The Girl With No Power
Nova Mercer stepped over a smoking crater in the sidewalk like it was just another crack in the pavement.
Behind her, someone shouted.
“HEY! HEY! I DIDN’T MEAN TO DO THAT!”
Nova didn’t turn around.
She adjusted the strap of her backpack and kept walking toward school.
A few people nearby were already recording with their phones while a teenage boy with glowing red hands panicked beside what used to be a vending machine.
“Relax!” one of his friends yelled. “Just say your power activated by accident!”
“THE MACHINE EXPLODED!”
“Yeah but it exploded cool!”
Nova crossed the street before the argument got louder.
This kind of thing happened almost every day.
Two blocks later, a delivery truck was tilted halfway onto the sidewalk.
A girl stood beside it, hands glowing faint purple, staring in horror.
“I swear I thought I could lift it!”
The driver rubbed his forehead.
“Kid… this is the third truck this week.”
Nova walked around them without slowing.
No one found it strange.
In this city, weird things happened constantly.
A gust of wind suddenly blasted down the street, sending newspapers flying into the air.
A boy zipped past Nova in a blur, laughing as he ran fast enough to rattle windows.
“Sorry!” the speedster shouted behind him.
Nova’s hair lifted in the breeze.
She pushed it back down and kept walking.
Just another morning.
A shadow passed overhead.
Nova glanced up briefly as a girl with glowing wings swooped across the sky, late for school.
Must be nice.
Nova looked forward again.
For most people, powers appeared sometime between middle school and high school.
Sometimes it was dramatic.
Sometimes it was subtle.
But eventually, almost everyone discovered what their ability was.
Fire.
Flight.
Telekinesis.
Strength.
Something.
Everyone had something.
Everyone except Nova Mercer.
She had been tested.
Twice.
Doctors ran scans.
Hero agencies checked for energy signatures.
Nothing.
No abnormal readings.
No dormant ability.
No hidden potential.
Just a perfectly ordinary human.
A Null.
The word didn’t bother Nova as much as people expected it to.
She had heard worse things.
Lazy.
Weak.
Pointless.
Null was practically polite compared to those.
Nova reached the last crosswalk before the school gates.
The light turned green.
She stepped forward just as something crashed into the street behind her.
A massive chunk of concrete landed where she had been standing seconds earlier.
People screamed.
Nova glanced over her shoulder.
Two adults were arguing on the roof of a nearby building.
One of them hurled another piece of debris.
Great.
Another hero dispute.
Someone down the street shouted.
“CALL THE HERO AGENCY!”
Nova sighed quietly.
She stepped around the broken concrete and continued toward school.
Behind her, sirens were already getting closer.
She didn’t look back again.
If you lived in a world full of superpowers, chaos wasn’t an emergency.
It was just background noise.
Nova passed through the school gates a few minutes later.
Track practice started in ten minutes.
And if there was one thing Nova Mercer could do in a world full of powers…
It was run.
The track field was already busy when Nova arrived.
Students stretched along the lanes, some jogging warm-up laps while others practiced short bursts of their abilities under the watchful eye of Coach Ramirez.
A boy shot down lane three like a rocket, leaving streaks of blue light behind him.
Coach Ramirez blew his whistle immediately.
“Marcus! No abilities during warmups!”
Marcus skidded to a stop halfway down the track.
“Sorry coach!”
Nova dropped her bag onto the bleachers and started stretching.
No one yelled at her.
They never did.
There wasn’t much point in warning someone who didn’t have powers.
A few of the other runners noticed her and waved casually.
Most of the track team liked Nova.
Running was one of the few sports where powers weren’t always the deciding factor.
Raw speed still mattered.
Hard work still mattered.
Nova pulled her hair into a tighter ponytail.
The wind carried the faint smell of burnt rubber from the far side of the campus where the combat training field was located.
Someone must have been practicing fire abilities again.
The academy trained students for dozens of different careers involving powers.
Heroes.
Rescue workers.
Security specialists.
Engineering teams that built equipment designed to handle ability damage.
Even the costume department played a role.
Nova glanced across the campus buildings toward the tall glass structure that housed the Hero Development Center.
Most of the students inside were probably already testing their powers this morning.
Flight practice.
Energy control.
Combat drills.
All the things Nova would never do.
Coach Ramirez walked over, clipboard tucked under his arm.
“You’re early again, Mercer.”
Nova shrugged.
“Helps wake me up.”
Coach glanced toward the starting line where several powered runners were arguing about lane assignments.
“You know most people on this team use their abilities during races, right?”
Nova nodded.
“I know.”
“And you’re still here.”
Nova finished tying her shoe.
“I like running.”
Coach studied her for a moment.
Then he nodded.
“Lane two today.”
Nova stepped onto the track.
The other runners lined up beside her.
Marcus stretched his legs, sparks of blue energy flickering around his ankles.
“You sure you want to do this today, Mercer?” he asked casually.
Nova looked straight ahead.
“Pretty sure.”
Another runner laughed.
“Don’t take it personally if we leave you in the dust.”
Nova crouched at the starting line.
She had heard that line before.
Many times.
Coach Ramirez raised the whistle.
“Ready!”
The runners tensed.
Nova’s heart steadied.
She didn’t have powers.
But she had legs.
And she had spent years pushing them as far as they could go.
“Set!”
A faint electric hum filled the air as a few abilities activated.
Coach blew the whistle.
The runners exploded forward.
Marcus vanished in a blur of blue lightning.
Two others surged ahead with enhanced leg strength.
Nova pushed off the line with everything she had.
For the first few seconds, she kept up.
Then the powers kicked in.
The distance between them started to grow.
Blue streaks.
Shockwaves of air.
Enhanced speed.
Nova kept running anyway.
Her lungs burned.
Her legs strained.
But she didn’t slow down.
She never slowed down.
By the time she crossed the finish line, the others were already cooling down.
Marcus leaned against the fence.
“Not bad,” he said with a grin.
Nova bent over, catching her breath.
“Thanks.”
Another runner jogged past.
“You ever wish you had powers?”
Nova stood upright again.
Sweat clung to her forehead.
She thought about it for a moment.
Then she shrugged.
“Would’ve made things easier.”
Marcus laughed.
“Yeah, no kidding.”
Nova grabbed her water bottle from the bleachers.
Track practice ended in twenty minutes.
After that, she had her favorite class.
Costume Design Lab.
The one place in the academy where powers didn’t matter.
Only creativity did.
The Costume Design Lab sat on the quieter side of campus, tucked between the engineering wing and the equipment testing field.
Nova liked it that way.
The moment she stepped inside, the noise of the academy faded into the background.
Rows of worktables filled the room, covered with fabric samples, armor panels, measuring tapes, and half-finished hero suits displayed on mannequins.
Large windows let sunlight spill across the room.
Several sewing machines hummed steadily as students worked on projects.
Nova headed straight for her workstation near the back wall.
A half-finished suit waited for her there.
Black reinforced fabric layered with flexible armor plates.
The chest section had been ripped nearly all the way down the side.
Nova set her bag down and ran her fingers along the torn seam.
“Marcus again,” she muttered.
“Yeah.”
Nova glanced up.
Jenna leaned against the table beside her, holding a pair of gloves with scorch marks along the fingers.
“Combat training,” Jenna said. “Shockwave guy.”
Nova nodded.
“That tracks.”
She pulled a small toolkit from her bag and began removing the damaged stitching.
The work was relaxing.
Precise.
Predictable.
Unlike powers.
Across the room, a group of girls at another table were talking loudly while sorting through fabric samples.
“I swear my hair is impossible right now,” one of them groaned.
Another girl ran a hand through her bangs.
“Same. I need a haircut so bad.”
Nova kept working, but their conversation carried easily across the room.
“I tried a place near downtown last month,” another girl said.
“And?”
“They completely messed it up.”
“Ugh.”
“Seriously, does this city even have a good barber?”
There was a pause.
“Not that I know of.”
Nova snipped a loose thread and continued stitching.
Behind her, the conversation continued.
“My mom keeps telling me to try the mall salon.”
“I went there once.”
“And?”
“Never again.”
The girls laughed.
“I swear if someone doesn’t figure out how to control hair with powers already…”
“That would actually be amazing.”
Nova smiled faintly to herself as she reinforced the seam.
A few minutes later, the lab doors swung open.
Marcus stumbled inside.
His uniform was covered in dust.
And the tear in the chest section had gotten even worse.
“Mercer!” he called.
Nova didn’t even look up.
“You ran into a wall again.”
Marcus dropped into the chair beside her.
“That wall came out of nowhere.”
Nova set her needle down and finally glanced at him.
“You said that last week.”
Marcus grinned.
“Coincidence.”
Nova grabbed her measuring tape and pulled the damaged fabric straight.
“You heroes are a nightmare for costume maintenance.”
Marcus leaned back.
“Hey, if you had powers you’d be out there fighting too.”
Nova carefully aligned the fabric.
“Someone has to keep you idiots from showing up to battles in ripped uniforms.”
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Marcus laughed.
“Fair enough.”
Nova resumed stitching.
Behind her, the girls were still complaining about haircuts.
“I’m serious,” one said.
“If anyone finds a good barber in this city, tell me immediately.”
Nova tied off the thread and trimmed the excess fabric.
She didn’t say anything.
Marcus left the costume lab a few minutes later with his uniform patched and reinforced.
Nova packed her tools back into her bag and glanced at the clock mounted above the door.
12:42 AM.
Most students had already been in classes for hours.
Nova wasn’t expected until later.
For students with powers, the academy schedule was packed.
Ability control.
Combat training.
Hero ethics.
Disaster response.
Tactical team coordination.
The list went on.
But Nova wasn’t allowed in any of those classes.
The academy had decided years ago that Null students didn’t need them.
So her schedule looked a little different.
Nova Mercer’s school day started at 1:00 in the afternoon.
And it ended at 4:00.
Three hours.
That was it.
Track practice took longer than that.
Most days Nova didn’t complain about it.
But sometimes it felt strange walking into school when half the day was already over.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped back outside.
The campus was buzzing with activity.
Students flew overhead between buildings.
A group near the training field practiced controlled explosions under the watch of three instructors.
Nova walked past them like she always did.
No one stopped her.
No one asked her to join.
They never did.
She reached the academic building just before the clock tower struck one.
The hallway inside was quieter than it had been earlier.
Classes had already been running for most of the day.
Nova stopped by her locker and grabbed the books she needed.
As she closed the locker door, two students walking past glanced at her.
One of them lowered her voice slightly.
“Isn’t she a Null?”
The other nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Then why is she even here?”
Nova pretended not to hear them.
She had learned a long time ago that reacting never made conversations like that stop.
Instead she walked calmly down the hall toward her classroom.
Her first class of the day was Applied Materials.
Not hero work.
Not combat.
Just engineering basics and structural design.
Nova pushed open the classroom door.
Mr. Halvorsen glanced up from his desk.
“Ah. Mercer.”
Nova stepped inside.
“Afternoon.”
Several students were already seated.
Most of them looked up briefly before returning to their notes.
Mr. Halvorsen gestured toward the empty seats.
“Right on time.”
Nova sat down near the window and opened her notebook.
Mr. Halvorsen continued the lecture without pause.
“Now, as we were discussing earlier, certain reinforced fibers can withstand extreme temperatures generated by fire-based abilities…”
Nova listened carefully.
Unlike most students, she took these lessons seriously.
Understanding materials meant understanding how to protect people.
How to build better suits.
Better gear.
Better tools.
Even if she never became a hero herself.
She still wanted to help the ones who did.
The lecture ended forty minutes later.
Students gathered their things as the bell rang.
Nova packed her notebook and stood.
One of the girls from the costume lab passed her on the way out to the hallway.
“Hey, Nova.”
Nova looked up.
“What’s up?”
The girl adjusted her bag.
“You did a good job fixing Marcus’s suit earlier, How did you get so good at stitching flexible fabric?”
Nova shrugged.
“It just takes time.”
The girl hesitated.
Then she sighed.
“I guess I need to work harder to catch up top you, But I still need a haircut though that comes first.”
Nova smiled faintly.
“Join the club.”
The girl laughed and walked off down the hall.
Nova glanced at the clock again.
Two more classes.
Then she’d be done for the day.
Just like always.
Three hours of school.
Then the rest of the world moved on without her.
The final bell rang at exactly four o’clock.
Students poured out of classrooms and flooded into the hallways.
For most of them, the day wasn’t even close to over.
Combat drills still had two hours left.
Team strategy sessions started at five.
The academy stayed busy well into the evening.
Nova Mercer closed her notebook and slid it into her bag.
Her day, however, was already finished.
Three classes.
Three hours.
That was all the academy required from a student with no powers.
She stood from her desk and joined the slow movement of students heading toward the exits.
Most of them barely noticed her.
The ones who did usually assumed she was leaving early.
No one ever asked why.
Nova stepped outside into the late afternoon sunlight.
The campus gates loomed ahead, tall metal bars etched with the academy crest.
Students with glowing abilities streaked across the sky above the grounds.
A pair of second-years practiced hovering near the entrance while an instructor shouted corrections from below.
Nova walked past them without slowing.
The guards at the gate nodded politely as she passed.
They knew her by now.
The girl with the short schedule.
The girl with no powers.
The girl who ran track.
Nova stepped onto the sidewalk outside the academy and turned toward downtown.
The city was only about a fifteen-minute walk from campus.
Tall buildings stretched up ahead, their glass windows catching the orange light of the setting sun.
Nova adjusted the strap of her backpack and started down the street.
The walk home was usually quiet.
People finishing work.
Students heading to shops.
Traffic humming through the intersections.
Normal city noise.
But as Nova approached the edge of downtown, something felt… off.
A man hurried past her, nearly bumping into her shoulder.
“Sorry,” he muttered without slowing.
Nova frowned slightly.
A few seconds later, two more people rushed by in the opposite direction.
Then four.
Then ten.
Nova slowed her pace.
The crowd moving toward her was growing quickly.
People were jogging.
Some were running.
A woman grabbed her child’s hand and pulled him along the sidewalk.
“Come on, come on!”
Nova glanced past them toward the next intersection.
“What’s going on?” someone shouted behind her.
“Move!”
A man sprinted past Nova, breathing hard.
“Get away from downtown!”
Nova turned slightly.
“Why?”
The man didn’t answer.
He kept running.
More people rushed past her now.
Cars were honking somewhere down the street.
A distant crash echoed between the buildings.
Nova looked ahead again.
For a moment, she considered turning around like everyone else.
Then she sighed quietly.
And kept walking forward.
Because in a city full of superpowers…
Chaos wasn’t unusual.
It was just another Tuesday.
The farther Nova walked into downtown, the quieter the streets became.
That alone was strange.
Downtown was usually the busiest part of the city.
Restaurants.
Offices.
Street vendors.
Crowds moving in every direction.
But now the sidewalks were empty.
Store doors were closed.
Even the traffic had disappeared.
Nova slowed her pace.
The city felt… wrong.
A gust of wind rushed between the tall buildings, rattling a loose sign above a café.
Nova stepped into the intersection and looked around.
Not a single person in sight.
That’s when she heard it.
A distant boom.
Nova turned toward the sound just as something streaked across the sky above the buildings.
A blur of motion.
Then another.
Two figures shot across the skyline like missiles, smashing through the air with enough force to leave rippling shockwaves behind them.
Nova’s eyes widened.
“…Great.”
The two figures collided midair.
The impact echoed like thunder.
For a split second they struggled against each other, locked together high above the street.
Then gravity took over.
They fell.
Fast.
Nova barely had time to step back before both of them crashed down into the middle of the street fifty feet ahead of her.
The pavement shattered.
Concrete exploded outward.
Dust and debris blasted across the intersection.
Nova raised her arm to shield her face as chunks of asphalt skidded across the road.
When the dust settled, two figures stood in the crater they had created.
One of them wore a damaged hero uniform, the symbol on his chest cracked but still glowing faintly.
The other looked like trouble.
Dark armor.
A mask covering half his face.
Energy crackling around his fists.
They stared at each other for half a second.
Then the masked man laughed.
“Thought you could stop me alone?”
The hero wiped blood from his lip.
“You’re not leaving this city.”
The villain cracked his knuckles.
“Watch me.”
Nova slowly stepped backward.
She had seen hero fights before.
From far away.
Watching from a rooftop.
Or through a screen.
But being this close…
That was different.
Very different.
The hero lunged first.
The two of them slammed together again with enough force to shake the street.
Shockwaves blasted outward.
Car alarms started blaring up and down the block.
Nova didn’t wait to see what happened next.
She turned and started moving quickly toward the nearest open building.
Because she knew one very important rule about hero fights.
If you didn’t have powers…
You didn’t stay nearby.
The hero and the masked villain slammed into each other again.
The shockwave rattled every window on the block.
The moment the two of them collided, she turned and sprinted down the street.
Years of track training kicked in instantly.
Her feet pounded against the pavement as she pushed for the nearest corner.
Behind her, another thunderous crash echoed through the air.
“Stay down!” the hero shouted somewhere behind her.
Nova didn’t look back.
She rounded the corner and kept running.
Ten seconds later she slowed.
The street ahead was clear.
Good.
Nova exhaled and started jogging toward the next intersection.
Then something streaked across the sky above her.
A shadow dropped fast.
“ARE YOU SERIOUS”
The two fighters crashed into the street directly in front of her.
The impact shattered the asphalt again.
Nova skidded to a stop.
Dust blasted across the road.
The villain shoved the hero backward.
“You’re getting predictable!” he snarled.
Nova stared at them.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The hero swung again.
The villain dodged.
Their fight moved straight across the intersection.
Directly blocking the road Nova had just tried to escape through.
Nova turned immediately and started running the other direction.
“Nope. Not dealing with this today.”
Behind her, the sound of another explosion rattled the street.
Nova sprinted down the block.
Her legs burned as she pushed for the next corner.
Almost there.
Almost
A blur shot past overhead again.
Nova barely had time to react before both fighters slammed into the pavement in front of her again.
The street cracked like glass.
Chunks of concrete skidded across the road.
Nova slid to a stop, staring at the crater.
The villain stood up first.
“Stop running and fight me!”
The hero groaned and pulled himself out of the debris.
“I’m trying!”
Nova slowly turned around.
“…You cannot be serious.”
For a split second she considered trying to run between them.
Then both fighters lunged at the same time.
Their collision sent a shockwave blasting outward.
The force slammed into Nova like a wall of air.
She stumbled backward.
Her foot caught the edge of the sidewalk.
And suddenly she was airborne.
Nova crashed hard against the glass window of a nearby building.
The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs.
She slid down the glass and landed on the sidewalk with a groan.
For a moment she just sat there, staring up at the sky.
“…I hate this city.”
The fight continued in the street.
Concrete cracked.
Metal twisted.
Someone yelled something about surrendering.
Nova slowly turned her head.
That’s when she noticed the window behind her.
Bright lights shone through the glass.
Barber chairs.
Mirrors.
Shelves filled with bottles and styling tools.
Above the door, a small neon sign glowed softly.
OPEN
Nova blinked.
Outside, another explosion rattled the street.
She didn’t hesitate.
Nova scrambled to her feet, shoved the door open, and rushed inside.
The bell above the door jingled.
And suddenly the chaos outside disappeared.
The shop was calm.
Warm lights filled the room.
Hair dryers hummed quietly.
A few customers sat in chairs chatting casually.
And in the center of the shop, standing behind a barber chair with a pair of golden scissors in his hand…
Was the most flamboyantly dressed barber Nova had ever seen in her life.
He looked up.
Smiled brightly.
And said,
“Well hello there, darling.”
The bell above the door jingled as Nova rushed inside.
The moment the door shut behind her, the noise of the battle outside dulled to a distant rumble.
Nova stood there for a second, catching her breath.
Her heart was still racing.
But the shop…
The shop was calm.
Warm lights filled the room.
Mirrors lined the walls.
Three barber chairs were occupied by customers chatting casually while barbers worked carefully around their heads.
One man laughed as his stylist trimmed his beard.
A kid sat swinging his legs while another barber carefully cleaned up the sides of his haircut.
Nova blinked.
Outside, another crash shook the street.
Inside, no one reacted.
Nova slowly turned around, confused.
“…Am I the only one hearing that?”
One of the barbers glanced toward the window briefly.
“Hero fight,” he said casually.
Then he returned to trimming his client’s hair.
Nova stared at him.
“That’s it?”
The barber shrugged.
“Happens.”
Nova turned toward the front windows.
Through the glass she could still see flashes of energy lighting up the street outside.
Concrete shattered again.
A car alarm screamed somewhere down the block.
Yet inside the shop, everything felt oddly normal.
Nova slowly ran a hand through her hair.
The wind from her sprint and the shockwave that had launched her into the window had completely destroyed her ponytail.
Strands stuck out in every direction.
Half of it had fallen loose.
The rest looked like it had been caught in a tornado.
“…Great,” she muttered.
That’s when she noticed him.
Standing near the center chair.
Not working.
Not talking to a client.
Just watching.
He was tall and lean, wearing the loudest outfit Nova had ever seen in a barber shop.
Bright patterned shirt.
A colorful scarf draped loosely around his neck.
Rings glittered on several fingers.
A vibrant bandana wrapped around his head, holding back thick dark hair.
In one hand he casually held a pair of gold scissors that reflected the shop lights.
He looked like he belonged on a stage.
Not behind a barber chair.
And right now…
He was staring directly at Nova.
More specifically…
At her hair.
His eyes widened slowly.
He took a single step forward.
“…Oh.”
Nova blinked.
“…What?”
Silas Strand placed one hand dramatically against his chest.
“Oh honey.”
He circled around her slowly, examining the damage like an art critic inspecting a ruined painting.
Nova turned slightly to follow him.
“Uh…”
Outside, the two fighters slammed into the street again.
The entire building shook slightly.
Silas didn’t even glance toward the window.
Instead he pointed his scissors gently toward Nova’s head.
“What,” he said slowly, “happened to your hair?”
Nova frowned.
“I got hit by a shockwave.”
Silas gasped softly.
“That explains the violence.”
He leaned in closer, studying the tangled mess.
Nova raised an eyebrow.
“…Violence?”
Silas nodded gravely.
“Yes.”
He gestured dramatically.
“The violence against style.”
Nova stared at him.
Outside, another explosion rattled the glass as Silas walked back to the middle of the room
He straightened up and clapped his hands once. “Well.”
Gestering toward the empty chair beside him. “Sit.”
Nova glanced toward the door.
The fight outside was getting closer again.
A flash of energy lit up the street.
She sighed, then she walked over and sat down.
Silas slowly draped the barber cape around her shoulders like a royal robe.
He stepped back.
Tilted his head.
And studied her reflection in the mirror.
“…Interesting,” he murmured.
Nova crossed her arms under the cape.
“What?”
Silas smiled slightly.
“Darling.”
He twirled the scissors once between his fingers.
“You might be the most interesting client I’ve had all week.”
Silas circled the chair slowly, studying Nova’s reflection in the mirror.
His fingers twirled the golden scissors once before he set them gently on the counter.
“Now then,” he said brightly. “Let’s see what we’re working with.”
Nova watched him through the mirror.
Outside, another thunderous crash echoed down the street.
The shop windows rattled.
Silas didn’t even glance up.
Instead he stepped behind the chair and gently placed his hands into Nova’s hair.
He began lifting strands, separating them carefully between his fingers.
Nova winced slightly as he untangled one stubborn knot.
“Sorry,” she muttered.
Silas hummed thoughtfully.
“No need to apologize, darling.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“…This is actually fascinating.”
Nova raised an eyebrow.
Silas went still.
His fingers rested lightly against Nova’s scalp.
For the first time since she had walked in, the flamboyant barber went completely quiet.
Outside, another explosion shook the street.
Inside the shop, the other barbers continued working like nothing unusual was happening.
Silas stared at Nova’s reflection in the mirror.
“…Oh my.”
Nova frowned.
“…What?”
Silas slowly withdrew his hands from her hair.
“You,” he said softly, “are a forgotten child.”
Nova stared at him through the mirror.
“I’m… what?”
Silas reached for the golden scissors resting on the counter.
“A Null,” he said calmly.
Nova exhaled.
“Oh.”
That.
She had expected something dramatic.
“Yeah,” she said. “I know.”
Silas stepped behind her again.
Without another word he lifted a section of her hair between his fingers.
The scissors moved.
Snip.
A few uneven strands fell gently to the floor.
Outside, another thunderous crash echoed down the street.
Silas didn’t even glance at the window.
Instead he continued trimming carefully.
“Tell me something,” he said casually.
Nova watched him through the mirror.
“What?”
Snip.
“What do you do?”
Nova blinked.
“…What do you mean?”
Silas tilted his head slightly as he trimmed another section.
“Well,” he said, “most Nulls I meet don’t wander into downtown while a hero fight is happening.”
Nova shrugged beneath the barber cape.
“I was walking home.”
Silas hummed.
“From where?”
“The academy.”
The scissors paused for just a moment.
Then they resumed.
Snip.
“The hero academy?” Silas asked.
Nova nodded.
“Yeah.”
Silas raised one eyebrow.
“…Interesting.”
He stepped to the side of the chair and began shaping the hair near her temple.
“And what exactly does a Null do at a hero academy?”
Nova thought about that for a moment.
“Costume department.”
Silas smiled faintly.
“Ah.”
The scissors moved again.
Snip.
“You make the suits.”
Nova nodded.
“Repair them mostly.”
Silas leaned slightly closer to the mirror, studying the shape of the cut forming in Nova’s hair.
“And why,” he asked, “would someone with no powers spend their time helping people who do?”
Nova shrugged again.
“Someone has to.”
Silas chuckled softly.
“Yes.”
Snip.
“That’s true.”
Outside, another shockwave rattled the windows.
Nova glanced toward the door.
Silas didn’t even slow down.
Instead he continued trimming, his hands moving with effortless precision.
Then he asked quietly,
“And the running?”
Nova blinked.
“How did you”
Silas smiled.
“Your posture.”
Snip.
“The way your legs tensed when you came through the door.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“And the fact that you almost outran two flying idiots fighting outside.”
Nova couldn’t help smiling a little.
“…Fair.”
Silas continued shaping the cut.
“So tell me,” he said casually.
“Why do you run?”
Nova stared at her reflection for a moment.
Then she answered simply.
“In case something bad happens.”
Silas paused.
Just for a moment.
Then the scissors resumed.
Snip.
“Well,” he said lightly.
“That seems to be working out for you today.”
Silas worked in quiet focus for a moment.
The golden scissors moved with effortless precision.
Snip.
Strands of Nova’s dark hair drifted softly to the floor.
Silas lifted another section between his fingers.
“You know,” he said casually, “you can tell a lot about a person by their hair.”
Nova watched him through the mirror.
“…You can?”
Silas smiled slightly.
“Oh yes.”
Snip.
“Hair holds everything.”
He tilted his head as he studied the shape of the cut.
“Stress.”
Snip.
“Joy.”
Another section fell.
“Every sleepless night.”
Nova watched as more of her long hair slipped past the cape and dropped to the floor.
Silas continued.
“It holds the memories of the soul.”
Nova blinked.
“…That sounds a little dramatic.”
Silas chuckled softly.
“Darling.”
He lifted another thick section from the back of her head.
“I’m a barber.”
The scissors flashed.
Snip.
“I specialize in dramatic.”
Nova glanced down as another long piece of hair slid off the cape.
For the first time she noticed just how much had already been cut.
Her hair had been long when she walked in.
It used to fall all the way down her back.
Now it barely reached her shoulders.
Silas continued shaping the cut with careful movements.
The back was becoming shorter.
Cleaner.
Nova watched as he began forming a smooth curved line around the base of her neck.
“…Uh,” she said slowly.
Silas hummed.
“Yes?”
“That’s a lot shorter than I expected.”
Silas tilted his head slightly.
“Trust the process.”
The scissors moved again.
Snip.
He stepped to the side and lifted the hair near the front of her face.
Nova watched carefully now.
He was shaping the front differently.
The sides were shorter.
Angled slightly inward.
Then he began trimming across her forehead.
Nova blinked as a few strands drifted down in front of her eyes.
“…Are those bangs?”
Silas smiled.
“They will be.”
Nova stared at the mirror as the style slowly took shape.
Her long hair was disappearing.
In its place…
A clean, classic bob cut was forming.
Shorter in the back.
Smooth around the sides.
Soft bangs settling just above her eyebrows.
Silas stepped back slightly, examining his work.
“You have good hair structure,” he said thoughtfully.
Nova sighed.
“Well that’s good news at least.”
Silas chuckled quietly.
Then he continued trimming.
“You know,” he said, “there was a time when the world looked very different.”
Nova raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Silas nodded.
“Yes.”
Snip.
“There was a time when almost no one had powers.”
Another section of hair fell.
“And those who did…”
He twirled the scissors once.
“…were considered chosen.”
Nova watched him through the mirror.
“Chosen how?”
Silas smiled faintly.
“Special.”
Snip.
“Important.”
He brushed a few loose strands off the cape.
“Heroes.”
Nova leaned back slightly in the chair.
“That must’ve been a long time ago.”
Silas nodded.
“Very.”
The scissors moved again.
“But time changes everything.”
Another few strands drifted to the floor.
“Now powers are everywhere.”
Nova watched her new haircut slowly take shape in the mirror.
“And the chosen?”
Silas glanced down at her reflection.
“They became ordinary.”
He lifted one last section near her temple.
The scissors closed softly.
Snip.
“And the ordinary…”
He smiled gently.
“…became forgotten.”
Nova looked at him through the mirror.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Outside, another explosion echoed faintly down the street.
Inside the shop, the warm lights hummed quietly.
Silas brushed the last loose strands from her shoulders.
Then he studied her reflection.
“…There we are.”
Nova looked at the mirror.
The messy chaos she had walked in with was gone.
In its place was a sharp, stylish bob cut with soft bangs, framing her face neatly.
She blinked.
“…Okay.”
Silas smiled proudly.
“That suits you.”
Nova tilted her head slightly.
“…I actually like it.”
Silas grinned.
“Oh I know.”
Then he leaned forward slightly and studied her hair again.
This time with a curious expression.
“…Hmm.”
Nova noticed.
“What?”
Silas didn’t answer immediately.
Instead he gently lifted one strand of her freshly cut hair between his fingers.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“…That’s interesting.”
Nova frowned.
“What is?”
Silas didn’t answer right away.
Instead he slowly walked around the chair, studying the cut from every angle.
Outside, another distant crash echoed through the street.
Inside the shop, the warm lights glowed softly across the mirrors.
Silas stopped in front of her.
For a moment he simply looked at her reflection.
Then he smiled.
“Nova,” he said gently.
Nova blinked.
“…You know my name?”
Silas waved a hand casually.
“Darling, it was stitched on your track bag.”
Nova glanced down at the bag sitting beside the chair.
“Oh.”
Silas chuckled softly.
Then his expression grew calm again.
“Nova,” he repeated, “I hope you do not regret coming into my barber shop today.”
Nova raised an eyebrow.
“…Why would I regret it?”
Silas leaned slightly closer, resting one hand lightly on the back of the chair.
“Because,” he said quietly, “I would like to give you a gift.”
Nova stared at him through the mirror.
“A… gift?”
Silas nodded.
His voice softened.
“I want you to know something.”
Nova waited.
Silas smiled.
“Today…”
He gently placed his hand on the top of her head.
“…you were not forgotten.”
For a split second, the shop lights flickered.
Then
A sudden flash of gold light burst between Silas’s fingers.
Nova flinched slightly.
“What”
Silas lifted his hand.
In his palm, something shimmered into existence.
It looked as if he had pulled it out of thin air.
A slender golden comb, glowing faintly like it had been carved from sunlight.
Nova stared.
“…Okay.”
Silas twirled the comb once between his fingers like a magician revealing a trick.
“Hold still,” he said lightly.
Before Nova could ask another question, Silas gently placed the comb into her freshly cut hair.
He drew it through once.
Just once.
As the comb slid through the strands
The golden light suddenly burst outward.
The glow rippled across her hair like sunlight over water.
For a split second, Nova felt something strange.
A faint rush of energy.
Like a sudden gust of wind passing through her body.
Then it was gone.
The light vanished.
The comb disappeared from Silas’s hand as if it had never existed.
Nova blinked.
“…Did you just”
Silas casually brushed a loose strand away from her face.
“There we go,” he said cheerfully.
Nova stared at him.
“…What was that?”
Silas smiled brightly.
“Styling.”
Nova looked at herself in the mirror again.
Her hair looked exactly the same as it had a moment ago.
Smooth.
Short.
Perfectly shaped.
Nothing glowing.
Nothing strange.
She slowly stood from the chair.
“…You’re weird.”
Silas gasped dramatically.
“I prefer artistically misunderstood.”
Outside, another distant explosion echoed through the street.
Nova grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder.
“Well… thanks for the haircut.”
Silas leaned casually against the counter.
“My pleasure.”
Nova walked toward the door.
Just before she stepped outside, Silas called after her.
“Oh, Nova?”
She turned.
“Yeah?”
Silas smiled.
“Try not to get caught in the rain.”
Nova frowned slightly.
“…Okay?”
Then she pushed the door open and stepped back into the street.
The chaos of the city rushed in again.
But something felt…
Different.
Nova adjusted the strap of her bag and started walking.
She didn’t realize it yet.
But Silas had just given her something she had never felt before.
Nova pushed the door open carefully and stepped back outside.
The street was quiet now.
The two fighters were gone.
Only the aftermath remained.
Cracked pavement.
A shattered storefront across the street.
One abandoned car sitting sideways in the intersection.
Nova leaned slightly out the doorway and looked both directions down the street.
No flying heroes.
No masked villains.
Just distant sirens echoing somewhere across the city.
“…Clear enough,” she muttered.
She turned back toward the shop and gave a small wave through the window.
Silas stood inside chatting with a customer like nothing unusual had happened.
He waved back dramatically.
Nova shook her head and stepped onto the sidewalk.
“What a weird barber,” she said to herself.
Then she started walking home.
The sun was dipping lower by the time Nova reached the busier part of the city again.
People filled the sidewalks.
Traffic hummed along the road beside her.
Street vendors shouted to passing crowds.
Everything had returned to normal.
Just another day in a city full of powers.
Nova walked along the edge of the sidewalk, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket.
She was only a few blocks from home.
Up ahead, a traffic light turned red.
Cars slowed to a stop.
A group of pedestrians began crossing the street.
Nova followed behind them.
That’s when it happened.
A loud explosion echoed somewhere nearby.
People screamed.
Nova sighed quietly.
“Again?”
She turned her head toward the sound.
Just another hero fight somewhere.
Probably two blocks away.
It wasn’t her problem.
She started turning back toward the sidewalk
Then she saw it.
A car.
Flying sideways through the air.
The vehicle had been launched from somewhere down the street and was spinning violently toward the intersection.
Toward her.
Nova’s eyes widened.
The world suddenly went quiet.
Not silent.
Just…
Slow.
The spinning car moved toward her like it was drifting through thick water.
Glass shards hung in the air.
People nearby were frozen mid-scream.
Nova could hear only one thing.
Her heartbeat.
Thump.
The car was getting closer.
Thump.
Too close.
Thump.
Nova turned away from it instinctively.
Her eyes squeezed shut.
And she ran.
Her legs moved automatically.
The same way they always did.
One step.
Then another.
Then another.
Wind rushed past her face.
The air roared in her ears.
Something blurred beneath her feet.
Then
THUD.
Nova slammed into something solid.
The impact knocked the breath from her lungs.
She tumbled backward and landed flat on her back.
“…Ow.”
She lay there for a second, eyes still closed.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
Slowly…
She opened her eyes.
The sky above her was calm.
Blue.
Cloudless.
Nova blinked.
“…What?”
She sat up slowly.
A park bench lay tipped sideways beside her.
Apparently the thing she had just run into.
Across the street
A car rolled violently across the pavement.
It slammed onto its roof.
Then burst into flames.
The burning vehicle skidded to a stop.
Right where Nova had been standing.
Nova stared at it.
Then she slowly looked down the street.
Then back at the car.
Then at the bench.
“…Okay.”
She looked at her legs.
“…What just happened?”
Across the street, people were still screaming and running away from the crash.
Nova slowly stood up.
Her heart was still racing.
But now it wasn’t from fear.
It was from something else.
Something strange.
She looked down at her feet again.
Then back toward the burning car.
“…There’s no way.”
Far across the city…
Inside a barber shop filled with warm lights and quiet chatter…
Silas Strand smiled to himself..
