The bell rings, signifying the conclusion of another tortuous day. My locker, unfortunately next to "Mr. Popular" himself, winks at me as I walk out of class toward him. Xavier is swamped with fans, giving me plenty of time to collect my luggage. I grab my stuff, waiting for him to clear the crowd and head towards me. Which he does, with a big smile on his face. "Are you ready?" he questions.
I look away, trying to make my voice sound convincing. "Can I go to the bathroom first?"
He nods, staring at me with his electrifying green eyes. I suddenly feel like he can look me straight in the eye, seeing what my true intentions are. Keeping my head down, I pass him in the fierce crowd.
I weave through the hallways, enduring the jostling and pushing along the way, and stop near the bathroom. Consisting of only a small stall room and two meager sinks, it's a sorry excuse for a bathroom, but it will suit my needs just fine.
<I don't even know when I woke up, but it feels like someone just flipped the switch and freed me from the state I was in. Because the last thing I remember is falling into the pit of death and now I'm sitting in a patch of grass, staring up at the terribly blue sky.Blue sky. It's bright today. Almost too bright for the...Wait. Is it?I feel the grass on my fingertips, the soft rustling breeze tickling my nose. Am I really back in the real world?I jump to my feet, looking around in the forest, hoping to spot another human being. Anyone who can confirm that this is my new reality. I hope... the one I want to see the most.Yes, this is the real world.I shudder, looking both ways in a frantic attempt to find the source of the whisper. It is the same voice that has followed me in my dreams and throughout my quest. "Who are you?" I called. "Show yourself!"Nothing happens at first, then something around me changes in a flash. The air be
"He's still Ray. Trust me. He's just...slightly different. And a lot older than you think. But I have to destroy this jewel and crown to fulfill the prophecy, and Ray said he had to be cast into the chasm of eternal darkness that surrounds us. The Shifters aren't all bad either. You've seen the ones hidden in the forest.Xavier surveys his surroundings, his gaze cold and calculating. "So, what happens to us? You throw it away, the red stone is destroyed...""Well, the Shifters will be able to pass judgment. Werewolves will cease to exist as we know them. I still don't know what that means. Xavier's face crinkles as I speak the words of fate, and his hands leave the crown to wrap around my body."Are you saying that you were essentially going to leave me forever without giving me a chance to say goodbye? After everything I said to you last night? He asks fervently, his breath incredibly close to my ear. I find myself trembling under the threat of indecision.
Murmurs of judgment.The winds howl in the night, but I am not afraid. I am stronger than anything this world has to offer. She gives me strength... and hope.I lean against a tree, bereft of all my energy. Breaths are a commonplace for my species, but I need them... to keep my identity. To exist rather than fade away into the endless haze.There is no blood here. There are no tears or anger, no happiness or laughter. We are only shells, but we still have hope to live. She must come soon, or I will collapse into the emptiness of this world.I know she will send me on my way to deliverance.My eyes flutter and I wake up to the roar of the wind. I wonder why I'm not shaking, then I quickly recognize the warmth of the man right next to me. It's so nice here. I could stay here... forever...I want to say I'm sorry, but I can't form the words.I mean you don't have to do it, but I can't form the words.Be
Ray begins to speak, weaving a story about how the Shifters dragged him into a dungeon and kept him there, feeding him sparingly. I turn away from his story, paying attention only to the werewolves. They look so strong and determined, but beaten and bruised as this world takes its toll. Not a smile is to be found as the pack listens to Ray, and I realize that true joy is long gone. There is relief - that Ray is okay and back in the pack - but also distrust and suspicion. When did we fall apart at the seams, collapsing into the darkness of our fate?Frightened by my own thoughts, my hand unconsciously wraps around Xavier's arm in an attempt to forget. Having the bandage wrapped around our problems and the singularity of predestined purpose so that I don't have to look at it anymore.Probably puzzled by my movement, Xavier gives me a quick glance. His hair grows longer, cascading over his eyes and down his neck. I feel the urge to push it aside, but I hold back as he tur
I stare at the man before me, my fingers tightening on the crown until my fingertips turn white. My knees buckle as a weight as strong as an avalanche hits my shoulders. I can't tell the reality of it, but right now it doesn't seem to matter. In my delirium, I try to form his name with my lips.The man yells something and starts to run towards me. I feel my body slip as the rocky bottom turns into an eternal void. The weight drags me into the abyss, burying my vision in the darkness. I don't have time to think or even breathe, but my descent seems to happen in slow motion, my arms flailing without command or control. And all the while I'm looking through a camera lens, helpless as a glass wall separates me from my body and reality.Until arms encircle my shoulders, taking me up into an unfathomable heat. The familiar smell disarms me and my eyes blink as I begin to realize what's happening. He has returned. He has found me.I had almost forgotten his face and to
"And now fate says I have to try to kill you... and I can't!" He whispers desperately, slowly tilting his head forward and resting in my lap. "Because you deserve to live, just like the Shifters deserve to be sent back until the day of reckoning. They have waited too long."He looks up at me and his eyes flicker between green and red, involuntarily reflecting his will. "Ray...please tell me what will happen if I fulfill the prophecy."There is silence for a minute as he collects himself. Looking at me, he stands up firmly from his position. "The werewolves, the Shifters, and this world will cease to exist as you know it. The Shifters will be able to move on to judgment and will no longer wreak havoc on the outside world. The werewolves... will be without purpose. You will live. I'm sure you will... because you are tangible, unlike the rest of this world."What are you saying?!" I cry, standing up too. I walk over to him and grab his arms. "You're tangible too. Y