The gates of West Corp Academy were less like a school entrance and more like a fortress threshold. Towering arches of brushed steel and reinforced glass hummed with invisible security grids, designed to keep the curious out and the powerful in.
As the Rose-Dawson SUV pulled up to the drop-off zone, the sound was the first thing that hit Maya.
Whirr. Click-click. Whirr.
Dozens of "Paparazzi Drones"—sleek, insect-like orbs equipped with high-definition lenses—hovered just outside the perimeter. They were the bane of any high-profile UMA family. As soon as the door opened, they swarmed, their red recording lights blinking like hungry eyes.
"Is that her? Is that the daughter of the Great Cybergirl?"
"Look at the crest! She's in the Guardian Program!"
"Does she have the armor? Hey, Maya! Give us a transformation!"
Maya pulled her head down, her hair acting as a curtain of safety. She felt the small device on her collar vibrate against her skin—thump-thump, thump-thump—reminding her to breathe.
"Don't look at the lenses, honey," Laura said from the driver's seat. She reached over, squeezing Maya’s hand. Her mother’s grip was firm, the grip of a woman who had faced down gods, but her eyes were filled with a soft, maternal worry. "Just walk straight to the auditorium. Victoria and the others are already inside. You're safe once you cross the line."
Maya nodded, unable to find her voice. She stepped out, and the flashes were blinding. She practically sprinted through the gate, the drones bouncing off the invisible energy shield with frustrated metallic pings.
The Great Hall was a cathedral of technology. Floating holographic banners displayed the histories of the five great UMA schools, but the largest one was the West Corp crest. Hundreds of students sat in tiered rows, their uniforms crisp, their postures radiating a confidence that Maya felt she’d never possess.
"Please take your seats for the Power Demonstration," a booming, mechanical voice announced.
Maya found a seat in the very back row, hoping to blend into the shadows of the rafters. But it was useless. Even from the back, she could hear the whispers.
"That's her. Maya Rose. I heard her DNA is like, 90% Cybergem-infused."
"I bet she could take down a building if she wanted to."
On the stage, Principal Elizabeth West stood at a podium, her silver hair pulled back into a sharp bun. Behind her sat the faculty—the V-Team. Avan was leaning back in his chair, winking at a group of freshmen, while Leon sat perfectly still, a carafe of water on the table beside him seemingly rippling in rhythm with his breathing.
"Welcome, Class of 2030," Elizabeth projected, her voice cutting through the chatter like an arrow. "At West Corp Academy, we do not just teach you how to be strong. We teach you how to be useful. Whether you are here to be a Guardian or a Sentinel, your power is a responsibility. Today, we invite a few of our legacy students to demonstrate the control we expect of you."
Maya’s heart stopped. Legacy students?
"Maya Rose," Elizabeth called out, her sharp eyes scanning the back of the room. "Please join us on stage."
The spotlight swung around, blindingly bright, pinning Maya to her seat. A collective gasp went through the room. The whispers turned into a roar of expectation.
Maya stood up, her legs feeling like lead. She walked down the long aisle, the rhythmic vibration of her father's device now a frantic, buzzing warning against her neck. She stepped onto the stage, feeling the weight of the V-Team's gaze behind her. She could feel Victoria’s presence—calm, expectant, like a mountain.
"Just a simple energy manifestation, Maya," Elizabeth said, stepping aside. "Show them the light of the next generation."
Maya stood in the center of the stage. Thousands of eyes watched. She closed her eyes and reached deep inside, trying to find that purple spark her mother always talked about. Come on. Just a shield. Just a glow.
Inside her, the energy roared. But it wasn't the steady stream of a hero; it was a panicked flood. The Cybergerm shards in her blood reacted to her skyrocketing heart rate.
Zzzzzzt.
A jagged, sickly purple spark jumped from her fingertips. It didn't form a shield. It didn't form armor. It hissed like a cornered animal.
"I... I can't..." Maya whispered.
Suddenly, the spark didn't just jump—it exploded. A massive wave of unstable electromagnetic energy surged outward. It wasn't a blast of force, but a localized blackout.
BANG!
The massive holographic banners flickered and died. The stadium lights overhead shattered in a shower of sparks. The grand, high-tech auditorium was plunged into total, suffocating darkness.
Silence. Heavy and cold.
Then, a single laugh from the front row. Then another.
"That's the 'Greatest Hero's' daughter?" a voice mocked in the dark. "She's not a hero, she's a walking short-circuit."
"What a disappointment."
Maya stood in the pitch black, her eyes stinging with tears. The small device on her collar was vibrating so hard it hurt. She didn't wait for the lights to come back on. She turned and fled the stage, her footsteps echoing in the dark as she ran toward the only place she could hide—the shadows.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfbLkYku2n
and then Add to home screen.