The night the sky cracked open, Alex was still working overtime.
The city lights flickered as thunder rolled across the clouds, but there was no rain.
Instead, something strange shimmered in the air—like invisible sparks dancing above the streets.
Alex rubbed his tired eyes. He thought it was just exhaustion.
Then the pain hit.
It felt as if fire was pouring into his veins, burning from his chest to his fingertips. He collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Images flooded his mind—ancient symbols, forgotten languages, and towering spires that did not belong to this world.
A voice echoed in the darkness.
“Mana resonance confirmed.”
Alex screamed, but no sound came out.
When the pain finally faded, the office was silent. The lights were out. The city beyond the window had gone dark.
But Alex knew something had changed.
He raised his trembling hand. A faint blue light flickered above his palm, warm and alive.
Magic.
The word surfaced naturally in his mind, as if he had always known it.
Outside, sirens began to howl.
And somewhere far beyond the city, other awakenings were happening at the same time.