Drea walked in her front door ten minutes later. It was now four o’clock. She would’ve tried to be quiet, but it was pointless. They’d be waiting for her anyway.
She walked through the kitchen and into the living room. Her father was relaxing, since he’d gotten a day off, watching a little TV, and her mother was sitting next to him on the couch, scanning her laptop. When they heard her enter the room, they both turned around to see her. They didn’t say anything, although they really didn’t have the chance to say anything.
Jackie launched herself into the room, planting herself right in front of Drea. She didn’t say anything; she only grabbed Drea’s arm, and lead her around to the front of the couch where their parents could see. “See?!” she said, holding up Drea’s bandaged arm so they both could see. “I was telling the truth when I said Drea got hurt! That whole story was true!” She looked towards Drea and said, “Tell ‘em Drea! Tell them what happened!”
Jackie looked desperate, and Drea felt confused. Did she see us at the school? It made sense because of the time she got out, but Drea hadn’t sensed her. I was pretty messed up… She sighed. There’s only one thing I can do.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about Jackie.” She put on a face of confusion. “I mean I banged my wrist, but that’s not really a story.”
Jackie looked, wide-eyed, at their mom and dad. They looked exhausted and worn out, obviously not believing Jackie’s “story.”
“What happened to your wrist Drea?” asked their mom with a nonchalant tone to match her look.
“I just hit it on a door as I was walking out. It was sensitive and got a little red so I went to the nurse and got a few bandages.” I hope that’ll be enough to fool them.
Their parents looked back at Jackie, wondering what she would say next. Drea almost felt bad for the way they disregarded Jackie, but she knew it was necessary.
Jackie looked at Drea in disbelief. She didn’t understand why Drea was lying. Without another word, Jackie started ripping the bandages off of Drea’s arm, forcing her to flinch and yell, “Ow! Hey!” It was definitely sensitive. It didn’t matter anyway; Jackie had torn most of the bandages off anyway.
When she looked down at her wrist, Drea tried to stifle her look of surprise. Her wrist was healed, amazingly so. Her bone was completely fixed; no bruises or any type of remnant remained to remind her of the incident.
Jackie just stared at her wrist with a look of utter surprise. She looked like she had seen a ghost. She must’ve been pretty sure of what she’d seen. She did see us, confirmed Drea. She knew why Jackie looked as she did then; she had to admit that she was pretty surprised too though. An injury that would’ve needed a hospital visit was fixed up in thirty minutes. This healing thing Daniel did was pretty amazing. It inspired a pang of jealously in her. It would’ve been pretty cool to be able to heal people as he did.
“What did he do?” asked Jackie in a strikingly quiet and angry voice, referring to Daniel. Her initial surprise had vanished to anger at being made a fool of.
“I’m not sure what you mean by that,” said Drea in the most innocent voice she could pull off. It surprised her at how adept she was at pretending that she had no idea of what they were talking about. Whether that was a good or bad thing was yet to be seen.
Jackie turned around quietly and ran up the stairs, no doubt to try and figure out what could’ve possibly happened. If she seriously figures out what happened I’ll be doing back flips on the moon, thought Drea sarcastically.
She turned to her parents. “Well my class is doing a huge project and a few of us are starting a study group too, so I’ll be staying after school each day until four thirty. That ok?” She hoped it would be enough to fool her parents.
“Sure,” said her father, “Sounds wonderful sweetheart.” Before they could give her any protest, Drea turned to go upstairs. No reason to give them the chance to change their minds. She didn’t go fast enough though, for she heard her father say, “And Drea?” She turned to face him with the best fake smile she could muster. “We do apologize about yesterday. That doesn’t mean you were right, but we’ll consider giving you a longer leash.”
That was one of the best things Drea had heard all day. It was surprising to hear her father say such a kind thing, especially since he never wanted to admit when he did something wrong. A small smile crept up on her face as she lowered her eyes. “Thanks dad,” she said quietly before she ran up the stairs to her room. She stayed there for hours.
Once she locked the door, she lay in her bed, mentally trying to process the day. It amazed her how her arm was healed, but the whole conversation with Daniel had gotten her thinking more about her brother. Her thoughts spread like a poison, immobilizing her in her newfound grief. These were the monsters that killed him. She never remembered it correctly, and now she was wondering if it really was worth it. She could’ve gone her whole life without knowing how he died, or at least without reliving it.
Tears slid silently down her cheeks. Drea hadn’t allowed herself to cry in so many years for fear of appearing weak. She didn’t know how to wrestle with all the conflicting emotions fighting for the forefront in her heart. She wanted to help and train and be a hero, but it was hard when fear snaked its way around every shred of bravery she had left.
She didn’t feel confident in whatever Daniel thought she could do. Kevin tried to protect her in exchange for his life. She wasn’t sure she could truly do that for someone else. It was the workings of a true hero to give up everything in order to be the leader everyone expected.
All she knew was that people fought for what was dear to them, and if anything fueled her, it would be her desire to fight for what she had lost and what she still had left to gain.
Drea knew that she couldn’t let people get hurt because she was scared. If those monsters were after her, she would annihilate them for killing her brother, and destroy them for threatening her family. A newfound anger boiled in her heart, obscuring her grief, her fear, and her uncertainty in her rage. She wouldn’t let them get away when they threatened everything she held dear.
The thought of training seemed somewhat odd to her, like she was in some kind of fairy tale, but if it would make her stronger she felt she was up to the challenge. She wondered what they’d be doing, especially after seeing what Daniel could do. I wonder if he could teach me to fight like that, she thought. Those knife skills were amazing.
She lay in her bed for hours, simply thinking. The only time she came out of her room was when dinner was ready. They all ate quietly, everyone’s separate lives taking control of their thoughts. Afterwards, Drea returned to her room.
In only a few hours of lying in bed, Drea fell asleep. She’d been doing homework, but she just couldn’t keep her eyes open and her thoughts from straying.
Her dreams were restless, haunting her with visions of blood and monsters. It felt as if the shadows themselves were chasing her as she continued to fall further into the depths of her mind. Her own fears came to life, grabbing her and pulling her back as the darkness encompassed her and pulled her even deeper into its depths.
Drea tossed and turned in her bed endlessly. Sometime in the middle of the night after hours of unrest, a light, soothing aura entered her mind. She tried to defend herself against it, to push it out, but she lacked the amount of control to even be a hindrance to it. It began to fill her mind with light, allowing her to relax as the shadows retreated in fright.
She heard Daniel’s voice speak in her mind in nothing more than a whisper: Rest easy now. I am with you. He spread his aura out, enveloping her in a warm, protective feeling.
She found it odd he was in her mind at first, but became used to the idea as her mind began to rest. All she knew was that she was thankful to him. She was curious as to why he helped her though, and resolved to ask him the next day.
At some point she began to feel Daniel’s aura recede; it felt as if an infinite amount of time had passed. As he removed the aura from her mind, the jolt woke her up. Drea opened her eyes to see that it was six ten in the morning. She had woken up ten minutes late.
Must’ve forgotten to set the alarm when I fell asleep, she thought. She rubbed her eyes and stretched as she sat up, looking around her room. The feel Daniel’s aura was still engraved in her mind, and as she extended her aura out, she found him sitting somewhere nearby.
Danny? She spoke in her mind.
Daniel, he responded after a minute.
Very funny, she said. Why are you here?
I was actually sleeping.
Well why were you sleeping here?
For one thing, I’ve no other place to sleep, and I just wanted to watch over you. Your power puts you in a dangerous position.
If you say so, she said sarcastically, though she actually was pretty scared. So if you were sleeping, then how were you able to stay in my mind?
I set it that way, so to speak. All I did was control the aura I gave to you so I could sleep. I kept it at a constant rate, and if that changed, I would’ve woken.
But how could you have kept it constant while you were sleeping? Drea wondered.
Control, he said. Don’t worry, I’ll be teaching you that.
But why?
Why what?
Why did you help me…. She hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. I mean, I don’t even know you that well and-
We all have those nightmares sometimes, he interrupted. Everyone needs a little help here and there. He seemed like he’d just withdrawn into himself, judging from the outpouring sadness emanating from his aura that he was trying to hold in.
Drea thought he might say more, but he remained quiet. She guessed it was a painful memory, so she didn’t push it.
We’ll train after school then? Drea asked tentatively.
Very well. He was silent for a moment. I’ll be around. Be careful. Find my aura if you feel that bloodlust again. I won’t be too close though, don’t want you to think I’m watching you.
Haha, very funny Danny.
Daniel, he said again.
Whatever floats your boat, responded Drea as she climbed out of bed. She went to the mirror and saw that her hair was a mess and she was still in her clothes from the day before. She looked pretty tired, but she felt fairly well rested.
Drea went through her regular morning schedule, stopping only briefly to turn on her phone and put on her charm. It was ice-cold still with not even a trace of heat. She clenched it in her hand as she made her way down the stairs.
As they ate breakfast, the atmosphere was much more cheerful as the good mornings and smiles went around. Looking at Jackie, Drea wished she could tell her about her abilities, she yearned for it, but knew that keeping these secrets were for the best. She’d probably think Drea was some kind of freak anyway.
She set her bag down on her chair and grabbed her morning cream cheese bagel. Everyone appeared much more enthusiastic today, and her father even restricted the rules to her “study group/project.” She didn’t have to call or text until she was on her way home, or unless she’d be later than five o’clock.
After breakfast, Jackie and Drea left. They didn’t talk too much; Jackie was still probably trying to figure out what Drea did. Drea didn’t mind though, she had a few things going on in her head herself.
When they got to the school, they said their goodbyes and Jackie walked on toward her friends. Drea caught a glimpse of Jenny and Keisha staring at her as Jackie approached. They must’ve seen me too, she thought as they looked away to avoid her eyes.
Drea continued on with her school day, noticing that Drake, Crystal, Kaia, and Katie were all out of school. Their names weren’t on anyone’s attendance, but the weirdest part was that no one remembered them. In homeroom, Karen didn’t even say anything about the previous day. She looked completely normal, acting as if they never existed, and Drea knew she normally would’ve said something.
It occurred to Drea that the memories of Crystal and the others were erased when they went into the portal. She didn’t know how, but if they could erase memories, they must’ve been pretty strong. It brought up one question though: Why erase everyone’s memories? No one knew them very well, and no one would’ve care too much about where they’d gone. There was more going on than she previously thought.
Class started soon after that at seven fifteen. It was incredibly disorienting to remember something that everyone else forgot. It was as if she was the one whose memories had been changed while everyone else was normal. She knew it wasn’t true, but she couldn’t help but to feel as though she was the one who’d been tampered with. She only wondered why she wasn’t.
School was over at two fifteen. Drea stood outside as usual, but this time she was waiting for Danny. Karen passed by, leaving Drea alone after she waved goodbye. Drea waited ten more minutes, beginning to wonder where he was. She grew impatient, so she took a walk away from the school. Maybe I can find him this way.
She walked around for another ten minutes before she thought to extend her aura out to find him. So this is your game, she thought. You wanted me to find you instead of coming to get me. Drea smiled fiercely. If you think this’ll stop me, you’re wrong!
She took off running, moving as quick as her legs would carry her; she hadn’t realized how excited she was until her legs moved on their own accord. As she ran, her shadow danced and shimmered around her in the sun, reflecting her every movement and action like a puppet on a string.
She extended her mind out to find him while she ran, trying desperately to focus. She’d tried to focus while running a few times over the years, but wasn’t very good at using her mind while moving.
Drea focused in on everything around her, but had a hard time being aware of it all. She had to bring herself back into her body multiple times to avoid crashing into something. Every time she crashed into someone she got up and apologized about a million times before trying to escape their accusatory stares.
It was exhausting, but she did feel as though she could move herself out a bit easier. It was a nice feeling to feel as though she’d gotten better, even if she really didn’t improve much at all.
Eventually, she found Danny’s aura in the forest near the park. It was obvious he had been trying to hide it, but as she focused in on it, she knew exactly where he was.
She used Danny’s aura to guide her movements as she let her legs simply carry her there, keeping her mind outstretched the whole while. She couldn’t keep track of everything, so she switched her mind from person to person or animal to animal, trying to keep herself moving. It was a strange feeling to be outside of her body while still regaining control of her movements. It made her feel as though she was in two places in once, which wasn’t as good of a feeling as one might think.
She continued to run towards his aura, turning street corners, passing people and looking around. It was almost funny to look at their bewildered faces as she whizzed by, if she didn’t crash into them that is.
After a few minutes of running, Drea was breathing hard. She was finally beginning to get closer to Danny’s aura as she stopped in front of the park. She stood and took in a few breaths. The park was green with a small path and a little forest of trees. If she went deep enough, the trees would get thicker in that forest, creating the illusion of a larger forest.
Drea ran down the path, going past streetlights, benches and a few garbage cans. Danny wasn’t visible anywhere, and she was beginning to feel exhausted from exerting herself so much in a way she was unused to.
She ran into the forest, still going at top speed. His aura shone like a beacon to her as she approached it and slowed. She felt it emanating from atop one of the trees.
“Hey!” she breathed, looking up and yelling, “I found you!” She rested her hands on her knees, panting with exhaustion. As lithe as a jungle cat, Danny jumped down from the tree. He smiled a little at Drea, pleased that she was able to find him without any of his direction. He’d thought it’d take longer or that she’d give up or just wouldn’t find him at all.
Drea smiled back, feeling satisfied at what she had accomplished. She hadn’t thought she could do so much when she hadn’t even received any training.
When she felt as though she’d gotten her breath back, she tried to stand, but as soon as she started to rise she felt weak and powerless. Her legs gave out and she fell forward unexpectedly. Danny rushed over to her with his amazing speed and caught her in his arms right before she hit the ground. They remained there for a second until he lowered her to her knees. It was now painfully obvious to Drea at how much energy she’d used in finding him.
“I never imagined you’d be able to find me so easily,” he said contemplatively.
“Well… maybe you… underestimated me,” Drea said between breaths. She was struggling to regain the energy back in her limbs.
At his request, she explained what she’d done to find him. He was definitely surprised that she’d done so well, but he kept his face calm, as if he was just a statue subjected to the force of her words. When she spoke of the way she extended her mind, he even seemed impressed that she could stay focused, but it was as if he knew she wouldn’t be able to.
Danny stared at her when she finished speaking. He finally spoke after some time. “You’ve done well. It takes a lot to focus your aura like that, and Kaienshi of your skill level generally can’t do it. You retain much more power than I thought; now we just have to teach you how to use it.” He lifted her and set her against a tree. He’d used the same word Crystal had used: Kaienshi. She wondered what it meant, but thought it better to wait until he had explained before she asked her question.
“Alright,” said Drea, looking up at him. “I’m ready, so let’s start with everything I need to know.”
Danny stood, a serious look on his face. “Then let’s begin.” He leaned himself up against a tree trunk a few feet away, facing Drea. He looked around for a few minutes before his eyes settled on her face again.
“There’s so much you’ll need to know, so be prepared to wait a while.” He paused one last time before his story began.
“I’ll begin with the wolf creatures. You saw one in your memories and glimpses of them as your friends, but you’re still ignorant as to what they actually are. Those “wolves” are called the Lori. They’re creatures that were born in another dimension. We don’t know much of their history before they found the human world, and why they took the form of wolves is unknown, but they do have the ability to change forms at will. Their DNA and physical forms are similar enough to that of humans that they can change to look like humans at will. That ability has caused us a lot of pain.”
He looked away for a moment, a sad look on his face. “The thing that makes them different from regular wolves is the fact that they each have a specific ability unique to their bloodline. Some have great agility, some are intelligent while others have greater physical prowess such as strength or even size. The one you know as Crystal was one who’s been graced with cleverness and power, making her one of the higher-ups in their society.
“Anyway, they found this world by accident when they discovered a rift in space. They researched it and found a way to equip each wolf with the ability to travel dimensions. Once they perfected it, they used it to travel here. Each wolf now is born with the ability in their claws, which is why Crystal was able to get away.
“They immediately saw how weak the humans were, and decided to overtake them. They thought they would be better leaders and the humans would be good slaves. They tortured the human race, killing and enslaving many of them. It was a terrible time in the early history of the human race, but was never actually documented. One Lori emerged as the leader of their world during this time. He was known as Alka, and was considered the strongest, smartest, and fastest of all the Lori. He was exceptionally gifted. There were however a few remaining Lori who disagreed with the takeover of the humans. They saw something in your race that Alka didn’t. Those Lori attempted to protest, but to no avail. Alka exiled them into the human world, transforming them permanently into humans.”
“What happened to those human Lori?” wondered Drea aloud.
“Some say they intermingled with the other humans and became a part of society, while others say that somehow they survived. It’s been said throughout time that they still lay in wait for the one uh,” he hesitated for a moment, as if he couldn’t figure out the phrasing, “hero who is destined to save us, but that’s a story for another time.
“Alka took over the tribe and this world quickly, but the only reason Alka didn’t remain in control of this world was because of a man who had powers like you and me. He was known as Kaien. He was blessed with mind powers since birth, which allowed him to master any weapon he fought with. He is referred to as the first Weaponsmaster.
“A Weaponsmaster is a warrior who can master any weapon, as the name suggests. In our modern world, they are considered heroes. Kaien was an extremely powerful Weaponsmaster, but he was also still a human. He was the one who found the rift in space after many years of torture by the Lori. He made it his job to close up the rift in order to stop them. When Kaien was discovered by a Lori at the site of the portal however, he found himself cornered. Using his sword and dagger, Kaien was able to defeat the Lori with his ability to master the weapons. During the fight, he encountered the one known as Zen, the Guardian of fire.
“Zen decided to help Kaien on his quest to eradicate the Lori, for he was also tired of their rule. Zen now resides within all Weaponsmasters, helping them to conjure up any weapon using his fire. He gives every Weaponsmaster Kaien’s ability, which helps them prepare for their new role quickly.
“The Guardians are keepers of all the elements: stone, fire, earth, you name it, but the Fire Guardian, Zen, prefers to work with the Weaponsmaster. All the other Guardians go where they’re needed and may bond with humans, but that’s pretty rare. Zen has bonded with the Weaponsmaster since Kaien, and continues to do so in order to help our organization and prevent the rise of Alka. He tends to like the feel of the Weaponsmaster’s aura also.
“Once Kaien found that he could use his power to defeat the Lori, he sent out a message using the help of Zen with his mind. This message would allow anyone who also wanted to take down Alka to find and join him. Within weeks, Kaien had built up a force capable enough to fight. He taught them about weaponry and those who were capable of mind powers were also taught. When they were ready, they went to invade Alka’s palace. He and his small army fought against the Lori, killing many along the way. Kaien faced off against Alka one on one, but couldn’t kill him completely. The only other option was to seal him away. The only way he could do this was to remove the sources of his power, being the items of power Alka had forged.
“Alka possessed seven pieces of armor and weaponry on him, all golden. They were a vest, sword, gloves, boots, shoulder pads, chain link pants, and his most powerful weapon, the shuriken. Kaien sealed him by separating all the pieces and hiding them in different forms. They could be-”
Shuriken?, thought Drea, bringing her hand impulsively to her neck. No, it couldn’t be, probably just a coincidence. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear Danny until he said, “-or jewelry.”
“What did you say?” she said looking up at him, her heart pounding in her chest.
He raised an eyebrow. “Not listening?”
“I was! Except for that last part…”
“Ok, then pay attention. I said that the artifacts can be hidden or disguised as stone or jewelry.”
“Jewelry?” she interrupted again. “Like necklaces?”
“Yes,” said Danny. “Why?” He was getting suspicious.
She paused for a moment, unsure of how to answer. Then she remembered what Crystal had said. “Crystal… she mentioned she was looking for something around here… I think it was one of those charms.”
Danny was silent as he contemplated the possibility. Finally, he said, “I suppose it’s possible that they can track it, but I don’t see how…” Drea thought of telling him about her charm but decided against it. She didn’t want to bring it up that her necklace looked like one of those artifacts. It couldn’t possibly be anyway; it was just something her brother had given her.
“Well after Kaien had separated the artifacts and sent them around the world, he sacrificed himself to seal Alka’s body. No one really knows the type of seal he used or how to replicate it, but we do know that Alka’s body was encased in stone with chains made of Kaien’s aura binding it and hiding it deep under the earth. It happened so long ago, that even his body is undiscovered. The only way to find him would first be to gather the seven artifacts. That will reveal where the body is hidden.
“Those artifacts have been lost for centuries though, for no one has been able to find them. The Lori want to find all seven though, just as we do. With all seven, Alka will be resurrected and will attempt to take the world again. In order to prevent this, we have also tried to gather all the artifacts. We had about four until the wolves infiltrated us and took them.”
“Hold on,” said Drea, “If they can go and steal them from you, then why can’t you steal them back?”
“They have the ability to transform into humans and hide their bloodlust, making them look and feel like us. We can’t transform, so if we tried to sneak into their dimension, we’d be outmatched and outnumbered, not to forget easy to see. It’s also somewhat like what you call the Cold War. If we try to get them back, it’ll be considered an act of war, and it’ll end up destroying both our races.
“Anyway, in order to seal himself, Kaien had to give away his soul. He died in the attempt to kill Alka, and remains forever locked in a type of Limbo with him, or so we believe. When they were sealed, another rift opened in space. Kaien’s wife, Zoey, took his place as leader and led the remaining warriors into the rift. It turned out to be a new dimension called Skynea, where we now live. It’s similar to this world, except for the fact that time moves differently. As an example, you’ve aged six years and I’ve only aged two. We age about two thirds as slow as you do, which is why I’m not twenty one like I should be in your world.”
Drea looked at him with newfound curiosity. It was a strange thought to think that she was speaking with someone from another dimension, even if he explained it be something like Earth.
“In Skynea,” Danny continued, “his wife, Zoe, created the organization known as Koracan to fight the Lori and protect the humans. Everyone with these powers was then known as Kaienshi, after our founder Kaien.”
Crystal called me a Kaienshi. I wonder how long she’s known about me….
“Koracan would train the Kaienshi in using the mind powers and finding their specific weapon. Over the years after they left, many humans like you developed mind abilities and an affinity to weapons because of the great remnants of aura in the air. This is why when we know enough, we can be sent out to train humans like you on how to defend themselves. Humans with powers are ample targets for the Lori, since they don’t understand how to use their powers or how to fight back. Many unexplained deaths happen because of this.
“The one thing you also need to know about our organization is that we characterize the Kaienshi by this outfit,” he said, gesturing to himself. Drea looked again at his uniform: it was the baggy black pants, t-shirt, white bandages, and black sandals. She still thought he looked like a ninja.
“What are the bandages for?” she asked
He seemed to acknowledge them for the first time. It was like he hadn’t even noticed they were there. “Since I’m considered a healer, I have these extra bandages for myself and others. They also work to hide the mark on my hand that allows me to move dimensions. We usually keep them hidden so we don’t scare the humans, but I can explain more about the mark when I show you how I use it.
“As I was saying, Koracan is like a training facility, but of course we have our leaders. The rules in are very strict. Those years ago, I let you keep your memory of your brother when I shouldn’t have. I broke the rules, and I’m lucky no one found out. If they had, I would’ve been punished severely. There is no toleration for disobeying.
“Once the last artifact is found though, the Lori need one more thing to release the seal on Alka’s body. The Weaponsmaster. The Weaponsmaster has a small trace of Kaien’s DNA running through their veins, so once all the artifacts are found, the Weaponsmaster is used to release the seal.”
“So there are more?” Drea wondered aloud.
Danny looked down at her. “The Weaponsmasters are born spontaneously. We used to think it was once every generation, but now we see that the previous Weaponsmaster loses their powers when a Kaienshi who’s destined to take their place becomes strong enough. As of right now, we’ve no clue as to who the new Weaponsmaster is. It’s a problem since they are the only one who can release the seal on Alka’s body, making them a prime target for the Lori.
“No one knows where they are yet though so we still have time. The previous Weaponsmaster lost his powers six years ago, and since we haven’t found the new one among the Kaienshi of Skynea, we’ve been lead to believe that we are searching for a human, but we’ve yet to find the right one. Once we find them, they will have to undergo some pretty rough training to catch up to the normal Kaienshi.”
“There are human Weaponsmasters?” Drea narrowed her eyes.
“There has been one human and one female. The human, Shawn, was one of the most powerful, yet he chose to fight with only a staff and rarely changed his weapon. He never wanted to be a fighter, and lost so much because of it…”
Danny was quiet for a moment before continuing. It was like he was remembering a distant memory. “Many humans aren’t so used to killing, especially at an age like yours. The female, Korena, was also one of our strongest Weaponsmasters, but as of now she’s been the only female. She would’ve been an ideal match for Alka, but at that time all of the artifacts hadn’t been found.”
“You mean that over all these centuries all the artifacts have never been gathered?” asked Drea incredulously. “I know you said they can be hidden, but I can’t imagine taking centuries to find seven items.”
“It has been far too long” he said looking up. “That’s why we must make sure to prepare the Weaponsmaster for what will surely happen soon. I only wish we could find out who it is. The next one will most likely be the one to fight Alka, so we need to find them soon.”
He was quiet then, probably thinking about what was to come. Drea waited for him to say more, but he stayed quiet. She closed her eyes for a moment in an attempt to sort out all her new knowledge. All the new information was incredibly overwhelming, but somehow it felt right. It all felt very familiar to her in some way.
When she opened her eyes again, she was surprised to see Danny looking at her, sadness in his eyes. It made Drea feel exposed, like her was seeing through her. She stood and pushed her aura out towards him, snapping him out of his revere. She raised an eyebrow with a quizzical look.
He sighed. “I apologize, but you remind me of your brother. I didn’t know him well, but I was assigned to train him. I had met with him the day before he died to speak with him.” He paused, like he was unsure of what to say next. “I wish I had gotten that chance…. I’m sorry.” The last of his words ended in a whisper.
Drea only stared at the ground beneath her feet, as if she could phase through it and simply disappear. Of course life was never that easy. It was obvious that Danny felt the same guilt she did for her brother’s death: the feeling that they could’ve done something more, but she wondered why this particular instance had pained him so much. He must’ve seen a lot worse if he was a Kaienshi like he said, but for some reason, this death stuck with him like a nightmare.
Drea lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. She could see that he wasn’t looking for a release from the guilt he held or even forgiveness; he just wanted to get it out. She felt her heart sink and grow heavy in her chest. She had never blamed him, but she hadn’t known about him since a few days ago. As she looked into his eyes though, she could tell that he had changed from the snob she punched to the boy that stood before her.
At that moment, she couldn’t quite decide on her emotions, so she changed the subject. “So he had powers like me?” she asked quietly, her eyes moving to the ground.
“Yes,” responded Danny cautiously. She could feel waves of disappointment coming from him; he really wanted to make her feel better, but she just wasn’t up to it. “He was able to sense aura like you, though he wasn’t as strong. He died to protect you from that Lori, but he didn’t know how to protect himself yet.”
He looked over at her. “I’m sorry for not telling you earlier.”
Drea thought she should be mad at him for not telling her, but she couldn’t bring herself to be angry. Something in her heart just told her it wasn’t right, that Kevin wouldn’t have wanted that. Once again, she changed the subject, this time to stop herself from crying.
“Why did both of us have powers? Wouldn’t that be incredibly rare?”
Danny looked at her again; this time looking more like a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders. All he wanted was to tell her after those six years. Now he finally had. “Your ancestors must’ve breathed in some of the excess aura that was in the air. Over time, that developed into a gene that would allow you the ability to expand your mind. It’s a dormant gene for many people, but it activates in some people like you and your brother. If the gene isn’t strong enough, it can be passed down, but not visible. It’s likely that your parents have this gene, though it’s rare for two people in the same family to have the activated gene. It must be incredibly strong in you. In terms of DNA, the gene blends, so you won’t have to worry about anyone finding out about your abilities from any type of DNA test.”
So it seems Crystal was right. I do have a lot of power. Drea looked at her hands as if they were no longer her own. If only I knew how to use it.
“Because of the dormancy of the gene,” Danny continued, “not all of us in Skynea have powers. Some just don’t develop it. Those people simply don’t join Koracan, but they can live with us or may choose to come here if they wish.”
He paused, looking up at the sky. He suddenly looked a lot older and much more contemplative. “It’s everyone’s dream to become the Weaponsmaster in Koracan, but I feel as though the popularity is what many really want.”
He smiled at the thought, making Drea smile too. It felt like she was finally becoming what she always wanted to be: a hero. Her brother would’ve been proud of her. The thought of it brought tears to her eyes and a warm feeling to her heart. She let a cool tear slide down her cheek before she wiped it away and looked back to Danny. He stared at her, a slight smile still playing on his face.
Drea went over to him, eager to move on from her sadness. “So what are you going to have me doing in this training?”
“First I’ll need to teach you about the different auras and how you can use your mind to detect them,” Danny said. “Then you’ll be learning about fighting with your mind, breaking into other peoples’ minds, going in undetected, and everything you need to know on controlling your aura through your mind. Once you have accomplished those techniques, I can help you discover which weapon you can master. It’ll take a little bit of time, but once I teach you the basics you’ll be able to protect yourselves from any Lori you’ll see.
“Also, as I said yesterday, you will be using these powers to protect anyone who encounters one of the Lori. Lori have an uncanny ability to stay hidden and avoid human detection, which is why you haven’t seen many before now. Now that you’ll be gaining power, there will be many more here. You’ll have to fight them, and if you refuse, let me revoke your power here, before we go further. Again, are you sure you’re ready?”
He never mentioned revoking her powers, but that option still didn’t change her mind. “Yes,” said Drea. “It’s my turn to protect everyone now. I’ll be taking on this job to protect my city. I don’t want to see anyone die again. ” The pain was evident in her voice as her it cracked and she looked down at her feet.
Danny nodded and smiled a sad smile. “Good.” Danny stood straight and stared into Drea’s eyes. There was something about her that felt different than any other person he’d trained before. She was headstrong and he knew that after the pain she’d felt, she’d put her heart into protecting everyone from the Lori. Looks like she’ll catch on quick too, he thought.
Drea looked at the time on her phone. It was only three thirty, an hour before she needed to be home. She looked to Danny. “What should we do now?”
He looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that I still have another hour before I need to go home. You sure you don’t want to start this training now?”
“It’s probably best not to.” Danny said. “It’ll take more than an hour to get you started anyway.”
“Why don’t I show you around town then?” suggested Drea. “It’s not like you have anything better to do.”
Danny almost looked confused by the prospect, but he seemed to agree. That is if one of those confused stares was considered an agreement. By way of answering, he lifted his hand above his head and moved it in a small circle. Drea didn’t get what he was doing until she saw the air shimmer around him as what looked like glitter fell in a circle from his hand. As it passed over him, his clothes changed from his Kaienshi outfit to a school uniform. He looked completely normal, like any other school student.
Drea looked at him in amazement. He only said, “You’ll need to know how to do that if you’re going to be a Kaienshi. I’ll be teaching you this too.”
His face was blank and innocent as Drea rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the hand, leading him out of the forest and into the park. They ran over to the shops and looked around. Drea showed Danny the town, smiling and laughing at the looks on his face as she walked around with him. She hadn’t had so much fun in a long time; being with Danny almost reminded her of being with her brother. Almost. If only he could see her now.