July, Wednesday 31, 2005 - 12:00 PM
Chicago, Illinois
The sun shone brightly over Chicago, casting its light across the bustling streets. It was the kind of day that most would describe as perfect, yet there was one boy for whom perfection seemed elusive. Kai, a fourteen-year-old high school track runner, was skipping class to train in the mountains just outside the city. He dashed across the rugged terrain in his track uniform, the wind whipping through his short, spiky black hair. His lean, athletic frame moved with ease, his muscles well-practiced from years of dedicated training.
"Man, today’s perfect for getting some practice in," Kai muttered to himself, his piercing blue eyes focused on the path ahead.
He was the top runner at Lincoln Prep High School, holding a record that seemed untouchable. While his talent was undeniable, it wasn’t a natural gift. He had trained day and night for years, sneaking out to run whenever he could, always pushing his limits.
As he climbed higher up the mountain, something strange caught his attention. A dark cloud began to gather in the distance, rolling toward him ominously. Thunder rumbled within it, but Kai, in his carefree nature, didn’t flinch.
“Wow, that looks amazing! And to think I’m seeing it up close,” he said with excitement, a grin spreading across his face.
Instead of running away like most would, Kai sprinted toward the cloud, climbing higher until he reached the peak of the mountain. He stood at the center of the dark mass, admiring the beauty of the storm as the clouds swirled above him. For a brief moment, everything was calm.
But that calm was deceiving. Without warning, lightning began to strike the ground around him. Bolts of thunder shot from the sky, illuminating the darkness that had enveloped the mountain. Kai’s excitement quickly turned to panic.
“On second thought… I should get out of here,” he muttered, trying to keep his cool as he turned to run.
Yet, something strange was happening. As he sprinted down the mountain, the world around him seemed to freeze. The rocks, the trees, even the wind—all stood still. It was as if time itself had stopped. No matter how fast he ran, he couldn’t seem to move. His feet pounded against the earth, but he remained in the same spot, stuck in this eerie standstill.
Kai’s legs began to tremble from the strain, his breath becoming ragged. His once boundless energy was fading, and before he could make sense of what was happening, four thunderbolts struck him simultaneously.
One struck his eyes. Another hit his legs. The third, his heart. And the fourth, his brain.
His body convulsed with pain, and just as quickly as it had happened, everything went black. As Kai lost consciousness, he could barely register the sight of a small rock rolling down the mountainside.
"Just my luck, huh? Maybe I shouldn’t have skipped school..." he thought to himself, right before succumbing to the darkness.
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September, Tuesday 8, 2005 - 3:00 PM
Chicago, Illinois Medical Hospital
Two months had passed since the thunderstorm. A random group of hikers had found Kai lying unconscious on the mountain and called for help. The paramedics arrived and rushed him to the hospital, but by then, Kai had already fallen into a deep coma.
The doctors were baffled by his condition. The thunderbolts had caused severe damage to his body. They said that if Kai ever woke up, he would likely be blind and paralyzed, unable to run or even walk again. The prognosis was grim.
As the weeks dragged on, Kai remained in his coma, his body unresponsive. But then, just as the doctors had predicted, he woke up.
He slowly blinked, his once vibrant blue eyes now dull and lifeless. The world was blurry, his vision barely registering the shapes and lights around him. The news hit him hard when the doctors explained what had happened. He would never be able to run again—the very thing he loved most had been taken from him.
Kai fell into a deep depression. How could life be so cruel? Not only had he lost the ability to see, but he was also bound to a wheelchair, unable to walk or move like he once had. Everything he had worked for, all the training and dedication, had been stolen by a single storm.
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September, Monday 25, 2005 - 12:00 PM
Chicago, Illinois Lincoln Prep High
Kai was finally released from the hospital, much to everyone's surprise. His body had begun to heal at an unusual pace, faster than the doctors had expected. Despite this, they warned him not to overexert himself. His injuries were still severe, and any strain could worsen his condition.
Back at school, things hadn’t changed much, except for one thing—Kai was now the center of attention, but not in the way he had hoped. As he rolled his wheelchair down the halls of Lincoln Prep, he could hear the whispers.
"Hey, isn’t that Kai? The runner?"
"Yeah, heard he can’t walk anymore... tough break."
Some voices were full of pity, but others were mocking.
"Look at him now, in a wheelchair. Bet he wishes he could still run!"
Kai’s grip on the wheels tightened, his knuckles turning white. He sped up, trying to block out the noise, but before he could reach his homeroom, someone stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
“Well, well, look what we have here,” a voice sneered.
Kai looked up to see Jackson, the school’s star football player and all-around bully. Standing at 6'2", Jackson was an imposing figure with his broad shoulders and muscular frame. His piercing gray eyes gleamed with malice as he cracked his knuckles.
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“I doubt you’ll be running away from me this time, Kai,” Jackson taunted, stepping closer.
Kai rolled his eyes, feeling a wave of frustration wash over him. 'Great, just what I need... this jerk,' he thought. "What do you want, Jackson?" Kai asked, his voice laced with annoyance.
Jackson’s smirk grew wider. “I want to punch your face in, that’s what I want. And you can’t run this time, can you?"
He raised his fist, aiming for Kai’s face. Just as the punch was about to land, someone stepped between them.
"Leave him alone, Jackson!" a familiar voice rang out.
It was Emily, Kai’s childhood friend. She stood in front of him, arms crossed defiantly.
Jackson scowled. "Oh great, not you again. Always getting in my way. Protecting your little boyfriend?"
Emily shot him a sharp glare. "He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my friend, and I’m not going to stand by and watch you pick on someone who can’t fight back."
Jackson sneered. "You should. Wouldn’t want that pretty face of yours getting messed up, now would we?"
Emily didn’t back down, her hazel eyes filled with determination. "I’m not scared of you, Jackson. You’re nothing but a bully with an overinflated ego."
Her words hit their mark, and Jackson’s face twisted with anger. He pulled his fist back, ready to swing at her, but before he could, a teacher appeared, sending everyone to their classrooms.
"You’re lucky the teacher showed up," Jackson muttered as he stalked away.
"Yeah, lucky your fragile ego couldn’t handle it," Emily shot back with a smirk.
She turned to Kai, her expression softening. "Hey, are you okay? I heard you got released from the hospital."
Kai forced a smile, trying to hide the frustration bubbling inside him. "Geez, Emily, you didn’t have to step in like that. I could’ve handled it."
Emily rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, come on. Stop acting tough. You’re in a wheelchair. After all the times you’ve helped me, it’s only fair that I return the favor."
She tilted her head, giving him a warm smile. Kai couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Yeah, yeah... thanks," he muttered, feeling a bit better.
"Now, let’s get to homeroom," Emily said, walking alongside him as Kai rolled his wheelchair down the hall, the tension from moments earlier slowly fading away.
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Jun, Wednesday 26, 2007 - 2:35 PM
Chicago, Illinois Lincoln Prep High
Two years had passed since the fateful thunderstorm that changed Kai's life. Despite adjusting to his new reality of being in a wheelchair, the darkness that clouded his mind only grew with time. His best friend, Emily, and his family were constant sources of support, but no amount of external comfort could erase the deep depression he felt. He had lost more than just his ability to run; he had lost his identity.
Every day was a reminder of what he couldn’t do. He no longer raced across tracks, his team falling behind without their star runner. His world had shrunk down to the four walls of his home and the sounds of Lincoln Prep, and even those had become meaningless. The colors, the motion, the thrill of life — all faded into blackness.
As he rolled himself out of the school that afternoon, he muttered under his breath, "If only there was a way to get my sight and legs back."
Jun, Wednesday 26, 2007 - 2:35 PM
Neo City
Far from Kai’s world, a frantic voice echoed through a dimly lit laboratory. Zeyla, a brilliant scientist, was rummaging through her cluttered lab.
“Where did that vial go?” she muttered to herself, flipping over stacks of papers and moving equipment around. "How could I have lost it?!"
The blue liquid in question was a new experimental serum, one she had spent months perfecting. Its purpose: to accelerate cellular regeneration, a project funded by one of the wealthiest industries in Neo City. But now, it was gone.
“And I just completed it… Now I have to start from scratch,” she groaned, returning to her lab table, unaware of the series of events her missing vial would soon trigger.
Jun, Wednesday 26, 2007 - 2:43 PM
Chicago, Illinois Home
Kai’s return home was uneventful, as it had been for the past two years. His parents greeted him warmly, their voices tinged with the quiet concern they always carried for him.
“How was school, honey?” his mother asked, her tone trying to hide the worry she felt.
“Anything happen?” his father chimed in, ever the optimist.
Kai shrugged. “Same old. I hung out with Emily. Jackson’s still a jerk, nothing new there.”
He rolled himself into his room, the familiar sense of isolation creeping over him. There was no excitement in the day-to-day anymore. He popped open the small bottle of pills prescribed by his doctor to deal with the severe headaches he'd been suffering lately. Tonight, the pill felt different in his hand — rounder, and cool to the touch. Of course, he couldn’t see that it was an unusual bright blue color, unlike the regular pills. Trusting that the doctor had simply changed his prescription, he swallowed it without a second thought and crawled into bed.
Jun, Thursday 27, 2007 - 6:00 AM
Chicago, Illinois Home
The house was quiet as dawn began to break. Kai had slept deeply, deeper than he had in months. His body felt... strange. He stirred, slowly coming awake, but the usual discomfort from his legs wasn’t there. There was no pain in his head either. It was almost as if—
Kai’s eyes shot open.
And then something unbelievable happened. He saw... light.
Blinking rapidly, he stared at the ceiling above him. His heart pounded in his chest as colors and shapes started coming into focus. The dim light of the early morning sun filtered through the blinds, painting soft shadows on the wall. His mind couldn’t process it.
"I... I can see?" His voice trembled with disbelief.
But that wasn’t all.
Kai felt something else, something powerful stirring within him. He threw off his blanket and stared at his legs. Slowly, he reached down, trembling. His once withered legs were filled with a strength he hadn't known in years. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, hesitant, unsure if what he was experiencing was real.
With a deep breath, Kai pushed himself up... and stood.
His knees shook, but they held. The boy who had been confined to a wheelchair for two years was now standing, his heart racing as the impossible became reality. As he took a few shaky steps forward, a feeling of exhilaration flooded him.
“What... what happened to me?”
Unknown to Kai, the blue pill he had taken was not his prescribed medication. The missing vial from Zeyla's lab had somehow ended up in his possession, and its effects were working their way through his body. The experimental serum was meant to enhance the body's natural regeneration processes, but for Kai, it did far more. It gave him back the very things he had lost — his sight, his mobility, and perhaps something far more extraordinary.
He wasn’t just healed. He was changed.
But what that change would mean, neither Kai nor the world was ready to discover.
Jun, Thursday 27, 2007 - 6:30 AM
Chicago, Illinois Home
Standing in front of the mirror in his room, Kai stared at his reflection. His blue eyes, once dull and sightless, now sparkled with a sharpness he'd never seen before. His body felt stronger, more agile, as if every muscle had been reborn.
“Just... what am I now?” Kai whispered to himself.
But one thing was for sure — his life would never be the same again.