The world blurred as Aiden stepped through the doorway of his house and into the storm. The air outside crackled with a strange energy, making his skin tingle. The last thing he saw was his mother’s worried expression before the winds howled, pulling him forward into the unknown. Selene walked ahead, moving with an effortless grace, as though the storm obeyed her.

“Where are we going?” Aiden shouted over the roar of the wind, trying to keep up.

Selene didn’t look back. “We’re going to a place where you’ll learn the truth about your power.”

Power. That word made his chest tighten. He still couldn’t fully grasp what Selene had told him. Gods? His father? It all felt like a dream—a nightmare, more like it. But the electricity in the air and the pull he felt deep within told him otherwise. This was real.

They passed through the backyard, the storm’s intensity growing with each step. The wind whipped through the trees, bending them unnaturally, and the sky above was a swirling mass of dark clouds, flashing with lightning. Aiden had seen storms before, but this was different. It felt alive, almost sentient, responding to Selene’s presence.

“Wait!” Aiden shouted, his legs aching from the pace. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do!”

Selene finally stopped, turning to face him. Her silver eyes glowed faintly in the dark, illuminated by the sporadic flashes of lightning above. “You will learn. But first, you must awaken the power within you. It’s already there, waiting. You’ve felt it, haven’t you?”

Aiden’s mind raced. The strange things that had been happening lately—the flicker of lightning, the unnatural sensations—everything was connected. But it still didn’t make sense. Why him? Why now?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, frustration creeping into his voice. “I’m just a normal kid!”

Selene’s expression softened, just for a moment. “No, Aiden. You were never normal. Your father made sure of that.”

His father. The man he had never known, the one his mother never talked about. There was a void in Aiden’s life where his father should have been, but now that void felt more like a storm of unanswered questions.

“What about him?” Aiden asked, his voice quieter now. “Who was he?”

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Selene paused, as if considering how much to tell him. “Your father was not just any man, Aiden. He was a demigod, a warrior among the ancient bloodlines. His heritage—your heritage—is tied to the gods themselves.”

Aiden’s stomach dropped. He had heard stories, sure, but they were just that—stories. Myths. Tales his grandmother used to tell him when he was little. But this? It sounded impossible.

“I don’t believe it,” he muttered, shaking his head. “None of this can be real.”

Selene stepped closer, and the air around her seemed to hum with energy. “You’ve already seen the signs. The lightning. The strange feeling in your bones. That is your power stirring, Aiden. You cannot deny it.”

Aiden opened his mouth to protest, but before he could speak, the storm above seemed to react to his thoughts. A bolt of lightning cracked the sky, striking the ground mere feet from where he stood. The force of it sent him stumbling backward, his heart racing.

Selene’s gaze hardened. “This is just the beginning. Your power is tied to the storm, and it will grow stronger. But only if you learn to control it.”

Aiden stared at the charred ground where the lightning had struck, his mind reeling. The storm… the lightning… it was all connected to him? He felt a flicker of something deep inside, a surge of energy he didn’t understand, but it scared him. He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready for any of it.

“I don’t know how,” he whispered, his voice trembling.

Selene nodded, as if she had expected this. “That’s why I’m here. To help you awaken your power and learn how to wield it. The world is changing, Aiden, and soon, you will have no choice but to fight.”

“Fight what?” Aiden asked, fear creeping into his voice again.

“The darkness that’s coming,” Selene said, her voice grave. “There are forces at work far older than you can imagine. And they’re coming for you, for your power. If you don’t learn to harness it, they will destroy everything you care about.”

Aiden’s throat tightened. Everything he cared about—his mother, his friends, his entire world—was in danger because of him. He didn’t understand it all yet, but he knew one thing: he couldn’t let that happen.

“What do I need to do?” he asked, his voice steady now.

Selene smiled, a hint of approval in her eyes. “You need to embrace your heritage. Your power is tied to the gods, Aiden. You are not just the son of a demigod—you are the descendant of a god of the storm. The lightning you’ve seen is a part of you.”

Aiden’s eyes widened. A god of the storm? His thoughts flashed back to the tales his grandmother used to tell him, stories of ancient gods who wielded the forces of nature, controlling the very elements. He had never believed those stories…until now.

“But how do I—"

Before Aiden could finish his question, Selene raised her hand, and the air around them shifted. The winds calmed, and the sky grew eerily quiet. For a brief moment, everything was still. Then, slowly, Selene extended her hand toward him. “Focus,” she said, her voice soft but commanding. “Feel the power inside you. It’s there, waiting for you to reach out.”

Aiden hesitated, unsure of what he was supposed to feel. But he closed his eyes, trying to focus. At first, there was nothing. Just the quiet hum of the storm around them. But then, deep within, he felt a flicker—like a tiny spark, waiting to ignite.

“Good,” Selene said, her voice distant now. “Now, let it grow.”

The spark inside him flared, and Aiden felt a rush of energy flood through his body. His heart raced, and his hands tingled with electricity. His eyes shot open just as a bolt of lightning shot from his hand, arcing into the sky.

He gasped, stumbling backward in shock. “What—what just happened?”

Selene smiled, a rare expression of warmth crossing her features. “You’ve taken your first step. But there is still much to learn.”

Aiden stared at his hand, still buzzing with residual energy. The power inside him wasn’t a myth. It was real, and it was dangerous.

And if what Selene said was true, it was only going to get stronger.