Path to power.

AT 10: 00 am, on a Friday morning - in a classroom full of students.

A young boy, sitting near the front of the second row, was completely lost in a daydream. His eyes stared blankly at the whiteboard, but in his mind, the room had transformed into a battlefield. Desks were bunkers. Pencils became swords.

His classmates? Secret agents, aliens, and androids.

He ducked behind his math book as an imaginary laser blast zipped past his ear.

Teacher: Krizma... Krizma! What was the last thing I said? (Her voice cut through his fantasy like a thunderclap.)

Theo Krizma: Umm... “what was the last thing I said?”

Teacher: About the topic, Theo!

Theo: I-I don't know...

Sam: Probably his invention... you know, the one that turns broccoli into chocolate. (Laughter breaks out.)

Teacher: I want complete decorum! Theo, detention — after school.

4:45 PM – Detention Room

Theo sat alone in the front seat while three other boys lounged in the back.

Max: See that kid over there? You wouldn’t last a second in his brain — it’s all just cartoons.

Casey (sarcastically): It's not just cartoons. He’s also plotting how to defeat space aliens and ninja squirrels.

Theo: I can hear you.

Casey: And so? (He stepped closer, while James and Max backed him up.)

Casey: What are you going to do?

Theo: I-I’m going to tell on you...

James (mocking): Oh no! Krizma here’s a big tattletale! He’s going to tell on everything we did to him.

Casey: Pathetic. (He shoved Theo to the floor.)

Mr. Oliver (returning from the toilet): Back to your seats, or you'll earn yourself more detention! And Theo, get up off the floor. (The school bell rings.)

Casey: Finally.

James: Later, twerp.

Theo (muttering): Delinquents. (He leaves the room.)

Outside, in the car

Mrs. Krizma: Theo, you must learn to pay attention in class.

Theo (sliding into the seat): I’m trying... (Five minutes later, she’s driving when a police officer flags them down.)

Policeman: Sorry, ma’am, this area is under lockdown. You’ll need to take a different route.

Mrs. Krizma: No problem. Keep up the good work. (She makes a U-turn.)

Theo: Do I really have to go to school with supervillains on the loose?

Mrs. Krizma: Just because the city is a little unsafe doesn’t mean we jeopardize your education.

Theo: Can’t I just do homeschool or online classes?

Mrs. Krizma: You are not stopping school. End of discussion. (Theo grumbles in protest.)

Later, at home...

Mrs. Krizma: Bye. I'm heading back to work.

Theo entered their small one-story house. He grabbed his blue plastic hanger, lay on his bed, and let his imagination take over.

Theo: Electro-ball! (He imagined one of his superheroes in a fierce battle.)

Suddenly — outside the house...

Wind goblin (in real life): There’s nowhere left to run.

Theo: What the—?! (He looked out and saw a girl in a black suit with glowing pink lines and a helmet, cornered by three villains.)

Theo: Is that... some kind of Power Ranger?! (He rushed outside.)

Theo (holding his hanger like a sword): You’d better back off!

Earth goblin: Looks like we have a little dreamer.

Flame goblin: Let’s give him a dose of reality — fireball attack! (The girl raised her hand. It glowed pink. The fireball froze mid-air.)

Girl: Stand back, kid. I don’t need your help. (Theo stepped back, wide-eyed, in disbelief.)

Wind goblin: So, you’re finally ready to fight instead of running?

Girl: You’re going to regret pushing me. (She sent the fireball hurling back.)

Earth goblin: Earth Rise! (He raised a stone wall to block it.)

Flame goblin: If that’s all you’ve got, you’re toast — literally. Flame cannon! (He launched a blazing blast. She blocked it using two nearby cars through molecular kinesis.)

Wind goblin: My turn — Whirlwind of Horror! (He summoned a tornado that sucked in the cars — and the girl.)

Girl: My necklace! (Her crystal necklace flew off, spiraling down. Theo raised his hanger to block it. The moment it touched, it crystallized. Both his hands and the hanger glowed yellow.)

Mysterious Voice (telepathically): Call the name of one of your heroes.

Theo (timidly): Re... Reptilian Hero! (A beam of yellow light shot upward. A mutant lizard emerged from a cloud of yellow smoke.)

Theo (jaw dropped): No. Freaking. Way. (Reptilian whipped out its long tongue and pulled the girl from the whirlwind.)

Flame goblin: That’s the last crystal object!

Earth goblin: We have to report this to the Master!

Flame goblin: goblins, we go! (They vanished in black smoke.)

Girl: So... you had the last crystal object this whole time.

Theo: I don’t even know what a crystal object is — or how I summoned Reptilian Hero!

Girl (sighs): There are seven crystal objects. The villain society got five. I had the sixth. I was trying to find and protect the last one from falling into evil hands. Now that it’s bound to you, it can't be used by anyone else — unless you die.

Theo (gulping): Oh... cool. So... what do they actually do?

Girl: They give powers suited to the person. I'm guessing your power is fueled by wild imagination or disturbing nightmares. That’s why you summoned... this freak.

Theo: Hey!

Theo: How do I make him go away?

Voice: Say, “I release you from your existence.”

Theo: I release you from your existence. (Reptilian glowed, then disappeared in a cloud of yellow smoke.)

Theo: One more question... why didn’t the crystal object react earlier?

Girl: I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the Guardian.

Theo: The Guardian?

Girl: Come with me. You’ll learn everything. (She opened a glowing portal with her watch. They stepped inside together.)