Mutant Teenagers

A new Dawn in Athens

The days following their battle against Drakon were strangely quiet, almost too quiet. Life in Athens carried on as if nothing had happened, though the group of friends knew better. Every time Kwstas or Nikolas glanced at the news, they noticed subtle, coded messages—odd reports of strange events or cryptic warnings that hinted at a hidden world they were just beginning to understand.

The group returned to their regular routines, but nothing felt the same. At school, Kwstas and Nikolas were more reserved than usual, exchanging knowing glances whenever their classmates complained about mundane problems. Melina and Spuros also struggled to adjust. Spuros joked constantly to cover his nervous energy, while Melina dove into research, determined to uncover everything she could about mutants and Drakon’s organization.

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A Hidden Message

One rainy afternoon, the group met at Melina’s apartment. Her room was a chaotic mess of books, newspaper clippings, and a whiteboard filled with scribbled notes and diagrams.

“Okay,” Melina said, tapping the board with a marker. “Here’s what I’ve got so far. Mutants have been around for centuries, but they’ve been hidden—either by choice or by force. Drakon’s group, which I’ve nicknamed The Shadows because it sounds cool, is one of many factions that want to control or eliminate mutants.”

“Why us, though?” Kwstas asked, leaning forward. “Why did Drakon target Nikolas and me?”

“I don’t know yet,” Melina admitted. “But it has something to do with your powers. I think they’re rare, even among mutants.”

Nikolas crossed his arms, frowning. “Great. So we’re special freaks. That’s comforting.”

Kwstas reached out, lightly touching Nikolas’s arm. “You’re not a freak, Nikolas. Neither of us are.”

Nikolas glanced at Kwstas, his expression softening. “Thanks,” he murmured.

Melina rolled her eyes. “Okay, lovebirds, focus. I think I found something important.”

She pulled up a grainy video on her laptop. It showed a man with silver hair and glowing blue eyes standing on a rooftop, addressing the camera. Behind him, Athens’s skyline glittered in the night.

“Mutants of the world,” the man said in a deep, commanding voice. “The time has come to step out of the shadows. We are stronger together. Seek me out, and I will guide you to your true destiny.”

The video cut off abruptly, leaving the group in stunned silence.

“Who is that?” Spuros asked, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know,” Melina said. “The video was uploaded anonymously. But if he’s legit, he might be able to help us.”

“Or he might be leading us into a trap,” Nikolas said. “What if he’s worse than Drakon?”

“We won’t know unless we find him,” Kwstas said, his voice firm. “I think we should try.”

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The Journey Begins

Using clues from the video, the group tracked the mysterious man to a derelict building on the outskirts of Athens. The area was eerily quiet, the streets lined with graffiti-covered walls and abandoned cars.

“Are we sure about this?” Spuros whispered as they approached the building.

“No,” Nikolas admitted. “But we don’t have a choice.”

Inside, they found a vast underground chamber, its walls lined with glowing symbols. The man from the video stood in the center, his piercing blue eyes fixed on them.