1 Loud introduction
A blinding flash of light filled the sky, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. The ground shook and buildings crumbled as a massive storm raged overhead. The battle was over, and though the cost had been high, victory had been achieved. But the cost had taken its toll on him. He knew what he had to do.
With a heavy heart, he spread his hands and a soothing blue light flowed from them. The light washed over the arena. It was calm and soothing but he knew what it meant - a lot had to be done - and he knew he had come to the end of his journey, for now. Lightning strikes, ice storms, blazing fire, sand storms, rampaging wind - chaos and destruction... but he felt calm and solemn. He felt his strength leaving him, a sense of weakness creeping over him. With his last ounce of strength, he uttered a final statement before collapsing to the ground, "I will come again."
-----
Robert woke up with a jolt. He was sure he heard a voice, yes, a deep otherworldly voice; as if it came from the very depths of the abyss. He peered around the poorly illuminated hostel and could hardly make out the boys snoring happily on their bunk beds.
The silence of the night was deafening, broken only by the occasional snore from one of the sleeping boys. The moon hung high in the sky, casting eerie shadows across the room. Robert lay awake, staring at the ceiling, when he heard a voice again, this time clearer than before. "Hey, you there, I'm talking to you!" it said. Robert scrambled to sit up, looking around the room wildly, but there was no one else there.
"You must be hearing things," he told himself, but a nagging doubt remained in the back of his mind. What if the voice wasn't just a figment of his imagination? What if there really was someone - or something - trying to communicate with him?
He lay back down, closing his eyes and trying to convince himself that it had all been a nightmare.
He had the intuition that he just had a dream, a very vivid dream about a flash of blue light which he was struggling to remember. He waited for some time for the voice to call again but the piercing silence of the night made him feel drowsy. He eventually succumbed to the hypnotic silence and within seconds, he fell asleep.
Nestled amidst the vast, sweeping plains of Axille, Solar Springs Highschool was the ideal educational institution for any student. It was the least place anyone would expect something strange to happen, as its flawless exterior made it seem perfectly ordinary at first glance. Its contemporary buildings shone in the sunlight, creating a striking contrast with the natural surroundings. The hostel buildings, sporting blue-and-white colors for male and female students respectively, were impeccably clean, from the large windows to the well-tended lawns. The classroom blocks and other facilities including a laboratory, a theatre and lodging for the teachers maintained the same level of cleanliness and modern design. Inside, the school was equally well-kept, from the pristine white walls to the gleaming floors. This was a school that took great pride in its appearance, and it was evident.
Robert was a student of this school since 7th grade, he was a tall handsome young boy with jet black hair and brown eyes, just your average student, nothing special. Despite his introverted nature, Robert was surprisingly adept at navigating his social life at school. He was the type of student who was well-known but had few close friends, and he knew why. Ever since he was a child, he had been consumed by a fascination with all things extraordinary, particularly feats that seemed impossible - leaping off a space ship, shape-shifting into animals, practicing magic spells, traversing through walls, and more, all of which the average adult would dismiss as childish and implausible. In a way, his love for the extraordinary made Robert indifferent to social interaction. Even though he always yearned for extraordinary adventures, he never comprehended the eerie nature of these experiences until a voice had called out to him the previous night.
Following that night was a bright and sunny Monday morning at Solar Springs Highschool and students in stripped navy blue uniforms were ambling to the classroom block from the dining hall, the sound of their laughter and chatter filling the air. Robert, who was among this precession seemed to walk slower than the others to his class and was preoccupied with the memories of the happenings of the previous night. The voice was so jarring, it made him feel like his head was going to explode! He grabbed his hair and tugged at it in frustration. Whenever he least expected it, a booming voice would reverberate in his mind, uttering things he couldn't begin to comprehend. It was maddening, and he was at a loss for what to do about it. His arm felt limp from all the tugging he'd done in a vain attempt to calm his nerves. He shoved his hands into his pockets, only to have one of them seized by a soft, delicate hand.
"Hey Robs," a familiar voice cooed. A pair of delicate palms reached up to caress his face, their touch as soft as a summer breeze. Dora, the girl with the dazzling red hair and sparkling green eyes, smiled up at him with an affectionate look. "You look down, you're missing your mama?" she teased. Her voice was like music to his ears, and her eyes shone with warmth and kindness.
In response, Robert smiled and shook his head.
"Then what's up? Why the face?" she asked, concerned.
"Oh, it's nothing," he said, forcing a smile. He grasped her hand firmly, hoping to reassure her that he was okay. Though he was clearly trying to hide his true feelings.
"Alright then," she said, suppressing her curiosity. She noticed that his hands were sandy, as if he'd been building sandcastles, but she decided not to pry. "How was your night?" She asked instead, trying to change the subject. Robert hesitated, then shrugged.
"My night?" He asked, feigning ignorance, "I'm not a wizard, so I can't possibly know about my night," he smiled mischievously. She would never forget that smile that always came before his fanciful explanations.
"Care to explain?" She asked, pretending to be confused.
"I'm not a nocturnal spirit or some magic person who haunts people's dreams and roams the night while everyone else is fast asleep," he explained with an apprehensive grin. "While humans are sleeping, they're not conscious of their surroundings, so they wouldn't know anything about the night," he continued, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. In truth, he wished he could believe what he just said. He wanted to dismiss everything that had happened the night before as a mere dream, but the voice that kept calling out to him from inside his head was a harsh reminder that it had all been real.
"Alright, I get it. But why do I get the feeling you really wanna be a spirit and fly around during the night?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
Robert was immediately reminded of the voice, making him wonder if it was a ghost that had haunted him the night before. The other students had often shared stories of ghosts on the school grounds, with one particularly notable tale being about 'The beast of burden'.
Choosing to ignore her question, he said, "now that I think about it, it is possible that someone could have knowledge of the night while they sleep."
"You just said something different a few seconds ago, and now you're saying the opposite?" she asked, looking at him with a jaded expression. "When will you ever make up your mind, Robert?" His unpredictability was something she found both frustrating and fascinating. It was one of the things that kept her so interested in him - his ability to adapt, change, and make quick decisions in the face of new information.
Robert chuckled and continued, "You know, if one's 'night' was chilly or if they were hearing voices..."
"Okay, I get it," she cut in, "Wait... did you just say 'hearing voices'?"
"Don't worry about it," Robert replied with a reassuring smile. She squeezed his hands and returned his smile as they continued on their way to class. Her eyes sparkled in the morning light, and he felt a warmth in his heart that he couldn't explain. The pressure of the voice seemed to dissipate with her presence.
Dora and Robert had been friends since 7th grade. Their friendship had deepened over the years, growing from a casual acquaintance to something more meaningful and intimate. They were in different classes. Her in the science class and he in art, though they were both in the 11th grade.
After waving Dora goodbye, Robert walked into his classroom, his usual routine of shaking hands and greeting his classmates followed like clockwork, during which he noticed a few grains of sand on his palm. Though he seemed popular, it was clear he didn't have close friendships with many of his classmates, only exchanging handshakes with a few of the boys and giving a wave and a smile to a few of the girls. He was well-liked, but kept to himself.
Robert had just taken his seat at his desk when Jackson, a tall, black haired and strikingly handsome boy from the science class sauntered into the classroom, his usual confident stride drawing all eyes to him. The class erupted into cheerful greetings as everyone clamored to shake hands with or talk to the popular boy. Robert scoffed as he watched the scene play out. It was just another typical day at school, Jackson the center of attention while he sat quietly at his desk. Even Jackson had to shake his hand, but Robert barely acknowledged him, his eyes fixed on his books.
Jackson exited the classroom with a confident air, acknowledging his female admirers with a wave. As he walked down the stairs to the junior classrooms, he was captivated by the sight of a familiar stunning figure. Her lustrous black hair cascaded down her back in perfectly straight strands, adding to her already impeccable appearance. Vanessa's neatly pressed school uniform and confident demeanor combined to create an aura of undeniable charm and elegance.
While Jackson's charm seemed to have won over every girl in the 11th grade, it had failed miserably with Vanessa. What made matters worse was that he found himself developing feelings for her. Despite his growing affection, Vanessa showed no sign of reciprocation. This was evident from the frown that instantly appeared on her usually radiant and cheerful face immediately she laid eyes on him.
As she proceeded up the stairs, he couldn't help but admired her graceful figure, her lush black hair, her confident and enchanting vibes, her slim and sexy physique even though she was only sixteen. Jackson couldn't help but fantasize about what it would be like to be with her but from recent events, he knew it was nothing more than a pipe dream.
Just as she walked past him, he held her back and they faced each other, their eyes met abruptly before she looked away, "Vanessa, darling," he began, his voice tinged with desperation. "It's been so long since we've been together, and I've tried everything I can. I've sent you gifts, I've told you how I feel, but you still won't accept my proposal. What more can I do?" He sounded genuinely worried, as if he truly didn't know what else he could do to win her over.
Vanessa had expected the question, her heart sank as she fixed her eyes on his. Back in 10th grade, she had thought Jackson was a good friend. They'd gotten along great, had a lot of similar interests, and could talk for hours on end. But as time went on, Jackson had started to act a bit more possessive of her time and attention. He'd seemed to develop a more romantic interest in her, but she just wanted to stay friends.
"Jackson, we've talked about this. It's not that I don't appreciate your gifts or your interest, but like I've always said, I just don't feel the same way about you," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady then she continued. "Like I told you before, I don't have feelings for you, at least not now. You know Robert Manuel, right? If you were more like him, I would have paid more attention to your proposal because he has qualities that you don't. You are both good- looking, I know that, but unlike you, he's kind, respectful, humble, sweet, not possessive and not overly flashy. And also, you don't seriously expect me to date the guy who's the dream date of every girl in the 11th grade, come on!" It was as if she'd been rehearsing what she was going to say in her head, word for word, for a long time. She gently shoved him aside and swaggered to the science class, intentionally swinging her waist to intimidate him.
Jackson clenched his fist in anger as he watched her retreating figure. "That good-for-nothing Robert!" he thought. "Does she have eyes for him now?" He pulled out a pocket mirror and gazed into it, admiring his own reflection. "What does he really have that I don't?" he wondered. He pounded his fist against the railing and headed down the stairs, his anger boiling over.
As the brief interaction with Vanessa faded from view, Jackson found himself consumed with resentment for Robert, who had been his classmate since seventh grade. He'd never paid much attention to Robert before, but now that the girl he had feelings for had eyes for the boy, he found himself noticing him in a way he never had before. Meanwhile, Robert remained oblivious to all of this, unaware of the turmoil that was brewing in Jackson's mind. But if he had known, he probably would have shrugged it off, too wrapped up in his own life to worry about the drama of others. He literally had enough in his mind to worry about already.
The sun shone brightly as the school day zoomed by and finally came to an end. The final bell rang and the students burst out of the classrooms like a swarm of bees, making their way to the dining hall for lunch.
The dining hall was a vast space, with rows of long tables and benches. The room was buzzing with energy, as students assembled in straight lines and took turns to receive their food. The smell of delicious food was intoxicating, making everyone even hungrier. The noise level in the hall was rising, as conversations flowed and laughter rang out.
Eventually, Robert recieved his lunch (Mashed potatoes, gravy and fries) and moved to his favorite spot; at the very corner of the dining, where he could eat in relative peace and quiet.
As he ate, he found himself crunching on something hard in his mashed potatoes. He stopped eating and looked down at his plate, spotting several small grains of sand. Confused, he turned his hands over and looked at his palms, which were to his amazement, very sandy. He had washed and dried them before lunch, so how could there be sand on his palm? He shook his head, trying to put it out of his mind.
"ROBERT!" the deep voice called again in his head which startled him.
"What the hell..?" Robert felt so confused and he pulled his hair angrily. Why was this happening to him? Was he being haunted? Was he hallucinating? What the heck was really happening to him!
The dining hall was filled with the clatter of forks and knives against plates and the scraping of chairs which drowned out any sign of Robert's frustration. The other diners were too absorbed in their own conversations and meals to notice him. Even if they had, they might not have cared - it was just another day in the dining hall. But for Robert, it was anything but ordinary. He hoped for a distraction from whatever was troubling him.
To his relief, following lunch, the school prefect in charge of games and sports - a muscled and athletic 12th grader - announced a football match that would take place in the evening between the 11th and 12th graders as the last match before the mid term exams. Along with the other students, Robert, being an elite player on the 11th grade team, cheered with glee as the news was announced. The prospect of a match against the 12th graders filled him with excitement and joy. For a moment, the voice that had been plaguing him was forgotten, replaced by the thrill of the game.
