The land of the Renegades: A new generation

Chapter 6

  The next morning we got ready and went to the Brotherhood.

  The moment I saw Caleb, my heart jumped with joy. He greeted us, told Caty what she had to do, and the rest of the day he tried to act indifferent, like he didn't even notice me, but when I turned my back I could feel him staring at me.

  Did he feel the same way I did? That's all I was thinking, but I was too afraid to go and tell him how I felt.

  I went to the room on the left, the special place for training, got on a platform, pressed the button on the wall and stared at the weapons there. While I was admiring all those objects, I heard a voice behind me.

  -Hey, you must be the new girl!

  I turned around and saw a girl a little older than me, whom I met and she told me her name was Karina. She was a tall, curvy girl with eyes so black you could see your own reflection in them.

  She was dressed very strangely, but at the same time she looked amazingly good. She had on a pair of latex pants, a black blouse with a huge neckline, and in the back she had some kind of cape, which made me think of superhero movies. She smiled at me in a friendly way, as they all did.

  -Do you want to be my training partner? she asked me and I was very excited.

  -Sure! Give me some time to choose a weapon and let's get started!

  I had taken a sword that appealed to me very much, I just felt that I had to take that one. Karina had no weapon, so I asked her in amazement:

  -You don't get your weapon?

  -No, I have my magical powers, don't worry.

  Magical powers? How will she be able to stop my sword with magical powers? My only thought was that maybe she'd pull out a bunny from somewhere and send it to get my sword, and I was trying my best not to laugh.

  I still hadn't learned my lesson, I had already forgotten that there were beings with amazing powers that I had no idea about.

  I didn't know what she was going to do, I didn't know how to approach her because I didn't want to hurt her, so I hesitated. At that moment, she made a kind of hand game and when she turned her gaze towards me I noticed that her eyes were completely black.

  She pointed her right palm towards me, and her left palm was under her right elbow, then she started saying something in a language I didn't understand, but which sounded familiar to me. I had remembered that I had learned Latin at school and realized that that was the language she was using.

  In the next moment, a wave of shadows picked me up and threw me onto a mat that was next to our training space, exactly where Karina's hand indicated. Then she lifted her head back and came back to reality.

  I stayed for a few moments on the mattress, dumbfounded, and Karina came and helped me get up.

  -You know you also have some special powers, right? We have the weapons to improve our combat dexterity and tactics, but each one here has a special power.

  -I know that, but I have no idea what I should do. When I discovered my powers I blacked out and don't remember anything.

  - Yeah, Caty told me. A lot of people here have experienced the same thing and we have helped them, so don't worry. I assume you know that from now on you won't have a 'normal' life, so my opinion is that you will have to spend as much time as possible here, among people like yourself. I can feel your magical energy, it is very powerful and needs to be explored with care and patience.

  -You mean I also have magical powers? As you? Am I a witch?

  -Not exactly, but I feel a very strong energy. We'll find out what that means soon enough. Tomorrow we'll have a special class where we are showing what we can do and I can't wait to see what you're up to! I hope you will be here.

  -Surely!

  When I got to Caty's house in the evening, I felt the need to detach myself from all this for a little bit, so I poured myself a glass of wine and went outside for some fresh air.

  I was sitting on the last step of the stairs with the glass next to me and staring into darkness. I wasn't thinking about anything, I was just looking into the darkness of the night.

  It was the first time I had ever tasted alcohol, and I was dizzy from just one sip. I wasn't the legal age yet and wasn't supposed to drink, but I felt like I was already living an adult life with a lot of worries and responsibilities that were about to come, so I needed a moment to escape from reality.

  As I stared blankly into the dark, Caty came up behind me, put her hand on my shoulder which made me flinch, and asked:

  -Hey, are you okay?

  -Yes, I think. I don't know, actually. I hope you are not upset that I opened a bottle of wine from the pantry.

  - Don't worry, now it's your house too. And after all, even I need a drink every now and then! she told me, smiling.

  -Can I be honest with you? I asked her, feeling the need to talk to someone.

  - Sure, after all we're best friends!

  -I feel overwhelmed. I feel like a baby who has just been born and knows nothing about this world. I have always been afraid of the unknown and I don't know how to handle this situation.

  -Hey, don't worry! Just like a baby has parents to help him fit into this world, you have all of us in this community. You are our baby, she said with a big smile. We will help you integrate, we will teach you everything we know and we will prepare you for the moment when we claim our rights.

  -Thank you very much for everything, I don't know what I would have done without you!

  -I have an ideea! How about making some popcorn and watching a movie?

  -Sounds good, but no sci-fi please! I told her jokingly.

  - We will choose a comedy. We will laugh and have a little good time.

  She was a guardian angel for a reason, Caty always knew how to make me feel better. In those moments I felt like the luckiest person in the world because I had her as my best friend.

  That night I was able to sleep a little better, all the fears had faded a little, but I still had Caleb on my mind and couldn't get him out of there. My feelings for him seemed to be intensifying.

  Every time I saw him, I felt that if I hugged him, all the worries of the world would disappear, and in their place would be immense happiness and joy.

  And when I didn't see him, I always looked for him with my eyes, like a man in total darkness looks for a light, however small, that can completely enlight his life and existence.

  It was the first time I experienced love and it made me feel good, but at the same time it was excruciating because I wasn't able to tell him how I felt. I wish I had the courage to tell him how I feel.

  In my head I had already created scenarios of what life would be like if I told him how I felt and if he said he felt the same way. As I said before, I was afraid of the unknown. Maybe that's why I didn't say anything, I was afraid that he didn't feel the same, or that he would laugh at me.

  There was a very small chance that he would do that, but it wasn't 0. After all he is the leader, I didn't think he would ever look at me.