December 26th, 2023

This was never meant to be a gift. Lucía heard the same voice in her head that she heard almost every day. The voice sounded like a raspy old man, always warning her of something that was soon to come.

I gave you - I gave all of you - these capabilities in preparation of something greater, he said like he always did, not that Lucía ever understood what he meant.

The Creator,

Thunk.

The Destroyer,

Thunk.

The Omnipotent-

Thuuunk!

He always stopped speaking at ‘omnipotent’. Not because an arrow had cut through his prophecy as it bounced off the edge of the target, but because the voice left her mind at the mention of the word. His daily terrifying speech ended like the end of a looped recording to be repeated the next day. And the day after that. Ever since January 8th, 2019, the same handful of words were said in the exact same way as the day before, to be echoed in her head for the past five years.

“Thank you, Samuel, and good morning Seattle,” Lucía’s phone buzzed with the news’ static voices. Setting down her cold metal compound bow to the ground of her gymnasium, she dug her phone out of her pant pocket.

The same woman, as usual, was smiling at the camera in front of the streets of downtown Seattle. “My name is Isabella Sana…” she always said.

“... and it’s been five years since the dispersion that sent a hyperactive chemical all around the world. This chemical changed the lives of near half of the entire population. Some soared to new heights and became known as small town heroes - like my husband, Jay Sana - while others have used their given abilities for personal gains.

“We’ve seen days of magic and malice after the dispersion, and the world doesn’t stop getting stranger. The debate of whether ‘Hypers’ - the empowered humans - should use their powers in public is still a prominent topic in households around the world. The countries of France, Great Britain, and Mexico have forced many Hyper citizens out of their home and country, leading to a substantial increase of Hypers in Southern U.S., Italy, and Spain.”

Lucía nodded along to the last sentence. She had to buy a plane to south California for being a Hyper in Mexico; she eventually settled in a new mansion in Seattle, but it was at a larger price than preferred.

Staying in the mansion all day of every day meant she didn’t have the possibility of scaring someone with her powers. Well, scaring others as well as herself. The more people she interacted with, the more dreams she had of the future. Dreams of who they may become, what they might do, and where they may die. It was awful to know the things that she did, so she did everything in her power to minimize her power.

“There is still no development involving the origin of the dispersion. I was the first to find the location of it, but the area has been closed off for research and no information of their findings have been granted to our coworkers.”

She gestured towards the Seattle cemetery behind her, where a single gravestone was readable from Lucía’s eye-stingingly bright phone screen.

In loving memory of

Tangi Patel

1985-2018

Husband of Asoese Patel, Father of Jack Patel.

“Many lives were lost on the days the dispersion spread, and we wish for you to take a moment of silence for those at rest. May they find their respectful place among the stars, and may we find a resolution with the dispersion’s outcome.”

As the last words came out of the speakers, blinking out with a static transition, something snapped in Lucía’s mind. The feeling like a twig was inside of her head, and it was broken in half in front of her brain.

Oh no…

-

Lucía Flores.

Lucía, I’m sure my voice may be getting old to you after a few years. This may not be what you want, but this is the only way I can inform all of you of what’s coming.

After what happened to me, I’m no longer able to combat him as he nears closer and closer to your world. It will take him a long time to reach your planet, but your time is limited.

One day, I’m sure you’ll find them. Call them the chosen ones, call them the heroes of tomorrow. No matter the name, you’ll find them in one of your dreams.

Well, hopefully, you will.

I know you’ll find them.