(Haru's dream)
Warm sunlight danced on the waves, scattering gold across the shore. The sounds filled with the tide rising and falling, and gulls drifted lazily in the sky above.
Fourteen year old John sat in the sand, his knees pulled up, a bottle of orange soda sweating beside him. The scent of the salty sea filled the air. Beside him sat his grandfather the old man's hair silver, his skin weathered by time, a straw hat tilted low over his eyes.
They'd been quiet for a while. The kind of silence that feels comfortable.
"Y'know." his grandfather finally said, watching the sun sink lower. "I always wondered why you liked those comic books so much."
John grinned, glancing over.
"The same reason you like beer so much, old man."
His grandfather huffed a laugh, tilting his hat back just enough to show a crooked smile.
"Oh yeah? And what's that supposed to mean?"
John took a sip of his soda before answering.
"They both make the world feel a little lighter. Even if it's just for a while."
His grandfather chuckled, then went quiet. The waves filled the silence.
After a moment, he spoke again, voice lower, more thoughtful.
"Have I really been drinking that much?"
John smiled faintly, eyes on the horizon.
"Yes, you have. You're old, you know, you should take care of your health more."
The old man blinked, then turned his gaze back to the sunset. The light reflected in his tired eyes, painting them gold.
"Maybe you're right." he said softly.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The sun kept sinking, slow and peaceful.
The old man let out a slow sigh, the wind tugging at his hat. He tilted his head back just enough to look at John, a faint smile curling his lips.
"You know, Johnny." he began, voice gentle but firm, "there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Something important, something I hope you never forget."
John raised an eyebrow, curious.
"Yeah? What's that, old man?"
His grandfather's eyes twinkled with a mix of mischief.
His grandfather put his hand on his shoulder and said "with great power… comes great responsibility."
John blinked, then gave the most deadpanned face he could.
"Gramps… you stole that from Spider-Man."
The old man laughed, a low, warm sound that carried over the waves.
"Maybe I did. But that doesn't make it any less true."
John leaned back, watching the sun dip below the horizon, turning the sky into streaks of red and gold. He shook his head, smiling softly.
"Yeah… guess it doesn't."
//////////////////////////////////
Haruya's opened his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips. The morning light poured through the window, painting soft gold over his room. He sat up slowly, his grandfather's laughter still vivid in his mind.
'Even if it was only in a dream… it's good to see you again, you old bastard.' he thought, smiling
.He swung his legs over the bed, stretched, and shuffled toward the bathroom, hair a fluffy mess of dark brown.
He stepped inside and flicked on the light, blinking at his reflection in the mirror. His blue eyes stared back at him.
He grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste, yawning as he started brushing his teeth.
'I'm finally six years and seven days old.' he thought, staring blankly at the sink. 'And sadly, that means I have to go to hell on earth… school.'
Haru spat out the last of the toothpaste, rinsed his mouth, and trudged back to his room to grab his uniform. The faint smell of breakfast drifted up the stairs, rice, grilled fish, and miso soup.
"Haru! Breakfast's ready!" Miki called from downstairs.
"Okay!" he yelled back, his voice still rough with sleep.
He slipped on his uniform shirt, buttoned it unevenly, and headed down. The sunlight spilling through the kitchen window made everything glow softly.
From the living room came a series of squeals and coos, followed by a loud smack! Haru froze, turning toward the noise.
Gorou stood frozen beside baby Issei, who was in his high chair. The spoon he'd been holding now decorated his face with baby food.
Gorou blinked, stunned, before shaking his head and carefully cleaning the mess off. Issei just giggled, delighted with the chaos he had caused.
Haru slid into his chair at the table and grabbed his chopsticks, already shoveling rice and fish into his mouth like he hadn't eaten in days. Each bite was quick and messy, but he didn't care he was too focused on finishing before he had to leave.
Miki leaned against the counter, smiling softly. "Haru, today's the big day, you know. Your first day at school."
"Mm-hm." he mumbled between bites.
Gorou crouched beside Issei's chair, still trying to feed him. "Take it slow today, champ. Don't rush things." he said, as Issei smacked the spoon again, sending a bit of food flying onto Gorou's hand.
"Got it." Haru said flatly, shoveling another bite of rice.
"And be polite." Miki added. "Try not to cause trouble."
Haru grinned. "No promises, Mom."
He finished eating, grabbed his bag, and headed for the door.
Miki waved from the doorway. "Have a good first day, Haru!"
"Be careful, alright." Gorou added, giving a small nod and a smile.
Haru waved back. "I will! See you later!"
The crisp spring air greeted him as he stepped outside. Sakura petals drifted lazily across the quiet street.
'Hard to believe Issei's already a year old.' he thought. 'And it's been about six months since… that happened.'
/////////
Flash Back (6 months ago)
Haru sat in the living room, watching TV while keeping an eye on six-month-old Issei. His mom was doing laundry in the next room when it happened.
At first it was the heat, the thermal energy of people in other houses flickering in his vision. Then everything zoomed out beyond what any living eye should ever be able to see. Patterns of color and light he'd never knew Existed danced across his sight as thin streams of energy weaving through the room.
When he looked down, the wooden floor wasn't just brown anymore. It was alive with motion, almost like it was breathing. He could see the faint pulse of electrical current running through the wall outlet, even the tiny waves of radiation spilling from the sunlight beyond the window.
The functions of the universe itself were all laid bare before him.
And all he could think was, 'We're all….. connected?''
(Flash back end)
/////////////////////////////
'The world's a lot weirder when you can see everything it's made of.'
He adjusted his bag and kept walking. The morning breeze brushed through his hair, and the sounds of kids and neighbors filled the streets.
'Alright.' he muttered. 'Just survive the first day. How hard can it be?'
Two blocks later
A sharp scream split the air.
"Shouko! Get out of the way!" said a woman with dust rose hair.
Haru's head snapped toward the sound. Instinctively, his vision zoomed in, focusing like a telescope.
Down the street, a little girl with matching dusty-rose hair stood frozen in the middle of the road. A truck barreled toward her, tires screaming, the driver's panicked face pale behind the windshield.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" the driver shouted in panic while slamming on the breaks.
But the girl only managed to turn her head just in time to see the truck bearing down on her.
Haru didn't think he just moved.
But as his foot hit the pavement.
Crack!!
concrete split and then the world slowed to a standstill.
The blare of the horn stretched into a deep, echoing note. The scream in the distance warped into a slow, trembling sound. The truck's tires screeched across the road in a sluggish motion, smoke curling through the air like drifting clouds.
In that strange stillness, Haru took a step. Then another.
KRAKA-BOOOOM!
A shockwave erupted behind him, shattering the sound barrier. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, but every motion felt weightless. Each stride pushed him faster, farther. The world blurred until all that existed was the girl frozen with terror on her face.
He didn't understand what was happening.
He didn't need to.
All that mattered was getting there in time.
The distance between them vanished in an instant.
Haru lunged forward, arms outstretched, grabbing the girl around the waist.
And the moment his hand touched her, the world snapped back.
Sound roared to life all at once the blaring horn, the shriek of brakes, the wind whipping past his ears. The sudden rush of noise hit him like a wave.
Haru hit the ground hard on his back, but he didn't feel any pain. His body absorbed the impact effortlessly, the girl still safe in his arms. He slid across the curb, came to a stop, and just sat there blinking his mind racing as the world spun around him.
The little girl whimpered softly, clutching at his shirt, tears wetting the fabric.
Haru exhaled and gave a small, shaky smile. "It's okay now." he said gently. "No need to cry."
But his thoughts raced even faster than his heartbeat.
'How… How did I save her? There's no way I ran that far, that fast. That's impossible. there definitely was no time.'
Before he could think further, the woman from before screamed again.
"Shouko!!"
She sprinted toward them, eyes wide with panic and relief. Dropping to her knees, she pulled the girl close, hugging her tightly. "Oh my God… Shouko! Are you ok-!?"
But before Haru could do anything
Time… slowed again.
But this time, he saw it.
The leaves drifting from the trees hung suspended in midair. A fly beside him froze in place, its wings caught mid-beat, motionless.
And then, it hit him.
the world wasn't slowing down.
He was speeding up.