Dominic sat in his room at West Horizon Academy, his eyes fixed on the sprawling cityscape outside the window. The distant hum of life, cars moving, and the occasional whoosh of a super flying overhead were the only sounds that broke the stillness of his thoughts. His hands were clasped tightly in his lap, the skin of his knuckles pale from the pressure. His father’s words from the funeral still echoed in his head, loud and unforgiving.

  "The Nova Horizons are about to move into full-time hero work. It’s time to decide who among them will join the Guardians."

  The room felt too small, too suffocating. His own heartbeat seemed to reverberate in his chest, louder with each passing second. He stood abruptly, pushing his chair back, and began to pace the length of his small dormitory. The walls, adorned with posters of famous heroes and mementos from his years of training, seemed to close in on him.

  There was a time when those posters had inspired him. He’d spent years idolizing heroes like Stellar and Crimson Nova, imagining that one day, his own poster would hang in some aspiring student’s room. But now, all he could feel was the weight of his own failure.

  I don’t have powers. I’ll never be one of them.

  The thought gnawed at him. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into the skin of his palms. The Nova Horizons—students with immense potential, the best of the best—were all being groomed for greatness. And he… he was stuck on the sidelines. Without powers, he wasn’t even in the running to be a Nova, let alone a Guardian.

  Dominic sank back onto his bed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, head hanging low. His thoughts circled back to the conversation he’d overheard between his father and Stellar, discussing who might be chosen to replace Crimson Nova. It wasn’t just that he was excluded from that conversation—it was that the door had been firmly shut in his face, leaving him outside, powerless and unnoticed.

  "I’m more than this," he muttered to himself, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I have to be more than this."

  The anger building in his chest was familiar now, but this time, it felt different—sharper, more focused. He could feel it burning through the disappointment, the frustration. He wasn’t going to be another powerless son of a hero, waiting for something that might never come. No. He had to act.

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  But how? How could he compete in a world where strength was measured in raw power?

  His mind raced through possibilities. He could train harder, push his body to its limits. His father had always emphasized the importance of physical conditioning, and Dominic was already in better shape than most students. But was that enough? Would sheer determination close the gap between him and those who could manipulate the elements or bend space?

  Dominic’s thoughts drifted back to the NovaTech incident, where he’d witnessed firsthand how the heroes—those he had looked up to his entire life—were brought low. He still remembered the chaos, the fear that clung to him as he watched powers clash, the seemingly unstoppable heroes falling one after another. And amidst all that, there was one figure who had moved through the chaos like a ghost: Veil.

  The mysterious vigilante had been spoken of in whispers, a rogue who operated outside the bounds of the law. Dominic had heard about him after the fight, his father mentioning the name in passing while discussing the incident with other heroes. Veil had been at NovaTech, and from what little Dominic had pieced together, he had played a crucial role in stopping the attack. But what truly stuck with Dominic was the fact that Veil had no visible powers during the battle—at least, none that were as obvious as the ones wielded by the registered heroes.

  Dominic sat up straighter, the pieces beginning to fall into place. Veil, the shadowy figure who moved undetected, was rumored to rely more on skill and strategy than raw power. He had fought against enemies far stronger and won. Could Dominic do the same? Could he find a way to be effective, to make a difference, even without powers?

  The thought lingered, a flicker of hope amidst the frustration. Dominic had seen Veil's impact. If Veil could stand alongside the powered heroes, maybe there was a path for him too. He had never met Veil, never seen the vigilante up close, but if he could track him down, perhaps Veil could teach him what it took to fight in a world dominated by powers. Maybe Veil could show him how to harness the one thing he did have—his will.

  The idea was both thrilling and terrifying. Dominic had been raised in a world where the system ruled, where every hero was registered, every move monitored. Seeking out a vigilante, especially one who operated outside that system, was a dangerous step. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He couldn’t keep waiting for his powers to manifest, couldn’t stand by and let others determine his future. If he wanted to join the Novas, to become a hero like his parents, he had to act now.

  The decision settled in his chest, firm and resolute. He needed to find Veil. Not just to understand how to fight without powers, but to understand what it meant to operate in the shadows, to work outside the system while still making an impact.

  And maybe, just maybe, Veil would see something in him worth mentoring.