We were escorted by Shiela into a facility that felt like a labyrinth of cold, sterile corridors. My mind was in turmoil, barely able to process the events that had unfolded. I followed Shiela in a daze, Marco trailing silently behind us, his usual bravado replaced by a solemn determination.
Suddenly, a doctor appeared from behind a set of double doors. He wore a serious expression, his mask hanging loosely around his neck. I rushed towards him, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Doc, is my mom, okay?" I asked, my voice trembling.
The doctor took off his mask and looked at Shiela and Marco before finally meeting my gaze. "Actually, there's good news and bad news. The good news is the patient is stable and out of immediate danger. But the bad news is we don't know when she will wake up. We found unknown compounds in the blood samples we took from her. Upon extreme examination, we discovered that some of the compound is a toxin that induces sleep, but we don't know its full effectiveness. Also, there's a variable we haven't been able to identify fully. I'm sorry, we've done what we could."
His words hit me like a sledgehammer. No... Mom. My knees gave way, and I collapsed to the floor, the weight of the situation crashing down on me. Regret, anger, and despair swirled within me like a storm. If only I had been faster, stronger, more capable...
I could have protected her. The image of that creature attacking her replayed in my mind, each repetition fueling a burning rage. I wanted to find the monster responsible and make it pay.
"Alex, everything's going to be okay," Shiela said, her voice gentle yet firm, trying to pull me back from the edge.
I remembered the monstrous figure that had attacked my mom. "Shiela! What was that creature!? That thing that attacked Mom! It's not human—that can't be human! What was it!?" I asked hysterically, my voice rising with each word.
Shiela didn't answer my question directly. Instead, she asked, "Can you stand up?" I nodded weakly and got to my feet. "Follow me," she ordered, and I complied, my legs feeling like they were made of lead. We walked in silence through dimly lit hallways, the cold air biting at my skin. Eventually, we reached a door marked with a black sign that read "STAFF ONLY."
Shiela opened the door, revealing a seemingly ordinary room. She moved some furniture around, and suddenly the room shook. I felt a wave of dizziness as the room began to descend like an elevator.
"Where are we going, Shiela?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.
"It will come to this anyway. I'll tell you everything you want to know, Alex. Since the day the radiant light appeared," she replied cryptically.
The room made a ding sound, and the walls parted in the middle to reveal a sight that left me speechless. We stepped out into a vast, high-tech facility, far beyond anything I had ever seen.
The walls were lined with massive tubes filled with strange, glowing liquids, and inside them floated creatures that looked like they had been plucked from the pages of a science fiction novel. There were monitors and control panels everywhere, attended by people in lab coats who moved with purpose.
"What the hell is happening right now?" I muttered under my breath, my eyes wide with disbelief.
Shiela guided me deeper into the facility. As we walked, I took in the astonishing details around me. The tubes housed a variety of beings—some humanoid, others more alien in appearance. Their features were a mix of the familiar and the bizarre: elongated limbs, eyes that glowed with an inner light, and skin in colors that defied nature.
We passed a series of workstations where scientists were analyzing data and manipulating holographic displays. The air was filled with the hum of machinery and the soft beeping of medical equipment. It felt like I had stepped into another world.
Shiela finally led me to a conference room, where she gestured for me to sit. I sank into a chair, still overwhelmed by what I had seen. She took a seat opposite me, her expression serious.
"Alex, what I'm about to tell you might be hard to believe, but it's the truth. Since the day the radiant light appeared, our world has been changing. That light marked the beginning of a new era—an era where humans and otherworldly beings are starting to collide."
I nodded slowly, trying to absorb her words. "What does that mean for us?" This would only be the plausible explanation on what's happening right now and about that monster that attacked mom.
"It means that the world as we know it is no longer the same. The light has awakened latent abilities in some humans, while also weakening the barriers between our world and others. Creatures from other realms are now able to cross over, and not all of them come with peaceful intentions," Shiela explained.
"The creature that attacked your mom... it's one of many. We've been studying these beings and trying to understand their nature, but there's still so much we don't know. The toxin we found in your mom's blood is one of their weapons. It keeps victims in a state of suspended animation, but we're not sure how to counteract it yet."
Anger flared up inside me again. "So, these things are just going to keep coming? And there's nothing we can do?"
Shiela's eyes softened. "We are doing everything we can to protect people. That's why this facility exists. We're researching ways to fight back, to understand these creatures and find their weaknesses. And Alex... you might be a part of that solution."
"Me?" I asked, taken aback.
"Yes, you. The day the light appeared, you experienced something, didn't you? Your body heated up, your eyes and veins glowed. That's a sign that you have been affected by the light in a significant way. You might have abilities that can help us."
I remembered the sensations vividly. The heat, the light, the feeling of power coursing through me. "I thought it was just a fluke."
"It's not. We've been tracking individuals like you, people who have shown signs of awakening. Your abilities are still developing, but with training and guidance, you could become a key player in our efforts to protect humanity."
The weight of her words settled on me. It was a lot to take in, but a part of me felt a spark of hope. If I could develop these abilities, maybe I could prevent what happened to my mom from happening to others. Maybe I could make a difference.
"What do I need to do?" I asked, determination hardening my voice.
Shiela smiled, a glimmer of approval in her eyes. "First, you need to rest. You've been through a lot today. Soon, we'll begin your training. We'll help you understand your abilities and teach you how to use them effectively."
I nodded, feeling a sense of purpose starting to take root. "Okay. I'll do it."
"Good," Shiela said, standing up. "For now, get some rest. I'll have someone show you to your quarters."
As I followed an attendant through the facility, I couldn't help but marvel at how much my life had changed in such a short time. From an ordinary teenager dealing with bullies to someone on the brink of discovering extraordinary powers, my world had turned upside down. But if there was a chance to protect my mom, to stop the chaos spreading through the world, I was willing to embrace whatever came next.
Lying in the unfamiliar bed that night, I thought about the hero in the book I had been reading. He had faced insurmountable odds, drawing strength from his comrades and his own determination. I wasn't a hero yet, but maybe, just maybe, I could become one. For my mom, for myself, and for humanity. As I drifted off to sleep, a single thought lingered in my mind: I won't let this world fall into darkness. I'll fight, no matter what it takes.