Sunrise lit up Imperial City, turning the skyline gold and amber. Down below, the city woke up, with tall spires and floating transports shining in the early light.
Robert groaned as his alarm clock chirped loudly. He fumbled to turn it off and forced himself out of bed. His dreams had been full of red targeting lasers and cold chills, so he felt tired. The cool floor made him shiver as he walked to the mirror, where he saw his bleary brown eyes and messy hair.
"Good morning, Robert," the mirror's A.I. chirped, its voice smooth and synthetic. "Shall we select today's ensemble?"
"Something casual," Robert mumbled, running a hand through his messy hair. "Nothing fancy."
The mirror shimmered and showed different outfits on his reflection. Augmented reality turned the glass into a virtual wardrobe, with clothes floating in the air, ready for him to choose. Robert swiped through the options and picked a red-and-black T-shirt with casual pants. The mirror beeped, and the outfit appeared in his closet, already fitted for him.
Downstairs, the smell of bacon cooking helped wake him up the rest of the way.
He walked into the kitchen and saw his mom at the stove, putting bacon on a plate. His dad sat at the counter, drinking coffee and looking at the morning holocast.
"Morning, kiddo," his mom said, sliding the loaded plate across the counter toward him. "Eat up so you can grow up big and strong."
"It's too early for your dad jokes," Robert mumbled, grabbing a fork.
"It's to wake you up and give you some energy," his dad said, putting his datapad aside and leaning in. "Tonight is the Guardians Festival in Section 1. Since we're part of the royal family, we're going, and your mom and I aren't letting you mope around about what happened yesterday."
Robert paused, a piece of bacon halfway to his mouth. "The festival is tonight?"
"Every year on the same day, Rob," his dad chuckled. "It's the anniversary of the Vanguard leading our ancestors to this world. It's the biggest celebration in the Etherion Dominion. There's music, food, and light shows. It'll help you forget about the Holodome mess."
Robert usually loved the festival. But today, celebrating the ancient heroes who defeated the Dark Lord felt odd, especially since his own powers now made him feel like a target.
"I don't know," Robert said, pushing his food around his plate. "I have a lot of studying to do for the makeup practicals."
"Absolutely not," his mom said, pointing her spatula at him in a motherly threat. "You study too much as it is. Tonight, we celebrate."
"Why do we even go? We're not part of the royal family anymore." "We may not be in power, but we're still part of it. And don't you want to see your cousin Kara?"
Knowing there was no arguing with her once she had made up her mind, Robert sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine, see you both after school."
An hour later, the academy halls were crowded with students. Robert found Freddie at their lockers. Freddie looked pale, probably still upset about what happened with his dad last night, but he tried to hide it by acting serious.
"You ready for the Guardian Festival tonight?" asked Freddie. "No, why would I be?"
"It's the biggest celebration, and all the Guardian teams will be there. They might give me tips to improve my abilities so I can join them one day!" Freddie said, his excitement obvious.
"It's whatever for me," Robert responded as he closed his locker. "What? You don't want to become a guardian?"
"I did, but not anymore. They would never accept a power replicator to join the Guardians."
"You should want to be a Guardian because it's what you believe in, not because you're chasing their approval," Freddie said, leaning against the lockers.
Robert looked away, feeling his chest tighten. Freddie made it sound easy, but it wasn't. The world wasn't simple, and as a Power Replicator, Robert knew people would always see him differently.
"I don't know, Freddie," he said finally. "After what happened yesterday, I just… I want to be happy. A normal job, and maybe a house with a view of the Silver Mountains. Is that so bad?"
Freddie sighed and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair. "No, it's not bad. But you're selling yourself short, Rob. You're meant for more!" He put his arm around Robert's shoulder. "Just think about it—Freddie Thorne and Robert Martinez, the best team out there."
Before Robert could respond, a sharp voice cut through the noise of the hallway.
"Martinez! Thorne! Get to class before I write you up!"
They turned to see Principal Voss striding toward them, her sharp eyes narrowed behind her glasses. Her presence was enough to send students scattering in every direction.
Freddie grabbed Robert's arm and pulled him down the hall, muttering under his breath. "Come on, before she makes an example of us."
They hurried through the crowded corridor. As they rounded the corner toward their first block, Robert accidentally bumped hard into someone walking the opposite way.
It was a new kid, tall and thin, with bright blonde hair and sharp blue eyes.
The boy stumbled back slightly, clutching a messenger bag. He didn't make eye contact, just muttered a quick, quiet apology and hurried off down the hall, disappearing into the sea of students.
Robert stood frozen, staring after him. The moment their shoulders had brushed, a strange feeling had settled deep in his gut. A heavy unease, like the air pressure around the boy was entirely wrong.
"Who was that?" Freddie asked, craning his neck to get a better look.
"No idea," Robert said, frowning, "But something about him felt… off."
Freddie shrugged and adjusted his shirt. "He's probably just nervous. Or running late like us."
Robert nodded slowly as Freddie led him to the classroom. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.