(Lisa's POV)
I felt like I was floating, the world a blur. When it stopped, I stumbled – into a dimly lit room. Old books lined shelves, a fireplace crackled. Alex stood beside me, David nowhere.
For a second my legs didn't work. I grabbed the edge of a wooden table to steady myself, my head spinning like I'd just stepped off a roller coaster.
The room smelled like smoke and old paper. Warm orange light from the fireplace flickered across the walls, revealing tall shelves packed with thick, dusty books. Some of them looked ancient, their leather covers cracked with age.
A large wooden desk stood near the center of the room, covered in scattered papers, strange diagrams, and a few glowing crystals.
None of this looked like a place that should exist in the middle of my normal life.
"Where am I?" I asked, voice shaky.
Alex moved calmly across the room, like this kind of chaos was completely normal to him.
"A safe place," Alex said, moving to a map on the wall. "For now."
The map caught my attention immediately.
It was huge, covering almost the entire wall. Red pins, strange symbols, and handwritten notes were scattered across it. Cities were circled in thick black ink, and thin lines connected them like some kind of web.
Before I could ask about it—
The door behind me slammed open.
Susan burst in, eyes frantic. "Lisa! I tracked you—"
I spun around in shock.
"Susan?!"
She rushed across the room and wrapped me in a tight hug.
For a moment, the fear and confusion melted away.
I hugged her back hard. "I'm okay."
She pulled away just enough to look at me.
"You disappeared off the map for ten seconds," she said quickly. "Then suddenly you were here. Wherever *here* is."
Alex nodded once. "Good. We need to talk."
He gestured toward the map.
Reluctantly, Susan and I stepped closer.
He pointed to several glowing symbols scattered across different cities.
He pointed to the map – cities, symbols, names. "You're part of a *nexus*. People like you – luminae – are connected."
The word hung in the air.
Nexus.
It sounded important. Dangerous.
Before I could ask what it meant—
The door creaked again.
David appeared at the door, arms crossed. "Lisa, I—"
Relief flashed across my chest the moment I saw him.
But Alex stepped forward instantly.
Alex cut him off. "No, David. She needs to know."
The tension between them filled the room again like static electricity.
Susan grabbed my hand. "Know what?"
Her fingers were cold against mine.
Alex's eyes were serious. "Luminae have powers. Yours is... unique. You can *shift* realities."
For a moment, the room went completely silent.
Shift realities?
My brain struggled to even process the words.
I let out a short laugh.
Shift realities? I laughed, but no one joined in.
The silence that followed made the laugh die in my throat.
No one was joking.
David stepped away from the doorway and walked toward us slowly.
David stepped closer. "Lisa, it's true. I've seen it."
The hum inside me pulsed again.
Like it was responding to the conversation.
Memories flashed through my mind without warning.
The cafeteria freezing.
The sparks in my hands.
The world pausing while everyone else stayed frozen.
Susan squeezed my hand harder.
Susan's voice was tiny. "What does it mean?"
Alex looked directly at me when he answered.
"It means," Alex said, "you're a key. Others want to use your power."
The words made my stomach drop.
A key?
Use me?
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Like the walls were slowly closing in.
If what Alex said was true… then the weird things happening to me weren't accidents.
They were abilities.
Abilities that other people wanted.
David stepped closer until he was only a few feet away.
His voice was softer now.
David's eyes locked onto mine. "But I'll protect you."
For a second, the way he said it made my chest tighten.
Like he truly meant it.
The fireplace crackled behind us, sending shadows dancing across the walls and ceiling. The flickering light made the room feel alive, like it was listening to every word.
None of us spoke for a moment.
Then—
The door creaked open...