This time, he didn’t appear midair or faceplant onto the ground. This time, he landed on his feet. Though he swayed like a drunk, as if falling was inevitable for anyone returning to the world, he managed to regain his balance.
His eyes were shut, yet he could still see flashes of light. His head was spinning, and his skin burned as though he’d been lashed all over. His eardrums rang—he figured they’d start bleeding again—and his heart pounded, though not as wildly as it had after the previous jump.
“See?” Vicky steadied him. “The first jump feels horrible; the second isn’t as bad.”
Adam wasn’t entirely convinced. He sneezed, and as the sharp ozone smell cleared from his nostrils, he became aware of the deep, earthy scent of wet grass. Opening his eyes, he saw it was still night. A fresh, strong wind swept past them.
They were alone in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a beautiful prairie stretching beyond the horizon. Rolling hills, dotted with trees and shrubs, spread out under a night sky studded with countless stars. A small, radiant silver moon glowed near the horizon, casting a soft light over the scene.
Wherever they were, they were far, far from any city—of that, Adam was certain.
Another thing he was certain of, though he wouldn’t admit it, was that Vicky had been right. The electric jolt this time hadn’t been as intense, or at least his senses had recovered faster.
Wiping a small trickle of blood from his ears, he scanned the serene landscape. In the distance, about two hundred yards away, stood a small wooden cabin. No lights were on, and there was no sign of anyone nearby—it looked abandoned.
“This is the last Kappa Point on land heading east,” Vicky said, gesturing beyond the cabin. “The next one is out at sea.”
Adam cleared his throat. “So, where are we?”
“This is the start of the Edda Peninsula. From here to the ocean, it’s all Eddanian territory.”
“Knowing your leaders, I bet they hate sharing Pannotia with another nation,” Adam remarked.
“You have no idea,” Vicky replied. “Relations between them and us are a masterclass in diplomatic friction. That’s why we’re not going any further. I don’t want to cross into another region and rack up more charges on top of the ones I already have for leaving my own.”
Adam looked around. Apart from the cabin, there was no sign of civilization—no path, no paved road.
“Unless they have satellite surveillance, I’m pretty sure no one’s gonna notice if you step over the border right here,” he said with a grin that read, ‘you’re overreacting.’
But she refused, firm in her stance.
“No, the Eddanians don’t use satellite surveillance, but trust me—if we set foot in their territory, they’ll know. Somehow. And believe me, if you think my country’s foreign policy is restrictive, theirs is extreme. They’re so protective of their land and culture that you have to apply for permission months in advance just to visit. Ridiculous.”
Adam shrugged. “Fine by me. I wasn’t exactly dying to meet them. That whole Tau radiation and nosebleed thing? Yeah, I wouldn’t put that on a travel brochure.”
“Relax, dear. Aside from their eccentricities, most Eddanians are as normal as you and me. They’re descendants of nomads who settled here on this peninsula centuries ago and never left. Back then, our Empire was expanding and tried to absorb them, declaring them invaders, but… well, the Eddanians were clever and managed to secure their sovereignty. They’re mysterious people, with a culture that’s very different from ours.”
Turning to face the opposite direction, Vicky pointed west. This time, her gaze didn’t linger on the horizon but seemed lost in memories of a bygone era.
“My family comes from the Middle Equatorian region, the territory that ends right here. As a child, I used to hear stories about the Eddanians—how they were sorcerers, or how they stole children and offered them to their strange gods. I never saw any of that. They would visit my city on business; easy to spot, you know—tall, hairless, no eyebrows, and with very, very pale skin. Most of them, anyway. They spoke the continental tongue fluently, but used their own among themselves, and there was no way to understand a word. Ever heard the Eddanian language?”
Adam shook his head.
“It’s all consonants jammed together—sounds like an engine running,” she said. “And speaking of engines, I remember they rode in horse-drawn carriages, even while wearing robes embroidered with silver and gold, and necklaces of diamonds and precious gems worth as much as a limo.
“They didn’t care for other cultures—rejected anything foreign. I doubt they’re still like that, but for decades, they resisted technology. Some didn’t even know what a phone was… not that they seemed very interested in it either.”
Adam chuckled. “There’s a sectarian village near Proxima,” he said. “They live exactly like people did centuries ago—and trust me, none of them would set foot in a nightclub the way that Eddanian woman did the other day. I wouldn’t say she rejected our culture much at all. And well, I know the great-grandson—wait, no, the great-great-grandson—of some Eddanian immigrants. He had no issue strutting half-naked down a runway.”
Vicky shrugged. “Dear, every culture has its dissenters looking for another way to live. Just ask those who’ve died trying to escape this island.”
“I know. I’ve got cargo ships that can vouch for that,” he said. “And what about those bald, translucent-skinned Eddanians? Are they the ones emitting that Tau radiation?”
“Bald, translucent-skinned Eddanians…” Vicky echoed, smiling at the description. “The Tau-code Eddanians—a rarity even among their own kind,” she went on. “Well, here’s where it gets interesting. A few years back, a young Eddanian guy with those… particular physical traits was working in Markabia and was found dead in his rented room. His body was covered in skin lesions, very similar to radiation burns.
“The autopsy showed the cause of death was the ingestion of a metallic chemical compound—unknown, but with high concentrations of heavy metals that, according to the spectrometer, contained traces of Kappa radiation. Yes, the same one that leaks from those invisible Points.
“There was a clash with the Eddanian authorities because they refused to cooperate with the investigation on religious grounds, and another with the victim’s family because the Empire’s Forensic Division had confiscated the guy’s journal as evidence. Turns out, he was part of an extremist cult based in Markabia that experimented with synthetic drugs on its own followers, supposedly to achieve enlightenment or something. Nobody could prove the Eddanian nation was directly tied to the cult—though I’m sure my lovely rulers would’ve loved to find an excuse to start a war and seize control of the peninsula.”
Stolen story; please report.
“So, what happened?” Adam asked.
“The cult was dismantled before things got out of hand, and the case was closed. But remember the guy’s journal that Forensics kept? It mentioned that members chosen for sacrificial rituals had something they called ‘the charm.’ And no, they didn’t mean personality—it was something biological. Interestingly, those with ‘the charm’ were only Eddanians from the southern part of the peninsula, most of them with those peculiar physical traits, including the deceased guy.
“They exhumed his body and ran more tests but found nothing unusual—until they used the spectrometer on the unaffected tissue, not just the radiation wounds. Even though the body was lifeless, it was still emitting electromagnetic radiation at a frequency similar to Kappa. They thought it might be a side effect of the drug he’d ingested, but when they analyzed the substance with the Quantum Particle Reactor, they discovered a second, unknown type of radiation. Unlike Kappa, which relies on heavy metals as conductors, this one used minerals more… compatible with the human body. They named it Tau, and we still know very little about it. What we do know is that, unlike Kappa radiation, which comes from specific geographic locations, Tau radiation seems to channel through people. It’s detectable in roughly one out of every ten Eddanians, and like other quantum radiations, it has side effects—irritation in blood vessels. But instead of affecting the ears,” she pointed to her own, “it affects the mucous membranes.” She tapped her nose. “And since the only known source of ‘the charm’ is people from a culture that doesn’t exactly volunteer for scientific research… well, that complicates things.”
“The charm,” Adam repeated thoughtfully. “Maybe those stories you heard as a kid—that the Eddanians were sorcerers—weren’t so far-fetched after all.”
Vicky smirked. “Are you saying my nanny’s tales were true?” She leaned against a tree and crossed her arms. “Some think those physical traits are connected to Tau radiation, while others speculate it’s a mutation caused by the minerals in this peninsula. After all, the diamonds and gemstones they wear come from generations of Eddanians working the mines.”
“It makes sense,” Adam said. “Most millionaires I know made their fortunes that way. Mining, I mean—not weird radiations.”
Vicky smiled again, her face glowing like porcelain under the moonlight. “Well, I think we’ve had enough info dump for one day. What do you say we head back?”
Adam took one last look at the solitary cabin, swallowed by the night and buffeted by the wind, and nodded.
A spark. A jolt. A horrifying sensation. The sharp smell of ozone. A loud ringing in his ears. A bit of blood trickling from them. A racing heartbeat—and then they were back in the alley beside Dana’s.
The smell of wet grass was gone, replaced by city smog and garbage. Adam clutched his chest, waiting for his heart to slow down.
“How many of these jumps can a person take before they drop dead of a heart attack?” he asked.
“Relax,” Vicky replied, wiping her ears. “No more jumps today.”
“Not today, not tomorrow either,” he said, doing the same.
Feeling a bit calmer, he looked up. No moon here—not yet. The sky was painted orange as the sun began to set.
Running a hand through his static-charged hair, he sighed and glanced at the cuffs on his wrists. Amazing to think that the first time he’d seen them, he’d assumed they were just some new smartwatch from one of Homam Enterprises’ competitors.
He could hardly believe what he’d just gone through. How many people in this massive metropolis could say they’d teleported to the other side of the world in the blink of an eye? Then again, how many could say they had the luxury—or the curse—of spontaneously combusting in white flames or levitating?
Probably not many. Probably just him.
Once inside the car, Adam buckled his seatbelt. Before starting the engine, he waited a few seconds to make sure the tingling left in his muscles from the electric surges during the jumps had fully subsided. Though his body’s relationship with electronic devices had improved, those few moments of stillness were worth it if it meant avoiding any sparks caused by excess static.
He let out a laugh as he thought about how, just two weeks ago, his biggest worries were a cargo ship getting stuck at a foreign port with company purchases or a casual lover overstaying their welcome at his loft. Now, the challenge was facing new experiences and simply hoping to survive them.
During the drive home, Vicky winced as she checked the wound on her shoulder through her light blue blouse, making sure the gauze hadn’t come loose. Adam noticed out of the corner of his eye and turned at the next corner.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To the hospital,” he replied.
“No!”
“You need a doctor to take a look at that,” he insisted.
“I said no!”
“Alright, alright.” Adam raised a hand in surrender and steered the car back toward his apartment. “Geez, what a temper!”
“Sorry,” Vicky apologized. “But I’m fine. I just need to rest for a while.”
Adam shot her a suspicious glance.
“What are you afraid of?”
She stared back at him.
“What do you mean?”
“I thought you didn’t wanna go to the hospital because of your… fugitive status,” he said. “But I think there’s something else. Your rulers are far away from here; you’re not hiding from them, but from someone else.”
Vicky let out the same cryptic chuckle as before.
“Sharp, aren’t you? Definitely Juzo’s brother.”
“You’re hiding from the enemy? I mean… the A60, the Eddanian, and their lackeys?”
“No, they don’t bother me,” she replied.
Adam drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.
“Aha! So, there are other vultures circling around, huh?”
“There are,” Vicky admitted. “But trust me, that’s my problem, and mine alone.”
“What are you gonna do now?” Adam asked as they rode the elevator up in the Carter Building.
“I promised Juzo that if anything ever happened to him, I’d look out for you,” Vicky admitted.
Adam gave her a halfhearted smile. “Look out for me? What, are you trying to be my bodyguard?”
“No, I wouldn’t put it like that. More like… a guide.”
“You mean a tutor?” Adam’s look sent her a clear message, ‘Don’t even think about it.’
“Relax, relax,” she said. “Juzo’s idea was for you to have someone to protect you from any threat, even if he wasn’t around. But now that you’ve got your own powers, you don’t need me. I’ll disappear from your life as soon as I know you’re fine and safe.”
“I am fine and safe,” he retorted.
The elevator doors opened, and they headed toward the entrance to his loft.
“How about a deal that works for both of us?” Vicky suggested. “You train with me; I’ll help you learn to control your fire. Once you’re ready to handle yourself, I’ll leave. What do you say?” She raised her eyebrows, as if offering Adam the deal of a lifetime. “I get to keep my promise to Juzo and sleep with a clear conscience, and you’ll be free to do whatever you want.”
Adam scoffed. The idea of training didn’t appeal to him, especially if it meant having her scrutinize his every move.
“Think about it,” Vicky pressed. “This way, after a while, you won’t have to see my face, and I won’t have to see yours.”
Adam pursed his lips, unsure whether to form them into a smile or a bitter grimace.
“Training to control the disaster I’ve become,” he muttered.
The idea didn’t tempt him in the slightest. How much skill did someone really need to throw an energy bomb or fly? Sure, he’d burned his pants and injured his thigh, and he’d punched a hole in the ceiling—but why would he need to control powers he didn’t plan to use? Those white flames terrified him, and flying—contrary to what he might’ve once imagined—had turned out to be a nightmare, judging by what he’d gone through with Juzo and those thrusters.
He wasn’t a soldier like Vicky or his brother, and he had no intention of becoming one. There were a thousand things that didn’t add up in his head, but even so, he saw no reason to use his abilities. He was determined to reclaim his old life. Once he was sure there’d be no more energy leaks, no risk of hurting anyone, and no chance of being exposed as a lab experiment, the carefree Adam from a few weeks ago would be back, as if nothing had changed.
But then that memory returned: Juzo on his knees in Liberty Park, gravely injured while trying to protect him. A whirlwind of shame and responsibility once again darkened his expression.
“Fine,” he agreed. “I’ll do it for Juzo.”
“Thank you. Juzo would’ve wanted you to.”
“Yeah, well… you know what else Juzo would’ve wanted? For me to take a shower. And I think he’d have suggested the same to you.”
He opened the door and flipped the light switch, but the room remained dark. Damn it! Had he just blown the circuit? So much for the truce between him and electronic systems.
He tried the lamp in the living area—nothing. There were no sparks, no electrical buzzing; the switches simply didn’t work. It was as if there had been a power outage, but only in the loft; the hallway light outside was still on.
Maybe the apartment’s main fuses had burned out.
Or maybe someone had sabotaged them.