THE SENTINEL
ALM No.93, September 2026
SHORT STORIES
Ethan Cross isn't the most popular kid in school; he’s a nerd who gets bullied by most of his classmates. Yet, to his mother, Elizabeth, he is incredibly special; to his father, Michael, he is the son he always wanted; and to his teachers, he is a model student. However, among the other teenagers, the shy Ethan Cross doesn't receive the same warm reception.
Then one day, while at home, he overhears his parents discussing their financial troubles and the fact that they are on the verge of losing their house. Concerned for his parents, Ethan decides to help by finding a high-paying job. Moments later, while flipping through a newspaper, he discovers a theater studio looking for physically skilled teenagers to play the masked lead in their shows—offering a fortune in return. Ethan is known at school for two things: being a brilliant student who masters every subject and being a star athlete who plays almost every sport offered. This seems like the perfect opportunity for him to earn money for his family. He quickly heads to a scrapyard to gather mechanical parts, which he uses to craft gadgets like smoke bombs, a rappelling rig, and even metal boomerangs. He also creates a costume using his mother's sewing machine; the result is a navy-blue suit with graphite-gray and gold accents, a navy-blue cape with gold trim, and a navy-blue mask covering his eyes. He dubs himself "The Sentinel."
Ethan then auditions for the theater, impressing everyone with his skills and gadgets, and lands the role. The Sentinel begins performing, showcasing his agility and gear to the audience. After the show, Ethan tastes the sweetness of success as magazines clamor to interview him and agents line up to manage his career. However, the sudden success—coming shortly after a time when he had been bullied—went to the young man's head; at one point, Ethan witnessed a man fleeing a police officer but, instead of intervening, simply ignored the situation. The man was a thief who managed to escape as a result, and when the officer asked why he hadn't stopped him, Ethan replied that he cared only about himself.
Later, back home, his parents—who doted on their only child—gifted him the Batman comic book he had wanted so badly. To Ethan, his mother and father were the best people imaginable and the only ones he truly cared about. In the days that followed, "The Sentry" began to gain nationwide fame through his theatrical performances.
One night, however, Ethan Cross returned home from a live show to find a police cruiser outside; he then received the devastating news that his mother had been shot and killed. A thief was responsible, and the police had cornered him in a nearby warehouse. Without a second thought, Ethan set out to confront him, determined not to let the killer escape The Sentry. Using his rappelling gear and cape, he arrived quickly and caught the criminal off guard; terrified, the bandit tried to flee. But The Sentry was too agile; using a metal boomerang, he disarmed the man and knocked him out with a single blow. Upon seeing the killer's face, he realized it was the same fugitive he had let slip away at the theater just days earlier. The Sentry then left the man tied up for the police.
Not far away, Ethan grieved. He felt responsible for his beloved mother's death, believing that had he caught the criminal when he had the chance, none of this would have happened. From that day on, he vowed never to be selfish again, committing himself to fighting for the greater good and acknowledging the consequences of selfishness.
Frederico Pieroni Biem is a 20-year-old man from Sao Paulo, Brazil. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies and shows and playing video games.
Subscribe to FREE digital flip copy of the Adelaide Magazine printed edition.