First Time Out

A deafening roar battered my ears as brilliant flames erupted into the dark sky.

It felt as if time had ground to a halt. Amy's reflection in the window pane showed her expression crumbling.

The aftershock of the explosion hit us a moment later, sending our helicopter into a violent shudder. My body lurched, hair whipping wildly in every direction. Screams from Shine and Rain tangled with Amy's frantic shouting.

BOOM! A succession of blasts swallowed every sound inside the cabin. The explosions didn't stop at one; they triggered a chain reaction.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As if a string of bombs were detonating in midair, the empty sky burst into flames, swallowing the surrounding helicopters. Enveloped in fire, the choppers couldn't hold out for even a second before erupting into massive fireballs and raining down black wreckage.

"Jeff!"

Before I could even process what was happening, Amy, who had been staring out the window, snatched me up and threw me backward. Before confusion could even set in, I saw a colossal wave of fire rushing toward us from outside. It was a massive, sweeping wave of flame—a greedy maw gaping wide, eager to consume everything in its path.

It's going to hit us. That was my immediate thought.

But then, Amy's fist thrust forward. A straight punch. The image of her practicing her strikes in the gym flashed through my mind. A single, straight beam of light erupted. The massive flash bursting from her fingertips melted the helicopter door instantly and swallowed the incoming flames.

KABOOM! The blinding flash consumed the sky. Riding up the thermal currents of the lingering fire, the colossal beast of light unleashed from her hand surged forward, swallowing the newly arriving helicopters.

Whoosh! A fierce, freezing wind rushed into the cabin. I shivered as the icy chill wrapped around my entire body. The violently tossing helicopter gave us no time to regain our footing. The chopper's side was completely blown open. The fuselage shook precariously amidst the flashes of light erupting from all directions.

In that chaotic moment, my eyes met Amy's. Her pupils trembled with anxiety. I could feel the raw emotions swirling within them: guilt, fear, and deep sorrow.

"Amy," I called out softly.

My tongue, stiff with tension, barely moved, but I managed to form her name. The problem was my voice was far too quiet. It was instantly drowned out by the howling wind rushing in and the deafening roar of the explosions.

"Amy!"

Things were taking a turn for the worse. Though the flashes of light from her hands had shot down a few choppers, a massive violet barrier had materialized, blocking all subsequent attacks. Seeing the shimmering barrier completely envelop the enemy helicopters, Amy bit her lip hard.

"Amy!" I stood up and shouted at her. Rain, who had been holding onto me, reached out in panic, but I shook off her hand.

"Amy!" I screamed again, the voice tearing from deep within my chest. Finally hearing me, Amy, who had been staring straight ahead, turned her head.

In that brief moment our eyes locked, I thrust my hands toward her. Around my small, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠delicate wrists clung the white ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bracelets.

"Hurry! Take them off!"

BOOM! Another massive explosion rocked the air. The impact sent the helicopter tilting wildly again. As I steadied my swaying body, I saw Amy staring at me, her face pale with shock.

"Hurry!" I shouted, pouring all my resolve into the words. Only I can fix this right now.

After a fleeting moment of hesitation, Amy finally reached for my bracelets.

Click. A small sound echoed in my mind. The white bracelets fell away from my wrists.

Immediately, every single one of my dormant senses snapped awake.

Crackle! A massive current suddenly surged and ran wild. Blue electricity erupted from my body, thrashing violently.

There was no time. I couldn't fully grasp the situation, but one thing was absolutely certain: the helicopters shrouded in the violet barriers were attacking us. That meant they were enemies. Enemies threatening me, Shine, Amy, and Rain. People ruining our happy times. Very bad people.

Shine. Right? Isn't it? They're the ones doing this, aren't they?

Perhaps because my dormant senses had awakened so abruptly, the entire surrounding environment began pouring into my mind. I could feel the cars driving far below the helicopter. The choppers hovering nearby. Even the massive fuselage of an airplane flying much further away registered clearly in my perception.

My senses grew sharper still. A tingling sensation prickled across my skin. I could feel the flow of electricity pulsing through the entire city.

Victor had told me. The flow is what matters. If the flow is uneven, if a disruption occurs...

I spread my arms wide. Zap! Sparks flickered at my fingertips. Blue currents wrapped around my arms.

The faint, pale moonlight illuminated Amy's face. Her mouth was open, shouting something I couldn't hear. Her hand reached out toward me. In this slow-motion world, I shifted my gaze past Amy's shoulder. My nose tingled. My head spun. My vision began to blur.

BZZZT! The sounds of the world vanished. All I could hear was the roar of a massive electrical current. The flow. A metallic, bloody taste began to pool in my mouth.

Sometimes, there were people like that. People who named their abilities and honed them as techniques. Watching them, I had wondered: Should I try that too? Lucy used to give her magic cute names, after all. It wasn't a bad idea.

I brought my hands together with all my might. Clap! With a sharp smack, the blue currents wrapping around both my hands collided. A subtle shockwave erupted from the clap, rippling outward in all directions.

"Jeff!"

Through my blurring vision, I saw Amy's anxious eyes. Her hands catching my swaying body were incredibly gentle. But that didn't matter right now. I forced my gaze upward toward the sky. The foreign electromagnetic field I had unleashed began to sever every electrical current in its path.

The rotors of the enemy helicopters hovering in the air ground to a halt, and they began to plummet. I closed my eyes. Even the distant airplane felt its power cut, beginning its descent toward the earth. Every hostile helicopter flying nearby crashed into the ground, erupting in massive explosions. Amidst the carnage, only our helicopter and the friendly escorts that had flown with us from the start kept their rotors spinning vigorously.

BOOM! The slowly expanding blue current did not dissipate. As it rode the shockwaves of the exploding helicopters and swept across the area, every single light in the city went out.

Over the city that had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just been teeming with light, darkness began to race. Lights vanished at terrifying speed. Cars, suddenly robbed of power, veered wildly and crashed along the roads. Even the loud music blaring from the streets was swallowed by the sudden, encroaching dark.

The expanding blue current faded into a faint haze, feeding back the state of the entire surroundings into my mind. The city, its flow completely severed, plunged into absolute darkness.

"Jeff! Stay with me!"

What should I name it? Jeff Thunder? Jeff Lightning? I knew I had zero talent for naming things. Isn't there something cuter? Something that sparkles and flutters, like Lucy's magic.

I reached up and gently stroked Amy's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cheek. The anxiety in her trembling eyes gave way to a rush of relief.

"How about... Sparise?"

"Sparise?"

"I combined 'surprise' and 'spark.'"

My tongue felt numb and tingly. At my answer, Amy offered a faint, silent smile and pulled me into a tight embrace. Jeff Sparise. I think it sounds pretty good.

"It's terrible..." Amy's weak voice whispered in my ear. Her hold on me loosened, and she slumped powerlessly onto the cabin floor.

The cold wind howled. The roar of our massive helicopter battered my ears. I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped my mouth. A crimson stain bloomed, dyeing the snow-white fabric red. A faint, sweet scent drifted from the edge of the handkerchief. I stuck out my tongue and sucked on the fabric. Beneath the metallic taste of blood, the familiar scents of Shine and Rain lingered.

Beep— Beep— Beep—

My hazy consciousness began to return. Along with it came a steady, rhythmic beeping. I slowly turned my head. A stark white space filled my vision.

Blink, blink. I blinked slowly, trying to make sense of my surroundings. A soft bed, the faint smell of medicine. A humidifier beside the bed, and that steady beeping. A hospital?

I looked down and lifted my hand. A slender, delicate arm emerged from beneath the white duvet. The sheer foreignness of it sent goosebumps prickling across my skin.

"Jeff?"

Jeff. Jeff. My name. I rubbed my forehead, frowning. My memories were tangled in a jumbled mess, making my head throb with confusion.

"Yeah..." I managed to squeeze out, responding only because of the worried gaze fixed upon me.

"Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

Her eyes were filled with deep concern and affection. Shine, her long white hair cascading down, stepped closer and asked softly.

"No... I don't think anything hurts." I slowly moved my hands. The pristine white bracelets resting on my wrists caught my eye. "Just a bit tired."

My body felt completely drained of strength. It was similar to the exhaustion of running around until collapsing from fatigue. Back then, a quick rest on the ground would have had me back on my feet in no time, but now, no matter how long I waited, I couldn't muster any strength in my hands.

"Where are we?"

"We're home."

"Home?"

"Yeah. Our home."

"What do you mean, our home?"

Shine silently pointed toward the window. Outside? The window? I blinked and slid out of bed. My legs wobbled slightly, but I could walk well enough. Stepping slowly to the glass, I peered outside.

A vast expanse of green lawn stretched out, enclosed by towering, massive walls. Black-suited bodyguards patrolled the grounds in a wide perimeter. The moment my eyes met one of the guards outside, he bowed deeply in greeting. I reflexively waved back before turning away.

"This house... is it the one Amy gave us?"

"Yeah."

"Where's Amy?"

"She went to get some food ready."

"And Rain?"

"She's with her."

I nodded at Shine's response and walked slowly toward the closed bedroom door. The doorknob was large and ornate. I placed my hand over the sprawling, golden floral patterns engraved on it. The distinct, cold sensation of metal seeped into my fingertips.

Click. As I applied pressure, the door slid open with a soft sound. I peeked my head through the crack to survey the area. A long, sweeping hallway stretched out before me, lined with a plush carpet. Ornate chandeliers hung at regular intervals from the ceiling.

As I scanned the corridor, I felt a gaze from above and looked up. Towering height. Broad shoulders. A black suit. A man radiating a strange, imposing pressure stood right outside the door, looking down at me.

He bowed to me, then tapped the transceiver by his ear and murmured quietly.