Skylar

I jerk awake, the ghost of a dream about a world on fire still clinging to my consciousness. My heart hammers against my ribcage, reminding me that the nightmare isn't far from reality. I'm Skyler Marie Rebello, the one prophesied to be humanity's savior, and with each sunrise, I feel the weight of all the lives depending on me.

I throw off the covers and sit up, pausing for just a moment. My breath comes in steady rhythms as I center myself, grounding my thoughts in the ...