Reapers Of The Storm: Awakening

Chapter 2: The power of the storm

I awoke feeling weary once more, my blanket drenched in dog drool beside me. Grinning at the sight of my loyal companion, I rose from bed. The only course of action was to try and recall more details, but for now, school awaited.

Despite it being mid-November, an unexpectedly sunny day greeted me as I strolled to school. A peculiar sense that something was amiss lingered, as if the world itself held a cryptic message I couldn't decipher.

Upon reaching school, I headed to my locker, attempting to maintain a low profile. A familiar voice cut through the mundane routine—Mika's.

"Mika?" I turned to face her.

"Hey, are you okay?" concern etched on her face.

"I'm fine," I fibbed. "Just tired."

"You sure?" she pressed.

I nodded. "Yeah, I just need to catch up on some sleep."

"Okay," she said, still skeptical. "If you need anything, just let me know."

"Thanks, Mika," I replied, guilt gnawing at me as she walked away. She was one of the few people I genuinely liked, and I had lied to her. But the truth was not ready to be revealed.

Navigating my way to the first class, I struggled to focus on the lesson. My mind kept drifting back to the dream that had inundated my thoughts earlier—I needed to decipher its meaning.

As the class wore on, I found myself once again drifting into a dream. This time, I was in a dark room surrounded by peculiar symbols. A shadowed figure emerged; their face concealed.

"Who are you?" I asked, my heart racing.

The figure met my gaze. "Why are you even here!" they yelled, a voice reminiscent of the man from my previous dream.

"I don't know, you tell me!" frustration creeping into my voice.

"I've been here for such a long time, forced to watch whatever the hell you are doing with your miserable life!"

Backing away, I felt the weight of their scrutiny.

"What do you want from me!" I demanded.

The man sighed. "Just use the power to draw the storm; they will find you afterwards."

Perplexed, I asked, "So, what do you want me to do?"

"God damn it, Zach! You are useless!" he yelled. "Yesterday you saw me use the power of the storm, you know, the lightning?"

I nodded.

"Just use that power, and everything will be fine," he declared, turning away, thinking his task complete.

"I don't know how to do that," I confessed, attempting to confront him.

He turned toward me. "Well, that's easily fixed," the figure said, reaching out and placing its hand on my chest.

Suddenly, I gasped for breath in my classroom. As I caught my breath, an unfamiliar power stirred within me, unlike anything I had ever felt before.

I knew what needed to be done. I had wielded this power once before, witnessed it when Alice met her end.

The lunch bell rang, granting me the freedom to leave the school premises during the break. Today, however, I had no appetite, my stomach entangled in knots. I needed solitude, a place where prying eyes couldn't intrude. It was time to put this newfound power to the test.

Heading toward secluded farmland near the school, I pondered where to begin. How would the heroes from my beloved books approach this? Stretching out my right arm, I sensed a subtle flicker of energy within me as I attempted to project it outward.