The Legend of Max Miles, The Night Prince

Chapter 2

"Your Mom's hot, bro."

The sound of Jamie's voice, Max's best friend since kindergarten, did absolutely nothing to ease the day. Max barley slept a wink, wrestling with the unsettling images of his own nightmares. But, Jamie rarely made things better—if ever.

James Hill Academy was the pillar of excellence; that, and every other crap filled propaganda every other private school sold to the parents rich enough to afford tuition. Surprisingly enough though, the campus was actually over 200 years old. Renovations would never let on the truth behind its history, but the walls of Max's school held secrets far older than anyone could ever imagine.

Unfortunately, Jamie's annoyance wasn't one of them. 

"Jamie," Max plead, casually walking three strides ahead of Jamie to escape the morning head to come. "Give it a rest, man. I'm really not in the mood today."

"You know who I wish was in the mood though?"

The slick grin creeping the sides of his mouth pricked a thorn in Max's side. Why today, he thought. He and Jamie had been through everything, suffering the mud slide that is homework, loud teachers, and incessant bullies together since he could remember. That's why he tolerated Jamie's...uniqueness.

"I'm going to slap the hormones straight out of you, if you don't quit, Jamie."

"Geeze," Jamie sighed. "I was just joking around. What's got your tidy whites in a bunch?"

"Yea, Miles. What's your problem?"

That bully from earlier. Well, that was him: Gerald Hughes; Big G for short. He was your text book neglected preteen who would later spend a fortune in therapy working out his mommy issues. But for now, he was Max's head case.

"G, this isn't the day, man. Back off," said Max, walking towards the puffed-up bull with a scary-like calm.

"Who do you think you are, Miles? You think because your Mommy and Daddy own the school, you can just walk up on people like your own personal servants?"

The crowd grew thicker now, circling the feuding boys with looks of eagerness and anticipation.

"G, like I said, this isn't the day. Back off, or get beat down."

See, it was true that Max had a bully. But the dynamic of their rivalry was everything but normal. To put it plainly, Max was up three to two on the school fight score card. And, by the look of it, he was going for another win.

Too much had happened over the past week. The nightmares were getting worse. He didn't have time to deal with G and his antics. You can't punch your way out of everything, son, his dad would say. But what did he know? He wasn't there. He didn't have a Gerald Hughes haunting him through grade school. Max was different than his dad. Sometimes, he wondered how they were even related, fixing his mind to erase his dads advice as he dropped his bag from his back, sizing up Gerald.

"Max, this will be number six, man. I don't think he's worth it," Jamie warned, holding his arm out to fence Max in.

"Yea, Miles. Listen to your boyfriend," Gerald teased, until..."

Then, it happened.

Something strange occurred that day; something Max didn't see coming, or even thought possible. His world changed that day, forever.

Jamie's punch came first, connecting with a space of air inches away from Gerald jaw. Max lunged next, only to be pushed back, hard, against the lockers by Gerald's shove of Jamie. Max's body went hot, searing from reasons unknown. Then suddenly, he went numb, feeling lighter and lighter, as if floating on air.

That's because he was.

He watched as his body feel to the floor, slithering down the lockers. Shock consumed him, sending his mind in a million different directions. It all happened so fast, yet just slow enough for him to feel stuck and helpless through it all.

"What the..." Max exclaimed, an echo flutter around him, as he rose closer and closer to the ceiling.

The crowd thickened, no one even noticing Max's body laid out on the hallway floor. Jamie and Gerald commanded their attention; but not for long. Jamie's right hook to Gerald's jaw finally connected, sending Gerald flying across the hall, banging his head against the exposed brick wall behind him.

"Wait, no" said Max, extending his arm out to stop Jamie.

But with his warning, came a surge of energy  shooting from his finger tips, like a bolt of lighting, hitting Gerald right in his chest. The boy went down, all limbs sprawled out  onto the floor. And just as fast as he fell, two rings appeared above his head: one purple and one black.

"What...what is happening," stammered Max as he stared at both of his hands in fear. "This can't...this cant be happen..."

But he couldn't finish. He couldn't move. His entire body was overwhelmed by the wind. It snatched at him so violently, sucking him into the black ring hovering over Gerald's head. Max tried to claw at the empty airs, flailing his grasp to catch on to anything. But it was too much. The force was too great. He was sucked into oblivion, fated to endure whatever lied on the other side, before crying out...

"Noooooo!"