The night had settled into quiet comfort, a rare moment of peace for the Catalysts. They were all gathered in Zazm's massive living room. Zazm sat casually on the middle couch, legs crossed, a slight grin on his lips. Jennie sat next to him, glancing around curiously, still soaking in the strange yet warm dynamic of this unusual group.
Jahanox and Kiyomasa were slouched at the dining table, both visibly exhausted. Caspian was sprawled against a wall, head tilted back, arms limp. The aftermath of their intense cleaning session hung in the air.
"After all that training, we had to become maids too..." Caspian groaned, his voice heavy with fatigue. "What's next, you want to put us in maid outfits?"
"Say one more word and I *will* put you in a maid outfit," Jahanox muttered darkly, pressing his fingers to his temple.
Kiyomasa let out a dramatic sigh. "I'm so tired I think my powers are on cooldown."
Zazm, ever the calm in chaos, shrugged. "You trashed my place. You clean it. That's fair."
Jennie, with her kind demeanor, smiled softly. "Well... now everything is clean. No need to argue anymore."
As silence began to settle again, the sharp chime of the doorbell pierced the calm. Everyone flinched.
Zazm stood up smoothly. "It's here. Come on, Jennie."
Jennie followed him through a shimmer of light—gone in an instant. The others exchanged glances but were too drained to investigate.
Moments later, Zazm and Jennie returned, arms overloaded with bags.
Caspian rose like a zombie from the dead. "Is that... food?"
Zazm set the bags on the table, revealing stacks of pizza boxes, tubs of fried chicken, neatly wrapped tacos, burritos, even bowls of salad. The aroma hit them all like a warm hug.
Jahanox and Kiyomasa rushed over like kids on Christmas morning.
Jennie blinked at the sheer volume. "Zazm... this is a lot. And it must've cost—"
"Don't worry," Jahanox cut in confidently. "I'll make sure nothing goes to waste."
"Same!" Kiyomasa raised a slice of pizza in a toast. "I got this."
Zazm grinned, taking a seat. "Relax, Jennie. You don't have to worry about the cost. It's Caspian's treat."
Caspian froze mid-bite, slowly turning his head. "Wait. What?"
Zazm gestured lazily. "Your new show went viral, right? You're swimming in money. It's only fair."
Caspian stared in horror, checking his pockets. "You didn't—"
Zazm casually pulled out a credit card and flipped it between his fingers. "Thanks for the treat, Caspian. Jennie, you should thank him too."
Jennie giggled softly. Caspian, now fully awake, pointed a trembling finger. "You... you absolute asshole. You're rich too!"
Zazm took a bite of a taco and shrugged. "I'm younger. That means I shouldn't have to pay. Besides, what's done is done. Sit down and eat."
As Jennie took her first bite, she lit up with delight. "This is amazing."
Zazm nodded smugly. "Five-star restaurant. Only the best."
Caspian's soul visibly left his body. "FIVE STAR?!"
"Calm down," Zazm said coolly.
"I *can't* calm down!" Caspian howled. "How did you even know my PIN?!"
Everyone looked at Jahanox. Jahanox looked out the window, utterly expressionless, mouth filled with food.
Caspian's face turned red. "You mind-reading bastard!"
Laughter broke through the room, warm and wild. The chaos turned into comfort as the Catalysts—strong, strange, and superpowered—shared food, jokes, and peace under one roof. Jennie found herself smiling more than she had in years.
In this moment, they weren't warriors or weapons. They were just people—laughing, eating, and slowly becoming a family.
---
The soft breeze tousled Zazm's hair as he leaned casually against the balcony railing, eyes gazing at the distant skyline bathed in moonlight. The city below was alive—glimmering lights, occasional horns, and the muffled chatter of the world that didn't know a thing about Catalysts or collapsing realities.
The balcony door creaked open behind him.
He turned, a small smile curling at the edge of his lips. "Well, well. Look who decided to join me."
Jennie stepped out first, her expression instantly softening as the wind hit her face. She walked straight to the edge and leaned slightly forward, her hair swaying behind her. "The air from here is… different," she said with a small, breathy laugh.
Jahanox followed, his usual serious demeanor a little soft as a smirk visible on his face. "Nothing much," he said, replying to Zazm's earlier question. "Just wanted some fresh air. Thought clearer heads might gather here."
Zazm chuckled and tilted his head toward Jennie. "Told you. That's one of the best things about this place—the view and the breeze. Can't put a price on that."
Jennie nodded silently, her eyes still exploring the distant horizon. "It feels like everything slows down up here."
"Exactly," Zazm said, then turned his attention to Jahanox. "So? Where are the other two disasters?"
Before Jahanox could even open his mouth, Jennie answered without looking away. "Asleep. Both of them. Kiyomasa knocked out with a chicken wing still in his hand. Caspian's curled up like a cat."
Jahanox gave a small nod, confirming her words. "They're out cold. Training, cleaning, and food coma. They earned it." he said with a smirk and mocking tone.
Zazm snorted. "Yeah, guess so."
He looked back toward the skyline, his voice lowering just a bit. "Let's talk then."
Jahanox gave a silent nod, stepping closer to the railing. Jennie turned her head, eyes shifting between the two. She could tell this wasn't just casual banter—they were about to talk business. Or history. Or maybe something in between.
Whatever it was, she stayed quiet, curious, and listened closely.
Zazm exhaled slowly, eyes still fixed on the city, before glancing at Jahanox. "So," he began, his tone more curious than commanding, "how's their training going?"
Jahanox crossed his arms and leaned slightly against the railing. "They're doing well. Both of them can use fire, wind, and earth at an extremely competent level. Kiyomasa's movements are cleaner now—his control has become more instinctual. Caspian… well, he's catching up."
Zazm nodded. "I saw as much back at the tower."
A moment passed before he tilted his head again, this time with more focus. "What about Caspian's total abilities? What can he really do?"
Jennie turned toward him, surprised. "Wait—you don't know?"
Zazm shrugged lightly. "I know what his ability is. And I've seen a bit of how it works. But everything else—its limits, the nuances—that's something each Catalyst has to figure out themselves. I left before Caspian even had time to discover much."
Jennie nodded slowly, digesting the thought.
Jahanox picked it up from there. "Caspian's ability is… odd," he said. "You know he can use another Catalyst's powers by touching them for a certain amount of time. But there's a catch."
Zazm's brows raised. "What kind of catch?"
Jahanox replied, "With Kiyomasa, he can use the same elemental powers. Wind, fire, earth—all of it, as long as the contact is long enough. But with me? It's different. He can only use the last ability I used. Just that."
Zazm blinked, slightly confused. "Only the last one you used? Like… if you summoned the Shadow Realm, that's the only thing he can use from you?"
"Exactly," Jahanox confirmed. "Whatever I used last is what gets copied."
Zazm ran a hand through his hair, trying to wrap his head around it. "That's… bizarre. But kind of fascinating, and it also makes somewhat sense."
Jahanox crossed his arms, "How does that make sense?" He asked Zazm.
"Well we don't really know about powers but Kiyomasa's power is elemental control and that means all elements, so ofcourse Caspian can use all."
He passed for a second his lips slightly curving, "You're power is to use any power, so perhaps it has something to do with it."
Jahanox shook his head, "but my power is using all powers and if Caspian can copy all powers can't be also copy the power to copy all powers?"
Zazm scratched his hair in irritation, "It's so confusing but not like we would know, we know close to nothing about these powers."
"Well let's talk about Caspian for now."
Jennie tilted her head thoughtfully. "How long can he use the powers after touching someone?"
"At first, it was thirty minutes," Jahanox said. "But now? He's up to about forty-five, maybe a little more depending on the intensity."
Zazm gave a low, impressed whistle. "Not bad. Considering he hasn't been training that long."
Jennie's eyebrows furrowed. "Still… that doesn't sound that useful, right? I mean, if he has to keep learning everyone's powers from scratch, isn't it kind of a burden?"
Zazm suddenly pushed himself off the railing, turning to face her completely. His expression had a rare seriousness to it. "It's more than useful," he said firmly. "It's insanely powerful. Caspian can use every Catalyst's ability. That makes him, potentially, the most versatile one among us."
"But—" Jennie started.
"—he has to train for all of them individually," Zazm added, looking at Jahanox, who nodded in agreement. "He can't just touch me and start bending space. He has to understand the technique. The control. The risks. Everything."
Jahanox added, "He'll probably have to train harder than anyone else. Because he's not mastering just one power—he's chasing all of ours."
Jennie looked down at her hands, her thoughts swirling. It was a lot to process, but in a strange way, it made sense.
Zazm glanced at Jennie, then snapped his fingers. "Hold on… we haven't told the others everything about your powers yet, have we?"
Jennie blinked. "I guess not."
Jahanox tilted his head, a curious smirk forming. "Wait—there's more? I thought going invisible was already cheating."
Zazm grinned. "She can do illusions too. And not the basic kind."
Jahanox raised a brow, arms crossed. "Okay now I have to know. What kind of illusions?"
Zazm leaned toward Jennie and whispered something in her ear. Jennie stifled a laugh and nodded as if confirming something.
Jahanox squinted, tilting his head with mock annoyance. "Okay, seriously—what's with the secret whispering? Y'all just gonna exclude me now?"
Just then, he felt a hand rest gently on his shoulder.
He turned around.
Zazm was standing behind him, Jennie a step behind, walking onto the balcony.
Jahanox's eyes went wide. He snapped his head back to where they'd just been—and saw nothing. The versions of Zazm and Jennie he had been talking to were gone.
"What the hell…" he muttered.
Zazm looked at him, a hint of playful confusion in his voice. "Why are you talking to yourself?"
Jennie stepped beside him, her voice soft. "Are you okay?"
Jahanox looked at them both, still trying to wrap his head around it. "Wait, what? I was just talking to you two… weren't I?"
Zazm tilted his head. "We just came out here. Saw you come out and figured we'd join."
Jahanox's expression froze for a moment—until sudden laughter echoed behind Zazm.
He turned again, and there they were—the illusions of Zazm and Jennie—both laughing hysterically as they faded away like mist.
Real Zazm broke into a laugh. "Now do you get what I meant by different level illusions?"
Jennie chuckled, covering her mouth. "Sorry… I couldn't help it."
Jahanox, still a little shaken but laughing too, ran a hand through his hair. "Man… those illusions are way too real."
Jennie gave a small bow of apology. "I didn't mean to scare you."
He waved a hand with a grin. "Nah, it's all good. That was actually pretty impressive."
Zazm leaned on the railing again, still smiling. "Told you her powers were something else."
Jahanox smirked. "Yeah… remind me never to piss her off."
As their laughter settled, Jahanox leaned against the railing, eyeing Jennie with a curious squint. "Wait… how can she already use her powers that well?"
Zazm, still grinning, blinked and tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Jahanox shrugged. "I mean—we had to train like crazy just to do the basics. Kiyomasa blew himself into a tree once trying to use wind, and Caspian got himself nearly killed a few times? First day she gets her powers and she's already out here messing with my brain?"
Jennie's laughter faded too, her gaze shifting toward Zazm, curious now.
Zazm looked at both of them, then smirked. "That's because her power is illusion creation. It's not about force or energy—it's about creativity. She can make whatever illusion she imagines. And lucky for her…" he looked at Jennie, "she's an artist. So her imagination is already sharp."
Jennie's brows rose a little as she softly mouthed, "Oh…"
Jahanox crossed his arms, groaning playfully. "Man, things just keep getting more and more unfair."
Zazm chuckled under his breath.
Jennie looked back at Zazm and asked, "What about my invisibility? Does that work the same way?"
Zazm shook his head. "Nah, that one's different. It's more physical than mental. You'll need to train that the old-fashioned way."
Jennie nodded slowly, taking it in. "So one's based on my imagination… and the other's like actual stealth."
"Exactly," Zazm said. "One's natural to you. The other, you'll have to earn."
Jahanox sighed dramatically. "Can we at least pretend this Catalyst business is balanced?"
Zazm shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"
Zazm leaned back against the railing, glancing at Jahanox. "Don't you need to head home?"
Jahanox shook his head casually. "Nah, told my parents I'll be back tomorrow. It's fine."
At that, Zazm instinctively checked the time on his phone. His eyes widened. "It's already 3 a.m.?"
He quickly turned to Jennie, concern flickering in his voice. "Jennie—your parents must be worried. I should take you home right now."
Jennie raised a hand gently, a soft smile on her face. "You don't need to worry."
But Zazm shook his head, running a hand through his hair, clearly blaming himself. "No, seriously. I should've kept track of time. I'll go with you, explain it to them myself—"
Jennie lightly cut him off, her voice calm. "I… grew up in an orphanage."
Zazm froze, his expression shifting. He looked down for a second, silent.
"I lived there till high school," Jennie continued softly. "Then I started working as an artist's assistant and moved out. I live alone now."
She smiled at them both, gently but with strength. "So you don't have to treat me any differently. I really enjoyed tonight."
Zazm stared up at the night sky for a while before speaking again, his tone quieter now. "You're not the only one…"
Jennie tilted her head slightly.
"Kiyomasa doesn't have parents either," Zazm added. "He used to live with his grandmother. After she passed, he was completely lost… so I brought him here."
Jennie blinked. "Really? How old is Kiyomasa?"
Jahanox, arms still crossed, answered casually, "He's the youngest out of all of us—just 17."
Jennie's eyes widened. "He's only 17?" Then she looked at Zazm, suspicion creeping into her voice. "Wait… how old are you?"
Zazm smirked. "Nineteen."
She narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."
Before he could reply, Jahanox jumped in with a lazy grin, "Nope. He's not. I'm 19 too."
Jennie dramatically wiped an invisible tear from her cheek. "I'm the oldest one here…"
Zazm grinned and shook his head. "Actually… Caspian's 21."
Jennie's back straightened instantly. "Wait, really?"
He nodded.
She sighed in relief. "Okay, thank God. At least someone makes me feel young."
Jahanox laughed under his breath. "Barely."
At the mention of everyone's past, Jennie looked at Zazm curiously. "What about your parents? Won't they be concerned that your house is basically a base for supernatural people now?"
Zazm gave a light smile and shook his head. "They don't care about anything… except their business."
Jennie blinked. "What do you mean?"
Before Zazm could answer, Jahanox stepped forward, hands in his pockets as he looked out over the balcony. "Zazm here grew up alone—with a ridiculous amount of money. His parents never really cared. They just threw cash at him like fertilizer and hoped he'd grow into something."
Jennie glanced at Zazm, a small frown forming on her face. "So… they just left you alone?"
Zazm shrugged. "They check in once every couple of years. Usually around some tax season or board meeting. That's about it."
Jennie looked down, her voice soft. "Is it some kind of curse? That all Catalysts have such sad backstories?"
For a moment, the wind blew gently through the balcony, quiet settling between them.
Then, Zazm chuckled.
Jahanox joined in, laughing as he leaned back on the railing. "Maybe it's like one of those anime. Y'know? Main characters always have a tragic origin story."
Zazm smirked. "Yeah. Tragedy's like the starter pack."
Jennie couldn't help but laugh with them, her earlier sadness replaced by the warmth of their shared moment. The pain in their pasts was real, but for now… they had each other.
And somehow, that made it all a little easier to carry.
As the night wind began to settle and the city lights dimmed just a little more, Jennie looked at Zazm and softly said, "I should get going now. Can you drop me off?"
Zazm nodded and casually lifted his hand, swirling his fingers as a portal began to shimmer into form. But just as it stabilized, he paused. "Wait… it's pretty late. Where exactly do you live?"
Jennie smiled and said, "Near the art gallery—by the street with all the murals. It's not far."
Zazm's eyes lit up with recognition. "You mean that street? The one with the old cafe and the artist benches?"
She nodded. "Yup, that one. It's super popular."
Zazm smirked. "Yeah, I know the spot. I'll just open the portal right there."
With a flick of his wrist, the portal shifted, changing its hue slightly as it redirected to the familiar neighborhood. Jennie stepped closer, the glow from the portal casting a gentle light on her face.
"Thanks," she said warmly.
Zazm gave a small wave. "Anytime."
With that, Jennie stepped through the portal, disappearing into the soft hum of energy as it closed behind her—leaving the balcony quiet once again.
Zazm looked out into the city, hands tucked in his pockets
Jahanox leaned against the railing, eyes scanning the skyline. "Today was fun," he said with a small smile. "The new Catalyst's nice too. Jennie's… different, but in a good way."
Zazm turned his head slightly, his voice low. "How's Caspian doing?"
Jahanox crossed his arms, looking at him with a raised brow. "What do you mean?"
"I asked you to keep an eye on him," Zazm said, gaze fixed on the dark horizon.
Jahanox nodded, thoughtful. "He acted a little strange in the beginning… but then he fit in. He's been trying, y'know?"
Zazm didn't respond immediately. The silence between them lingered, only broken by the soft city breeze. His suspicion still lingered in his eyes.
Seeing that, Jahanox reached out, placing a hand on Zazm's shoulder. "Hey," he said, voice calm but firm. "You should trust others a little more. I think… maybe we both thought of Caspian the wrong way. Sure, he's a playboy and sometimes a bitch—" he chuckled, "—but besides all that, he's a decent guy."
Zazm took a breath, still staring out. "We need to be careful, Jahanox. If any Catalyst goes out of hand, there might be nothing we can do. And even if we can do something… things might've already gotten out of hand by then."
Jahanox nodded slowly, understanding the weight in his voice. "True. But… you've got that failsafe thing, right? The thread bombs. If someone talks or leaks something, they die."
Zazm finally turned to look at him, a bit more serious. "I didn't put any of those on Jennie or Caspian."
Jahanox blinked. "Wait… seriously?"
Zazm nodded.
Jahanox looked away, letting the words settle. "Guess that means… you're trusting them more than you think."
Zazm didn't answer. He just looked up at the stars.
Zazm stretched as he and Jahanox stepped back inside the apartment. The lights were dim, and the air was filled with that odd peaceful silence that only came in the dead of night—or rather, early morning.
They walked into the living room to find Caspian lying on the floor like a corpse, face-down, one leg twitching slightly. Kiyomasa was curled up on the other end of the room, hugging a pillow half his size, snoring softly.
Zazm rolled his eyes. "Seriously?" he muttered, before walking up to Caspian and kicking him in the ribs. "Get up, you idiot. Go sleep somewhere that's not the damn ground."
Caspian groaned like a dying animal. "I am somewhere. It's horizontal. That's enough."
Zazm didn't waste another word—he raised his leg and casually kicked Caspian in the face with the sole of his foot.
OW! WHAT THE HELL—?!" Caspian bolted upright, holding his nose.
"Better. Now you're awake," Zazm said smugly.
Meanwhile, Jahanox knelt beside Kiyomasa and gave him a few light shakes. "Hey, little guy. Time to move."
Kiyomasa blinked groggily, his hair a complete mess, and mumbled, "I was dreaming of pizza that never ended…"
"You already ate like a dragon. Go dream about veggies or something," Jahanox said, helping him up.
They slowly escorted the barely-conscious Kiyomasa to his room, where he immediately flopped onto the bed without even pulling the covers.
Back in the living room, Caspian was back on the ground.
Zazm sighed. "You're really committed to this floor life, huh?"
"No… I just hate you," Caspian mumbled, while he lifted his middle finger.
"Fuck you too," Zazm said before grabbing him by the shirt and, dragging him across the floor and unceremoniously tossing him onto the couch like a sack of laundry.
Caspian groaned again, this time staying where he was.
Jahanox stretched and yawned. "I'm crashing in the guest room."
"Night," Zazm called as he turned toward his own room. He paused, glancing back one last time at the quiet, dim apartment.
"Not bad," he muttered to himself with a small smile, before disappearing into the darkness of his room.
And just like that, silence took over again—only broken by Caspian snoring dramatically on the couch.
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