The sun had risen; it painted the black sky with a dash of red and orange hues. The aura exuding from her precious heart spread across the land, greeting the industrial dwellers into the dawn of a new day. The icy mist that once occupied the ground evaporated, giving space for the rays to take over.

Forced to retreat, the moon and her twinkling disciples migrate to the far end of the Earth to preach the gospel of light where the sun had been. The dwellers of Philadelphia arose from their slumber and prepared themselves for a grind that awaited them at their workplaces and schools. A cluster of car horns occupied the streets of Pennsylvania.

Diana Piper Livingstone was blindfolded with a black cloth at a local martial arts school. From behind, her sensei, Master Zhang Wei, whispered in her right ear, "The time has come to test you on one of your five senses. That so happens to be hearing."

He silently withered away, making it difficult for her to direct her focus toward his attacks. He swung a bamboo stick toward the back of her head from nowhere. While doing so, she could perceive his intended attack through the sound of the swaying bamboo. Therefore, she tilted her head to the left side while the thick, green, cylindrical shoot soared past. He then pulled the stick back and repeated the same attack, but he tried to hit the right side of her countenance this time. Once again, she heard the swinging sound of the stick echo towards her right ear. She tilted her head to the left side.

Master Zhang Wei stroked his chin with awe. His student's growth impressed him as this showed sincere dedication regarding her training. He turned things up a notch to test the extent of her hearing skills. He walked around her and bit his time. Diana wondered why she didn't hear any movement. She felt uneasy; though her feelings wanted to eclipse her judgment, she tamed them and waited patiently for the next strike.

At last, he swung the stick towards her head from the front. She perceived the intended attack and ducked it by lowering her back into a limbo posture. She stood upright and straightened her back when the stick swayed past her. Once more, he swung the bamboo shoot toward the left side of her countenance. She then blocked the attack with her arm positioned at a ninety-degree angle.

He directed the stick towards her shins and her countenance at once. Although this seemed a bit drastic, he, in turn, wanted to test her agility. Her hearing skills seemed very proficient, so proficient that she could hear the gabbing sound of the bamboo move with significant speed. She maneuvered a handstand and flipped toward her left side to avoid the combo attack.

"I'm pleased you have progressed with your training," Zhang Wei said with a smile. 

She smiled back, thrilled with her growing performance. However, she dropped her guard, giving him an opening as he tripped her off her heels with a sweeping kick. She plummeted to the ground and lay on her back. She removed the cloth from her eyes while he addressed her.

"You still have a lot to learn. For instance, you should never let your guard down."

She maneuvered a dexterous somersault and stood on her feet. She then bowed with respect and replied to his statement.

"Yes, Master Zhang Wei, I agree. I do have a lot to learn," she replied.

"Then, in that case, our training has concluded. Come back tomorrow for more training," he said.

She placed her right fist against her palm and said, "Thank you."

Once her training had concluded, she set off for work.

Diana Piper Livingston is a woman of great virtue. She has grey, piercing eyes and black hair with purple-dyed lings cascading down her shoulders. She has been blessed with an angelic voice, one from Heaven above. Her lovely voice soothed the Lord's ears with each utterance and contended with the fluffy yellow Roller canaries. Even though her voice is phenomenal, it was also her pillar of strength during her afflictions. For this reason, she decided to pursue a career in music at a young age.

That decision, however, has put the relationship between her and her father between a rock and a hard place. Even though her mother once sided with her father, she saw she could never talk her daughter out of pursuing a music career. Eventually, she supported her, but as for her father, they only talked on a blue moon.

Ms. Livingstone works at Record Label called Keystroke Groove. It is a small music company that specializes in music genres such as pop, R and B, and trap. Its co-founders are from the music industry and have made waves nationwide. It so happens that Mr. Maynard, the company's chief executive officer, and Record Producer, is her role model.

She got off the cab and walked toward the building. She glanced upward and fixated her eyes on the logo of the building, 'Keystrokes Groove.' The building consisted of an external layer of blue glass walls. The surface of these walls reflected the rays that spread across them. The walkway was garnished with two lines of bushes aside from them. Not to mention a fountain that was built in front of the doorway.

A flash of memories from her adolescence graced her, remembering her vow to herself while writing in her journal.

"Dear diary

I make a covenant with myself that in 15 years, I will become one of the most excellent musicians in the world. However, Dad has warned me about the potential consequences of following my dreams. I will not give in to his doubts because I am more than willing to face whatever may come my way. I'd rather start my career without a proper paying job than pursue a career I dislike, even if I earn a lot of cash."

She returned to reality and spoke to herself in a gentle, low tone, "I can't believe that I am a step closer to accomplishing my dreams. I know I still have a long road, but at least I made it this far. Well, world, brace yourself because this diva will burn the house down!"

She got inside the building and approached Bob, the receptionist. He was behind his desk, going through a large stack of files.

"Hey Bob, Bob the man. Bob the builder, what's up?" She inquired as she raised her right hand.

"Eh yo Toxic, Toxic D," he replied and high-fived her.

"I'm great, you?" He inquired.

"Oh, I am game," she said before performing a dab.

Bob's facial features drastically changed. It's as if he got slapped with a stash of bad news.

"Are you sure you're good," she inquired with an arched brow.

He sighed and dropped the pen that was clutched in his hand.

"Look, Diana, here's the thing. Mr. Maynard wants to see you. It's about your song."

A few moments later

She covered her lower lip with her upper one and sighed. She knocked on his door and waited for a response.

"Come in," Mr. Maynard responded from inside his office.

She entered his office and sat while he worked through a copious of paper sheets. When he realized she was seated, he raised his head and removed his glasses.

"Good morning Diana," he sternly said, intensifying the atmosphere around them.

"Good morning Mr. Maynard. Bob told me that you wanted to speak to me."

"Yes, yes, of course," he replied, grabbing a pencil and scratching his hair. He then leaned against the spine of his chair.

"Your song didn't do well on YouTube, Spotify, and Tunecore. It failed to bring in a considerable amount of views."

She lowered her head in disappointment as he continued addressing her.

"This is not the first time that this happened, this is your fourteenth song, and it also failed to draw in a large sum of cash and audiences. I'm sorry to spill it out, but maybe music is not for you. If that were the case, you would've had a breakthrough, perhaps in your fifth release. If this continues, Diana, we might be forced to terminate your contract because we cannot allow your misfortunes to ruin our reputation."

Although Mr. Maynard could help Diana with her struggles, he didn't care; he only wanted to make money from her. Strangely enough, some successful musicians registered in his company walked in her path once. When he offered his assistance to them, they eventually climbed the ladder of success. She didn't strike him as a reliable, resourceful, and ambitious young musician.

She sighed before answering his statement, "I understand, sir."

He continued, "We will give you one last chance. Otherwise, if this doesn't work, we will be forced to pull the plug," he replied casually.

*************

Queens, New York

Queens High is a prolific school known throughout the city. It has gained so much prestige that it is regarded as one of the greatest High Schools in the five boroughs of New York. The school's insignia is a spartan helmet. Furthermore, this beloved school specializes in mathematics and science.

A trio of friends was chattering on the school grounds. One of them was a young lad who went by the name of Harrison James Samson. He had brown, chocolate hair fixed in a clean, natural fringe cut. He had emerald, colored eyes and stood over 5.7 feet tall. Harrison is your average teenager trying to make it through the final year of high school, get to college, and possibly get laid.

He and his peers chattered about popular, hot girls. A group of beautiful girls walked past them, and their primal urges took over. They couldn't stop staring at their smooth, delicate legs, dazzling them from below their skirts and shorts. They would've died from many nose bleeds if this were in a fictional world.

One of his peers was Michael Levi. He is a blonde and is about Harrison's height. He has long ebony hair cascading past his shoulders. The other was Joseph Atwater. He is African-American and has a perfectly trimmed line on his short hair. He stands at five feet and ten inches and has hazel-colored eyes.

When the three had reached the peak of their conversation, a mind-boggling thought instantly possessed Harrison.

"I don't know if it's me, but...gentlemen, have you realized that we are in the final moments of being in high school. Pretty soon, and we'll be hittin' college!" He shouted happily.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Joseph howled loudly.

"Yessir," Mikey said.

The three were about to head inside the school's premises when Joseph's eye caught sight of a phenomenal beast, a black sedan limousine. This beast had stretched beyond the length of twenty meters.

"Yo, guys check this out," he said with excitement.

The other two looked at the approaching limo. When it parked in front of the school gate, a man in a black tuxedo opened the door as a young, enthralling girl stepped out. She held a backpack on the side. The tone of her skin was a light, almond brown. She was about the same height as Harrison. She had sparkling brown eyes and long brown hair with shades of black.

"Wait, guys, who is that?" Joseph inquired.

Both Michael and Harrison were mesmerized by her stunning features; it was as if they were in a state of trance.

"Guys!" Joseph shouted.

"What!?" The two replied simultaneously, still struggling to behold the sight that their eyes feasted on.

"Who's that?" Joseph asked.

Harrison analyzed her and said, "It's a bust; she's a newbie."

Michael looked at Harrison and mocked him.

"Yeah, we know that, duh!"

"Harry, how about you go and say hi?" Joseph said.

He tried to lead him into a nerve-wracking task by approaching this beautiful swan that walked past them.

"Nah," Harrison replied.

The other two laughed at him.

"You're a chicken," Michael said, imitating chicken sounds and flapping his bent arms. In response, Harry gave them a weird glance.

"If you guys are daring me, you could just say so." The two looked at each other with smugs etched on their faces.

"Okay, we dare you," Joseph challenged.

"Watch this, losers." He said with confidence.

He approached her from afar and greeted her. At first, she didn't respond because she wore a set of Apple air buds. He tried again, but to get her attention on the second attempt, he gently tapped her right shoulder.

"Um...uh..."

He stuttered as she removed her earbuds and looked at him. A gaze of puzzlement filled her face while his nerves strangled his voice. It would seem that he had walked into a den of lions. In reality, though, he only had to open his mouth and introduce himself to her. She was then annoyed that he had nothing to say.

Furthermore, he uninvitingly evaded her personal while she was listening to her favorite song on Spotify, PROMISE by Billie Eilish and Eminem. She placed the air buds in her ears and walked away. As a result, he looked down in disappointment while his peers laughed at him.

"Wow," he replied before brushing a loose strand of hair backward.

A few hours later

The trio was at the Cafeteria during break time. Their stomachs grumbled in protest for food. Unfortunately, there was nothing that they could do as they stood amid a long queue.

"Ah, man, I'm so hungry. If I don't eat something now, I feel like my stomach will eat me instead," Michael said.

"Dude, you're always hungry," Joseph said as he chuckled and gently shook his head.

 In response, Michael's jaw dropped, and said, "No, I'm not."

"Hey Harry, ain't it true that Mickey is always hungry? The way he's so hungry, he could eat a bear if he saw one."

Although Joseph was talking to Harrison, he, on the other was distracted. He was embarrassed that the new girl ignored him without a moment's notice. Was there something wrong with him? He pondered. Or perhaps it's the fact that he wasn't good-looking. What went on in his crazy mind? For him to approach her without a strategy of some sort.

"Hello, Earth, to Harrison. Are you their buddy?" Joseph said as he waved his hand around his face.

The two followed his gaze, and his eyes seemed fixated on the new girl walking to a nearby table with a tray of food. Every guy in the building couldn't stop eyeing her. It even got to the point that a squad of boys tried to engage with her. She ignored them and continued eating while glancing at her phone.

"Ey yo Harrison!" Exclaimed Joseph.

"Huh..uh...What?" He asked.

"Dude, what's up with you and that chick?" Joseph asked.

Harrison looked at him and said, "Nothin, bro."

"Really?" Micheal said as he narrowed his brows, trying to dig the truth out of him.

"Yeah, man, I'm cool."

"Do you have a crush on her?" Joseph inquired with his arms crossed. He looked down and blushed.

"What? Me? No, no."

"You do," Micheal said excitedly.

The two laughed at him. As a result, he felt a bit embarrassed because it seemed like they were pricking him with needles.

"Dude, just go and talk to her," Joseph said.

"Remember what happened this morning?" He reminded them.

Micheal smirked and said, "Wait a minute, did you just say that? So you're considering it."

"Well, maybe I am!"

Joseph took out his cell phone and typed on it briefly.

"Try again. Who knows? You might find she blew you off because she slept on the wrong side of the bed."

"You think so?"

Michael looked in the new girl's direction and insisted, "Yeah, besides, she's hot."

He glanced at the two for a while before going to pursue her. He asked them a favor.

"Please hold the line for me."

They nodded as he approached her. His nerves strangled his muscles and voice when he stood before her, keeping him stationed. After all, her enthralling features put him on trans. Fortunately for him, he found the courage to surmount the vice-like grip his nerves had on him.

"May I?" He inquired and gestured at her.

The girl looked up to face him and shrugged, "Why not? It's a free country."

He smiled and sat next to her, "So...um... I notice that you're new here."

"Am I that obvious?" She asked with curiosity.

"Well, uh...Yeah...kind of," he replied with a shrug.

She chuckled and stretched her hand out to him.

"Mya Dawson," He shook her hand and said, "Harrison Samson."

"Could you perhaps show me around?" Mya asked.

After hearing that question, Harrison got a warm fuzzy feeling; he gave her a friendly smile and said, "Yeah, yeah, sure thing."

She smiled and grabbed her tray before leaving. When she left, his eyes protruded in shock that he had initiated a conversation with her. He was delighted. His peers cheered him on from the line and gave him a thumbs up. While they cheered him on, something donned Joseph, almost seemingly a revelation of some kind. He got lost in a stream of thoughts, trying to figure something out about Maya.

"Are You okay, man?" Michael inquired.

Joseph snapped out of his thoughts and replied, "Yeah, I am cool."

"Really?" Michael responded.

He looked closer at Maya, who was walking towards the Cafeteria entrance.

"That chick, something is familiar about her. I can't wrap my head around it, though. It's like I've seen her from somewhere, but where?"

Harrison returned to the line and excitedly said, "Guess what, homies? I'll be showing Mya around the school. So you can take it as a date."

"Her name's Mya?" Joseph asked as he rubbed his chin.

"Yeah," Harrison replied.

Micheal smirked at him and said, "It's not a date, dude. Don't get ahead of yourself. The last thing that I need is for you to be delusional."

"Screw you, Mikey," Harrison said.

"So, what's her last name?" Joseph inquired.

"What's up with the long list of questions? This is not C.S.I, bro." Harrison asked with his eyes crinkled.

"He thinks he's seen her somewhere," Michael said.

"Yeah, I think so," Joseph stated, sure about his conviction.

"Okay, fine..." He then sighs before responding to Joseph's question

"Her last name is Dawson."

Joseph nodded and continued rubbing his chin, "Interesting, Dawson, hey. Now we're getting somewhere.

"Whoa, I hope you're not gonna stalk her on social media?" Harrison said,

"What the hell? I'm not a creep," Joseph said.

Author's note

What do you think Joseph knows about Maya? Is it something of great concern that we should know as well? Find out in the next chapter of The Mighty Force.