Kade Morrison opened his eyes slowly.
At first, there was nothing but light.
Not bright—just… too much. It filled his vision like a blank canvas, overwhelming and empty at the same time.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Shapes began to form.
Blurred outlines. Colors bleeding into each other. A ceiling. White. Too white.
His breathing felt… wrong.
Not painful.
Just unfamiliar.
"…Where…?" his voice came out dry, barely more than a whisper.
The world sharpened gradually, like a lens adjusting.
A soft beeping sound echoed beside him.
A drip.
A machine.
A hospital.
Kade's eyes shifted slightly.
A nurse stood beside him, adjusting the IV line connected to his arm. She hadn't noticed he was awake yet, her focus entirely on the steady rhythm of the monitor.
Near the door—
Two men stood still.
Black suits.
Dark shades.
Guns.
Not security guards.
Not normal ones.
Kade's brow furrowed faintly.
"…What… is this…?" he murmured.
The nurse froze.
Then turned.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"He's awake—!"
Sir Ferguson didn't waste time.
The moment he was informed, he was already moving.
"It's been three days," he muttered under his breath as he walked down the hospital corridor, his shoes echoing against the polished floor. "Three days…"
And still, it didn't feel real.
The city outside was quieter now—but not normal. It wasn't the quiet of peace. It was the quiet of something recovering… or waiting.
Burn marks still scarred the streets.
Buildings remained fractured.
People moved differently.
More careful.
More aware.
More afraid.
And then there were the reports.
The ones he couldn't explain.
The ones he couldn't control.
He reached the door.
Paused.
Then entered.
Kade sat upright in the hospital bed.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like he expected something to break.
But nothing did.
His body felt… fine.
Too fine.
He looked down at his arms.
No cuts.
No bruises.
No scars.
Nothing.
"…That's not possible," he whispered.
The memory hit him suddenly—
The Gate.
The shockwave.
The pressure.
The end.
He clenched his fists slightly.
"I died…"
"Technically, yes."
Kade looked up sharply.
Sir Ferguson stood near the foot of the bed, hands calmly behind his back.
Composed.
Controlled.
But tired.
Very tired.
Their eyes met.
"…Who are you?" Kade asked.
"Sir Ferguson," he replied. "Government liaison."
Kade stared at him.
"…Am I in trouble?"
A faint smile touched Ferguson's face.
"No," he said. "If anything… you're a miracle."
Kade didn't respond immediately.
He looked back at his body.
Then at the machines.
Then at his hands again.
"I remember…" he said slowly. "I remember the shockwave. I remember—"
His voice faltered.
"…I didn't make it."
Ferguson nodded.
"You were declared dead," he said plainly. "For over an hour."
Silence filled the room.
Kade's throat tightened slightly.
"…Then how am I here?"
Ferguson exhaled quietly.
"That," he said, "is what we're trying to understand."
He stepped closer.
"Not only did you come back… your body healed itself completely. Every injury. Every fracture. Gone in less than forty-eight hours."
Kade's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That's not…" he shook his head faintly. "…that's not normal."
Ferguson let out a short laugh.
Not amused.
Not even close.
Just tired.
"I've seen things in the past three days that make 'normal' irrelevant."
Kade studied him.
Really looked at him this time.
The man standing in front of him wasn't just an official.
He was someone who had seen too much… too quickly.
Ferguson straightened slightly.
"You need rest," he said. "There will be time for questions."
Kade hesitated.
"…My mom."
Ferguson's expression softened—just a fraction.
"She's alive," he said. "She collapsed when she heard what happened to you. Stress. Shock. But she's stable."
Kade exhaled deeply, tension leaving his shoulders.
"…Can I see her?"
"You will," Ferguson replied. "She's being brought in."
Kade nodded slowly.
"…Thank you."
Ferguson gave a small nod in return.
Then turned and walked toward the door.
As soon as he stepped outside, his secretary was already waiting.
"We've transferred Case 65 to the lab," she said immediately.
Ferguson didn't stop walking.
"Status?"
"They're stable—for now," she replied, keeping pace beside him. "But… it's not normal, sir."
He glanced at her briefly.
"None of this is."
She hesitated, then continued.
"Some of them are… changing."
"How?"
She exhaled slowly.
"One can levitate. Another has increased strength beyond measurable limits. There's a subject who can… stretch their limbs."
Ferguson stopped walking.
Just for a second.
"…You're serious."
"I wish I wasn't."
She looked at her tablet.
"You don't just wake up flying, stretching, or emitting energy and stay calm. Some are panicking. Others are… not responding well."
Ferguson rubbed his temple briefly.
"…Containment?"
"In progress."
He nodded once.
Then:
"What time is the public announcement?"
"Two hours, sir."
Ferguson looked ahead, jaw tightening slightly.
"Good," he said. "Because we're running out of time to control this."
Kade didn't expect to feel nervous.
But he did.
When the door opened again, his heart skipped.
She stepped in slowly.
Weaker than he remembered.
Thinner.
But still—
Still his mother.
"Kade…"
Her voice broke before she could say anything else.
"Mama…"
She rushed to him, pulling him into a tight embrace, careful but desperate at the same time.
"I thought I lost you," she cried. "They told me—you were gone—they said—"
"I'm here," Kade said softly, holding her. "I'm right here."
She pulled back slightly, holding his face in her hands as if to confirm he was real.
"You're warm…" she whispered. "You're alive…"
Tears streamed down her face.
"You're all I have," she said. "I can't lose you too."
Kade's expression softened.
"You won't," he said quietly.
She shook her head, overwhelmed.
"I prayed… I begged God… I didn't know what else to do…"
Kade didn't answer immediately.
He just looked at her.
Really looked.
And for the first time since waking up—
Something didn't feel right.
Not physically.
Not exactly.
Just… something.
"…Mama," he said slowly, "something happened to me."
She froze slightly.
"I know," she whispered. "They told me… but I don't care. You're alive. That's all that matters."
Kade hesitated.
His eyes drifted briefly to his hands.
Then back to her.
"…Yeah," he said softly.
But his voice lacked certainty.
Because deep down—
He wasn't sure that was entirely true anymore.