Chapter Six: The Crystal's Whispers
In the Justice League's lower analysis chamber, Ben sat at a round metal table, silently staring at the small black crystal in front of him. It was still, yet the air around it felt charged with a cold energy.
Green Lantern stood in the corner, monitoring the instruments connected to the crystal. He frowned and said,
"This energy doesn't match any spectrum we've recorded… not even the green one can fully analyze it."
Batman approached slowly, casting a glance at Ben.
"Since you touched the crystal, the Watchtower's systems have recorded unstable brainwave patterns. Did you feel anything?"
Ben hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a low voice:
"It felt like someone was calling me… not a voice, but a feeling. Like a memory that isn't mine."
Everyone turned toward the screen as the crystal began to emit faint pulses, synchronized with a soft vibration from the Omnitrix.
Suddenly, a dim grey flash engulfed Ben's eyes. He found himself standing in a strange place — a sky torn by black fractures, and the ground covered in shattered crystals. In the center stood a massive armored figure, silent, while thousands of glass-like creatures knelt around him.
Then the figure cried out:
"Come back to me… remember!"
Ben jolted back to consciousness, breathing heavily, his hand trembling.
Superman rushed to his side, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, concern in his eyes.
"Ben, you need rest. That crystal's clearly messing with your mind."
Supergirl stepped in calmly and said,
"This isn't the first time we've seen energy affect someone's consciousness, but it's rare for an outsider to be impacted like this."
Batman nodded.
"We need to run a full psychic scan and isolate him from the crystal for now."
But Ben suddenly raised his hand, his gaze steady.
"Wait… I… I saw Kairos."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Green Lantern stepped closer, sharply:
"You know his name? You never mentioned that before."
Ben looked down and said quietly:
"I didn't know… but now, every time I touch the crystal, something inside me wakes up."
Then he turned to Superman and asked:
"If someone lost their entire planet… could they turn evil just because they gave up hope?"
Superman answered in a deep voice,
"I lost Krypton. But hope doesn't just come on its own… sometimes someone else has to remind you. Maybe you're that someone… even for your enemy."
No one said a word.
That night, the League sealed the crystal inside a containment chamber. But what they didn't see… was that deep inside the crystal, a faint shape began to form — a single eye blinking… watching.