Hi! I’m Niya. My life isn’t exactly what you’d call “normal.” I mean, sure, I like chocolate ice cream and silly jokes just like other kids, but let’s just say I’ve spent a lot more time learning to throw a punch than learning to play hopscotch.

Let me start from the beginning. My mom and dad—they’re kind of a big deal. Both of them are scientists, but not just any scientists. They’re like super-famous genius scientists who people say can “change the world.” They do all kinds of experiments that most people can’t even imagine. My dad is the lead scientist, with my mom as his right-hand assistant. Together, they’ve discovered things people only read about in science fiction.

Because they’re so famous, there are people out there—bad people—who want to control them or even hurt them. When I was really young, my dad said to me, “You’re smarter than you know, Niya. We need you to be strong.” And so, when I was just four years old, my dad sent me to live on a military base for training. It was hard at first, really hard, and I missed my parents. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just live at home like other kids. But my dad told me it was to keep me safe. He said, “If you’re strong, you can protect yourself and stay out of harm’s way.”

So, I listened. I trained every day, learning how to fight, how to think quickly, and how to stay safe. My best friend and teacher at the base was Commander Uncle. That’s not his real name, but I call him that because he’s like family. He taught me everything I know about defending myself. Some kids learn the alphabet or counting games; I was learning self-defense and survival techniques. And guess what? I was actually pretty good at it.

Even though I was training all the time, my dad didn’t forget that I loved science, too. He would send me chemistry problems and little science puzzles to keep my brain sharp, and I’d figure them out. Sometimes, he’d even call me to teach me something new—maybe a trick with chemicals or an experiment I could try. My parents couldn’t visit me as much as I wanted, but I could feel their love every day through those lessons.

When I turned thirteen, everything changed. My parents had to move to another research site, somewhere top-secret for a project that was “different from anything they’d done before.” I was still living at the army base with Commander Uncle, but every day, my parents would send me messages, updates on their work, and some clues about their “new discovery.” They would say things like, “This might change what we know about the universe” or “We’re so close to something incredible.” Their words always sounded a bit excited but also… a little worried.

Then one day, the messages stopped. I didn’t hear from them for days, then weeks. I waited, feeling a knot of fear growing in my stomach. And then Commander Uncle gave me the news I had been dreading: my parents were gone.

The days after the news hit were a blur. I couldn’t understand it—how could they just be gone? No warning, no explanation. Everyone told me to stay calm, that I was too young to understand the full situation, that maybe it was best not to ask too many questions. But that wasn’t me. I wasn’t going to sit back and pretend everything was okay, not when my parents—my heroes—were out there somewhere, and no one could tell me what happened.

I wasn’t sure where to begin, but I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to wait for anyone to figure it out for me. My dad had always said, "You’ve got to trust your instincts, Niya. Your mind is just as powerful as your body." And right now, my instincts were telling me that my parents’ disappearance wasn’t as simple as an accident or natural causes.

I needed answers. And to get those, I was going to have to break the rules. I knew the military base had a lot of secure information, but I’d spent enough time around Commander Uncle and the other soldiers to know where some of the hidden files were kept. I’d been trained to stay unnoticed, to move like a shadow when I needed to. It wouldn’t be easy, but nothing ever was.

The first step was getting to the base’s secure vault. It was heavily guarded, and I’d need to get past a few layers of security to even get close. I had no idea what I was looking for, but I figured any clue about my parents' last project could be in there—something, anything, that would give me a lead.

The night before I made my move, I sat up late, running through every lesson Commander Uncle had taught me. How to hack into surveillance systems, how to disable alarms, and most importantly, how to stay out of sight. Every move had to be perfect. I wasn’t just sneaking into a building—I was sneaking into the heart of everything that could help me find my parents.

That night, the plan was set. I waited until the lights dimmed, and the base was quiet. I pulled on my stealth gear, took a deep breath, and slipped into the shadows. My heart was pounding in my chest, but I kept my focus. I had no room for error.

Each step I took brought me closer to the vault. I bypassed security guards, dodged cameras, and even crawled through air vents to avoid detection. I knew the vault would have the answers I needed—but when I finally got to the door, I froze.

There was someone already inside. A figure in a mask, hunched over the files I’d been trying to get my hands on. My pulse shot up. I hadn’t expected anyone else to be this deep in the base at this hour. Whoever they were, they were looking for the same thing I was.

I waited, hidden in the shadows, watching them work. Was this person with the military? Or were they someone like me—someone searching for the truth? Either way, I couldn’t let them stop me. Not now.

I had to figure out what they were after, and why they were here.

What do I do next?

I stayed as still as possible, my breath barely making a sound as I crouched behind a stack of crates. The masked figure was focused, their gloved hands sifting through papers in the vault with practiced precision. Whoever they were, they didn’t seem surprised by the high-tech security. They knew exactly what they were doing.

I took a slow, careful breath and analyzed the situation. There was a chance I could sneak in and grab the files while they were distracted, but it would have to be perfect timing. If I made even the slightest mistake, they’d spot me. And I didn’t know if they were friend or foe.

I peered around the corner, trying to get a better look at the mask. It was sleek, dark—nothing I recognized from the base’s usual security gear. There were no distinguishing marks or logos. It could belong to anyone: a rogue soldier, an outsider, or someone even more dangerous. My gut told me it wasn’t just some random intruder, though. There was something deliberate about how they moved.

I adjusted my grip on the small, silent stun gun I’d brought with me. It wasn’t the first time I’d used it, but this was the first time I’d aimed it at someone I wasn’t sure about.

Then the figure froze. My heart skipped a beat. Had they heard me? I held my breath, waiting for a sign that they knew I was there. But instead of turning around, they stood still for a long moment, then reached into a pocket of their suit and pulled out something that made my stomach drop—my dad’s lab notebook. The one I’d seen him writing in just days before he disappeared.

The sight of it hit me like a punch to the gut. It was undeniable now. Whoever this person was, they knew about my parents’ research. They knew more than they should.

I couldn’t let them leave with that notebook. It was the last piece of my parents’ legacy—the key to whatever had happened to them.

I made my decision.

I darted forward, using the darkness of the room to my advantage. I wasn’t going to give them a chance to escape. I had one shot, and I wasn’t going to mess it up.

I rushed at them, my movements quick and precise. The figure didn’t seem to notice me until it was too late. I reached out and grabbed their arm, spinning them around with all my strength. The notebook dropped to the ground, and I slammed my knee into their chest, forcing them to the floor.

For a moment, there was silence, save for the sound of our breathing. I looked down at the masked face, waiting for them to speak or move.

“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice steady but low.

The figure didn’t respond right away. Instead, they pushed against my grip, trying to break free, but I had them pinned.

“Why are you after my parents’ research?” I asked again, this time with more force.

There was a pause, and then the figure exhaled sharply, as if resigned. Slowly, they reached up and pulled off the mask.

I blinked, stunned by the face that was revealed.

It wasn’t someone I recognized.

But there was something familiar about the eyes—something I couldn’t quite place.

“Do you remember me?” the person asked quietly.

The voice was familiar, too.

I stared harder at them, trying to place it. And then it hit me.

Commander Uncle.

But it couldn’t be. My Commander Uncle… He was supposed to be safe, back at the base.

“What—how—” I stammered, my mind spinning. “Why are you wearing a mask? Why are you here?”

He looked at me with a mix of sadness and regret.

“There’s a lot you don’t know, Niya,” he said, his voice rough. “I didn’t want you involved in this. But you’re not going to stop asking questions, are you?”

I shook my head. I had to know the truth.

“Then let me tell you what’s really going on.”

And just like that, my world flipped upside down again.

What was I about to learn from him?