Evan waited until Lily had left for school.He watched her from the window as she walked down the street, backpack on, earphones in, just a normal girl. Completely alive. Once she turned the corner, he moved.He grabbed his jacket, shoved the notebook into his pocket, and headed out.The walk to Elm Street took twenty minutes, which felt longer than he remembered. His legs felt heavy and weak. He knew he’d have to fix that.The neighborhood looked the same. The same houses, the cracked sidewalks, even the same old lady watering her flowers. He knew she’d be dead in six months. He kept walking to push the thought away.Marcus lived at the end of the street in a small, brown house with a garage that was disproportionately larger than the actual building.Evan stood in the driveway for a moment.Does he even know who I am? No. We’ve never met.He knocked.Silence.He knocked again, harder this time.The door swung open to reveal a man with a grey beard and a flannel shirt, his eyes looki

Evan didn't respond immediately.He just stood there, staring at Chen, trying to wrap his head around what he’d just heard. His son knew. He saw the future. And he told Chen to watch for me."How?" Evan finally asked, his voice low. "How could his son possibly know?"Chen shook his head slowly. "I have no idea. He never gave me details. He just insisted he’d seen things things that hadn't happened yet. I honestly thought he was sick, losing his grip on reality." He paused, a shadow crossing his face. "Then he died. And suddenly, I started wondering if he was right.""Did he say anything else? Anything specific?""He said the person who arrived would be young. Younger than they were supposed to be. He said they would possess knowledge they had no right to have. And he said they would be alone." Chen looked Evan dead in the eye. "Are you alone?"Evan stayed silent."That’s what I thought." Chen turned away and walked toward the punching bag. "We start tomorrow. Six in the morning. Don't

Evan woke up before the alarm could even go off.For a moment, he just lay there, staring into the dark. Then it hit him.The notebook. He sat up abruptly and glanced toward his desk. The drawer was shut.He got out of bed, crossed the room, and pulled it open.The notebook was right where he had left it. I must have imagined it, he thought.He picked it up and flipped through the pages. Everything was intact the lists, the names, the dates. Everything.He turned to the very last entry.28 DAYS.Grabbing a pen, he drew a line through the number and wrote:27 DAYS.Then, he got dressed and headed downstairs.Lily was already at the kitchen table, eating cereal in silence."Morning," he said.She didn't even look up. "Morning."He sat across from her and poured himself a bowl. "You're up early," he noted."Couldn't sleep.""Bad dreams?"She just shrugged. "Something like that."They ate in a heavy silence.Evan found himself watching her the way she gripped her spoon, the rhythm of her

Evan woke up to the scent of toast.It wasn't burnt this time, just plain, simple toast.He headed downstairs to find Lily sitting at the kitchen table with two plates of eggs and toast laid out. She looked up as he entered the room."Morning," she said."Morning."He took his seat, and she slid a plate toward him."Thanks."They ate in silence. It wasn't a heavy or awkward silence, nor was it fueled by anger. It was just... quiet."You okay?" he eventually asked."Yeah." She took a bite. "I’ve been thinking about what you said.""And?""I don't get it. None of it," she admitted, meeting his eyes. "But you're my brother. I trust you."Evan felt a knot form in his throat."Thanks.""Just don't lie to me again," she warned.He nodded. "I won't."Another lie.He arrived at the dojo at six sharp, Chen was already there, waiting."Two hundred skips. Then we get to work."Evan pushed through the routine. His legs were still aching from the day before, but he didn't let it slow him down. Aft

Evan didn't get any sleep.He just sat there at his desk, clutching Director Vasquez’s card in one hand while his notebook lay open in front of him.System Academy. The first class has already been picked. Why me?He stared at the address on the card. Downtown. A massive, imposing building. He’d walked past it countless times in his old life, but he’d never had a reason to step inside.She knows about April 2nd. She knows about the Awakening. She even knows my name.Setting the card down, he turned back to the notebook.25 DAYS.He drew a thick line through it and scribbled:24 DAYS.Then, he flipped the page to the entry on Adam Cole.ADAM COLE — THIRD REBORN — DANGEROUS — FIND HIM FIRSTSarah mentioned he’s bounced through three different cities in the last week. He’s moving fast, searching for something. Or maybe someone.Maybe he’s looking for me.He closed the notebook and lay back, staring blankly at the ceiling.24 days.And I still don't even know who I'm up against.Morning a