I wake up to the sun hitting my face. With this new vision, it feels like it's burning my eyes alive. I squint and turn my head, but it doesn't help. I slowly sit up in bed, and my whole body aches. It's not as bad as yesterday, but I'm definitely still banged up. Every sore muscle reminds me of what happened.
Maya. Jordan. Cameron.
I can't stop thinking about it. Why do we have to do this? Why weren't we better prepared?
With the amount of training we've had, there's no way we should've been out there. I get it — people are dying. But what are we supposed to do? Our powers feel like nothing compared to whatever we're up against.
I force myself out of bed and start getting ready for school. While brushing my teeth, I glance at myself in the mirror.
The red highlights catch the light.
They're subtle, but impossible to ignore.
The only person I think of when I see them is Eclipse. It's like a reminder that I'm not just me anymore. There are two parts of me now, whether I like it or not.
I put on my uniform and head downstairs. As I walk down the steps, I hear the news playing in the living room.
"Six people were found unconscious at the docks late last night. The warehouse was burned down. No suspects have been identified."
My stomach tightens.
And then I realize something that makes it worse.
That's Ava's voice.
When I get to the kitchen, my dad is watching the news while my mom makes my lunch. She looks up at me and frowns.
"What happened to your hair?"
She's always been old-fashioned about appearances.
"It's just highlights," I say. "I'm experimenting."
My dad laughs. My mom doesn't. I can tell she doesn't like the answer, but she doesn't push it.
I grab my lunch and hurry outside.
Zack is already waiting for me on the sidewalk.
"What's up, dude? You look exhausted."
"Yeah. Stayed up late studying."
"Already a test? That's brutal."
"Yeah. I don't know how I'm going to do."
"You'll be fine." He pauses. "Did you hear about the docks?"
My stomach drops again. Of course he did.
"Yeah. I heard."
"What do you think is causing all this? This is probably the weirdest thing that's happened in New City in forever."
"I don't know," I admit.
"Whatever it is, just stay safe."
"Yeah. You too."
We keep walking when Ava suddenly appears behind us. I catch her perfume before she even speaks.
"Hey, guys."
"Hey, Ava," we both say.
"Did you hear about the news?" she asks.
"Yeah, we were just talking about it," Zack says. "Isn't it crazy?"
"Yeah," she replies. "But you know what's even crazier?"
"What?" I ask.
"I reported it."
Zack blinks. "You reported it?"
She raises an eyebrow. "Why does that sound so surprising?"
"No, I just—" he starts.
I cut in. "Should you really be reporting stuff like that? It seems dangerous."
"I mean, yeah," she says. "But don't you want to know what's causing it? All these people going unconscious and not waking up?"
"Of course. But it's probably nothing."
"Nothing?" She steps closer. "A warehouse burned down yesterday. How is that nothing?"
She's too close. I look away and take a small step back.
"Okay," I say quickly. "You're right. Let's just get to school. We're going to be late."
When we reach the entrance, she heads off.
Zack nudges me. "You've got a crush on her, don't you?"
"Nah. But I do think she's attractive."
"I knew it," he grins.
"Enough."
The rest of the school day blurs together.
After school, I head downtown to the coffee shop.
I open the door, drop down the slide, and land harder than I meant to. Pain shoots through my legs.
"Shu?" I call out. "Hello?"
"Yes."
He appears behind me.
I flinch. "You really need to stop doing that."
"We don't have training today," he says calmly. "You should be resting."
"What I should be doing," I say, frustration rising, "is understanding why you sent us out there."
Shu's face stays unreadable. Calm. Controlled.
"You're Dragon Keepers," he says. "If I hadn't sent you, more people would have died. Drakna would be closer to escaping. I showed you what happens if he gathers enough souls."
"We weren't ready."
A small pause.
"For that," he says quietly, "I'm sorry."
The apology catches me off guard.
"But, William," he continues, "I am going to do things you won't like. I am going to keep secrets you won't like. And you may not want to be a Keeper anymore… but you have to."
"What does that mean?"
"It's not important right now. In the future, I want you to remember that."
"I don't agree with that," I say. "If we're supposed to be a team, then you should be open with us."
"I can't."
"Then maybe Maya should be the leader."
He opens his mouth to respond, but before he can, I turn and walk out
I wake up to the sun hitting my face. With this new vision, it feels like it's burning my eyes alive. I squint and turn my head, but it doesn't help. I slowly sit up in bed, and my whole body aches. It's not as bad as yesterday, but I'm definitely still banged up. Every sore muscle reminds me of what happened.
Maya. Jordan. Cameron.
I can't stop thinking about it. Why do we have to do this? Why weren't we better prepared?
With the amount of training we've had, there's no way we should've been out there. I get it — people are dying. But what are we supposed to do? Our powers feel like nothing compared to whatever we're up against.
I force myself out of bed and start getting ready for school. While brushing my teeth, I glance at myself in the mirror.
The red highlights catch the light.
They're subtle, but impossible to ignore.
The only person I think of when I see them is Eclipse. It's like a reminder that I'm not just me anymore. There are two parts of me now, whether I like it or not.
I put on my uniform and head downstairs. As I walk down the steps, I hear the news playing in the living room.
"Six people were found unconscious at the docks late last night. The warehouse was burned down. No suspects have been identified."
My stomach tightens.
And then I realize something that makes it worse.
That's Ava's voice.
When I get to the kitchen, my dad is watching the news while my mom makes my lunch. She looks up at me and frowns.
"What happened to your hair?"
She's always been old-fashioned about appearances.
"It's just highlights," I say. "I'm experimenting."
My dad laughs. My mom doesn't. I can tell she doesn't like the answer, but she doesn't push it.
I grab my lunch and hurry outside.
Zack is already waiting for me on the sidewalk.
"What's up, dude? You look exhausted."
"Yeah. Stayed up late studying."
"Already a test? That's brutal."
"Yeah. I don't know how I'm going to do."
"You'll be fine." He pauses. "Did you hear about the docks?"
My stomach drops again. Of course he did.
"Yeah. I heard."
"What do you think is causing all this? This is probably the weirdest thing that's happened in New City in forever."
"I don't know," I admit.
"Whatever it is, just stay safe."
"Yeah. You too."
We keep walking when Ava suddenly appears behind us. I catch her perfume before she even speaks.
"Hey, guys."
"Hey, Ava," we both say.
"Did you hear about the news?" she asks.
"Yeah, we were just talking about it," Zack says. "Isn't it crazy?"
"Yeah," she replies. "But you know what's even crazier?"
"What?" I ask.
"I reported it."
Zack blinks. "You reported it?"
She raises an eyebrow. "Why does that sound so surprising?"
"No, I just—" he starts.
I cut in. "Should you really be reporting stuff like that? It seems dangerous."
"I mean, yeah," she says. "But don't you want to know what's causing it? All these people going unconscious and not waking up?"
"Of course. But it's probably nothing."
"Nothing?" She steps closer. "A warehouse burned down yesterday. How is that nothing?"
She's too close. I look away and take a small step back.
"Okay," I say quickly. "You're right. Let's just get to school. We're going to be late."
When we reach the entrance, she heads off.
Zack nudges me. "You've got a crush on her, don't you?"
"Nah. But I do think she's attractive."
"I knew it," he grins.
"Enough."
The rest of the school day blurs together.
After school, I head downtown to the coffee shop.
I open the door, drop down the slide, and land harder than I meant to. Pain shoots through my legs.
"Shu?" I call out. "Hello?"
"Yes."
He appears behind me.
I flinch. "You really need to stop doing that."
"We don't have training today," he says calmly. "You should be resting."
"What I should be doing," I say, frustration rising, "is understanding why you sent us out there."
Shu's face stays unreadable. Calm. Controlled.
"You're Dragon Keepers," he says. "If I hadn't sent you, more people would have died. Drakna would be closer to escaping. I showed you what happens if he gathers enough souls."
"We weren't ready."
A small pause.
"For that," he says quietly, "I'm sorry."
The apology catches me off guard.
"But, William," he continues, "I am going to do things you won't like. I am going to keep secrets you won't like. And you may not want to be a Keeper anymore… but you have to."
"What does that mean?"
"It's not important right now. In the future, I want you to remember that."
"I don't agree with that," I say. "If we're supposed to be a team, then you should be open with us."
"I can't."
"Then maybe i shouldn't be the leader."
He opens his mouth to respond, but before he can, I turn and walk out