Ahmed was angrily punching his bed, muttering in frustration: Damn it! How could I mess up like this at such a time? I was so close to discovering something new, and now I’m back to square one. 

He sighed and leaned back on the bed, saying: Maybe it was all just a dream. Maybe I just crashed into something and passed out on my way to the team.

Then he suddenly jumped up: The team! Damn it! How could I forget? If what I saw was real, there’s a good chance that tsunami drowned them and the entire coast. I need to contact them immediately!

Ahmed rushed out and spoke to the doctors. He learned that he had been found floating unconscious on a beach two days ago. He asked for a phone to call someone. As he held the phone, he noticed something shimmering on the dark screen, a reflection. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was his own face. His eyes were glowing. 

He took a deep breath and asked the doctor: I’m going to ask a strange question, but it’s very important to me. What color are my eyes?

-Your eyes? They’re light blue. Honestly, they look quite unique. Why do you ask? Are you in pain? 

=Don’t worry, it was just a random question.

Ahmed called Omar, but his phone was off. Next, he tried Mariam. Is this Mariam’s phone?

-Ahmed?! Thank God! We’ve been so worried about you! 

Ahmed held the phone slightly away. *I’m glad you’re all safe. Where are you? We need to talk as soon as possible. A lot of weird things have happened to me, and I don’t understand any of it—the crystal, the waves, the light that burst from my body, my eyes… My eye color has changed. I’m in serious trouble and need help figuring this out. 

-What?! Where are you?

Ahmed sent her his location. 

-Stay where you are and don’t move. I’m not far. I’ll be there in less than half an hour. Stay calm so you don’t hurt anyone. Understood?

Ahmed didn’t understand the last part but replied: Yeah, understood.

He returned to his hospital room and sat on the bed, waiting. 

About fifteen minutes later, as Ahmed lay on the bed, he heard loud noises and screams outside his room. He moved to the door to investigate, but before he could open it, the door turned pitch black, and sharp, thorn-like spikes shot out toward him. He tried to dodge but failed. 

He collapsed to the floor, breathing rapidly, screaming as he stared at his severed arm lying beside him. Blood pooled around him, but it wasn’t normal blood. It was blue, like his eyes. Then, his body began glowing blue, just like before. 

The door was smashed open by a figure wearing a grotesque rabbit mask. Without a word, the masked attacker lunged at Ahmed. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind, like a mini tornado, burst into the room, strong enough to throw the masked figure back and hurl Ahmed toward the window. 

Ahmed crashed into the hospital courtyard. A few of his ribs were broken from the fall. As he struggled to catch his breath, he noticed his arm regenerating, rebuilding itself. Not just his arm, all his wounds were healing. But he had no time to celebrate. The masked figure had already reached the courtyard. Ahmed tried to move, but his injuries weren’t fully healed yet. 

It seemed like there was no escape, until, out of nowhere, a stone-skinned man appeared and punched the masked figure with enough force to send him flying. A fierce battle erupted between the two. 

Ahmed noticed their similar abilities: the stone man could manipulate objects around him, while the masked figure turned things into a black substance and controlled them, just like he had with the door. Their fight was a mix of physical combat and supernatural power. 

The battle lasted about a minute until the masked figure impaled the stone man with a massive black spike, running him through from back to stomach. The stone man collapsed, and the masked figure fled. 

The stone man pulled the spike from his body, grimacing in pain. The wound left a gaping hole, but it healed completely within minutes. 

Once both Ahmed and the stone man had fully recovered, the stone man approached. Pieces of his rocky exterior began falling away, revealing a face Ahmed knew well, Mariam.

She smiled and said: Good thing I wasn’t late.

Ahmed stammered: Wha—what… how… WHAT IS HAPPENING?! 

-I knew you were hiding something, but this is insane! Are Ali and Yusuf monsters like you too? What else are you hiding?!

=That’s a harsh way to thank someone who just saved you. Besides, you’re the one who was glowing like a lightbulb earlier. Anyway, we need to leave now. That rabbit guy killed a lot of people here, so the hospital is empty except for us. The police are probably on their way, and it looks like it’s about to rain. Let’s go back to the hotel and talk there. 

Ahmed had no choice but to follow. They changed out of their torn clothes into hospital scrubs and headed to the hotel. When they arrived, Ali and Yusuf were waiting. They all gathered in Ahmed’s room. 

Ahmed crossed his arms: Alright, this time, tell me everything. No more secrets. I need answers, starting with who you really are. 

The three of them placed their hands over their eyes and removed colored contact lenses. In unison, they said: We’re like you. 

Their eyes glowed in different colors; Yusef’s red, Ali’s yellow, and Mariam’s purple, just like Ahmed’s blue. 

Ahmed was stunned: If you know about that crystal… what are these things?

Ali sighed: It’s complicated, even for us. We don’t know their origin, but we know the basics. They’re called “King’s Gear”.  No idea why, so don’t ask. They merge with hosts like us and grant special abilities, superhuman strength, rapid healing, immunity to toxins, and a unique power.

Ahmed frowned: What do you mean by “unique power”? 

Mariam placed her hand on the wall, and its surface morphed into the shape of a flower: A power like this. I can manipulate objects I touch.

Ali brought his hands close, and an electric current arced between them: Cool, right?

Ahmed’s eyes widened: That’s incredible! It’s a scientific marvel!

He turned to Yusuf: What’s your ability?

Yusef smirked: I can control the temperature of anything I touch. What’s yours?

Ahmed hesitated: Mine? I don’t know. How do I find out?

Mariam explained: Usually, your power activates on its own when you’re agitated, like when your body glows. Didn’t you notice anything strange happening around you when your powers surged?

Ahmed recalled: When that rabbit guy attacked me, my powers flared, and a powerful gust of wind blasted into the room, like a mini tornado.

Yusef’s eyes lit up: A rabbit guy attacked you?! 

Mariam cut in: We’ll discuss that later. The weather also changed suddenly. It seems you can control the weather or the air. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.

Ahmed asked: How did you get your powers?

Yusef replied: From a mysterious entity.

Mariam added: A man gave them to us long ago and trained us. He’s also the one who told us about you. He was… eccentric. Always wore a black outfit covering his entire body. We never saw his face or learned his name. He was incredibly strong, able to use all the powers of King’s Gear at once.

Ahmed frowned: How did you meet him?

Ali said: He came to us. I was in middle school when I first met him. My family had just died in a fire, the last of my relatives gone in days. He offered me the power to take revenge on those who burned my home. He never told me who they were, but I believed him because he gave me real power. When I went to train, Yusuf was already there. No idea how long he’d been training. Yusef never talks about his past. Two years later, the master brought Mariam.

Mariam nodded: My story is similar. He came to me after my mom died of a rare disease. I was completely alone.

Ahmed crossed his arms: If he’s as strong as you say, why does he need you? Why give his powers away?

Mariam shrugged: No idea. He always talked about an upcoming war or battle. Maybe he needed numbers. Even if he’s powerful, spreading the effort among more people might make his goal easier. But that’s just my guess.

Ahmed pressed: Where is he now?

Ali answered: The last time we saw him was a month ago. He said our training was over, that our first battle was approaching, and that we had to join the team you’d form in two weeks.

Yusef smirked: We thought joining you would be exciting. Turns out, we just got another idiot.

Ahmed glared: He told you about me a month ago? How? I wasn’t even planning to form a team back then.

Yusef shrugged: No clue. That guy never explains anything.

Ahmed narrowed his eyes: Why did you hide that you knew each other?

Ali admitted: We considered the possibility that our enemy might be you or someone on your team. But you figured us out easily. How? 

Ahmed sighed: During our first meeting, whenever Yusuf acted like an idiot, you’d grab his arm and glare at him, and Yusef doesn’t seem like the type to back down easily. Mariam also looked embarrassed by your antics. If she didn’t know you, she’d have been angry, like me. There were other clues, but those were the biggest.

Ali grinned: Impressive. You and Omar are very observant.

Ahmed’s expression darkened: Speaking of which… where’s Omar?

Mariam looked down: We don’t know. His phone’s been off since that night. He was supposed to be on his way to us, like you, but… that night was as strange as everything else lately. The waves were rough at first, then suddenly erupted into a massive tsunami, drowning the ship and the entire coast. We only survived because of our healing abilities. So… it’s possible he… drowned.

Ahmed punched the wall, teeth gritted: Damn it! This was my plan.

Ali quickly added: It’s just a possibility. Nobody’s been found. There’s still hope he’s alive.

Then, changing the subject, he asked, how did you get your powers? You never told us.

Ahmed sighed: Like I told Mariam on the phone, that thing fell in front of me on my way to the team. I picked it up, and it melted in my hands. The pain was unbearable; I passed out and woke up in the hospital.

Yusef smirked: And where does the rabbit fit into this story?

Mariam glared: Why are you so obsessed with the rabbit? We haven’t even discussed it yet.

Yusef chuckled: I just want to know how he fought. It sounds hilarious.

Ahmed explained: After waking up, I called Mariam. While waiting for her, that rabbit-masked guy attacked the hospital. He killed a lot of people and tried to kill me, but Mariam saved me. That’s it.

Mariam added: He wasn’t just some guy in a mask. He had powers like ours.

Yusef’s eyes widened: What?! Why didn’t you tell us sooner?!

Mariam snapped: I was answering Ahmed’s questions first.

Yusef grinned: This is way more important! This is the first enemy one of us has faced. How strong was he?

Mariam frowned: I could match him at first, but he wounded me badly before fleeing.

Ali crossed his arms: If he could beat you, why didn’t he finish you off and kill Ahmed like he wanted?

Yusef’s grin widened: Simple. If he let you go, you’d lead him to more of us. Seeing Mariam made him realize there are others.

Ali’s eyes narrowed: You think he followed them here?

Yusef nodded: Absolutely. Why else would he let them go? But I’m glad, if I find him, I’ll beat him to a pulp. My blood’s boiling with excitement.

As Yusef revealed in the idea, tension thickened in the room. That masked figure, or others like him, could attack at any moment. 

Then, a sudden sound from outside the room shattered the silence.