Ethan Mentis stood on the rooftop of his high school, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the city below. The final bell of the day had rung half an hour ago, and the building was almost deserted. He liked it that way—quiet, empty, a place to think. Graduation was only weeks away, but instead of feeling excited, Ethan felt a heavy sense of unease gnawing at him.

He didn’t know why, but something was wrong. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching him, waiting.

“Ethan! There you are!”

The voice of his best friend, Sarah, pulled him from his thoughts. She emerged from the rooftop access door, her face flushed from the climb up the stairs. She pushed a strand of auburn hair behind her ear, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. “You’re brooding again.”

Ethan forced a smile. “Just thinking.”

“About what? The future? College?” Sarah stepped closer, leaning on the railing beside him. “You’ve been weird lately. More than usual, I mean.”

He shrugged, looking out at the skyline. “I don’t know. It’s just… I’ve got this feeling, like something’s about to happen. Something big. And not in a good way.”

Sarah frowned. “You’ve always had a knack for sensing things, but don’t go all doomsday on me. It’s probably just nerves.”

Ethan wanted to believe her, but the unease wouldn’t leave him. It had started a few months ago, a dull, throbbing anxiety that he couldn’t explain. It had grown stronger with each passing day, accompanied by strange dreams—nightmares filled with darkness, fire, and monstrous forms that lurked just out of sight.

Before he could respond, the ground beneath them rumbled, a deep tremor that shook the building. Sarah gasped, grabbing the railing for support. Ethan steadied himself, his heart racing.

“What the hell was that?” Sarah asked, eyes wide with alarm.

Ethan’s mouth went dry as another tremor hit, stronger this time. The entire city seemed to tremble. He could hear distant screams, the blaring of car alarms, the sound of glass shattering. Something wasn’t right. This wasn’t an earthquake.

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His instincts screamed at him to move, to get away, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the horizon. A dark cloud was forming in the distance, roiling and churning like a storm. But this was no ordinary storm. It pulsed with an eerie, unnatural light, and Ethan felt a strange energy coursing through the air—Virya.

The word popped into his mind unbidden, foreign yet familiar, like a forgotten memory resurfacing. He didn’t know what it meant, but he knew it was important.

“We need to go,” Ethan said, his voice tight with urgency. “Now.”

Sarah didn’t argue. They bolted down the stairs, the building shaking around them. By the time they reached the street, chaos had erupted. People were running in all directions, shouting in panic. The sky had darkened, and the strange cloud was spreading, casting a shadow over the city.

Ethan grabbed Sarah’s hand, pulling her along as they pushed through the crowd. He didn’t know where they were going, only that they needed to get away from the epicenter of whatever was happening. His mind raced, the unease he’d been feeling now transforming into cold, hard fear.

As they rounded a corner, the ground split open with a deafening crack, a massive fissure tearing through the street. People screamed as they scrambled to avoid falling into the widening chasm. Ethan skidded to a halt, pulling Sarah back just in time.

From the depths of the fissure, a low, guttural growl echoed, reverberating through the air. Ethan’s heart pounded in his chest as he watched in horror as something began to crawl out of the darkness. It was a creature—no, a monster—unlike anything he had ever seen. Its body was twisted and grotesque, covered in scales and oozing black ichor. Multiple red eyes glowed with malevolent intent as it emerged from the depths, towering over the terrified crowd.

“Run!” Ethan shouted, but his voice was lost in the cacophony of screams.

He turned to flee, dragging Sarah with him, but another creature burst from the ground ahead of them, cutting off their escape. They were trapped, surrounded by monsters that seemed to be pouring out of the earth itself.

Ethan’s mind went blank with fear, his body frozen in place. The monsters closed in, their snarls filling the air. This was it. This was how they were going to die.

But then, something inside Ethan snapped. The fear dissolved, replaced by a surge of adrenaline and something else—something powerful. His vision sharpened, time seemed to slow, and he felt a strange warmth spreading through his chest, like a fire igniting within him.

Without thinking, he raised his hand, and a burst of energy shot out from his palm, striking the nearest creature. The monster howled in pain as the energy burned through its flesh, reducing it to ash in seconds.

Ethan stared at his hand, stunned. He had no idea how he’d done that, but there was no time to think. More monsters were coming, and they were closing in fast.

“Ethan!” Sarah’s voice snapped him back to reality. She was still by his side, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and shock. “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know,” Ethan replied, his voice shaking. “But I think I can do more.”

He concentrated, trying to summon the energy again. It responded instantly, surging through him with a force that was both terrifying and exhilarating. He unleashed it on the monsters, sending wave after wave of burning light towards them. The creatures screeched as they were incinerated, unable to withstand the power Ethan had somehow tapped into.

Within moments, the street was littered with the smoldering remains of the monsters. The fissures in the ground had stopped expanding, and the strange cloud in the sky was beginning to dissipate.

Ethan stood there, breathing heavily, his mind reeling. He had no idea what had just happened or how he had done it, but one thing was clear: the world had changed, and so had he.

As the first responders arrived and the chaos slowly began to subside, Ethan knew that his life would never be the same. Something had awakened within him, something powerful and dangerous. And whatever it was, it was just the beginning.