1 New Times(Ryan's POV)

The rain poured heavily, like it had been for the past week. Heavy like that of a tidal wave coming in from sea to greet the shore. The wind was blowing softly, whispering in the ears of its beholders. The very feel of the breeze in the cold weather sent goosebumps crawling up my arms. I had my hands shoved deep into the pockets of my jacket, while trying to avoid the sound of the rain hitting the pavement. Having been on my way to work at almost nine in the morning, the rain had only seemed to let up by the smallest amount.

Every step I took made the water repel from my shoes, like the similar sides of a magnet. Puddles began creating themselves in the gutters of the streets, where not many people walked. There were many cars, however, which made it more difficult when trying to avoid being drenched. I exhaled lightly through my mouth, a sight of cold air rolling into my vision. I smiled gently at the vision I had, considering I was still trying to get used to the world. Sure, I may be 17 and already used to it, but I'm not like other humans. Actually, I'm not a human at all.

I am a Xanite, a species that was created for an unknown reason. We have demon-like forms that made us inhuman, though we do take on the forms of humans for obvious reasons. If they saw someone like me walking around in my normal form, they would be terrified and run for the hills. I didn't want that. I wanted to attempt to live a normal life until I could see my creator again, just to ask why I was created. No Xanite that has ever lived knows why they were created or what their purpose was to serve. Unfortunately, after a couple of us were created, the formula that was used spread around the entire world in less than a year. Scientists who wanted to take over the world used it to make armies of Xanites to help them in their plot. However, what the original creator of Xanites failed to mention, was that we were all programmed with the same emotions. Well, something similar to one another. In this world currently, from what I know of, I am the only living Xanite. With that being said, I've had to keep my identity a secret for many, many years, with many different families.

Yes, different families. I am a foster child and have been for as long as my memory goes. Every family that has wanted to take me into their care had let me go for the same reasons. I got angry or upset, which triggered the real me to reveal itself. They didn't want to keep a child who was "as monstrous as he was" is what they said. What they told everyone else was different though. They said I just wasn't the right child for them and they hoped I would find a better family. That exact same pattern happened for 14 years. I began to lose hope when I reached 14, for all other foster kids said that no one wanted an adopted teenager in their family. I sat in my designated room for days on end, still having that small speck of hope that began to flicker.

That was until a new family came in to adopt a new person as their own. The daughter of the family wanted a brother, whereas the older son wanted a sister. The parents, however, didn't mind what gender the kid was, so long as they clicked with them. I watched as they went around, looking at all the cute kids as some sprawled out on the floor. I never understood why they did that, but it made the families react in a certain way. They continued walking for a couple minutes until the daughter stopped. She looked at me and smiled before turning toward her family. She spoke with a soft, heavenly voice as she told her parents that I was the one she wanted. The older brother didn't mind either because he and I clicked almost immediately. Although, I felt I was going to have a stronger bond with the sister. The family agreed and adopted me. That little speck of hope that I had remaining actually got me adopted again.

The mom's name was Hannah Carson, age 38. Her occupation was a dermatologist and she had been doing that for many years now. She had long, flowing brown hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. The father was Daniel Carson, age 39, and he worked as a photographer. He had shorter bronze hair, like that of a penny almost. The older brother was Blake Carson, age 19, and he was currently in college. His hair was like that of his father's only it had a slight tint of red. The last member of that family was the younger sister, Alysia Carson, age 17. She had brown and blonde hair that she loved so much and she was still in high school.

All of that happened a couple years back. I've learned to control my emotions and such because this family had been very supportive. Though, I still kept my secret to myself so they wouldn't have to worry.

Today was September 16th, in San Francisco, California. My mother, age 40, continued her job as a dermatologist. My father, age 41, quit his job in photography to teach an art class. Blake, age 21, had left the house to go study in a new country. Alysia, age 19, just recently finished high school and was also taking an online college class. Then there's me. Ryan Carson, age 18, supposedly supposed to finish high school soon. I wasn't in a public, private, or an online school. I couldn't trust myself completely with all the new feelings to go to such a place. Although, I didn't do absolutely nothing all day while everyone was out doing something important. I worked at a store that sold handmade suits, dresses, skirts, etc.

The manager of the building and I got along really well, though she was technically an upperclassman. She was only a couple months older than me but I didn't see that as a bad thing. That's where I had been heading in this pouring rain. Thankfully, I was not created with robotic like limbs, which was unfortunate for the Xanites that were.

As I got to the crosswalk, I pressed the button lightly with the tip of my elbow and waited to walk again. As I glanced over, I seen a couple of kids rolling around in the mud. I chuckled lightly at the sight, though I knew their parents weren't going to be too appreciative of it. Who was I to interrupt their fun, especially on a day where everything is dark? I walked across the street respectively and one of the kids ran over to the edge of the gate to stop me.

"Hi, Ryan!" the small boy said happily.

"Hello, Tommy. What are you doing?" I questioned, kneeling down to be face to face with him.

"Tsuya and I are playing cat and mouse in the rain! Wanna play?"

"I'd love to but I have to go to work. Maybe we can play next Saturday, okay?'

"Is that when you're coming to babysit us?'

I nodded, "Yeah. So, I'll see you then."

The boy grinned, "Okay! Bye-Bye!"

I smiled as I watched the boy continue to play in the mud with his sister. I stood on my feet and continued on my way to work as well. The rain had softened a little bit, though I was still drenched. I arrived at the building not too much later than that, walking through the automatic doors. The building wasn't open yet, most likely because the manager wasn't here. I walked into the back room so that I could put my stuff in a small cubby. I took off my jacket and hung it up so it could dry and put my phone in the cubby. I stepped in line with the mirror, seeing my reflection. I used it to try and fix my lopsided tie but it was no use. I still hadn't gotten completely used to it yet. I sighed softly as I felt a hand on my shoulder that spun me around slowly. The owner of the hands began to help me fix the accessory.

"You could have asked for help, you know." said a soft voice.

"I didn't think you were here. I thought the shop wasn't open because you weren't here." I responded.

"I was. We were all waiting for you to show up because I have a special job for you today."

"A special job? What do you mean?"

The person pulled their hands away from my tie and smiled, "Walk with me and I'll tell you."

I nodded in agreement with the other's words, beginning to walk out with them. They looped their arm through mine as we did so. This person was the manager of the store and also the creator of all the fabric seen in this store. Her name was Syrena Valentine and she was also my best friend. She was always so kind to everyone she came face to face with, even if they weren't being very nice to her. She always brightened up someone's day for being the way she was and I loved that about her. She and I weren't much different in that way. When she began to explain what job I was going to be given, her voice was soft and calming. It was like one you could fall asleep listening to.

"Just to test the waters, I want you to work in customer service today. Everyone has agreed that you deserve a better job than sweeping to floors." Syrena explained.

"Really?" I hesitated, "Even as an 18 year old?"

My words made her chuckle, "Yeah. I mean, you work so hard and this place looks amazing at the end of the day. I think we should give you a new boat to row in for a bit."

I smiled brightly as she spoke, pulling her into a tight embrace, "Thank you so much! I promise I won't let you down."

"I know," she replied, "You have never let me down and I know you never will. You're Ryan Carson."

I got slightly flustered at the words she used, shaking my head in a teasing sense as I pulled away. She ushered me to the desk, though I was already too excited not to do the same to myself. I got behind the desk with my overly excited mindset and smiled one last time at Syrena. She bowed her head gently as she notice people starting to walk in. She wished me luck and went to the door to greet the customers. The first couple hours were kinda slow if I was saying so myself, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed seeing all the happy people walking around with grand smiles on their faces. No one seemed to need help and I was glad about that. I felt happy just being behind the counter. All seemed great until a young person, most likely my age, walk to the counter. At first, I was confused on the gender and didn't want to assume. They placed a black dress on the polished marble and looked at me with soft eyes. The very sight made my heart flutter. Then they spoke the voice of a thousand angels harmonizing in unison

"Excuse me, could you help me find this same dress in blue?" they asked.

I couldn't comprehend the emotions that I had began to feel. I felt I was falling against the rules of gravity just looking at her. They had emerald green eyes that spiraled into a light blue, which went well with the beautiful dirty blonde hair that they pulled up into a tight bun. They were probably around 5'9, had amazing posture, and stood with pride. They were amazing in every way possible. As I looked at them, I just then noticed the small scars I spotted on their arms and just below their left eye. I was curious about where they had came from but I was in no position to question. After snapping out of the trance I put myself in, I glanced down at the dress they put down.

"Of course," I responded calmly as I picked up the dress, "Follow me if you will."

I walked out from behind the counter and headed into a row of dresses. There were a variety of colors in this specific aisle and it was so lively. I could hear the soft steps of the other's shoes as they followed behind me with the brightest of smiles playing on their lips. I stopped in a specific spot on the rack, searching for the specific dress that was requested. They glanced over at me as I searched before they began to speak again.

"Excuse my speaking, but are you new here?" they asked me.

I wasn't really paying much attention as they spoke which made me respond with a simple, "Pardon?"

"I mean, I've never seen you around before. Did you just start working here?"

"Oh! No, I've been working here for about eight months now. I just haven't been up at the front desk since today."

They nodded, "I see. Did Syrena assign you a new position here?"

"She did. How did you know?"

"Syrena and I are friends. Her older brother used to tutor me when he lived down here."

I chuckled softly as I caught their glance for a moment, "That's funny. Her older brother is actually… close with my older sister. If that's the word you would use."

"Are they dating?" they inquired curiously.

"Ah, yes. That's it."

They giggled in the cutest way at my cluelessness. I felt my cheeks begin to heat up as I continued to look for the dress they wanted. They noticed the cheeks changing color for a moment which made theirs do the same. They looked away as well and tucked a piece of their hair behind their ear. Just then, I noticed that they had four piercings on their ear. Two on their earlobe and two on their cartilage, just like I. It made me curious if they had the same thing on the other ear. After a moment or two, I found the dress that they were looking for. I grabbed the hanger it was on and pulled it out, replacing the other dress in that position.

"I've found your dress," I said, turning to face them once again.

They looked back at me and smiled, "Thank you! I never would have been able to find it without your help."

Just as I was about to give gratitude for the thanks, another voice barged in, "Ah, Jayden Reyes. What a pleasure to see you again."

When we both looked at who had spoked, Syrena's smiling face was there. The person in front of me grinned and immediately wrapped her in a hug.

"Syrena! It's good to see you, too!" the young one replied giddily.

"I see you've met one of my best employees," the other spoke, gesturing to me.

"Oh! Is this Ryan?

I nodded politely, "Yes, that's me."

Syrena grinned, "Yes, he just moved up a couple positions today. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Indeed, it is!"

"Well, thank you both for saying that. It means a lot," I spoke.

The were going to respond before another customer walked up to us, "Uh, pardon me… Syrena, can I get some help?"

"Of course, sir," she replied, "Well, I'll see you two around."

As Syrena walked away with the customer, they turned back to face me, "Wow… So, you are the infamous Ryan she always speaks about."

"She talks about me?"

They nodded with a smile, "All the time. She talks about how kind and friendly you are and how hard you work. That's admirable."

I smiled myself, "Thank you. Oh, here's the dress you wanted by the way."

I held the dress out to her carefully and they took it, "Thanks again."

As the hanger was carefully taken from me, our hands grazed each other for a split second. My eyes narrowed a little bit at this, a silence hanging between us for a moment. I was confused. They blushed softly as they turned away, "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Of course." I replied.

They turned back for the final time, "By the way, I'm Jayden"

Then continued on their way to the front to pay for the dress. I was stuck in another trance as I walked back up to the counter, thinking about what I had just witnessed. What was that…? How come I didn't hear their thoughts? I can do that with everyone else, why not them?

These thoughts stayed in my mind for the rest of my shift. I didn't have any clue what had happened what that person, but it was something strange. I was feeling something that I had never experienced with any human I've encountered. I did my job for the day with precision and focus, though the thoughts never left. I had no one to speak to about this because no one knew that I even existed. Nowadays, people in this town believe that talk about Xanites are old tales used to scare children. Though that wasn't the case, I could say nothing about it, due to the fact that I had to keep my identity a secret from everyone.

After work was over and everyone had left, Syrena and I remained to clean up a bit afterwards. Once that was through, I went into the back room and grabbed all my belongings. I didn't have a chance to think without those thoughts popping in sometimes, but it still made me super curious. I heard my phone go off just as I had finished putting my jacket on, resulting in my picking it up. I looked and seen a text from Alysia reading, "Hey, can you come to the restaurant down the street after work? We have to talk." As Syrena walked into the room as well, with the same intentions, she glanced over at my curious face.

"Hey, is something going on?" she asked me in slight worry.

"Hm?" I asked, just then noticing her presence. "Oh, Syrena! I was just going to talk to you."

"Oh? About what?"

"Jayden… that was here earlier."

I saw a small smirk form on her face, "Is that so? Are you developing feelings for Jayden already?"

"W-what?! No, we've only just met-"

She let out a small laugh, "I know, I know. I was just teasing you, but why did you want to talk to me about them?"

"I'm curious about them… I haven't seen Jayden around before today."

"Well, I don't know if it's my place to say. You should just wait and ask yourself."

I groaned, "Syrena, I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to talk to them again and I didn't get the number. Please?"

She chuckled softly, "Alright. I'll drive you home so I can tell you, but I can only tell you so much. Don't get upset if I can't tell you all that you want to know."

"Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said.

I smiled happily as I continued to grab all of my belongings. Syrena grabbed all her stuff as well, shutting off all the lights and closing all the doors. We walked outside after she closed the front doors, heading to her car. She looped her arm through mine again as she began to speak softly.

"Jayden, or Jayde, however you want to speak of them, is part of the Reyes family. So yes, they are technically quite rich. She's kind of like you in a way. She's adopted into that family and I think she's your age too." she said as she opened the car door for me, "They go to Chaser High School, with her older brother, and I think she's in her last year. They're not as innocent as she seems, don't let that fool you."

I laughed as she said that as she began driving,  "What do you mean by that?"

"Jayde may seem like they watch bunnies hop around in the grass for hours, but in all reality, it's different. They go around seeming like she's alright because that's what they've been known to do, but... actually not with the Reyes family by choice. She watched her last foster family die and apparently her current older brother had to pull her away and calm them down."

I felt like I wasn't in the place to be hearing this, "Syrena… Actually, don't tell me. This isn't my place to be knowing…"

"It's not really my place to be telling either… I'm sorry, Ry, I got really into detail and it wasn't any of my business. Jayde should really be the one telling you this stuff, not me." She said, taking a small side glance at me.

I looked back at her, "Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault. I mean, I know how you like to talk about things you know a lot about. So, don't be sorry for that. Besides, I was the one who asked you to tell me."

"Listen, don't put it all on yourself. It was partially mine and your fault, let's leave it at that. On the other hand, though, just go talk to your sister, get some good sleep, and have good dreams." She said, smiling softly.

I nodded and went to grab my seatbelt before a hesitation, "Wait… how did you know I was going to see Alysia?"

"I saw your phone. Don't worry, but hey. For your information, Jayde comes into the store almost everyday. You can snag the number then."

I chuckled at her and gave her a hug, "Thanks, Rena. You're the best."

She grinned at me and watched as I exited the car, closing the door. Syrena's smiled went to a smirk as she drove away, leaving me in front of a brightly lit restaurant. I turned to face it with a slight wince, my eyes still having to adjust to the sudden change in lighting. I was curious as I walked in, seeing many people dressed in fancy clothing. It was definitely something for the more fancy people but I didn't discriminate. It was easy to spot my sister, considering she was the only one wearing a sweatshirt and leggings. I laughed quietly in something of embarrassment as I explained to the young boy at the front desk my intentions. He allowed me to walk back to meet with her.

I stood in front of the table, looking at her as she read her "feed" or something. "Lys."

She looked up at me as I spoke, smiling as bright as I'd ever seen her before, "Ryan!" She said, standing up and hugging me tightly, "I was waiting for you."

I was surprised at her happiness because I hadn't seen her this way before. It was a new emotion for me. "What's going on?"

She sat back down and gestured me to do the same, not speaking until I did, "You'll never guess what happened today, but take a guess anyway."

I thought about it for a moment or two, "Did you… get a new outfit?"

"I passed my finals!" she said ecstatically, a smile brighter than the sun itself appearing.

Finals… Alysia had been talking about them for months now and how stressed she was. I kept giving her the confidence that she always gave me, though she repeatedly said she wasn't going to pass. I knew that she would, however, for I saw this day coming. This exact moment, at the same place, sitting at the same table, in the same sweatshirt. I didn't want to give myself away, so I simply grinned and looked at her to speak

"Lys, that's amazing! See? I told you to have faith in yourself!"

She laughed quietly and took my hands, "You're the best younger brother I could have asked for."

I felt a sense of warmth, welcome even, "Thanks. You're the best sister I could have ever asked for."

The happiness that showed on her face was genuine and true, it was contagious. She told me to order whatever I wanted, for we were going to be out for a while. I didn't mind it at all, though I thought our parents were going to be curious. Alysia had told me that our parents were out on a business trip until next month, which eased my feelings a little bit. We talked and laughed for a good half an hour until our food came and we continued to chatter after that. Then, something popped into my mind.  I sighed softly as I looked at her once again.

"Hey, can we talk about a… sensitive subject?" I asked quietly.

She glanced up at me as I spoke, "Sure. What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course! I just… If you don't mind, I was wondering… What do you know about Xanites?"

Her eyes darkened at the thought. I felt as if I had crossed a line by saying that, but instead, she responded with, "Well, there are a lot of theories around that subject. It's kind of a touchy one at that, but talking about it doesn't bother me much."

She took a deep breath as she continued to speak, "Xanites are demon-like human beings. I mean, they aren't really humans. They just pretend to be so they can steal human knowledge and use it against us. It's really unfair that we do all this good stuff for them and what do we get for it? Nothing. All they do is prance around, gain knowledge, return it to their creator, and they can use it to get rid of us all."

That's not true…  I wanted to say. That's not what our intentions were. The only reason we were trying to get human knowledge was so that we could find our original creator. We all wanted to know why were created and what our purpose to serve was. I stayed silent as she continued to talk about all the unnecessary things that she believes we do. I had thoughts of my own to gather. I wanted to know more about that person… They seemed so interesting… I was also curious about why I couldn't hear their thoughts. I could do that with every other person, so why not them? I let these thoughts rattle around in my brain for a little bit, still concentrating on what Alysia was saying.