Chapter Text
The sun filtered through the reddish clouds of New Canton, casting long shadows over the energy towers and newly built hangars. I stayed silent atop a rocky ridge, observing. Every spark of energy, every vibration in the air… every movement of the colonists spoke to me of a lurking danger. Rumors of disappearances were becoming more frequent.
This place had become my temporary home, a refuge only I truly understood after months of staying on guard, moving along with cargo ships I protected until their destination. From time to time, I stopped a kidnapping attempt by the Collectors.
Then I heard a scream. The colony's supply ship had suffered a gravity generator failure and was plummeting toward the hangar, sending containers and workers flying. I didn't hesitate. I raised my hands, intertwining my fingers in gestures that probably no human could comprehend. The energy I had learned to control concentrated around the floating objects. A mustard-colored haze seemed to envelop them.
A heavy container changed course, spinning in the air as if controlled by an invisible puppeteer. I felt the workers trapped among debris rise just in time to avoid impact. The ship landed with a thunderous crash, but none of the colonists were hurt. I made sure of it.
I spotted a reconnaissance drone between the rocks. Its camera recorded everything. I knew what I had done wouldn't go unnoticed. The anomaly I'd caused would become a rumor, and I could already feel eyes watching me from worlds that weren't this one.
"I've never seen anything like this… as if… a man was bending reality with his hands" I heard an engineer murmur as he regained his composure.
I descended from the ridge with the calm of someone who knows every move counts. No dramatic gestures; every step measured. The calm was temporary, I could feel it. Space waves, planetary vibrations, satellites and drones scanning… someone was watching.
Light-years away, Liara T'Soni reviewed Shadow Broker reports. Her scientific mind was starting to notice patterns: objects floating without support, energy that didn't match anything known. Reports that many dismissed as collective madness spoke of magic—but Liara knew better. She didn't believe in fairy tales, only science… yet something here seemed impossible.
At the same time, Cerberus detected similar energy patterns. To them, I was more than a phenomenon. I was a resource: a human with extraordinary abilities, a specimen to study and control. Perhaps even imprison, just to perform enough experiments to discover the source of my power, even at the cost of my life.
I walked among the rubble of New Canton with careful movements. Every blow, every fall, every container I moved reminded me that life here was real. There were no save points. Every decision could mean someone's death… or mine.
I remembered the universe I came from, another world where I had witnessed the deaths of allies and characters who had already become my favorites. Even when they were "just" memories, I had cried for them. I would not let that happen here. Every intervention had to be precise; every action calculated.
The colony was safe… for now. But I knew it: calm was just a brief reprieve. I could feel the presence of eyes watching me, invisible and distant: drones, satellites, Cerberus analysis. Rumors were growing, and with them, the attention of those who could determine my fate.
I climbed a hill and gazed at the horizon: flickering beacon lights, reflections of unknown energy, signals that didn't belong to this world. The legend was beginning to form. The first rumor: the first magician of humanity.
As night fell, I reflected on the previous universe. Each era was different, with different rules, yet they all shared something in common: actions had consequences, and emotions were real. Here, every life I touched depended on my ability to adapt, understand, and act without revealing too much of who I really was.
"Not yet… if this works, I'll save them all" I thought.
In reports reaching other places, my name was starting to circulate. Colonists, scientists, and mercenaries mentioned me with a mixture of fear and admiration:
"They say he can bend reality," I heard in a voice-recorded report while having breakfast near the colony. "He shot ice from his hands while healing his own wounds during a Batarian attack, without medigel. Damn! No armor either."
"Could he be… an exceptional biotic?" someone else wondered, almost savoring the word before shaking their head and letting out a small laugh. "Almost sounds like magic."
The rumors reached Liara, who couldn't ignore the phenomenon, and Cerberus, who saw a resource too valuable to pass up. The Collectors also began registering a unique energy pattern—an anomaly, just the way they liked it.
I remained silent. No introductions, no grand gestures for now; I wanted a low profile. My task was simple: observe, intervene where necessary, and prepare for what was coming. I knew my life, as I knew it, was about to change. And not only because of the rumors, but also because those who had already marked me as a target were closing in.
The wind tugged at my coat as I descended toward the colony. Every step conscious, every breath measured. The first rumor was in motion. The first legend was forming. And although no one knew it yet, the galaxy was about to meet the first magician of humanity.
"According to my calculations, she'll be alive again in just one month" I murmured to myself. A pale blue light radiated from my right eye, flaring as enough magic recovered for another day. It returned to normal. A smile spread across my face. "Should I head to Freedom Progress… or not yet? Maybe… find an old Normandy crew member and get their autograph."