Chapter 1: A Quiet Afternoon

The city streets were quiet, the usual hum of life winding down as the late afternoon sun bathed the buildings in a warm, golden glow. It was one of those days that felt timeless, like nothing could disturb the stillness of the moment. The air was warm, thick with the smell of asphalt and blooming trees, but there was a sense of calm that came with the setting sun. Everything felt like it was just… pausing, waiting for something to stir.

Levi Blackwell sat on the edge of the cracked sidewalk, his back resting against the rough brick wall of an old building. His legs stretched out in front of him, idly kicking at the pebbles on the ground. He wasn’t in a hurry, wasn’t waiting for anything. This was just what he and Jake did—sat, talked, and filled the empty spaces with silence that was comfortable, not awkward. The kind of silence that came from knowing someone so well that words weren’t always needed.

Next to him, Jake Foster lay sprawled out, one arm thrown over his eyes to block the sun, the other draped across his chest like he didn’t have a care in the world. His usual messy brown hair stuck out at odd angles, and his worn-out sneakers were stained from the many hours they had spent running through the city, exploring places they probably shouldn’t have. He always had this easygoing air about him, like nothing could touch him—like the world was something he could just stroll through, untouched by its chaos.

“How much longer you think we can sit here before someone makes us move?” Jake mumbled, not bothering to lift his arm from his face.

Levi glanced down the street. A few cars rolled by, their tires crunching softly on the uneven pavement, but there wasn’t a single person in sight. They were in one of those parts of the city where nobody cared if two teenagers hung around doing nothing for hours on end. The kind of place where the world moved a little slower.

“Dunno,” Levi replied with a shrug, kicking a pebble toward the street. “Nobody’s bothered us yet.”

Jake chuckled, his voice low and lazy. “I think it’s ‘cause they know better than to mess with us. We’re practically legends.”

Levi rolled his eyes, but there was a small grin tugging at his lips. “Yeah, sure. Legends. That’s what we are.”

It was a joke between them, the kind of joke they had been making for years. They weren’t legends—they were just two kids trying to make the best of what little they had. But in their heads, in their own little world, they liked to pretend they were something more. They had always played that game, turning ordinary days into adventures, seeing themselves as something bigger than the small streets they called home.

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“Seriously, though,” Jake continued, finally lowering his arm to squint up at the sky. “You ever wonder what we’re gonna do after all this?”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “After all what?”

“You know. This.” Jake waved his hand around lazily, gesturing at the quiet streets, the run-down buildings, the fading sunlight. “Sitting around. Waiting. I dunno… life.”

It wasn’t the kind of thing Jake usually talked about. He was more of the “live in the moment” type, the kind of guy who never really thought too far ahead. But there was something in his voice that told Levi he had been thinking about it for a while.

“I guess,” Levi said slowly, “we just… do whatever we want. Figure it out as we go. Isn’t that what we’ve always done?”

Jake tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared up at the sky. “Yeah. But it’s different now, isn’t it? I mean, we’re getting older. People are starting to look at us differently. It’s not like we can keep sitting around here forever, right?”

Levi didn’t know how to answer that. It wasn’t something he had given much thought to, but he understood what Jake meant. There was a feeling in the air lately—like things were shifting, like the carefree days of childhood were slipping away, and they were being pushed into something new. Something unknown.

“Maybe we don’t have to figure it out right now,” Levi offered after a long pause. “Maybe we just keep doing what we’re doing until we’re ready for whatever comes next.”

Jake let out a long breath, nodding slowly. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

The silence between them returned, but it wasn’t heavy. It was the kind of silence that felt natural, like they didn’t need to say anything more. They were just there, in the moment, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the quiet of the streets.

Levi looked over at Jake, his best friend, the person who had been by his side through everything. They had known each other since they were kids, their bond forged in the back alleys of the city, through scraped knees and broken windows, through laughter and fights and everything in between. They had seen each other at their worst, but they had always come out of it stronger.

Jake was the risk-taker, the one who always pushed the boundaries, who always wanted to see how far he could go. Levi had always been the more cautious one, the one who thought things through, who held back when Jake wanted to charge ahead. But that was what made them work. They balanced each other out.

“I was thinking,” Jake said suddenly, breaking the quiet. “Maybe we should do something big. Something people will remember us for.”

Levi snorted, shaking his head. “Like what? Rob a bank?”

Jake sat up, his eyes gleaming with that familiar spark of mischief. “Nah. Something better. Something nobody else would ever think to do.”

Levi narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

Jake leaned in closer, lowering his voice like they were plotting something secret. “I’ve been practicing. You know… with my powers.”

Levi’s heart skipped a beat. He knew Jake had been experimenting with his abilities, the strange energy that pulsed beneath his skin, but they had never really talked about it. It was one of those things that felt too big, too dangerous to fully acknowledge. They were kids, after all—what did they know about powers?

“You’ve been practicing?” Levi repeated, his voice cautious. “What does that mean?”

Jake’s grin widened, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “It means I can do things now. Big things.”

Levi’s stomach twisted with unease. He didn’t like the sound of that. Jake had always been reckless, always pushing limits, but powers… powers weren’t something you messed around with. Not without consequences.

“Jake,” Levi said slowly, “maybe you should—”

But before he could finish, Jake was already standing, his hand raised, his fingers twitching with anticipation.

“Trust me,” Jake said, his voice filled with the kind of confidence that always made Levi nervous. “I’ve got this.”