Chapter One

Strange Awakening

Evan stared out the classroom window, his pen idly tapping against the edge of his notebook. The afternoon sun cast a golden sheen over the fields just beyond the schoolyard, painting them in soft, swaying hues of green and amber. His physics teacher’s voice droned on in the background, but the words dissolved into static as Evan’s focus slipped farther away. It wasn’t that he hated school—he didn’t—but there was something about the way the world outside seemed to hum with life that often pulled at him, demanding his attention in ways the formulas scrawled across the whiteboard never could.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the collar of his shirt sticking to the back of his neck. Fall was supposed to bring cooler air, but the small town of Silver Hollow seemed reluctant to let summer go. The classroom was stifling, the combination of too many bodies and the sluggish ceiling fan creating an oppressive heat that settled over everyone.

“Evan? Are you with us?”

The sharp voice of Mr. Calloway snapped him out of his reverie. Evan blinked and turned his head, realizing the entire class was now staring at him. His cheeks flushed a deep red.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry,” he muttered, glancing down at his notebook as if it might contain some hidden answer to a question he hadn’t heard.

Mr. Calloway sighed, clearly unimpressed. “If you’re not going to pay attention, the least you could do is not distract others. Now, where were we?” He returned to the board, launching back into a lecture about Newtonian mechanics, and the moment of scrutiny passed.

Evan exhaled, relieved, and sank lower into his chair. He caught Jenny’s amused grin from the desk beside him and rolled his eyes. Jenny had been his best friend since they were kids, and if anyone knew how much he struggled with staying present, it was her. She mouthed something—probably a snarky comment—but he shook his head, unwilling to engage in her teasing while the teacher still had one eye on him.

When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the day, Evan packed up his things with practiced speed and followed the tide of students spilling into the hallway. Jenny caught up to him, her backpack slung casually over one shoulder.

“You’re going to get yourself in trouble one of these days,” she said, falling into step beside him.

“Not if I’m careful,” he replied, pushing open the heavy double doors that led outside. The fresh air was a welcome reprieve from the staleness of the classroom.

Jenny snorted. “Careful? You’re about as subtle as a wrecking ball. Seriously, what were you even thinking about in there? You looked like you were a million miles away.”

Evan hesitated, his eyes drifting back to the woods that bordered the school. He wasn’t sure how to explain the feeling—how the world beyond the trees seemed to pulse with an energy he couldn’t quite put into words. It had been happening more frequently lately, these strange moments where his surroundings seemed to come alive in a way they hadn’t before.

“Nothing important,” he said finally, not meeting her gaze.

Jenny gave him a skeptical look but didn’t press. Instead, she changed the subject, chattering about the upcoming fall festival and their plans to meet up later. Evan nodded along, grateful for the distraction, but his mind continued to wander as they parted ways and he made the short walk home.

The house was quiet when he arrived, the kind of quiet that only existed when his parents were still at work. Evan tossed his bag onto the couch and grabbed an apple from the kitchen before heading out the back door. Their backyard sloped gently into the woods, and Evan often found himself drawn there, especially on days like this.

He pushed through the underbrush, the familiar crunch of leaves and twigs beneath his sneakers grounding him in a way nothing else could. The air smelled of earth and pine, the occasional burst of wildflowers adding a sweet undertone to the mix. He didn’t have a particular destination in mind, but that was part of the appeal—wandering aimlessly, letting the forest guide him.

It wasn’t until he reached the old oak tree near the creek that he stopped, a strange sensation prickling at the edge of his awareness. The tree had always been massive, its gnarled roots snaking out like veins across the forest floor, but today it seemed different. The air around it felt charged, like the moments before a thunderstorm, and Evan hesitated, his apple forgotten in his hand.

As he stood there, the feeling intensified. His heart began to race, and a low hum filled his ears, growing louder with each passing second. Before he could make sense of it, a spark of something warm and electric shot through him, starting in his chest and spreading outward until his entire body vibrated with the force of it.

Then it happened.

The tree, which had stood silent and unchanging for decades, suddenly began to shift. Its branches stretched skyward, the leaves unfurling in a flurry of green as new growth erupted from every limb. The trunk widened, thickening with bark that seemed to ripple like water, and the roots twisted deeper into the ground, upturning soil and rocks in their wake.

Evan stumbled back, his breath hitching as he stared at the impossible scene before him. His hands trembled, and when he looked down, he realized they were glowing faintly, a soft golden light emanating from his fingertips. Panic set in, and he clenched his fists, willing whatever was happening to stop.

The light faded, and the tree stilled, though its new, towering form remained. Evan sank to his knees, his mind racing. He couldn’t explain what had just happened—couldn’t even begin to process it—but one thing was clear: this wasn’t normal. This wasn’t possible.

He stayed there for what felt like hours, his breathing slowly returning to normal as the sun dipped lower in the sky. When he finally forced himself to move, his legs felt shaky, but he managed to make his way back home, his thoughts a tangled mess.

That night, as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, the memory of the glowing light on his hands played over and over in his mind. He didn’t tell anyone—not his parents, not Jenny—because he didn’t know how to explain it. But deep down, he knew this was only the beginning.

Something had awakened inside him, and whatever it was, it wasn’t going to stay hidden for long.

Evan hardly slept that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the tree again—its branches clawing at the heavens, its leaves shimmering as though caught in an ethereal glow. The sensation in his hands lingered too, a faint warmth that hadn’t faded completely, even hours later.

When morning arrived, it brought no clarity. He dragged himself through his morning routine in a haze, his mind replaying the event with maddening frequency. The tree had grown—changed—in ways that defied everything he knew about the natural world. And the light... the way it had come from him... It didn’t make sense.

By the time he reached school, he was running on autopilot, barely registering the familiar sights and sounds around him. Jenny caught up with him by their lockers, her usual energy bubbling over in sharp contrast to his subdued state.

“You look like you got hit by a bus,” she said, frowning as she examined his face. “Did you not sleep or something?”

“Not really,” he admitted, keeping his voice low.

Jenny tilted her head, concern replacing her usual teasing. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he lied, forcing a weak smile. “Just one of those nights, you know?”

She didn’t look convinced, but the bell rang before she could press further. Evan felt a wave of relief as he slipped into the crowd of students heading to class.

The day dragged. Evan couldn’t focus, his thoughts constantly returning to the woods. By the time lunch rolled around, he was barely holding it together. Jenny cornered him at their usual table, dropping her tray with an unceremonious thud.

“Okay, spill,” she said, folding her arms. “You’ve been weird all day, and don’t tell me it’s nothing. I know you too well for that.”

Evan hesitated, his gaze darting around the crowded cafeteria. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Jenny—he did, more than anyone—but how was he supposed to explain something he didn’t understand himself?

“I... it’s complicated,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jenny raised an eyebrow. “Try me.”

He chewed his lip, debating. “Not here,” he said after a moment. “Can we talk later? After school?”

Jenny nodded, her expression serious. “Of course.”

The rest of the day passed in a blur. When the final bell rang, Evan practically bolted from the building, with Jenny close on his heels. They walked in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. When they reached the woods near his house, Evan finally stopped, turning to face her.

“Okay,” she said, planting her hands on her hips. “What’s going on?”

Evan took a deep breath. “Something happened yesterday,” he began, his voice unsteady. “In the woods.”

Jenny’s brow furrowed. “What kind of ‘something’?”

He hesitated, then launched into the story, recounting every detail—the hum in the air, the light in his hands, the tree’s explosive growth. As he spoke, Jenny’s eyes widened, her usual skepticism replaced by genuine shock.

“Wait,” she said when he finished. “Are you telling me you made a tree grow? Like, magically?”

“I don’t know what it was,” Evan admitted, running a hand through his hair. “All I know is it wasn’t normal. And it came from me.”

Jenny stared at him, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to find the right words. “Okay,” she said finally. “This is... a lot. But I believe you.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” she said firmly. “I mean, it’s crazy, but you don’t make stuff up. And honestly, I’ve always thought there was something weird about this place. Maybe this is part of that.”

Evan felt a rush of relief at her words. “Thanks,” he said softly.

Jenny nodded, though her expression remained serious. “So, what do we do now?”

Evan blinked. “Do?”

“Well, yeah,” she said. “You can’t just ignore this. If you have... powers or something, you need to figure out how they work.”

The thought sent a jolt of panic through him. “And how am I supposed to do that?”

“I don’t know,” Jenny admitted. “But we’ll figure it out. Together.”

Evan didn’t reply, but a small part of him felt reassured by her confidence. They spent the rest of the afternoon in the woods, revisiting the tree and trying—unsuccessfully—to replicate what had happened. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the forest in shadow, they were no closer to understanding the truth.

But as they walked back toward the house, Evan couldn’t shake the feeling that his life was about to change in ways he couldn’t yet imagine.

That night, as he lay in bed, the hum returned. It was faint, barely more than a whisper, but it was there—a constant reminder that whatever had awakened within him wasn’t going away.