Mrs. Minxes sank down on the couch, her broken leg aching. It had been days now without encountering another living soul in the ruins of their small town. Just rubble and monsters. She was starting to lose hope that there were any other survivors out there.

Should they continue scavenging this dead place, or finally make a break for it? She gazed out the barricaded window at the smoke rising in the distance. If they stayed, the kids could keep training their powers and scavenging supplies. But for how long before the monsters overwhelmed them?

On the other hand, leaving meant venturing into the dangerous unknown with minimal gear and an injured companion. Mrs. Minxes sighed heavily. She wished she could provide the children under her care better options than fighting to survive in a wasteland or embarking blindly into the wilderness.

Booker poked his head into the living room. "You okay, Ms. Minxes? Need anything for the pain?"

She managed a weary smile. "I'll be alright, dear. Just thinking through our next steps."

Booker nodded. "Have you decided if we should head out of town yet? Mitch is raring to go, but Astor thinks we need more prep time."

Of course those two were at odds again. "I'm hesitant to travel far unless absolutely necessary," she said. "You're all still adapting to your powers. And we'd likely perish out there without stockpiling medical supplies, weapons and food first."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Booker agreed.

Just then, a crash echoed from the kitchen. They hurried to investigate and found Mei standing sheepishly amidst scattered cans and boxes.

"Sorry, was trying to take inventory of our food supplies," she explained.

Mrs. Minxes shook her head. "No need to apologize, dear. You actually just gave me an idea."

She turned to address everyone. "I think our best move is to stay put a little longer. Use this time to continue training, gather medical supplies, and stock up on necessities for the road. Once we're prepared, we can revisit leaving town to search for other survivors."

There were reluctant nods all around. No one loved the idea of remaining in this nightmare town, but they saw the logic.

"So more scavenging trips and power practice it is," Mitch said, cracking his knuckles. " anyone messes with us, I'll be ready."

Mrs. Minxes hoped they could avoid further violence. But she had to keep these children motivated and believing they had a future beyond this chaos.

"Together, we'll get strong enough to survive whatever comes next," she said with more conviction than she felt. Their faith in her gave Mrs. Minxes strength to persevere. She had to cling to the belief that they would find a safe haven someday.

"Here kitty kitty," Astor called softly, peering under the bed for his new feline friend. He was playing an improvised game of hide and seek with the cat while the others prepared dinner.

After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Astor sat back with a sigh. "Alright Mittens, you win this round."

Just then, he heard the familiar voice in his mind:

> "Congratulations, [Astor Bracken]! You have reached Level 3 Psi user and unlocked Sense Minds!"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Astor's eyes widened in surprise. Focusing inward, he could now perceive the glow of consciousness from living beings - including the cat, who was tucked away under the couch.

"Aha, found you!" Astor exclaimed triumphantly, dropping to his knees to peer under the couch at Mittens. The cat purred back innocently.

Astor considered his new ability thoughtfully. If he concentrated, he could detect the minds of his friends in other parts of the house too. It gave him an odd new awareness of their presence.

The temptation to dip deeper, read their thoughts and feelings, itched at the back of Astor's mind. But he shook it off - that would be unethical and a violation of their trust.

Still, this extra sensing could help keep the group safe if he used it responsibly. Astor headed to the kitchen to tell the others about his new power.

"Guys, I just leveled up and wanted to give you a heads up..." he began.

Mitch tensed, eyeing him warily. "Does this involve messing with our heads again?"

"No, no, just being able to detect minds at a distance. I promise I won't dig into your thoughts or anything," Astor assured them.

Ms. Minx nodded approvingly. "That could be very useful for knowing if enemies are near. But it's a double-edged sword..."

"I know. I'll be careful," said Astor. He was grateful they at least heard him out. There were still hurdles to overcome in fully regaining their trust. But Astor aimed to prove himself an ally, not a threat.

One step at a time, he would learn to wield his psychic gifts responsibly. As odd as this new life was, Astor finally felt like he belonged with this ragtag group. Together, they would unravel the mysteries of their powers and survive whatever darkness loomed ahead.

Mitch pressed his back against the crumbling wall, gesturing for Mei to stay quiet as the thunderous footsteps drew nearer. They had ducked into an alleyway to hide from the hulking beast that prowled the streets nearby.

He peered around the edge of the brick wall, catching a glimpse of gnarled horns and glowing red eyes as the monster stomped past their hiding spot. Mitch held his breath, willing it not to notice them.

After endless tense moments, the footsteps retreated into the distance again. Mitch let out a shaky sigh of relief before turning to Mei.

"That was way too close. This thing is bad news - we gotta warn the others."

Mei nodded, her face pale but determined. "Did you see the size of it? I don't know if we're ready to take something like that down yet."

Mitch flexed his hands as red aura flickered around them. "Hey, we've faced tough enemies before. Together, we can handle it."

"I know, but..." Mei trailed off, looking conflicted. "What if someone gets hurt again, like last time? I don't want to lose anyone else."

Mitch softened, remembering how much Mei had already lost to this nightmare world. "You're right, we need to be smart. Ms. Minxes will know the best strategy."

Mei managed a small, grateful smile. "We'll get justice for my family, and everyone else we've lost. I believe that. We just can't let anger make us reckless."

Her compassion and maturity impressed Mitch. Beneath her shy exterior, she had real strength.

"When did you get so wise?" Mitch chuckled. "Come on, let's regroup and take this freak down the right way. Together, we can overcome anything - I know it."

Mei squeezed his hand supportively. Despite the horrors surrounding them, Mitch felt a glimmer of hope. Together, they would defeat the darkness and build a better future somehow. He just had to hold onto that belief.

Booker ducked behind an overturned car as the werewolf's jaws snapped right where his head had been a moment before.

"Little help here!" he shouted to the others. They had been searching a grocery store for supplies when the beast attacked.

Mitch came barreling around the corner, hands glowing red. He tackled the werewolf with a roar, pummeling it with aura-charged fists. The creature swiped a clawed hand, raking Mitch's side and drawing blood.

"Mitch, get clear!" Booker yelled. As Mitch scrambled back, Booker focused his power. His hands erupted with arcing blue energy.

The werewolf rounded on Booker, but he was ready this time. "Eat this, ugly!"

Booker thrust out both hands, shooting twin lances of sizzling mana. They speared into the werewolf's chest, dropping it to the ground with a howl. It writhed for a moment before falling still.

"Yeah! How do you like that?" Booker whooped. The others emerged cautiously from hiding.

"That was awesome, man!" Mitch said, wincing as he pressed a hand to his bloody side.

"Here, let me help," Mei said, ripping a strip of cloth to bandage the wound.

A familiar voice sounded in Booker's mind:

> Congratulations! [Booker Washington]. have reached Level 3 Mana user and unlocked Multi-Shot!

Booker focused and discovered he could now simultaneously fire rapid mana blasts from each hand. "Sweet, this is going to come in handy!"

"We make a pretty good team," Astor remarked as they surveyed the scene. "Shame there's no other survivors to help us rebuild everything, though."

The others grew somber at that. After days of searching, they still hadn't found anyone else alive in their town. Were they the only ones who survived the catastrophe somehow?

"Hey, we've got each other at least," Mitch said in a rare moment of camaraderie. "Together, we're strong enough to handle whatever else is out there."

Booker smiled gratefully. These kids barely knew him a week ago, but now they were connected for life through this trauma. He would be forever thankful for their powers and support in escaping this nightmare.

"Let's grab these supplies and get back," Booker said. "Ms. Minxes needs our help planning our next move."

United by hardship, they would survive this chaos and build a better future. Booker was sure of it. Their powers made them the perfect team to conquer any challenge ahead.