Chapter 2
Beneath the surface
Day 3:
As I sat up, the mug on my nightstand wobbled slightly despite not touching it. I blinked, and the movement stopped. Must be the headache affecting my vision.
I glanced at Mateo's empty bunk. He was probably still working his shift. The headache intensified as I stood, a pressure building behind my eyes that made me momentarily dizzy.
The door slid open.
"dude! You're finally awake!" His expression shifted to relief. "Supervisor Lin wants you to report to medical for a final clearance before your shift."
The headache spiked again, sending a wave of dizziness through me.
"You okay?" Mateo asked, his eyes pinched with worry.
"I'm ok," I replied with a smile.
The medical center was a familiar environment after my recent treatment. The same doctor with bright yellow eyes reviewed my charts, his gaze more calculating than before.
"Your recovery rate is exceptional," he said. He ran a small scanner smoothly over my body. "Any persistent symptoms?"
I hesitated. "Headaches. And sometimes...just headaches."
The doctor's hand paused mid-scan. "Interesting," he said finally.
"You're cleared for your shift."
Mateo was waiting outside. "All good?" he asked.
"Sector 7 is expecting you. Carl's waiting. Try not to be late — Supervisor Lin's been on edge since the drone incident yesterday."
"I'll be on sector 3 doing supply runs."
As I descended into Sector 7, the familiar
Carl greeted me with excitement when I arrived, clearly relieved I was doing well. He began his lesson where we left off, teaching me to use the mining laser gun. I met other miners who worked in Sector 7. Some had heard what happened to me, but most didn't care - people got hurt down here all the time, especially new recruits.
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After my shift, I went to bed exhausted. But sleep brought no relief. Every night I woke up sweating, the sheets soaked through.
The days went on. Same routine, same sweating at night, now with occasional headaches appearing throughout the day.
Day: 4
The crew mess buzzed with conversation. I sat alone at a table, looking around until I spotted Mateo. His face was bruised and his nose had a patch over it.
"Mateo!" I called out.
He sat down across from me.
"What happened to your face? Looks like someone used you as a punching bag”
I noticed several miners at nearby tables watching us with thinly obvious curiosity. One man smirked in our direction.
Mateo grinned. "Yeah... just got into a fight with someone. No big deal. Had to go to the medical bay. They made me stay there."
"Oh, that's why I didn't see you."
"Yeah," he said casually, putting his head down on the table. "Need to rest..."
"Not going to eat?" I asked.
Silence was all I heard.
Before I could press further, three men approached our table. Their heavy mining boots deliberately scraped against the floor as they surrounded us. The largest one — a man I recognized from his unique tattoo—put his arm around my shoulder. The other two stood behind Mateo.
"Feeling better, Mateo?" the bald one spoke, putting his hand on Mateo's head and pulling his hair.
Mateo felt the pain.
"We're just trying to eat," I said with a serious look.
The man with his arm around my shoulder smirked. "Don't think we were introduced. Name's Ben."
"Yeah," I said, gripping my fork tighter. "I don't care who you are, What you need to know is that I'm trying to fucking eat!" With the fork in my hand, I slashed at his face.
The fork cut a line across Ben cheek. Blood appeared as he pulled back, his face changing from smug to rage.
"You're dead," he spat, jumping at me. "You picked the wrong person to mess with," Ben growled.
The pressure behind my eyes suddenly exploded. Every tray in a three-meter radius lifted from the tables and hung suspended in mid-air. The lights shattered violently overhead.
For a moment, everyone froze, staring at the impossible sight. "Holy shit, he's a kinetic user," someone shouted.
The miners panicked, trying to get out of the crew mess. Some stood still in fear, others ran away pushing people out of their way.
Ben came at me with a combination—jab and punches—that I barely managed to block. His next punch connected with my jaw, sending me staggering back. The familiar pressure built behind my eyes, pulsing with each heartbeat.
Every tray fell again.
He laughed.
Behind him, I saw Mateo struggling with the other two, his freshly-bandaged face bleeding again. Something inside me snapped.
I raged with a roaring sound. The tables, food trays — everything floated as I felt the air moving around me. I lunged at Ben with lightning speed. He didn't even see it coming as my fist blasted straight through his stomach.
The force was so strong he launched back into the wall. His stomach had a hole. I stretched out my hand toward him and suddenly could feel his entire body—his organs, his bones, his blood.. When I closed my fist, his whole body splattered.
The remaining two backed away, hands raised. "Please," one whispered. "We didn't—"
Security rushed throughout the eating area. Through the shocked crowd, I saw the yellow-eyed doctor coming closer with armed guards beside him. But instead of fear on his face, I saw something else.
Everything went black as I fell to the floor.
