The city was alive.
April stood on the rooftop of her apartment complex, feeling the world around her.
The hum of distant cars, the footsteps of people below, the heartbeat of the streets.
It was overwhelming and beautiful.
For the past few days, April had been testing her abilities, pushing her limits.
She wasn't just hearing—she was perceiving.
Every sound created an image, an outline in her mind. A car door slamming revealed the shape of the vehicle.
The flutter of a bird's wings painted the sky in fleeting strokes.
Even the softest sounds bounced back to her, giving her a world made of echoes.
The night air was crisp.
April walked home from a small grocery run, one hand gripping the bag close to her chest.
The city hummed around her—cars rolling down wet streets, the distant chatter of people leaving bars, the rhythmic click of a bicycle chain.
April had learned to rely on these sounds. They formed a world she could navigate, a world made of echoes and movement.
She was starting to feel normal again.
Until the footsteps came.
Fast. Unsteady. Rushing toward her.
Before April could react, a hand grabbed her bag.
April instinctively yanked back, but the attacker was stronger. A sharp tug sent her stumbling forward.
No.
Something clicked in her mind.
Her world sharpened.
April felt the air shift, sensed the force in his grip, heard the tension in his muscles as he prepared for another pull.
And then—another sound.
The wind splitting. A fist, swinging toward her.
April didn't think. She moved.
April ducked just as the air above her shifted.
A punch sailed past her head, missing by inches.
Her attacker grunted in surprise.
April could see him—his shape outlined in sound, the way his weight shifted, the unevenness of his breath.
Her body moved on instinct.
April twisted, dodging another wild punch, then drove her elbow into his ribs.
A choked gasp.
He stumbled back.
Another heartbeat. Unsteady footsteps.
Then—he turned and ran.
April stood there, her own breath ragged.
That wasn't luck.
That was something else.
April touched her temple, heart pounding.
April saw him. Through sound. Through vibrations. Through something that wasn't human.
April swallowed hard.
She needed answers.
And there was only one place to get them.
The hospital.
But first she had to get used to this strange phenomenon.
For then next few days, April had been testing her abilities, pushing her limits.
She wasn't just hearing—she was perceiving.
Every sound created an image, an outline in her mind. A car door slamming revealed the shape of the vehicle.
The flutter of a bird's wings painted the sky in fleeting strokes. Even the softest sounds bounced back to her, giving her a world made of echoes.
But she needed answers.
She needed to know what was inside her skull.
And there was only one place to find out.
Sneaking in was easier than April expected.
Hospitals were busy, chaotic. No one noticed a blind girl walking too confidently down the halls, her head slightly tilted as she mapped the world around her.
April moved carefully, following the memory of her stay, tracing her path back to the restricted areas.
Then she found it.
The mechanism formed in her mind. A pattern of tiny movements. A map she could follow.
Carefully, April twisted the knob.
A soft snick.
Unlocked.
April slipped inside.
The records were a mess.
Her fingers traced the raised ink of printed papers, following the words carefully.
Then—her file.
April scanned it, feeling each letter.
Subject: Unknown cranial technology discovered during emergency operation.
Medical team authorized immediate integration due to the risk of patient death.
Nano-tech origin: UNKNOWN.
April clenched her fists.
They hadn't meant to save her. They had just… experimented.
They had implanted something inside her without understanding it.
And now, she wasn't human anymore.
She was something else.
A ghost in the dark.
A weapon waiting to be used.
But by who?
And then she heard it—voices approaching.
Security.
She had to move.
Now.