The streets of Silvercity buzzed with the pulse of autumn. Trees turned golden, and campus life flowed with familiar rhythm. Mariana stood in the university library's balcony, the cool wind ruffling her wavy black hair. She had just aced another advanced economics paper, her quiet genius beginning to earn whispers of admiration—and envy.
Adam and Bia waved at her from below, urging her to come down for coffee. Clara and Sue followed close behind, while Peter chatted up a professor, trying to get ahead on the group project. Mariana smiled. It felt...normal. A fleeting illusion she treasured.
Yet her heart never forgot. Every message from George still lit up her world. That morning, he had proudly sent her a photo of a school project—a wooden model of a city with green roofs and gardens. "Inspired by your story, Mari. One day, I want to build like you."
She had laughed and cried all at once.
Lucia and John were planning something for George's eighth birthday. A surprise. Mariana had been asked to help secretly pick the theme. Dinosaurs and planets? Maybe both. George deserved galaxies.
Back home in Hammer, her parents, Laura and Stuart, were preparing for a flower festival. Mariana helped in small ways—her hands wrapping bouquets, her heart finding peace in petals.
The system had pinged again—two rare plants had been registered. She was leveling up. Her powers, once vague, now hummed beneath her skin, like dormant stars waiting to ignite.
From a distance, James sat alone in a luxury car, parked near the university gates. He watched her—recognition flickering, uncertainty holding him back. She didn't notice.
Or perhaps... she did.