Kevin felt it—the beating of his heart alongside the booming of something else. He recognized this feeling from the mall, a sensation that resounded in his body, calling him, begging for him to respond. It boomed again, louder, waking Kevin up. He jolted upright in bed, panicking, panting, drenched in sweat. He could still feel the strange-yet-appealing feeling, but it faded. He looked around to see that he was back inside his room and his hands were no longer small—he was himself again. He wiped the sweat from his face and tried to calm down with deep breaths.

What the hell had just happened?

Stewart had made that vision up, or at least that’s what Kevin had thought. But why was he having the vision now? He moved his legs over the edge of his bed and continued to try to calm his breathing. He combed his hands through his hair and straightened out his shirt, which had moved around in his sleep. He whispered to himself to try to come back to the real world.

" Stewart claims that I’m a seirei jin and that I have repressed memories of my past. That Agent said Psychic Types can mess with people's minds though.

Despite his denial, he recalled going to the scene of the car accident with Stewart and peering through the window of the vehicle. He remembered the blank faces, the nothingness. He remembered seeing himself glowing with blue energy and killing Advent soldiers. Just thinking about these things again made him turn pale.

"It can't be real." he said. "I can't be a---"

Then, Kevin heard a knock at his door. He didn’t say anything, and a few seconds later, his mom cracked the door open and stuck her head in.

"Kevin? Is something the matter?" she whispered sweetly.

"Mom?"

"I heard screaming, are you alright?”

Alexcia closed the door behind her and then moved to sit next to her son. Though her movements were gentle and loving, Kevin felt panic continue to grow in him.

"Sorry, I…I had a nightmare," Kevin muttered.

She tilted her head to the side, gently. "Was it about last night?"

"No,” he said, unsure how to even address all that had happened. “It was something different."

His mother studied him. It was clear to her that he knew more about his own feelings than he was letting on, but she didn’t want to push. He’d been through so much. She watched as he opened his mouth to speak, hesitated, then closed it again.

Kevin’s mind was spinning. Stewart had warned him not to trust anyone, and Kevin just couldn’t get that warning out of his head. But perhaps that warning was fake too? He couldn't imagine his family betraying him. Ever since he’d gotten home, he’d been on alert, looking for some sign that his family and friends were against him. But they so clearly weren’t. They’d all been concerned and seemed truly emotional when they saw him again. When everyone had settled down, his friends had informed him that their graduation ceremony was going to be held at another location, and the way they spoke was how they always spoke, with playfulness and humor. Everything felt normal.

Still, he needed answers. Perhaps his mom would be the one to offer them.

“Mom,” he said, staring down at his bed. "Do you remember that night when you and Dad took me out to see that motorbike race?"

His mother paused, recalling the memory. “Of course I do. You wouldn’t stop talking about it the whole way home. Is something wrong?”

Kevin took a big deep breath. He might as well tell her the truth and see what happened. "I've been having dreams about that night, but it's...different.”

"Different? How so?" He could hear the concern in his mother’s voice.

"We were attacked by the Advent Guard,” Kevin said, the pace of his words gathering speed. “An Agent named Parker came after Dad. Then, he came after me. Next thing I knew, I was glowing-"

"Glowing?!" She laughed a bit, and Kevin narrowed his eyes. She paid him no mind. "Like those cartoon fighting shows you watch? This is why I said they were bad for you."

"I'm serious!" he snapped.

She stopped laughing. His hands were trembling. She reached out for one and squeezed it, but Kevin still felt shaky. Now that he’d told her about the dream, he had to make sure she believed him.

"I had powers like a Jin,” he said quietly. “I know it sounds crazy. But it felt so real. As real as this, and as real as yesterday."

She nodded slowly, and when she spoke, her voice was small. "Nightmares can do that, honey. That's all it was."

"Maybe.” It was clear to him now that she wouldn’t believe him. Still, he wanted to push. He continued. “But I think I've had this dream before. I feel drawn to something big, and I don’t know what it is.”

“Kevin…”

"It’s strange, ever since the accident and ever since we moved to this place, things haven’t been the same for me. No matter what I’ve done, I haven’t been able to fit in with almost anybody, except for Johnny and Sara.” He knew his mom would want to console him, but he kept barreling forward. “There have been times when I’ve wondered if I’m even human, y’know? I just… I’m different. I know that. But I don’t know why.”

He reached up to touch his scar. Without hesitation, his mother gently reached for his chin and then turned his face to hers. This snapped him out of his thoughts, and he lowered his hand.

"You listen to me," she said firmly, her eyes glistening with strength and conviction. "You are my son. And you're also a teenager, meaning you are one of the world’s greatest mysteries for adults. We try! As your parents, we try to understand, but there will always be parts of you that maybe complicated. But Kevin, you have to understand, everyone has moments in life when they feel a little different. There’s nothing wrong with you. I know it feels like the end of the world, but it’s not. You just need to be you. We love everything about you, and as you grow up, more and more people will too.”

For just a moment, Kevin felt a flicker of hope. Maybe he could still be a normal teen. No one had to know about all this. Maybe he wasn’t a Jin, just like he’d thought. And even if he was, Stewart had been able to keep his secret, hadn’t he? Kevin could act normal, and maybe his mom was right. Maybe, eventually, everything would just work out.

Yet, the hope faded as quickly as it came. If he really was a Jin, did he want to build a life full of lies that he wasn’t?

"But what if I can't be myself?" he asked. "What if I become something else?"

She let go of his chin and offered a small, loving smile.

"No matter what, you have us,” his mom whispered. “You have your friends. If you ever feel like you're drifting away, we'll be the anchor that holds you down. I promise you."

"My anchor?" he echoed quietly. That was an idea he could get behind: unconditional support from the people who cared about him, a support that would ground him no matter what happened. He wanted to ask her more about this concept. Did she really mean it? Would his friends feel the same? The questions spun around so quickly in his head, and before he could ask even one of them, she kissed him on the forehead.

"Now get some rest,” she said, rising from the bed. “You're graduating after all."

He felt a flash of anxiety now that this moment was passing. Would he ever have a conversation like this with her again? He watched her walk to the door. A part of him wanted to tell her about the voices, about Stewart, about his desire to know the truth. But he couldn’t get himself to speak these things. Maybe now wasn’t the time. The scary thing was: maybe it never would be.

"Mom?"

She paused, her hand on the door, and turned back to him. Her smile was so gentle, but he could also see her exhaustion and concern about him. Now was definitely not the time.

Kevin smiled softly. "Thanks."

She smiled back and stepped out of the room. As Kevin drifted back into sleep, Alexcia felt her panic grow. She had to talk to David.