Imperial Square was filled with people from all over the undercity, gathered in front of the grand entrance of the Senate building, the seat of planetary government for Halatia. However, unlike the wealthy and prosperous upper city, the area designated for the undercity at the base of the Senate building resembled a vast cave, ensuring that they couldn't bother or influence their social superiors hundreds of meters above. The base of the Senate building was so massive and imposing that it looked like an endless wall, with no visible top or sides, only thousands of glowing windows indicating the presence of people inside working.

  By the time they arrived, thousands of people had already gathered, brandishing homemade banners and signs. The air was charged with strong emotions and the collective frustration of the people. For many, including Adam, who never desired involvement in such politics, this was the final straw. However, he still felt uncertain about it. They navigated through the crowd and soon found Tobias and several others selling banners and badges to the protestors, seizing the opportunity to make some money even in such tumultuous times. Someone handed Adam a leaflet, and although he only glanced at it, it became apparent that the protestors he had seen on the news were taking advantage of the market closure to rally people and advance their agenda.

  Tobias stood in front of a crowd with a group of speakers, whom Mara informed him were local leaders from the undercity. They delivered speeches from elevated platforms so that the crowd could see them. Adam only half-listened to their words as he observed several spherical security drones with red eyes hovering overhead, seemingly monitoring everything happening below. Suddenly, he was jostled from behind as someone rushed past him. A large dog-like Letho gave chase to a young, balding Sabban, a nimble lizard-like creature who had no chance of evading the Letho's claws. Adam's confidence in his decision to be there wavered. The crowd shouted in anger at the Letho as it dragged the Sabban toward a line of soldiers blocking their path to the Senate entrance. The Letho paid no attention to the crowd's protests. Adam was relieved that even though Mara appeared furious enough to breathe fire, she wouldn't dare fight a Letho.

  "Can you believe them!" she snapped. "They're slaves just like the rest of us." Another Letho appeared almost on cue, using its long snout to sniff the air before abruptly turning to face them. Adam locked eyes with the creature, and they stared at each other, as if the Letho found him interesting. Just as the Letho bared its teeth, Adam's headache intensified, crashing into his mind. He longed to be back home, in his comfortable bed and away from security officers.

  Adam found a stack of boxes to sit on as he attempted to relax, but he started feeling lightheaded and disconnected from the events unfolding around him. He glanced at the people around him, still yelling at the security officers, as his hands began to feel heavy. A tingling sensation travelled from his palms up his arms. He noticed a bottle of water nearby, presumably belonging to one of the activists.

  "Do you mind if I have a sip?" he asked.

  "Sure, you don't look well. Keep it," the activist offered. Adam reached for the bottle and took a refreshing sip of the cool water. Mara took a seat beside him, a concerned expression on her face. However, before she could say anything, a large hologram materialized above the entrance of the Senate building. Adam recognized the face—it was the planet's governor. He couldn't recall her name, but her reputation for corruption and incompetence was widely known. Yet, at that moment, she seemed more intimidating than the dozens of soldiers and gunships hovering above.

  "Citizens of Halatia," she began, her voice echoing all around them, "I have heard your pleas, and I understand your suffering." Her speech was met with jeers from the crowd.

  "Sure, you do, just like the rest in your gilded towers and clean air, while we struggle to breathe," Mara muttered under her breath.

  "But during this time of great need for the Empire, it is our duty to make sacrifices for the greater good. The increase in taxes will only be a temporary measure, once the current economic crisis is over," she continued. Suddenly, her words were met with a loud and defiant chorus of voices chanting, "Down with Auwin, down with the Empire!" The situation around them rapidly escalated, and Adam could see the governor's disdainful expression directed at the crowd.

  Fireworks erupted, trailing colourful smoke as they arced through the sky and exploded into bursts of yellow and blue light, resembling thunder. Adam noticed objects, bottles, and debris being hurled from behind toward the line of soldiers. Beams of light shone down on them from the high points of the building and the gunships circling overhead. Soldiers descended from the gunships like meteors, landing with a resounding thump. These soldiers were different—they were larger and clad in heavy armour. Adam's heart raced as he tightly gripped Mara, his eyes conveying a clear message: "This little adventure is over; it's time to leave." However, he couldn't spot the others anywhere.

  While some attempted to charge the line of soldiers, most, including Adam and Mara, reached the same conclusion and started running in all directions as the soldiers opened fire. Adam caught brief glimpses of the soldiers, realizing that they were not firing stun rounds but deadly bolts of red energy. A single shot could be fatal. He held on tightly to Mara as they pushed and struggled their way through the chaotic crowd, focused solely on reaching safety before they were killed. However, their escape was thwarted by another line of soldiers, advancing with stun batons and shields. Despite their best efforts, the stampede managed to break through the soldier's barrier. They did their utmost to keep moving, to keep pushing forward. Suddenly, though, Adam felt Mara pulling in the opposite direction. When he turned around, he realized that a soldier had grabbed hold of her. He tried to free her, but the soldier struck her with a baton sparking with electricity, causing the current to pass through her and into Adam, forcing him to let go.

  Before Adam could react, a pair of hands seized him, forcing him to his knees with the jolt of a baton. The pain caused his vision to blur and whiten as he crashed to the ground. He had expected the agony to cease after the initial strike, but now he found himself immobilized and at their mercy. The soldier continued to strike him repeatedly, disregarding Mara's cries nearby: "You're going to kill him!" The shocks coursed through his body, tormenting him. Suddenly, the pain subsided, and a hushed silence descended. Adam was too afraid to open his eyes, anticipating the worst.

  "Now, this is better," a seductive voice whispered. Adam cautiously opened his eyes and gazed up at a tall woman with long hair.

  "Who are you?" Adam inquired.

  "I believe the more pressing question is: Who are you?" the voice whispered. It was then that Adam noticed everyone around him frozen in place. He glanced behind him to see the batons suspended mid-jump, poised to deliver their shocking blows.

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  "What happened?" he asked. "How is this possible?" His attention shifted to Mara, who struggled to reach him a few feet away.

  "Normally, we have more time to prepare young mages," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "But destiny waits for no one." She knelt in front of him, and it was only then that he recognized her as the woman from his dreams. Placing a hand over his heart, she transmitted a warmth into him. He expected the sensation to cool, but it only grew warmer, beads of sweat trickling down his face and back. "You are our final hope," she kindly smiled. Suddenly, his body convulsed, and a torrent of visions and images flooded his mind. They flashed by so rapidly and violently that he couldn't grasp their meaning, the pain nearly unbearable as he screamed. Hands materialized around the woman, yanking her through space and time until she vanished. However, his ordeal wasn't over yet. His entire body pulsed with an ethereal, blue power that threatened to tear him apart. Light erupted from his mouth and eyes, his body bursting with energy. The shockwave propelled everyone away, engulfing the square and plunging it into darkness, extinguishing lights in its wake.

  Immersed in darkness, Adam struggled to discern his surroundings. Faint lights flickered to life, accompanied by the sounds of people rising to their feet. Many, including soldiers, stared at him, their fear palpable.

  "Come on!" Mara seized his arm and pulled him away. The soldiers remained so stunned by the events that they made no attempt to pursue them. The lights trailed them as they fled, disappearing into an alleyway. They ran, stumbling around corners and through numerous alleys. Adam was grateful that Mara took the lead, as his mind still swam with the images the woman had revealed, and his body throbbed painfully from whatever had just occurred. Eventually, exhaustion overcame him, and he slipped from Mara's grasp, succumbing to unconsciousness.

  When Adam opened his eyes, he found himself sitting in the train, with the flashing lights of passing buildings outside the window. His headache had vanished, and he felt better than he could recall ever feeling. He turned to see Mara glaring at him, her usual intensity reserved for his mistakes and poor choices.

  "Adam," she said, her tone resembling that of a sister scolding a younger brother.

  "What?" he responded.

  "What do you mean, 'what'?" She caught herself before launching into a tirade, and he was certain she was a second away from berating him. He thought back to what had just happened, and he knew that was what she meant, but he had no way to explain it.

  "Why didn't you tell me you're a mage?" she hissed at him. "Do you have any idea how much danger you are in, how much danger we are all in?" Just uttering the word "mage" caused her to glance around, ensuring that no one on the empty train could overhear her.

  "What are you talking about? I'm not a mage," he retorted. She stared at him, dumbfounded by his response.

  "Did you see what you did?" she asked.

  "I... I don't remember," he replied, still trying to make sense of everything in his mind.

  "You lit up like an ion drive, and then suddenly everyone was on the floor. I've never seen people so terrified before. If I hadn't grabbed you, I don't know what they would have done," she added. Adam looked down at his hands as though they held all the answers. But he did recall the woman referring to him as a mage. Suddenly, his phone began to ring, and Adam nearly leaped out of his seat.

  Adam retrieved his phone to find his grandfather attempting to reach him, realizing it wasn't the first call. He chose not to answer and slipped the phone back into his pocket. They remained silent for a while, finding solace in the soothing sound of the train as Adam attempted to sift through his thoughts and remember anything from the protest. But it was a blank.

  After a short journey, the train came to a stop. Adam had expected to encounter numerous soldiers after what had transpired, but the station was completely empty, save for him and Mara.

  "Where are we?" Adam asked Mara.

  "I know someone who might be able to help," Mara replied.

  "Who?" Adam inquired. But Mara had already stepped off the train and started walking down the street. Adam hastened to catch up with her, scanning his surroundings. Most of the shop fronts remained open, with customers bustling about, and bars with blaring music and dancing girls serving patrons, their neon lights flickering in the smoggy mist of the undercity. They continued walking, Adam flinching at every shadow or noise, half-expecting security to be waiting for him around every corner. Eventually, they reached a bar with "Red Dragon" illuminated in red lights above the entrance. Several people loitered around, casting disapproving glances their way.

  The moment they entered, they were engulfed by a wave of loud music and flashing lights, momentarily disorienting Adam. With no idea where they were headed, he stuck close to Mara, who showed no tolerance for a few guys attempting to flirt with her, pushing them aside. She made her way to the bar, where an elderly woman stood. Adam recognized her but couldn't place her face in his memories. Mara engaged in conversation with the woman, but the music was too deafening for Adam to make out their words or even hear his own thoughts. A moment later, Mara pulled him along to the back of the bar and towards the back room where there was an elevator. They entered the elevator for an uncomfortably awkward ride. Adam could sense Mara's anger towards him, a feeling he could never recall experiencing before. Normally, people described him as being oblivious to others' emotions, as if something in his head was switched off, preventing him from perceiving more.

  "Mara," Adam said, but she didn't respond. The elevator door opened, and they stepped into the corridor. Despite the rundown appearance of the apartment block, it exuded a pleasant feeling of safety and warmth, reminiscent of a loving environment a child would feel. They arrived at a door, and Mara led the way inside.

  "Whose place is this?" Adam asked as he glanced around the empty-looking apartment, similar to the rest of the building.

  "It used to be my parents' before we moved out of the city," Mara finally answered as she switched on the lights. Adam wondered if the emotions he had sensed earlier were actually Mara's.

  "It's nice," Adam commented, uncertain of what else to say.

  "It's home. I come back here sometimes between shifts," Mara explained, turning on the wall monitor. They both sat down and watched the news report, only to find that all the channels were black.

  "They must have cut the feed," Adam suggested.

  "Well, it's not every day we find a Mage living among us," Mara retorted.

  "I told you, I didn't know," Adam shot back. He decided to tell her about what had transpired at the protest and the strange woman who had pressed her hand against his chest. It was only then, when he looked beneath his shirt at the spot where the woman had touched him, that he noticed it—a faint, blue glow.

  "What is that?" Mara asked, reaching out to touch it. The glow faded as her hand made contact until it disappeared. Suddenly, Adam's phone rang once more, and he knew who it would be. He pulled it out of his pocket, and his grandfather's face appeared on the screen.

  "You can't tell them," Mara warned.

  "They're going to find out," Adam snapped back, pulling free from Mara's grasp and answering the phone.

  "Adam, are you there?" his grandfather asked. The absence of scolding for not being home caught Adam by surprise, rendering him momentarily speechless.

  "Hi, I'm here. I'm just with Mara..." Before he could even begin making up excuses, his grandfather interrupted him.

  "Adam, listen, we've seen what happened on the news," his grandfather began, his voice filled with more worry than Adam had ever heard before. "Are you okay?" he asked.

  "I'm fine. I'm just with Mara," Adam replied.

  "Good. She's always looked out for you. If only we had more time," his grandfather said, more to himself. "It wasn't meant to happen yet," he continued, leaving Adam even more perplexed.

  "What are you talking about?" Adam inquired.

  "Never mind that. You need to get out of the city before they arrive and come back here," his grandfather said.

  "We were going to, but..." Suddenly, the signal cut off, and before Adam could utter another word, his grandfather vanished, and the phone went dead. He tapped his phone a few times, thinking it might be malfunctioning or a software issue, but no matter what he tried, the signal wouldn't return.

  "They've locked down the city. All signals have been jammed," Mara said, attempting to make the computer in the room work.