Chapter 1: Departure

August 25, 2135

Fifteen years had passed since the battle that changed the world.

The confrontation between Zen Ara and Vepar had left an impossible-to-ignore mark. The western pole of the planet had changed drastically, transforming into an unknown region with new climates, strange territories, and areas that were still impossible to fully explore.

At first, no one wanted to go near it.

That land almost became a forgotten territory.

However, Zen Ara felt that he had a responsibility toward the world because of the consequences of that battle. So, together with the first members of Los Olvidados, he decided to venture into the region and use their abilities to build something completely new.

And so, Arkland was born.

A country created with the intention of proving that humans and Psyons could live and work together in harmony.

Los Olvidados established their home there, in a city they called Oblivion. However, they made one thing very clear from the beginning:

They did not want to be rulers.

They did not want to be leaders.

Their intention was to protect and watch over the world from the shadows, not rule it.

But they did not limit themselves to building a city. They also helped create an organization dedicated to supporting both Psyons and humans.

Its name was:

D.E.U.C.A.L.I.O.N.

Department of Location, Training, and Logistics for Optimal National Integration.

The organization had several functions.

It helped Psyons control and understand their abilities so they could properly integrate into society. It also helped humans who had difficulty finding their place in a world where special abilities had become part of everyday life.

Thanks to Psyons with evaluation abilities, D.E.U.C.A.L.I.O.N. developed a system to study the development of abilities from an early age.

Children were evaluated twice during their lives.

The first test was performed at five years old.

Its main purpose was to identify what type of ability the child possessed and determine its classification. Evaluations were normally performed by Type C or B Psyons. If an ability proved too complicated to analyze, they could request the intervention of higher-level evaluators.

The second evaluation was performed at eighteen years old.

This one was much more detailed. It was used to determine whether the ability had changed, how it had developed, and how dangerous or manageable it could become in everyday life.

The goal was not to punish or discriminate against Psyons.

It was to help them.

When an ability was considered especially powerful or difficult to control, the person could be placed under a possible surveillance category. This did not mean they had committed a crime. They would simply receive additional support, training, and guidance to prevent accidents and learn how to properly use their abilities.

After all, having a powerful ability did not necessarily mean being a threat.

It all depended on how it was used.

In the middle of this new world stood Nexus City, a city where humans and Psyons lived together every day.

It was possible to see them working together, studying, shopping, talking, or simply walking through the streets.

Peace had become an everyday occurrence.

But peace did not mean the absence of problems.

There were still Psyons who used their abilities to commit crimes: robberies, kidnappings, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and many other criminal activities.

The authorities, the police, and D.E.U.C.A.L.I.O.N. agents were there to fight them.

And while they maintained order...

Life went on.

Nexus City

A child was calmly walking down one of the city's streets.

He carried a green backpack on his back and held a medium-sized orange ball in his hands.

He was only five years old.

His name was Jaxon Armant.

Jaxon was on his way to the park near his home to meet his friends. However, he wasn't in any hurry.

He liked walking at his own pace.

Along the way, he watched the houses, buildings, and people passing by. He even stopped for a few seconds when he saw a small group of cats crossing the street.

Then he continued walking.

A few minutes later, he stopped in front of a small shop.

—One chocolate ice cream, please.

He bought a popsicle and continued on his way, calmly eating it.

Whenever someone walked past him, Jaxon raised his hand and waved.

—Good morning.

—Have a nice day.

—Good morning.

He did it so naturally that he didn't even realize he had finished his ice cream until he looked at the empty stick in his hand.

—Huh?

He looked from side to side.

—Did I already finish it?

He shrugged.

—Well...

And continued walking.

Eventually, he arrived at the park.

Three children were already waiting for him.

Luca, Dana, and Ann.

Luca and Ann were four years old, while Dana was five. All four lived near the park and attended the same kindergarten.

When he saw them, Jaxon smiled.

He set his backpack aside, held the ball with both hands, and ran toward them.

—Guys, I'm here! Are you ready to play?

—Yeeeeah!

The four children began playing.

First, they passed the ball between each other.

Then they tried playing volleyball.

Later, they decided to play tag using the ball.

This time, Jaxon was the one chasing the others.

—I'm gonna catch you, Ann!

—You can't catch me!

Ann ran away.

Jaxon chased after her and, when he got close enough, threw the ball.

Ann managed to dodge it at the last second.

—You missed!

—Wait!

Jaxon lost his balance and fell to the ground.

—Ouch!

He had scraped his knee.

Ann immediately came back.

—Are you okay?

Jaxon looked at the wound.

—It hurts a little, but it's nothing. It'll go away easily.

And he was right.

In front of his friends, the wound slowly began to close until it disappeared completely.

One week earlier, Jaxon had undergone his first D.E.U.C.A.L.I.O.N. evaluation.

The result had been:

Type A Ability: Regeneration.

His body could heal any injury, although the speed depended on the severity of the damage.

A scrape or small cut could disappear within seconds.

But a much more serious injury would require considerably more time.

If he lost a limb, for example, he could need several weeks to regenerate it.

It was a rather interesting ability.

However, to many people, it didn't seem to have much potential.

It wasn't an ability designed for attacking.

It didn't increase his strength.

It didn't allow him to control objects.

He couldn't fly.

But Jaxon didn't care.

He simply wanted to live his life however he wanted.

He stood up, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and smiled.

—There. Now let's keep playing.

The other three children smiled and went back to playing.

Everything was peaceful for several minutes.

Until Luca kicked the ball too hard.

—Oops!

The ball went flying and disappeared from their view.

—We have to find it!

The four children began searching around the park.

As they walked, they heard footsteps.

They stopped.

Then, suddenly, the ball came flying toward them.

—Look out!

All four moved aside instinctively.

But the ball didn't hit the ground.

It remained floating in the air.

The children stared at it.

—What...?

They looked around until they found the source.

At one of the park entrances stood a boy.

He appeared to be around six years old.

He was chubby, had bowl-cut hair, and wore a smug expression on his face.

Dana stepped forward.

—Who are you? And what do you want with our ball?

The boy smiled.

—My name is Micht. I was watching your boring game and thought it would be more interesting if I joined.

The four children looked at him, confused.

Ann frowned.

—It's our ball, and we don't know you. Give it back!

Micht smiled.

—You want it?

The ball shot toward Ann.

She raised her arms to protect herself.

But before she could take the impact...

Jaxon stepped in front of her.

He grabbed the ball with both hands and endured the impact as the force of the telekinesis compressed the ball against his arms.

Jaxon gritted his teeth.

Then he looked at Micht.

—You're a telekinetic Psyon, aren't you?

Micht raised an eyebrow.

—Yeah.

—Then leave us alone. Why don't you go show off to someone who actually wants to pay attention to you?

Micht's expression changed.

He became angry.

He took on a superior stance.

—Shut up! Last year they tested me and discovered that I have Type A telekinesis. And if I'm lucky, I might even advance to X in the future.

Jaxon rolled his eyes.

—Uh-huh.

—I was thinking about bothering you guys a little, but since you're making me angry... I'm going to teach you a lesson.

—Stop embarrassing yourself. Get lost and leave us alone.

Micht's face turned red.

He leaned forward and took a strange stance, almost like a crab.

Suddenly...

BOOM!

All four children were pushed backward.

Jaxon fell to the ground.

Luca, Dana, and Ann were thrown back one or two meters.

Micht smiled.

—Want some more? Apologize and I'll leave you alone.

Luca and Dana were angry.

Ann, however, was scared and had tears in her eyes.

Jaxon slowly stood up.

He brushed the dirt off his clothes.

Then he stared directly at Micht.

—Ahh...

He sighed.

—That's enough.

Jaxon took a fighting stance.

—You want to fight? Then you'll have to deal with the consequences.

The two boys stared at each other.

Neither wanted to make the first move.

Then Jaxon planted his right foot firmly on the ground and dragged it forward with force.

A cloud of dust rose into the air.

—What...?

Micht pushed the dust away with his telekinesis.

—Where are you?

Before he could realize what was happening...

Jaxon was already beside him.

The ball was in his left hand.

—Take this!

Jaxon threw the ball with all his strength.

BAM!

The ball struck Micht directly in the face.

The boy fell to the ground.

Jaxon stood in front of him.

—Want some more? Or have you had enough?

Micht rubbed his face.

His expression filled with rage.

—You...

Suddenly, Jaxon felt something grab him.

His body rose into the air.

—What...?

Micht used his telekinesis to throw him with force.

Jaxon went flying and crashed into a tree.

—JAXON!

Luca, Dana, and Ann screamed.

Jaxon fell to the ground.

He had several scrapes and injuries.

But little by little, they began to close.

Micht watched the process in surprise.

Then he smiled mockingly.

—So you have an ability too, huh?

Jaxon raised his eyes.

—But from what I can see, unlike mine, yours is only useful for healing yourself.

Micht laughed.

—You can't attack anyone or defend yourself. How weak.

Jaxon stood up.

—So what?

Micht stopped laughing.

—I don't care if my ability is weak or if you have the most powerful one in the entire city.

Jaxon clenched his fists.

—I just want to live my life the way I want.

He pointed at him.

—So why don't you get lost and go brag about your little achievements to someone else?

Micht gritted his teeth.

—Because even if you have a powerful ability, the chances of you advancing are very low. And even then, you'll still have to work hard, because someone more skilled than you can always appear.

Jaxon picked up some dirt.

—So stop acting like you're so important.

He threw the dirt directly into Micht's face.

But Micht moved his head.

The dirt landed on his shirt instead.

There were a few seconds of silence.

Micht looked at his clothes.

Then he looked at Jaxon.

—You...

The telekinesis grabbed him again.

Jaxon was lifted off the ground.

BAM!

His body slammed into the dirt.

Again.

BAM!

And again.

BAM!

—Jaxon!

Luca tried to get closer.

But Micht threw him backward.

Luca landed near Dana and Ann.

—Stay out of this!

Micht raised one hand.

—This is a fight between Psyons.

Jaxon struggled to resist.

But he couldn't.

Micht's telekinesis was too strong.

Finally, he forced Jaxon against the ground and increased the pressure on his body.

Jaxon gritted his teeth.

—You're really annoying and resilient...

Micht approached him.

—But this is over.

Jaxon continued trying to get up.

—In the future, I'll be someone important. Everyone will talk about me. Maybe I'll work for an important company or even become part of a group of Psyons.

Micht smiled.

—But you...

He looked Jaxon up and down.

—You'll never have a job that interesting.

Then he noticed the green backpack.

—Maybe you could work as a human shield.

Micht burst out laughing.

—Or a punching bag.

He opened the backpack using his telekinesis.

—Let's see... What do we have here?

He pulled out several books.

He looked at them.

—Cookbooks?

Jaxon widened his eyes.

Micht began laughing.

—You want to cook?

He threw the books onto the ground.

—It's the perfect job for you.

The books were scattered throughout the park.

One of them fell to the ground.

Micht stepped on it.

—A pathetic job for a pathetic person.

Jaxon looked at the book beneath Micht's shoe.

And then he remembered.

Ever since he was little, Jaxon had felt a special fascination with cooking.

It wasn't because he wanted to be like Los Olvidados.

Nor was it because he wanted to become a hero.

He simply liked cooking.

He was fascinated by all the steps required to create something.

The ingredients.

The measurements.

The temperatures.

The time.

The way something completely different could emerge after combining several things.

At first, it had only been curiosity.

Then he began watching his parents while they cooked.

He watched television programs.

Whenever he went to a restaurant with his family, he paid attention to the chefs.

He watched how they prepared the food.

How they cut.

How they mixed.

How they tasted.

He always wanted to learn something new.

That was why he had started collecting cookbooks.

He was only five years old, but he already knew what he wanted to do someday.

He wanted to cook.

He wanted to create food.

And someday, he wanted to open his own place.

He didn't need to be famous.

He didn't need to be powerful.

He just wanted to do something that made other people happy.

That was why hearing Micht mock his dream hurt more than the blows.

Jaxon looked at the book again.

Then he looked at Micht.

He was angry.

Very angry.

Not only because he had bothered his friends.

Not only because he had hit him.

But because he was making fun of something Jaxon truly loved.

And he wasn't willing to let it go.

Jaxon placed both hands against the ground.

He tried to stand.

The pressure of the telekinesis increased.

—Ghh...!

It hurt.

His arms trembled.

But he didn't stop.

He tried again.

—Ghhh...!

His muscles tensed.

For an instant, he felt like he could exert a little more force.

It wasn't much.

Just enough to slightly lift his body.

Jaxon kept pushing.

Little by little...

He stood up.

First a few centimeters.

Then a little more.

Until he finally managed to stand.

Micht stared at him in surprise.

—What...?

Jaxon was breathing heavily.

The wounds on his body continued to slowly heal.

Micht frowned.

—Why are you standing?

He increased the pressure.

—You're supposed to be weaker!

He tried to knock him down.

But Jaxon resisted.

Micht tried pushing him.

Jaxon barely moved a few centimeters.

Micht's eyes widened.

—What's happening?

Jaxon raised his head.

—I couldn't care less about what you think or what your expectations are.

He took a deep breath.

—But do us a favor and go somewhere else to tell those stupid stories.

Micht gritted his teeth.

Jaxon clenched his fists.

—If you want to criticize someone's interests, first have the guts to stand by what you say.

He raised his eyes.

—If you can't do that...

He smiled.

—Then you're the useless one.

Jaxon took his stance.

His legs were trembling.

His body was still injured.

But he remained standing.

Then he started running.

—So shut up and leave us alone, idiot!

Micht reacted.

But it was too late.

Jaxon threw a punch.

BAM!

The blow struck Micht directly in the face.

The boy was sent flying approximately one meter.

Blood came from his nose, and one of his teeth was knocked out.

Micht fell to the ground.

Unconscious.

Jaxon remained there for a few seconds, his fist still in the air.

Then he lowered his arm.

His body finally gave out.

And he fell onto his back.

—Jaxon!

Luca, Dana, and Ann ran toward him.

Luca knelt beside him.

He had tears in his eyes.

—Are you okay? Hey! Please, answer me!

Jaxon didn't respond immediately.

—I'm sorry I couldn't help you... I didn't know what to do. I was scared.

Dana was crying too.

—Thank you... I'm sorry. I didn't know how to help you.

Ann burst into tears.

—Whaaaaaa! JAXON!

After a few seconds, Jaxon slowly opened his eyes.

The three children fell silent.

Jaxon looked at them.

—Let me rest for a little while, okay?

He smiled weakly.

—And don't worry.

He closed his eyes.

—As long as I'm here, I'll beat up anyone who messes with my friends.

The three children smiled through their tears.

Luca ran to find an adult.

Meanwhile, Dana and Ann stayed beside Jaxon.

A short while later, an adult arrived at the park and called for help.

While the adults handled the situation, Jaxon opened his eyes for a few seconds.

He looked toward the entrance of the park.

There was someone standing there.

A figure.

They seemed to be smiling.

Jaxon blinked.

The figure disappeared.

—Huh...?

He looked again.

There was no one there anymore.

Jaxon thought it had probably been the result of the blow.

He closed his eyes.

I got lucky...

That was what he believed.

But it hadn't been luck.

What no one knew at that moment was that Jaxon Armant possessed something else.

A second ability.

An ability that even he didn't understand.

Type Z Ability: Effort.

An ability that allowed Jaxon to gradually surpass his own physical and mental limits.

When he found himself in situations that forced him to push beyond his current capabilities and refused to give up, his body could adapt and become slightly stronger.

But the changes were small.

They didn't happen immediately.

They required effort.

Time.

Training.

And recovery.

Jaxon wouldn't become the strongest person overnight.

He would have to work for it.

He would have to lose.

He would have to fail.

He would have to face people far stronger than himself.

And he would have to discover for himself just how far he could go.

But for Jaxon and the people around him to discover the true nature of that ability...

There was still a long way to go.

And many problems to face.

The question was...

Would he ever discover who he truly was?

And more importantly...

Could he make his dreams come true?

Extra

Jaxon slowly opened his eyes.

He looked at the ceiling.

He blinked.

He didn't recognize the place.

He turned his head.

It was his room.

—Huh...?

Then he saw someone sitting beside him.

A young woman with pearly white hair was staring directly at him.

It took Jaxon a few seconds to recognize her.

—Did you scan the scene already?

The woman raised an eyebrow.

Jaxon finally woke up completely.

—Already, Mom? Am I under arrest?

The woman let out a small laugh.

—Not yet.

She crossed her arms.

—First, I want to hear your side of the story before I deliver my verdict.

She was Rula Xele, Jaxon's mother.

She was twenty-four years old and worked as a police officer.

Jaxon looked around.

—Where's Dad?

—He went to buy dinner.

Rula looked at him again.

—But before you ask any questions, you're going to answer mine. Understand?

Jaxon sighed.

—Yeah...

With a tired expression, he began explaining everything that had happened.

He told her how Micht had taken the ball.

How he had started bothering them.

How he had attacked his friends.

How Jaxon had tried to stop him.

And finally, how the fight had ended.

When he finished, Rula took a deep breath.

Then she exhaled.

She clasped her fingers together.

Jaxon looked at her.

—What?

Rula raised her hand.

Bonk!

She gave him a small flick on the forehead.

—That's police brutality!

Rula narrowed her eyes.

—Don't put it like that.

Jaxon rubbed his forehead.

—And where did you get that from?

—Dad.

Rula sighed.

—I'll have a talk with your father later.

She sat beside him.

—But first, I want to tell you something.

Jaxon looked at her.

—You did the right thing by protecting your friends.

Jaxon smiled.

—But...

Her smile disappeared.

—It was very reckless of you to confront someone with an ability like that. At the very least, did you think about what you were going to do before charging in?

Jaxon thought for a few seconds.

—Well... first I wanted to catch him off guard with the ball.

Rula looked at him.

—And then?

—I got overconfident.

Rula shook her head.

—When something like that happens, if you don't have a plan, the best thing to do is grab your friends and run.

Jaxon frowned.

—But he was bothering us.

—I know.

Rula remained calm.

—But you should always put safety first.

Jaxon lowered his gaze.

—Maybe you thought nothing would happen to you because you can heal yourself.

Jaxon remained silent.

—But what would have happened if, instead of attacking you, he had attacked your friends?

Jaxon looked up.

His expression changed.

He didn't know what to say.

Rula gently stroked his head.

—I know you were trying to protect them, and I'm proud of you for that.

Then she spoke more seriously.

—But you can't act without thinking, especially when other people are with you.

Jaxon slowly nodded.

Rula continued:

—The incident has already been reported to the agency. I also had a little talk with Micht's parents.

—What happened?

—D.E.U.C.A.L.I.O.N. decided that he will be under house arrest and surveillance for three weeks.

Jaxon nodded.

—Okay.

Rula smiled slightly.

—And as for you, thanks to your friends explaining what happened and confirming that you were trying to protect them, you won't receive a particularly severe punishment.

Jaxon smiled.

—Yes!

—However...

Jaxon stopped smiling.

—I will have to keep an eye on you for five days.

—What?

Jaxon made an annoyed face.

—Why? I didn't do anything! He started it!

—Because you didn't think clearly and acted recklessly.

Rula looked at him seriously.

—You need to reflect on what happened.

Jaxon crossed his arms.

—But...

Rula pulled him into her arms and hugged him.

—Even if your ability allows you to heal yourself, you still have to take care of yourself.

Jaxon remained still.

—You never know what might happen.

Rula smiled.

—Understand?

Jaxon answered with a small smile.

—Yes, Mom.

—Did you learn anything?

Jaxon thought for a few seconds.

—Yeah.

Rula waited.

—That there are people who think they're a big deal because of their abilities and pick on other people.

Jaxon clenched his fists.

—And I don't like that.

Then he looked up.

—Especially when they make fun of my goals.

Rula smiled.

—And what are you going to do about it?

Jaxon answered immediately.

—I'll be prepared.

His eyes shone.

—I'll train so nobody can beat me up again.

Rula raised an eyebrow.

—Oh, really?

—Yeah.

Jaxon raised his fist.

—If some idiot messes with my friends, my family, or my dreams, I'll have to knock some sense into them.

Rula sighed.

Jaxon added:

—Even if I have to do it with my fists.

Rula began laughing.

—Even if it's one of Los Olvidados.

Jaxon raised his voice even more.

—Even if it's Zen Ara himself!

Rula stared at him for a few seconds.

Then she smiled.

—Quite a statement.

She leaned closer and gently touched his cheek.

—But that will be a very difficult and very long road.

Jaxon looked at her.

—I know.

Rula smiled.

—And if you truly work hard and gain the strength you need...

She gently caressed his face.

—You can do it.

Jaxon smiled.

The two remained like that for a few seconds.

Until Rula added:

—But for saying that...

Jaxon looked at her in confusion.

—Yes?

Rula smiled.

—You earned yourself one extra day.

Jaxon widened his eyes.

—MOM!

Rula burst out laughing.

And so ended the first day in which Jaxon Armant took a small step toward his future.

Although neither of them could imagine it yet...

That little boy who only wanted to cook someday was destined to walk a much longer road than anyone could imagine.

End of Chapter 1.