Kane's stomach twisted as he stared at the message, feeling a chill crawl up his spine. He clenched his fists, trying to keep his hands steady as he looked up at his friends, both of whom had stopped talking and were now staring at him, their expressions shifting from curiosity to concern.
"Kane… what's wrong?" Liam asked cautiously.
Kane's mouth was dry. He swallowed, his gaze flitting between them. Should he tell them about the system's latest warning? The words 'penalty: death' echoed in his mind, making his heart pound even harder.
"It's… it's the system," he finally said, his voice barely a whisper.
Leo frowned, leaning in closer. "What did it say this time?"
Kane hesitated, every instinct telling him to brush it off, to keep his fears to himself. But the look in their eyes told him he had to be honest.
"It… it gave me a mission," he said slowly, his words tight. "It says we all have to join the military academy. And if we don't…" He paused, his voice breaking as he forced out the last words. "The penalty is… death."
A heavy silence settled over them, as if the world itself had stopped moving. Liam's usually calm face turned pale, and Leo, for once, had no joke to crack.
"Death?" Leo finally managed to whisper, the weight of the word lingering in the air.
Kane nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah. And it's not just me. It said all of us."
They exchanged glances, each of them processing the enormity of the situation. The academy, which had once seemed like just another hurdle, now loomed before them like a trap, one they couldn't escape.
Liam took a shaky breath, his mind already calculating. "Then… we have no choice," he murmured. "We're going to the academy."
__________
As they trudged home, Kane, Leo, and Liam followed their usual path through the city's cramped alleys and overgrown park trails. They were once again on foot, the thrill of skateboarding long past after yet another "mysterious malfunction" had rendered their wheels useless. Liam shot Kane a knowing look.
"Guess we're walking till the next century, huh?" Liam muttered, a faint smile on his face.
Kane sighed. "Yep. Seems we have a knack for breaking things we barely even use."
They lapsed into silence, each lost in thought as the gravity of the system's message settled on them. After a few minutes, Liam broke the quiet. "You know, the system didn't need to hit us with a death penalty. Even if it hadn't, we'd still have to go to the military academy. It's mandatory for orphans like us—part of the 'give back' program for the government's help."
Kane nodded, though he could feel Leo tense beside him. Leo didn't like the academy idea to begin with, but he knew there was no choice in the matter.
"Yeah, we're already under their thumb," Leo said with a sigh, though his tone hinted at reluctant acceptance. "It's just… it's going to be tough. A place like that—guys like us…"
They walked on, feeling the weight of their words.
Liam, always the logical one, tried to lighten the mood. "Look, we'll be fine. The government knows we're just orphans. They're bound to give us something—a low-quality power hub, at least, to help us get by."
As he said it, though, he faltered. The realization struck him as sharply as it did his friends. They already had powers—abilities no one else knew about. And history had made one thing clear: a person could never wield more than one ability without dire consequences. Low-quality hubs or not, using one could mean disaster.
Kane voiced what they were all thinking. "We can't just tell them we found some ancient-looking prism in a cave, and it gave us powers. No one's going to buy a story like that from nobodies like us."
Even Liam, who always had a solution, was at a loss. He rubbed his temples, words failing him for once.
After a pause, Leo finally broke the silence, his tone oddly optimistic. "We could… lie, say we're sponsored by some big organization. You know, that they gave us some kind of experimental tech?"
Liam looked at him, half impressed, half concerned. "Great storytelling, Leo, but it wouldn't hold. They'd demand proof—a signed contract, some official-looking document that shows we're legit."
"This is gonna be a problem, a big one at that" Kane shrugged, looking at both his friends.
"Tell me about it?" Leo said, his voice laced with fear "They'll ask questions dudes, we'll be screwed"
"Leave it be Leo, we'll think about something okay, we still got two months to do this" Liam said, doubts clearly in his voice.
With that, any hope they'd had quietly fizzled. No one said another word as they continued down the path.
Their route wound through a park they knew well—an old, neglected strip of green nestled between high-rises. Weeds grew thick along the broken pathway, and swings creaked in the wind. It was their usual shortcut, lined with overgrown trees that made it feel far removed from the city's bustle. The park had always felt safe in its familiar stillness.
But that peace was shattered in an instant. Without warning, someone grabbed Leo by the wrist and yanked him, hard, pulling him off balance and slamming him to the ground.
Kane and Liam spun around, their eyes widening as they took in the scene.
There stood their biggest problem yet—Andy and his gang, smirking and closing in, blocking their way forward.
Andy smirked, looking Leo up and down with mock pity. "Look at you, Leo. Thought they'd banned rats from the academy?"
Leo rolled his eyes. "At least I don't have the face of a donkey and the brains to match, Andy."
One of Andy's friends snorted. "Leo, your mouth moves faster than your feet. What do you do, run marathons with your tongue?"
Kane chuckled. "Coming from the guy who couldn't run a lap if his life depended on it."
Andy stepped closer, pointing a finger at Kane. "You think you're clever, don't you? You three couldn't even handle a shadow if it smacked you in the face."
Liam nudged Kane, muttering, "Let it go, he's just trying to get under our skin."
But Kane shook his head, his blood already boiling. "Nah, this guy needs to be taught a lesson."
Leo crossed his arms. "Yeah, I don't think we're the ones scared here. You wouldn't last two seconds against us, Andy."
Andy's eyes gleamed with a challenge. "Fine. Three days from now, same spot. Let's see what you've got, unless you're afraid of a little competition."
Kane held his gaze, unflinchingly. His insides burning with innate desire to pop out from within, he Iris flashed a golden hue that only Liam saw and with anger, he responded.
"We'll be there motherf*cker, To kick all your asses"