It was around 12:35 pm when I teleported to Central Park, landing behind a thickly shaded tree. Right in front of me stood the park's iconic stone wall, and about 30 feet away, I could see the running trail snaking through the trees. I glanced down at the map on my phone, which directed me toward Belvedere Castle.
Once I spotted the grayish silhouette of the castle, I was led to a massive rock formation surrounded by overgrown plants. Nestled among the leaves was a small, inconspicuous chest. The moment I touched it, the chest glowed and its lid creaked open, revealing a vial of red, luminous liquid. Without hesitation, I twisted the top off and drank it. Instantly, an intense headache hit me, forcing me to sit down on the boulder as the pain pulsed through my skull. It only lasted about five minutes this time, maybe because my previous encounter had already begun unlocking my psychic abilities, making the effects a little more bearable.
As the pain faded, I noticed something strange: I could hear the thoughts of everyone in the city, a chaotic jumble of voices crowding my mind. Distracted, I hadn't realized that every single vehicle—cars, SUVs, trucks, stationary or moving, was floating five feet off the ground. Around me, stones, pebbles, even the massive rock I was sitting on, were levitating too.
It was only then, feeling the rock shift under me, that I realized something was seriously wrong. I glanced down, startled, and quickly shut my eyes, focusing on calming my Telepathic and Telekinetic powers. Bit by bit, I willed everything to settle, returning each vehicle and stone gently to the ground. When the last rock was in place, I let out a breath of relief and said, "Angela, let's head to Detroit, Michigan."
Instantly, I heard Angela's familiar chime as her screen popped up in front of me. Her voice was steady as ever:
"Understood, Michael. Your request has been confirmed. Teleportation will commence in 10, 9, 8… 1. Commencing teleportation…"
Once I arrived, I realized I'd been teleported into an abandoned house. Stepping out, I saw blocks upon blocks of ruined, deserted buildings. As I moved toward the next treasure chest, I passed people who looked desolate, their eyes drained of hope. Just as I took in the bleak scenery, I noticed a group of about 10 to 12 men heading my way, clearly aiming for trouble. But they had no idea who they were dealing with. With a flick of my mind, I used my control to halt them in their tracks, making them turn and walk away. To avoid future hassles, I wiped their memory of ever seeing me.
To blend in, I asked Angela to disguise me as a local resident. She quickly confirmed, and in what felt like five steps, I appeared as a typical Detroit native, just another face in the crowd. As I neared my destination, however, I saw gang members armed and patrolling the area. I activated my psychic powers, subtly warping their perception so I'd remain invisible to them, slipping past their watchful eyes as I crept along overgrown bushes near their hideout.
Finally, I spotted a small chest hidden between two bushes. As I touched it, it emitted an ominous red-and-black glow. I opened it to reveal a vial of dark liquid, faintly glowing with a sinister red hue. Without hesitation, I drank it. It tasted bitter, almost unbearably so, but the real shock came moments later. I suddenly felt a strange pull behind me, and when I turned, I saw a tear in the fabric of reality opening up, revealing deep, endless space on the other side. And then, before I could react, I was sucked through the tear.
I found myself floating near a massive black hole, the kind that haunts people's nightmares. Despite my fear, I remained strangely still, held in place by the force of space itself. Then I felt a transformation begin; space twisted around me, wrapping me in a cocoon of darkness, completely isolating me. I felt sleepy, and as I succumbed to it, the cocoon finished its work.
When I woke up, I was back in Detroit, lying in the exact spot I'd been before. Disoriented, I blinked, trying to piece together how I'd ended up here.
"Angela," I muttered, still groggy, "what happened?"
Her voice chimed in with its usual calm efficiency. "Michael, once you emerged from the cocoon, though it took about two hours for you to fully form, you remained unconscious. I took the liberty of teleporting you back here."
I sat up, only to realize the familiar discomfort of my exposed skin against the cold ground. Angela's voice carried a hint of dry humor as she added, "And since your clothes were destroyed again, I suggest you get dressed."
I sighed, grateful for the reminder, and braced myself for whatever came next.
I thanked her, chuckling at the situation. Oddly, I felt an intense connection to space itself. With just a thought, I could rip open the fabric of space or transport myself anywhere I could picture in my mind, instantaneously. I even noticed I was no longer breathing, yet I felt perfectly alive, speaking and moving as if nothing had changed. My body seemed to be sustaining itself by absorbing particles from space that constantly rained down onto Earth, a self-sustaining energy source I hadn't known existed.
After changing into a fresh set of clothes, I decided to test my newfound power, willing myself to teleport back to the school bathroom stall where this adventure had started. With a faint "puff," I reappeared exactly where I'd left. Suddenly, Angela chimed in, her face appearing on the screen with a mix of surprise and concern.
"Michael, what just happened? How did you teleport so quickly? Normally, it takes about 15 to 20 seconds to move, but you were here almost instantly!"
Smiling, I explained, "I know, it surprised me too. The bloodline I absorbed gave me an incredible connection to space itself. With just a thought, I can manipulate it. So, while I might not need you to teleport me now, you're still invaluable. You'll always be special to me, Angela. This just affects the teleportation side of things, okay?"
Her image softened as she nodded, and I could almost see her blushing. (How can an A.I. albeit a very advanced once, blush even if it's an image reproduction, it's still very surprising and I'm the author)
Our dense protagonist, still oblivious to Angela's digitized blush, left the bathroom and glanced at his watch. It was already 2:45 p.m., meaning nearly five hours had passed since he'd left school. With only a few minutes before dismissal, he decided to head to homeroom to grab his backpack. He made it to the classroom door just in time to meet Mr. Robinson's less-than-pleased stare.
"Five minutes late, Michael?" Mr. Robinson asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sorry, I was in the bathroom," Michael replied, giving a sheepish grin. Mr. Robinson sighed, then gestured to Michael's desk.
"All right, sit down and gather your things. We'll head out in a few minutes."
Michael nodded, but as he turned around, he noticed all the girls in the classroom watching him with hungry, unmistakably lustful gazes, and they weren't even trying to hide it. It looked like they were competing with one another, each vying for his attention. Meanwhile, the boys stared at him incredulously, some even looking angry as they glanced at the girls they liked, who now wore lovestruck expressions aimed squarely at him.
He ignored the attention from the girls, who kept trying to catch his eye. He knew that if it weren't for his strict homeroom teacher, they would've already raced over, each trying to strike up a conversation with him. When he looked over at his friends, though, he didn't see the same reactions; instead, they were giving him worried looks, as if they sensed something was off.
With a sigh, he walked over to his desk, where his friends Jake and Will were already waiting, both of them looking curious. Jake was the first to break the silence, his curiosity apparent as he leaned forward.
"Where have you been, dude?" Jake asked, leaning in with a grin. "You missed Math, lunch... I thought you were in trouble or something!"
Will nodded, sharing the same curiosity. Michael chuckled and shrugged. "I wasn't feeling well, so I went to the nurse's office. They tried to call my mom, but no luck. I ended up just resting there."
Of course, this was a total cover. He couldn't exactly tell them the truth, that he'd been teleported around the world by his system to collect godly bloodlines in preparation for fighting demons and monsters in an impending apocalypse. They'd either think he'd lost his mind or that he was coming up with wild stories. This white lie would have to do for now.
Will gave him a concerned look. "Hey, if you need notes for the classes you missed, Jake and I have got you covered. Just ask, okay? Don't be embarrassed, friends help each other out. And I hope you're feeling better."
Jake chimed in with a grin. "Yeah, man. Just say the word."
Michael smiled, touched by their support. "Thanks, guys. Really appreciate it." He packed his things just as the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Mr. Robinson stood up, opening the classroom door, and waited for everyone to line up neatly before leading them down the hallway. As they made their way out of the building, a few girls jostled each other to get closer to him. One bold girl winked and brushed her fingers across her lips, which made him feel a bit awkward. She was pretty, sure, but with everything he knew about the dark times that lay ahead, her actions seemed almost surreal. It was strange how life could feel so simple and peaceful now, unaware of the chaos and danger that would soon descend on them all.
Lost in thought, Michael almost missed that they were nearing the school exit. Outside, parents waited eagerly for their kids, but Michael knew he'd be walking home with Jake and Will, as usual.
Just before I walked out of the classroom, something strange happened, many mothers and female teachers all seemed to be looking at me. It wasn't intentional, but the sunlight was shining directly on me, making me stand out. I spotted my friends waiting outside, and we started heading towards the street together, but I couldn't shake the feeling of intense stares following me. Feeling self-conscious, I picked up the pace, gently pulling my friends along to walk faster.
As we made our way down the street, we chatted about our day, joking around about teachers and homework. At the next block, Will waved goodbye and turned left toward his house. Jake and I kept walking a few more blocks until he took a right onto his street, leaving me with just a couple more blocks to go on my own.
As he walked, Michael thought back to his friends' concern, feeling grateful. Soon enough, he reached his family's house, ready to take a breather after a day of unexpected teleportations, crazy transformations, and the usual school day drama.
Arriving home at around 3:30 pm, I greeted my mom and went straight over to hug my little sister. She scrunched up her nose and pulled back, pouting. "Big brother, you're all sweaty! Don't hug me until you take a bath. And wait... you look taller! What happened?"
My mom turned to look me over and quickly noticed the same thing. "You are taller," she agreed, her eyes widening a little.
I shrugged and grinned. "I don't know how it happened, guess I just grew out of nowhere!"
With a playful salute, I responded to my sister, "As you command, my lady, I'll take a bath now."
She giggled, and even my mom smiled, amused by our little sibling routine. The warmth in their laughter filled the room, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for these small moments of normalcy.
I headed to my room to grab some clean clothes, then hopped in the shower. It had been a long day and, honestly, teleporting around the world had been a bigger surprise than I'd expected. But I wasn't done yet; there were still four other locations to visit. Thanks to the time zone differences, I'd be able to tackle three of them tonight.
After the quick shower, I went back to the living room and told my mom, "I'm going to work on my homework." She nodded approvingly, but before retreating to my room, I gave my sister one more hug. She laughed and playfully pushed me away, but her smile made it worth it.
Finally, back in my room with the door shut, I let out a sigh. Homework? I thought, shaking my head. There were far more urgent matters at hand. Time was ticking, and with things about to go south fast, finding these last bloodlines was my priority. If I left it too long, there was no telling who might stumble across them first. These bloodlines couldn't fall into the wrong hands. That's why I needed to move now, no second thoughts, no regrets.