The sun hung high in the sky, painting everything in shades of gold and blue. The air at the fair was thick with the mingling scents of cotton candy, sizzling sausages, and the distinct, metallic tang of popcorn. Laughter and music filled the space, a stark contrast to the tension that had gripped Josh and his companions for so long. Today was supposed to be different. A day to breathe.

  Josh looked around with a rare smile. "Feels good to just... relax, doesn't it?"

  Lauri nodded, biting into a caramel apple with a grin. "It's nice to have a normal day for once. No tornadoes, no death traps, no crazy weather men wanting to blow up the moon. Just... a fair."

  Vlad stood off to the side, his hands in the pockets of his suit, ever the enigma in a sea of people dressed in bright, casual clothing. "You call this normal?" he muttered, exhaling a stream of smoke from his cigarette. "If this is normal, I'd hate to see abnormal." But even he couldn't help the slight curve of his lips.

  Lojan Mackimee danced through the crowd, playfully mimicking the gestures of a mime that had captured his attention. His indestructibility seemed oddly out of place amidst the frivolous fair atmosphere, but he was enjoying himself in his peculiar way.

  Josh nudged him. "Having fun, Lojan?"

  Lojan winked. "Always, kid. You know me. This place? It's like a candy store for weirdos." He made a dramatic twirl and gave a playful bow to an elderly couple passing by, who giggled at his antics.

  The group wandered through the fair, trying out various games, marveling at the street performers, and indulging in way too many snacks. For a brief moment, they were just normal young adults, enjoying a day without the threat of death or disaster.

  But as they approached a booth for "Guess Your Age," something caught Lojan's attention. He raised his hand to scratch his nose and noticed a thin red line on his index finger. A paper cut from earlier. Only... it wasn't healing.

  "Hmm..." Lojan stared at his finger with a frown. "That's weird."

  Josh glanced over. "What is?"

  "This." Lojan held up his finger. The cut, usually a non-event in his world of immortality, was still there, fresh and bleeding slightly.

  Lauri frowned, stepping closer. "Shouldn't that have healed by now?"

  Lojan nodded slowly, his expression darkening. "Yeah... It should have. I never stay injured. Ever."

  The mood shifted. Josh felt a chill run down his spine. "So... what's different now?"

  Lojan's eyes scanned the crowd. "Think back a bit. I bumped into someone... just over there by the carousel. A woman in a red coat. Right after that, I felt... strange."

  "You mean... you lost your powers when you bumped into her?" Josh's voice was a mix of surprise and concern.

  Vlad snuffed his cigarette, his expression turning serious. "That can't be a coincidence. If your powers stopped right after contact, then... it has to be her. Some sort of ability nullifier."

  Lauri nodded, her eyes darting around the fairground. "If that's true, we're in more trouble than we thought. If she can take Lojan's powers... she could do it to any of us."

  William Dangerfield, who had been quietly watching the whole time, raised an eyebrow. "We're in a fair packed with people, and there's someone out here who can strip powers by touch? That's... bad. Real bad."

  Josh took a deep breath, his mind racing. "Okay, we need to find her. Lojan, can you remember where you saw her last?"

  Lojan closed his eyes for a moment, replaying the scene in his mind. "Yeah. By the carousel. But she ran off when I looked back at her. I thought she was just a little freaked out by me."

  "Well, you are pretty freaky," William chuckled.

  "Flattery will get you nowhere, Dangerfield," Lojan shot back with a grin, but his eyes remained sharp, scanning the crowd. "We need to move, quickly. If she's still here, we might have a chance to stop her before she touches anyone else."

  They began moving through the crowd, subtly at first, trying not to draw too much attention. Josh felt his heart pounding as he looked around, searching for the red coat. A woman who could nullify powers... In a world like theirs, that was as dangerous as it got.

  Suddenly, Lauri pointed. "There! Near the Ferris wheel!"

  The woman in the red coat was weaving through the crowd, moving quickly, her head ducked low as if trying to avoid being seen.

  Josh's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, his breath steadying. "Alright, let's move. But be careful. We don't know what else she can do."

  They began to close in, maneuvering through the throngs of people, each step feeling like it might be their last moment of calm before another storm hit.

  Lojan, for the first time, seemed genuinely concerned. "And remember... she touches you, you're powerless. So stay sharp."

  They nodded, hearts racing, eyes focused on the woman in red, who seemed to sense their approach. She turned, caught Josh's eye for a brief second, and then... she bolted.

  Josh felt the adrenaline spike as they gave chase. This fair day was far from over, and it had just turned deadly serious.

  Josh's heart pounded in his chest as he and Lojan sprinted through the crowd, dodging around parents with strollers, teenagers with stuffed animals, and kids holding cotton candy. The woman in the red coat moved quickly, her figure disappearing and reappearing through the sea of bodies. Every time Josh thought he caught a glimpse of her, she seemed to slip away like a wisp of smoke.

  Lojan was right behind him, muttering under his breath. "I hate running... I'm more of a 'charge right in' kind of guy." Despite his complaints, he was fast, weaving through the crowd with a predator's ease.

  "There she is!" Josh shouted, pointing toward the Ferris wheel where the woman seemed to be ducking behind a ticket booth.

  Just as they picked up speed, a tall, burly man stepped in front of them, blocking their path. "Hey, back off, you creeps!" he barked, pushing Josh hard enough that he stumbled and nearly fell.

  Josh felt a jolt of panic. "Wait! We're not—"

  But the man wasn't listening. He shoved Josh again, harder this time, and Josh hit the ground, the wind knocked out of him.

  Lojan's eyes flashed with anger. "Alright, buddy, you asked for it!" he growled. Without another word, he stepped forward and drove his fist into the man's stomach. The man doubled over, and Lojan followed up with a swift knee to his chest, sending him sprawling backward into a nearby stall. The sound of wood splintering echoed through the fair, and people around them gasped, backing away.

  "Lojan!" Josh shouted, scrambling to his feet. "We don't have time for this!"

  But Lojan wasn't listening. The burly man staggered back up, only for Lojan to grab him by the collar and slam him against the side of the stall. "Maybe next time, keep your nose out of things you don't understand!" Lojan snarled before tossing him aside like a rag doll. The man crashed into a pile of stuffed animals, dazed and mumbling something incomprehensible.

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  Josh grabbed Lojan's arm. "Come on! We're losing her!"

  Lojan glanced at the crowd around them, noticing the stunned and fearful looks. He shrugged. "Eh, sorry folks. Guy had it coming."

  They turned and resumed their chase, but the woman in the red coat was nowhere to be seen. Josh felt frustration building inside him. They couldn't let her get away. Not when she might have the power to turn this entire game upside down.

  He had one option left. He had to use his ability, risky as it was.

  "Lojan, cover me," Josh muttered. "I need to go back... just a few minutes."

  Lojan nodded, instantly understanding. "Alright, make it quick. I'll keep the crowd busy."

  Josh closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing his mind on the moment he wanted to return to. The past rippled around him like water, and he stepped back in time, just a few minutes, to the moment when they first spotted the woman in red near the carousel.

  His vision blurred, and suddenly he was there again, standing just a few feet away from her. He moved closer, careful not to get too close, not to disturb anything in this fragile moment of the past. He saw her face clearly now—sharp features, intense green eyes that darted nervously around, and a small, distinctive scar just above her right eyebrow.

  Josh's breath caught in his throat. He knew that face.

  Ms. Jasmine.

  His eighth-grade English teacher. The woman who had spent countless hours encouraging him to read more, who'd always believed in his potential even when he doubted it himself.

  The world around him began to fade back into the present, but the realization hung in the air like a heavy fog. Ms. Jasmine... What was she doing here? And how did she have the power to nullify abilities?

  Josh's eyes snapped open, and he found himself back in the present, Lojan standing protectively over him, fists clenched. "Well? What'd you see?"

  Josh swallowed, his mind racing. "It's... it's my eighth-grade English teacher... Ms. Jasmine."

  Lojan blinked, then burst out laughing. "Your English teacher? Seriously? Man, your life is just getting weirder and weirder, Josh."

  Josh didn't laugh. His mind was whirling, questions buzzing like a hive of angry bees. "We need to find her. Now."

  Lojan nodded, suddenly serious again. "Yeah, no kidding. Let's go. And maybe this time, we avoid any more fights, yeah?"

  Josh nodded, still processing the shocking realization as they began to weave back through the crowd. The stakes had just gotten a lot higher—and a lot more personal.

  Josh and Lojan leaned against Ms. Jasmine's faded blue sedan, parked in the far corner of the lot behind Grady middle School. The school day was winding down, and the afternoon sun cast long shadows across the asphalt, stretching over the cracked surface like tired fingers reaching for something unseen. Josh glanced at his phone; the clock read 3:25 PM. Any minute now.

  Lojan fidgeted, crossing and uncrossing his arms. "What if she doesn't show?" he muttered.

  "She has to show. It's her car," Josh replied, eyes fixed on the school's exit. "Unless she figures out we're waiting for her."

  Lojan snorted. "And you don't think she'd sense that? The woman can strip your powers with a touch, Josh. She's not dumb."

  Josh's lips thinned. "I know she's not dumb. But we have to try, right? I mean, you want your powers back, don't you?"

  Lojan turned to him, his expression softening for the first time that day. "Yeah. You're right." He gave a crooked grin. "Besides, I'm not losing to an eighth-grade English teacher."

  Moments later, the door to the school opened, and a small figure emerged, clutching a brown leather bag close to her side. Ms. Jasmine. She looked just like Josh remembered — a petite woman with curly, auburn hair now speckled with a few more grays, her face drawn and tired. She seemed wary as she spotted them, her steps hesitating.

  "Here we go," Josh whispered, straightening up. Lojan's posture shifted, tense but ready.

  Ms. Jasmine's eyes widened in recognition and fear. She glanced around as if considering bolting. Lojan made the first move, stepping forward quickly. "Ms. Jasmine, wait!" he called out.

  She didn't wait. She turned on her heel and sprinted toward the staff parking lot. Lojan cursed under his breath and took off after her, Josh following close behind. She was fast, surprisingly nimble for a middle-aged teacher, weaving between cars with agility.

  "Stop! We just want to talk!" Josh shouted, but she didn't look back.

  Lojan managed to catch up first, darting around a parked truck and intercepting her path. "Okay, Ms. Jasmine, we can do this the easy way or—"

  Without missing a beat, she swung her bag at his face. Lojan ducked just in time, his reflexes still sharp even without his powers. "Seriously?" he muttered.

  She spun around, but Josh was there to block her escape. "Ms. Jasmine, please," he said, breathless. "We're not here to hurt you. We just... We just want Lojan's powers back."

  Ms. Jasmine stopped, her chest heaving. "I—I'm sorry," she said, voice trembling. "I didn't mean to take them. It was an accident."

  Lojan raised an eyebrow. "An accident? You accidentally stripped me of my immortality and regeneration?"

  She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I was scared! You bumped into me, and my power just... activated. I didn't mean for it to happen."

  Josh softened at her expression, stepping forward slowly. "Look, we get it. Weird things happen, especially around people like us. But we need you to fix it. Please."

  Ms. Jasmine looked between the two of them, her fear slowly subsiding. "Okay... okay," she whispered. She reached out and hesitated. "I just... touch him again, and it should reverse."

  Lojan gave a reassuring nod, holding out his arm. "Go ahead. I'm ready."

  Ms. Jasmine took a deep breath and placed her hand gently on his forearm. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a soft shimmer, like heat rising from pavement, rippled through the air around Lojan. He blinked, flexing his fingers, a grin spreading across his face as the familiar tingle of his regenerative abilities returned.

  "Hell yeah!" Lojan laughed, punching the air. "I'm back, baby!"

  Ms. Jasmine sighed, her shoulders slumping with relief. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble..."

  Josh smiled. "It's okay, Ms. Jasmine. Just... maybe be more careful who you touch next time?"

  She nodded, still looking shaken. "I will. I promise. I just... didn't want any trouble. Not again."

  Lojan clapped her on the shoulder with a grin. "Hey, don't sweat it. We all have bad days. Just glad to be back in one piece. And, uh, you might want to stay away from fairs from now on."

  She chuckled nervously. "I think I will. Thank you... both of you."

  Josh gave her a small wave as they turned to leave. "Take care, Ms. Jasmine."

  They walked away, feeling the tension slowly drain from their bodies. As they rounded the corner out of sight, Josh let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

  "Well," Lojan grinned, "that was easier than I thought it'd be."

  Josh nodded, but his mind was already spinning with questions. Who else out there had powers they hadn't considered? And how many more surprises were waiting for them before this lottery ended?

  "Let's just hope it stays that way," he muttered.

  But deep down, he knew better. In a world like theirs, things rarely stayed simple for long.

  The rain drummed steadily against the windows of the small, cluttered apartment. A distant rumble of thunder rolled through the city, echoing the quiet tension that hung between them. William leaned against the kitchen counter, a half-empty mug of coffee in his hand, and glanced at the clock on the microwave. "Five days gone," he muttered. "That leaves us with a week and two days. We're running out of time."

  Josh, perched on the arm of a chair, nodded absently, his mind elsewhere. Lojan, sitting cross-legged on the floor, tossed an apple in the air and caught it with lazy ease. "Plenty of time," he said with a grin. "It's not like we're on a death clock or anything."

  Lauri rolled her eyes from where she stood by the window, peering out at the gray, rain-soaked street below. "You say that like the stakes aren't high. I'd prefer not to be poor for the rest of my life, thank you."

  Vlad, leaning against the doorframe with a cigarette between his fingers, exhaled a thin stream of smoke. "Groceries first, then," he said in his thick Eastern European accent. "If we are going to fight for our lives, we do it on a full stomach."

  Josh nodded. "Right. Let's get it over with. The weather's bad, but it's not like we have a choice."

  They bundled up against the rain and headed out, each with a mental list of errands to run. The streets were a mess of puddles and rivulets, the cold rain soaking through their jackets in minutes. They split up to cover more ground — Lauri and Vlad to the pharmacy, William to find tools for the next plan, and Josh and Lojan to the grocery store.

  Josh pulled the hood of his jacket over his head as he stepped out onto the wet sidewalk. The rain pelted him in a steady rhythm, and he tightened his grip on the plastic bags in his hand. "I'll grab the rest," he called back to Lojan, who was struggling with a cart filled to the brim with supplies.

  Lojan gave him a thumbs-up. "Sure thing, boss! Don't take too long; I hate the smell of wet bread."

  Josh chuckled, stepping into the open street. The rain was heavier now, drumming against the asphalt. He glanced around, feeling oddly exposed in the downpour. His eyes drifted across the street when he saw him — a man in a long, dark coat and a top hat, walking with a cane. The figure moved with an eerie grace, his footsteps light despite the slick ground.

  Josh's heart skipped a beat. Something about the man felt... off. A cold shiver ran down his spine, cutting through the rain's chill. As if sensing his gaze, the man turned his head slightly, and Josh caught a glimpse of his face — pale, with piercing eyes that seemed to see right through him.

  "It's too soon," the man murmured, barely audible over the rain, his voice a whisper carried on the wind.

  Josh blinked, momentarily confused. "Hey! Wait!" he shouted, stepping forward, but the man was already turning away, moving with surprising speed through the thickening rain.

  Without thinking, Josh dropped the bags and sprinted after him. "Wait up!" he called again, but the figure didn't slow down. Josh felt his feet slipping on the wet pavement, but he pushed forward, driven by an instinct he couldn't explain.

  The man turned a corner, and Josh followed, but when he rounded the bend, he saw the man already halfway down the next block. "How...?" Josh muttered, quickening his pace. No matter how fast he ran, the man seemed to stay just out of reach.

  He darted across the street, narrowly avoiding a taxi that screeched to a halt, its horn blaring angrily. The man in the coat glanced back again, a small, knowing smile playing at his lips.

  Josh's frustration mounted. Every step he took seemed to bring a new obstacle — a pedestrian blocking his path, a car pulling out unexpectedly, and then, as if on cue, a cascade of vehicles collided right in front of him. Tires screeched, and metal crunched against metal. Josh skidded to a halt, breathless, staring at the chaos.

  He tried to dart around the crash, but each route was blocked — doors flung open, people stepping out, shouting, and confusion spreading through the air like a wave. Josh jumped over a hood, slipped on the wet ground, and barely caught himself against a lamppost.

  "Dammit," he muttered, his heart pounding. He looked up, trying to find the man again, but he was gone. Vanished.

  Josh stood there, drenched and panting, staring at the empty street ahead. His mind raced. Who was that? What did he mean by "too soon"?

  Lojan caught up to him, panting and soaked. "What the hell, man? You can't just run off like that!"

  Josh shook his head, still trying to process what he'd seen. "There was... this guy. In a coat and top hat. He said... something strange. I had to follow him, but—"

  "But what? He disappeared into thin air?" Lojan scoffed, but there was an edge of concern in his voice.

  Josh nodded slowly. "Yeah... basically."

  Lojan sighed, clapping Josh on the shoulder. "Man, this lottery is messing with all of us. Let's just get back to the others. We've got a lot to figure out, and chasing weirdos in the rain isn't helping."

  Josh nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the encounter meant something — something he couldn't quite grasp yet. As they headed back to the apartment, the rain continued to pour, and Josh found himself glancing over his shoulder more than once, searching for a glimpse of that pale face, those piercing eyes.

  But there was nothing there. Only the rain and the shadows it cast.

  To be continued...