A NEW IDENTITY

For two long days, Rex scoured the forest, feeling very anxious as he looked everywhere for his siblings.

"Felix! Merlin! Aliya!" he called out repeatedly, his voice echoing through the trees. But there was no response, only the bright sun shining down and the forest birds fleeing at the sound of his cries.

Arriving at the river where April had instructed him to wait, Rex's felt even more worried. He was scared something bad had happened to his siblings. He imagined they might be hurt or in danger. He sat on a rock nearby, deciding to wait there for April, hoping that she would eventually arrive and provide some answers.

The riverbank was calm and peaceful, with a gentle waterfall pouring into the clear water below. Wooden planks made a path along the edge, inviting people to sit and dip their feet in the cold stream or dive into the refreshing water.

As the evening wore on and the temperature dropped, the chill began seeping into his bones. He lit up a small fire using gathered wood, the crackling flames providing some warmth against the cold. Hours passed, and still, there was no sign of April. Questions crept into his mind, "Did she leave after waiting for me, thinking I would not come, or she wasn't able to get out of the palace safely?" he wondered aloud to himself.

Growing hungry, Rex entered the water, hoping to catch a fish for dinner. Standing waist-deep in the water, feeling the coldness in his bones, he patiently waited for a fish to swim by. After a few tense moments, he plunged his hand into the water and snagged a catch, he smiled proudly and returned to his campfire to prepared a quick meal for himself.

After his meal, Rex stretched out on the ground, gazing up at the stars twinkling in the night sky. The steady sound of the waterfall in the background helped him relax. As he lay there, all that had happened over the past few days weighed heavily on his mind, exhaustion finally overtook him, and he drifted off into a restless sleep.

REX'S POV

The pleasant sounds of birds chirping filled the quiet morning air, creating a peaceful atmosphere. I lay there, not fully awake yet, enjoying the calmness of the dawn as a gentle breeze brushed against me.

Suddenly, the rustling of leaves signaled an approaching presence, jolting me out of my morning daydream. With a swift motion, I leaped to my feet, assuming a defensive stance, ready to confront the intruder.

"Who's there?" I shouted out into the silence.

As the footsteps drew nearer, a figure stepped out from the shadows, revealing the familiar form of the human Xenos girl whom I suppose her name was April as that lady once called her. Her appearance was markedly different from before, her once sleek black hair now gathered in a loose bun, and she wore big clothes that hung loosely on her body, different from the jumpsuit from before.

"It's me," she said casually, walking past without even looking at me.

I stared in surprise as she walked to the river for she was looking more like a human.

"You... look human," I remarked

"I am human," she stated plainly, sounding exhausted

Many questions swirled in my mind, but I couldn't find a way to begin asking them.

"I know you must have many questions," she said, pausing to look right at me. "I'm April, to begin. When the catastrophe happened, the king of the Xenos saved me by sharing some of his energy so I could stay alive. That's how I became part of their world, granting me the same powers they possess."

Suddenly, it all made sense to me. "Oh," I whispered, feeling like I finally understood. "But why are they on Earth? Why do they cause so much trouble and kill humans?" I pressed, struggling to contain the anger building within me.

Ignoring my question, she turned the conversation back to me. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Rex," I replied after a moment's hesitation.

"Rex," she echoed softly, stepping closer. "We could say it's all because of you."

"What do you mean?" I asked

"I'm hungry," she sighed, ignoring the question once again, and walked towards the river through the wooden path.

"Wait!" I ran after her.

She extended her hand, and to my amazement, the water began to ripple and churn, and effortlessly coaxing a fish into her grasp.

I stood there amazed, watching her power. "That's so cool. How did you do that?" I asked

"Years of practice," she replied, before turning away from the water's edge.

I gathered wood and built a fire for her to cook the fish. I watched intently as she carefully rotated the stick holding the fish over the flames.

"Why are you here, and what did you mean by saying everything was my fault?" I asked, standing beside her as she crouched by the fire.

"The xenotypes came to Earth searching for the Auragmite, a gem that grants them power and sustains them. Its arrival caused the catastrophe that changed everything," she explained solemnly. "Since then, we've been searching for it, unable to locate it."

"That's what you were asking me about earlier," I realized suddenly, and she nodded in confirmation. "I know secret markets where rare gems are traded."

"The Auragmite isn't just any gem," she clarified.

"And that's why I mentioned secret markets. There's nothing you can't find there," I replied.

"I mean, it cannot be held" she emphasized with a gesture.

"Then how do you plan to find it?" I inquired.

"It takes on a vessel, and I believe I've already found it," she revealed.

"Really? Then take it back and leave Earth." I replied angrily "And why do you say everything is my fault?" I pressed further.

"You're from Vitoria, right?" she inquired

"I guess so, my village and it's environs got wiped out"

"Have you ever wondered why you have powers?" she countered.

"I was going to ask you that eventually, along with the whereabouts of my siblings," I admitted.

"Well, those are two answers you may not be prepared for," she warned.

I paused, contemplating the potential gravity of her what she was about to reveal.

"The Auragmite is inside you," she disclosed, gently lowering the cooked fish and blowing on it to cool it.

"What?" I gasped, my body trembling at the thought. "You must be joking, right?"

She met my gaze steadily. "We are the only two humans with superpowers from the Auragmite. Mine comes from King Carlos' energy, and yours... well, yours comes from housing the Auragmite we've all been searching for. And that's why you survived"

I chuckled at her words, finding them almost absurd. But then, a wave of contemplation washed over me. "So, that means I'm not entirely human?" I pondered silently. Questions flooded my mind, 'How do I rid myself of it? Will I die if I keep it inside for too long?' My mind buzzed with questions, causing me to worry.

"I'm the only one who knows where the Auragmite is right now," she continued, her tone grave. "But if the king lays eyes on you, he'll sense it, and he won't hesitate to end your life and take back the Auragmite."

"That's why you saved me?" I queried.

"As I said, I did it as a favor for the future," she replied casually, taking a bite of her meal. "Join me," she offered, gesturing to the food

With a heavy sigh, I settled beside her, hesitating briefly before accepting a piece of the fish. The weight of the news bore down on me, leaving me at a loss for words. It explained so much, my unusual abilities, my survival, answering most of the questions I had.

"Will the Auragmite consume me over time?" My voice laced with nervousness, I asked.

"The Auragmite doesn't consume its vessel," she replied. Her words offered a small measure of relief.

"And my siblings?" I pressed, with thoughts flying through my head.

"They're gone. Marc wiped out the entire village," she revealed, her words hitting me like a blow.

"No!" I yelled angrily, feeling my heart fill with rage.

"It's for the best" she said firmly, showing no remorse in her voice.

"How dare you say that?" I seethed, grabbing her shirt in a fit of rage only to be quickly brushed off. And before I could react, she grabbed me by the collar and effortlessly shoved me against a nearby tree with such force that my bones cracked, and the tree trembled. In an instant, my strength waned, leaving me completely helpless in her grasp.

"Maybe if you were stronger, you could have saved them," she remarked coldly, her gaze unwavering like everything was my fault. I struggled to break free from her grasp, but her strength was overpowering. "What you need right now is to get stronger," she advised, her words cutting through me like a knife. "Perhaps then, you'll have a chance to find them. But I doubt they'd still be alive."