Eighteen years had passed since the void screamed.
The family had found refuge on a planet of impossible scale a titan of the cosmos so vast it contained entire star systems' worth of diversity. It was divided into seven continents, each one the size of an entire galaxy. They settled in a sprawling, vibrant country that stretched across the face of one of these massive continents, where creatures of a thousand different origins lived in a fragile, beautiful peace. Over nearly two decades, the refugees had adapted to the customs and lifestyles of this strange, gargantuan universe.
In the heart of the capital city, eighteen-year-old Raphael stood amidst a canyon of gleaming glass and steel. His spiky white hair caught the sunlight, and his silver eyes sharp as a hawk's darted back and forth, tracking movements invisible to the average passerby.
Suddenly, the air to his right shimmered. A phantom warrior clad in jagged, ethereal armor manifested, lunging forward with a heavy punch. Raphael leaned back, the fist whistling past his nose, and in the same fluid motion, he drove his elbow upward. The strike connected with a sickening crack, sending the warrior spiraling through a nearby building. As hundreds of warriors rose from the pavement like shadows, Raphael moved with the "Empty Fist" perfection his father had beaten into his bones.
He was a blur of lethal grace, punching and kicking warriors and sending them flying through buildings while simultaneously hitting their pressure points to shut down their internal functions. As he fought, he looked above and saw more warriors beginning to rain down energy blasts. Raphael sprinted to dodge them, the resulting explosions killing the phantom warriors below.
As he looked forward, a barrage of blasts blocked his path, forcing him to a halt. As the energy charged toward him, he slapped the blasts away, the redirected shots obliterating nearby buildings. One blast caught him in the flank, sending him skidding across the concrete right next to a row of cars.
Raphael pushed himself up, rubbing the blood from a cut on his cheek. "I'm just getting started," he muttered. He activated his Tactile Telekinesis, a red force surrounding his body, just as his Quantum Red energy erupted from his skin. The energy began knit his wounds shut. The ground began to shake as his Tactile Telekinesis force connected with the environment. He reached out, his red force tethering to the cars, and he tossed them toward the warriors. The warriors fired back, creating massive explosions and a wall of smoke.
When the smoke vanished, the warriors searched for their target, but Raphael was already behind them. With a series of precise chops to the neck, he knocked them all out.
Raphael drifted into the sky, crossing his arms. "That was easier than usual. I'm getting better at this."
"Don't get cocky now, son," a voice boomed, cutting through the silence of the simulation. "You still gotta defeat me. Your old man's still got it!"
A surge of Blue Tactile Telekinesis force cut through the sky as Kael appeared above him. He rushed downward, his blue energy crackling with intensity. Raphael snapped into a fighting stance. "This is the day I finally beat you, Dad. The past Number One hero is going down!"
They collided in the clouds, trading a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. Kael moved with incredible speed, his fingers blurring as he struck multiple pressure points across Raphael's body. Raphael spiraled backward, his limbs seizing as his motor functions failed.
Gritting his teeth, he focused inward. Using his Tactile Telekinesis, he struck his own internal pressure points and forced his cells to accelerate their healing. As his motion returned, he surged forward, throwing a counter-offensive that left bruises on his father's guard. He managed to land a series of precision strikes, attempting to shut down Kael's functions as they traded blows in a high-speed blur.
Raphael eventually flew back, creating distance. He began throwing heavy punches from a range, each strike launching a concentrated wave of kinetic force. Wrapped within that force was a core of his Quantum Red energy, shot toward his father like a high-velocity projectile. Kael dodged the reinforced blasts with ease, closing the gap in an instant. He vanished and reappeared, landing a final set of pressure point strikes that sent Raphael plummeting toward the ground.
"I guess you win again, Dad," Raphael called out as he fell. "Can you unparalyze me now? Those last punches and pressure points were pretty hard."
Kael looked down at him, arms crossed as he drifted in the air. "Come on. What did I teach you? Hit your own pressure points using your telekinesis. Focus your battle spirit to gain more energy. Heal your body; heal your cells."
Raphael focused his Tactile Telekinesis inward once more. A surge of his Battle Spirit pulsed through him as he struck his own internal pressure points; his cells stitched back together and his nerves jump-started instantly. His limbs snapped back to life, and he righted himself, standing mid-air.
"Remember," his father said, drifting closer. "Your Battle Spirit is your strongest weapon. It is your will to fight made manifest."
"I know I have a strong spirit, Dad," Raphael said, stretching his arms to shake off the last of the stiffness. "It's just that when it comes to fighting you, I still get nervous. You definitely still got it, even after retiring ten years ago."
"You'll get there soon, son," Kael responded. "You have no choice. You know the people that are after us the Kingdom, the Monarchy. That's why I had to retire; I was bringing too much attention to this planet, to this country. After one of the Monarchy's soldiers found us and I defeated him, I knew I had to stop being a hero. But we still have to train. At any time, we can be attacked again. The Monarchy is still searching for us."
Raphael smiled. "I know. I train every day. I think about that day all the time when that soldier came, how he attacked my siblings, and how he attacked you and Mother. That's why I know I have to be stronger. I don't think they should stop us from saving people. The people on this planet need us."
"It's too risky, son. Enough of the superhero talk, okay? I can tell you've gotten better at Tactile Telekinesis. You really took after my genes there; how far your connections can reach to manipulate objects is already better than me," Kael said. "But let's see if you've been practicing your Outer Telekinesis. I know your mother's been helping you with that showing you how to move things with your mind and create constructs. She is the 'Outer' expert of this family. You're a special breed, son. Most of our race can only do one or the other. You can do both."
Kael continued, "Focus your energy and your Battle Spirit. Gather them together. Use your Outer Telekinesis to manipulate them to shape them into whatever you want."
Raphael focused as he tried, his energy swirling around him. "I've got this," he muttered, his jaw set in a hard line. He gathered his Battle Spirit and his Quantum Red energy, while simultaneously commanding the Force of his telekinesis to wrap around them like a pressurized mold. He strained to weave the three together, trying to force the raw power into a solid, sharp construct. It began to take shape, shimmering with a violent intensity, until suddenly, the energy dissipated and the force snapped. His nose began to bleed.
Looking disappointed, Raphael said, "I swear I've been trying. It's just the outer skills are a lot harder."
"It's fine, son," Kael said. "Let's try something else."
Kael pointed to a car below. "Now come on, try. No 'Tactile' connection. Don't use your connection to the ground to move it. Use only your Outer Telekinesis to lift it with your mind. No physical connections."
Raphael focused. A shimmering Outer Telekinesis force began to manifest around the car. It slowly lifted, hovering and floating with no physical or Tactile connection to him. But as it moved, Raphael's nose began to bleed again. His feet grew weak and he wobbled forward as the strain of maintaining the Outer technique took its toll. The car dropped, and before Raphael could fall, his father caught him.
"Damn it," Raphael wheezed. "I swear I've been trying. It's just... these techniques are way harder. It's so much easier to move things when I'm already touching them."
"I think you're doing a good job, son," Kael said. "When I was your age, I was a lot weaker."
"Then how did you get so strong?"
"I fought all the time. In our race, practice makes perfect."
"If practice makes perfect," Raphael said, his eyes flashing, "then I should probably be a superhero. I'd get to practice all the time and save people. I can be just like you, Dad, before you retired."
Kael's expression hardened, his silver eyes locking onto his son's with a heavy, parental weight. "You know your mother does not want you to do that, Raphael. This is your first day of college the start of a real life. We've had this talk many times, me and her both. We need to lay low. No one on this planet can ever know you possess these powers."
Kael's voice softened as he stepped closer. "You know how much your mother wants this for you. She wants you to be a Quantum Biophysicist. She has big dreams for you to study the very energy you carry, but from a lab to understand the universe without having to break it. With how smart you are, even without the Force or your Energy, I know you can build a massive career. You'll get a good job, find a good girl, and eventually start a family of your own."
He reached out, his heavy hand resting firmly on his son's shoulder. "Raphael... you have to let the superhero dream go."
"I don't want to do that, Dad"
Before he could finish, the entire city began to shake. The buildings didn't just tremble; they groaned under the weight of a melodic, authoritative voice that echoed through the very air:
"The school bus is about to be here! I already packed your breakfast. We need to hurry up and get on the road it's a long ride to that college on the other side of the country!"
Kael's intensity vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp, parental urgency. He looked at his son, his silver eyes fading back to a duller, human-like grey. "Don't bring this up to your mother," he hissed. "Alright, let's go back. Release your Battle Spirit."
They both closed their eyes and let the tension drain from their cores. In an instant, the vast, spiritual dimension the battlefield, the vacuum, the drifting wreckage vanished like a dream at daybreak. They opened their eyes to find themselves sitting cross-legged on the living room rug, still in their meditation stances, surrounded by the quiet domesticity of their home.
The peace lasted for all of two seconds.
Thundering footsteps erupted from the stairs, followed by a chorus of yelling. Aris burst into the room first, his long white hair a mess and his middle-school uniform rumpled. Right on his heels was his twin sister, Ariel, her white curls bouncing with every furious stride.
"Give me my phone back!" Ariel shrieked, lunging for him. "It's not my fault you broke yours working on your powers!"
"Mom said you have to share until I get a new one!" Aris barked, snatching the phone out of her reach.
Ariel didn't wait to argue. She raised her hand, her Pink Force flaring in a bright, shimmering aura as she used her Outer Telekinesis to rip the phone from his hand. Aris was just as quick; his Purple Force latched onto the device, a crimson tether of kinetic energy locking tight.
The room began to shake as their competing auras collided. Furniture began to lift the coffee table hovered, a lamp tilted dangerously, and the rug beneath Kael and Raphael began to ripple.
"You're so annoying!" Ariel yelled. "Always taking my stuff!"
"And you're always complaining whenever it's time to do a favor!" Aris countered, the floorboards groaning under the pressure.
Aurelia stepped out of the kitchen, her presence instantly cutting through the noise. With a sharp flick of her mind, she used her own telekinesis to freeze both of them mid-stride. The furniture dropped to the floor with a series of dull thuds.
"No more fighting!" she commanded. "What have I told you two? Is this what you'll be doing in school? This is how you guys almost got caught last time."
"It wasn't our fault!" they shouted in unison, though they couldn't move their limbs. "We didn't get caught we almost got caught! It's because of that idiot!"
"Who are you calling an idiot? You're the idiot!"
"I don't care whose fault it is," Aurelia said, releasing her grip and handing them their lunchboxes. "No more using your powers in public. Do you understand?"
"That's not fair," Ariel muttered, crossing her arms and leaning back with a huff. "Everyone else gets to show off their abilities, but we have to act like regular humans or those aliens that don't have any powers at all. The kids tease us because they think we're just... ordinary. We have to sit there and pretend we're nothing just so they don't find out the truth."
Aurelia's face softened, but her eyes remained serious. "Those people aren't being hunted, Ariel. Remember what I told you? Our species doesn't have the best track record. If the wrong people find out who we are, it will cause problems we can't protect you from. Now, say goodbye to your brother."
The twins' anger evaporated instantly. They rushed Raphael, hugging him nearly to death. "Bye, big brother! Good luck at college!" They bolted for the door as the school bus honked outside.
Aurelia watched them go, sighing as she walked back toward the kitchen. "Those two are going to be the death of me," she muttered, pausing at the doorway. "If the Monarchy ever finds us, it's going to be because of those two. Hopefully, that never happens... I'm surprised they haven't seriously hurt a teacher yet or worse."
She shook off the worry, turning back to the living room with eyes beaming with excitement as she looked at Raphael.
"Are you ready to go? My little boy, finally a grown man off to college. Are you excited?"
Raphael put his head down, the weight of the morning's training still heavy on his mind. "Yeah," he said quietly.
The three-hour drive to the station was filled with Aurelia's nervous, happy chatter. Finally, they stood before the shimmering arches of the Cosmic Teleportation Train Station. Aurelia began to cry as the reality set in.
"I wish we could have driven you all the way," she sobbed, pulling him into a tight embrace. "It's just way too far. Why did you have to pick a college so far away? But I understand... you wanted to be with your friends, and that science program is incredible. No more warriors, no more conquering in this family. You are the first step, son. The change. You're going to rebuild our race's legacy not as fighters and conquerors, but as something better."
Raphael felt a spark of confidence flare in his chest. "What if I can be better by fighting, Mom? Not to conquer, but to protect. You told us our race has a bad reputation... what if we're the ones who can change that?"
Aurelia pulled back, her expression hardening instantly. "No. You remember what happened last time? Before your father retired? We cannot let that happen again. It is too dangerous, Raphael. Promise me just be a regular student."
Raphael looked over at his father. Kael remained silent, his face a mask of stone, but he gave a single, slow nod of his head. Raphael turned back to his mother, his shoulders dropping slightly.
"I promise I will try my best," he said.
Aurelia pulled him back in for one last kiss on the cheek and a lingering hug. "We'll miss you so much."
"I'll visit, Mom. I promise," Raphael replied, his voice thick with the weight of the lie and the truth all at once.
Kael stepped forward then, resting a heavy hand on Raphael's shoulder. He didn't say much, but his silver eyes held a world of unspoken warnings and a grim understanding.
"Son..." Kael said, his voice low. "I left a gift for you in your bag."
With a final goodbye, Raphael boarded the Cosmic Teleportation Train. As the airlocks sealed, the advanced cosmic technology began to hum, vibrating through his very marrow. The train didn't just move; it folded space. In a sudden blur of light, it vanished from the station, beginning the long journey to the other side of the country a territory so vast it spanned the entire distance of a galaxy.
He endured the nauseating jumps ten times. With each leap, the train teleported from one cosmic hub to the next, bridging thousands of light-years in a single heartbeat. By the time he finally stepped off the last train at the far edge of the galactic frontier, his stomach was in knots.
"Those Cosmic Teleportation Trains always make me sick," he muttered, wiping cold sweat from his forehead as he tried to find his footing.
The city outside this final station Omnopolis was a harsh contrast to the peaceful sanctuary he had called home. Everything here was gray and gritty, the air thick with the sharp scent of industrial ozone. It was a place where the light didn't seem to reach the corners; he saw petty crimes happening in the shadows and long stretches of walls covered in the fading posters of missing people.
He gripped the strap of his bag, feeling its weight as he navigated the unfamiliar streets. He was now a lifetime away from his family, standing on the ragged edge of a galaxy-sized nation.
He finally reached the dorms, the building looking just as worn as the rest of the city. Once inside his room, he dropped his bag onto the thin mattress and began unpacking his things, the quiet of the small space a strange shift from the chaos of the morning.