It was raining hard. Water hammered the roof, streaming down the windows, as thunder shook the neighborhood. A car sped down the street and skidded into a driveway, tires hissing on the wet pavement. The man inside jumped out, fumbling with his keys in the storm.
When he pushed open the door, his heart froze his wife lay on the floor, her pregnant belly surrounded by water.
"Come on, hurry up!" he shouted, rushing to her side, trying to help her stand. "We have to get to the hospital!"
But she clutched his arm, her voice tight with pain. "No… I don't think we have time. He's coming now."
He lifted her and laid her on the couch. The storm grew louder, thunder flashing gold instead of white, splitting the sky as her cries filled the room. After what felt like an eternity of pain and struggle, the child finally emerged.
The baby did not cry.
The man cradled the newborn in his arms and passed him gently to his wife. Exhausted, they both leaned close, gazing at the silent child.
"What should we call him?" the husband asked softly.
"Let's call him… David," she whispered.
"I like that name," he replied, smiling faintly.
But in the baby's mind, thoughts churned, ancient and bitter.
I can't believe he did this to me. My own father, Adamus… my own mother, Kiyohime. They took my power, stripped me of everything, cast me into the mortal realm. All because I destroyed a few hyperverses. Now look at me helpless. Just a baby.
His golden eyes opened, glaring at his new parents. So these are the fools chosen to raise me? They think they can name me David?
He tried to speak. His tiny lips moved, sounds breaking out, jagged and imperfect.
"What is it, David?" his new parents asked, leaning closer.
"…Ava… lo… kita…" he strained. But only one fragment survived his infant tongue.
"Ava… Ava…" he repeated, again and again.
The couple exchanged a look. "Maybe that's what we should call him. Ava."
They hugged their newborn tightly, pressing him to their hearts.
But inside, the child seethed. Let me go. I am Avalokita the Shinma of Chaos.
It had been years since that stormy night. Eighteen now, Ava stood at the threshold of his new home. Rain had just stopped outside, the smell of wet pavement still in the air. He opened the front door, slipping off his shoes.
"Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad," he called casually.
His new mother smiled from the kitchen. "Welcome home, Ava. Dinner's almost ready."
His father gave him a nod over the newspaper. "Don't stay up too late. Big day tomorrow."
"Yeah, I know," Ava replied with a faint grin before heading upstairs.
He closed his bedroom door quietly, his eyes darting to the basketball resting by his desk. Picking it up, he placed it on the floor in front of him and backed up a few steps. His heart was pounding.
"All right," he whispered. "It's been years. My powers have to come back by now."
He raised his hand, eyes narrowing. "Omnipresence… Telekinesis…"
The ball sat motionless.
He clenched his fist, teeth grinding. "Come on. Move!"
Nothing.
Ava stared at the ceiling, his jaw trembling. "Father, are you happy? Is this what you wanted me to be? Powerless? Weak? Do you think I'm going to beg for your forgiveness?"
That's when the screaming started.
He froze. The sound of raised voices and shouts floated up the stairs. "Get on the floor! Where's the safe? Where's the safe?"
His mother's cry cut through him like a knife.
Ava crept to his door and cracked it open. The shouting was louder now. He moved silently down the stairs, his heart thudding.
In the living room, his new parents were on the floor, trembling. Four masked men with guns towered over them. One robber spotted Ava at the staircase and barked, "Get down here now!"
"No, please!" his mother screamed. "Leave him alone! Please, just"
Another robber snarled and pistol-whipped her. She fell to the floor with a groan.
"Shut up!" he snapped.
Ava's father lunged up in fury, punching one robber in the face. Another struck him across the head, knocking him down. The gunman leveled his weapon at Ava's father, finger tightening on the trigger.
Before he could shoot, the air changed.
The robbers began choking, clawing at their throats as if invisible hands were wrapped around them. Their feet left the ground, bodies twisting in midair.
Ava stood at the foot of the stairs, tears streaming down his face, his arm raised, fingers curled like talons. A black halo shimmered into existence above his head, two sharp horns protruding from its dark ring a demonic crown of power. "Omnipresence. Telekinesis," he whispered, his voice shaking.
"No one hurts my family," he growled louder. "No one."
His bruised mother stared up at him in disbelief. "Ava… how are you doing this?"
Ava's focus tightened. One robber exploded blood splattering the walls. Another followed, screaming before bursting apart.
"Stop!" Ava mom screamed. He dropped his arm.
The remaining robbers crashed to the ground, unconscious, covered in their comrades' blood.
Ava's mother scrambled to him, tears cutting through her bruised face. "Ava… are you okay?"
He exhaled, trembling. "Yes… I'm okay, Mom," he said softly, as the demonic halo above his head flickered once, then vanished into the air.
"You have powers," she whispered, stunned. "How? None of us have powers."
"It's… a long story," Ava said, his golden eyes dimming. "One day I'll tell you everything."
She hugged him tightly. "I'm just glad you're safe."
They rushed to his father, still groggy but alive, as the sound of sirens drew closer.
That night, as police arrested the surviving robbers, Ava sat alone in his room. His fingers flexed and curled, moving the basketball slightly with each twitch. His power was returning slowly, but it was there.
"Interesting," he murmured to himself. "My powers are coming back. The sooner, the better. Then I can leave this planet and go home."
The door creaked open. His parents entered, faces pale. His father sat down on the edge of the bed. "Ava… because of what you did tonight… there's something we have to tell you."
His mother's voice trembled. "I'm sure you've noticed. Some of your friends with powers have already gone through this. Everyone with powers must enroll in the Dark Lord's Academy. If they're good enough… they're drafted into his army. It's the law. If we don't comply…" Her voice broke, a sob caught in her throat.
Her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I know it's not fair. The Dark Lord's laws stretch across every world he controls. We've seen what happens to those who disobey. They're tortured for eternity."
Ava tilted his head, hiding his smirk. Perfect, he thought. His golden eyes glimmered faintly. My powers are returning… and now I have a place to train.
"It's fine, Mother. Father. I don't mind," he said aloud. "I'll start packing my things."
His new parents both hugged him tightly, whispering their fears, then left his room.
Inside, Ava's mind churned. So… my father the King of the Omniverse sent me here. Eighteen years of me watching, learning, gathering information. And now it's obvious.
He glanced at the window, at the shadowy sky beyond. This isn't some backwater world. This is the Shadow Omniverse the cast-off reflection of all existence, where every dark fragment my father purged was thrown. This is where he exiled me. All of this… because I destroyed a couple of Hyperversus. He's always been soft. They deserved it, so I get punished. Who cares? I don't want to live in his Omniverse anyway. When I get my full power back, I'll take this world for myself, topple the Dark Lord everyone praises and worships. I will destroy him and show them why. They call me Avalokita, the Shinma of Chaos.