Powerless

XVI - Doubt

From that moment on, I was never alone again. Myrsky and I were inseparable. I noticed that others looked at us like it was weird to be friends, but I didn't care. I only enjoyed Myrsky's friendship. It was just as Theo had said: behind those fiery eyes she's a really nice person. 

One of our favourite places to be was section 8B, where Bio powers are trained. The hall is like a jungle but then indoors; with plants and animals all over the place. One day we sat there and looked at a cat with bat wings, that was created by someone else, and slowly sneaked through the dark grass. 

"It looks like a demon!" I laughed.

"No, those are on fire..." Myrsky laughed too, and pointed at the cat.

"No!" I yelled, and threw myself on her hands. "Don't you dare!" 

We rolled through the grass laughing, as the demon cat got scared and ran into the bush. 

"You do like keeping things in one piece, don't you?" Myrsky laughed, while pulling her arm out of my hands. "It was only a fake demon cat. Came from nothing, worth nothing. It wouldn't even have felt the burning."

"Burning animals, no matter how fake, is too dark for me." I said.

"What are you talking about?" she laughed carelessly. "Fire spreads light, it can't be dark!" But then her smile faded as she saw I wouldn't joke about that. 

"The power of creating fire is for Stormlings, right?" 

Myrsky shook her head. "Who told you that?"

"Theo." I suddenly remembered I hadn't seen him since he told me that. He acted strangely, seemed to be avoiding me.

"Nobody knows how Theo works." Myrsky said, as she moved a little closer. "His mind is full of dreams and doom scenarios that all never come true, but still, somehow he always makes the right decision." 

"Does that mean he's right about the fire?" I asked. 

"No." Myrsky shook her head again. "It means he's afraid you'll do something horrible with the fire, and he's trying to stop that from happening. It will never happen anyway, though." 

I wasn't so sure about the last part. Apparently the doubt was clear to read from my face. 

"Luci." Myrsky said. "Someone with powers as strong as yours, or mine, or Theo's, has to make a choice in their lives. Whether they support the Stormlings or the Shinelings. It's not the power that makes you good or evil, or a Stormling or a Shineling. It's you. You decide what side you belong to. And then it doesn't matter if you support by waking up the dead or burning down the living, as long as you stay true to your own heart."

"And what if my heart belongs to the Stormlings?" I barely dared to ask. 

"Then join the Stormlings." Myrsky said it like it was that simple. "You don't seem like a Stormling to me, though."

I felt a certain shadow on my face. The kind of shadow I had seen before on Theo's face. I wanted to explain it, but I couldn't find the words, so I stayed quiet and stared into the dark grass ahead.

"Luci." 

I turned my head to her. No fire in her eyes, only worries. 

"Nobody can decide for you where you belong. And I know what it's like to doubt- I'm still doubting actually. I don't really have a choice though, as Theo will never let me go. It's easier to follow others than to decide for yourself where you go. But in the end, you'll be happier if you find your own place. Trust me."

"And what if that place is with the Stormlings?" 

"What do you think the Stormlings want? Destroy the world?" 

"Well..."

"They don't." Myrsky said. "Shinelings and Stormlings are the same. Same kind of powers, same people, same goal. The only difference is the way to reach it. Shinelings hide from the government, Stormlings fight the government. That's the only difference."

Fight or hide. Those are the options...