I pried my eyes open, glaring at Corvin through the gap of his fingers.
Why… is he here!?
His heavy palm over my face made it difficult to breathe, hot air from my nose blowing across my cheeks.
I twitched a finger, struggling to move my arm as Corvin's knee dug into my hand.
Sparks flew off his skin.
His creativity… it's on another level.
Corvin's eyes darted to the left, a flash of gold blitzing past my peripheral.
The boy.
A knee burst into Corvin's side, pressing deeper as he grit his teeth.
Corvin didn't budge.
He quickly wrapped his arm around the boy's thigh, his other hand still pressing my head into the sand.
My face grew hot.
My neck strained.
Dragging my head through the sand he threw me across the arena, swinging his body as the boy flew in the other direction.
"This wasn't the ideal outcome, but your match was so lackluster." Corvin announced as he rubbed his wrist.
"I was sent to make things more interesting."
"Why do you care so much!" The boy yelled out, back against the wall of the arena.
"These people need a show, that's why!" Corvin responded, digging his hand into the sand beneath him.
"So we'll do our jobs and give them one."
His hand raised from the ground, sand pouring off his forearm.
"Let's be the best sheep we can be."
No…
Corvin raised his hand, his fingers gripping my brush.
"GIVE THAT BACK!" The boy screeched as he lunged forward.
A twisted smile formed on Corvin's face.
Please…
"If you want it so bad…"
Dont…
"Come get it!"
He stuck his arm out in front of him, squeezing his grip as the brush snapped.
The sound struck deep within me, as if it broke right in my ear.
The boy froze in his tracks.
For a minute the whole world seemed to freeze.
My throat tightened, a feeling I've become far too familiar with.
The broken brush fell into the sand.
"How… dare you…"
I turned as the boy stared at Corvin.
"You will die for your ignorance."
He stabbed his stick into the sand as the arena violently rumbled.
White flashes blinked through the air as Corvin soared above the boy.
"I won't let you!"
He dropped his heel into the boy's head, the boy blocking with his forearms.
His feet sunk into the sand as Corvin grinned.
Lightning burst from his heel as his other foot rushed through the air—directly into the boy's rib.
As Corvin landed he took a knee, grimacing as his hand touched the back of his ankle.
Blood dripped from his fingers.
"You managed to cut my achilles tendon right through the armor."
As the dust cleared, hardened sand broke down from the boy's rib.
"You even blocked my kick by hardening sand right before the impact…"
"You're fast… faster than most."
Corvin stood, leaning most of his weight onto his right leg.
He slowly removed his armor piece.
Damp hair spilled down his neck as he stripped the armor from his chest.
"What's your name boy…"
"I want to know the name of the Outsider who made me use this technique."
The boy wiped sweat from his chin.
"Die."
Corvin grinned before slamming his hands together.
"So be it!"
Sparks gathered together as he rubbed his palms together, flying from his hands as they sank back into his body.
Armor of electricity spread down his forearms, dancing in the sun as it glistened across the stands.
The announcer gawked in awe, dropping his mic as he stared into the arena.
Corvin slowly extended his arm as a spear of electricity erupted from his palm.
Sparks slowly swallowed his face as a spike formed on his helmet.
Widening his stance Corvin readied his spear as lightning burst from its tip.
Plucking his stick from the sand the boy pointed it at Corvin, eyes wide, mouth shut.
As I blinked, he disappeared.
The two clashed as flickers of creativity filled the arena, thickening the air so much it made it difficult to breathe.
Sand filled in my palm as I gripped at the earth beneath me.
That man… broke… my vusk.
Why am I here?
What did I do to deserve this?
I want…
tears filled in my eyes.
I want Ms. Valeria!
But what would that change!?
I gripped my head.
That won't change the fact!
I dug my forehead into the sand.
THAT I'M—
"What does it mean to be weak?"
I looked forward, the back of my eyes burning as they held back tears of frustration.
A boy kneeled in front of me, his arms crossed—face covered in darkness.
"I'm getting real tired of taking care of you, you know that?"
My lip quivered as warm tears streamed down my cheeks.
The boy kneeled in front of me, placing a hand on my head.
He smiled… a smile that felt way too familiar.
"You are not weak, Simon."
…
I grit my teeth.
"But…"
"But you're not strong either." The boy said, his hand moving to my chin, raising it from the sand.
"I'm never strong enough." I sniffled.
The boy's face cleared up as the darkness dispersed into the air, fading with the wind.
His expression…
Was full of guilt.
"You're right." The boy answered somewhat reluctantly.
"You're never strong enough. You couldn't save Ms. Valeria, you were too weak to protect your family, too weak to traverse Zytra, and most importantly, too weak to protect yourself."
"I mean, you don't even have your brush anymore."
The boy dropped my head back into the sand. "Look at me." He demanded.
"Look… at me, Simon"
Slowly raising my head, my neck strained as I stared at the child with blurry eyes.
"You are never alone."
"Not a second passes where Ms. Valeria isn't looking down on you."
"Not a second passes where I'm not here with you."
"Not for a single second, are you ever alone."
"If you feel like your strength isn't enough, rely on us."
The boy placed a hand on his hip, pointing at himself with a thumb.
"You don't have to take on everything alone, that's why I'm here!"
"I always was a greedy soul…"
"So share everything with me."
His hands dropped to his side.
"Now, get up."
My chest tightened as my heart began to beat faster and faster.
"Get up."
I raised a knee.
"I said get up! Simon McKay!"
Shooting from the ground I reached out to nothingness.
My fist gripped in front of me.
I took a step forward, looking down at my long legs.
A step turned to a walk, a walk to a run—run to a sprint.
Turning to the child he smiled, and never once did it fade.
He mouthed something as I ran…
I didn't understand what he said, but I felt it down to my very core.
I darted through the darkness, running for what felt like forever.
My legs burned, my heart pounded, my lungs screaming—grasping at the thin air.
Until I saw it.
What seemed like metal bars in the distance.
I burst forward, gripping onto the bars as a cold shock ran through my body.
With all the strength I had I pulled at the bars.
Ms. Valeria…
My teeth grinded.
Marcel…
My feet dug into the ground.
Sy…
I screeched as my muscles strained.
"I'm sorry."
Snap.
Spikes of earth burst from the ground as Corvin blitzed forward.
He dodged attack after attack.
The boy scowled, raising his stick into the air as a wave of sand crashed down on Corvin.
There was silence, then a rumble.
Shards of glass burst throughout the stands as Corvin charged forward.
The boy raised his heel as he began to step back.
A single moment of hesitation.
Corvin's electrified fist plunged into the boy's chest, blowing him across the arena.
My body… is cold.
I can't even move.
What just happened… who, no. What was that?
Water trickled into my mouth.
Tears?
Why… am I crying?
I raised my head, squinting my eyes from the sun.
Oh yeah… I was fighting someone.
Who? My head is so fuzzy.
twisting my neck, the blur in my eyes slowly fizzled out.
I clawed at the sand beneath me.
"I-Is that you, Alex?"
My eyes widened.
Corvin walked forward as sparks flickered from his body, sinking into the sand.
"Volt Dominion."
"I can only hold it for so long before my creativity runs out."
"You were a worthy opponent, Outsider."
A…
Alex?
He laid lifeless on the ground.
"ALEX!" I screamed, tears running down my face.
Corvin turned. "Alex? Don't tell me you two knew each other." He sighed.
Walking closer he planted his injured foot in my back.
"Im fresh out of creativity… but I don't think I'll need any for you…"
He leaned in.
"Something different…"
"You aren't the same Simon McKay from earlier."
I raised my shaking hand into the air.
Corvin frowned with a sigh.
"This match is ov—"
He loudly grunted, attempting to pull his leg from my back.
My two fingers dug into the cut behind his ankle.
As he pulled away, I pulled back.
His gash grew deeper as he finally ripped from my grip.
Before I knew it his fist crashed into the back of my head.
His limping footsteps crunched through the sand.
"You got desperate Simon."
My head is full of fog.
Im… fading.
Another set of footsteps crunched in the sand.
"My name…"
Corvin stopped dead in his tracks.
I could just barely raise an eye as Alex pulled himself up using his vusk.
"Is Alexander... Laurece…"
"What kind of person… would I be…"
His fist tightened.
"If I died in front of my brother!"
**
"You are a special child, so very special."
Lauren raised her head as she sat in the front row of an empty church.
She cradled a baby in her arms.
"Have you ever heard the story of Alexander the Conquerer?"
"You were just born so I guess not." She chuckled to herself.
"It's said that he discovered these forests, a founder of our realm."
"He cultivated our land, and raised what we today call home."
"At a point in time half the realm was covered in greenery…"
"And he called it The Great Zytra Forest."
"The people of our realm gave him a new title."
"Alexander the Conqueror was just too scary for the man who brought such blessings to our dried out world."
"They called him Father Nature."
"But even Father Nature one day grew old and died."
She tickled the baby's stomach.
"But not before leaving behind proof of his existence."
She stood from her seat, walking towards the statue in front of the church.
"I name this boy… In honor of his mother."
"Ivy, who despised the role she was born into, and eventually took her own life."
"This burden falls onto your shoulders now, young one."
…
"Please… don't cry…"
"For you are destined for greatness."
"I shall name you Alexander Laurece."
"The first boy given birth to in this bloodline."
"Carry your role on those broad shoulders Alex, for one day you will be chosen."
"I believe you can be the next…"
**
Alex smiled, his vusk glowing as it floated in front of him.
"I'll save you… Simon."
"I'll destroy it all."
**
???
Cars bustling down the street.
The daily train.
My alarm clock.
It must be time to…
"Wake up!"
Opening my eyes my sister glided through the air before landing on my chest.
"I said, waaake up!"
I couldn't help but laugh in her face.
"I'm up, can't you see?"
She frowned before resting her head on my chest.
"There you go with your terrible jokes again."
"My bad my bad." I said, patting her back.
"Im gonna be late, so I kinda need you to get off me."
She sighed, rolling off the bed with a pout.
"Hurry up then, your friends are waiting for you."
She gently closed the door behind her as I swung my legs to the edge of the bed.
I stood, running my hand across my desk.
"Its time to start another day."
But today's special.
It's the first day of school.