Prologue: Emrys's P.O.V.

I woke up to something cold and wet touching my cheek. It kept nudging my cheek. Until I finally blinked my eyes opened. I looked around confused. I was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree. It's dark outside and the moon doesn't provide much light. Still, I can see perfectly fine, as if my eyes adjusted to the dark. Is that normal? That cold, wet thing nudged my cheek again. I turned my head to see a large buck standing next to me. He looked at me with his black eyes as if trying to tell me something. Slowly, I reached my hand out to touch the buck. He inched away so I left my hand hanging between us. After a moment, the buck pushed his nose into my palm. I chuckled as I moved to stand up. This buck is about as big as I am. He's so soft. "Thank you for waking me," I said softly. It appears I'm in... a forest of some sort. At least, I think I am. Although, this doesn't look like any forest I've ever seen. Nothing is glow- "Ah!" I groaned out as a sharp pain shot through my head. I grabbed my head as I doubled over from the pain. I tried to open my eyes, but everything was blurry. A ringing started in my ears, gradually getting louder and louder. Just when I thought that the ringing was going to make my head explode, it all stopped. As if nothing had even happened in the first place. All the pain that brought me to my knees a moment ago suddenly all disappeared. "It's alright. I'm sure it'll be okay. I just need to get home and...." I trailed off as I realized something. Home? Where is home? Do I... have a home? I tried to remember something about my home. Or maybe myself, but... I don't remember a thing. I don't even remember my name. "Do you think you could help me find my way to... someone, I suppose?" I asked the buck. The buck huffed. He turned his body, and began walking. I waited for a few minutes, unsure if he was really trying to help me. Then the buck turned his head to me, as if to ask if I was following. I ran toward him, putting my hand on his back. I followed the buck through the forest. I heard several other creatures scurrying around. Most of them kept out of sight. The ones that didn't, would all look at me with curiosity in their eyes. I couldn't help but feel strange as we walked through the forest. Nothing seems... familiar. I feel like I see things, and I know what they are, but... It's like something is missing. Something that I just can't quite figure out. First things first, I have to get out of this forest. After I find someone, then I can search for answers. Someone must be able to help me. The buck and I walked for several minutes. Actually, I'm pretty sure we walked for well over an hour. Maybe even two. Eventually, though, we finally came to the forest line. The buck stopped, and looked at me. I looked out into the world. It's just a... road, I think. Suddenly, I heard a strange sound. I looked up to see a large bright light coming down the road. It sounds like... like a monster. Why isn't it stopping though? Am I supposed to move? Fight it? Fight it... Why would I do something like that? *************** "Emrys, come here. Let me show you how your father wields his sword." "That's it, my boy! Wonderful! You did it!" "I'm so proud of you Emrys! You took them down with ease! At such a young age!" "You will surpass me one day, Emrys. You are already better than I was at your age. You are so strong and smart. Those are good leadership skills. Never forget that." *************** What the heck was that? Suddenly, the monster that was coming towards me started to make another noise. It kind of sounded like a horn, but different somehow. I just stared at it in confusion. Then it started to skid to a stop. It was less than 5 feet away from me. The monster huffed, pushing out heat. It was hard to stare at it with the lights shining in my eyes. After a moment, the beast opened up. I was shocked to see a person step out of it. It was a man. He was tall, middle-aged, and dressed very strangely. Then a woman stepped out from the other side. She looked to be the same age, and she was dressed similarly. "Ben..." The woman said as she stared at me with wide eyes. "It's a... kid." "Anne, get back in the car." Ben replied to her. Anne ignored Ben's advice. She got out of the... car and shut the door. Then she walked up to me slowly. I just looked at her as she approached me. I don't feel scared, she doesn't give off a dangerous vibe. So, I let her approach me. "Hey buddy," Anne said. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" When I didn't reply, the man spoke again. "Come on kid," he said as he opened the beast. "We'll take you to the police." ************************************* ~ Four Years Later ~ ************************************* The glowing waters and illuminated plants light up the forest in the night. Bugs flew into the air, lighting a trail as I ran through the forest. A giggle bubbles from my chest as the crisp air whips past my face. Until suddenly everything starts to fade to black. "Emrys!!" I heard someone shout. I turned around, but it was too late. Everything was black. The forest I just saw was now gone. The forest... What did it look like again? Where was I going? Where am I now? Panic started to rise in my chest. My breathing started coming out ragged. Then, suddenly, the floor was swept from under me, and I was falling. I flailed around, trying to reach for something in the darkness. "Emrys....!" I heard my name again, but this time it sounded different. At least, I think it sounds different. "Emrys...!" The voice shouted again, sounding closer. "Emrys!" My eyes snapped open and I gasped. I shot up in bed, knocking my head right into Duncan. We both hissed out and gripped our heads. "Awh, dude," Duncan groaned. "Sorry," I muttered. "It's okay." He replied. "You were having another nightmare." "Thanks for waking me," I said, trying to calm my beating heart. "Couldn't just leave ya like that, mate." Duncan replied with a smile. "Besides, you were making the room shake again..." My eyes widened. "It's happening more," he mumbled. "I need to learn how to control it," I said. "I think you should just count yourself lucky that Rebecca doesn't care about what we do," Duncan said as he shuffled around our room. "Yeah, I guess," I mumbled. "Ellie made you breakfast," Duncan said as he grabbed his backpack. "Oh, and happy birthday." I sighed after Duncan left our room. Birthday. It doesn't feel like my birthday. I don't know if today is even my actual 16th birthday. No one knows for sure. I walked to the dresser to grab my clothes for the day. I looked up at myself in the mirror. My strange eyes looked red and blood shot due to my nightmare that I remember nothing about. My eyes are the strangest thing about me. Doctors could never figure it out. They're deep blue with streaks of purple and flecks of gold. Girls like them, but they just remind me that I'm different. I shook my head and changed fast. I ran a hand through my dark brown hair, giving it a messy look. Then I blew out a breath before walking out of my room. Not to sound self-centered, but I'm an attractive guy. That's what everyone at school says anyway. I'm tall, beefy, and have a chiseled jaw. My looks are good, I suppose. I think I'm decent, but it's hard to care about stuff like that. Not when I'm like this. A freak. A total fu.cking whack job. On top of already having strange eyes that no one can explain, I can also make things move with my mind, control the elements, and I can tell when something bad is going to happen. I also get déjà vu a lot, heal fast, am stronger and faster than a normal person, and I never get sick. All of that would normally sound fantastic except... I have no idea how to control myself. I don't even know what I am. It gets worse and worse the older I get too. So to the dreams. I don't know how to handle any of this. I wish I was normal. "Emrys," Rebecca called out to me just before I was going to walk into the kitchen. "Hey, just wanted to tell you happy birthday and happy Friday." "Thanks," I replied. "So, I have some exciting news," Rebecca said with a giddy squeal. "Stavros wants to take me on a trip this weekend. An expensive one. I told him no at first because it's your birthday weekend, butttt... He offered to give you the best birthday ever as a thanks for stealing me for the weekend." "What does that mean?" I asked. "Well, he's planning a party for you! Here! Tonight. After we leave. So, ya know, you guys can invite all the kids from school." Rebecca said suggestively as she wiggled her eyebrows. Is she serious right now? ***************************** "Dude," Duncan said as we started walking home. "Ava... hit on you. You and Ava... were flirting. Ava. Ava Williams. The hottest girl in our grade. The girl that every guy has tried to date, and every single one of them was shot down. You and her. You guys-" "Alright," I cut him off. "I get it. Ava is hot. She's into me. We flirted. Can you stop already?" I could see Duncan frown from the corner of my eye, but I ignored it. "Uh, you okay brotha?" He asked. "Yeah," I lied. "Really? Cause... the hottest girl in our grade pretty much just asked you out, and you don't seem... Well, you don't seem as thrilled as I would freaking be." He said. Duncan is right. I'm not really thrilled at all. I was earlier. Flirting with Ava made me feel good, powerful, wanted. I liked it. But... I don't know. As the day went on, my mood just... changed. There's a heavy feeling sitting in my gut. I feel like something very bad is going to happen, but... not to me? If that makes any kind of sense. I don't think that whatever bad feeling this is, that it's for me or my friends. I don't know how to explain it. It just feels like... Like I should be somewhere else. Like I'm needed somewhere else. To help someone during a tragedy. Who the hell has random feelings like this? It's irritating and frustrating. Like something is missing. Like I should just know what to do or what I'm feeling, but... something isn't letting it all click for me. I hate being this complicated. "Look, I'm... excited. I just... have this weird feeling." I told my best friend. "What kinda weird feeling?" He asked. "Like you gotta sh.it?" I gave him a bored look. "No, not like that." I said. "It feels like... like I'm needed somewhere. I don't know how else to explain it." "Maybe this is another one of your abilities," Duncan suggested. "How do you mean?" I asked. Duncan shrugged. "Maybe you can see the future or something. Maybe someone at the party will need you, or we'll walk past a crying kid or something." He said. "No, this doesn't feel like that," I replied. "Then what's it feel like?" He asked. "It feels like..." I trailed off as I searched for the right words. "It feels like I already share a deep connection with this person. Deeper than with you or Ellie. Kind of like... we're... tied together..." Mates... Mates? Like friends? Someone I used to know maybe? Souls... "Souls?" I mumbled. "Wait, you think you share a soul connection with this person?" Duncan asked. Do I think that? "Yeah..." I replied. "I do." "Someone from your past maybe? You said you didn't remember anything," he said. "Must be," I mumbled. Although, that doesn't feel quite right. ************************** "Oy!" I shouted as I stormed down the hall upstairs. "What the hell you think you're doing up here? I said upstairs is off limits!" The guy that I was charging towards looked around afraid. His eyes are wide, and his arms are full of snacks. And he's right outside of Ellie's door. "I-I-I-I w-w-was j-j-just uh..." The boy trailed off. The more he stuttered, the more I realized that I'd never seen this kid before. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "You Ellie's friend?" I asked him. "I-I-I'm Nick," he rushed out with wide eyes. "You the only guy in there?" I asked. Nick nodded, and I stared at him skeptically for a moment. "Fine," I said with another sigh. "Go on." I closed the door behind Nick. I leaned against it and blew out a breath. After I heard the girls giggle, I decided it was okay to leave them. I made my way back down the stairs where the real party was. Someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around, my eyes cast down to find Ava. Who is looking... wow. Ava has on a short, tight black dress. Her boobs are pushed up, showing a lot of cleavage. I bet if she bent over just a little I'd see her a.ss fall out. "Hey birthday boy," Ava greeted me. I gave her a tight smile. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" She asked. "I didn't want-" "What?" Ava shouted, interrupting me. "I said-" "I can't hear you, the music is too loud!" She shouted. "Can we maybe... go somewhere quieter?" I cleared my throat and nodded. Then I grabbed Ava's hand and pulled her towards the stairs. I led Ava to my bedroom. I carefully shut the door behind me. My eyes scanned the room for Ava. She was at my dresser, looking at the few pictures I had in the mirror. Before Ava could start asking me questions that I really didn't want to talk about, I grabbed her hand, and pulled her to my bed. I sat down, and offered the spot next to me. Ava plopped down, her leg bumping mine. "So, birthday boy, have you gotten everything you wished for?" Ava asked softly as she rested her hand on my thigh. My eyes flickered to Ava's hand, and back to her eyes. "Why? Did you have a present for me?" I asked with a smirk. Ava giggled as she leaned more into me. The action made her hand go even closer to my junk. It sparked something in me, but... I don't know. Something is just... missing. "Actually, I do," Ava whispered as she slowly leaned closer to my lips. I held my breath as Ava closed her eyes. I closed mine too. A second later, Ava's soft lips met mine. I followed her lead at first. Until I couldn't help myself, that is. Wow, kissing is... fun. I like it. Ava is so soft. Suddenly, I felt very dizzy and weak. I wobbled to the side, pulling my lips from Ava's. I shook my head, trying to shake the funk that suddenly came out of nowhere. "You okay Emrys?" Ava asked. "Uh, yeah, just... a headache from the music," I lied. "Maybe I can help distract with that," she said. Before I could reply, Ava fell to her knees. She moved between my legs, her eyes locked on mine. I wasn't sure what was happening, but I wasn't about to stop it either. Ava undid the button on my jeans. She gave me a seductive smile as she pulled down the zipper. I began growing excited about what was to come. All those weird feelings I got all day quickly vanished from my mind. I was suddenly alert, and a lot less irritable. My heart started racing. From the anticipation, I think. Ava reached into my pants. Her small hand wrapped around my d***k. I started to grow hard as her fingers explored my length. "Most guys are hard by the time I get this far," Ava said. "Most guys are not this big either." Suddenly, my vision started to cut in and out. My focus keeps flashing in and out. When I'm seeing Ava, I'm seeing... a forest. One I haven't seen before. There are people too, but everything is too fast for me to make anything out. I saw a strange glowing circle, blood covering grass, and blonde hair whipping in the wind. I was lost in the flashes for a moment. I had no idea what I was seeing. Maybe I was going crazy. That's- "Ah," I groaned out as an intense pain shot through me. "Emrys?" Ava asked. "Are you okay?" I shook my head, but still couldn't quite focus on anything. The pain wouldn't stop either. I tried to stand up, but I ended up falling into my dresser. "Whoa, Emrys. Are you alright?" Ava asked again. What is happening? It feels like I'm being electrocuted somehow. It hurts so badly. Not just that, but... it feels like my heart is being ripped out. Along with this sudden and intense pain, there came an overwhelming sadness in my heart. It's overwhelming. Like... I'm losing someone I love. I'm angry, in pain, and devastated. "Emrys-" "Just... go away," I gritted out. "Emrys... what the hell is happening to you?" Ava asked. I opened my eyes to see Ava looking me up and down like I was an alien. I caught my reflection in Duncan's dresser mirror. My eyes went wide when I saw myself. Parts of my body... no I'm all over just... fading? It doesn't feel like that though. No, it feels like I'm being pulled somewhere. What the hell? "Oh my god... your hands..." Ava mumbled. I looked down to see my hands starting to glow. I looked around frantically. This has never happened to me before. Before I could move, though, another wave of pain shot through me. This time it was much more intense. I fell to my knees as all of my strength drained from my body. I could vaguely hear Ava in the background trying to call out to me. My vision went back to that forest. I was there again. I could see people fighting. That blonde hair was there again, but everything was fuzzy. The only thing I knew for sure... They needed help. "Send ataem amin power. Var ataem..." I mumbled. (Send them my power. Help them...) Energy burst out of me, knocking Ava back on her butt. I heard Ava scream, followed by my bedroom door swinging open. My ears started to ring, and I couldn't hear a thing. The last thing I saw before passing out was Duncan shouting above me. ******************************** ~ Three weeks later ~ ******************************** "So, Stavros is bringing us all dinner tonight," Rebecca announced. Ellie, Duncan, and I shared a look. "W-what's he coming for?" Ellie asked. "He wants to meet you guys," Rebecca replied happily. "He wants to know more about my life. I foster the three of you. He threw Emrys a party. One that apparently didn't turn out that great. I think he feels bad about how the party turned out." Oh yeah, the entire town knows about the freaky "prank" I pulled. I've been a laughingstock. A total outcast. "Oh... okay," Ellie replied awkwardly. This is going to be just wonderful. ************************** Well, dinner wasn't as bad as we thought it was going to be. Stavros brought... an entire catering service. We had lobster, baked potatoes, pasta, bread, salad, and a lot of other things. The three of us stuffed our faces like we'd never eaten before. "So, Emrys, Becca tells me that you just turned 16," Stavros said. The guy literally just threw me a birthday party. "Have you thought about work yet?" He asked. "Oh, he just turned 16." Rebecca replied. "Plus, we have money for him to just focus on his education." "Well, I was just thinking..." Stavros said, looking at me. "I have a good friend in the fashion industry. She's looking for a model, a young model for her teenage boys fashion line. She found a girl, but the boy she hired quit already. Would that be something you'd be interested in?" "Modeling?" Duncan asked with his mouth full. "Yes," Stavros said with a laugh. "Emrys?" "Wait... really?" I asked. "Yeah. You'd be perfect. Plus, it's not a lot of work. You'll get paid a lot too. Play your cards right, and this could be a career." He told me. A career? Modeling? I could make a lot of money. Duncan and I could finally get out of this place and travel. Ellie could go to college. Hell, Duncan can open an art gallery. "Okay," I said. "I'll do it."