Tobi stood frozen, his knuckles white around the pipe. The unconscious raider lay crumpled at his feet, and Hossam was staring at him as if he were a ghost.
"What did you just do?" Hossam's voice cracked, equal parts disbelief and terror.
"I… I don't know," Tobi stammered, his heart still racing. The energy that had surged through him moments ago was gone, leaving him feeling hollow and unsteady. "One second he was coming at me, and the next—"
"That wasn't normal, Tobi," Friend interjected, pacing in front of him. His glowing eyes darted toward the remaining raiders, who were regrouping at the edge of the market. "And if you don't figure it out quickly, you'll be dead before the next sunrise."
The sharpness in Friend's tone snapped Tobi out of his daze. He dropped the pipe and grabbed Hossam's arm, yanking him toward the truck.
"We have to go!" Tobi shouted.
Hossam hesitated for only a second before climbing into the driver's seat. Tobi scrambled into the passenger side as the merchant started the engine, the truck sputtering to life with an angry roar.
"Hold on!" Hossam yelled, slamming the accelerator. The truck lurched forward, barreling through the remains of the market. Raiders dove out of the way, shouting curses as the vehicle sped past them.
Tobi clutched the door handle, his knuckles white. "Do you even know where you're going?"
"Anywhere but here!" Hossam barked, his face slick with sweat.
The truck bounced and jolted over the uneven ground, the cargo in the back rattling ominously. Tobi's mind raced as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He had fought before—brawls in the slums were a common occurrence—but he'd never felt anything like the raw power that had coursed through him earlier.
"Friend," he whispered, "what's happening to me?"
The fox didn't answer immediately. He leapt onto the dashboard, his glowing eyes fixed on Tobi.
"You've awakened," Friend said finally, his voice softer now. "I didn't think it would happen this soon, but it seems your Gift has finally surfaced."
"My… Gift?" Tobi echoed, glancing nervously at Hossam, who was too focused on the road to notice the one-sided conversation.
"Yes," Friend replied. "In this age now everyone born in this underground has a latent Gift—a unique power tied to their essence. Most never discover theirs, but you… You're different. You've always had potential. Tonight, that potential awakened."
Tobi shook his head, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and fear. "I didn't ask for this."
"Few do," Friend said simply.
The truck screeched to a halt, jolting Tobi from his thoughts. They had reached the outskirts of the slums, a desolate area littered with rusted machinery and crumbling buildings.
Hossam killed the engine and turned to Tobi, his expression grim. "We can't stay here long. The raiders will come after us, and they'll be angrier than ever now that we've escaped."
Tobi nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't stop replaying the fight in his head—the way the raider had fallen, the way the energy had felt, both terrifying and exhilarating.
"You're in danger now, Tobi," Friend said, his tone grave. "The raiders aren't the only ones who'll come looking for you. If word spreads that you've awakened, there are others who'll see you as a threat."
"Like who?" Tobi asked aloud before he could stop himself.
Hossam shot him a confused look. "Like who what?"
Tobi flushed. "Uh, nothing. Just… thinking out loud."
Hossam narrowed his eyes but didn't press further. He leaned back in his seat, rubbing his temples. "Listen, kid. I don't know what's going on with you, but you saved my life back there. I owe you for that."
Tobi snorted. "You already paid me more than I deserve. We're even."
The merchant shook his head. "No, we're not. You don't understand the kind of trouble you've just walked into. Those raiders weren't after me—they were after what I'm carrying."
Tobi frowned, glancing toward the back of the truck. "What's in the boxes, Hossam? And don't tell me it's nothing important, because I'm not buying that anymore."
Hossam hesitated, his gaze flickering between Tobi and the cargo. Finally, he sighed and reached into his jacket, pulling out a small device—a tablet-like screen etched with faintly glowing runes.
"This," he said, holding it up. "This is what they're after."
Tobi leaned closer, studying the device. It was sleek and unfamiliar, its surface shimmering with a faint blue light.
"What is it?" he asked.
Hossam hesitated again, then muttered, "A relic from the Old World."
Tobi's eyes widened. Relics were rare artifacts from before the Collapse, remnants of a time when humanity's technology had been advanced beyond imagination. Most relics were little more than inert scrap, but some were said to contain immense power.
"You're smuggling relics?" Tobi hissed.
"Not just smuggling," Hossam admitted, his voice low. "I've been tracking these for years. They're part of a set—five pieces, each containing fragments of knowledge and power. If someone were to unite them…"
He trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air.
Tobi's stomach twisted. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"
"Because the less you know, the safer you are," Hossam said bluntly. "But it seems that ship has sailed."
Friend let out a low growl. "This just keeps getting better. You've gone from scavenger to target overnight."
Tobi rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "So what do we do now?"
"We find someone who can help," Hossam said, starting the truck again. "There's a man in the Wastelands—an old Supe who knows more about these relics than anyone else. If anyone can make sense of what's happening to you, it's him."
Tobi raised an eyebrow. "You want me to trust some random Supe in the middle of nowhere?"
Hossam shrugged. "You got a better idea?"
Tobi sighed, leaning back in his seat. He didn't have a better idea, but the thought of venturing into the Wastelands—a barren, lawless expanse teeming with danger—made his skin crawl.
"Buckle up, kid," Friend said, his voice tinged with amusement. "Your life just got a whole lot more complicated."
As the truck rumbled toward the horizon, Tobi couldn't shake the feeling that his journey was only beginning.