Falling star
January 16th, 2036
Novel Academy
The office door slammed open.
A young woman hurried inside, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath. Sweat dripped down her dark skin, mixing with streaks of oil and grease from the garage where she worked. Her curly hair was a mess, and exhaustion weighed heavily on her face.
"Where is he?" she demanded.
Inside the office sat three people.
Behind the desk was Mrs. Dwit, the headmistress of Novel Academy. She was a plump woman with a kind face, though today her patience was clearly being tested.
Standing before her were two boys both six.
One was short and skinny, with curly brown hair and a face covered in fresh bandages. Despite the scolding, he stood stubbornly with his arms crossed.
The other boy was larger, his arm wrapped in a cast while his broken nose was hidden beneath layers of gauze.
"Mrs. Kelly," Mrs. Dwit greeted.
Kelly sighed heavily.
"What did he do this time?"
Mrs. Dwit rubbed her temples.
"Drew got into another fight."
Drew immediately pointed at the other boy.
"He was bullying a younger kid!"
"Quiet!" Kelly snapped.
Drew clenched his jaw and looked away.
Mrs. Dwit continued.
"While that may be true, Drew went too far. Tom suffered a broken arm and a broken nose."
Tom shrank under the attention.
"And this is the fourth fight this week. I'm afraid I have no choice but to suspend Drew for one week."
Drew's eyes widened.
"But he—"
"I said enough," Kelly interrupted sharply.
The boy fell silent.
Kelly turned back toward the headmistress.
"I'm sorry. Ever since his father died..."
Mrs. Dwit nodded sympathetically.
"I understand. Truthfully, Drew is a good child. I think he's simply lost."
Kelly lowered her gaze.
"Lost?"
Mrs. Dwit smiled faintly.
"He's chasing a hero's dream."
Kelly's expression softened.
"He got that from his father."
Tears formed in her eyes.
"Kelvin promised him a new comic book before leaving on deployment."
Her voice cracked.
"But he never came home."
The room fell silent.
Mrs. Dwit stood and placed a comforting hand on Kelly's shoulder.
"Give him time. He'll find his way."
Kelly nodded before leading Drew out of the office.
---
Outside, Drew waited inside their old pickup truck.
The vehicle looked as if it should have fallen apart years ago. Rust covered its body, mud coated its tires, and the engine groaned whenever it moved.
Drew didn't care.
He sat quietly reading his favorite comic book.
Captain Nova.
The world's greatest superhero.
Kelly climbed into the driver's seat and rested her forehead against the steering wheel.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Finally, she reached over and gently took the comic from his hands.
"Drew."
The boy looked up.
"We need to talk."
She stared at the colorful cover.
"Captain Nova isn't real."
Drew lowered his head.
"There aren't any superheroes."
Her voice grew softer.
"There are soldiers."
She swallowed hard.
"There are police officers."
A painful smile appeared on her face.
"And there are good people who try their best."
Her eyes became distant.
"Your father wasn't a superhero."
Drew looked away.
"He was a soldier."
Kelly felt tears threatening to return.
"He died doing his job."
The truck grew quiet.
"So please stop getting hurt trying to be something that only exists in comic books."
"...Okay."
The answer was honest.
Kelly started the truck.
The engine coughed violently before roaring to life.
A cloud of black smoke burst from the exhaust as they drove away from town and into the snowy wilderness surrounding Novel Mountain.
Hidden deep among towering pines stood a lonely log cabin.
It wasn't much.
But it was home.
---
That evening was quiet.
After dinner, Drew apologized once more for the fight.
Kelly forgave him.
Eventually, he climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, Kelly sat alone in the kitchen.
An unfinished bottle of wine rested beside her.
In her hands was an old photograph.
Kelvin smiled back at her from the picture.
Young.
Strong.
Alive.
Kelly wiped away another tear.
The phone rang.
She quickly cleared her throat before answering.
"Hello?"
"It's me."
Her father's cheerful voice came through the speaker.
"Dad."
"You've been crying."
Kelly laughed weakly.
"Am I that obvious?"
"To everyone else? Maybe not."
His voice softened.
"But to me? Always."
The tears returned.
"I miss him."
"I know."
"I miss Kelvin."
Her father remained silent, allowing her to cry.
"Drew got suspended again," she finally admitted.
"I'm trying, Dad. I really am."
"I know you are."
Her father sighed.
"Listen. I'll send you some money tonight, and tomorrow I'll come visit."
Kelly smiled for the first time all day.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Thanks, Dad."
"Get some sleep, Kelly."
"I'll try."
---
Near midnight, Drew suddenly woke up.
Moonlight streamed through his bedroom window.
As he rubbed his eyes, something caught his attention.
A star.
It streaked across the night sky.
Drew slipped from bed and quietly stepped outside.
The cold air bit at his skin.
Behind him, Kelly lay asleep on the couch, exhausted from another difficult day.
Drew stared upward.
His father used to tell him stories about wishing on stars.
"Dreams can come true if you believe in them enough."
The memory made him smile.
He closed his eyes.
"I wish..."
The wind whispered through the trees.
"I wish I could become a hero."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the star changed direction.
Drew's eyes snapped open.
The light was growing larger.
Faster.
Brighter.
His heart froze.
The star wasn't passing overhead.
It was coming toward him.
"No way..."
The object tore through the clouds like a blazing comet.
Trees exploded into flames as it crashed through the forest.
The ground shook violently.
Drew turned and ran.
"MOM!"
The star slammed into his back.
Agony erupted through his entire body.
His clothes burned away instantly.
A brilliant golden light swallowed him whole.
The force hurled him across the yard and into the side of the cabin.
Everything went black.
---
"DREW!"
Kelly rushed outside.
Her heart nearly stopped.
Her son lay motionless in the snow.
"Drew! Drew!"
Tears streamed down her face as she carried his small body to the truck.
Minutes later they were racing toward the nearest hospital.
---
Hours passed.
The hospital waiting room was nearly empty.
Kelly paced back and forth.
It was already four-thirty in the morning.
Her father remained on the phone, trying to calm her down.
Suddenly a nurse emerged from the hallway.
Kelly rushed forward.
"How is he?"
The nurse looked confused.
"We've completed several tests."
"And?"
"We can't find anything wrong."
Kelly stared.
"What?"
"His vitals are normal. No internal injuries. No burns. Nothing."
"That's impossible!"
"We're running more tests."
The nurse quickly retreated.
Kelly collapsed into a nearby chair.
Overwhelmed.
Exhausted.
Terrified.
She looked up at the television mounted on the wall.
A news report was playing.
"Reports are coming in from around the world regarding attacks by unidentified metallic creatures—"
The screen suddenly distorted.
Static filled the room.
Every television in the hospital flickered.
Then a cold mechanical voice echoed across the planet.
"Humans. Your time on this world has come to an end."
The room fell silent.
Kelly stared at the screen in disbelief.
"What the hell..."
Years later, Drew would remember that moment.
The moment everything changed.
The moment humanity's peaceful age ended.
In 2036, an alien robotic civilization descended upon Earth.
Within three months, ninety-eight percent of the human population would be dead.
