Chapter 1

The Calm Before The Storm

“No!” I wake up screaming and see the ceiling blackened and still smoking.

What the fuck?!

My bedroom door opens. I look at it, no damage there.

My mom’s head pops in from the side, blue and grey hairs intermixed and lines more prominent than I’ve recently seen, with the scrawl enhancing them to prominence. Dark green eyes look disapprovingly at me. Then, I see the transformation of facial expressions as she processes the image of my room. Each emotion is evident. From shock to confusion, then realization, and finally, worry, with accompanying anger.

“Sigh,” Here it comes.

“What in the nine hells happened here?!” She fully enters the room, taking her signature lecturing pose, hand on her waist, straight as a rod and shoulders slightly back, almost like a hero but without the good vibes and the customary smile.

“I just woke up from a nightmare. I don’t know how in the nine hells that happened to my ceiling. I’m fine, though. So, can you stop screaming, please? Stranger things happen all the time.” Outside and not here, there is no need to weaken my own argument. I get out of bed. To showcase I’m completely fine and prove at least that point.

“Outside! Stranger things happen all the time Outside this house. We’ll continue this in the kitchen, get dressed, open the windows and come down for breakfast. Make sure to dress nicely for the interview you’re so excited about.” She narrows her eyes at me.

“Chop chop.” She turns around and slams the door gently. Theatrics, if she was furious, the whole room would vibrate.

“She got a point about the windows.” I walk up to the double windows that need a new lick of paint. The old white paint starting to crack and peel. Should get some paint after my first paycheck…If I get the job. I open them wide, and smoke rushes out as cold wind rushes in a yellow leaf, landing on my old, fake wood desk. I throw it back out.

Thicker coat it is.

I look around for any other damage to my room. The wardrobe is not on fire, the bed is unscathed, and the shelves and books are intact. The walls are okay but yellowing from age and my recent nasty smoking habit. Add wall paint to that paycheck basket.

I should really stop talking to myself. Yes, you should, but you won’t. True.

“Sigh,” I take a towel and head to the shower. I’m smoked, literally.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Natalia’s POV

So he finally awakened, as I expected. It seems like he doesn’t know precisely what triggered him, except that it was a nightmare. I need to tell Daniel. I Imagine Daniels’s office and my kitchen linked. A green portal opens instantly. A green glow escaped the edges of the scene, an office space littered with papers and boxes with even more paper.

I toss a coin in the portal and walk through 2 seconds later. Daniel waiting on the other side with arms wide open that embrace me as I step out. Firm but with careful control and care, warm and reassuring.

I take a deep breath and hug him back with all my measly strength. My heart syncs with his own steady beat after seconds.

“Hey, hubby. Our son awakened.”

“That’s great! It was about damn time with all the times I used my Power. Even if it was focused on him getting something outstanding, it still increases his chance of getting something.” At that moment, he picks me up and swirls me around as if I weighed nothing at all, and his embrace tightens just slightly to ensure I don’t fly out of his arms. He puts me down and holds my shoulders, looking into my eyes.

“Now tell me the bad news. Otherwise, you wouldn’t portal here. If it was really bad, you wouldn’t even forewarn me but just portal directly.” A slight smirk on his face and his brown eyes warmed my heart. I stomp my foot, trying to hit his toes. He dodges it, and a full grin asserts itself. Such a know it all phm

“Fine, Mr. Detective. He awakened in or during a nightmare. His bedroom ceiling was charred black and smoking when I went inside. It seems like he doesn’t know what happened or how. Leading to the conclusion that he doesn’t remember his nightmare; therefore, the trigger.”

“I'm worried that it's thought-based, like me, not intent-based like you. If it's like me and seeing the ceiling… I'm afraid that he might hurt himself or others." Mostly himself or others, causing PTSD to his Power. Seen it happen before.

"Darling, you already know what you'll do, but thank you for letting me know. Send my regards to that bastard. O, one sec." His hand glows golden, and he touches my head. "Just general luck. It'll help him since you want everything to go well." He leans forward, and I lean into the kiss.

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"I should visit more often. If everything goes well, expect some spicy time." I wink at him and turn around to my still-open portal. I take the prepared lunch and return to give it to him. "In case nothing goes well." One last time, I return to the kitchen and close the portal.

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Ivan's POV

Opening the bathroom door, a steam cloud escapes into the relatively cool room with opened windows.

Goosebumps crawl up my body, and I rush to close them. Opening up my wardrobe, I take out the only suit I like out of two. The white one.

The white shirt with a floral design will look good. It is a shame only the sleeves will be visible with the vest. I can leave the jacket and just take a coat so they are visible when I take it off for the interview.

I wear the jacket and look at myself in the mirror on the wardrobe doors. Nope.

I remove it; red and light purple flowers with abstract black lines create an excellent variance to the monotone white suit. I put on a blood-red floral tie and look at the mirror again. Better.

It's time to have some breakfast…. and talk with mom. "Sigh," Why did this have to happen today?

I enter the kitchen, my mom making pancakes in front of the stove. As she hears me entering, she stops the stove and somehow teleports the plate of pancakes on the kitchen table.

I stop midstep staring. "What?" "How?"

"Sit and eat. I have some things to tell you about me and your dad." She teleports the maple syrup as if to make a point and confirm I'm not hallucinating. I automatically sit and stare at her. She teleports in front of the table and sits down.

"Eat before they get cold. You might not be having lunch today." I look at the pancakes, take the syrup bottle and drizzle some. Rolling it up and taking a bite, I look back at her intently. Mmmm, perfect as always.

"So let me start with the simple stuff. I have a portal power, and your dad has a luck power. My Power works with thought or imagination and slight intent. Your dad's ability works with intent only." She stops talking, waiting and looking at me. Searching for shock or understanding, I don't know. I was pretty shocked before you told me, and that's basic enough to follow. I nod and take another bite while looking directly at her eyes.

"My Power needs me to think of two places with an image. Then imagine those places being linked, then a portal appears. It's only visible to me. That's why it looks like straight teleportation from your perspective. I don't need to want the portal to appear. It just does. That's a thought trigger." She stops once again. Okay, so it's more of the power works based on the thought/image occurring and not on wanting the Power to activate. I nod my understanding.

"Eat, we'll be going to a friend after we finish this conversation." She narrows her eyes at me. I take another bite. Then, I raised my hand with my palm facing her to indicate for her to wait.

Finishing my bite, I lower my hand. "What about my interview? I even dressed up? Why do we need to visit your friend? Why didn't you tell me about your and Dad's powers? Why do we live such an ordinary life? My window paint's cracking." I ask now that the shock has passed slightly and I've gotten my thoughts back.

"Let me finish. If time allows, you'll go to the interview, and why not be dressed up to meet my old friend?" She tilts her head as she asks.

"Anyway, back on topic. Your dad's Power is Luck enhancement. He can Enhance luck only. He can enhance specific luck sub-categories, like you getting a powerful power. That enhances getting something powerful but also getting A power to a much lower degree. Keep that in mind.

His power works based on want or intent. He needs to want to enhance the luck of something happening. He needs to be specific. Though how he enhances general luck, I don't understand. Maybe he has to specify he wants to improve the general luck? That's beside the point; his Power is intent-based, and he needs to want it to activate. You following?" She takes a plain pancake, rolls it up and takes a bite. The travesty.

"Sure. Your Power activates even if you don't want it to. Dad's Power activates when he wants to if he is specific enough for it to trigger. Yours is thought-based, and his is intent. Image vs. want. Yes?" But why is this so impor…. my ceiling. She thinks I have a power. Do I? That would explain the ceiling. What is my powers activation condition? It could be one or the other or both. What is my Power anyway? Something destructive, obviously.

“Yes, I think your power awakened, and we don’t know a thing about it, and it does have a way to injure and kill, it seems.” I must have had a look of realization just then as she added to the explanation.

“That’s the reason after you eat, we’ll visit a friend that has a handy gadget to find these things out and has a handy niche power for less than ideal control issues. That is why we are visiting, and his home blend coffee is out of this world.”She puts on her far-away look, remembering something.

I nod. My neck feels like a hinge that needs some grease. What if my Power is thought-based? Think about not thinking. Don’t think, don’t think…….

“Mom, just open a portal, and we can take the pancakes with us; you can have the coffee and pancakes simultaneously,” I tell her and continue my inner mantra. She looks at me questioningly but quickly nods, probably reading my worry.