The alarm shrieked, a piercing digital assault that dragged Edwin from the depths of a restless sleep. He groaned, slamming his palm down on the offending device until the blessed silence returned. He rubbed the grit from his eyes, the dim gray light of dawn filtering through the cheap blinds of his new apartment. *Great. First day. New school. New city.*
"Superhigh," he muttered, the name tasting absurd even in the quiet of his own head. "Weird school name for a superhero school."
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, his bare feet hitting the cold laminate floor. The apartment was a box—bedroom, tiny living area, smaller kitchen. Unpacked boxes formed cardboard mountains against the walls, a constant reminder that this wasn't home, just a temporary hiding place.
In the bathroom, he avoided looking at his reflection for a moment too long. The face staring back was a stranger's—Edwin's. Arwin's eyes, the same dark, worried eyes, were still there, but he tried to will them into something else, something less haunted. He splashed cold water on his face, the shock of it a welcome jolt.
Getting dressed was a careful exercise in blending in. He pulled on a pair of nondescript jeans and a plain gray hoodie from a duffel bag. His clothes were as new as his name, chosen specifically to be forgettable. No logos, no colors, nothing that would make anyone look twice. He ran a hand through his hair, a silent promise to himself: *Invisible. Just be invisible.*
The scent of burnt toast filled the small kitchen as he fumbled with the unfamiliar toaster. He scraped the blackened edges into the sink, his stomach too knotted to eat much anyway. Standing at the counter, nibbling on the sad, dry center of the toast, he felt the familiar weight settle in his chest—the guilt, the fear, the crushing memory of that day.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed it all down. He was Edwin now. Edwin was normal. Edwin was safe. And Edwin had a bus to catch. He grabbed his backpack, gave the silent, boxed-up apartment one last glance, and stepped out the door, locking his past behind him with a decisive click.
The bus was already packed when Edwin boarded, a human sea of murmurs and shifting bodies. He squeezed past the passengers, his hoodie pulled low, and claimed the last empty seat in the very back row—the loner's throne. With his head bowed and shoulders hunched, he became just another shadow in the corner, praying to go unnoticed.
"DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME BEHIND!"
A voice, sharp and full of frantic energy, cut through the morning drone. Edwin glanced up just in time to see a blur of motion at the front door. He blinked, and suddenly she was there—standing right in front of his seat, chest heaving slightly, a wild grin on her face. He hadn't even seen her move past the other passengers. One moment she was outside, the next she was in. *Wow... she's fast. I didn't even witness how she got here.*
"When are you going to stop doing that?" the bus driver grumbled, not even looking in his rearview mirror. "Why do u even need the bus anyway? Why not just sprint to school in seconds?"
"It's fun," the girl replied with a shrug, turning her attention toward Edwin. "And I'm lazy."
The driver sighed, a sound of long-suffering resignation, and pulled away from the curb. The bus rumbled forward, and Edwin suddenly realized he was in her territory. He started to rise.
"Hey newbie," she said, her voice softer now. "This is my usual place."
"Oh, sorry, um—" Edwin stammered, already halfway up.
"It's fine," she said, placing a hand firmly on his shoulder and pushing him back down with surprising strength. "It's big enough. We can share."
He settled back against the worn vinyl, heart thumping against his ribs.
"I'm Meca," she said, extending a hand. "Superspeed."
Edwin stared at her hand for a moment before tentatively taking it. "I'm Edwin," he managed, his voice barely audible. The words "and I'm a power-stealing monster" died on his tongue. He rubbed the back of his neck instead, a nervous habit he couldn't shake. "Errr... just Edwin."
Meca flopped into the seat beside him, seemingly oblivious to his discomfort. "So, Edwin-Just-Edwin, you new to Superhigh? I don't recognize you."
"Yeah, just transferred today," he said, keeping his answers short. Every second in her presence felt like walking a tightrope over a pit of his own secrets.
"Awesome! Well, welcome to the chaos," she said, already pulling out her phone. "Let me know if you need help finding your classes. The layout is a nightmare." She didn't wait for a response, her thumbs flying across the screen at an impossible speed.
Edwin sat there, silent and rigid, wondering if he'd just made his first friend or his first potential disaster.
"Okay, we're here!" Meca announced, hopping off the bus and landing on the pavement with a bounce that Edwin could feel through the soles of his shoes. She was like a live wire, humming with an energy that made his own carefully constructed stillness feel even more unnatural.
"Come on, let me show you around!" she called over her shoulder, already weaving through the river of students flowing toward the school's entrance.
"Umm, okay, thanks," Edwin mumbled, pulling his hood tighter as he hurried to keep up. The school, "Superhigh," was a massive, brutalist structure of concrete and glass that loomed over the cityscape. It felt less like a place of learning and more like a fortress.
Meca was a whirlwind tour guide. "That's the main quad. Avoid it after lunch unless you like dodging fireballs." She pointed to a sprawling lawn where a few students were already showing off, tiny flames dancing on their fingertips. "Library's that way. Good for hiding, but Ms. Petal has telekinesis and will literally pull the book out of your hands if you're late returning it."
They walked through hallways that seemed to shift and change, with walls that displayed holographic announcements and ceilings that mimicked the weather outside. Edwin kept his head down, a sea of faces and powers washing over him. He saw a girl with iridescent butterfly wings, a boy whose skin shimmered like liquid metal, and another who casually walked through a locked door. This world of abilities was overwhelming, and every person who brushed past him sent a jolt of anxiety through his system—a primal fear of what might happen if he lost control.
Finally, she led him away from the bustling main paths, around the back of the east wing, where the crowds thinned to nothing. They stopped at a dead end, facing a seemingly blank concrete wall.
"And this place right here," Meca said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "is our favorite place." She ran her hand along the wall, and a section of it shimmered and dissolved, revealing a hidden alcove. Inside, the harsh concrete gave way to a small, overgrown garden, with vines creeping up the walls and a single, massive tree whose branches created a canopy of dappled sunlight. The air was cool and smelled of damp earth and jasmine. It was a pocket of wild, beautiful silence in the middle of the chaotic school.
"It's... a beautiful place," Edwin said, genuinely taken aback.
"What do you mean, 'our place'?" he asked, his suspicion flaring. A place this hidden felt like it belonged to people with secrets.
Meca leaned against the tree trunk, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Well, I have a team. Errm... friends. Well..." She paused, letting the suspense hang in the air. "We do more like illegal stuff at night, so... we're a team."
Edwin froze, his entire body tensing. He stared at her, his mind racing back to the explosion, the police cars, the year he'd lost. The word "illegal" echoed in the quiet garden.
Meca watched his reaction for a beat, then burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding!" she howled, clutching her stomach. "Oh, you should've seen your face! Pure terror!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Of course we don't do 'illegal stuff,'" she added, making air quotes with her fingers. "We just come here to eat lunch and complain about homework. It's the only place in the whole school where you can actually hear yourself think."
Edwin let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, a shaky laugh escaping his lips. The relief was so potent it made him feel dizzy. "Well... umm... okay," he said, leaning against the opposite side of the tree. "It's a pretty cool place."
Meca's grin softened into something more genuine. "And you're invited to hang out with us," she said, her voice quiet but clear. "If you want."
Edwin looked from her open, expectant face to the peaceful garden around them. For the first time in a year, the word "yes" hovered on the tip of his tongue, a dangerous and terrifying possibility.