Auria

3

Auria

Eve walks with me, guiding me out of the medical unit. Once we step outside of it, she guides me to the right, then a left. There's only a few people here, and many are staring at me.

I read a sign saying 'Office' and Eve steps forward to the secretary inside. She speaks a few words quietly, too low for me to hear. A door to my left opens, and she turns around.

"Auria, I'm leaving you here for now. You're going to go meet the Master, and then learn where everything is here." She smiles and walks out, back into the puzzle of a hallway. I turn, and walk into the room to meet the Master.

"Welcome, Auria!" The man says kindly, with a smile on his face. Though he seems upbeat, it's obvious to me that he was recently crying. He motions to the seat across from him, and I sit.

"In general, refer to me as Master. When we're alone though, feel free to call me Damian. If Eve didn't tell you, this is the Hawk compound. Do you know why you're here?" He leans back in his chair, awaiting an answer.

"I don't know where I am, what happened, or who any of you are." I tell him bluntly.

"My dear, your small hometown was attacked by the Luna compound. Some of the information I'm about to tell you may seem impossible, but I assure you, it's all real." He takes a moment to think about what to say next, as if it's hard to tell me.

"Auria, your family was extremely important to us. You are so important. All the people living in this compound are as well, but you preside over them. Has your family ever spoken to you about being special?" I shake my head no after thinking for a few seconds. He sighs and mutters something under his breath.

"Before we get into that, I want to tell you I'm sorry. Your parents were wonderful people, and they didn't deserve to die. Nobody there did. Luna destroyed everything, there isn't a remnant left." I frown, and I feel a single tear creep down my cheek. I miss them. Reality is hitting me now, making me realize I'm never seeing them again. I glance up, and see all traces of happiness gone from his face. I decide questioning him is the only thing I can do.

"My parents, how did you know them?" He looks at me intently, and smiles grimly.

"Your father Cain was one of my best friends growing up. We went to school together here at Hawk, worked, trained, and even lived together for a few years. We had a.. falling out, I guess you could say. He met your mother, and left Hawk for Luna. She lived there, and he wanted to as well." He sucks in a breath, trying to keep his composure.

"He was despised by Hawk after that. People leave, but they don't switch compounds. He got your mother pregnant, and they left Luna. Of course, James was born. Your mother wanted to cease contact with the compounds and just be a normal person. It worked for nearly 20 years. Until Luna discovered she'd been researching on her own, and they bombed your town three days ago. I heard about it and went with a team to stop them, but the damage was done. I found her body. Rose was beautiful. You have her eyes, I can see the specks of gold in them. Hers were always changing color like yours." He bites his lip and closes his eyes.

I didn't know much about my parents past. They always seemed to wave me off if I asked. Now I somewhat understand why they kept it hidden. What I don't understand is why they lived in these compounds, why were they special? His voice makes me jerk out of my thoughts.

"Auria, I'm glad to have you here. You were found, revived, and I hope to teach you everything your parents didn't. Are you ready?" I look him in the eyes and give a small smile.

"I always am."