Morning light crept across Leo's bedroom floor. Outside, birds called to each other in the trees.
Leo's hand fumbled for his alarm before it could go off, but his hand settled on something flatter.
A piece of paper.
Leo stood up from his bed, clutching the paper in his hand. His sight cleared as he tried to read what was on it.
"Dear Leo…" he whispered. "I know your grandfather. Meet me at the school basement this evening…"
Huh?
He read it again. Then again.
My grandfather…? His heart quickened. No one mentioned anything about his grandfather since the day he woke up. Not once in six months. Not his parents. Not even when he'd asked directly.
Like the name itself was forbidden.
So why now?
"No. No, this is just—" He crumpled the paper in his fist. "It's a sick prank. Has to be."
But his hands were shaking.
The fact that it mentioned his grandfather made his heart ache. His death; the incident that turned Leo into this… 'thing' he was right now, or that's what he called himself sometimes.
"Leo! You're going to be late!" His mom shouted from the kitchen, bringing him back to reality. He flinched; the note still clutched in his hand.
"Coming!" he called back, voice shakier than he intended.
He shoved the note into his pocket and tried to push the thoughts away.
Just a prank. Just someone messing with me.
But his hands wouldn't stop trembling.
He grabbed his backpack and headed downstairs, the note burning a hole in his pocket.
This evening.
Less than eight hours to decide if he was brave enough—or stupid enough—to go.
…
Leo was no better at school.
Classes passed in a blur. Every time a teacher called his name, he flinched. He copied notes without reading them. Raised his hand when prompted. Nodded along.
But inside, his mind was screaming.
How did it get there?
How does it know about my grandfather?
What does it want from me?
Every rational part of him screamed prank. Someone messing with him.
But what if it wasn't?
What if this person really knew something about his grandfather's death?
Ever since the day he woke up, he had this weird feeling in his chest. Something between 'there is more to the story' and 'please find me' kind of feeling. He had been dismissing it since, but it kept growing.
"HEY!!" Someone screamed in his face. Leo jerked backward, nearly toppling out of his chair.
Betty stood over him, hands on her hips.
"It's already lunch time, idiot," she continued. A small smile tugged at her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. She was worried.
"Oh, yeah, right… right…" Leo muttered, avoiding eye contact. He stood and tried to slip past her, but Betty stepped directly into his path, arms crossed.
"Um… Can I go to lunch?" Leo asked blankly.
"Not until you tell me what's wrong with you today." She demanded.
"Nothing…"
"It's not nothing! You have been acting weird all day."
"I'm just tired. Didn't sleep well." He rubbed the back of his neck, still not looking at her. "You know how it is…" He kept looking away. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool classroom air.
She's going to figure it out. She always does.
"No, I don't." Her voice softened. "I am really worried about you, Leo."
"I… I am sorry…" He pushed past her before she could respond.
I can't tell her. What would I even say?
'Someone broke into my room and left a note about my dead grandfather'?
It would only make her worry more. And he couldn't drag her into… whatever this was.
"Leo… why can't you understand…" Betty whispered under her breath.
The rest of day dragged the same way. Hours blended while Leo's thoughts spiralled like paint in the sink.
The final bell rang. Leo was out of his seat before the sound faded, shoving books into his bag, heading for the door. Betty followed him through the corridors, calling his name, but he was too immersed in his own world to hear her. Leo rounded a corner and slammed straight into someone.
"Whoa, bro. What's the hurry?" Liam stumbled back, catching himself.
"I'm just… I just need to get home…" Leo wouldn't meet his eyes either.
"Leo!" Betty caught up from behind, putting her hand on his shoulder while trying to catch her breath. "Leo… Why are you running away from me?"
"I'm not running."
"Well, you were," Liam said. "What's up with you today?"
"Nothing—"
"It's not nothing!" Betty interrupted. "He's hiding something." Her voice faltered. "At least… I think he is."
"It's nothing, you people!" Leo pushed them away. "I am just tired, okay?"
Betty and Liam watched him walk away. Liam sighed but didn't follow. He knew when to give someone space. Betty, however, didn't want to accept his excuses. She cared about him deeply, that seeing like this, so closed off, so scared…
It made her heart ache.
…
The school after hours was a different place entirely. A silence that pressed too hard against his skull. He'd hidden in an empty classroom, waiting for the last stragglers to leave, so he could make his way to the basement.
The setting sun cast long shadows across the hallways, stretching them into strange, finger-like shapes. Every little sound made him jump. A locker settling. Footsteps overhead — or was that his imagination? — He kept checking over his shoulder.
If I get caught, I'll be in big trouble…
Go back! It's a trap! Go back!
Your grandfather…
Thoughts clashed in his mind, each trying to force itself on Leo. And before he knew it, he found himself before the basement staircase. His heart was about to explode from his chest cage. His hands slippery from all the sweating.
Leo… You got this… You— You can d-d-do it…
He was able to make his way down, barely. He descended one step at a time, hand white-knuckled on the railing. Each step felt like it might be his last chance to turn back.
The stairwell was dim, lit by a single flickering bulb. Cobwebs clung to the corners. The walls were stained with moisture and spotted with mold. The air smelled damp and forgotten. He found a metallic door at the end, rusty, neglected. Anyone would be disgusted by such a place, but for Leo, it felt like home…
Leo approached the metallic door, and pushed. Nothing. Pulled. Nothing.
There wasn't even a handle. No keyhole. No visible mechanism. Just smooth, rusty metal.
Alright. Fine. Nothing here.
Relief flooded through him.
It was just a prank after all. Ha. Ha.
He turned to leave—
A sound stopped him cold.
Metal shrieking. Grinding.
He spun back around.
The door was opening.
Slowly. On its own.
A man appeared from the other end. Tall. Sharp features. Dark eyes that seemed to see right through him. Leo stumbled backwards. His legs gave out.
"Leo…" The man's voice was surprisingly soft. Almost… sad? "I've been waiting for you. Please. Come in."
Leo was definitely not going inside, but the tug in his chest flared to life. Stronger than ever. Almost painful. He knew something was about to happen, but he wasn't sure if it's good or bad.
…
The door swung shut behind Leo as he made his way inside.
It was… a lab.
Strange machines lined the walls. Wires snaking between them like veins. Monitors displayed streams of numbers and symbols he couldn't comprehend. Lights flickered in rhythmic patterns that almost seemed alive.
The hum of electricity filled the air, buzzing in his ears.
"My name is Felix," the man spoke. "I… I was your grandfather's research partner."
"Research partner?" Leo's shoulders tensed. His grandfather had never mentioned any partner.
"He was a scientist. A brilliant one. But when Alph—"
"—He shouldn't have been killed…" Felix whispered under his breath, but it came out louder than he intended.
Killed? Killed?! KILLED?!
"KILLED?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'KILLED'?!" Leo clenched his fists, his knuckles white, his eyes red.
"I know…" Felix tried to calm him down, but Leo lunged forward before he could finish his sentence.
"Did you kill him?! Who killed him?! What happened to him?! WHO DID IT?!!!"
Felix gently but firmly took Leo's wrists, stopping him. His grip was steady, but his eyes were pained.
"Leo. I know. Believe me, I know." His voice cracked. "Please. Let me explain."
Leo stared at Felix's eyes. He saw pain, fury, and something else Leo couldn't name.
"Alright." Leo looked down at his hands, then back at Felix. "What happened? Really?"
Felix took a breath. "Fifteen years ago, your grandfather and I used to work at an international organization that specialized in energy research, and we were the lead scientists… It was called… Alphabet."
"Alphabet?" Leo muttered.
"Yes. Their goal was to discover a way of manipulating energy using the human body as the energy reservoir. All their previous attempts required external sources and huge amounts of energy. But your grandfather was a brilliant man. He was able to make a breakthrough in energy manipulation. A way to make it internal. But he was afraid…"
"Afraid?"
"He was afraid that if Alphabet were able to get their hands on it, the entire universe would succumb to death. No… not just our universe. The entire multiverse…"
"…"
"So we ran. Together. And we kept developing what could be the only possible way to stop Alphabet. He called it: The Bracelet."
Felix walked to a console and pressed a sequence of buttons. The air above the table shimmered. Light coalesced, forming shapes, lines of code swirling into form.
A hologram materialized. A bracelet. Sleek, metallic, with intricate patterns etched into its surface. It pulsed with faint light; blue, then gold, then something in between. Almost alive. Almost… sentient.
Otherworldly.
"This," Felix gestured to the hologram. "This is what your grandfather had spent his entire life on."
"His… entire life?" Leo stuttered. It was like everything was becoming clearer, like a morning fog clearing, revealing a sunny day.
"The Bracelet is a device that, when planted into an altered host, allows them to channel and manipulate energy at will. It doesn't require external sources, nor any kind of energy amplifier. It runs purely on the host's energy reservoirs."
"This…" Leo gulped. "This is insane. You are insane!"
"This project cost your grandfather his life." Felix's voice was eerily calm. "It's his legacy."
"What does any of this have to do with me?"
"Because you are the host, Leo. Your grandfather altered your DNA. Before you were even old enough to understand. He made you... perfect for this."
The silence that followed was louder than any words. Leo couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
He... altered me? Before I even knew? Before I could say no?
"Before his death, your grandfather injected you with a serum that rewrote your genetic code. It made your body compatible with the Bracelet. That's why you slept for seven—"
"NO!" Leo screamed, his hands clutching his head. "No. No, that's not—he wouldn't—"
"You were chosen before you even had a choice, Leo."
"I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for anything! I'm just a kid who lost seven years! I just want my life back! I want to be normal!" Tears streamed down his cheeks. His legs gave out, his body trembled despite the warmth of the lab.
"I understand this is overwhelming," Felix's expression was grave, but unyielding. "But you should take on this power. Train with me. Help me stop Alphabet and honor your grandfather's sacrifice."
"I need time. I need to think."
"I don't think there's time, Leo. Alphabet already knows that you are awake. It's just a matter of time before they take you away."
Leo's world tilted. Grandfather. Organization. Power. Energy. Training. Altered…
A fifteen-year-old kid shouldn't go through this. He wanted to believe that he was just a normal kid.
But he wasn't.
He was what he called himself the most.
A subject.
A thing.
A toy.
"So, Leo." Felix spread his arms, as if weighing the consequences of every choice. "Would you take on your grandfather's legacy and save the world? Or would you run away?"