?"
Roy stopped for a second. His hands went to his pocket, and he pulled out an ID, holding it up between two fingers so they could see it. The card clearly displayed beneath "Powers," the words: Shadow and Fire.
"I already have one," he said simply, then turned and continued walking toward the door.
"Show off," Omar muttered with a smirk, following after him.
Marie shook her head with a small smile and followed as well.
All three left the building—Roy in the front, Marie and Omar a few steps behind.
Omar and Marie quickened their pace until they caught up with him.
"Hey, Roy, what are you doing from now on?"
Omar asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
"What do you mean?"
Roy raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at him.
"Me and Marie are going to take the hero academy test. What about you?"
"Yeah, I also want to know," Marie added, her tone equally curious.
Roy stopped walking. For a moment, he just stood there, his back still to them. Then he turned slightly and said:
"I won't take it. All I want is to work as a firefighter."
"What?"
Omar said, his voice rising in disbelief.
Marie echoed him almost immediately.
"What?"
"A firefighter? You're strong. You could be a really good professional hero. Why a firefighter?"
Omar pressed, genuinely baffled.
Roy looked at both of them, his expression unreadable but his eyes carrying a weight that neither of them could fully understand.
"I never liked the idea of being a professional hero. And I never wanted to be one."
Even though he tried to hide it, you could tell there was more to it than just that. Something deeper. Something unspoken.
Omar opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, but something in Roy's tone made him stop.
Marie, too, stayed quiet, sensing the wall Roy had just put up.
For a moment, the three of them stood there in silence, the morning sun warming the air around them but doing nothing to ease the sudden tension.