Chapter 81: Vision Mission
The midday sun followed Amani and Malik into the cramped hallway of their apartment building, streaming through the glass-paneled door just before it clattered shut behind them. A faint echo lingered in the stairwell as both boys trudged up the short flight of steps, schoolbags swinging at their sides. The city’s gentle spring warmth still clung to their jackets, leaving them half-zipped and slightly rumpled.
Inside their unit, a snug, two-bedroom on the building’s east side, Malik kicked off his sneakers, groaning dramatically. "Bro, you think they’ll cancel gym for the rest of the week?" he muttered, wincing as he rubbed his ribs. "I’m still feeling that Ajax right-back’s elbow from Monday. Honestly thought I broke something."
Amani offered a small chuckle but said nothing. He dropped his schoolbag beside the desk and shrugged off his jacket. A familiar restlessness simmered beneath his skin, different from physical fatigue. He felt charged, as if a low buzz trailed his every breath.
Crossing the tiny kitchenette, he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and pressed it to his forehead, hoping the cool condensation might settle him. But something tugged at the back of his mind, an awareness that had little to do with thirst or muscle soreness.
He shut the fridge door and turned around just in time to see the edges of his vision flicker with cold, bluish light like a hidden screen activating from the corners of his consciousness.
***
DING!
***
[SYSTEM INTERFACE BOOTING...]
***
His heart quickened. He recognized the signs: the faint hum, the bright lines appearing just out of focus. Already, data was cascading through his mind.