The sky wasn't supposed to turn green.
Norman stood on the rooftop of their cube-house, gripping a worn-out telescope that hadn't worked right in years. But today, it didn't matter. No one needed a telescope to see what was happening. Streaks of emerald light carved through the sky like cracks in glass. Below, the city buzzed nervously—drones blinked red instead of blue, and the streetlights flickered in warning.
"Jasmin!" he shouted, not taking his eyes off the sky. "It's starting again!"
Inside, Jasmin was already on her wrist console, fingers flying over a flickering interface. She was fifteen, tall, confident, and always calm. The kind of calm that made adults listen. The kind that annoyed Norman, but also made him proud.
She joined him on the roof in seconds, her long coat swaying with every step. "Same pattern as last month. But stronger." She tapped her wrist. A hologram of the green sky glitched into view. "They're not testing anymore. This is real."
Norman turned to her, eyes wide. "So what do we do?"
Jasmin didn't answer right away. She stared at the sky, her expression sharpening.
"We find the source. Tonight."