Aftereffects

The low hum of the jet's engines did little to soothe Jaden's frayed nerves. He sat alone at the back of the plane, staring out the window at the endless expanse of clouds below. The rest of the team was scattered throughout the cabin, each lost in their own thoughts after the harrowing events in Tokyo.

Jaden closed his eyes, but the images from the rift still burned in his mind. Countless realities, layered upon each other like pages in a cosmic book. Versions of himself, of his friends, living lives both familiar and utterly alien. And beyond it all, something vast and incomprehensible – the true face of the convergence.

"Hey." Zoe's voice cut through his reverie. She slid into the seat next to him, her usual confident demeanor tempered by exhaustion. "You look like you're about a million miles away."

Jaden managed a weak smile. "More like a million realities away."

Zoe's expression grew serious. "What happened back there, Jaden? When the rift was closing, you looked like you saw a g