PRESENT — July 15, 2025 (TWO YEARS LATER)

  Aspen Shay Ortiz

  “Aspen, let’s go! Come on!”

  With a sudden burst of energy, I set off towards the source of the voice. However, as I made my way through the thick cloud of dust, I realized that my gsses were only making it harder to see. As I took a deep breath, I felt the dust fill my lungs, making me cough and gasp for air.

  I squinted my eyes, trying to focus on anything that could give me a clue as to where I was or who might be around me. I looked up, scanning the area for any sign of movement, but the dust was too thick and made it hard to see anything clearly. Despite the challenge, I pressed on, determined to find out what was going on and where the voice was coming from.

  Just then, the familiar voice broke through the cmor, piercing the thick veil of confusion. “Aspen, come on!” she called again, her tone ced with urgency, barely cutting through the cacophony around us. In an instant, a hand grasped my wrist, yanking me off my feet. “Where have you been? You’re going to get yourself killed!” she shouted, her voice threaded with both concern and fierce resolve.

  With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed her powers, creating a protective barrier against the encroaching danger. I felt a pulse of energy swell around us, warding off the chaos that teetered on the brink of catastrophe. Surrounded by turmoil on all sides, I couldn’t suppress the overwhelming gratitude I felt for her bravery and quick thinking. In a world unraveling at the seams, her presence was my anchor amidst the storm.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t see! Still can’t really.” I ran beside her. I reached for my gsses, stumbling to put them back on.

  “I know. There!” She pointed, “behind that billboard. Let’s go!”

  I raced beside her, nding hard on my side behind the billboard. “How are we going to get out of this?”

  Hard breathing came from beside me, “Truthfully, I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know Ivanna, this was your pn!”

  “I know it was!” She spat.

  BANG.

  The billboard shook. Ivanna gnced around the billboard and raised her hand, shooting sharp pieces of gss out of her palm.

  “What is that going to do?” I seethed.

  “Again, I don’t know. Hopefully, it takes one of their eyes out.”

  BANG.

  I turned to her, “I don’t think it worked.”

  She looked at me crazily, “Would you just-”

  BANG.

  “What are they doing? Shooting? Throwing things?”

  “Throwing things? What the fuck would they be throwing?”

  “I don’t know!” I said exasperated.

  I looked at the building in front of me, noticing a small tch at the back of the building. “Come on, follow me.” I ran to the back of the building, squinting as I searched for any sign of danger.

  “Aspen, where are we going?” She now whispered, but she was so close to me it didn’t really matter.

  “Shut up, and just follow me.” I continued to the back of the building. As I approached the tch, I noticed an older padlock. I searched the ground around me, luckily I found a rge rock and was able to break the lock off the tch.

  “Ew. Are we going down there?”

  “Either you walk into some spiderwebs or you can go get killed, up to you.” I shrugged, pulling my fshlight from my belt, and walked down the empty stairs.

  “Damn it, Aspen. Wait on me.” I heard from above me. I stilled on the step, turning to face her, shoving the fshlight in her face.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.” She grumbled.

  I continued down the stairs, looking at everything around me. The room was dark and cold, spiderwebs coaxed the corners and the ceiling. “Seems like some kind of.. basement? We need to find a way up into the building.”

  “I figured as much.”

  I turned sharply, “Would you-” I cut myself off, letting out a breath and walking to the back of the room, fshing a light over an old bookcase. “Ohh, Wow. Look at these books.”I removed one of the books, wiping off the yer of dust that had gathered.

  “We’ve almost died like ten times and you’re looking at books.” Ivanna walked up behind me.

  “Whatever. I like books, sue me.” I went to put the book back, noticing something odd behind the bookshelf. “Hey, wait. Help me move this.” I moved to the side, pulling on the bookcase. Ivanna quickly moved to the other side, pulling along with me. We pulled out the bookcase, a door hidden behind it. I swiftly turned the door handle. Locked. “Damn.”

  “There has to be something in here we can get it open with. " Ivanna searched around her.

  “I’ve been looking over everything as we came in. I didn’t see anything.” Even while saying this, I was searching the room as well.

  “Couldn’t you just use one of the powers you’ve consumed to help?”

  “I… Which one would even help?” I looked down at my hands.

  “Oh, uh… didn’t you consume some of Jake’s super strength shit, in the fifth grade?” She looked at me hopeful.

  I thought on it a minute, “Oh… You’re right, I forgot about that. God that could have been useful so many times.” I walked to the door, gripping the handle tightly, and I yanked. An unused, unknown, power flowed through me. I quickly gathered control after opening the door.

  “Shit.” Ivanna smiled beside me.

  “That was weird.” I shook out my hand.

  “Worked though, didn’t it?” She pushed her fshlight through the doorway. “Think it’s safe?”

  “I guess we’ll see.” I shrugged, walking up the creaky stairs.

  “How have you not died yet?”

  “Be quiet. There could be someone up here.”

  I walked to the top step, lowering my fshlight as I checked around the corner. Although it was hard to see, I couldn’t make out any figure that resembled a human. I walked further into the abandoned home, waving for Ivanna to follow me.

  “How did you manage to take control of my mission?” Ivanna whispered behind me.

  I stopped, waving my hand in front of me, “Go ahead then. I don’t want to lead, but you said you didn’t know how we were going to get out of this, so I thought I’d lend some assistance,” I whispered sharply.

  I could feel as Ivanna rolled her eyes as she walked in front of me, “Bite me.”

  I waited for her to get a few steps in front of me before I followed. I couldn’t make out any major details, but the air around me smelt of mold. My breath tightened with each inhale. I could tell by the sound of Ivanna’s breathing, it was affecting her as well.

  “I saw an open window on the floor above this one, we need to try another door upstairs,” I whispered.

  Ivanna turned her head slightly when I began to talk, she nodded, sighing, before she turned her fshlight back on.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed.

  “We need to take the chance, otherwise I doubt we’re going to find that door. Just keep the light focused on the ground.”

  I pulled out my fshlight, turning it on as well. The ground beneath us was covered in dirt and something that seemed to be ash.

  “Over here. I think I see a door.” Ivanna called out from the other side of the room.

  I quickly made my way over to her, she stood in front of a dark, graffiti-covered, door. She reached for the handle. Unlocked. She turned the handle, opening the door slowly. Shining her light into the room, she sighed in annoyance. A child’s room y before us, dust-covered toys y on the floor, and a small child’s bed was in the middle of the room.

  “You couldn’t really think we’d find it on the first try, plus.. at least now we know we’re in a house.” I turned to her.

  “Yeah, I guess. I was just hoping we would.” She slumped against the wall with a grumbled breath,.

  I turned from the room, searching the rest of the house over for more doors. We opened three more doors, another bedroom, and a bathroom, then finally we found a door upstairs.

  “Wouldn’t that be the attic?” Ivanna questioned, shining her fshlight up the steep steps.

  “I believe so. Why?”

  “Dunno’. Just wondering, I guess.”

  “Well, couldn’t you wonder about that ter? I want to get out of here.”

  “Fine. Go on then.” She pushed me forward.

  I turned back to her, “What happened to you being the leader?”

  “Shut up and go.”

  I smiled, carefully trying to make my way up the steps. I looked closely at the dust-covered photos along the wall. A bright family, a young little girl with blondish hair, smiled back at me. I thought about the family longer than I should have, I thought about what might have happened to the young girl, her bright, tall mother, and father.

  I continued up the stairs, my mind focused on the family. I thought of all the other homes I had been in, the photos I’d seen. I tried to imagine what their lives were like before the ‘Devastation’. Although that was more difficult considering I didn’t know anything about their lives before the ‘Devastation’.

  A voice came from behind me, “What are you thinking about?”

  “Nothing, just dazed.” I chuckled falsely.

  “You know I don’t believe you, right?”

  “Shut up. Just drop it.”

  I heard Ivanna sigh defeated behind me. I continued up the stairs, turning off my fshlight, as light from the outside beamed in from the uncovered window. The room was filled with boxes, and photos across the floor. I step over the photos carefully, not entirely sure why, as they were already ruined by dust.

  I walked to the window, crouching the closer I got. I looked out, watching all the chaos going on outside. Ivanna crouched next to me, pulling out her binocurs.

  “Do you see any of them?” I watched her intensely.

  “Be quiet, let me focus.” She swatted at me.

  I raised my hands defensively.

  “I think I might see them. Damn dust.”

  “Okay… well where do you think you see them?”

  She lowered the binocurs, pointing, “Do you see that sign over there?”

  I stared at where her finger was pointing, “No, not really.”

  She sighed, shoving the binocurs into my hand, “Here. Remove your gsses and use these, I’ll show you from there.”

  I grumbled, but turned away to remove my gsses before I raised the binocurs. “Okay, where?”

  She pointed back to the spot she was before, only this time, I had a perfect view of the spot she was talking about. “Yeah, you’re right. They- wait. Only two of them are behind the sign.”

  “Lemme’ see.” She reached her hand out waiting for me to hand her the binocurs. I lowered them swiftly, keeping my eyes closed as I handed them back to her. “Found him.”

  As I fixed my gsses, I watched her intently, waiting for her to continue. “Got a pn?” I asked, impatiently.

  “I’m thinking, give me a moment.” She sighs. I stare out the window, hoping to help find a pn as well. We both sat in silence, our eyes darting back and forth.

  “We could go back downstairs, hopefully, get through the front door, and follow that path, " she pointed to a dirt path on our right, “so far it’s the only path we’re least likely to run into them. But, there is still a high chance we’re going to run into them.”

  “Well, then I guess we have to take the chance.” I sighed sharply. I stood, slowly moving from in front of the window, my joints popping in the process. I walked back to the stairs, turned my fshlight on, and followed Ivanna. We walked slowly down the steep steps, as we reached the bottom step, there was a sudden sharp light and a deafening sound.

  What felt like only moments ter, I sat up on my hands, groggily. Directly in front of me stood Zach Patel, himself. As I looked up, he quickly turned from me. I reached a hand to my face, searching for my gsses. I came up empty, my gsses weren’t on my body, and as far as I could see, they weren’t anywhere near me. I shuffle trying to sit up properly.

  “Don’t move,” he speaks loudly, turning to his guards, “Find her gsses.”

  I stayed still, looking around me, taking in as much as I could. I looked at the few guards I could see, each of them avoiding eye contact immediately. Rarities? I tried to make out their faces, but I was positive about one thing, I didn’t know any of them, so they couldn’t be Rarities. But, on the other hand, if they’re not, why avoid eye contact?

  My lungs felt tight, and the dust and dirt filled my nose. The mold didn’t help matters. I coughed harshly, and a stabbing pain shot through my side. Groaning, I held a hand against my side.

  “We found the gsses…they’re… well they’re broken.”

  Zach scoffed beside me, “Of course they are. Well, someone has to have a pair of sungsses. Give ‘em to her. Make sure they’re dark.”

  Heavy footsteps were heard from behind me. A short man stood in front of me, he avoided eye contact, as I suspected, but held out a pair of bck sungsses.

  “Regur sungsses wont work..” my voice breaks, “I have an extra pair in my bag.. whatever you did with that.”

  Zach groans, motioning to his goons to search for my bag. Moments ter the tallest goon of his found it, sliding it to me across the floor. Rolling my eyes at the action, I quickly open the bag rummaging through it. I find my extra pair of gsses in a side pocket of the inside, pulling out the gsses case, taking my time to put them on.

  “Do you have gsses on?” Zach questioned, obviously impatient.

  “Yes,” I responded wheezily, but still with attitude.

  He turned around, his arms crossed over his chest. I turned and sat up, my hands aching underneath me. I looked up at Zach, he looked back at me warily, suddenly my body went numb.

  Ivanna. Where is Ivanna?

  I search the room hastily, and my gaze nds on a figure lying on the floor in the corner. Ivanna’s white hair gave her away, she y still on the ground, Zach’s ‘army’ surrounding her.

  Zach walks into my view, shrugging his shoulders, “She’ll be fine.”

  “H-How did you…” I trailed off.

  “Find you? I’m not going to tell you how we figured it out. I have my ways.” I took the opportunity to gnce around the room to see how many people were present. From what I could tell, all of Zach’s “army” was there. If that was the case, then the rest of our team might have been back at the quarters.

  “Just end this, Zach. This has all gone on for too long.” I try to plead with him.

  He ughs, shaking his head, “Say I drop this, what happens then? The Rarities get sent back to the square, living restricted lives. That’s what will happen. So, no. I’m not going to end it, not until something changes for us. I never pnned for things to go this way, but… things happen.”

  My eyebrows shot into confusion, “What do you mean, ‘you didn’t pn for things to go this way’? What was your original pn?”

  He looked at me as though no one had asked him that before, “It doesn’t matter.”

  It was at that moment, that I realized what I had to do to get out of here. I took a moment to think it over, Zach’s voice muffled behind my thoughts. I prepared myself, finding the correct power deep in myself. I let the power flow through me, I closed my eyes, and the power surged.

  I opened my eyes, finding myself kneeling in front of Ivanna. I quickly put my arms underneath her, closing my eyes and letting the power surge through my body once more. This time when I opened my eyes, I found myself still kneeling, cradling Ivanna, but this time we weren’t in the crumbling building, but on the outside gate of our quarters.

  I picked myself up, carrying Ivanna in my arms as I stumbled to the gate. People walked around me, staring with confused eyes. I make it to the gate, looking into the retinal scanner that gave me access to the grounds. As the metal creaks open and I stumble through, I take note of all the injured, watching in sympathy as a tall female breaks down over the death of her friend.

  Focused on the woman, I didn’t notice Amelia and Jasper as they came up beside me. It wasn’t until Jasper put his hand under Ivanna and began to take her out of mine, that I noticed they were there. Dazed I look between them, Amelia puts her hand on my shoulder. Jasper spoke, although I’m pretty sure he was talking to Amelia more than he was talking to me, “I’m going to take Ivanna to Micah.”

  Amelia nodded, turning her focus back to me, “Aspen, are you okay?”

  I stared bnkly, barely able to form words, “Ye-yeah. I’m just sore.”

  “Uh-huh. I don’t believe you.” She narrowed her eyes at me. She moved her arm from my shoulder, grabbed me by the elbow, and dragged me to our designated tent. We walked passed groups pying card games, some talking, and others asleep in their bunks. We walked to our bunks, in the st row.

  “You need to rest,” Amelia pushed me onto the bottom bunk.

  I grunted, nding harshly on the uncomfortable bed, “Okay. But I can sleep in my bed.” I got off the bed, and climbed up the dder to the top bunk; my bunk.

  “Fine, but you better get rest. I’ll be back, I’m going to check on Ivanna. Then we’re going to talk.” She sharpened her voice.

  “Yes, ma’am.” I y against the bed, trying to shut off my mind. I y for a few moments before my eyes began to feel heavy, I closed them, letting sleep take over me.

  —————————————————————————

  I woke to Amelia shaking the bunk. “I’ve let you sleep for a couple of hours. Time to get up, and talk.”

  I held my head, sitting up, a headache forming, “I’m up, god. Give me a moment.” I jumped off the side of my bunk, nding in front of Amelia who sat crisscrossed on her bed. I sat beside her, trying to get comfortable.

  “Okay, what happened out there? Where did you and Ivanna go?” Amelia questions.

  “I’m not entirely sure. I was one-on-one with Arlo, and all of a sudden dust surrounded me. I couldn’t see anything, Ivanna grabbed me and we hid behind this torn-down billboard. Something kept hitting the billboard, and I spotted a tch to a building, we made our way into the building and looked out an open window on the top floor. We had just gotten back to the main floor when there was a sudden boom and I was waking up on the ground. Zach and his entire ‘army’ was there. That’s when I realized the rest of the team was probably already back.”I paused, looking around the tent.

  “How did you get out?” Amelia spoke before I could continue.

  “I looked around and saw Ivanna on the ground, that’s actually when I looked at the number of guards, with all of them, the only way out was if I teleported. So, I did. I first teleported to Ivanna, then to the gate.”

  “Wait, how did Zach find you? Could he see you through the window?”

  “I really don’t know,” I shrugged my shoulders, “How’s Ivanna?”

  “She going to be fine. She woke up about an hour ago. She most likely has a major concussion, but Micah said it could’ve been worse.”

  Relief floods through my body. “Okay, good.” I sighed.

  “I’m just gd you two didn’t get killed,” She punched me in the shoulder.

  “Oh, another thing. Zach’s ‘army’ has gotten bigger.” I continued.

  “Well that’s kinda normal I guess.” Amelia looked at me confused.

  “I know, but what’s weird is that my gsses were lost earlier, and when I looked at the newer ‘soldiers’ they avoided my gaze.”

  Amelia’s face fell into a deeper confusion, “That doesn’t make any sense. Unless they have powers, there’s no reason for them to not look you in the eyes.”

  “That’s what I was thinking, but that’s impossible, right?”

  “As far as I know. We knew everyone in the square. Are you sure you didn’t know them?”

  “Positive. They all seemed older than any of us.” I nod.

  Amelia stilled, thinking, “Maybe… they were instructed to not look you in the eye?”

  I hesitated, " I guess that could be an option.”

  But deep down, I knew there was more to the story.