Kait Jensen sat on the edge of his bed, lost in thought. His piercing green eyes gazed out the window, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The room began to darken as twilight approached, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

"Maybe I should have joined them," Kait murmured to himself, his friends' cheerful laughter echoing in his mind. He had declined their invitation to a night out, opting for some quiet solitude instead. As an introvert, social gatherings often left him feeling drained. But tonight, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.

Suddenly, the room was filled with an intense, blinding light that seemed to come from nowhere. Kait instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. The serenity of the moment shattered like glass, replaced by a sense of impending doom.

Then came the explosion.

It was deafening, like a bolt of lightning striking right beside him. Kait felt his body being thrown across the room as if he were a ragdoll, weightless and powerless against the force that propelled him. The sensation was surreal, his mind unable to fully process what was happening. It was only when his head collided with the wall that reality came crashing down.

Pain exploded through his skull, a white-hot agony that threatened to consume him entirely. Kait could feel his consciousness slipping away, darkness creeping into the edges of his vision. He fought to stay awake, certain that succumbing would mean death.

"Wha...what's h-happening?" he stuttered, struggling to form coherent thoughts. His voice sounded foreign, distant, and detached, as though it belonged to someone else.

Time seemed to slow as Kait tried to make sense of the chaos around him. His room was unrecognizable, transformed into a warzone littered with broken furniture and debris. Yet, amidst the destruction, a peculiar object caught his eye.

A jagged rock, no larger than his fist, was embedded in the floor near him. It seemed to be the source of the blinding light that still illuminated the room. As Kait stared at it, he felt an inexplicable pull, a connection he couldn't quite understand.

"Is this...?" Kait trailed off, unable to complete the thought as his vision blurred and wavered. In the final moments before unconsciousness took hold, a single word echoed through his mind: power.

And then, everything went black.

Kait's body lay motionless on the floor, his limbs sprawled at awkward angles. His chest was still, devoid of any sign of life, and his pale face bore the mark of the violent impact against the wall. The room was eerily silent, the only sound being the faint buzz of the shattered light bulbs above.

"Kait... Kait, can you hear me?" a voice called out, but it seemed to be coming from far away. The figure rushed over to him, checking for any signs of pulse or breathing, but there was none to be found – Kait appeared as lifeless as a corpse.

"Stay with me, buddy," the voice pleaded, its owner growing increasingly frantic. "You can't leave us like this. You have so much left to do..."

As the seconds ticked by, the tension in the air grew thick and heavy, suffocating the room in an unbearable silence. Each moment that passed felt like an eternity, each second a merciless reminder of the cruel fate that had befallen Kait.

"Please... don't give up..." the voice choked out, tears welling up in the eyes of the speaker. "I know you're strong enough to pull through. You've always been stronger than you think."

For a full minute, Kait remained unresponsive, his body cold and unmoving. And then, without warning, a tiny device embedded in his neck began to emit a faint glow. It was barely noticeable amidst the wreckage, yet it held the key to Kait's miraculous revival.

As the device hummed and pulsed, Kait's body suddenly twitched, his fingers curling into tight fists. His eyes snapped open, revealing the same piercing green irises that had stared down many challenges before. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving as though he'd just resurfaced from the depths of the ocean.

"Wh-what happened...?" Kait managed to croak, his voice weak and raspy. He tried to sit up but was immediately overwhelmed by a wave of dizziness, forcing him to lie back down.

"Kait! You're alive!" the figure exclaimed, relief washing over them like a tidal wave. "I thought we lost you there for a minute."

"Lost me?" Kait echoed, his mind racing as he tried to piece together what had occurred. "What do you mean? What happened to me?"

"Something... extraordinary," the figure replied, their tone awed and reverent. "I don't understand it myself, but it's like you were dead, and then you just... came back."

"Back?" Kait murmured, his gaze drifting towards the strange device embedded in his neck. He could feel its warmth beneath his fingers, pulsating with an energy that seemed to be coursing through his entire body. "Is this... what saved me?"

"Maybe," the figure said hesitantly. "But how it got there, and why it brought you back... that's a mystery."

As Kait lay on the cold floor, trying to make sense of the inexplicable events that had unfolded, a newfound determination began to stir within him. Somehow, he had been granted a second chance at life – and he wasn't about to let it go to waste. With each beat of his heart, the power within him grew stronger, urging him to rise and face the unknown.

"Whatever this is," Kait whispered, clenching his fists tightly, "I'm going to find out. And I won't rest until I've uncovered the truth."

Kait's heart hammered in his chest as he staggered to his feet, the cold floor beneath him a stark reminder of the life he had nearly lost. He could still feel the strange energy pulsating through his veins like liquid fire, urging him onward. Though unsure of what lay ahead, Kait knew that he couldn't simply ignore the inexplicable force that coursed within him.

"Let's see what you can do," he muttered to himself, taking an unsteady step forward. And then, without warning, it happened.

In the blink of an eye, Kait found himself on the other side of the room, mere inches from the wall opposite. The world around him seemed to have slowed to a crawl, each second stretching into an eternity as he stood there, wide-eyed and disbelieving.

"Wh-what...?" he stammered, his voice barely more than a whisper. "How did I...?"

As if in response to his unspoken question, Kait felt the power inside him flare up once more, beckoning him to push beyond the realm of possibility. Tentatively, he raised a hand towards the wall, blinking in astonishment as his vision pierced through the solid barrier to reveal the bustling cityscape outside.

"Impossible," he breathed, struggling to comprehend the full extent of his newfound abilities. "I can... I can see through walls. And move at lightning speed."

The sensation of time slowing down as he moved faster than the speed of light was both thrilling and terrifying. It was as if reality itself had been bent to his will, the familiar constraints of space and time rendered meaningless in the face of his incredible powers.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Okay, focus," Kait told himself, trying to remain calm despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "There has to be a reason for this. Some kind of purpose behind these abilities…"

As the truth began to dawn on him, Kait couldn't help but feel a pang of fear deep within his chest. With great power, he knew, came great responsibility – and as the full scope of his newfound abilities became clear, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was standing on the precipice of something monumental.

"Whatever this is," he whispered, steeling himself for the challenges that lay ahead, "I have to use it wisely. I can't let these powers go to waste."

With a determined glint in his piercing green eyes, Kait took one last look at the world beyond the wall – a world that now seemed ripe with possibility and danger in equal measure – before setting off to explore the limits of his incredible new gifts. The weight of responsibility hung heavy on his shoulders, but he refused to be crushed beneath it. Instead, he would rise to the challenge, embracing the unknown with every fiber of his being.

Kait stood in the middle of his small, cluttered apartment, the world outside now an open book to his enhanced vision. The boundaries of walls and distance seemed laughably trivial, yet the enormity of the change within him was anything but. A wave of disbelief washed over him as he tried to comprehend the full extent of what had happened.

"Is this... real?" Kait muttered aloud, his voice trembling with a mixture of awe and fear. He clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling the raw power coursing through his veins like a barely contained storm. "This can't be happening..."

A sudden surge of panic gripped him, and he let out a guttural scream, the sound echoing off the walls around him. His breath came in ragged gasps as his heart thundered in his chest. It wasn't supposed to be like this; he'd always been ordinary, content to fade into the background. Now, that life seemed like a distant dream, ripped away by some cosmic accident.

"Get it together, Kait," he whispered fiercely to himself, trying to stifle the frantic thoughts racing through his mind. He closed his eyes, focusing on the familiar sensation of his own heartbeat. "Think. What do you know? You were hit by something... space rock, maybe? And now you're... what? A superhero?"

His laughter was bitter and tinged with hysteria, a desperate attempt to cling to some semblance of sanity. "Yeah, because that's totally normal," he continued, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "Just your average day, getting superpowers from a rock."

For a moment, Kait allowed himself to imagine how different his life would be now. Friends who had never given him a second glance might suddenly want to be close to him, drawn by the allure of his newfound abilities. But would they be there for him when the weight of responsibility became too much to bear alone?

"None of this makes any sense," he muttered, his voice cracking. "Why me? I'm not special. I didn't ask for any of this."

As Kait wrestled with his thoughts, the tiniest glimmer of understanding began to pierce through the fog of confusion. Perhaps there was a reason behind all of it – a purpose greater than himself that he was meant to fulfill. The idea felt both terrifying and exhilarating, like standing at the edge of a cliff and preparing to dive into the unknown.

"Maybe... maybe this is a chance to do something good," he whispered, the words tasting unfamiliar on his tongue. "If I have these powers, I can make a difference. Protect people who need it. Isn't that what heroes do?"

Kait took a deep breath, steeling himself for the journey ahead. He knew it wouldn't be easy – that the path before him was fraught with challenges and uncertainty. But as he stood in the dim light of his apartment, the shadows of doubt receding from his mind, one thing was clear: he would face whatever lay ahead with courage, determination, and an unshakable belief in the power of friendship.

"Alright, world," he said softly, a newfound resolve shimmering in his green eyes. "Let's see what you've got."

Kait paced back and forth in his cramped apartment, the floor creaking beneath his feet as he mulled over his newfound abilities. He had always been one to analyze a situation thoroughly before diving in, but there was no instruction manual for handling supernatural powers. The idea of controlling other people's minds felt both thrilling and terrifying – like holding an untamed beast on a delicate leash.

"Alright," Kait murmured, clenching his fists in determination. "Let's give this a try."

He focused his attention on his neighbor, Mrs. Thompson, who lived in the apartment across the hall. The elderly woman was known for her caring nature and, most importantly, her endless supply of homemade cookies. If Kait could get her to bring him a glass of water, it would be a relatively harmless way to test his powers.

"Mrs. Thompson," he whispered, concentrating all his energy on forming a mental connection with his unsuspecting neighbor. "Please, bring me a glass of water."

At first, nothing happened. Kait's heart pounded in his chest, uncertainty gnawing at the edges of his confidence. Was he doing it wrong? Had his powers vanished as suddenly as they arrived?

Then, just as he was about to give up, he heard the familiar creak of Mrs. Thompson's front door opening. His breath caught in his throat as she shuffled into the hallway, carrying a tall, frosty glass of water.

"Here you go, dear," she said kindly, handing the glass to Kait. "I don't know why I felt so compelled to bring this to you, but it seemed important."

"Thank you, Mrs. Thompson," Kait stammered, his mind reeling from the success of his experiment. "I really appreciate it."

As she returned to her apartment, Kait closed the door gently behind her, his fingers trembling with excitement. He had done it – he had actually controlled her mind, albeit in a small way. The sensation was intoxicating, like a dormant volcano awakening within him.

"Wow," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he stared at the glass of water in his hand. "I can't believe I just did that."

As Kait sipped from the glass, an overwhelming sense of power surged through him. It felt as if the very fabric of reality was bending to his will, waiting for him to shape it as he pleased. His mind raced with possibilities – what other feats could he accomplish using these newfound abilities?

But even as his imagination soared, Kait couldn't shake the nagging feeling that such power came with a heavy burden. With every pulse of energy coursing through his veins, he was reminded of the responsibility that now rested on his shoulders. It was a weight he couldn't ignore, no matter how exhilarating the ride.

"Alright," he said, setting the glass down on the counter with a newfound resolve. "If I'm going to have these powers, I need to use them responsibly. For good. To protect people and make a real difference in this world."

The thought filled him with a sense of purpose he had never experienced before – the knowledge that he was truly capable of making a positive impact on the lives of others. As Kait stood in the dim light of his apartment, his heart swelling with pride and determination, he knew that his journey was only just beginning. And though the path ahead would be fraught with challenges and uncertainty, one thing was certain: he would face it all with courage, unwavering friendship, and a steadfast belief in himself.

"Ready or not," he whispered, a fire igniting in his green eyes. "Here I come."

With a deep breath, Kait flung open the door to his apartment and stepped into the cool night air. The wind whipped through his short, brown hair, sending shivers down his spine as he braced himself for what was to come. He clenched his fists at his sides, feeling the raw power coursing through his veins like liquid fire.

"Alright," he muttered, trying to suppress the excitement bubbling within him. "Let's see just how fast I can go."

In an instant, Kait propelled himself forward, hurtling down the street at breakneck speed. His surroundings blurred into streaks of color as he raced through the city, leaving nothing but the sound of his footsteps echoing in the empty streets. He felt exhilarated, invincible, unstoppable.

"Whoa!" he shouted, laughing breathlessly as he tore around corners and leaped over parked cars with ease. In mere seconds, he had crossed entire blocks, leaving him with a sense of wonderment that made his heart pound in his chest. "This is incredible!"

As Kait continued to explore the limits of his newfound abilities, he began to notice something strange about the world around him. The buildings seemed older, more ornate, and the people – though few and far between at this time of night – appeared to be dressed in clothes from a bygone era. The air itself felt different, charged with an energy he couldn't quite place.

"Okay, this definitely isn't the city I know," he thought, slowing to a stop and taking in his surroundings. "What's going on?"

"Hey there!" called a voice from behind him. Kait turned to see a young woman with bright blue hair and a mischievous grin. "You're new around here, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Kait stammered, taken aback by her sudden appearance. "I'm Kait. How did you know I was new?"

"Your aura," she replied, tapping her temple knowingly. "It's all over the place. Plus, I haven't seen anyone move that fast in a long time."

"Wait, you can see my aura?" Kait asked, his confusion growing by the second.

"Of course," she said with a shrug. "Most of us can. You're in a different world now, one where people like us – with powers – exist. Welcome to our reality."

Kait felt his heart skip a beat as he processed her words. He had been transported to a parallel world, one filled with others who shared his newfound abilities. The weight of this revelation settled on him like a heavy cloak, yet it also sparked a flicker of excitement within him.

"Alright then," he said, determination shining in his green eyes. "If this is where I am now, I'll make the best of it. I need to learn about my powers and how to control them. And maybe, just maybe, I can help make this world a better place."

"Sounds like a plan," the blue-haired woman replied, grinning widely. "I'm Lila, by the way. And I think we're going to get along just fine."