A couple of days had passed, marking the end of our first week here. Everyone was working now—even Calvin. He’d started hunting, though I could tell it didn’t come naturally to him. Today, we’d organized a scavenging party to look for food and hopefully, signs of civilization. People, we needed people.

  Calvin’s hand was still wrapped in bandages. I had cast heal on him despite Jakob’s protests. Jakob had wanted me to let him suffer, to let the pain remind him of his past mistakes—but I couldn’t. That wasn’t who I was.

  Now, scabs littered my chest, hands, and face, each one reminded me of how much I’ve changed.The inside of my palm itched where Calvin’s fingers had been missing. I didn’t know what the magic had done to my body, but it left an unsettling feeling in my chest.

  Pain settled deep in my muscles, a soreness, and a constant ache from the wounds I had taken on for others. I had been rubbing the soreness out but it was only slowly helping. I knew I had to push past it, but I felt so bad recently.

  You have to keep moving. Past the aches, the pains, and even the grief. That’s how you keep living.

  My mother had told me that after Dad died. It had stuck with me. She had been the only person who was ever truly honest with me, and I missed her more than I could put into words. But I wasn’t on Earth anymore. I had to let her rest. Memories hurt and I think the emotions felt worse than the physical pain I was going through.

  I clung to the memories of her—the real her, before everything fell apart, before she fell apart. For a while, she had been okay. She had been strong. But something had snapped inside her, and the woman I loved had become a hollowed-out shell. A marionette slumped in a wooden box, waiting for a tired ventriloquist to pick her up again. That sounded dark, but it was the truth. She needed some love, love that a son couldn't give. Sometimes I feel the same as her. Sometimes I cry that I’ll never see her.

  I swallowed down the guilt I had been feeling and forced myself to focus.

  The days have been passing somewhat smoothly, the people around have been working together well and we’ve been showing them a lot. Today we we were starting to set up tasks and getting Into the groove of things.

  “Morning roll call,” I said, scanning the faces around me. God, I wish I had some coffee right now.

  We’d started holding these daily meetings to keep things organized. Everyone had a role now, and the system was beginning to work.

  I scanned the group, making sure all were accounted for. “Alright, everyone seems to be here. Yesterday night in the waning evening, Jerissa said she might’ve seen something large in the distance, just before nightfall. We couldn’t risk sending anyone out then—” I paused, glancing at Calvin, “—not after what happened last time. Too many people have died already.”

  Calvin shifted uncomfortably, muttering something under his breath.

  I pressed on. “Today, we’re sending out the hunting team to investigate. I’ll be going with them. Everyone else, stick to your usual tasks. Any questions? Concerns?”

  Jakob immediately spoke up. “You can’t seriously be thinking of going alone with him?He’s a murderer!”

  Calvin snapped his head up, glaring at Jakob. “I didn’t serve in the Marines to be called a murderer by some snot-nosed kid. If you have a problem with it or me personally then I’ll kick your ass—-”

  “Enough,” I interrupted snipping the conversation in the bud. “We’re not doing this today. I’ll handle it. If you’re worried, and I don’t come back, you’ll know where to find me. Or know what happened to me, not that anything will happen to me. I’m perfectly safe out here. At least for the time being.

  Jakob frowned but didn’t press further.

  “Yeah, don’t worry, Jakob. Zeke can take care of himself,” Jerissa said supportingly. Her support made me grateful, I was just tired of all the constant bickering, I really started to like these people. Well, most of them.

  “If you have no other concerns I will end it here-“

  Before I could continue on, a small voice interrupted.

  “Hey, mister,” Delilah said, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She’d been quieter than usual lately, spending her time teasing Kei, throwing sand at him as he limped after her getting practice moving.

  “What’s up, sweetie?” I asked, softening my tone.

  “I made you something,” she said, holding out a necklace. “Can I put it on you?”

  I smiled, lowering myself to one knee. “Of course.

  She pulled out a crescent-shaped wooden charm, smoothed and chiseled, hanging from leather straps scavenged from a boar-like creature we’d killed days ago.

  “This is for me? Aw, thank you.”

  “No, thank you,” she said, throwing her arms around my neck in a hug. “You remind me of my brother. He has hair just like you.”

  Her brother. I didn’t ask what had happened to him; I could guess. He was probably still on earth. Instead, I hugged her back and let her down gently, watching as she skipped off to join Kei again.

  With a deep breath, I turned my attention to the task at hand. Pouch I had gotten some people to make for me felt heavier than usual as I packed it with supplies. We had food, water, and a small knife. I caught Jakob watching me from the corner of his eye, he still stared at me.

  “You don’t have to do this,” he muttered under his breath.

  I tightened my strap. “I do,” I replied simply. “If something’s out there, we need to know what it is. Besides, someone has to make sure Calvin doesn’t screw things up.”

  He didn’t argue, but the frown on his face lingered. I wasn’t sure if it was aimed at me or the situation itself. Either way, I patted his shoulder before heading out.

  The desert stretched out before us, endless and desolate, the heat felt as if it were beating me over the head with a stick, knocking me deeper into the warm sand. Sand shifted under every step. A soft and treacherous hand. It was pulling me as I sunk in slightly, but we still pressed on. Five minutes passed, then ten. Finally, I coughed, breaking the silence among the group. They didn't like me which was fine but I'd like to see what’s out here that made Jerissa so worried.

  “So,” I started, glancing back at the group. “What do you guys think Jerissa saw out here? Probably just a large rock, right? A mirage, maybe?”

  Calvin’s laugh smoothed out the brisk walk we had going. “That little hussy probably saw her own damn shadow,” he laughed, his lip curling into a smile. “What does it matter? There’s nothing out here but sand and death.”

  I shot him a glare, but kept calm inside. “Maybe, but it’s worth checking.” I emphasized the last word, “If there’s something out here—even just food or supplies—we need it.”

  Winston, walking beside him, chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t mind him,” he said, tipping his bat over his shoulder. “You’re right, kid. If it’s shining like Jerissa said, it’s gotta be something worth checking out. Could be a plane crash or something for all we know. Wonder what the locals here use to get around.”I nodded grateful for the support, but the something felt off. Calvin had that look in his eyes again. It was the same one he had that night. Still, I focused on the horizon.

  “Look,” I said, squinting my eyes looking ahead. The black shape simmered in the distance as we got closer, it looked like a black rock at first but as we got closer it turned out to be metal. “We are headed the right way see?” I pointed at the shape in the horizon. “And I get it. No one wants to be out here, but we’ve all got jobs to do. Let’s just get this over with and head back before—”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Before what?” Calvin interrupted, stopping dead in his tracks. He said with a deceitful smile. “Before something gets us? Or before we get you?”

  I froze, my hand instinctively dropping to my side. “What the hell are you talking about, Calvin?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means,” he said with a heavy breath. “That we are out here alone and maybe you should be shitting yourself right now.”

  The large man behind him swung the bat down on my back which knocked me on my ass. It was only a second before I felt it.

  The first punch rattled my skull like a drum, a sharp explosion went all the way down to my spine as I tried to move. His strength was monstrous, how could he be this strong in just a couple days? I could barely stand, weakened from days of healing and endless practice sessions with the others. The man towered over me, and I had nothing left to fight back. I saw his shadow encompassing my body, a sentinel of a man.

  Blow after blow came, each one smashing into my face, sending bursts of pain through my body. Blood dripped from my mouth onto the sand. My leg wound burned with every jerk, the ache climbing like fire up my thigh.

  “Fuck did I tell you, kid?” Calvin growled like a badger. He stood over me, fists clenched, his silhouette dark against the sun, it lay over me and his outstretched arms looked like devil wings. “I will lead. So fuck you, fuck your council, and fuck this whole goddamn circus. I’ll do whatever the fuck I want because I can. Because I’m stronger than all of you. That night didn't solve anything, you didn't fix anything by saving me and I had to personally let you know who to not fuck with.”

  He spit on me, the glob mixing with the blood on my face as he ground his boot into my cheek, rubbing my head deeper into the sand.

  “You really think I’d let a child tell me what to do?” he snickered. “Why the hell do you think I never trained those shithead recruits? If they can fight back, then what would be the point of having order? Think, you stupid son of a bitch. Think!”

  His boot left my face only to connect with my gut, hard enough to send me sliding across the sand. My breath caught in my throat, the force of the blow knocking the air clean out of my lungs.

  “God, you’re fucking stupid.” Calvin shook his head, pacing as if the very thought of me enraged him. “And you let women on the council? WOMEN? Those bitches are only good for tending my wounds and licking my—”

  “Uh, sir—” one of the men behind him interrupted, his voice hesitant.

  “What the fuck do you want, Winston?” Calvin snapped, turning to him with fire in his eyes. He looked like he was about to swing on his own friend. He reached for his gun, waving it carelessly, the sun glinting off the barrel. “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something here?”

  Winston hesitated, swallowing hard. “Uh, sir… there’s someone in the distance. We need to go. I think they’re headed this way. We’ve been gone too long, and—”

  “They’re here already?” Calvin cut him off, a mixture of frustration and glee lighting his face. “Shit. Guess I’ll have to handle this myself.”

  He turned back to me, cocking his gun with a grin. The metal glimmered as he pointed it at my chest.

  “Any last words, kid? Before I put you down like the dog you are?”

  I struggled to lift my head, my body screaming in protest. Blood filled my mouth, and my words came out hoarse, broken. “Euah—fuck you, Calvin. I will—kill—you. Next time—I see—you.”

  “Aww, how sweet. He thinks there will be a next time.” He taunted me with a small hand clap, his grin widened. “See you in hell kid.”

  The first shot tore through my chest. My body jerked back.

  The second came almost instantly, fire erupting in my ribs. My vision blurred, its rims darkening like the pages of a burning book.

  The third was the last thing I truly felt—besides the cold. The white sun that hung above me, its rays pricking my body, but there was no warmth in it. A cold feeling ensued. Just an icy whisper trailing down my back where the bat hit. My head fell back as the ringing in my ears swallowed the howling of the wind, and in that moment I knew that I was alone.

  I lay there, still breathing, barely aware of the sand churning around me. Calvin kicked more of the crud over my body, half-burying me like a corpse.

  I blinked one heavy slow blink.

  My eyes drifted shut after that. An endless blackness seared itself into my mind, stretching in all directions. The cold seeped in, creeping outward from the holes in my chest, spreading through my limbs like frostbite. My blood felt thin and watery, like it no longer belonged to me, but the earth outside. My insides turned brittle, frozen from the pain inside.

  The wet rivers streamed from the craters in my chest, a slow, ravenous outpour of red. It trickled at first, then rushed, flooding into the dirt beneath me. The blood was sinking into the earth. The land itself was itself was a vampire sucking me dry until I became a dehydrated husk of a man.

  Was this death? The afterlife? Was this the reality? I’d die a second time not filling anything I wanted to do? Was this how I die? Please I don’t want to die again.

  Please. Please. PLEASE. Stop this. Stop my life from dying, anyone.

  I drifted, I could feel my atoms splitting apart. The desert wrapped around me, as if embracing me wholeheartedly.

  But then—

  A faint noise came. A metal grey cloud of a man moved in front of me, I could see him through my closed eyes, burned into the skin. I assume it was me sensing his magic. He had a soft aura to him.

  My eyes fluttered open.

  A mask?

  I blinked, trying to focus. Was I wrong?I think my night vision was kicking in even when I was blinded by blood and exhaustion. How peculiar.

  A face was hidden behind metal and tubes of greys and greens. His heavy, rhythmic breathing filled over the airy blows of the wind .

  Strong hands wrapped up under my arms, dragging me through the sand. My head lolled, vision slipping, the streak of my own blood trailing behind.

  Whoever they were, they kept moving—step by step, their grip unrelenting.

  I couldn’t fight it. The world kept fading, slipping beyond reach.

  The last thing I saw was that mask, those haunting tubes.

  And then, nothing.

  The gunshots stirred something inside me—a memory, a dream maybe. That noise… too familiar, it sounded like the gunshots of home.

  Where did I know it from?

  Ah, now I remember. My hometown. New Orleans.

  The foul-ridden air, the stench of sewer water flooding the streets when the rain was too much, the broken roads that made every drive feel like Russian roulette with your car.

  God, I loved New Orleans. The home of Jazz. Beignets and Coffee. Guns and violence.

  No. I hated it.

  I hated it as much as I hated myself.

  Yeah. Keep telling yourself that.

  But it’s true, isn’t it? Or am I lying? Can I even trust myself anymore?

  No, you cannot.

  My thoughts shifted, turning inward, reflecting. You don’t know who you are, Ezekiel. You call yourself the seer, the messiah of the people, but you’re just a shadow of who you could be. You’re Indra, the god of storms and order. You will take down the demons above and bring peace.

  Wait—what? I’m just talking to myself, aren’t I? Am I going crazy here? I’ve never called myself any of those things I’m just a normal kid from Louisiana?

  No. You aren’t.

  The voice deepened, resonating in the pit of my chest.

  I am you. The real you. The truth inside your heart. I am your zealot. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

  The words felt foreign, words I’ve never heard. And yet they flowed into me, absorbing them like wisps of energy.

  What the hell is happening? What am I doing?

  The thought circled my mind like a vulture over a starving man. Am I going crazy? Am I dead?

  Before I could answer myself, the memory hit me.

  It wasn’t gentle. It came back from the memory of gunshots.

  I staggered, my shoulder slamming into the cold brick of my childhood home. He can never take it easy on me, can he?

  “Come on, Zed. You’re the one who wanted to learn how to fight. You can’t wuss out now.”

  “I’m not, Reggie! I just—you just hurt me,” I snapped, cradling my arm. “I can’t feel my fingers, and you slammed it into the wall pretty hard.”

  I was somewhere around eight or ten. This was right before my father died. This memory—I remembered it clearly.

  Reggie, a high school senior. My older cousin winced. “Fair point. Last thing I need is your mom and pops thinking I’m out here bullying you.” He sighed, crossing his arms. “But you do need to learn how to protect yourself, kid. One day, me and your dad won’t be here to do it for you.”

  He crouched down, nudging me. “You know, I used to be small like you.”

  “Really?” My eyes widened. “You used to be like me?”

  “Err… I take that back. I used to be a kid too.”

  “Well, yeah, everyone was a kid! Even Aunt Judy, and she’s like a hundred.”

  Reggie snorted. “Don’t let her hear you say that, or she’ll beat your ass, Zed.”

  “Don’t tell her. Pretty please? She’s already mad at me for taking her last cookie.”

  His expression turned serious. “Zed… you can’t be doing that. She’s diabetic. She needs her sugar, or she’ll—” He made a dramatic falling motion.

  I frowned. “I know, I know… It’s just—Mom doesn’t keep sweets in the house, and I was hungry.”

  Reggie sighed, then ruffled my hair. “Alright, how about this? I’ll take you out for ice cream after we throw the ball around a bit. Sound good?”

  I nodded. My shoulder was slowly starting to feel normal again—still tingling, like I’d slept on it funny, but it was fine.

  “Alright, go long, Zed.”

  Reggie grabbed the football and launched it high—at least twenty feet into the air. I ran to catch it, but I misjudged the landing.

  The ball came crashing straight down into my nose.

  Blood spurted instantly.

  Reggie winced. “Okay… I think that’s enough for today. Let’s get inside, alright?”

  “Ow, ow, ow—” I clutched my face, fighting back tears. “My whole face stings!”

  “Well, you’re supposed to catch the ball with your hands, not your nose.” Reggie sighed, guiding me toward the house. “Let’s go in before you get hurt even more. It’s gonna look like I just wailed on you, and your parents are gonna be so—”

  Bang.

  A sharp splintering noise hit the air.

  Bang. Bang.

  The shots rang out like drumbeats on a loudspeaker.

  “ZED—GET DOWN!”

  Reggie’s voice was muffled in the ringing of my ears. But I could tell one emotion from his voice—panick. Three glowing lights tore through the wooden picket fence. Blood spattered across my face. Reggie’s face.

  Then he threw himself on top of me.

  The world blurred. The weight of him pressed me down, shielding me from most of what came. I could hear his breath, it was ragged and shaking. I could feel the warmth of his blood dripping onto my skin. The squeal of tires ripped through the silence as a car sped off into the distance.

  He didn’t move.

  The ground beneath me felt like it was slipping away. The weight of his body stood covering me like an igloo compacted and cold.

  I felt like I was wrapped in a black cocoon.

  Slowly, I began to doze off.

  Slowly, the shock faded.

  And slowly, I drifted. Common faces coming out the back door. They lifted him, and me. I fainted.