Jasper walked down the dimly lit corridor, his eyes glazed over and his mouth slightly ajar. He had just woken up from a deep slumber and was headed towards his room to take a shower. He had gotten back hours ago, and had immediately gone to sleep on the couch after eating the only thing his eyes could lay on: a grilled cheese sandwich. Now he was awake and felt more alive than ever. As he shuffled towards his room, he noticed the door to his uncle's study was slightly ajar, and stopped. "Is he home?" he wondered aloud, pushing the door open and hoping to find him inside. But the room was empty, the only signs of life a few scattered books and an open window that let in a chill breeze. Jasper let out a frustrated sigh. So much for his uncle's supposed retirement. He was barely around, and only came back in the late hours after midnight. Sometimes he returned covered in dirt, other times with bloodstains on his clothes. And then he would head out early the next day, repeating the same

Sebastian sat at the last corner of Anne's Coffee shop, surrounded by the soothing sounds of soft jazz music as he took a sip from the coffee in front of him. The atmosphere was intimate, with soft lighting and comfortable seating, and everyone around him, except for himself, was seated in pairs, dressed nicely as if on a date. Sebastian checked his watch; it was 5 pm now, and Lena still hadn't arrived. He had been sitting there for an hour, waiting for her so they could discuss the crime scene in the mine and the black fog hovering around Ryder's body. But Lena still hadn't shown up yet. Had she forgotten about their meeting? Or had something come up, and she had decided to cancel at the last minute? Sebastian wondered, but quickly pushed the thoughts away. Knowing Lena, she would do anything to get to the bottom of this case, even if it meant going to hell and back. Sebastian thought with a smile as he took a journey down memory lane. Oh, how long had it been since they'd last see

"And here's my room!" Maya announced as she walked the two boys into her room, before dropping her school bag onto the bed in front of her. "Wow... your room is really cool, Maya. You have a nice home," Mason said after walking into the room, as he kept turning around to take a better look. With a queen-size bed that sat at the far end of the room, and stacks of shelves loaded with books of all kinds, Maya's room was truly an extravagant one, which was to be expected since Maya's family was into real estate and other lucrative businesses. "Thank you," Maya said shyly as the boys closed the door behind them. After school had ended, she had taken them to her home, just as she had promised, so they could talk about the faction and future plans and also meet her dad."I didn't take you to be a reader," Jasper said as he ran his fingers through the books, taking a brief look at each one before moving onto the next. Mason nodded too; there were more books here than there were in the school

Jasper was standing under the streetlight on Falcon Street when he noticed Mason walking towards him, all dressed up. It was 9:50 pm now, and the entire street was silent. Because of the frequent disturbances caused by the factions, nobody stayed outside late these days, which was the same case for Falcon Street. All the shops had closed, and only the police sirens could be heard from a few blocks away. But aside from that, everywhere was clear."You got here earlier than I thought you would," Jasper said as Mason approached. "And I see you came fully prepared. You have your mask on, just like I told you to.""Yours is way cooler," Mason said with a warm smile as he observed Jasper. He was dressed up nicely, with a green mask that covered his eyes all the way down to his nose. But aside from that, he couldn't see any weapons with him, and he wondered why."Are you going in without a weapon?" Mason asked, and Jasper gave him a lukewarm smile."I don't need one. I have an ability reserv

Elvis Malcolm, the sole survivor of the Malcolm Home fire, and the one everyone revered as the scarred monster due to the burn on his face. Mason couldn't forget him, even if he tried. Besides him, Elvis was also another victim of bullying in Avalon School. Before Mason had obtained the system, there were days he wanted to talk to him and become friends. He felt they were similar: both orphans, without abilities, and victims of bullying.But now, that boy was here in the Dead Grounds, part of a gang, and he had an ability too. Mason couldn't believe it, no matter how hard he tried."We need to talk to him," Mason said, pointing toward Elvis. And Jasper raised an eyebrow."You mean Flame Breather? Why would we want to do that?""Because he's Elvis Malcolm, the sole survivor of the Malcolm Home fire.""He's wearing a mask, Mason. How can you tell?""I know it's strange, Jasper, but I need you to trust me on this." Mason took a deep breath. For some reason, he knew something wasn't righ