Shadows Within

The days following the battle blurred together in a haze of debriefings, press conferences, and tense strategy sessions. Jaden found himself thrust into the spotlight as the de facto leader of the powered community, a role he accepted with reluctance but growing determination.

As he stood before a wall of screens in the new command center, each displaying news feeds from around the world, Jaden felt the weight of responsibility settle heavily on his shoulders. Reports of powered individuals emerging globally flashed across the monitors, some using their abilities for good, others causing chaos and destruction.

"It's getting worse," Zoe said, stepping up beside him. Dark circles under her eyes betrayed her exhaustion. "Every day, more people are manifesting powers. And not all of them are handling it well."

Jaden nodded grimly. "And we're no closer to understanding why. Or how to stop it if we needed to."

The loss of Alex still stung, a constant ache that reminded Jaden of how much the