"…Mr. President."
Sir Ferguson's voice was calm.
Measured.
But the silence on the other end of the line carried weight—heavy enough to press against the chest.
"You need to be here. Immediately."
The voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
Authority didn't shout.
It commanded.
Ferguson straightened slightly.
"…Understood."
The line went dead.
For a brief moment, he remained still.
Phone still in hand.
Eyes distant.
Then he exhaled.
Slow.
Controlled.
His secretary watched him carefully.
"…The White House?"
Ferguson nodded once.
"They want answers."
A pause.
"And you don't have them," she said quietly.
Ferguson didn't respond.
Because that, more than anything else, was the problem.
7:50 PM.
The city lights flickered to life as the sun sank fully beneath the horizon.
Night settled in—not peacefully, but heavily.
Like something unseen was watching.
Kade adjusted the sleeve of his black suit.
It fit well.
Cleaner than anything he usually wore.
He glanced at himself briefly in the mirror.
For a second—
He didn't feel like himself.
Then the feeling passed.
"Are you ready?" he called out.
His mother stepped into view slowly.
Dressed simply.
But neatly.
Her eyes softened when she saw him.
"…Look at you."
Kade smiled faintly.
"Don't start."
She walked closer, adjusting his collar slightly like she used to when he was younger.
"You clean up nice."
He chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah."
But there was something else in her eyes.
Something quieter.
"…You didn't have to do this," she said.
Kade paused.
"I wanted to."
Her expression tightened.
"With everything going on… the bills… my treatment…" she continued softly. "You shouldn't be spending like this."
Kade shook his head.
"You deserve it."
She looked at him for a long moment.
As if trying to argue.
But couldn't.
"…You always say that."
"Because it's true."
A small silence settled between them.
Warm.
Familiar.
"…Alright," she said finally.
And for just a moment—
Things felt normal.
The restaurant was bright.
Elegant.
Too elegant for someone like Kade.
Soft music played in the background.
People talked in low voices.
Glasses clinked.
Kade pulled out a chair for his mother.
She sat slowly.
Still looking around like she didn't quite belong there.
"You've been here before?" she asked.
Kade shook his head.
"…No."
She smiled slightly.
"Then why here?"
Kade hesitated.
Then shrugged.
"Felt right."
She laughed softly.
"You've changed."
That made him pause.
Just slightly.
"…Have I?"
She studied him for a second.
"…A little."
Kade looked away.
They ordered.
Talked.
Laughed.
She told stories.
Old ones.
From when he was younger.
Embarrassing ones.
"—and you cried for two hours because your toy broke—"
"I was five."
"You were dramatic."
"I'm still dramatic."
She smiled.
Really smiled.
And for a while—
Everything else didn't matter.
Not the Shift.
Not the chaos.
Not the fear.
Just them.
The White House felt colder than usual.
The room was filled.
Men and women in suits.
Serious faces.
Sharp eyes.
Ferguson stood at the center.
And the questions came fast.
"What are we dealing with?"
"Are these individuals connected to your agency?"
"Is this a threat to national security?"
"Can you control them?"
"Do you even understand what they are?"
Each question hit harder than the last.
Ferguson didn't rush.
Didn't panic.
But for the first time—
He didn't have clear answers.
"…We are still assessing the situation," he said.
"That's not good enough," someone snapped.
"People are panicking."
"Videos are everywhere."
"We need control."
Ferguson's jaw tightened slightly.
"You will have it."
Silence followed.
"…How?" another voice pressed.
A pause.
Ferguson met their eyes.
"…We adapt."
It wasn't the answer they wanted.
But it was the only one he had.
The night air was cooler now.
Kade and his mother walked side by side.
The streets were quieter.
Less crowded.
"You didn't have to walk me all the way," she said.
"I know."
"…But you did anyway."
Kade smirked.
"Yeah."
She nudged him lightly.
They turned a corner.
And that's when it started.
Laughter.
Not friendly.
Sharp.
Mocking.
Four of them.
Leaning against a wall.
Watching.
Kade felt it immediately.
That shift in the air.
"Nice suit," one of them called out.
Another laughed.
"Looks expensive."
Kade didn't respond.
He kept walking.
"Hey—!"
Footsteps.
Behind them.
Following.
Kade's jaw tightened.
"Just ignore them," his mom whispered.
"I am."
But they didn't stop.
They moved faster.
Cutting them off.
Blocking the path.
"Well, well…" one of them said. "Where you rushing to?"
Kade exhaled slowly.
"Look, man… I don't want any trouble."
That made them laugh.
"Too late for that."
The punch came fast.
Straight to Kade's face.
His head snapped to the side.
His mom gasped.
"Kade!"
But he didn't react.
Didn't fight back.
Didn't even look angry.
He just stood there.
"…That all?" one of them mocked.
They went through his pockets.
Pulled out what little he had.
"…That's it?"
They laughed again.
"Broke boy dressing fancy."
Another punch.
This one harder.
Still—
No reaction.
"…Stop it!" his mother cried out. "Please—just stop—!"
One of them turned to her.
"Oh? You got something to say?"
He stepped closer.
Too close.
She froze.
"Call the cops," she said, voice shaking.
He smiled.
"Go ahead."
Then—
He reached up.
And ripped the necklace from her neck.
The chain snapped.
She gasped.
And something in Kade—
Broke.
"…Give it back."
His voice was low.
Different.
The thug turned.
Smirking.
"What are you gonna do?"
Another stepped forward.
Knife in hand.
The blade caught the light.
"Maybe we take more," he said casually. "Maybe we make this interesting."
He leaned closer.
"…What if I cut her?"
Silence.
Then—
Boom.
The punch landed.
Clean.
Precise.
Explosive.
The thug didn't even see it coming.
His body lifted off the ground—
And flew.
Crashing into a trash bin with a violent metallic clang.
Everything froze.
Kade blinked.
"…What?"
Even he didn't understand what just happened.
The others did.
And they rushed him.
Two at once.
Kade moved—
Instinctively.
Too fast.
Too clean.
They missed.
One stumbled.
The other swung—
And missed again.
"What the hell—?!"
Then—
He came.
The biggest of them.
Slow.
Angry.
"You shouldn't have done that."
He stepped closer.
Then threw a punch.
Heavy.
Kade flinched.
Closed his eyes.
But the impact never came.
Instead—
A scream.
Kade's eyes snapped open.
His hand—
Was gripping the man's fist.
Tightly.
Too tightly.
The man's face twisted in pain.
"What the hell—?! LET GO—!"
Kade stared.
Confused.
His grip tightened.
And the scream got louder.
Bones.
Cracking.
Subtle.
But real.
"…I—I—"
Kade released him immediately.
The man dropped to his knees.
Crying.
Holding his hand.
"It's broken—!"
The others didn't hesitate.
They grabbed him.
Dragged him away.
Even the one in the trash.
Gone.
Just like that.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Unreal.
Kade stood there.
Breathing slowly.
Looking at his hands.
"…What…"
He turned.
His mother was staring at him.
Not scared.
But shocked.
Confused.
Trying to understand.
Just like him.
"…Kade…"
He didn't respond.
Because he couldn't.
Because for the first time—
He knew.
Something wasn't right.