The Black Market was full of smoke, shadows, and fear. Kids like us sat in cages. Some cried. Some stared into nothing. We were all trapped because of what we could do. Our powers.
I watched as a man in a sharp suit stood at the front of the room. He smiled like he'd already won.
"Next up," he said, "an untrained telekinetic. She can move buildings with her mind."
That was a lie. The girl had no powers. Just fear in her eyes. But the crowd believed him. The bidding started.
Then the doors slammed open.
A man in a long coat stepped in. Calm. Cold. Dangerous.
Detective S.
Everyone went quiet. The auctioneer froze. He knew who had just walked in—and it scared him.
The detective didn't speak. He moved fast. A guard ran at him, but the detective dropped him with one hit. More came. He didn't stop. It was like he knew every move before they made it.
He came here for that girl—but he found us too.
I looked at Harumi. She stood still, eyes sharp.
"On three?" I whispered.
She nodded.
"One… two… three!"
I shoved the cage open. Harumi stepped out. Her eyes glowed light blue. The pipes above us creaked. Water burst out and spun around her like sharp blades.
The guards turned. "Get back!" one shouted.
But it was too late.
Harumi's water cut their weapons away. I slipped into one guard's thoughts—he didn't even know I was aiming. I fired once. He dropped.
The others panicked. They couldn't keep up. Harumi moved like she was made of water. Fast. Focused. Beautiful and deadly.
The detective was still fighting, still calm. But there were a lot of them.
And things were about to get worse.