Jack woke up in his apartment to a pounding headache and the acrid stench of burned fabric. The events of the alley felt like an insane fever dream, but the glowing sigil on his palm quickly reminded him it was very real.
He staggered toward his tiny kitchenette, pouring himself coffee into a chipped mug labeled 'World's Okayest Wizard.'
"Fitting," Jack muttered.
The doorbell buzzed urgently. "Who the hell visits at—" Jack glanced at the clock, "two in the afternoon? Okay, fair."
Opening the door, he found himself face-to-face with a petite woman in a leather jacket, vibrant purple hair cascading around her shoulders. Behind her hovered a pigeon, glaring with oddly intelligent, beady eyes.
"Jack Wilson, right? I'm Lyra Hayes," she said, pushing past him into the apartment. "We need to talk."
Jack blinked, baffled. "And the pigeon?"
"Name's Patch," the pigeon snapped irritably. "Don't make it weird."
Jack closed the door slowly, rubbing his eyes. "Too late."
Lyra paced the room, studying him critically. "You opened the Chaos Pulse file. You're marked and now have powers nobody should have. Congrats, you're officially everyone's problem."
"Thanks?" Jack said, sarcastically raising his mug. "I aim to please."
"The sigil," Lyra continued, ignoring him, "links you to something ancient. Something dangerous. Something—"
"Yeah, I gathered," Jack interrupted, showing his glowing palm. "It's very decorative."
Patch flapped onto Jack's coffee table. "You're annoyingly calm for someone who just got magic juiced and hunted."
"This?" Jack gestured broadly. "Peak coping mechanisms."
Lyra folded her arms, unimpressed but hiding a faint smile. "Good. You'll need that attitude. The guild wants you contained or dead. Elias Draven is already tracking you."
"Elias who?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to scare me?"
Patch snorted, feathers ruffling. "Oh, it definitely should."
Jack considered this for a moment before shrugging and leaning back against his battered couch. "Alright then. So, what's your angle?"
Lyra's eyes flashed with determination. "I left the guild for a reason. I'm here to help you survive—and maybe take them down in the process."
Jack smirked, adrenaline already buzzing in his veins. "Sounds fun. Where do we start?"