Prologue - Heart

RYAN

"A week has gone by since a group of students was found dead in a classroom in Elderlog High. The circumstances of death were gruesome and still a mystery. The classroom was found to be ruined to a degree that puzzles the investigators. Other students proclaimed to local law that this was due to a local structural failure, but they were unable to provide answers to the reason for the death of all students. A total of eight corpses were found, one showing no apparent signs of illness. Yet another seemingly unsolvable crime."

I turn off the television. I'm fed up with it.

Toss the controller somewhere in the living room. As always, the house is completely silent. Hannah is asleep and should wake up in about an hour, as she will be returning to the hospital for work today.

I look at the kitchen. The door lets the faint morning light in through a crack left by being ajar. Other than that, there is no lighting in the living room. The stillness of it all makes a feeling of introspection hit me hard.

Something tells me this is anything but normal, and I don't mean the situation the school and town of Elderlog are in. The space I'm thinking about is much smaller in scale.

Joanne hasn't been home for a few days... Or I just don't see her at home. I don't understand the way she's behaving. Within my five few years of memories, Joanne has always showed that strange behavior. She always left home so long and stopped showing off to her children for months on end. I can't help but think there's something that shouldn't be going on happening here.

Thing is, I could never read her memories. Joanne is aware of my capacities, and thus protects her privacy like a treasure, so much I couldn't even try.

I get up from my seat on the couch. It's inevitable to feel the bad feeling that something bad is about to happen at any moment. Now, in every shadow there is the fear of what might be, of how things will change.

I stop for a minute, closing my eyes. Nothing but darkness and near-perfect silence take my being for an instant.

... I'm scared of how involved I am with all this. After all, what Keith said, the fact that I do have something to do with it... What exactly would that be?

Continuing to think that way won't help me. I just shake my head and ask for the best of possibilities with all my conscience.

Time to get out of here. There is no reason to continue standing still.

Already prepared to leave, I just take the set of keys and leave the house. From the outside, I can see the difference in the local atmosphere. The wind is the only thing that fills the empty roadway, lifting the dry leaves. The mist surrounds everything, subtly enveloping every tree and house at distance, bringing with it the subtle scent of wood from the forest just across the street. That bunch of trees appears intimidating and uninviting for exploration, though.

"No way I'm going there."

I let my vision run along the trunks for a while. There isn't much time to lose, though, as it is almost time for the classes to start.

The sound of something walking through the leaves travels through the air.

I turn my face again towards the forest, this time at a very fast speed. What was this?

I look all over the woods. I see nothing but the almost pale trunks of the pine and fir trees. Maybe that sound was just another work of my imagination?

I stop for a while. I can't take my eyes off the woods. I analyze vigorously from all sides. There is nothing but trees. Nothing. Not a single animal makes there its place. It's all empty, and that's the most unsettling thing of all.

There's no way it could have been the wind. The gale isn't strong enough to cause all that sound, and I can guarantee that I heard the characteristic noise of branches and dry leaves being broken, as if by human footsteps.

... But no matter how you look or how much you look, there is nobody. There is nothing there but the silence that makes its weight be felt in the environment.

I raise my left hand to perceive I'm shaking... But what is this...?

I use my best to overcome this sensation; I take the bike out of the garage and pedal without looking back or stopping for even a second.

"Oh great, my mind is already playing tricks on me…" I say to myself, in an ironic tone as I apply force to my feet.

***

A Wednesday. The most hated day of the week for many. Far from Monday, but just as far from Friday. A day characterized by its feeling that time has become slower, as or more depressing than a Sunday without an extended holiday.

A simple Wednesday, a day that shouldn't have anything new, that by nature would be doomed to be monotonous and uninteresting.

From what could be seen on the Elderlog High campus, that remained the truth.

It had been almost a week since that happened, but wherever they walked, the Juniors' death didn't even cross anyone's minds. The truth was that a real sweep had been done in everyone's minds to prevent the spread of panic.

Doing so wasn't as impossible as one might think, considering how high they stood, above everyone else in that building.

However, in addition to that superficiality, there were those who actually cared about what was happening, and who had strong reasons for doing so.

Looking down at the grass-filled ground, she thought to herself, mentally speaking to her own person, reflecting on the direction in which things were heading. As always, alone, unaccompanied on her quiet walk.

People used to hate her. In their minds, she always maintained a superior aura, thinking of herself as much better than everyone else in every way, and that was why she was still alone there, even if the others were always accompanied.

But, it wasn't like she cared about it, honestly. She didn't mind being alone, ignored by everyone, or being seen as an untouchable deity, or as someone you couldn't keep in touch with. That could not be further ignored.

But in any case, they had no right to judge her for the way she appears to be. None of them knew the least bit about her life, so that made them unable to speak. They couldn't do that. They didn't know her after all.

Looks at her image were countered by the classy pride. Nothing stopped her being from glowing, no matter how many spears they threw at her. She always remained confident in who she was, and in the fact that she didn't need to listen or pay attention to any of those teases.

How many of them bothered to talk to her? Of wishing a simple "good morning" and starting a silly conversation about how cold the weather is? How many have changed the route of their daily, dull and routine walk to sit next to her and ask about the things she likes and doesn't?

How many of them even knew her name?

The thought of that made her look up towards the horizon, and a wide, confident smile to curve both lips.

"Nobody." She let it out.

None of them did any of that. They didn't know about her life, her likes, her dramas... And yet they found some way to speak ill of her, to make her look like a villain.

They had no right to judge something they didn't know, but they did it anyway. Not even the man who brought her to life cared about any of these things. In her entire life, she had never felt loved by anyone but the person who had long since left that life.

And as ironic as it sounded, that was okay in her opinion. It was, in fact, quite enjoyable.

Even with all these adversities, she managed to smile and remain proud. She knew of the power in her hands, and that no one could bring her down until she allowed herself to fall.

She was above, and far superior to them all.

... ... ...

"I see you're confident as always, huh?"

That characteristic voice struck the ears. Sitting on a bench, she imagined being alone there, as she always had been.

"Want me to kneel before your image, Highness? I know that smile there is not for nothing. The way I know you, I can see there's some Machiavellian stuff going on there!"

She smiled more at that, crossing her arms.

"It's good to see that people here recognize their place." She spoke, letting all her pride slip away.

A few seconds of silence, followed by an answer.

"Then let me stand by your side and be the humble soldier of your conquest!"

That arm wrapped around her quickly. It was not a strong, determined grip, nor the warmth of a brave and fearless hero, without flaws or vices. It was just an arm being wrapped in a somewhat careless and childish way, and even though the gesture was relaxed and loose, that was more than enough for her to feel that she could truly trust that "servant".

The owner of that grip was unique. The only person who dared to go beyond appearances and pierce the shell of repulsion that surrounded her. He was the only human being who looked beyond the opinions that other people's views and rumors generated. The one who embraced even the thorny surface of her soul and warmed it with what little light he himself had to offer, and which he could, quite rightly, have chosen to keep to himself rather than share with her.

He was the person who nurtured her dreams, who encouraged her to believe that they would one day be real, and who would work with her to make them come to be.

... ... ...

In the end, that was a form of what was always lacking – it was a form of love.

***

RYAN

"Good morning, you two. And... What are you doing...?" Curious, I approach.

Cast then takes a nickel from his pile, tossing it a little forward. He had already shot two others before.

"I raise the stake."

Realizing the play, Lira seems to think to herself, carefully watching the cards in her hand. Anyway, she decides it's time to end that game.

"Let's show our hands. I have a Full House." She plays cards on the table.

Cast closes his eyes, keeping silent for a few seconds.

"Full House, huh... Well, I have..."

He does a great deal of mystery, slowly raising his cards up. In an impact against the table at high speed, he displays his hand, much to his opponent's dismay.

"Heh! Royal Straight Flush! I won and by a lot!" Cast displays his cards, mocking the girl.

This was a pretty lucky move, and even I can feel surprised.

The Royal Straight Flush is simply the rarest hand to get in poker, and therefore the most worth playing. The required combination of cards is almost never seen, which guarantees a merit to Cast.

"That can't be possible. You undoubtedly cheated." Lira tries to argument, disappointed and actively questioning that victory.

"What? Don't tell me you're such a sore loser now, Lira! You saw that I won!"

Lira stands up, slamming both of her hands against the table hard while keeping her face scarily serious.

"Oh? So prove to me with evidence that it was a fair victory. You can start by pulling up your sleeves, Cast. Considering everything I know about you, it could be one of your illusions... Huh? What happened?"

And to think that you would let yourself slip like that, Lira...

Time to take action. Lira threatens to bring up Cast's ability by accident in front of the entire class. Before she can do that, I quickly touch her head and use my own special ability to erase the girl's recent memories so she can't continue the speech.

As I do, Cast realizes I'm there.

"Oh... Hey, Ryan!" He says with a nod.

As he does this, also gives me a discreet wink, thanking me for getting him out of the situation.

"Hey, you two." I approach the two joined tables, placing the books on my own table.

"Good morning, Ryan. Wait... Have you always been here?" Lira questions, then looking at all sides at once in clear confusion.

The only problem with erasing memories is creating what I like to call the "Act-Recall Paradox", which is basically what happens when reality conflicts with an individual's memories. Since I wasn't here when they arrived, Lira is confused by the fact that I'm in the room right now.

To put it in a simple example, it's like eating ice cream, staining your clothes in the process, and then having your memories of eating it erased. How did that ice cream stain get there if you don't remember eating or even buying one?

I usually create false memories to combat this, but there wasn't time for that. I erased Lira's memories at, quite literally, the last millisecond. I could put in new memories, but that would draw attention and possibly get disapproved of by Lira.

... Not to mention that I don't feel like getting kicked in the face...

"Oh, it's true. We agreed to play poker, didn't we, Cast?" Lira says, crossing her arms.

The memories of the entire poker game were erased, and Lira's mind was brought to the point before the match happened. Realizing this, Cast quickly confirms, shuffling the cards.

"That...! Yes, we agreed!" He shuffles the cards.

However, as he shuffles the deck of cards, a painful fact strikes his mind, causing Cast to look at me somewhat indignantly.

"My Royal Straight Flush…! Ryan... You bastard!" Cast complains, pointing at me.

I just close my eyes and take a deep breath. Erasing the memories of the game from the girl's mind also means that Cast's extremely lucky move was denied in that instant. He certainly won't get another Royal Straight Flush.

It's a pity for him, but a necessary sacrifice for our secrecy.

It's only two minutes to class, so I take my seat. Today will be a long and difficult day, and I can tell it from the start.

***

The space was different from what they usually occupy. Instead of the heated and perfect air, the natural freezing provided by the wind that ran all over the town at that moment took over. Elderlog was a cold place all year round, and that sensation only tended to increase given the situation they were in at the moment.

Cast, Lira and Ryan were once again gathered on that old multi-sport court for lunchtime. They were alone, since no one was actually allowed to be there. They jumped over the wall into the place, and hoped they hadn't been seen by anyone. The space had been closed under the threat of collapsing, as the metallic structure that protected the place from the sun and weather was compromised by rust. They shouldn't be there, but already assumed that space as theirs.

Alone, the three were victims of the pressure that existed there. An overpowering silence that gnawed at the minds little by little, causing each one to get caught in their own introspection, chained to the worst enemy a person can have: their own minds.

The feeling was uncomfortable from the moment it started. Looking to either side, the only sounds made were the soft chewing of food.

However, they all knew that it was not a good thing to keep this silence. Someone had to go against the flow of this current, someone had to mobilize, someone had to take the first step to break that bad atmosphere... Someone...

"I think we have something to tell…" Cast spoke, his voice tearing through the thick iron curtain that surrounded them.

Those words fell heavily. His pronunciation was hampered by circumstances, by the desire to remain inert and afloat in the calm of his own thoughts. But Cast did it anyway. He knew this couldn't go on like this.

Ryan's gaze flicked to them, his gaze sharp and filled with curiosity and private ambitions, the vision of someone who wanted to know at all costs.

Lira just kept focused on the rusty metal bar that extended horizontally across the court, both serving as protection and physical support for the audience that used to occupy the sports space. The green color of the paint was already old, and could be removed with even the slightest touch.

Cast's mouth trembled. It was uncomfortable to make his way through such complacent silence. The words escaped from there with hesitation.

"We... Also found a letter." Cast said, pronouncing it as quickly as he could.

Somehow Ryan didn't look terribly surprised, but anyway the curiosity escaping through his pupils was noticeable. He would just listen carefully to what Cast wanted to say.

Cast came to realize he had omitted important information. Not for forgetting, not for trying to hide it, but just for the simple fact that he didn't think it was important. A white envelope couldn't have caused that terrible disease, could it?

Now they all knew they were bitterly wrong about that flawed assumption.

Cast stood up, putting his hands stiffly in his pockets. His movements were heavy and not flexible, just like the joints of a machine. Shifting his gaze to the ground, he raised his field of vision. Time to start spewing out all he knew.

"It was two weeks ago... But I guess it's now three, huh? Not like it matters, though. Thing is, Lira and I were riding our bikes around town that afternoon. We were going to make a daily stop at the cafeteria, but thanks to a police investigation into a murder that had taken place there, we couldn't. They killed someone in that cafeteria... It was in front of everyone, and no culprits were found... We saw the guy, and his coffee was still steaming. He sat in the chair as if he were alive, the only difference being a watery red line running down from his mouth, staining his clothes... One more person had just lost his life in this shitty place..."

He stopped, pulling the ambient air towards him. Cast closed his eyes, lifting his nose even higher, bending his spine inward.

"We stopped to see the scene. The perimeter was surrounded by the police force. According to them, in an article for the newspaper, that was the thirteenth death of this nature in two months in this town... And it was then that I noticed something that caught my attention. On the floor near the crime scene was a white envelope with no address or any other information. I found that clearly strange, and decided to inspect... And as we were close at the moment, the white dust inside the letter blew in our faces... We were wondering who would think of doing something like this and we thought it was silly... We got rid of the letter right after."

Lira, who had remained only a listener until then, decided it was the time to get involved in the conversation.

"… And then, the next day we woke up horribly sick. Just like Keith and the other two he mentioned. We both obviously survived." She said slowly, so Ryan could understand.

She got to her feet after carefully placing the lunch box on the battered wooden bleachers. Lira's every movement demonstrated her identity.

"Somehow, we managed to get over that, and it wasn't long before we started using our powers unconsciously. I remember walking through school one day and choosing a place to sit. A couple of students appeared there and started arguing soon after. I was getting tired of listening to that discussion over time, and I wanted to end those exchanges of insults and verbal violence. Those voices were filling my head."

She took her time. Her eyes involuntarily glowed in that warm, luminous pink.

"I was so tired of listening to their conversation that I couldn't think clearly anymore. 'Why can't they just shut up and forgive themselves?' I imagined. And then something that I of course thought was strange at first happened, and those two just stopped fighting. All of a sudden, they fell completely silent, looked into each other's eyes, joined their hands and walked out of there, together, as if they'd never had an argument in the first place."

She finished her speech and Cast again inserted himself into the conversation.

"I found out in a crazy way... It was kind of funny even, to tell you the truth. It was in a normal geography class. It was all really boring so I wasn't really paying attention. My mind was thinking of some crazy representation of the world, with the Russians, the Chinese and the Americans fighting over a barrel of oil... And then, out of nowhere, my thoughts were drawn on the blackboard with a yellow marker. Everyone was wondering who had made that elaborate art on the blackboard, and how they had done it, after all, it came out of nowhere! The point is that after a few seconds, the drawing disappeared, and the frame returned to normal. That's it."

The two returned to the stands, sitting down side by side.

"And that was it... I didn't tell you before, because I didn't think it was important... But it fucking is! And that's how we got here, and mastered these crazy powers. When we learned that one more had appeared; the one in case being you; the last thing that crossed our minds was that letter. It was my bad for omitting information." Cast finished. "We only realized the importance of the detail after Keith talked about it."

Ryan absorbed all the information that was passed on. The letters were causing the deaths and the existence of these special abilities. Keith's information perfectly matched what was said by Cast and Lira.

Knowing that answered some questions and such thing was always a positive sign. The only thing they needed to know now was the reason for Keith's death. If he survived the disease, it couldn't have been the cause.

"So a person who opens a letter becomes sick... If they manage to survive, said person develops some kind of supernatural ability... That reminds me of one thing."

Ryan got up. The boy's excitement with the new information was visible from all angles.

"This is eerily similar to the terrorist attacks with bacteria that happened at the beginning of the century. Several leaders and politicians received letters empty of content, and which in fact were infected with lethal microorganisms... Perhaps that is the case?"

Cast rose, understanding the point Ryan had made.

"So you mean that's what they're doing with Elderlog? Spreading these letters... Killing people?"

"Yes. I think it's appropriate to work with the hypothesis that someone or some interest group is doing this, and that this person or corporate has a big goal... This place is small, isolated and forgotten by the rest of the US, meaning the environment perfect for testing a new bioweapon or something similar... Elderlog may have been strategically chosen for this 'experiment'. Nobody cares about this place after all."

Lira also applied herself to the debate.

"…But that still doesn't explain why some people develop these powers, and it doesn't tell us anything about you, Ryan. If this experiment is only linked to this town, then how do you, who came from outside, possess these same superhuman abilities?"

Upon hearing this, Ryan was silenced. In fact, there was no way to plausibly answer this question. He placed his right hand on his chin, and the expression showed frustration by the question.

"Unless..."

An unlikely yet possible thought hit his mind as he listened to Lira's questions.

"What if that's exactly the goal…? And most of all, what if Elderlog isn't the only place being used as a test zone?"

His question caught the attention of the other two.

"What if, perhaps, the issue of many dying, but the survivors becoming mysteriously 'superpowerful' is the goal of all this…? They might be testing it in this place, calculating casualties, process risks, percentage of success... This town is a big control group."

Ryan walked awhile longer.

"This may sound quite extreme, but... What if this is directly related to all the unexplained violence the whole world has been experiencing?! In the last year, these things have become much more frequent than they ever have been, and we've never reached such a high level of daily deaths from violent crimes."

"So what you mean is that there is a chance these events are global, and that they just might be being hushed up by the media so as not to generate panic or something?" Cast questioned. "Any widespread illness would be easily noticed, so that's kind of weird to think."

"Not exactly." Ryan raised his index finger. "The disease is naturally being smothered by the rise in crime, and above all, it doesn't seem to have pandemic potential. I don't think the world would keep it a secret if that were so."

The three tremble at the possibility.

"And more… I don't really know much about myself, so out of the three of us you could say I'm the one with the fewest answers. I have suffered from amnesia since I woke up from a coma at the age of twelve."

Ryan looked up at the gray sky above. The clouds that covered the blue were the same ones that kept him from seeing his memories.

"... And that's why I want to know everything. I know I have a connection to this series of events, but I don't know exactly how I'm connected to what's happening here... Why do I have these powers? Why I've lived a lifetime being the only one who can do what I do up until now and how and why I have forgotten everything... There are so many things I don't know! I have no idea...!"

Ryan once again demonstrated the more emotional side of his being. The determination that came with the desire to find out was clear, and he would do his best to discover the answers to all these mysteries.

Cast smiled, and appreciating Ryan's motivation, descended from the stands, walking over.

"Okay, you amnesic asshole! You made me want to fall headlong into your crazy theory with little foundation, but that for some reason I can only believe in. We'll find out what all this is."

Lira approached in a calmer, classy way.

"You guys are way too energetic. There's helping it. If I don't go, you'll end up doing some big nonsense."

If the trio's suspicions are correct, dark times were approaching not just for the small town but for the entire world.

Fact was that life was going to change on an incalculable scale. Nothing would ever be the same.

They couldn't proclaim to be ready for such future, but felt better prepared to face the possibilities that came with it.

"We are the top bread of the sandwich. There is nothing to fear!" Cast spoke, smiling. "If anyone wants something to do with us, they can either become ham or be eaten right away!"

"That was such a poor analogy." Lira rebutted, lifting an eyebrow.

***

The movement of people dressed in white on all sides was almost dizzying at certain points in the building. Doctors and nurses were seen walking to seemingly nowhere, in and out of rooms with doors as white as the floor and their uniforms. By definition, that place could be described as an immensity of white color that took on various forms.

However, that day was different from others, and the reason for this was sitting on one of the hospital beds, still trying to make sense of the situation as she found herself after a week of hospitalization, while surrounded by several people. The tiny and skinny girl of orange locks shivered a little at all that attention.

All professionals received that miraculous news: that said girl managed to survive the mysterious disease that has taken the lives of so many around the world. It was not known how she managed to outmatch all chances or for what reasons, but the simple fact of not having been taken by it cheered everyone up.

In a highly mysterious way, the fever completely ceased, as did all the severe symptoms during the morning of that day.

Before long, a journalist from the Elderlog Daily News would arrive at the hospital for an interview with the print newspaper. Her recovery would be a topic discussed by the townspeople and maybe even the whole world for a long time. Tomorrow, everyone would know about it.

Maybe the world would soon know the cure came from this remote place? The fame brought by such would change life in the small town forever.

The nurse responsible for patient care was promoted by the hospital and received a rather sizable pay raise, something that couldn't be better for a newcomer who soon demonstrated her talents. According to the medical staff, her actions largely helped to save that life.

In everyone's mind, that moment marked the beginning of better waters, a time of greater hope. For now, all that was needed was to celebrate that recovery.

Had the sun finally reached the forgotten town and sent away the cold and clouds?