The dark brown eyes opened slowly to the sound of the phone alarm, which played a calm melody with bird sounds. The thin, slightly hunched figure of the young man, a bit below average height, sat up on the single bed. His straight black hair completely covered his face. He grabbed the phone from the simple nightstand beside his bed, whose sheets were faded, trying to look at the alarm, which displayed a message: ‘6:00 - Wake up for another day!’

– Nothing yet…? – he whispered to himself, his voice slightly hoarse, as he swiped his finger across the cracked screen to turn off the alarm, then glanced at the notification bar.

Scratching his head, he got up and slipped on his sandals. He yawned and ran a hand over his hair, revealing only part of his almost pale face, with dead fish eyes, as he hung his head low.

– More than two months… – he whispered to himself, looking at a message from an unknown number that read: ‘I’ll be in touch.’ – Be in touch, my ass…

He turned to the old wooden dresser, where a picture frame hid the photo. He raised his hand towards it, attempting to reach it but quickly gave up. He slowly exited the room, whose walls were painted a faded gray, and the window seemed jammed.

Upon leaving the bedroom, he found himself in the living room combined with the kitchen, where old furniture and basic appliances dominated the sparsely decorated space. A strong smell of cheap detergent invaded his nostrils, prompting him to pinch them shut with two fingers as he headed towards the bathroom with an annoyed expression.

– Urgh, Mom… why always that fragrance? – he murmured as he entered the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

It was a cramped bathroom, with a sink whose faucet dripped slightly, a mirror with stains around the edge that reflected the dim ceiling light, a towel rack, and a corner shower enclosed by a curtain adorned with yellow ducks.

He approached the mirror and opened it, revealing various medications, a tube of toothpaste, and two toothbrushes. His eyes lingered on the medications; his eyelids drooped, and his gaze remained dull for a brief moment. But he soon picked up his toothbrush, applied toothpaste, closed the mirror, then moved to the shower and turned on the water as he began to wash.

A while later, he was already dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt with a print from a rock band called Knights of The Dark Realm, faded jeans with rips at the knees, black sneakers, and a dark brown backpack. His hair was still messy; however, he had styled his bangs to cover only his right eye. He went over to the table, where a note read: ‘I left your breakfast ready on the counter. Have a great day, dear!

P.S.: Demian, please don’t forget to take out the trash; you know how our little rascal is!’

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A slight smile crossed his face as he read the note. Then he looked over at the counter, and, noticing there was nothing there, scratched his head and opened his mouth, letting gravity pull his jaw down.

–I don’t believe it… – Demian said, moving behind the counter, where he found a frying pan on the floor with the lid far from it and a black cat licking her paws. – Panther!

The cat didn’t even look at the boy and kept grooming herself, until he crouched down, picked her up by her front paws, and looked her in the eyes.

– Did you eat my breakfast? – he asked, staring directly into the cat’s eyes, who just stared back and meowed. – You’ve turned into a girl with terrible manners…

The cat blinked her eyes and placed a paw over the boy’s mouth, and he just lowered his head, saying with a forced tone of sadness. – It smells like my bacon… If you think you’ll get away with it this time, you’re sorely mistaken; today you will know my wrath.

The cat continued to stare at him, tilting her head with her green eyes and dilated pupils.

– You… you… are lucky you’re so cute and that I’m running late. – He said, lifting his head with a sigh. He placed the cat on the floor and petted her head while she resumed grooming herself. – But this is the last time you get away with it.

Quickly, he picked up the frying pan and the lid, setting them in the sink, then pulled out his phone, which read 6:43 a.m.

– Oh, crap… – He muttered, glancing at the cat, who seemed unfazed by his presence. – I’ll have to eat on the way; I hope you feel guilty.

He took a deep breath, sighed, and hurried toward the apartment door. He opened it with difficulty and shut it behind him, while the cat continued grooming herself and meowed once more.

Demian dashed down the corridor of the old building, which had several other apartments besides his own. At the end of the hall, there was an elevator with a sign reading: "Permanently under maintenance." He headed for the stairs, passing by a few neighbors; one was sweeping in front of their apartment, and another was double-checking that their door was locked.

The neighborhood was a blend of cultures, with local shops, small restaurants, and stores beginning to open around that time. The streets were bustling; some people were chatting, others opening their businesses, and Demian ran toward the bus stop, where passengers were already boarding.

– It’s my lucky day…– he murmured to himself, sprinting toward the bus.

He moved quickly but ended up lightly bumping into a man who was boarding, nodding his head in apology.

– Watch where you’re going, kid! – the man said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

– I’m really sorry…

Soon, everyone was inside, and Demian made his way to the back of the bus, avoiding eye contact with the other passengers. He put on his headphones and began gazing out the window.

The city bus moved through the district. The sun was rising, though it was hidden by the residential buildings. His gaze focused on the ads on the walls and billboards; many were about products and people, but mostly about Convergence.

One ad showed a man and a woman, both smiling and posing with a spark in their eyes. Behind them was the silhouette of a man flying with a cape, and the title read: ‘Have you discovered yourself a Biologically Enhanced Human? Serve your country! Become a hero too!’

He followed the ad with a hint of admiration, but soon returned to his usual expression. Glancing again at the message, ‘I will be in touch.’ he sighed as the bus left East Aurora, heading toward its destination: the district of Tlamanalli, the heart of Nova Atlantis.