After he finished watching the news, he walked up the colossal stairs to his bedroom. Not like he could stop all of the villains he saw on television anyway. The Hero Brunch would surely deal with them.

  He hadn't been in his bedroom in quite some time, would it make him feel intimidated like the front door did? He opened the bedroom door and was greeted by a large bed with dark red sheets. The curtains were also red, lighting the room with a weird ominous tent. He put his hand on the bed to further remember all of the nights he cried himself to sleep. It wasn't long ago, yet now it felt like a century ago. Perhaps a brand new bed would be a new requirement so that he wouldn't remember the agonized nights. The room seemed to be well taken care, definitely the work of the housekeepers—or perhaps his mother.

  He launched himself on the bed, still in disbelief of his brand new body. He kept telling himself he'd fall out and go back to the hospital, yet it seemed his body was a new ball of life. He eyed the large white ceiling, the sight further reminding him of his former pain. He slowly closed his eyes and tried to make himself accept his new healthy reality. Why couldn't he stop second guessing himself?

  He took a deep breath before getting up and walking towards his chesnut brown desk that had his large computer monitor on top of it. He looked through the drawers of the desk and browsed through endless notebooks and journals. He opened a red journal and was greeted by old algebra questions. Most of the notebooks contained notes from highschool, it was a miracle that he still graduated from online high school. He closed the school notebooks and stumbled upon another notebook that contained the thoughts of his chaotic mind—it was essentially a diary.

  Every day feels like a year, and every night feels like an endless carousel. The agony seems to grow more intensely each second. Only in my dreams am I free from my pain, though my misery hits me like a rushing wave the moment I awake. I'm not sure why I'm alive, this torment is overbearing. There is nothing I crave more in this life than death.

  Goodness, I was going through it, thought Ven as his eyes grew watery. He was appalled by his previous dark thoughts, he didn't even remember writing it. Then again, he planned on killing himself the other day so perhaps he shouldn't be so shocked.

  He titled his head towards a small open trash can in the room, and tossed the journal in the trash can. The journal contained several well written entries concerning his thoughts, but he wanted them gone for good.

  He certainly wasn't happy, however he knew he didn't want to swim in that dark ocean again. Would a healthy body really protect him from such a morbid reality?

  He peaked at the trashcan and saw a page sticking out from the journal. He strangely felt compelled to read the page.

  Last night, I was visited by a seven headed beast in my dreams. The beast held a beautiful golden blade drenched with the blood of the innocent. Though I feared that putrid blade, it was the blade of it's tongue that I feared most. Originally, I ignored the monster, however it continued its unruly bloodshed without an ounce of compassion. Eventually, it became apparent to me that I had to destroy this disgusting beast... no matter what it would cost me.

  The hell was I writing about? thought Ven as he plopped himself back on his spacious bed. It was probably nothing.

  He jolted his head back towards his desk to eye the computer. Since he was really healthy again, he figured that he might as well search up a few universities. It'd be good to go to a university in Spectralis, since that city was the superhero capital of the world. Surely if he was in Spectralis, he could join the Hero Brunch without any issue. The search browser recommended him Spectralis University. That had to be his first choice. He didn't know what he'd major in at the moment but it was a good time to apply, as the fall semester would begin in only a few months.

  He wondered how the roommate situation would turn out, as he didn't have any friends... not anymore at least. During his ordeal, he pushed everyone he was close to away, none more far away than his childhood friend Zuri—what would she think of him now?

  Ven and Zuri's parents were very good friends, so as a result they interacted with each other often and essentially became best friends. Zuri's parents were also immensely wealthy, so they both grew up well privileged. They attended some of the most exquisite private schools in all of Bahari. They practically did everything together, until Ven's heart issues took a turn for the worse. He had been dealing with heart issues his entire life, yet nothing was extremely severe until he suffered from cardiac arrest at the age of twelve. Since then, his and Zuri's relationship never fully recovered, though they communicated several times after that tragic day.

  "Call me when everything's okay!" were the last words he remembered Zuri saying roughly two years ago. He never called her, not anymore at least. He coped with his despair by blocking out everyone from the outside world. At that time, his world was a dark void, how could someone from an entirely different world understand his plight? What good would chatting with an outsider bring? After several ignored texts and missed phone calls, Zuri eventually stopped attempting to contact him.

  He pulled out his phone and went to Zuri's contact information in his phone. Should be contact her again? He felt like the biggest jerk ever for ignoring her for two years.

  He then read the last text message he received from her.

  I know you're going through a lot, so I'll stop texting you. I wish you never had heart issues and we could go back to how things used to be, but I understand you need time. If you ever need someone to talk to, please know I'm here. Praying for you Venny!

  He began to type in the words "I'm sorry," before deleting it. Zuri probably wanted nothing to do with him anyway. She probably hated him for essentially throwing her away when they were once such good friends.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "Sorry," Ven silently muttered to himself. He just couldn't muster up the courage to contact her at that time. Perhaps he'd encounter her some other time.

  He suddenly heard the sound of the alarm beep, which signified that his mother was now home. He exited his room and walked down the decorated steps. He saw his mother with their body guard named Mlinzi. Mlinzi was built like a tank, getting past a bodyguard like him would be no easy feat.

  "Welcome home," said Ven as he eyed his mother.

  Vera dropped her luggage and ran towards her son, embracing him closely before sobbing profusely.

  ****

  "The tea's not too sweet is it?" Vera asked Ven after he took a tip of a mug of hibiscus herbal tea from Korya.

  "No, it's fine. You didn't add too much honey this time... something that you always do," chuckled Ven.

  "I guess I'm heavy handed," Vera laughed before drinking a sip of the tea. "I never get tired of this stuff! So delicious!"

  "Tell me about it," said Ven as he looked around the cozy study room. The study room was a room that had a massive bookshelf, a computer in the corner with two gigantic monitors, and a small circular brown table, which Ven and Vera both sat at. Ven rarely entered the room, he almost forgot it existed.

  "We should celebrate your good health!" cheered Vera. "Some kind of party is definitely needed."

  "Eh, that's okay. That sounds like a pain."

  Ven studied Vera's expression, he just couldn't figure out what she could have been thinking.

  "You're not mad that I went to the Emergence site? I assumed you'd be fuming," said Ven as he took another sip of his aromatic tea.

  Vera placed her steaming mug down on the table with a brand new expression. "I was never angry you went... I was just worried. When you told me you went and got healed, I didn't know how to process it. After speaking with Dr Tiba several times, it seemed to be the truth. I didn't even know if purposely seeking out Emergence sites was ethical or not, but the fact that one healed you probably proves that maybe it is. A lot of things were going through my mind, like we still don't even know what these emergences really are. Where do they come from, and why do they give people superpowers? Is being healed from an Emergence site the work of God, or is it the result of something more ominous? I do not know, but regardless of how it happened, I think it's best to celebrate your healing. All I can say is that I'm beyond happy."

  "Thank you! I don't feel like celebrating though."

  "You don't feel like it?"

  "Nope."

  Vera immediately busted into laughter.

  "Ugh, what's so funny?" asked Ven as he scratched his head in confusion.

  "It's just that you used to say that all the time when you were a kid. 'I don't feel like it!' Don't you remember!?"

  Ven chuckled before vaguely recalling. "I did? I almost forgot."

  "If there was something you didn't feel like doing, you'd be the first to let everyone know."

  "Jeez, did I really say it that much?"

  "Yep!" remarked Vera, her laughs echoing through the room. "If was almost like your trademark."

  Ven erupted into a small laughter as well. It was very therapeutic, so therapeutic that tears began to escape his eyes.

  "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

  "Oh, it's nothing," Ven nervously laughed as he wiped any incoming tears. "It's just... been awhile since I've had a good laugh."

  "I understand," said Vera before also becoming teary eyed.

  "You don't want to celebrate, so what's next? Will you be attending Zamani Fields for university?" Vera asked Ven.

  Zamani Fields was the most prestigious university in Bahari. It was where many students from across the world gathered to study. Many of the students came from upper class backgrounds, however some of the students did not. It was a tough school, a high GPA was required to not get kicked out. Ven wasn't dumb, but he definitely wasn't a genius either so he wouldn't feel comfortable attending Zamani Fields even if his parents attended the school. It was where Zuri wanted to attend college as well... perhaps she already made it there.

  "Yeah... I don't know if I'll be qualified for a college like that. And if I am, I'm not sure I would want to go. Don't know if I can always maintain a 4.0 GPA."

  "No worries, there's other universities you can check out in Bahari."

  "I think, I've got my mind set on Spectralis University."

  "You don't wish the attend a Baharian college?"

  Baharians, like all nationalities, had the tendency to become prideful about their heritage. Some considered going to college, or simply moving to another country as a disrespectful act. Fortunately, Vera did not think that far, however she still preferred to have her son to attend a school in Baharia.

  "I mean... I wouldn't mind it, but I'd rather be in Spectralis."

  "Why is that?"

  "So I can see if I can become a registered superhero."

  Vera's face frowned before changing her tone entirely. "After everything you've gone through, you still want to become a superhero? I don't understand why you're so dead set on this. You just became healthy... why not relax?"

  Ven did his best to not to let her disappointed tone disrupt him. "I don't want to relax Mom, I want to make up for lost time. I've spent many moments in the hospital thinking about how my life would be if I were a superhero. Now it seems I'm in a position to make that a reality."

  Vera took a deep breath before lowering her tone. "Maybe you're just tired and need time to sort everything out in your head. Feel free to take a gap year... it may be therapeutic for you. After all, you've been through something traumatic. Take as long as you need to fully heal from it."

  "I've done enough waiting!" said Ven with a slightly louder tone. "I'm throwing all of my cards into being a superhero... almost dying taught me that."

  "Do you know how ridiculous your words sound right now!?" Vera scrawled. "You just had a heart transplant not long ago and now you're talking about trying to become a superhero? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous to you!? Do you even know what your superpowers are? Do you realize that the life of a superhero isn't all fun and games? What they show you on television is far from reality. I've known people who went to Spectralis to try to become superheroes when they gained superpowers. Do you know what happened to them? They died... Spectralis is not some dream city, it's filled with supervillains! Trying to stop a villain could leave you dead, and then where will that leave me? A widow that lost her son to nonsense?" Vera tone's changed as tears slowly fell from her eyes. "If I lost you too I'd be... lonely. At one point I thought I'd lose you too, and now I have you, safe in my house... I just... don't want anything bad to happen to you. Especially after you've gone through so much."

  Tears ran down Ven's cheeks as he viewed his mother’s sad expression. His whole hospital ordeal must of been very hard for her, he never realized that. It must be painful to have the son who almost died tell you that he wants to launch himself straight into danger.

  "Mom I... I'm sorry. I know you've been through a lot, it's just that... I want to do this. I at least want to try. I know the risks already, I won't let myself get killed.”

  Vera looked up at Ven as she wiped her eyes. "Well, if that's what you really want to do, then I can't stop you." She took a long calming sip of tea, it's floral flavor calming her. "What kind of mother would I be if I denied my child the chance to fulfill their dreams?"

  "I meant what I said... I won't let myself get killed," said Ven after he wiped his tears.

  Vera smirked before taking yet another sip of tea. "That's good to hear."

  Suddenly, a big thud hit their ears as the ground began to shake heavily. The huge noise was followed by the alarm system beeping loudly. It seemed an intruder was in their home.