"Let's go..." Janiff said, his voice steady.
"Ye-yes," I stammered, trying to keep up with him.
As we walked towards the principal's office, my mind was full of questions. Latent powers? Maya controlling my body? I had a million questions, but Janiff remained quiet, walking briskly with his hands in his pockets. He seemed calm, like all of this was completely normal to him.
"I guess I was right,"I thought, stealing a glance at him. "He really does act like he knows everything."
Suddenly, he turned his head, catching me off guard. "What are you looking at?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Eheh- nothing," I muttered quickly, looking away.
We reached the principal's office sooner than I expected. The door was slightly open, and I could see a group of students already inside. As we stepped in, all eyes turned towards me, their expressions unreadable but serious. The principal, a woman who appeared to be in her 50s, sat behind the desk. She had sharp black hair, wore glasses, and was about 5'2". Her presence felt both calm and intimidating.
"Welcome Maxwell" The principal said, her voice was calm but there was an underlying edge to it, like she knew something I didn't. "We've been waiting for you."
A shiver ran down my spine as I stepped fully into the room. Why did it suddenly feel so cold here? Five other students, all older than me—probably seniors, like Janiff—stood near her desk, watching me closely.
" So, Maxwell,"she began. "
Ye-Ye-Yes!!"
"Let me finish my words first," she said.
"So, Maxwell, do you know why Jeniff brought you?"
I hesitated, shifting on my feet. "Mhm—uh, to talk about the latent ability thing, I guess...?"
The principal adjusted her glasses, her sharp gaze never leaving me. "Yes, I asked Janiff to bring you here, but..." She paused, as if choosing her next words carefully. "Something's been happening to you, hasn't it?"
My breath caught. "How did she—?"
"But we'll get to that later," she said, dismissing my panic with a wave of her hand. "Right now, we need to discuss your latent ability."
"Latent ability?" I repeated, confused. "I've heard it many times but… what does it mean?"
I felt someone laughing behind me, and behind me was only Jeniff.
" Jeniff, you should not laugh– hahaha" the principal chuckled, unable to hide her amusement.
"e-eh?!! What?!" I spun around, looking at them both, completely lost.
Jeniff controlled his laughter, barely able to make a straight face"Sorry, sorry ma'am. I… hahaha- it is just"
"Eh?!!"
Jeniff said "Sorry, Max. You must be confused.. It is just we are playing a prank on you. It is just you are so nervous talking to ma'am."
"Wh-What?! I'm not that bad!" I protested, flustered. "I just… I'm not good at talking to elders!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Janiff grinned.
"Eh? How–-" I was going to say something.
"Janiff, Maxwell, can we save this for later?" the principal cut in, clearly wanting to get back on track.
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" We both replied in unison.
"Good," she said, turning back to me. "Now, let's start with the basics. Latent abilities—or powers—refer to skills or abilities that lie dormant within a person, waiting to be unlocked or triggered by specific events, training, or circumstances. These abilities exist within you but haven't fully surfaced yet."
Her voice was calm, but the weight of her words sank in. Somehow, all the nervousness and tension I'd been feeling melted away.
"All creatures on Earth have some form of strange ability," she continued. "But humans are the only species known to fully control these powers through training."
I raised a hand hesitantly. "If humans have these abilities, why aren't we hearing about them? Why doesn't anyone know?"
The principal's expression darkened, and she folded her hands in front of her. "Because, in the 19th century, latent abilities began appearing everywhere, and what followed was chaos. Wars broke out—wars driven by these powers. The Great Unknown World Wars 1 and 2… they were far more destructive than history tells us. People were hungry for power, and they used their abilities to fuel the conflict, causing devastation on a global scale."
I swallowed hard. The thought of wars fueled by latent abilities made my stomach twist.
"The destruction was so terrible— a Hell on Earth" she continued, her voice growing heavier, "that when the United World (UW) was formed, they made a decision—to bury the truth. Governments agreed to erase the existence of latent powers from public knowledge. History books were rewritten, scientific studies suppressed. All to ensure that no one would ever know what caused those wars... and to prevent it from happening again."
The room was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat, for sure cuz we were talking about a serious topic.
"But why now?" I asked quietly.
"History is repeating itself," the principal said grimly. "People, driven by greed, have started forming secret organisations around the world. Most of these groups are weak, easily dealt with by the government. But there is one... an organisation called 'Moonlight Owls' in India. They're powerful—too powerful for the government to handle."
"Then… why are you telling me all this?" I asked, my confusion deepening.
"A book was recently found. It's over a thousand years old, yet somehow in perfect condition. The strange part is, no one can read it. It's written in a language we don't understand. The book is now in our library—the one you found."
"The book I found? The one with the upside-down letters?"
"Yes. Scientists have only managed to decipher the first page, and it speaks of you, Maxwell. The text reads: 'In the year two thousand and twenty-four, on a day unknown, there shall arise a youth, chosen not by chance, but by the will of the Most High. This one, who hath awakened to the power within, is not led by mere fortune, but by the hand of destiny, as written in the scrolls of eternity. For it was foreseen, before the dawn of time, that this youth shall bear the gift and the curse—to create and to destroy the vastness of all realms. Lo, the multiverse shall tremble before him, for he holdeth in his grasp the very threads of existence. And it is not by the will of man, nor by the hand of fate alone, but by the decree of the Almighty, who hath ordained that this soul shall be the keeper of all creation and the harbinger of its end.'"
My head was spinning. I couldn't understand all of it, but a part of me knew… It was talking about me.
"Ma'am... I don't get what all this means…" I admitted, still confused but feeling the weight of the words.
The principal leaned forward, her gaze locking onto mine. "It means, Maxwell, that you are destined for something far greater than you can imagine. This isn't random. It's your fate, and the power within you is stronger than you know. You can create... or destroy... everything. You hold the power to shape reality itself."
"Mhmm– I get this but.. how is this connected to the book and the organisations you mentioned?"
She smiled softly. "Even the highest authorities didn't know about that book until recently. The book, no one know where it come from. If I say the book title is 'Siku' don't know what it means."
'Siku' I feel hear this name before but where?
"But, ma'am... this still doesn't make sense," I said, feeling more lost.
"The Indian government and only a select few know about this. Some government schools, like ours, were chosen to help unlock the secrets of the book. But by sheer fate—or maybe destiny—you were the one who found it. You, Maxwell, are the key."
"So…?" I asked, still confused but sensing the gravity of the situation.
"You have a path ahead of you, Maxwell," the principal said firmly. "One filled with danger, responsibility, and choices that could change everything—perhaps even the world itself."
My mind was spinning with every world. Suddenly I remember about Max 2.O, does he have this kind of ability? It must then…but how can I take this big responsibility.. I'm not even ready..
Seeing my tense face, the principal let out a small sigh, her eyes softening slightly. "Maxwell, I know this is overwhelming. If I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same. But we, along with your six seniors, are here to help you."
Janiff shifted next to me, his expression serious but calm. "Yeah, Max, we're all with you, to guide you and help you control your ability."
"Okay, fine. It might be scary for someone else, but not for me. I've faced many things I can't forget… but yeah, I'm going to change the fate of the world, so I'm ready!"
"That's the spirit," the principal said. I smiled at them, but deep down, I knew I was scared of all this responsibility. I couldn't let anyone see how I really felt.
Janiff chuckled beside me, trying to lighten the mood. "You've got this, Max. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"
I shot him a look. "Don't jinx it."
He grinned. "Come on, it's just a little destiny. What could go wrong?"
I rolled my eyes but felt a small smile creeping in. "You really know how to make someone feel better, don't you?"
The principal stood up from her chair, signalling the end of the conversation. "For now, return home. Janiff will help you with your training starting tomorrow."
"Training?" I asked, my curiosity heightened. "What kind of training?"
"To unlock and fully harness your abilities. It will be adjusted to suit you, and remember, Maxwell—this is only the beginning. Everything will make sense in time."
I nodded slowly, unsure of what else to say. I had one remaining question. "Why are these five seniors just standing there like puppets?"
"Oh, they're just representations. Real ones left before Janiff brought you here," the principal replied with a knowing smile. "You'll meet them in time."
As Janiff and I stepped out of the principal's office, I finally let out a long breath I hadn't realised I was holding. "Well," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "that was... intense."
Janiff smirked. "Welcome to the real world, Max."
I groaned. "Great. Just what I needed—more stress." Yet somehow, Janiff felt more like a friend than a senior now.
As we walked down the hall, the atmosphere felt different. Maybe it was the weight of what I'd just learned—or maybe it was my imagination—but everything seemed more serious. Every sound, every face, every corner of the school now felt like it was hiding some kind of secret. And I guessed, in a way, it was.
"So," I said, trying to break the silence, "this whole 'latent abilities' thing... How long have you known about it?"
Janiff shrugged. "A while. I unlocked my own ability last year."
My eyes widened. "Wait, you already have powers? Why didn't you tell me?"
Janiff shot me a smirk. "Because it's not something we talk about openly. Only those who've unlocked their latent abilities or are directly involved—like the principal and the other seniors—know about it. It's all kept under wraps. Ah! But the principal doesn't have powers."
I frowned. "So you've just been hiding this the whole time?"
"Not hiding," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Just waiting for the right moment. And now that you're involved, you'll learn all about it soon enough."
I stopped in my tracks, watching as Janiff kept walking ahead of me. The casual way he spoke about all this—like it was no big deal—really started to bug me. Did he think this was all just some kind of game?
"Wait a second," I called after him. "If you have powers, what's yours? And... how do they even work?"
Janiff glanced back, his grin widening. "You'll find out during your training."
"Ehh?! Just tell me already!"
"It's a sec-ret," he teased.
"Eh?! Tell me!"
He laughed, seeing my frustrated expression. "Okay, okay. If you really want to know about my ability, I'll give you a hint."
"Alright, hit me with the hint."
"I have two abilities, and one of them helps reveal that you have something like Maya."
"Mhhmm—still hard to guess. Tell me more!"
"If you want, let me talk with Maya," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Eh? Talking to Maya is like talking to me!"
"You'll soon understand what I really want to discuss with Maya," he replied mysteriously.
After that little talk, Janiff waved goodbye and headed home.
*Time Skip - At Home*
I flopped onto my bed, the weight of the day pressing down on me. My mind raced with everything I'd just learned. The latent powers, the war history, the mysterious book—it was all too much. I stared at the ceiling, trying to process it all.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Janiff: "Ready for training tomorrow? It's going to be epic!"
I chuckled despite myself. "Epic," I murmured. How could anything about my fate be epic? And how did he get my number? Well whatever, I sighed, tossing my phone aside.
Then another thought struck me—what if I truly did have powers? What if I could change things? But the weight of that responsibility felt like a mountain on my chest. I was just a regular—was I really meant for something so grand? Today, I discovered many things,yet countless questions remain– about that figure, the school, Max 2.O, Maya…
But before I knew it, sleep began to tug at my eyelids, and I drifted off, filled with dreams of battles, powers, and choices that would shape the world.
-to be continued…