Theo stood at the threshold of the medical bay, his fingers tightening around the doorframe. His breathing was steady, but his body felt off—his energy unbalanced, his movements still slightly ahead of his thoughts. But none of that mattered right now.

  James was in the healing chamber, suspended in translucent liquid, his body cradled by a network of thin tubes and glowing monitors. His skin was pale, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, but something about him seemed… wrong.

  Theo’s jaw tightened.

  “What happened to him?” His voice came out lower than intended.

  The analyst—her presence barely registered until now—stepped beside him. She adjusted her glasses, flicking her wrist to pull up James’ vitals. A holographic display hovered in the air, streams of data cascading down.

  “He’s stable,” she started, “but his recovery isn’t progressing as expected.”

  Theo’s gaze didn’t leave James. “What does that mean?”

  She hesitated. “His energy readings are unstable. Fluctuating between different levels.”

  Theo finally turned to her, his eyes sharp. “Why is it fluctuating?”

  She exhaled. “We don’t know. His life force—it isn’t behaving normally. His body should be healing faster inside the chamber, but instead, his energy keeps shifting and adjusting.”

  Theo frowned. He didn’t like the sound of that.

  Theo pressed a hand against the glass of the chamber, staring at his friend’s unmoving form. The last thing he remembered was the impact—the force that had shattered James’ ribs, crushed his sternum, nearly killed him. And now, the aftermath wasn’t just physical. His energy wasn’t healing.

  Theo’s fingers curled into a fist. This was his fault. If only he knew how to control his power.

  He exhaled, steadying himself, shoving the guilt aside. Right now, James needed to recover. That was the priority.

  But the analyst’s words stuck with him.

  His energy readings… weren’t normal.

  Theo didn’t know what that meant yet, but one thing was clear—his power had done something to James and he hoped it wasn’t Something irreversible.

  Theo let out a slow breath, pulling his hand away from the glass. His body still felt off—his muscles coiled too tightly, his energy humming beneath his skin like a current he couldn’t quite direct. He clenched and unclenched his fingers, trying to ground himself.

  The analyst observed him, silent for a moment before speaking.

  “You shouldn’t be moving around so soon.”

  Theo exhaled sharply. “I don’t have time to rest. I still need to go down the power registration building.”

  She frowned but didn’t argue. Instead, she tapped her holowatch, pulling up a different set of readings. The holographic display shifted, showing not just James’ vitals—but Theo’s as well.

  His eyes narrowed as he scanned the data.

  LIFE FORCE LEVEL: 18%

  ENERGY STABILITY: UNDETERMINED

  Theo frowned. Undetermined?

  The analyst followed his gaze. “Your recovery… it doesn’t match normal patterns either.”

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  Theo crossed his arms. “And?”

  She hesitated again. He could see the conflict behind her eyes, the careful way she was choosing her words. “You were clinically dead for over twenty-four hours,” she finally said. “No detectable life force. But now, it’s returning.”

  Theo didn’t react immediately. He already knew this. He had felt it the moment he woke up. But hearing it aloud, confirmed by data, made it more real.

  The analyst continued, swiping the display again. “That’s not all. The way your energy is coming back—it’s almost like a battery refilling itself.”

  Theo’s jaw tightened.

  A battery?

  It was exactly how he had felt. His power wasn’t just healing—it was regenerating, refueling. And if that was the case…

  He looked back at James. His friend’s energy was unstable. Struggling to recover.

  He straightened, looking back at the analyst. “How long until he’s stable?”

  She adjusted her glasses again. “It’s hard to say. His healing is slower than expected, but there’s no sign of deterioration or rejection of treatment.”

  Theo nodded slowly. It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but it was better than nothing.

  His gaze lingered on James for another moment before he turned away from the chamber. His mind was already shifting to the next step.

  He needed to control of his power. Whatever was happening to James—whatever was happening to him—he had to be ready.

  Because this wasn’t over. Not even close.

  Theo’s ears twitched as he heard some footsteps coming closer to the room. He turned around at the same time that Hayes pushed the door open. Hayes expression was serious but not unkind.

  He took one look at Theo and immediately exhaled. “I know you’re not fully healed, but the Power Registration Devision just called,” Hayes said with a voice firm. “They want you at the power registration building today. They don’t care if you’re ready or not.”

  Theo blinked, taken aback for a moment. His mind raced as he processed the information.

  “They’re calling me in now?” Theo asked, disbelief lacing his tone.

  “Yeah,” Hayes replied with a shrug, glancing at the data on the holographic display. “You’re awake and they’re not waiting any longer, you got lucky you were with us.”

  He knew he needed to go register, he felt lucky to not have woken up in prison over not being there on his birthday.

  Theo’s mind raced, the realization hitting him hard. The Power Registration Building… He hadn’t been there on his birthday, and he could have faced serious consequences. But that wasn’t his only concern.

  He let out a deep breath, his fingers tapping absently against the side of James healing chamber, he weighed his next words. “I know I need to go, but…” He hesitated. “I’m not sure about joining Horizon just yet.”

  Hayes’ expression softened a little, but his tone remained firm. “Theo, I know you’re still struggling with your power. It’s not easy, I get that. But you can’t just keep avoiding it forever. If you don’t have a support system, you’re going to burn yourself out.”

  Theo shifted in his seat, his voice steady but guarded. “I’m not sure what I want right now, Hayes. I need time to figure this out.”

  Before Hayes could respond, the door slammed open, and Alyssa stormed into the room, her eyes blazing with frustration. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Theo,” she snapped. “You’re not even willing to consider joining after everything we’ve done for you? After James—”

  Hayes interrupted her with a sharp motion, his voice cutting through the tension. “Alyssa, that’s enough.”

  Alyssa shot him a furious glare but fell silent, clearly not pleased with being cut off. Theo could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him, the tension hanging thick in the air.

  Hayes sighed, his gaze shifting to Theo, then back to Alyssa. “Theo’s not ready to join, and that’s his choice. But that doesn’t change the fact that we want to help him, and we’ll do what we can to make sure he gets there in one piece.”

  He pulled a small cube from his pocket, tossing it toward Theo. “These are for you,” Hayes said, his voice calm but resolute. “Hover boots. I know you’re having a hard time walking around, but don’t become reliant on them. They’ll auto-adjust to fit your size once you take them out.”

  Theo caught the cube in his hands, a feeling of surprise running through him. “I—thanks.”

  “Just don’t get used to them,” Hayes added with a smile, though it was clear he was serious.

  Theo nodded, though he didn’t have much to say in response.

  Alyssa, however, wasn’t done. She shook her head, glaring at him. “I’m not giving you a ride. Not if you can’t even be bothered to join Horizon. You don’t want our help? Fine. But don’t expect me to make it easier for you. You’ve got your boots. Deal with it.”

  She spun around and stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her with a force that seemed to echo in the tense silence that followed.

  Hayes let out a long sigh.

  Theo, still holding the small cube, gave him a small smile. “I’ll pay you back for these.”

  Hayes clapped him on the shoulder, his tone lightening a little. “Don’t worry about that Theo. Think of them as a gift.” Hayes looked down at him, “Unfortunately I have some things I have to take care of. I can’t give you a ride myself, but I’ll call a HoverCab for you. You’ll be fine. And if you change your mind about Horizon, you know where to find us.”

  Theo didn’t respond immediately, his mind still turning over everything that had just happened. He looked over at James in the healing chamber, But after a moment, he nodded, and muttering a quiet, “Thanks.”

  Hayes noticed Theo’s conflicted expression, his gaze flickering back toward the healing chamber where James remained.

  “You know,” Hayes said, voice softening, “just because you’re not joining doesn’t mean we’re going to turn our back on James. If you want to visit him, don’t hesitate to ask. Even if you’re not a part of Horizon, you can still visit your friend.”

  Theo glanced back at the healing chamber, his mind still swirling with confusion and guilt. “I don’t… I don’t want to be a burden. I just need to figure out what I’m doing.”

  Hayes nodded, understanding. “You won’t be a burden, if you decide you need help later on, with your power, I’ll be here.”

  Theo took in the words, feeling the weight of them, but something inside him wasn’t ready to accept the offer yet. Instead, he gave a quiet nod.

  “I’ll think about it. But… if you’re serious about me visiting James—let me know when it’s okay to come by.” Hayes gave him a quick nod before heading toward the door. “Take care of yourself, Theo. And remember… we want you to be ready, no matter what that looks like.”