Convergence Point

The footage played on loop across every screen in the command center. Jaden watched himself, wreathed in shadows, battling the metallic entity that had emerged from the rift in Central Park. The video was shaky, clearly shot on a smartphone, but the otherworldly nature of the confrontation was unmistakable.

"Well," General Hawthorne said, his voice gruff, "I'd say the cat's out of the bag now."

Zoe snorted. "Pretty sure that happened when the Statue of Liberty started tap-dancing last Tuesday."

The general shot her a withering look, but Jaden could see the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. The past week had aged Hawthorne; new lines creased his face, and his hair seemed grayer than before. But there was a fire in his eyes that hadn't been there when they first returned from the cosmic realm.

"What matters now," Dr. Chen interjected, her fingers flying over a tablet, "is how we respond. The public is demanding answers, and if we don't provide them, someone else will."

Jaden nodded,