《Broken》


 Chapter 1.1 Atlas

    <h4> </h4>


    The shaking of the spaceship woke him. He looked out the window and found the massive packed cities he would be spending the next few years hiding in. It was the first day of the new year and they would start school on the third.


    "How you feeling" Evelynn glanced up from a book with a blue coat.


    "I don''t feel" Replied Atlas in a monotone voice. He had been this way his entire life and he knew it because he remembered being one day old. And what little he did feel was like a scream was being muffled behind a rag while being held under water in the vacuum of space.


    "Oh course you do silly, you love me obviously" Levy flashed her beautiful smile


    "Of course" Atlas patted her head. He was half her size but he still treated her pas a little sister even if she was older.


    "Where are we going to be living?" Levy was rifling through a brochure not even bothering to read anything inside.


    "The city of Dawn didn''t you read the packet we got did you." Atlas adjusted his sunglasses.


    "Well I looked at it but I thought it would be more fun to do some training." A flock of paper birds that had once been a packet of necessary information lay in Levy''s hands and lap.


    "Come on you two this is going to be great. You are going to have a normal school experience and make new friends. See new things,do new things." Evelynn turned the pages of her book.


    Atlas held his book close. It''s leather bindings seemed to tense as he spoke.


    "I don''t need friends".


    I didn''t have any to begin with.


    Most of the other passengers were to busy taking pictures and talking to notice the slight drop in air pressure. They arrived on the surface of Mars. The air was just a bit thinner than Earth. Each breath meant just a little less here. The world gave just a little less of everything with the exception of annoyance. The dust in the air was thick and only helped to hinder his weak body.


    "Let''s go we have a home to get to" Evelynn¡¯s usual calm and joyful tone made him feel what he assumed was happy. He had yet to learn the complex skill of differentiating between emotions.


    They walked to a cab and paid in cash. The house had also been purchased with cash. They didn''t want any paper trails anyone could follow. Their identities were fake. Atlas was able to chose his own fake name. Lucius was the name he had choose because it was something that rolled off his tongue. And because it started with the same letter as his sister''s real name. His sister had chosen the name Athena.


    "Where to?" Asked the cabs interface.


    "Dawn, 321 Water street" Evelynn looked through her purse as it spoke.


    She had to pay in advance because she only had cash. Atlas continued to read his leather book. He didn''t really notice the two hours that it took for them to arrive but Levy had fallen asleep. She drooled on his arm and bit him once. Levy woke up the instant the car stopped.


    She smiled her golden smile and the words left her lips "look!" she pressed her face against the window.


    "It''s a house." Said Atlas with a dead flat tone.


    "It¡¯s our home" Pouted Levy poking at Atlas.


    They stepped out and walked into the larger home. Atlas sat down at the door steep and continued his study but Levy sprinted through the house. She was a whirlwind of joy. The house came with plenty of beautiful decorations according to Levy. Atlas didn''t care as long as he had food and a place to sleep.


    "What room do you want?" Asked Evelynn walking through the house.


    "The basement" Replied Atlas.


    It¡¯s dark, calm, and I¡¯ll be far enough from you both.


    "Whatever you want big guy" Evelynn ruffled his hair. Evelynn along with everyone, which meant Levy, made jokes about how short he was.


    "I''m going down there." Atlas motioned towards the basement.


    They had spent a full week on a spaceship and his sister would let loose all the energy she had been holding in. She waited until just the right moment. Atlas made himself a nest out of blankets and sat in the center. Evelynn was setting up the alarm systems and Levy was doing nothing useful. Atlas didn''t like this entire relocation thing but he knew it was the only way. He continued to read for the next three hours and only stopped when a blond haired blue eyed girl landed on him. Her eyes looked like someone had taken a sunny sky and placed the most beautiful shade of blue in them. Her gold hair looked like sunlight had been woven into string and placed on her head.


    "Get off, you''re heavy and you¡¯re gonna crush me." Said Atlas.


    "Shhhhh stop resisting and let me love you." Levy had a silver lining smile.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "You''re annoying." Said Atlas closing the book, their mom had shown them how to read it but Levy was to lazy to do so.


    "You love me!" Levy kissed his cheek and poked his belly.


    "And if I do so what?" Replied Atlas.


    "What about Evelynn?" Whispered Levy with mischief in her tone. She knew just how to get under his skin. He stayed silent and waited till she got bored and left. Which took about ten seconds. He fell asleep soon after and woke up the next day.


    "Get your feet off me" Said Atlas. Levy had gotten in his room at night and fallen asleep. She rolled over and flattened him. He was struggling just to pick up her legs. He felt something grab his ankle and pull him out of bed.


    "Hey, mind helping me?" Evelynn poked his nose as she smiled.


    "If you put me down" Replied Atlas still hanging by his foot. She set him down and Levy pulled him back over.


    "Aren''t you going to say good morning?" Asked Levy fluttering her eyelashes.


    "Good morning, are you happy now?" Asked Atlas brushing himself off.


    "What about my hug" Levy had her arms stretched out and a smile on her face.


    He hugged Levy and got up. He went to help Evelynn cook and by help it meant Evelynn would watch as he got to work. If she cooked half as well as she looked she would have been a master chef. Atlas on the other hand was as plain as a bagel but was a gifted cook. His eyes were the only interesting thing about him, according to the few who had seen them.


    He got his apron that Levy had gotten him and amassed an assortment of  ingredients. He started to cook the meat and rice. He was a master of blades but only in the kitchen. He spent the next hour cooking for Levy and expecaly for Evelynn. She always loved food, he only wished he had more in common with the food.


    "Hey it smells good" Evelynn leaned down and hugged Atlas from behind.


    He felt happy or what he thought it might be. Despite this happiness he didn''t react in any way. He never did. They sat down to eat and Atlas served them. It was rather the norm by now. He was more or less the dad.  Evelynn took care of them but she cooked by calling a pizza man.


    "I''m going to the library" Said Atlas eating a piece of toast.


    "No you''re not" Evelynn looked up from her stake.


    "Why not?"


    "You have to take Levy, and I have to walk you there"


    "Fine, can we go?"


    "We aren''t done unpacking and because that is to dangerous for you we will have to go tomorrow"


    Atlas nodded and walked to his room.


    The door felt heavy to him.


    I''ll have to fix that.


    He felt his shirt stretch as Levy picked him up like a mangy cat "We are going to have fun"


    She walked over to her room still holding him like a dirty animal. She dropped him in her room and began her lecture.


    "I want you to have a great school year so let''s work on your social skills" Levy bounced with every peppy word that left her lips.


    Atlas didn''t like this but would do anything for Levy.


    Maybe it''s time I learn how to interact with others.


    "If I say hello you would say?"


    "Go away?"


    Levy sighed "No, one thing you could say is hello. And what if I say good morning?"


    "What''s good about it?" Atlas had his monotone voice throughout. They continued with this for about ten minutes.


    "Maybe that''s enough for today" Levy fell back in her pillows.


    "Now it''s my turn".


    He looked at his notebook and flipped through the pages. He stopped and pulled a small piece of paper from a book.


    "Just stand still" He placed the paper on her and said words a human mind would not grasp. Atlas waited and saw just what he experienced. A small wisp of light. He hit her head with another piece of paper.


    "What was that for?"


    "Trust me you''ll see". He could see the wisp and wrote a word with it.


    She sat there wide eyed looking at the wisp. It danced and was bound to the paper.


    "It didn''t work" Atlas began ripping the paper.


    The wisp vanished and Atlas took notes down in his book.


    "What was that supposed to do?"


    "Well if you read the book you would know, maybe I will tell you" Said Atlas.


    "I hate reading" Levy pouted.


    He sighed and wrote something else on a piece of paper.


    "Open your mouth and stick your tongue out. This piece of paper needs water for the ink to work" Said Atlas. She stuck her tongue out and Atlas placed the paper on her. "Now spit"


    She spat and a small light gray glowing ball formed. It floated just above the ground.


    "This is used for bindings. And because you have no idea what that mean I will tell you. It makes almost any human shaped thing come to life and move if I stick them together" He grabbed a teddy bear and placed it in its mouth. When he did, it exploded.


    That¡¯s never happened even with things that look in no way human¡­ perhaps it''s just me messing up.


    "I did say almost anything".


    He shattered the ball and it fell. He picked the dust up and mixed it with ink. He drew a symbol and it consumed the paper. It became a sheet of pure light. It emanated light and when Atlas touched it darkness stained it. It ate the light and left only darkness.


    "It does something right" Said Atlas.


    He still needed more practice if he wanted to use what the book had to offer. Even with all the years he spent reading and learning from the elders he hadn¡¯t even finished the first page.


    Atlas had always been more of a machine than a person.


    Levy on the other had was a laid back sunshine, cally girl who loved fun. She was also the kind of girl that seemed older than she was but had an air of youth to her.


    "Thanks for the fun but I''m going to get back to reading" Said Atlas.


    He walked to his room and sat down. Reading the text was difficult and took weeks just to finish one page. But that didn''t mean he knew all that was on the page. The pages would reveal more and more information over time. But the pages seemed to know that you understood them. The greater the understanding the more it would show. He had a slight understanding of the first page. He had attempted to read the last page but it made his head hurt. He continued until the next day with breaks for food. He walked out of his room and found his sister.


    "Where is Evelynn" Said Atlas.

 chapter 1.2 Atlas

    "Where is Evelynn" Said Atlas.


    "Sleeping, you''re not going to watch her sleep are you?" Levy winked.


    "No, I wanted to go to the library"


    "Well, we are safe here so I can take you"


    "Let''s go then"


    Atlas and Levy walked outside, map in hand. They eventually found the library. The library was massive and seemed to be made of mavle. Its roman architecture interested Atlas.


    "I''ll be back for you in two or three hours, until then just stay here" Levy waved goodbye and skipped out the door.


    Atlas nodded and got to finding every book he could get his hands on. He liked mostly science fiction but only spent time on the books with good reviews. He looked around and noticed they didn''t have any computers.


    Perhaps the librarian couldn''t afford them?


    Atlas could read two pages simultaneously, and at fast speeds. It took him around three seconds to read two pages. His father''s best friend could do the same. After reading almost every good book he could find he found a few old books.


    "Psst, you boy" A sleepy voice seeped from behind a bookshelf.


    Atlas looked over and saw jade eyes. She had a slight hint of purple eyeshadow. Her dark wavy hair was curled like a spring at the ends. It seemed soft and held a light purple shade. Her hair reached just above her hips.


    "What do you want" Said Atlas.


    Why are you talking to me. You have books why can''t you just read.


    "I see you are reading, and in this library" Said the girl.


    "If you are going to say anything of importance say it" Said Atlas.


    "You are the first person I have seen here in months" Said the girl.


    "Why is that relevant?" Asked Atlas becoming more annoyed. Or what he believed to be annoyed.


    "You see I am attempting to gather information but due to the lack of subjects I have been unsuccessful. I am going to ask you if you would help me for the betterment of human understanding" Said the girl.


    Atlas through about what she said, "What kind of information?"


    Maybe this isn''t a waste of time after all¡­ Is this how normal people talk? Maybe it''s just me. This is probably normal¡­ I really need to talk to people more often¡­


    "I am gathering information on the effect of loss on the human mind along with a wider secondary goal of understanding the human mind in all aspects" Said the girl.


    "Well I''m listening" Said Atlas.


    "I need to see how you react to images of the dead and how you react mentality when the subject of death is spoken of" Said the girl.


    "Fine let''s see what information you can gather" Said Atlas.


    She quizzed him and showed him images of death. It was nothing to him. Slowly and surely she came to her final verdeckt.


    "It seems like you are a psychopath" Said the girl.


    "I will now attempt to get a reaction from you" Said Atlas removing his shades.


    Equivalent exchange, it only fair.


    She raised an eyebrow for a moment. Atlas could see that she tensed as she saw "Nice eyes".


    She seemed mesmerized by his eyes and leaned in to see the shades of flaming gold in place of his irises and a mix of black and red where the whites of his eyes should be.


    "We should walk to school together" Said the girl.


    "I don''t even know your name" Said Atlas.


    "Morrie, Morrie Ozymandias Onori.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Call me Lucius if you want" Said Atlas.


    "Would you mind if I asked you a few more questions" Morrie had her notebook at the ready.


    "If you want and how about I see you here at seven-thirty?" Atlas asked.


    Before she began her questioning Levy walked in.


    "Let''s go big guy" Levy strided in like a model down the runway.


    Morrie crawled on top of Atlas. "Wait, I need him" her voice was ever so sleepy.


    She had her hips over his and her hands on his chest.


    "Sorry but he''s mine" Levy pulled him away.


    They walked home and talked about their day. Atlas got home and organized all his supplies. When he was done with Levy''s he worked in his own. She wouldn''t have done it otherwise. He got everything ready. He cooked the meals for tomorrow and placed the lunch boxes in the fridge. He cleaned the house and organized all the clothing in the washing machine. He was stacking the shirts and moved onto the pants.


    "Trying to find her underwear are you?" Levy loomed out from behind the door.


    "I do all the laundry remember?"


    "You didn''t deny it" Levy smiled


    "I didn''t need to because it''s disturbing to even think about".


    Underwear isn''t interesting in the least...


    She walked away and he continued to sort all the clothes.


    When he was finally done and wrote down a schedule for school. He knew the bell schedule and knew where all the classes were. He knew the names of the teachers but didn''t know what classmates he would have.


    He didn''t want to wait so he walked to bed. He stood beside his bed in front of his mirror. He removed his shirt and looked at the dark markings that covered most of his back. Levy had markings similar to his but her''s were far smaller. He had what looked like a upside down cross surrounded by random symbols with a willow at the center but Levy''s looked like a willow tree. They were born with strange birthmarks but most of their backs were covered by Lords seals.


    He felt something grab his foot and yell "Got you!"


    Evelynn popped out from under his bed and so did Levy. They did this every so often in their old house. They hoped to catch him off guard one day.


    "What are you doing down there?" Asked Atlas.


    "Looking at your dirty magazines" Levy waved a book at him.


    "That''s a history book and an encyclopedia" Said Atlas.


    "It has a few bad words" Evelynn whispered in a cutesy little voice.


    You''re so cute


    She jumped on his bed and Levy smushed her own cheeks "Atlas has a girlfriend"


    "She is just an acquaintance" Replied Atlas opening the book.


    "Is she cute?" Asked Evelynn.


    "No"


    But you are.


    They walked out of his room and he was consumed by darkness. He loved a handful of things in his life even if he didn''t know it. He loved his family including Evelynn, and he loved the dark. He felt right in it. He had never been afraid of anything. Not death, nor pain, but he was not keen on loss.


    He felt the light creep over the world and burn into his core.


    He got up walked to the kitchen then warmed Levy''s and Evelynn''s food. He walked out of the house with all that he needed. A defibrillator was one of the things he needed. He walked to the library and saw just who he expected.


    "Hello Morrie, are you ready to go to school" Said Atlas.


    "Yes and how are you this morning Lucius?"


    "I am fine and you?"


    Why are we talking like this¡­ is this what normal people do? I don''t think this is how they talk.


    "It seems a bit earlier to tell if I''m fine or not" Morrie had sleep deprivation as a facial expression.


    They walked together and asked each other questions. The streets had several trees and bushes lining them. Atlas felt her hand push him into a bush. She placed her hand over his mouth and she pressed up against him. A minute passed and he felt a her hand slip off.


    "What was that for?" Asked Atlas void of emotion.


    "Some really mean kids just passed us"


    They continued to walk and arrived soon after. Atlas said goodbye and walked to the principal''s office.


    "I need my schedule" Said Atlas.


    I don''t really need it.


    The woman at the desk said "You must be Lucius"


    "What gave it away" Said Atlas shifting his name tag.


    "Well I have your schedule right here but let me get someone to show you around"


    "That won''t be necessary" He felt a hand grasp him and knew who it was.


    "Hey punk" It was Evelynn.


    "When did you walk in?" Asked Atlas.


    "This is Aurora, my sis, she will be showing you and Athena around today. You''ve meet her before" Atlas knew Evelynn had most likely discussed with the principal who was going to show them around when he went to the library.


    "If I must" Said Atlas.


    Levy was outside the door and was waving.


    "I like your eyes, my name is Aurora by the way" Said the girl with beautiful short golden brown hair. Her hazel eyes had an air of beauty, anyone but Atlas could see.


    He walked passed her "Stop wasting time let''s go"


    He walked out the door and Levy was ready to hug him.


    "Hug me" Levy had her arms wide open and her blond hair danced.


    Atlas hugged her ever so slightly


    "So mind helping me and baby here find our classes Aurora?" Asked Levy.


    Levy was smiling as always and Aurora replied "Right this way".


    They were guided to Levy''s class first.


    "This is your math class and just have fun and ask me if you need anything" Aurora''s light brown hair swayed as she pointed at the class.


    They continued to walk to the far side of the school. Atlas noted the design. A fifteen story building with bulletproof windows and support beams all around that looked like old Roman architecture. It was a odd place.

 chapter 1.3 Atlas

    A fifteen story building with bulletproof windows and support beams all around that looked like old Roman architecture. It was a odd place.


    "Where you from" Aurora brushed her earthy brown hair out of her face with a smile.


    "Is this information in any way relevant?" Asked Atlas.


    "Well no, but I just wanted to know a little about you"


    "Well I''m from Earth"


    "So that girl?" Aurora had a curious tone.


    "What about her" Said Atlas adjusting his sunglasses.


    Before she could say anything the bell rang and she lost her train of thought. Atlas walked over to the class he was meant to be in and the teacher looked at him.


    "You must be Lucius" Said the teacher.


    "What gave it away?" Replied Atlas.


    The name tag he had made was a dead give away.


    "Would you like to introduce yourself?"


    Atlas knew this would be the perfect opportunity to explain a thing or two.


    "Why yes I would" He replied.


    He walked to the front of the class and said "My name is Lucius that is all."


    He walked to the back of the class and sat down. He pulled a book out and began to read. Every single person began to murmur and soon after the teacher began to teach. She wrote down questions on the board and Atlas instantly solved them. He did this while reading. He didn''t need to look at the paper to write.


    "No sunglasses in class young man" Said the teacher.


    Atlas already knew her name was Vivian Colson.


    "I would really prefer not to take them off" Said Atlas.


    "Well I''m sorry but it''s the rules" Said Vivian. Atlas sighed and removed his glasses.


    His eyes met with that of the teachers and she cringed. She opened her mouth as if to say something but only stepped back.


    His eyes could be described as an abyss of flames. The golden fiery hue that looked like the first spark of hell. An ancient flame hungry for all. But that was when they were hidden behind his thick gray contact lenses that could block out a 10,000 watt spot light. He hid his face behind the book and began to read.


    She got a kid to pass papers out but when the child saw Atlas''s eyes she dropped the papers. She stepped away and Atlas knew she didn''t like the look in his eyes. She reached down and picked up the papers. Atlas eventually got a piece of paper.


    Math was far too easy for him. Almost any problem he was presented with he was able to solve in an instant. He was done with the hand out before anyone hand finished the first problem. He didn''t say anything until at least ten minutes of class time passed. He didn''t want to seem out of the ordinary. Atlas raised his hand and the teacher walked over.


    "Do you have a question" Said Vivian.


    "No I just wanted to know what to do after I finish" he replied.


    She pick his paper up and looked at her answer sheet.


    "Where is your work?" Asked Vivian.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean where is the work. How did you solve the problems?"


    Atlas never had a need to show his work before. He was capable of the work and that was the end of the story.


    "I did the work in my head" You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "I need you to show your work so I know you did the work" Said Vivian.


    "No thanks" Said Atlas. He continued to read his book until the teacher reached for it.


    "You shouldn''t do that," his eyes turned to hers "You don''t know what you''re getting yourself into".


    She stepped back and walked to her seat. After that Atlas sat in the back of the class for about half an hour. A girl walked over to him. A girl with long crimson hair with light streaks of fiery yellow that cascaded down her shoulder to her belly button. Her soft emerald eyes rested on his for just a second. Her smile vanished.


    "Your eyes are so cool" Said the girl with absolute amazement.


    Atlas had never seen anyone react that way before. She seemed to actually be interested in his eyes. Morrie simply seemed captivated by them.


    "You seem different and what do you want" Said Atlas.


    She set down her paper and asked about the last math problem. Atlas wrote down the answer and explained what the steps were. She placed a chair beside him and got help until they checked all her work. All the other class work. Most of the boys tosses angry glances at him. Atlas couldn''t tell but it was possible she was very pretty.


    "My name is Scarlet by the way" Said the girl.


    Atlas reached into his backpack and looked at the note cards Levy had made for him.


    "My name is Lucius" Said Atlas.


    "Thanks for helping me if you need any help finding your way around just ask me." Scarlet slid her fingers down a bright red braid.


    Atlas didn''t have a notecard for that but assumed  "Thanks" was a good response.


    He continued to read his book.


    "Do you want to eat lunch with me and my friends?" Asked Scarlet brushing her long red hair.


    "No thanks, I¡¯m having lunch with my sister."


    She nodded and walked back to her seat. A short time later the bell rang and he walked straight out of class. The teacher said nothing despite wanting to.


    He walked to find Levy in the lunch area. Five minutes passed and hundreds of kids walked by and he could not see her. He sat at a lunch table alone and wondered how he would find her.


    "Hey Atlas" Levy stood with a crowd of people looking at her.


    She was beautiful to everyone except Atlas. To him she was more like a puppy with more strength than she knew what to do with. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.


    "Get off your breath smells like strawberries and call me Lucius." Said Atlas


    "I thought you liked strawberries?" Levy snagged another bite of her extravagant meal. She had opened her lunch before lunch as alway.


    "I do but not when it''s coming from your mouth"


    Like¡­ what does that even mean...


    Several people nearby were at odds in their minds. Was this beautiful new girl dating this thin small boy with hellish eyes?


    "Well what did you make me today" Levy sat down and opened her box pretending to be surprised.


    She looked over the box of assorted foods. "You made me a chocolate muffin!" Levy started hugging Atlas.


    He groaned and pushed her away. "Yes I did now eat it so you can stop talking" Said Atlas.


    Why doesn''t she understand¡­ I ruin everything


    He was attempting to eat his meal in peace but forgot how that was impossible with Levy around. He took a bit of his plain yogurt and toast. He never liked fancy food but Levy did.


    ¡°I love you" Levy chirped with chocolate in her mouth.


    Atlas sighed ¡°You''re only saying that because I gave you food¡± he took a big bite of his food. He patted her head and stood up.


    "Where are you going" Levy¡¯s sad eyes made him tell.


    "The library" He replied.


    "No don''t go" cried Levy dragging him back.


    "Just hurry up and go with me" Said Atlas.


    She stuffed her food into her face and followed Atlas. They walked to the library and Atlas saw just who he expected to see. She had her back to him and a pencil in her hand.


    "Morrie" Said Atlas.


    "Hello Lucius"


    "This is Athena" Atlas presented Levy who instantly sat down beside Morrie.


    "Nice to meet you" Levy reached out.


    "Girls like you are the reason I''m invisible to guys, so stay around because I don''t like being noticed" Morrie reached out with her sweater still covering her hand.


    "I''m not a girl I''m an attack helicopter" Levy attempted to tickle Atlas.


    "Athena that doesn''t work on me" Said Atlas.


    "It would if you would just give in. Come on, you try and tickle him" Levy was looking at Morrie.


    "No thanks that seems a bit odd. We aren''t that well acquainted any way" Morrie pulled out a notebook and a pen.


    "More research?" Asked Atlas.


    "Yes"


    Levy stood and held Atlas waiting to see what they would be doing.


    "What do you feel when you see this?" Morrie was holding a picture of a person that had been blown in half by a bomb. Their guts were hanging out and their eyes were popping out of the skull. Atlas fell back not because he was in any way affected, but Levy had fallen back.


    "Help" Said Atlas unable to release himself from Levy''s grip.


    She soon let go and stood up. "Sorry I felt light headed"


    She was never able to handle anything of that sort. It was in a way a weakness. The bell rang and the we''re once again in a classroom. Atlas had been forced to take an art class. He was good with his hands but had never been good at art.

 chapter 1.4 Atlas

    He was good with his hands but had never been good at art.


    "You must be Lucius" Said the teacher with a smile.


    "What gave it away. You must be Amber" Said Atlas.


    "Nice to have you here, what is your gender?" Asked Amber. Atlas was caught off guard by this question. He had never had any person ask him. It was odd but he supposed it was to make a more comfortable environment for the kids.


    "Attack helicopter" Replied Atlas. He had taken Levy''s prefered identify.


    "I won''t have you making fun of things like that" She replied.


    Atlas was surprised and didn''t care what she thought anyway. Or what anyone thought for that matter.


    "I don''t care about what you think I''m making fun of. I am here to learn how to paint, and if you don''t think attack helicopter is a real gender I will have you brought to court for imposing your beliefs on me" Said Atlas once again taking a seat in the back of the class.


    A few students were giggling. Atlas noticed a girl with sunglasses like him. The paper on her desk had nothing but braille pages. She must have been blind.


    "Choose a partner and take a seat next to them" Said Amber.


    Atlas walked over to the girl he saw with the braille pages.


    "Can I be your partner" Said Atlas.


    "Nice to finally see you. You must be the new kid. Not to be rude but do you really you want to be partners with the blind girl on the first day? Thanks for the pity but I''m fine thank you" Said the girl.


    "Why would I pity you? There''s nothing wrong with you. I wanted to be your partner to see what kind of art you would create" Said Atlas.


    "Fine, you can be my partner. Just don''t get any ideas" Said the girl.


    Atlas sat down and looked at her art. Each one of them was a finger painting but they all looked like a masterpiece. The colors were blended together in such a way it looked like it was meant to be. She was talented but didn''t make anything specific. It was shapes, there was no specific object.


    "What you make is beautiful" Said Atlas.


    I know it is I can feel it


    "I know you''re just saying that" Said the girl with anger in her voice.


    "I''m not here to make you happy I''m saying it because I think it''s beautiful" Said Atlas. "I have an idea as long as it''s fine with you"


    "What is it?"


    "I can guide your hand and you can paint. I will make a outline and you can draw it" Said Atlas.


    "Fine but don''t you dare think this means I need your help" Said the girl.


    Atlas stood beside her and held her wrist. A slight hint of red crossed her face. Atlas could hear her heartbeat speed up. Atlas guided her hand across the canvas and by the time the class ended. The teacher looked at what they had created and was left speechless. People in the class began to get interested and walked over to see. Every single person was wide eyed.


    "That''s beautiful" Said the teacher.


    The bell rang and Atlas walked out. Atlas knew he had only one class left and he hated it. But before he would endure that class he would have lunch with his sister. He walked to the cafeteria and got his food.


    When he was walking back a large boy rammed into him. His food fell over the boy. Atlas fell over just barely conscious from the punch he had received. He felt his body dragged up to the face of the screaming boy. Atlas could feel the blood run down the side of his face. He felt another impact rip the air from his lungs and he knew ribs had been shattered.


    Everyone stood by as this boy did this. Atlas could not hear what he was saying because of the buzzing in his head. He saw Levy charging towards him. He wanted to yell but nothing came out.


    He saw her first break his skull. His body flew a few feet and hit the ground with a thick thud. Levy picked him up with a single arm and slammed his chest. Atlas could hear the boy''s bones break. Levy tossed him like a rag doll. Atlas knew what she was capable of and if she hit him again he would die.


    "Stop!" Yelled Atlas. His body burned like fire had cloaked it. He could feel his shattered ribs grind together with every breath.


    Levy stood still for a moment and ran over to Atlas. She was in shock, she knew just how easily her baby brother could be hurt. But this was far more than he had taken in weeks.


    "Shhhhh it''s okay" Said Atlas attempting to calm his sister.


    She was crying and holding him just a little too tight. He was in great pain put pretended he was fine. He knew if he showed just how damaged he was she might get upset. She held him up and he pulled out his phone. Every single person was looking at them. Atlas called the hospital and asked for two ambulances.


    He worried Levy had killed the boy but his chest was still moving. With the technology the hospital had they would both be fine in a few days. Atlas walked to the ambulance and gave them a full diagnosis. Levy went along with him. Morrie was also in the vehicle. She had her notebook out and Atlas knew what she wanted to ask.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    He enjoyed her undying will to learn. Atlas used sign language to tell her what he was feeling. He didn''t feel sad or angry. He felt only annoyance at the loss of his food. He was hungry and had nothing to eat. Atlas was glad he didn''t have to go to his physical education class. He didn''t really know what he was feeling but guessed what feeling he would have felt. He spent the day with Levy, Morrie and Evelynn.


    The police asked them a few questions and left. The boy had a history of violence and was on his last strike. Levy was let off with a warning due to the nature of the situation.


    "I''m so sorry I should have been there and none of this would have happened" Levy was sniffling.


    "For the last time you did nothing wrong" Said Atlas.


    Atlas cared more about making her feel better than whether she had done the right thing or not. He cared about her more than he had ever cared about himself.


    The last time he saw his mother she told him to take care of her. He promised to do so and would do everything in his limited power to keep the promise. Him mother gave him a few artifacts to help with that.


    He created his own artifacts by using bits of his own mortal essence. Souls were real but not in the way you would expect. They were like a second body that exists in a realm known as the Void. They were tethered to your mortal body and would be placed in a location known as the Ethereal plain when you died. They were placed there by the Ark of Death. The only exceptions were the bodies of Lords. Lords were the most powerful of the Arks and would be placed inside the Parlovidiam.


    Any and all beings who entered the Arks lost their immortal essence with the exception of five Ark groups. They would consume their soul and be one with it.


    Atlas''s essence could grow and heal which was something almost no other being could do. He and his siblings were all capable of this. His mother had been one of three beings with this ability until they were born.


    Morrie kissed Atlas''s cheek "I was told that kisses make you feel better"


    "You know that isn''t true right?" Replied Atlas.


    "I know I just wanted to kiss you to see your reaction" Morrie was holding out her notebook with the words "Kiss Lucius, view reaction"


    Levy narrowed her eyes at Morrie at she said this and grabbed hold of her brother''s hand.


    Atlas enjoyed Morrie''s one of a kind attitude and felt like he could grow to care about her continued existence. At the moment he cared for her like a board game. He wouldn''t care if it was gone but would prefer if it stayed so he could have something to pass the time with.


    Atlas went back to school the next day and felt better. He walked to school with Morrie again got to his classes. History was the class he would be trapped in today. He had learned nearly all human history in a weekend with his mother. He didn''t care much for it but it was good to know what the world you''re living on is like.


    "What can you all tell me about World War Four" Said the teacher.


    Atlas waited for someone to lift their hand. He wanted to see just what the people here knew. He didn''t think they would know much and he wasn''t wrong.


    "How about you" asked the teacher pointing at Atlas.


    "It started over ideologies and ended with the loss of ten percent of the useable land on Earth" Said Atlas.


    "Well that''s a rather blunt perspective" Said the teacher.


    "If you want the details I have a seven hundred page report on it. Feel free to read it it''s called the Heart of war" Replied Atlas.


    The book had been published anonymously but was looked at as one of, if not the most highly regarded books to read if you wanted to understand the reasons the war started.


    "That very funny" Said the teacher


    Atlas took a few steps forward but stopped when he notice the girl Aurora. He didn''t know he had any classes with her. She looked as beautiful as always and seemed to be sleeping or resting her head.


    "I have author''s notes if you want to see them" Said Atlas walking over. He had written it on his phone. He showed the teacher and he seemed stunned.


    "Well the only thing I want to ask is why you are in this class" Said the teacher.


    "Because I have interest in learning from other perspectives". Atlas walked back to his seat and began to read.


    He found it funny. He had more in common with his father''s friends in terms of personality. His father wasn''t afraid to tell any person he found attractive that he felt that way, but Logan was odd. He would ignore the girls he liked even if they liked him. But John simply didn''t like anyone. Atlas could relate to that.


    The teacher allowed Atlas to do absolutely nothing. Atlas was deep in thought and was wondering what had truly been the beginning of this universe. His mother had not given any information regarding this.


    "Hey" Said a smooth soft voice. Atlas was surprised and turned.


    "Remember me?" Asked the Aurora.


    "Hello Aurora" Replied Atlas.


    "How you feeling?" Aurora lifted on her toes as she spoke.


    "Very well but I am guessing you didn''t walk over her just to see if I was doing well" Atlas lied.


    "Actually I did. My sister asked me to but I was going to ask the next time I saw you anyway" She looked away for just a split second.


    She had an elegant blue dress and her hair was in a long braid. She was beautiful to a fault.


    "Who is your sister?" Asked Atlas beginning to remove his glasses.


    "Evelynn"


    Atlas froze for a moment. He thought it had been a joke or a way of saying they were friends. He had heard Evelynn use it that way many times before. He could feel a slight increase in his heart rate. He had an enormous crush on Evelynn, and she had asked her own sister to check up on him. He felt it was a very kind gesture on her part to check on him for Evelynn. At least the idea was nice.


    "Well maybe we could hang out during lunch" Said Atlas.


    "That would be great" Aurora shifted on her heels.


    The bell rang. It was a C-day which meant they had all their classes in one day.


    Atlas eventually arrived at his least favorite class. He got his clothing for physical education on and walked to the gym. Levy immediately hugged him and picked him up.


    "I missed you so much!" Levy was spinning him around. Atlas was already dizzy.


    "Why would you? You saw me an hour ago"


    "What am I not aloud to miss you?" Levy pouted and her beautiful grace bought the attention of others nearby.


    Atlas pushed her away "It''s fine to miss me just don''t be so clingy"


    Every guy was looking at him as if he had done some atrocious crime. Atlas was sitting right beside Levy.


    A boy walked up to them and asked Levy "Why are you with him?"


    Levy didn''t quite understand what he meant. She thought what he meant was why she was sitting with him.


    "Because he''s adorable and I love him" Levy hugged Atlas.


    The boy walked away and the teacher walked into the gym.


    "Hey you must be Lucius. You don''t have to do anything this month I got a note from your caretaker" Said the person.


    Atlas didn''t like how almost every person was looking at Levy. He sat on a bench while everyone else ran around. They were going to start weight training tomorrow.


    When the day ended Atlas walked with Morrie to the library. The


    All in all, it was an uneventful week.

 chapter 2.1 Aurora

    "I think he''s nice" Scarlet ate another chip with dip.


    "I think so to, so I don''t get why everyone is hating on him" Aurora was tapping her lip with her mechanical pencil.


    They were sitting in Aurora''s house attempting to finish their homework.


    "I kinda want to feel him up" Hex had a wink hidden behind her sunglasses.


    They laughed and half-assed their homework. And ate everything they could find.


    "His sister Morrie is nice, I didn¡¯t even know she had a brother." Scarlet twirled a pencil between her fingers.


    "Yeah she is but she makes me sleepy just by looking at her" Aurora yawned and rested her head on Scarlet.


    "She is so pretty though, like have you seen her without her hoodie-sweater thing and those hobo sweatpants. Last semester during swimming she would have put Allison to shame" Scarlet shifted slightly but stopped to keep Aurora from falling off.


    "I think she looked hot," Hex had a beautiful smile "but that''s a perk of being blind, everyone looks good"


    "His girlfriend almost beat the life out of Nero" Aurora lifted her head off Scarlets shoulder.


    "He is a horrible person, I think he deserved it" Scarlet crossed her arms as she spoke.


    "Have you seen Lucius''s eyes" Aurora sat up and looked at Scarlet.


    "They are so cool¡± Hex dazzled the air with jazz hands.


    They giggled and walked to the kitchen for more snacks.


    "Want some snacks to take home?" Aurora gave the bag to Scarlet before she could say no.


    "That would be great" Smiled Scarlet bag in hand.


    "Get home safe" Said Aurora and Hex standing just behind the door.


    Scarlett placed the snacks in her backpack and hugged Aurora and Hex.


    ¡°Bye girls,¡± Scarlet blew them both a kiss ¡°Love you guys¡±


    "Just asking is, his girlfriend really that pretty?" Asked Hex.


    "She looks as pretty as she sounds and has the strength of an ox. To be completely honest I''m kinda wondering why she likes him so much. I want to find out." Aurora was looking at the food she would eat next.


    "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?" Asked Hex.


    "Detective time" Aurora tossed on her plaid hat.


    They walked to the library. They knew Morrie was always there in her long sleeve sweater. The sleeves were too long for her. Her hands would just barely pop out when she reached out. She would stuff everything into her sweats pockets. It was likely that she had ever known object within the horde that were her pockets.


    "Do you see her?" Hex was dragging her cane around the floor.


    "Yeah they are sitting right next to each other. They''re reading and he has that funny looking book" Aurora squinted her eyes hoping she would magically be granted supervision.


    "What are they doing?" Hex began using her cane as an armrest.


    "Wait he''s getting up" Aurora grabbed Hex and pulled her behind cover.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Aurora watched as he waved goodbye and walked out. They followed him and he stopped at a casino. He spent about half an hour in there. During that time they postulated and gossiped to one another. Eventually he walked out with gambling chip in hand. They followed him to a bank and Aurora could just barely see him deposit five hundred thousand Marks. He was definitely not a normal kid. They followed him into a dark alley.


    Why are they following me? They aren''t going to beat me up are they? That''s just my luck. Well might as well get it over with. Hopefully I don''t get stabbed like last time.


    Aurora walked into the dark and froze. Her body was overwhelmed by fear.


    Those animal eyes hunted down and killed whatever bravery she just had. The crimson red of these eyes should only belong to wild beasts void of all emotion. The complete lack of humanity and life in those eyes made her feel like they were taking her life just by being seen by them.


    "Aurora?" Hex had fear in her voice.


    Hex felt a chill in the air and wondered what was going on.


    "Why are you following me just wondering. I hope I''m not being mean or anything but I hope you can tell me." Said Lucius.


    "My sister asked me to check on you" Aurora attempted to make a convincing lie.


    He knew this was a lie but let it pass.


    "Tell her I say thank you, but be careful it''s dangerous out here" Said Lucius vanishing into the dark.


    "We should have followed his sister. Or we can just ask her" Hex was holding tightly to Aurora''s shirt.


    "Yeah let''s do that"


    "Is Sam still on his trip?" Hex tugged lightly at Aurora''s shirt.


    "Yep and my sister''s in town so that''s cool"


    They walked back just in time. Morrie was just packing her things. She walked out and locked the library.


    "She has the keys to the library?" Aurora narrowed her eyes as she asked herself why.


    They walked and soon found themselves in the very wealthy part of town. Massive houses with million dollar sport cars and guarded to the teeth. Every single house had armed guards. At the far end was a massive house that looked like a castle. It had armed guards around the house like ants.


    Morrie walked right passed every guard as they stopped and bowed to her. They had no idea she was filthy rich. They thought she was poor because she always had the same clothing. That meant Lucius was also very wealthy.


    "Morrie is rich?"


    "How do you know that?" Hex had her hand on Aurora''s hat.


    "She just walked into a mansion"


    "Oh, well do you mind dropping me off at my house"


    "Let''s go" Aurora started walking off.


    They walked to the middle class part of town. Hex felt someone grab her and pull her in a random direction.


    "I see Lucius" Aurora looked him over from behind a tree.


    She could see Lucius at the door of a large house. The door opened and there stood Athena. She picked him up and held him. They walked in and shut the door.


    "I think Lucius and Athena are sleeping together"


    "Why!?" Yelled Hex.


    "He just walked into her house"


    "They could just be hanging out¡­¡±


    "Anyway let''s get to your house" Aurora made sure Hex didn''t trip over anything.


    Her mind lingered on the idea. Hex walked to her front door and waved goodbye. Aurora walked home and ate a bag of chips. When she was done she washed her teeth and went to sleep.


    The next morning she rolled around in bed and looked at her clock. She was going to be late. She stood up slowly and walked to her dresser. She picked her backpack up and walked to school half asleep. She flopped into to her classroom and got her homework out. It was Scarlet''s day to walk Hex to school.


    "Hey Aurora, so have you thought about it" Kip leaned in over his desk.


    "Sorry Kip I just don''t think I''m ready to have a boyfriend" Aurora looked up slightly from her desk.


    She was lying of course but didn''t want to hurt Kip''s feelings. She patted down her long blue dress and made certain her blue bow was in the perfect place. Her light pink lipstick matched her lips but she wore it anyway.


    "Just tell me when you think you''re ready because I''m available" Kip winked.


    She spent most of her class working on drawings of his eyes in her sketchbook. She didn''t know why but she felt they were something special.


    Class ended and she walked off to lunch. She found Hex and Scarlet. Hex was sharing her food with Scarlet.


    Aurora sat down  "What do you guys want to do today?"


    "Go bird watching" Hex leaned back slightly.


    "No, really" Aurora smiled.


    "How about we invite Athena and Lucius to the movies?" Scarlet suggested.


    "Yeah that''s a good idea" Aurora chirped.


    "I''m going to rub my hands all over her face" Hex felt herself up as she smiled.


    "I bet you are" Scarlet winked.


    "That''s very odd" Said Lucius.

 chapter 2.2 Aurora

    "That''s very odd" Said Lucius.


    They all screamed and turned to face him. His face reacted in no way at all show he hadn''t the slightest emotion.


    "My sister asked me to invite you to a study hall. She insisted on it because she thinks it will be beneficial to us all" Said Lucius.


    "Yeah that would be nice" Scarlet nervously scratched her head.


    "Here is the location" Lucius handed them all a piece of paper. "I wrote it in braille just for you Hex" Lucius added before walking away.


    "Is it just me or is he super nice?" Hex somehow looked in his direction.


    "He is really nice. Even today during bio he got some kids out of trouble even after they bullied him. Like what kind of person does that?" Scarlet set her head down on the lunch table.


    "Nice guys finish last" Hex sipped from her coffee with a mischievous look.


    "Well then the supermodel wants to hang out" Scarlet pointed at Aurora with her spoon.


    The bell rang and they skipped away from each other.


    "Hey I heard that the weird kid is some sort of psychopath and that he almost killed someone before he came here" Grinda sneered at Aurora.


    "He is super nice he would never hurt anyone" Aurora started with a hint of anger.


    "What? Are you friends with that freak or something?" Replied Grinda.


    "Matter of fact I am and he is really nice so just leave him alone"


    "Why would you be friends with him? He has those messed up eyes and his girlfriend probably just likes him because he has money or something" Grinda crossed her arms and looked away from Aurora.


    "I like his eyes and just so you know she loves him!" Aurora spoke a bit louder that she intended.


    She felt a bit of jealousy when she said that. He had someone who loved him and she was beautiful. She felt envy towards his girlfriend. She was so beautiful she could have any person she wanted. She probably has a perfect life too. Everything she could ever want was at her fingertips. Aurora felt terrible for thinking of her than way. School eventually ended and they all meet up.


    "Hey everyone so nice to have you all coming with us" Athena spoke with a joy that seeped into everyone.


    "Where is Lucius?" Aurora looked around wondering if he had gotten lost.


    "He should be here soon" Athena looked around her perfect blonde hair swaying side to side.


    Her eyes were absolutely breathtaking to say the least. Everything about her was too perfect.


    "Let''s go find him" Morrie took the first steps and everyone followed.


    They walked around school and couldn''t find him. Aurora saw Allison talking to someone or at least following him. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Hey come back here stop ignoring me!" Yelled Allison.


    She was attempting to get Lucius''s attention. Athena told everyone to wait. She wanted to see what would happen.


    "Listen you, I don''t have time for your complaining I have somewhere to go".


    She blocked him and Morrie made a passive-aggressive sounding humming.


    "I am just asking if you think I look better than Athena. All you have to do is tell me the truth!" Allison stood between Lucius and his destination.


    "No, I don''t think you''re better looking" Lucius spoke in a voice so calm it seemed to soothe Allison.


    "She''s not prettier than me. I am the hottest girl at school. I know you think about what it would be like to kiss me, don''t you. Just admit it you think I''m pretty" Allison had blonde hair and sapphire eyes.


    "I think more about killing myself than I think about kissing anyone" Lucius had tone so dead serious it sent chills down her spine.


    Allison stood silent for just a moment and hugged him. She said something to Lucius that resulted in him patting her head once she let go.


    Aurora knew Allison¡¯s older sister had lost a battle against depression. Her sister had taken her own life two years ago. Very few people knew just how much had pushed her to do so.


    "Did you hear her?" Aurora looked at Hex knowing she had.


    "Yeah she said don''t worry life will get better. Just you wait and see" Hex had a slight smile on her lips.


    Lucius walked away and they all ran off to where they were meant to find him. He arrived a minute later.


    "What are you all so uptight about" Said Lucius.


    "We were worried you got beat up" Morrie whispered in her sleepy voice.


    "Thanks for checking up on me then" Said Lucius.


    "Let go" Athena took Lucius''s hand.


    They all walked to the nice part of town and walked right up the mansion. Morrie unlocked the gate and they entered the house. It was spotless. Everything was perfect.


    "This place is pretty dark" Hex pretended to look around for a short while.


    Everyone except Lucius laughed.


    "Let''s go to my room" Morrie gestured to the room. They walked up the massive staircase. Athena decided to sprint up the stairs with Hex on her back. "Over here" Morrie opened the door to her room.


    The room was decorated with pictures of three different men in a uniform.


    "Who are they?" Asked Scarlet.


    "My dad''s and my brother" Morrie spoke with pride.


    "Where are they" Aurora seemed to regret her words once she saw Morrie''s face.


    "I don''t like to talk about it" Morrie looked away from everything.


    Lucius hugged Morrie. She smiled and held him back.


    Nobody knew why the weird girl had hard times making friends. It was because she was afraid she would lose them. She was still afraid to feel close to someone knowing she could lose them.


    Aurora could see the man who seemed to be her brother placing a long sleeve sweater on her. She was still far to small for it to fit her in any way. The picture frame had the words "Good bye" At the bottom. It must have been the last day she saw him.


    The girl everyone only avoided because she looked like she hadn''t slept in weeks, had stayed up late every night hoping to see her fathers and brother walk home and hold her again. She never stopped hoping. She missed her brother who would read her bedtime stories of brave warriors and noblemen, being one himself. He was her hero and so were her fathers. And if a picture was worth a thousand words she would burn them all just so she could tell them three. Lucius held her for a while and she began to smile.


    "So once we are done with our homework let''s go out for a movie or something." Said Lucius.


    They all got their homework out and Lucius being the person he was, helped everyone finish in minutes.


    "So now that we are done how about we go watch a movie." Said Lucius.


    "How about we play hide and seek." Said Morrie.


    "Yeah." Hex smiled with the look of mischief.


    "We can call out when you are the seeker." Said Lucius tapping Hex.


    "Let''s start, who is going to be it first" Athena looked at Lucius.


    "Lucius?¡± Implied Morrie and Athena.


    "Well, you should start hiding" Said Lucius as he began to count down from one hundred.


    "I got you" Athena picked Hex up and ran away.

 chapter 2.3 Aurora

    "That''s very odd" Said Lucius.


    They all screamed and turned to face him. His face reacted in no way at all show he hadn''t the slightest emotion.


    "My sister asked me to invite you to a study hall. She insisted on it because she thinks it will be beneficial to us all" Said Lucius.


    "Yeah that would be nice" Scarlet nervously scratched her head.


    "Here is the location" Lucius handed them all a piece of paper. "I wrote it in braille just for you Hex" Lucius added before walking away.


    "Is it just me or is he super nice?" Hex somehow looked in his direction.


    "He is really nice. Even today during bio he got some kids out of trouble even after they bullied him. Like what kind of person does that?" Scarlet set her head down on the lunch table.


    "Nice guys finish last" Hex sipped from her coffee with a mischievous look.


    "Well then the supermodel wants to hang out" Scarlet pointed at Aurora with her spoon.


    The bell rang and they skipped away from each other.


    "Hey I heard that the weird kid is some sort of psychopath and that he almost killed someone before he came here" Grinda sneered at Aurora.


    "He is super nice he would never hurt anyone" Aurora started with a hint of anger.


    "What? Are you friends with that freak or something?" Replied Grinda.


    "Matter of fact I am and he is really nice so just leave him alone"


    "Why would you be friends with him? He has those messed up eyes and his girlfriend probably just likes him because he has money or something" Grinda crossed her arms and looked away from Aurora.


    "I like his eyes and just so you know she loves him!" Aurora spoke a bit louder that she intended.


    She felt a bit of jealousy when she said that. He had someone who loved him and she was beautiful. She felt envy towards his girlfriend. She was so beautiful she could have any person she wanted. She probably has a perfect life too. Everything she could ever want was at her fingertips. Aurora felt terrible for thinking of her than way. School eventually ended and they all meet up.


    "Hey everyone so nice to have you all coming with us" Athena spoke with a joy that seeped into everyone.


    "Where is Lucius?" Aurora looked around wondering if he had gotten lost.


    "He should be here soon" Athena looked around her perfect blonde hair swaying side to side.


    Her eyes were absolutely breathtaking to say the least. Everything about her was too perfect.


    "Let''s go find him" Morrie took the first steps and everyone followed.


    They walked around school and couldn''t find him. Aurora saw Allison talking to someone or at least following him.


    "Hey come back here stop ignoring me!" Yelled Allison.


    She was attempting to get Lucius''s attention. Athena told everyone to wait. She wanted to see what would happen.


    "Listen you, I don''t have time for your complaining I have somewhere to go".


    She blocked him and Morrie made a passive-aggressive sounding humming.


    "I am just asking if you think I look better than Athena. All you have to do is tell me the truth!" Allison stood between Lucius and his destination.


    "No, I don''t think you''re better looking" Lucius spoke in a voice so calm it seemed to soothe Allison.


    "She''s not prettier than me. I am the hottest girl at school. I know you think about what it would be like to kiss me, don''t you. Just admit it you think I''m pretty" Allison had blonde hair and sapphire eyes.


    "I think more about killing myself than I think about kissing anyone" Lucius had tone so dead serious it sent chills down her spine.


    Allison stood silent for just a moment and hugged him. She said something to Lucius that resulted in him patting her head once she let go.


    Aurora knew Allison¡¯s older sister had lost a battle against depression. Her sister had taken her own life two years ago. Very few people knew just how much had pushed her to do so.


    "Did you hear her?" Aurora looked at Hex knowing she had.


    "Yeah she said don''t worry life will get better. Just you wait and see" Hex had a slight smile on her lips.


    Lucius walked away and they all ran off to where they were meant to find him. He arrived a minute later.


    "What are you all so uptight about" Said Lucius.


    "We were worried you got beat up" Morrie whispered in her sleepy voice.


    "Thanks for checking up on me then" Said Lucius.


    "Let go" Athena took Lucius''s hand.


    They all walked to the nice part of town and walked right up the mansion. Morrie unlocked the gate and they entered the house. It was spotless. Everything was perfect.


    "This place is pretty dark" Hex pretended to look around for a short while.


    Everyone except Lucius laughed.


    "Let''s go to my room" Morrie gestured to the room. They walked up the massive staircase. Athena decided to sprint up the stairs with Hex on her back. "Over here" Morrie opened the door to her room.


    The room was decorated with pictures of three different men in a uniform.


    "Who are they?" Asked Scarlet.


    "My dad''s and my brother" Morrie spoke with pride.


    "Where are they" Aurora seemed to regret her words once she saw Morrie''s face.


    "I don''t like to talk about it" Morrie looked away from everything.


    Lucius hugged Morrie. She smiled and held him back.


    Nobody knew why the weird girl had hard times making friends. It was because she was afraid she would lose them. She was still afraid to feel close to someone knowing she could lose them.


    Aurora could see the man who seemed to be her brother placing a long sleeve sweater on her. She was still far to small for it to fit her in any way. The picture frame had the words "Good bye" At the bottom. It must have been the last day she saw him.


    The girl everyone only avoided because she looked like she hadn''t slept in weeks, had stayed up late every night hoping to see her fathers and brother walk home and hold her again. She never stopped hoping. She missed her brother who would read her bedtime stories of brave warriors and noblemen, being one himself. He was her hero and so were her fathers. And if a picture was worth a thousand words she would burn them all just so she could tell them three. Lucius held her for a while and she began to smile. Stolen novel; please report.


    "So once we are done with our homework let''s go out for a movie or something." Said Lucius.


    They all got their homework out and Lucius being the person he was, helped everyone finish in minutes.


    "So now that we are done how about we go watch a movie." Said Lucius.


    "How about we play hide and seek." Said Morrie.


    "Yeah." Hex smiled with the look of mischief.


    "We can call out when you are the seeker." Said Lucius tapping Hex.


    "Let''s start, who is going to be it first" Athena looked at Lucius.


    "Lucius?¡± Implied Morrie and Athena.


    "Well, you should start hiding" Said Lucius as he began to count down from one hundred.


    "I got you" Athena picked Hex up and ran away.


    Aurora ran and found a closet to hide in far away. She had run down a long hall and found it. She looked around and saw nothing but clothing. She was fine until the lights went out. Aurora was terrified of the dark. She always had been. She began to panic and reached for the door knob. She gripped it and opened the door. The dark halls filled her heart with dread.


    "Hex, Scarlet!" Yelled Aurora out into the empty space.


    She was afraid to move. She sat alone crying for a few minutes before something shifted in the darkness. She saw the eye''s of a beast. They reflected the dying light in the hall. It moved towards her and she could not move. Her body was frozen by its eyes. She knew it was him but those eyes stripped her bravery away. She no longer cared if it was dark the way those eyes cut into her made the dark seem like nothing.


    "Are you hurt?" Said Lucius.


    "N-no" Said Aurora wiping her tears away.


    "I found everyone else, here''s a flashlight I know you don''t like the dark" Said Lucius.


    Aurora didn''t notice she had grabbed his hand.


    "You don''t have to hold my hand if you don''t want to" Said Lucius.


    Something made a loud crash, she pressed herself against him and held tight. She felt his hand pat her head and his calm voice say


    "I''m here for you don''t be afraid".


    She didn''t feel afraid anymore, she felt strange. She felt like she could be herself. She felt she didn''t have to hide herself around him. They eventually arrived at Morrie''s room.


    "What took you to so long? Were you making out?" Asked Hex.


    "Hex!" Aurora squeaked in an angry yet shy tone.


    "What? Just asking and can I feel you up Lucius? I promise it''s just so I can see your face" Hex gave a wicked smile.


    "It''s fine with me" Said Lucius.


    Aurora couldn''t help but feel envy.


    Hex walked up to Lucius and he guided her hands to his face. She felt his face for a short while "You feel pretty attractive. If you don''t mind can I feel what the rest of you looks like?"


    "Go ahead"


    Aurora could not believe that he let her. She was angry, but not at Hex. She was mad at Lucius for letting her. She didn''t know why she felt that way, she wasn''t dating him but she still felt anger mixed with envy.


    Hex slowly patted down his body and smiled during every second of it. She lifted his shirt "You didn''t tell me you were ripped".


    Lucius had a thin yet extremely muscular body. It looked like a bodybuilder had been compressed into a thin defined body. Hex still had not stopped feeling him up. "How even, you''re so thin how did you get like this?"


    "I work out" Lucius looked over at Morrie and Athena.


    "Make out with me if I''m wrong but you''re really weak right?" Said Hex wrapping her arms around him. Her lips dangerously close to his.


    "I''m actually very weak" Said Lucius.


    "Let''s go do something else" Morrie pull Hex away from Lucius.


    "What are we going to do?" Asked Hex.


    "How about we plan a day when we can all go to the beach" Morrie looked over to Athena.


    "It''s super expensive to go there" Scarlet was looking at the floor.


    "I will take care of it for all of you" Said Lucius.


    "You''re so nice" Athena hugged Lucius.


    Scarlet tapped Aurora''s shoulder  "I don''t have any beach clothing" she whispered in a deathly silent voice.


    "If any of you don''t have beach clothing I will take you shopping" Said Lucius.


    Aurora felt like there was no end to his kindness despite seeming like a like a jerk at times. He was mean, but kind in a way. He would always push Athena away when she hugged him. But he would be kind when she looked in any way sad.


    "So how about we go on Friday?" Morrie looked at everyone.


    "Sounds good" Said everyone else.


    "Well we gotta go home" Aurora looked at Hex.


    "I can get Jed to take you all home" Said Morrie.


    "That would be great" Said Aurora.


    "Lucius just so you know I''m available" Said Hex.


    Aurora felt envy at the fact Hex could say something like that so easily. She wanted to tell Lucius she had a crush on him but she was afraid. She knew what to do. She felt sad that he didn''t remember they had meet. She barely remember but her sister had pictures of that day. Her plan was born. She would tell Scarlet to tell him if she didn''t do it herself on Friday. Or she could tell Morrie. They all walked to a car and they were all dropped off one by one. Aurora could not wait and went to sleep the second she got home. She got up one time this day walked to Hex''s house. It was her turn.


    "Hey baby face," Aurora teased opening the gate "You ready to go?"


    "Hey let me just find my cane" Hex felt around for a few moments.


    They were walking and found Lucius. He was stumbling towards them. He was in an alleyway. He was covered in blood and had cuts deep in his flesh. He collapsed and lay deathly still. Aurora pulled her phone out and called an ambulance.


    "Lucius, Lucius, wake up!" Aurora got down on her knees beside him.


    "What''s happening!?" Hex began feeling the area with her cane.


    "Lucius is hurt really bad" .


    He came back to consciousness "She took it" he said in his calm voice.


    "That doesn''t matter, you''re bleeding!"


    "She has my book" Said Lucius as a girl walked out of the dark.


    She was short with dark brown hair. "Awww that''s too bad now your girlfriend has to die" the girl grinned.


    "She is not my girlfriend" Said Lucius as he drew something with his blood.


    "Wow and I thought I was evil. Anyway tell me how to read this thing" Said the girl.


    "How about you go kill yourself and I will think about it" Said Lucius slamming his first.


    Smoke covered everything and they were running before they knew it. When they got near school he explained what had happened.


    "Don''t worry about her, she''s just a bitch. The cuts she gave me only last a few minutes. She just likes to mess with me because I''m the only person she likes according to her. It''s her way of showing kindness. It''s like she wants to be the only person who can hurt me" Said Lucius.


    "What is going on exactly" Hex pointed at him with her cane.


    "It''s my really mean stalker" Said Lucius.


    "A stalker?"Aurora was still looking around.


    "Well she just wants my book" Said Lucius.


    "What is so important about your book?" Hex was facing his detection.


    "Nothing, she just thinks it is" Said Lucius as the cuts on his body faded away.


    "What the hell is going on?" Aurora still had no idea.


    Lucius walked up to her and placed something on her head. He then placed one on Hex.


    Aurora didn''t know what she was waiting for. She continued to walk to school with Hex. They arrived and started walking to their classes. The teacher was rambling on about poetry and how it was an important part of life. A second later Athena walked in.


    "Hey, hi I have some slips to pass out" Said Athena capturing everyone''s eyes.


    She managed to look more beautiful with every passing day. It irked Aurora that the most attractive person at school only got more beautiful as time passed.


    Aurora knew that Lucius would reject her, but she wanted to tell him she liked him anyway. She felt it was like comparing Athena a star going supernova to her a candle flickering off. Even Allison wanted to be with him, even if it was just to prove she was better than Athena.


    "Thank you so much Athena" Said the teacher. She handed out the slips to the student council members which included Aurora.


    "And Atl..." Athena stopped mid sentence "Lucius said to meet him after school"


    She walked out of the room and everyone got back to work.


    "What does that freak want with you?" Said Harley.


    "Don''t call him that" Said Aurora.


    "Calm down. And do you know what he wants?"


    "I don''t know"


    "I heard he''s a Satan worshiper"


    "A what?"


    "You know, he prays to the monster thing all those church people hate."


    Aurora went back to work and tried to not yell at her. She knew people hated him, some of the teachers did to. She knew just as many kids were afraid of him. With the eyes he had, who wouldn''t. She got breakfast and few passed her next class. She then got to lunch with Hex and Scarlet.


    "So are you doing anything today?" Said Hex.


    "No how about you?" Aurora took a spoon full of pudding.


    "No just homework. Maybe we could get help from Lucius" Said Hex.


    "He can''t" Said Scarlet bright red.


    "Why not?" Asked Aurora.


    "Well he''s taking me shopping"


    "Wait you two are going alone?" Said Aurora with overflowing with envy.


    "Well yeah, you could call it a date"


    Aurora didn''t know what to think or say. All she could do is feel jealous about it.


    "I hope you to have fun" she sounded more happy than angry.


    "Thanks I am super nervous and do you think Athena will be mad?" Said Scarlet.


    "Maybe you should ask her" Said Aurora.


    "You''re right, it''s the right thing to do" Said Scarlet. She stood up and walked away.


    "Do you like Lucius?" Asked Hex.

 chapter 2.4 Aurora

    "Do you like Lucius?" Asked Hex.


    "What no, I just--, he''s nice, and cute, no, not cute I mean he''s a cool kid." She stopped for a moment "Is it really that easy to tell?"


    "It''s kinda hard to tell, but it seems like you like him more every day" Said Hex.


    "I just don''t know what to do, and don''t you like him?" Said Aurora.


    "I just like to flirt with him" Said Hex. She liked him as a friend, but felt like it could change.


    "Oh, so what do you think I should do?" Asked Aurora.


    "Well I have no idea. I would be worried about Athena because if you piss her off I would be lucky not being able to see what she would do to you" Said Hex.


    "That''s not helping!" Said Aurora.


    "Hey"


    They screamed when they looked over and saw Athena. Hex was standing beside her red as could be.


    "I need to talk to all of you before you talk to Lucius again" Said Athena.


    They nodded and looked at Scarlet. The bell rang before they could ask Scarlet what had happened. She spent the entire class fearing what Athena would say. She worried Athena would be mad. She wondered if she was angry about Scarlet and Lucius.


    When the bell finally rang she was not happy about it. She walked to where she usually found Morrie and Lucius. Athena was there and Lucius was off in the distance. She was the last one to arrive.


    "Let me make this clear, Lucius is my little brother," Said Athena.


    Those words made Aurora explode with happiness.


    "But don''t you think for one second you can just have him. He is my brother and if you want him you have to go through me" Said Athena with a tone of anger her voice had never had before.


    She almost seemed mad. It was something so out of her norm.


    "And if any of you make a move on him so help me. But if you do want to go on a date with him just tell me. Last but not least if any of you hurt his feelings their will be nothing left of you for the police to find" Said Athena with a deathly tone. Morrie raised her hand.


    "Yes Morrie?" Said Athena.


    "I want him not as a boyfriend but I want his time. I want to be able to study him at any time. But if being his girlfriend is the best way to do that so be it" Said Morrie.


    "No, that''s not fair I had a date with him first" Said Scarlet.


    "I met him first"


    "You don''t even like him"


    "I never said that, I said that I don''t want him as a boyfriend"


    Aurora could see Allison running off with Lucius. She was holding his hand.


    "Lucius is getting kidnapped"


    They could see Lucius dash around the corner of the building. They began to run after him and when they turned the corner but found nothing. Hex was walking slowly to a bench. Aurora ran over to Hex, she grabbed her hand and ran over to the group.


    "Where would you go if you were a slutty prick?" Asked Hex.


    Morrie walked over to Hex "Do you mind taking a step to the right".


    Hex moved over and Morrie said "Right around here"


    "You''re so funny" Hex shook her head.


    "What could that prick want with my brother" Said Athena.


    "She thinks if she steals him from you she can prove she is the hottest girl at school" Said Morrie.


    "How do you know that?" Said Hex.


    "We were really good friends once I know how she thinks" Said Morrie.


    "I''m going to call him" Said Athena.


    "I put his phone on automatic pick up" Said Athena.


    "Why would you do that?" Asked Aurora.


    "Because he wouldn''t pick up when I called him at night. Someone had to get me water"


    "So any idea where he could be?" Said Hex. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Nope" Was the general reply.


    "Well where is that hoe" Said Hex.


    "Maybe she took him home" Said Hex.


    "Why would she do that?" Said Aurora.


    "That''s what I would do. I would keep him in my room with a little chain around his neck so he couldn''t leave" Said Hex.


    "Kinky" Said Scarlet.


    "I know where she lives" Morrie stood up.


    "I am going to call him but let''s start walking" Said Athena.


    They walked behind Morrie and Athena called. His phone was on silent but would still let them hear what was going on the other side of the line. They could hear nothing but rustling. They could hear a door open and shut. A long while passed before they heard anything else.


    "I think you were right" Said Aurora before the phone made a noise.


    "Like this?" was the first words they heard come from the phone.


    "Yeah just like that" it was Lucius''s voice


    "Have you ever done this with anyone before?" it was Allison.


    "You''re my first" Said Lucius.


    All of them were as red as humanly possible. Athena was covering her ears. Morrie seemed interested and mad. She had her sleeves up to her face. Aurora was pretending to cover her ears.


    "It''s hard" Said Allison.


    "It''s supposed to be that way" Replied Lucius. Random sounds blocked out half of what they were saying.


    "Are you going to put it in?" Asked Allison.


    They arrived at her house and Athena run up to the door and kicked it in. They all found Allison and Lucius making candy and other sweets. They were all still red to an almost unnatural amount.


    "W-w-what were you two doing?!" Said Athena.


    "Making candy?" Replied Lucius.


    "We totally thought you two were having-"


    Aurora placed her hand over Hex''s mouth.


    "An affair" Aurora replied for her.


    "I don''t like Allison and I''m not married" Said Lucius.


    "You don''t like me?" Allison widened her eyes.


    "Yes, I don''t like you and that goes for all of you" Said Lucius.


    Athena cleared her throat.


    "You don''t count and you''re my sister, so its sibling love" Said Lucius.


    "She''s your sister?!" Yelled Allison.


    "Yes is that not public knowledge?"


    "Everyone thinks you and Athena are together!" Allison yelled.


    Lucius seemed surprised "That''s gross what is wrong with you people."


    "I thought you were Morrie''s brother" Said Scarlet.


    "I''m leaving, let''s got Scarlet" Said Lucius taking her hand.


    She turned red as could be and they ran off.


    "Well I''m going to see what they are up too" Said Morrie.


    "I''m coming with" Said Hex.


    "We can''t just let her get a head start" Said Aurora.


    "Are you coming with us?" Said Athena to Allison.


    She nodded but said "Wait!".


    She ran to her room and pulled out an enormous amount of makeup.


    "We should disguise ourselves" Said Allison.


    They got makeup and made themselves look different. They go hats and sunglasses. They walked to the mall and tried their best not to look suspicious.


    "We look stupid" Said Hex.


    "How would you know you''re blind" Said Allison.


    "Even I could see that you look stupid" Said Hex.


    Aurora was looking around. "So should we split up and find them?"


    "Yeah let''s go in teams" Said Athena.


    They made teams and split up.


    "Wait why are you here anyway. Didn''t you just want to date him so you could prove you are better looking than Athena?" Said Aurora.


    "I am and I still need to prove it don''t I" Said Allison.


    Aurora was with Allison and they were looking in the upper left half of the mall.


    "So Aurora, it''s been a long time since we spent time together" .


    "Yeah it has, how is life being popular?"


    "It''s nice I have lots of friends" Said Allison


    "Do you actually like any of them as people?" Said Aurora as they walked.


    "Of course I do!"


    "Do you really? You like hanging out with those kids who only care about how much money you have" Said Aurora.


    She knew what the people she hung out with were like. They were rotten to the core just like Allison. She wasn''t always like that. She was a free spirit at one point but her other friends would pick on Scarlet and Morrie. Morrie never mentioned she was rich and Scarlet never mentioned she was poor. But people assumed and made fun of them. Most of the kids at their school paid to pass the classes. But the rare few like Scarlet were gifted.


    Aurora saw them and pulled Allison behind cover. They were not looking at swimsuits. They were looking at each other. They were sharing a milkshake. They were laughing and he seemed to be blushing. Was she to late? Had he already fallen in love with another girl? It was a picture perfect moment. Her emerald eyes didn''t just stand out from her wavy red river of hair, they danced. Her eyelids like curtains revealing a beautiful ballerina with every flutter of her eyelids.


    He had a sleeping beast within his crimson pearls. His short dark hair was like a dead ancient forest. They say opposites attract and it''s hard to get anything more different than them. She took his hand and they walked out as if down the aisle.


    "Ummm Aurora, you''re crushing the chair" Allison poked her.


    Aurora let go of the chair and looked back at them. They walked to a clothing shop. They looked around and she began to try on different outfits. One after another and they eventually had a bag full of clothing. She would pose for every piece of clothing she got. Everyone seemed to think they were as cute a couple as she did. Aurora saw Morrie walking towards them. Athena tackled her and moved out of sight. Aurora and everyone else were watching them. Aurora didn''t understand why she felt so angry but she had a plan.


    A girl with brown hair was walking towards him. Lucius turned to face her. She swung at him and missed. He placed a piece of paper on her and she stood still. He kissed her cheek and walked away. He hugged Scarlet from behind and she was red as could be. Lucius was different. He hated physical contact most of the time and now he was hugging Scarlet. They walked out of the store and out of the mall. Lucius pulled out his phone and called her. Aurora panicked because they were close enough for him to hear them. She smashed her phone and ducked behind cover. She watched them walk to a place near her house. They hugged and walked away from each other. Aurora wanted to ask him before before anyone else did. She looked over at Allison.


    "Hey Allison go around and intercept him" Said Aurora. She wanted to do this, she was heart set on him.

 chapter 3.1 Scarlet

    <h4>Ch. 3 Scarlet</h4>


    He grabbed Scarlet''s hand and pulled her outside. Once they were out of sight he told her "Let''s get you something new to wear".


    "Do you want to walk or should I call a cab?" Said Lucius.


    "Lets walk"


    She had never been to the mall before. She wasn''t able to afford anything there anyway. At least not anything she couldn''t find at one tenth price in the market. Everything at the market had been used before and was rather old but she couldn''t afford much else.


    "I''m giving you a budget of ten thousand marks. I didn''t get my credit card this morning and that all I have in my pocket" Said Lucius.


    Scarlet didn''t know if she had heard him right. Ten thousand marks was what her brother made in a year of work


    "What?" Said Scarlet with absolute confusion in her soft voice.


    "I only have ten thousand marks to spend today" Said Lucius still holding her hand.


    She didn''t want to spend his money on anything. She felt like it would be wrong to use his money for herself. She didn''t just want to tell him he couldn''t buy her anything because she had already dragged him this far.


    "And just in case you are thinking that you owe me anything you don''t. I am doing this because I know you deserve it" Said Lucius.


    Scarlet didn''t know what to say. She felt like she was using him but she had never asked him to.


    She opened her mouth "You don''t have to do this".


    "I know that, I told you already you idiot. Do you actually think I don''t know that? I am doing this because I care about you" Said Lucius turning away from her.


    She didn''t know he truly felt nothing towards her. He viewed her as just a pretty thing to look at. Just something to look at when bored.


    "Really?" Said Scarlet with joy.


    "Why would I lie to you" Said Lucius.


    She felt happy that he cared for her. Aside from her family few people did.


    "How old are you?" Asked Scarlet still holding his hand.


    "I don''t know" Said Lucius.


    She thought this was odd but she could just ask Athena later. They reached the mall and he looked at her.


    "Are you hungry?" Said Lucius.


    "No" Said Scarlet.


    "Why are you lying to me?"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Really I''m not" Said Scarlet attempting to seem more convincing.


    "Let''s go get some food" Said Lucius.


    They walked to a fancy restaurant and walked up to a waiter.


    "Sorry kids no hand outs" Said the man.


    "Shut your mouth you pig, give me the most expensive garbage on your menu and a large table" Said Lucius.


    "Now watch your mouth" Said the man.


    "Give me the most expensive food on your menu and a large table" Said Lucius holding out a massive stack of cash.


    "Well of course" Said the man.


    Lucius handed the man two hundred marks and said "Thank you for your hospitality".


    They were seated at a table for two and Scarlet was impressed. He seemed to be in control of the place within minutes. A tall thick man walked up behind Lucius. Scarlet could see he was well off because his clothing alone was worth more than her house.


    "Lucius? Is that you?" Said the man.


    "Moriarty, how are you" Said Lucius.


    "I am well and who is your lovely friend" Said Moriarty with a thick old voice.


    "She is Scarlet"


    "Nice to meet you" Said Scarlet.


    He seems overjoyed and shook her hand.


    "I haven''t seen you at the table lately. You got a few million last time, and thank you for the ten percent cut" Said the man with a chuckle.


    "Perhaps I will this week. And just remember to follow all my instructions, getting the jackpot will be no problem" Said Lucius.


    "Well I will leave you to enjoy your dinner with your girlfriend. And your cut will be in your account tomorrow morning" Said Moriarty with a tilt of his hat.


    "Thank you and have a good day Moriarty" Said Lucius.


    Scarlet wanted to ask why he was gambling but didn''t want to make him mad. They brought over beautifully decorated food. It smelled better than it looked and it looked like paradise. Scarlet ate everything even the garnish and decorations. Lucius ate a small place of ice cream. They brought one to Scarlet. She noticed Lucius was making small noises and seemed to be more than enjoying his food. She stood up and walked over to Lucius. He turned towards her.


    She leaned in and whispered in his ear


    "You seem to really be enjoying that food".


    He coughed and blushed slightly. She walked over with her rum ice cream and gave him a spoon full. They finished eating and left the restaurant and walked out.


    "So do you want to check out the clothing store?" Said Scarlet.


    He took her hand and said "I''d rather check you out".


    They walked to a jewelry store. He walked and looked around the fancy store.


    He picked up a few diamond earrings and said "Which do you like more?".


    "I don''t know" Said Scarlet.


    "I mean me or the earrings" Said Lucius.


    Scarlet covered her face with her hands "You".


    She felt the warmth cover her face. He grabbed her hand and walked over to the cash register. He bought the earrings and handed them to Scarlet. They spent a decent amount of time looking at the jewelry.


    "Want to share a smoothie?" Asked Lucius.


    "That would be great" Said Scarlet with a smile.


    She wasn''t hungry but wanted to do it anyway.


    He held her close and they walked to a smoothie shop.


    "One Vanilla heart please"


    She felt warmth sweep over her body and wanted to hug him. They took a seat and she was red as could be.


    "You look really cute when you''re blushing" Said Lucius.


    She wanted to say he was cute to but she was overwhelmed with joy. She wanted to say it.


    "Thanks"


    The drink arrived and they got two straws. Lucius drank small sips and Scarlet pretended to.


    "My mom and dad had this kind of smoothie on their first date" Said Lucius.


    "Really?"


    "Yeah, by the way I like your hair it looks like my moms. Well one of them"

 chapter 3.2 Scarlet

    "Yeah, by the way I like your hair it looks like my moms. Well one of them"


    Scarlet was worried he would say she looked like his mom and drop her in the friend zone.


    "What do you mean one of them?" Said Scarlet.


    "Well my mom can''t get pregnant so birth mother had me. My mom gave my birth mother the egg. So the only thing me and my sisters have in common is my dad. My sisters biological mother is my birth mother. Or at least that is what we have determined. But I call them both mom" Said Lucius.


    "So you and Athena have different moms but the same dad?"


    "No, she''s my twin. Our younger sisters have a different mother, or at least some them do"


    Scarlet wanted to ask if he had a picture of them but it seemed a bit odd. Scarlet felt his hand push her bangs away and ever so gently. She leaned in and closed her eyes. She felt his lips press against her cheek.


    "Can we do that again" Said Lucius.


    "I don''t know, can we?" Said Scarlet.


    She smiled and took a sip of the smoothie. They looked at each other from a long minute. She knew she liked him but she wondered if it was something more. When they finishes the smoothie they ran off to a clothing store.


    "What do you think you want to try out?" Said Lucius.


    "How about swimsuits first and you can decide what looks best" Said Scarlet.


    She picked a few one piece swimsuits and said "What do you think will look best?"


    "To be completely honest none. They don''t help capture you in a good way. They would look good on you but then again you could have a garbage bag on and still look good. Something more like that" Said Lucius pointing at a bikini.


    "That?" Said Scarlet turning a brighter red than ever before.


    "You would look really good in it" Said Lucius with a half smile.


    She picked up a few bikinis and walked into the changing room. She looked at a green bikini with dots and jumped into it.


    She stepped out and said "What do you think".


    She watched Lucius sit up and blink a few times.


    "You didn''t tell me you were curvy" Said Lucius.


    "No, I''m not" Said Scarlet still bright red.


    "And I''m not human" Said Lucius.


    "So what do you think" Said Scarlet.


    "You look adorable" Said Lucius.


    She was happy with adorable but thought it was borderline friend zone. She ran off and jumped into another outfit. She wondered if he did like her as a friend.


    "What do you think" Said Scarlet twirling in a red swimsuit.


    "You look lovely" Said Lucius.


    She was in a state of ecstasy. He had used the word lovely as if she was someone he loved not a person he thought was adorable. She tried on outfit after outfit and intended to get everyone he liked.


    "I think that''s all" Said Scarlet with a smile.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "That''s too bad, I was enjoying the show" Said Lucius.


    They paid and walked out. They were holding hands and Scarlet was smiling from ear to ear.


    "What do you want to do?" Said Scarlet.


    She felt his lips enlighten her cheek.


    "I have an idea or two" Said Lucius.


    They walked in the direction of her home. She stopped before they reached the slums. She knew he would get robbed if he want their. She was good a hiding anything worth something. That''s why she thought she was terrible at hide and go seek.


    "See you tomorrow then?" Said Scarlet.


    "Maybe for you but I will be seeing to tonight in my dreams" Said Lucius.


    His eyes looked terrifying and amazing. They held beauty and power within them. She wanted to kiss him but felt that would be far too much. She walked home avoiding every single person she could. The last thing she wanted was to get robbed. She passed through the small filthy houses and dark hell holes of alleys. She reached her small dark house and popped through the door. The dim light within kissed her cheeks.


    "I''m home" Said Scarlet as a small red haired child tackled her.


    "I missed you" Said Penelope.


    Her red short hair was in two short braids. Her baby blue eyes looked up at Scarlet with joy.


    "What''s in the bag?"


    "Nothing" Said Scarlet lifting the bag.


    "Show meeee" Said Penelope grabbing at her shirt.


    She began to crawl her way up Scarlet.


    "Fine I''ll show you"


    She opened the bag and full of expensive clothing.


    "How did you get all this?" Said Penelope.


    "My friend got it for me" Said Scarlet with a smile.


    "A boyfriend?" Said Penelope pressing her hands against Scarlet''s cheeks.


    "No, just a friend" Said Scarlet.


    She walked to her room and sat on the tiny bed. She had Penelope laying across her lap.


    She heard the door unlock and a woman say "I''m home".


    They shot up and ran to the door. They hugged their mother and she spun them around.


    "How was school?" Said Dorrie.


    "Great" Said Scarlet.


    "Scarlet got a bunch of pretty clothing" Said Penelope.


    "How?" Asked her mother.


    "My friend got it for me" Said Scarlet.


    She looked at the price tag and gasped.


    "Scarlet you know it''s wrong to asked people to get things for you" Said her mother.


    "I didn''t ask he just got it for me" Said Scarlet.


    "Wait a second, do you have a boyfriend?" Said her mother picking her up.


    "No mom he is just my friend" Replied Scarlet.


    "You can tell me. I can tell by the look on your face that you like him" Said her mother.


    "I have homework to do" Said Scarlet with a smile.


    She knew she didn''t but she didn''t want her mom to know she had a crush. She walked to her small room and looked at the price tags. She knew the clothing could buy her brother a full two months off work. If she could get someone to sell even a single piece of the clothing. She had a total of eleven pairs. She decided she could sell one. She hope Lucius wouldn''t be mad.


    She ate a small sandwich and went to bed. She got up and remembered that she hadn''t read her sister a bedtime story. She walked over to her sister and pulled her to bed. She sat her down and read her a story. Her sister fell asleep soon after. Her mother was already asleep. She made lunch for her mother and brother then went back to bed.


    She laid down and counted the stars.


    She woke up the next morning and got up. She woke up and got whatever food they had. She made her family food and sat at the table. Her brother picked up the food and ran off. He had work to get to. She waited for her sister and walked with her.


    She avoided anyone she didn''t know and some people she did know. She eventually got to school with her sister. She got to her first class. She spent most of the time doing nothing but planning out what she would do at the beach. She did whatever work she had to and was all too ready for math. She found Hex and attempted to sneak up on her.


    "I can hear you" Said Hex turning to her.


    "How do you do that?" Said Scarlet with a smile.


    "I can see you" Said Hex.


    "And I can smell sound" Said Scarlet hugging Hex.


    "So how was your date?" Said Hex.


    "It wasn''t a date" Said Scarlet bushing bright red.


    "So is he a good kisser because if you don''t know find out I will" Said Hex.


    "I bet you will"


    She spotted Aurora and ran over to her.


    "Hey Baby face" Said Scarlet.


    "Hey" Said Aurora.


    "Ready for the beach?"


    "I don''t know. I don''t think I should go" Aurora.


    "Why not" Said Lucius.

 chapter 3.3 Scarlet

    They screamed and turned towards him. They had not seen him appear. He was there and nothing else.


    "I won''t ask again" Said Lucius.


    "I just didn''t think I should" Said Aurora.


    "I want you to go" Said Lucius taking her hand.


    Scarlet felt envy like she had never known before. She felt like she had just caught him cheating on her. She knew they weren''t together but she didn''t like that was happening. She knew just what to do.


    She wrapped her arms around him and said "I really enjoyed our date".


    The Aurora''s expression said it all. Scarlet grabbed Lucius and pulled him in.


    "I like you as a good friend" Said Scarlet.


    He stood still for a moment and walked away. He didn''t say anything or so much as blink. He just walked away.


    A few moments later Athena walked over "Something is up with Lucius. Did something happen?".


    Scarlet pointed at Aurora  "She kissed him"


    "No I didn''t!" Yelled Aurora.


    Athena picked them both up "We will be right back Hex".


    She walked outside gathering glances from everyone. Athena looked at the crowded and slammed her hands together causing a boom like the crack of lightning.


    "Beat it or I''ll beat you" Said Athena turning back towards them. She took a deep breath and looked at them. "Listen Lucius is special" Said Athena.


    "Of course he is" Said Scarlet and Aurora in unison.


    "You really don''t understand. He is not able to live a normal life because of some complications. His heart is to weak to survive any strain. Running too quickly could kill him. Being frightened could hurt him but he is kinda messed up so that doesn''t work. And his heart rate could reach dangerous levels if, he is you, know stimulated" Said Athena.


    "Are you saying if he likes anyone he will die?" Asked Scarlet.


    "Pretty much"


    "Why doesn''t he just get a heart transplant?" Said Aurora.


    "It''s complicated. Lucius told me it worked a little like this: his body would reject any and all foreign tissue other than someone who is in our immediate family. But that isn''t the only problem. His body goes into shock very easily and he has deathly reactions to any kind of painkillers and sedatives. If we wanted to transplant his heart he would need to be awake during the entire process"


    "Why are there so many things wrong with him" Said Aurora.


    "If only I knew. But my mom said it had something to do with how we were born but I''ll tell you all about that later. For now just try not to do anything that will make his heart go crazy" Said Athena walking away.


    It seemed like the universe wanted him dead. Everything that could go wrong for him was going wrong.


    "We should go get Hex" Said Scarlet.


    They walked to the cafeteria and saw Allison talking with Hex.


    "Hey Allison" Said Scarlet with a hint of displeasure in her tone.


    "I heard you were all going to the beach" Said Allison.


    "So what if we are" Said Scarlet. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Well I will be joining you" Said Allison.


    "Did someone invite you?" Asked Scarlet.


    "I didn''t say anyone did you worthless bitch" Said Allison.


    Scarlet slapped her. She stood still for just an instant before she attacked. Scarlet and Allison started throwing punches at each other. They were doing all they could to hurt each other. They hadn''t even noticed Morrie before they were both knocked unconscious. They woke up in the nurse''s office beside each other.


    "How did it feel being unconscious?" Asked Morrie.


    "Why did you knock me out?" Asked Scarlet.


    "I needed to and do you mind if I place these sensors on you" Said Morrie.


    "Go ahead I''m not afraid" Said Scarlet.


    She had no idea why she added the part about not being afraid but Allison responded "Neither am I, place a few on me to".


    Morrie placed the sensor over their bodies and Said "By the way Lucius and I are together so back off". She felt her heart drop.


    "That was a lie I needed to examine your reaction to such information" Morrie scribbled down notes.


    Scarlet wanted to yell at her but knew they would get suspicious if she did. Lucius walked in with roses and chocolate. Scarlet felt warmth cover her body. He walked up to her in a way so calmly it soothed her.


    "I brought you roses and chocolate" Said Lucius with a intense look in his eyes. He sat the flowers in a vase and handed her a box of chocolates. She could feel envy crashing on her from everyone in the room. Morrie''s facial expression looked like she was hungry and was watching someone eat the food she had been saving all day. Her sleeves were up to her shoulders probably in fists.


    "And this if for you" Said Lucius handing Allison roses and a box of chocolates as well.


    Everyone now had their eyes on Allison. They didn''t know what to think but Scarlet knew what she was thinking and it was nothing good. Morrie grabbed Lucius and pulled him out of the room. Scarlet nearly fainted when she saw the price tag on the box of chocolates. The roses were of a breed she had never seen before. They seemed to shimmer in the light. She opened the box of chocolates like a safe.


    Lucius walked in as she did this and said "Wait".


    He didn''t really raise his voice but it seemed to have the slightest bit of urgency. "You''re hurt," Lucius walked over "Let me do it".


    She didn''t know what to say so she just nodded. He looked into her your and said "Which one do you want".


    "You"


    "Interesting choice, Ue chocolate is intended to be good, but not too good in order to complement the other chocolates in the box" Said Lucius as he picked up a chocolate and placed it in her mouth.


    She was disappointed that he didn''t get the hint. Morrie was no longer in the room. It was just her and Allison. Her mouth watered at the smell of the chocolate. But when she finally tasted it she couldn''t hold back.


    Lucius leaned in and whispered "That sounds familiar".


    She punched him in the shoulder and turned away with a smile.


    "I''m hurt too" Said Allison.


    Scarlet wanted to tell her to shut her mouth but didn''t want to say something so rude in front of Lucius. He stood up and she felt her heart break.


    He walked over and asked "What would you like?"


    "How about a kiss" Said Allison.


    "A-kiss is a very flavorful chocolate. The cocoa seeds that they use are made from are meant to be the most flavorful humanly possible" Said Lucius. Scarlet could feel Allison''s disappointment. He picked the chocolate up and she ate the chocolate. She managed to wrap her lips around his index finger for just a second.


    "Your lips are soft" Was his response.


    She had no idea someone could be so smart and stupid.


    "Lucius can I have another" Said Scarlet.


    "Of course" Said Lucius walking over.


    "See anything you like?" Asked Lucius.


    "I see you and I don''t mean the chocolate"


    "I too like you as an acquaintance" Replied Lucius.


    Shit I''m in the friend zone


    "Can you kiss me Lucius" Said Scarlet.


    "I don''t see a reason why" Said Lucius.


    "Kisses make me feel better" Said Scarlet.


    "If it makes you feel better I will kiss your cheek" Said Lucius.


    He leaned in. She was going to turn at the last second and kiss his lips.


    "Whats going on here" The nurse entered the room.


    "Hello Fiona, thank you for taking such good care of my friends. Here is a gift to show my appreciation" Said Lucius pulling a box out of his backpack.


    "Why thank you Lucius" Said Fiona with a smile.


    "Well school just let out so if you are still hurt we can reschedule the beach party" Said Lucius.


    "No!" Screamed Scarlet and Allison in unison.


    Scarlet got up "Let''s go".


    Allison got up as well. Scarlet knew just what to do.


    I''ll pretend I''ve hurt my foot so he''ll carry me.


    "Ow," Said Scarlet as she placed pressure on her foot.

 chapter 3.4 Scarlet

    "Ow," Said Scarlet as she placed pressure on her foot.


    "Don''t worry I will carry you," Said Lucius "It''s the only thing I''m physically good at". Scarlet wrapped her arms around him.


    "Hold me close" Said Lucius with a smile.


    "Why is this the only thing you''re physically good at?" Asked Scarlet.


    "Because my baby sisters would always ask me to carry them. I didn''t want to disappoint them so I worked out. It took a few months but I can hold two hundred pounds for half an hour if needed"


    "You spent all that time just to make them happy?"


    "No, I spent a lot more. I learned to cook so I could make food for them any time they wanted. I also memorized hundreds of stories for them and learned how to play several instruments"


    "So you you do have a heart" Said Scarlet kissing his cheek.


    Allison interrupted "I''M HURT TOO!"


    "Athena is right outside she can carry you" Said Lucius.


    Allison didn''t exactly seem happy at that news.


    "Hey" Said Athena stepping in.


    She picked Allison up and started walking.


    "So we are taking a limo I rented for today" Said Lucius.


    "A limo?" Said Scarlet with confusion.


    "Yeah, a limo" Replied Lucius as Scarlet pressed closer against him.


    They got to the front of the school and saw everyone else waiting.


    "Hey Lucius" Said Aurora blowing a kiss and giving a twirl in her blue dress. She looked almost as beautiful as Athena and that was saying something.


    "Morrie will be joining us at the beach" Said Lucius.


    They all got in the car and Scarlet took a seat next to Lucius. Aurora also had a seat next to him.


    "There are drinks in the cooler if any of you want any" Said Lucius.


    Everyone grabbed a different drink from the cooler except for Lucius.


    "Don''t you want one?" Asked Scarlet.


    "No they have a zero point five percent alcohol content and that is more than my body can handle" Said Lucius.


    "You''re joking?" Said Allison.


    "Why would I be?" Said Lucius.


    "Trust me it''s true. He gets it from our mom" Said Athena.


    Hex laughed.


    They all enjoyed how she was so accepting of being blind. She was born that way. It was more than just her eyes. The part of her brain responsible for sight had never developed. No surgery could repair the damage, at least not yet.


    "What''s that in the corner?" Said Aurora.


    "That''s Raven, she''s sleeping" Said Lucius.


    "Lolicon" Said Athena with a smile.


    "I am not, we are just acquaintances" Said Lucius.


    "Whats a lolicon?" Said Scarlet with deep interest.


    "Care to explain Lucius?" Said Athena with joy bursting from her lips.


    "Fine but don''t get the wrong idea" Said Lucius taking a breath.


    "It''s basically being attracted to young girls or child-like girls that look young" Said Lucius.


    "So are you into her? Or are you IN to her" Hex had her wicked grin on.


    "That''s disgusting and I am not a lolicon, my sister just likes to make fun of me" Said Lucius.


    Scarlet found it funny that Lucius had invited a nine year old to the beach as well.


    "Lucius" Groaned Raven.


    Lucius walked over to her and said "What''s up tiny?"


    "I''m cold" Said Raven.


    "Don''t worry about it" Said Lucius picking her up and holding her.


    You could almost hold the about of envy and confusion in the air.


    She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek "I like this"


    Scarlet wanted to push her out of his hand. She felt wrong that she even thought about it.


    "How old are you?" Said Allison.


    "Fifteen" Replied Raven.


    Everyone with the exception of Hex seemed surprised.


    "Your older than all of us!" Said Aurora.


    "Let''s just say Lucius is into older girls" Said Raven with a wink.


    Oh he does does he?


    "We have arrived" Said the driver.


    Everyone walked out still confused by Raven. She was holding his hand. Scarlet wasn''t going to lose to a child.


    "Ow, it still hurts! Lucius can you carry me?" Said Scarlet.


    "Of course" Lucius picked her up.


    Score!


    When only Raven was looking she stuck her tongue out at her. They got on the soft smooth sand and Raven pushed her. Lucius re-positioned himself to keep them from falling. Scarlet felt his hand shift and move back.


    "I didn''t mean to do that" Said Lucius.


    He quickly moved his hand away. Scarlet was bright red and glaring at Raven. She knew just what to do to get back at her. Athena was setting up beach towels and a few ice boxes. Once the towels were on the floor Lucius set Scarlet down.


    "Lucius" Said Aurora in a shy tone. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    If the word beautiful had a body it would envy Aurora''s. Everything about her seemed perfect. Her hair, her eyes, her voice, why now of all moments did she chose to show just how perfect she really is.


    "Could you teach me how to swim" Said Aurora looking right into his eyes.


    "I will be right back" Said Lucius.


    He walked away and reached into his backpack. He grabbed the pill with tongs. He ate a small black pill from a silver jar. He seemed to gag. He was shaking for just a moment and walked back.


    "I can teach you" Said Lucius in a voice void of life.


    His voice scent chill tearing through her spine. His eyes seemed cold enough to freeze a star from the inside out. He walked to the water without a second though. Scarlet felt like something was wrong with those black pills. They just looked wrong for some reason.


    "Hey Athena what are those pills your brother just ate" Said Scarlet.


    "Those are pills to keep him calm and stuff. He has to eat one every day. But whatever you do don''t touch them if he drops one" Said Athena.


    Scarlet noticed lots of people were looking at Athena and Aurora. Hundreds of people were playing in the water and sand. She didn''t understand why she felt alone.


    How do they not notice the people starring? It''s like they don''t even realize that they are attractive.


    Scarlet noticed a girl that looked familiar. She had dark hair that seemed to be almost purple. She ran up to Lucius and hugged him from behind. He was still teaching Aurora how to swim. She kissed his cheek and Lucius seemed frozen. He didn''t move for short moment and fell into the water. She yelped and pulled him up.


    Scarlet ran over and the rest of the group.


    "Who are you and what did you do to him!" Said Athena at the girl.


    "It''s me, Morrie"


    Everyone was completely confused but turned back to Lucius. He was gone.


    "What the, where did he go I just saw him" Said Aurora.


    They looked around but couldn''t find him. Athena call the life guards and they had everyone get out of the water. They couldn''t find him anywhere. He had vanished into the air. They were unable to find him.


    Athena called their guardian and explained what had happened. She drove over and was worried beyond belief. They told her what had happened and she seemed only confused.


    "I don''t know what to say" Said Evelynn as she soothed Athena.


    Athena was about to cry but Evelynn kept her from doing so.


    "Did he take his pills?" Said Evelynn.


    "He did" Said Athena.


    "How many?" Asked Evelynn.


    "Two" Said Scarlet.


    "Why would he do that" Said Evelynn.


    Her tone suggested that it was something dangerous or at least stupid.


    "What is going on?" Said Lucius.


    Everyone was looking at him and Aurora was the first to hold him. He seemed surprised but smiled his half smile of all things.


    Since when was Aurora able to get that smile out of him? Well it doesn''t matter since I''ll be the first to get a whole one.


    He held her and he asked "What''s the big deal?"


    Aurora replied with joy and anger "You scared me you big dummy"


    Athena hugged him as well. After the initial shock passed they told the lifeguards they had found him.


    "Lucius can you teach me to swim to?" Asked Scarlet.


    "Of course, you still up for learning Aurora?" Asked Lucius to Aurora who was standing next to Evelynn.


    "Wait a second you already... Ow!" Evelynn Yelped.


    "Let''s go" Said Aurora.


    Scarlet ran after them and felt a little better.


    "I''m going to start with you" Said Lucius.


    "I like the sound of that" Said Scarlet.


    "I am going to place my hands near your chest and start with the normal strokes" Said Lucius.


    She already knew how but enjoyed that he was willing to show her. He was so gentle and calm she felt like she could fall asleep in his hands. She woke up on a beach towel with her head resting on his leg.


    "You fell asleep" Said Lucius.


    Raven and Aurora were also sleeping but they were leaning against him. She felt his soft hand brush her bangs out of her face.


    "Did you sleep well?" Asked Lucius setting Aurora and Raven down on the beach towel.


    She was wonderstruck when he took her hand and walked to the edge of the water. The sun was setting and the beautiful pink sky had painted clouds in the air.


    "Scarlet, I want to tell you that I..." Scarlet stopped him with a kiss.


    His arms wrapped around her and she was overwhelmed with joy. At that instant she felt more than she had in the majority of her life.


    "Scarlet, Scarlet" Said a voice as her body began to shake slightly.


    She woke up.


    "You fell asleep and you bit me" Said Lucius.


    "Sorry" Said Scarlet with more embarrassment than she had ever felt before.


    Aurora was sleeping on his right. She was leaned against him. She waited for a moment hoping her dream would come true. She felt an explosion of joy once he sat Aurora down for her leaning position. He grabbed a pillow and placed it under her head.


    "I''ll be right back" Said Lucius taking Morrie''s hand.


    "You won the bet so I will dance with you" Said Lucius.


    "I choose the song and style too" Said Morrie.


    He nodded and they held hands.


    A slow song began to play and they began to slow dance. They held each other close and she spun out then back into his arms.


    It''s like he''s was born to be able to do whatever he set his mind to. He''s a natural at everything.


    She thought for a moment and remembered their date. She could only imagine how jealous they would have been. He had even call her beautiful, kind of.


    She waited until the song ended and asked Lucius "Who do you love?"


    He seemed to truly be pondering the question.


    "My family I guess" Said Lucius seeming uncertain.


    She wondered if this meant he didn''t know if he care about them or if he was considering if he loved someone else. She didn''t believe he could be so heartless as to not be certain if he loved his family.


    "Where did you live before you came here?" She asked.


    "L.A,California" he replied.


    "Is that where those terrorists attacked the school?" Said Morrie.


    Athena ran up to them smiling.


    "What you guys talking about?" Said Athena swaying side to side as she hopped from one foot to another.


    "Nothing just go back to playing in the sand" Said Lucius.


    "Wait how old are you Athena?" Said Raven popping out from behind Lucius.


    "Thirteen, and my brother is available just so you all know" Said Athena with a wink.


    "I am not" Said Lucius in his flat tone.


    "Who are you with then?" Said Scarlet.


    She didn''t want him to be with anyone even if she just kinda liked him. She noticed at that same moment a beautiful necklace hidden between Athena''s curves.


    "What''s that?" Scarlet pointed.


    "Um, boobs?"


    "I''m surprised Raven didn''t ask because she doesn''t have any" Said Hex.


    "I''m not flat chested!!!" Screamed Raven.


    "Yeah and I''m not blind"


    Scarlet began to laugh and Raven began to pout. The sun was finally going to rest.


    "So who is your girlfriend if you aren''t available?" Said Scarlet.


    "That''s not public information" Said Lucius.


    "Who is she?" Asked everyone attempting to find out who his heart belonged to.


    "I''ll tell one of you if you can do something. This does not include you" Said Lucius pointing at Athena.


    "Well what is it?" Said Scarlet.


    He walked over to his backpack and pulled his book out. He copied a single sentence from the book and walked over. Simply looking at the words was more than enough to make her feel sick. She had a overwhelming fear crush her very ability to understand, like her mind didn''t want to. The way the words were shaped made her sick.


    Are those even words? I can''t read a single one and just looking makes me woozy¡­


    "How the hell am I supposed to play" Said Hex.


    "I will make a game for you to play on your own" Said Lucius taking a seat next to her.


    They all looked at paper and seemed utterly sick.


    "So what does Hex have to do?" Said Scarlet.


    "All she has to do is not blush" Said Lucius in a flat tone.


    He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Her entire face was red and she attempted to hid her face.


    "That''s not fair you didn''t tell me what you would do!" Said Hex.


    Scarlet was jealous and wished she could have been in her place.


    "Fine this time the lips" Said Lucius.


    "No!" Screamed Scarlet, Aurora, Raven, Morrie, and Allison.


    "Fine" Said Hex.


    Scarlet wanted to tackle him. He leaned in and used his left hand to guide her. It was easy to tell she closed her eyes despite being hidden behind sunglasses. He used his left hand and used to fingers as lips. She kissed his hand and blushed regardless. If he hadn''t showed them that he had used his hand as a barrier they would have believed it was a real kiss.


    "None of you won" Said Lucius as he stood up.


    Raven jumped on Lucius and a crunch filled the air.


    "All of you close your eyes!" Said Lucius.


    Everyone pretended to close their eyes. They were able to see his bone nearly popping through his skin. His arm had snapped in the wrong direction. Scarlet felt light headed and passed out.

 chapter 4.1Morrie

    What should I do today?


    Her subject was recovering from a damaged arm. She cut the frog apart and looked at its tiny heart. She cut it out and listened for the next instruction from the teacher. She already knew what to do but felt it would be better to wait. She then removed the skin. She took notes as always and wondered about what Lucius was doing at home.


    He was most likely alone and she knew what boys did when they were alone. She planned on walking to his house to see how the brake looked like. She could imagine the bone breaking the skin and oozing blood. She got through class sitting in the back looking at everyone else who had a partner. She sat down at a table alone and was soon joined by Aurora.


    "How are you doing today" Said Aurora.


    "Good enough" She replied looking at her food.


    She wondered if the animals that died to make her food suffered.


    "So have you hear anything knew about Lucius?" Asked Aurora.


    "You do know it would be easy to find out if you asked Athena" Said Morrie taking a small bite out of her lunch.


    "Well yeah but it would seem a bit odd" she replied.


    Morrie had been told a rather evil plan by Hex and knew it would be a good experiment.


    "Aurora how would you feel about helping me with an experiment" Said Morrie.


    "What kind of experiment?"


    "Getting pregnant"


    Morrie wanted to see what Lucius would do if he believed he had gotten one of them pregnant. She thought it would be interesting to see how he would react to creating life. For once it would not be death.


    Aurora looked shocked and said "No way"


    "But Lucius will do it" Said Morrie.


    Morrie and Hex planned on giving him chocolate with a small amount of alcohol.


    "Wait what?" Said Aurora.


    "Hex and I are planning to see his reaction if he thinks one of us is pregnant. Or more than one" Said Morrie.


    "What are you doing this for?" Asked Aurora.


    "Hex said it would be fun and I think it would be a great opportunity to learn" She replied.


    She wanted to understand him and was willing to do anything to do so. She was intrigued by his mind and his other feature.


    Hmmmm, I wonder what it would take to get "that" out of him¡­


    "You can help if you want, otherwise I will be the one to tell him he had impregnated me"


    She drew a small picture of him and smiled on the inside. She wrote down the words


    "Experiment- Understand the reaction of Lucius when he is made to believe he has impregnated a subject or¡é myself. Codename- Understand the reaction of Lucius when he is made to believe he has impregnated a subject. Side note work on better code names"


    She looked at Aurora "So should he get you or me pregnant?"


    she made bunny ears with her hands but they were hidden beneath her sleeve. She shifted and waited for Aurora to respond.


    "Only if we tell Athena" Said Aurora.


    Morrie had this in mind from the start. She liked Lucius and would never do anything to harm him.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I will tell her today" Said Morrie.


    Morrie walked to her next class and the next. When she was done with school she walked to his home. She knocked at the door and the door opened. She was standing before a very familiar girl.


    "You must be Morrie" Said Evelynn.


    She had a short t-shirt and shorts that looked more like someone had turned underwear into jeans.


    "Is Lucius here?" Morrie looked into the house.


    "Yeah, he is in his room. Do you want me to show you where he is?" Said Evelynn.


    "That would be wonderful"


    I bet they just moved in recently.


    She could smell they had move in in the past two weeks or less. She knew Evelynn was Aurora''s sister but she didn''t know why she was taking care of Lucius and Athena.


    Evelynn pointed down the dark steps of the basement  "If you walk to the last door at the very end he will be in there"


    Morrie was odd but sure as hell didn''t like creepy dark basements. To add the the movie like feel of the basement, the air was cold as ice. Several door lined the walls. Each had yellow tape with the words do not enter. Five doors were on each side of the hallway. The doors were made of heavy metal with a small glass hole to see through.


    She waited until Evelynn was gone to ran to the door. She felt like something was looking at her. She opened the door and saw Lucius at the corner of his room slamming the closet shut.


    "What are you doing?" Asked Morrie.


    She instantly picked up on her surroundings.


    The walls had books and right next to his bed was a picture of what she guessed to be his family. A total of five children.


    "I am holding a door shut" Said Lucius.


    "Why?" Asked Morrie.


    "I am hiding a being from a different dimension" Said Lucius.


    Morrie walked over and he was still holding the door. "I''m going to open it"


    She picked Lucius up and moved him to the side. She opened the door and saw something she could not believe. Several dozen identical sets of clothing.


    "So, how is your arm feeling"


    "It feels nothing but I can still feel tingling"


    He sat down and opened his book.


    "Lucius would you like to join me at my home to watch a movie?" Said Morrie.


    "Fine let me just change"


    Stage one completed


    He began to remove his shirt and she saw that massive tattoo again. She felt like it was an abyss big enough to swallow the world. At the very center was pain. She could felt uneasy and sick just by looking at the center of the tattoo.


    "Do you mind stepping out for a second. I have at do something" Said Lucius.


    She thought about what the hall looked like "I mind"


    "Fine but let me place a blindfold on you" Said Lucius.


    "I''m fine with that" Said Morrie. He got his shirt and tied it around her head. She heard a door open and the shuffling of feet. A sound she would not understand filled her ears.


    "I''m done"


    She reached up and tried to untie the knot.


    "Ow!" Said Morrie.


    The knot had caught her hair and so had her sleeve.


    "Do you need help?" Asked Lucius.


    "That would be great" Said Morrie.


    "Just hold still" Said Lucius.


    "How did you tie it that it did this?"


    "I just made a bow tie with an extra step"


    She waited for a moment and he said "I don''t know what you did but it''s super tight"


    "Just use your fingers. It''s easy but I just so happen to get my sleeves stuck" Said Morrie.


    "Take off your sweater" Said Lucius.


    She felt odd. She felt warmth cover her face and what she could only describe as butterflies in her stomach.


    But I never take it off¡­


    "I can''t"


    "Why not?" Asked Lucius.


    "I don''t have a shirt underneath" she replied.


    It¡¯s not that big of a lie¡­


    She wondered why now of all time she had become self conscious of her physical appearance. Was it because she was alone with him.


    "I could cut the sleeves" He suggested.


    She would rather cut off her own hands.


    "I''ll just remove my sweater" Said Morrie.


    "I''ll remove your blindfold or at least try"


    She now regretted not waiting in the hall. Her sweater could be damaged because of this and all because she was creeped out by a hall. She felt the blindfold come off after a bit of pulling. The knot was still there but the blind was off.


    "I''m going to take you sweater off but I will close my eyes. Do you at least have a bra? He asked.


    "Yes"


    She felt her sweater come off and only seconds later he untied the knot. She knew she shouldn''t but she wanted to.


    She kissed his cheek "Thank you"


    She heard the door click open and slam.

 chapter 4.2 Morrie

    She heard the door click open and slam.


    "Who was that?" Asked Lucius with eyes shut tight.


    "Athena" Said Morrie in a calm tone.


    "Are we still going to watch a movie together?" Asked Lucius.


    "Yeah, want some chocolate?" Said Morrie.


    He reached out and missed.


    "That''s not candy" Said Morrie.


    "I am pretty sure it''s a marshmallow" Said Lucius.


    "Trust me, it''s not"


    She guided his hand to a small box and pulled a candy out. He ate it without a second thought. She had done it.


    Stage 2 completed!


    The chocolate had a five percent alcohol content. She grabbed his hand and walked with him to her house. Hex, Scarlet and Aurora were waiting there for the experiment.


    "How do you feel?" Asked Morrie.


    He pulled her close and held her by the waist.


    "It depends" He replied with a tone so smooth she could feel the words flow from his mouth.


    "On what?"


    She replied with the same warm feeling growing on her face. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.


    "You, because I just felt something beautiful" Said Lucius placing his ring finger beneath her chin.


    She didn''t know what to do so she turned away and smiled to herself. She reached out of her sleeve and held his hand. She could not stop the feeling but he seemed absolutely normal. They arrived and he seemed a bit out of it.


    "Would you care to dance?" Lucius asked.


    She only nodded and took his hand.


    He seemed so calm. She saw the look in his eyes and they said nothing. The lack of emotion in them told her he was not himself at all. She felt wrong.


    Maybe this was actually a bad idea¡­


    She wished she hadn''t done this. She knew all she felt was regret. She felt his hand turn her face towards him.


    "Please don''t do that. I can''t stand seeing you sad. Will you smile for me?" He asked with a half smile.


    She could not resist and smiled despite feeling bad.


    "Thanks, I really needed that" he uttered.


    They walked to her room and found everyone waiting. Allison was also there to her surprise. He saw something that made him freeze.


    "So let''s all go watch a movie" Said Hex. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    They all walked to a massive room in her house. They sat down and a movie began to play. Lucius wasn''t looking at she screen. He seemed to think they were the feature film.


    "You''re cute" Lucius told her.


    Morrie didn''t know what to say.


    "Thanks" She whispered.


    Aurora was sitting next to him as well. He fell asleep a few minutes later.


    "Should we do it now?" Asked Hex.


    "Who''s going to pick him up" Asked Morrie.


    "I will" Said Allison and Aurora.


    They picked him up by his hands and feet. They dropped him on Morrie''s bed.


    "Lets just leave him there he should be able to pick the rest of himself up" Said Morrie.


    "But what about evidence?" Asked Hex.


    "Like what kind of evidence?" Asked Morrie.


    Hex felt her way around the bed and found him. She kissed him and left a mark on his cheek. The lipstick was perfect. They all decided to go shopping. Morrie looked at several kinds of shorts. Allison insisted they would look good on her. She chose a few pairs and liked the change from her usual sweatpants. They all walked around and got snacks.


    "What do you think he will say?" Asked Aurora.


    Morrie believed she had enough information to understand his mind. She knew he was cold and at times heartless. But felt like he was at least human.


    "Probably deny that it happened"


    "What do you think?" Asked Hex.


    "I think he will run away" Said Allison


    "I think he will do something sweet" Said Aurora.


    "I think he will ask to try again to make sure" Said Hex.


    "That would make the situation very interesting" Said Morrie with a smile.


    "Are you saying you would let him?" Asked Hex with a wink.


    "No" Said Morrie slowly.


    She had never had any intimate relationship but she felt like Lucius would be the kind of person she could fall in love with. She shook the idea from her mind.


    She liked him as a friend and nothing more. She knew this like she knew he was not the kind of boy to fall in love in a girl like her.


    They all got something knew to add to their outfits. Aurora got skirts instead of her usual dresses. Hex got a few new shirts and a jacket that hugged her. Allison got a few hats and hair ties. Scarlet was in a way forced to choose what clothing she wanted by Morrie.


    "So who is going to tell him?" Asked Hex.


    "Me, you and Aurora" Said Morrie.


    "Wait me too?" Asked Aurora.


    "Yes you, I asked you about this. Why does this bother you?" Asked Morrie.


    Morrie wanted to know if she felt bothered by this for the same reasons as Aurora.


    "Well I just think he will be mad at us" Said Aurora.


    Morrie felt like that was only part of the reason. Even she felt it would be a very uncomfortable. She wondered what he would think of her. They would find out when they got home.


    "Well let''s go find out, he should be awake by now" Said Morrie.


    They got in a large car and were driven back. They walked to her room and turned the lights on. She flipped the switch and nothing happened the lights didn''t turn on or so it seemed. Hex walked into the darkness without fear until he was out of the light of the other room.


    "Is it just me or is this room really cold" Said Hex shivering.


    Morrie pulled her out of the room


    "Something feels wrong"


    "Lucius!?" Yelled Morrie and Aurora.


    They heard a slow shuffling moving towards them. They moved back and something moving towards the light. Lucius was standing in only his underwear. The rest of his clothing was thin pieces of string.


    "I can explain" Said Lucius as light began to grow in the room.


    "Is he naked?" Asked Hex.


    "Almost" Said Allison with a hint of joy.


    "What happened?" Asked Morrie.


    "Well you see, I can''t remember anything" Said Lucius.


    His eyes looked calm to the maximum extent.


    "Would any of you just so happen to have some spare clothing?" Asked Lucius.


    They smiled "Yes we do"


    They had all the clothing they had bought at the store. She left the bags into room and told Lucius to pick whatever he likes. They were smiling outside thinking about what he would have on. They heard a strange noise. Morrie remembered and looked under the door. She was pulled away by Raven.

 chapter 4.3 Morrie

    They heard a strange noise. Morrie remembered and looked under the door. She was pulled away by Raven.


    "Only I get to look at him when he''s changing!" Said Raven.


    "I just wanted to see who was in there" Said Morrie.


    "Who the hell do you think?" Said Raven.


    "Well when he was undressing I was able to hear someone else in the room" Said Morrie.


    "Why was he undressing with you?" Asked Aurora.


    "I didn''t want to wait in the hallway" Said Morrie.


    "So were you facing the wall or something?" Asked Scarlet.


    "No, he blindfolded me" Said Morrie.


    "So he''s into that kind of stuff" Said Hex with a wink hidden behind her sunglasses.


    "I also had my hands tied behind my head. But that was my fault" Said Morrie.


    Everyone was looking at her, including Hex.


    The door opened and he stood in a black leathery suit. His eyes seemed to reflect back all of their faces. They were almost all black. The iris of his eye was razor thin.


    "Is something wrong?" Asked Lucius.


    She didn''t know what happened when her eyes meet his but she knew she was afraid. She woke up in her bed.


    A note on her bed read "Eleventh of January".


    Something seems off... Maybe I just didn''t sleep enough.


    She felt like it was impossible. She looked at herself and found the same clothing she always had. She looked at time and her alarm went off three seconds later. She looked at the clothing she had bought and decided to try the shorts. She combed her hair, something she almost never did and try some makeup on.


    She walked to the library and found him standing there. She felt joy overwhelm her but she didn''t know why. She didn''t like him, they were just friends. He probably like her but she knew she liked him as a friend. She wanted to call out to him but felt like she would annoy him. She decided to just walk up and say something funny.


    "Something funny" Said Morrie.


    She froze and thought about how stupid she sounded.


    Why did I say that! I sounded like an idiot.


    "Cute" Said Lucius in a dull tone.


    "What is?" Asked Morrie.


    She wanted to know what he found cute, whether it was her or what she said.


    "The joke. My mom would say, do you want to hear something funny and when I said yes she would say "something funny"


    "So should we start walking?" Asked Morrie.


    "Yeah and if you don''t mind me asking what is that on your face?" He asked.


    "Make up?"


    He gave a odd facial expression "You look better without it in my opinion".


    He began walking without another word. He was cold but kind and she knew she liked that even if she didn''t admit it to herself. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Don''t blush, don''t blush. Crap I''m blushing, wait no, it''s just hot. Right?


    They walked side by side and she felt like today was going to be a good day. Once they were within a few block of the school she saw the boy that had attacked Lucius.


    "Lucius we should go another way" Said Morrie.


    "I suppose it would be best" He replied.


    The boy and his friends were walking towards then.


    "This way"


    They walked down a street trying to go around them. The boy had come out of nowhere. She saw Lucius spit up blood. A large boy had hit his face.


    "That''s what you get for getting Nero suspended!" Said the boy.


    Morrie was shocked and attempted to move. Her body was frozen in fear but she wanted to protect him. Nero was walking up to them. A total of four people were either with them or in bound. Morrie attempted to hit the boy but it proved fruitless. She felt his fist hit her head. Her face went numb as she fell. She felt dizzy and heavy like a rock. She could see Nero lift Lucius and yell. He ripped open his backpack and began to stomp on his items. Lucius was spitting up blood and shaking his head. Nero had opened the container of pills


    "What''s this?" He kicked Lucius.


    He got a handful of pills and tossed them at Lucius. Nero''s hands now had dark root like veins shooting up his arm. He began to scream and fell to the floor. Lucius crawled over to him and cut his hand. Morrie was barely able to understand what happened next. Lucius placed his hand on the cut and the black veins began to fade.


    Lucius began to scream in agony. His body began to convulse and his eyes turned to stone black. His body went limp for just a few seconds. He began to laugh and stood up slowly. His eyes were pure darkness.


    He stretched "That hurt like a bitch!"


    He picked up his pills and helped Morrie up. Morrie didn''t understand what was going on. She looked at Nero who was still out cold. It looked like his right hand had been branded. The other boys had run away long ago.


    "So are we going to school or what?" Asked Lucius with black pits for eyes.


    Morrie nodded and walked to school without another word. She felt the day float by. Those eyes were burned into her mind. She could feel them tear her very mind apart. She had never felt this before. She got home and tried to relax. She heard something knock at the door. She looked through the peephole and saw nothing. She opened the door and saw Lucius holding a basket.


    "Would you like to go on a picnic with me and a few friends?"


    She closed the door and took a moment to think. Was he really asking to go on a picnic and if so with who? She opened the door.


    "Fine"


    Darn, that came out wrong.


    "You don''t have to come if you don''t want to. I don''t want bother you if you have other plans" Said Lucius.


    "I mean yes" Said Morrie.


    "Well everyone is waiting so right this way" His voice was back to its flat dead tone.


    They walked to a limo and Morrie expected everyone to be inside. Morrie sat down inside and wanted to ask where they would be headed.


    "I have a hobby" Said Lucius.


    "What is it?" Asked Morrie.


    "Plants, I grow gardens from time to time" He replied.


    She wanted to focus on his words but all she could do is look at his bandages. Most of his body was covered in them. His arms and head had plenty. Some were slightly red but some were a deep red. They arrived at a private piece of land got out of the car.


    "We are almost there, everyone else is already there" He said with a weak voice.


    They walked to forest with every inch of the floor covered in dandelions. The trees were covered in small glowing mushrooms. Birds were singing love song or so it seemed. It would have been a perfect date if there wasn''t other girls their as well. They arrived at the table. It was breathtaking that he was able to do all this.


    "Hey" Said Athena picking her up in a hug.


    "Hello"


    Can''t... breath


    "Shall we get started?" Asked Athena releasing her pointing at the food.


    Morrie sat down beside Athena.


    "So what''s the special occasion?" Said Aurora.


    "It''s my little sister''s birthday so I decided to celebrate" Said Lucius.


    "You have a little sister?" Asked Morrie.


    She had never heard him mention anything about her.


    "Several, and yes. But the problem is I haven''t seen them in a long time due to problems so to speak. But still celebrate because they are the best thing that ever happened" Said Lucius.


    She was able to pick up a bit of happiness in his tone.


    Is he really happy?


    "Let''s eat" Said Athena.


    Everyone began to eat the different sweets and pastries.


    "Hey Lucius mind feeding me?" Asked Hex.


    Well, I guess she''s at it again


    Morrie sighed.


    "I don''t mind at all" Said Lucius.


    Well I do...

 chapter 4.4 Morrie

    "I don''t mind at all" Said Lucius.


    Well I do...


    Morrie had seen Hex feed herself many times before and wondered why she needed help now. He sat next to her and got a spoon full of food. Morrie noticed something dark move on Lucius. He placed the spoon just half way in her mouth. Most of the chocolate fudge fell off the spoon.


    "Don''t be shy, put it all the way in" Said Hex tilting her sunglasses. Her eyelids were closed as always. Athena had the eyes of death and placed her hand on Hex''s shoulder.


    She cleared her throat "What did I say about that kind of thing"


    Hex seemed to pale "Sorry" she said in a sheepish tone.


    "Open wide" Said Lucius.


    Morrie was at wits end trying to understand who he liked.


    Morrie and Aurora took a spoon full of food. After he gave Hex a spoon full he took a bite of his own food. He moaned and smiled slightly when he ate. Morrie and Aurora spit out their food.


    What was that?!


    "That sounds familiar" Said Hex leaning against him.


    He seemed confused until Athena rolled her eyes and explained.


    "You kinda moaned"


    "Sorry the food was good" Said Lucius.


    Morrie heard it but wanted to know what kind of noise it was. Was it the same kind that would be made when someone asked you to do something you didn''t want to?


    I wonder if he''ll do it again? No hurt in asking.


    "Can you do it again?" She pulled out her notepad


    Everyone had a odd facial expression.


    "Why?" Asked Lucius.


    "Research" She replied.


    "I could help" Said Hex.


    "That you could" Said Lucius with smooth alluring tone.


    Oh come on!  She get to flirt with him too! Wait¡­ why should I care?


    It was very much unlike him to do anything of that sort. Hex turned bright red and turned away from Lucius.


    "I''m supposed to be the one making you uncomfortable"


    He seemed to have fun turning the tables on her.


    He hugged her from behind  "You''re cute when you''re mad. Actually you''re cute when you are you. Just kidding".


    She turned bright red and said "You''re just like every other guy"


    Morrie found it funny how easy she was made a sheep by another wolf.


    Not such a bad girl are you.


    "That was too easy, I expected you of all people be more difficult to get a reaction from" Said Lucius getting back to his food.


    Morrie wanted to know what her own limit was but didn''t want to ask.


    "How about you Aurora, you have had plenty of boyfriends right? How hard is it to make you blush?" Said Lucius.


    She was already blushing.


    Morrie felt a hint of jealousy but it was more anger than anything.


    "I''ve never had a boyfriend before" Said Aurora in a shy tone. Her hand was covering part of her face.


    "Lucius do you mind waiting over there for a moment" Said Athena.


    Lucius nodded and walked away. Athena stood up and took a deep breath.


    "Let me make sure you all understand, my brother has a very weak heart. In fact it''s bad enough that he can''t do any physical activities without placing himself at great risk. With lack of a better word even getting excited could kill him. So I''m sorry if I seem a little overprotective. I don''t want him to die just because some girl wanted to have fun" Her eyes were deep pools of sadness.


    I wonder if I could drown in them?


    Morrie shook her head to clear such a bizarre thought.


    Morrie knew his heart was weak but she never knew just how weak. The thought that he could die from just a kiss was interesting.


    "Athena" Said Aurora with a shaking voice.


    "Yes?" Said Athena with a hint of confusion.


    "Would you mind if I asked Lucius out?" Said Aurora.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Everyone seemed confused. Morrie didn''t believe what she was hearing.


    "I want to to ask him out but I want to get to know him first. I know when the moment comes I won''t exactly be thinking about it so I wanted to ask you now" Said Aurora.


    Wait, if he goes out with her I''ll get less time to study him. I need him.


    "I met him first, I think I should be able to ask him first" Said Morrie.


    "I make the rules not you" Said Athena.


    Morrie didn''t dare challenge her after what she saw her do to Nero.


    "Well may I ask him this week?" Said Morrie.


    She wanted all the time possible to be able to study him.


    "Fine" Said Athena.


    "Why do you control his life it''s not like he can''t make his own decisions he smart after all" Said Allison.


    "He''s smart but he''s not that good with people. And making decisions is something he is not very good at" Said Athena.


    "Like what?" Said Aurora.


    "The problem with him is that he can''t tell right from wrong. He doesn''t even understand why it''s wrong to kill. He won''t take your life into consideration. He would let you die for nothing" Said Athena.


    The air felt thick and cold. Morrie felt her heart drop.


    "Sup bitches!" Said a girl tossing Lucius on the table.


    His body was covered in deep wounds. The only thing it didn''t cut was the tattoos. He lay still.


    "The only bitch here is you" Hex retorted


    If she could see what lay inches from her face she would not have been so calm. Athena somehow lifted a tree and tossed it at the girl. The tree exploded into small pale butterflies.


    "That''s no way to treat a Lord" Said the girl.


    Morrie felt like she was going crazy. She had just watched her half dead best friend tossed on a table by a sociopath.


    "I''ll kill you!" Said Athena sprinting at her.


    The girl smiled and side stepped when Athena attempted to punch her. Athena spun in a cartwheel and hit her with her right foot. The girl fell and quickly got back up.


    "You little who-"


    She was stopped by Athena''s fist as the force of the hit lifted her off the floor. It looked like a scene straight out of a movie.


    She got up  "You know that doesn''t hurt me"


    "What did you do to him!?" Yelled Athena.


    "Nothing yet, but he will be fine. The weapon I used can''t kill" Said the girl.


    She was short with brown hair and brown eyes.


    "I don''t care" Said Athena.


    The sound of a gunshot hit the air.


    "Bitch" Raven was holding a massive gun. The girl was on the floor yelling about how much it hurt.


    "Why did you do that!" Yelled the girl.


    Morrie had not noticed until she turned to look at Raven that Aurora was treating Lucius''s wounds.


    "Because you hurt my future husband!" Said Raven.


    She was still aiming the gun at the girl.


    "Just saying, you all sound super stupid" Hex was still eating her food.


    She seemed to be having a good time. Everyone else was looking at the odd girl. Morrie picked up a cup and tossed it at the girl''s face to help. Morrie didn''t know what else to do but tried.


    "Just tell me what the book says and I will leave you alone for a while" Said the girl.


    "It probably says you''re a bitch" Hex had moved onto a chocolate ice cream.


    "Shut your mouth!" Said the girl.


    "Make me, you hoe!" Said Hex gesturing as to say "fight me"


    Raven shot her again and she yelled


    "Will you stop doing that!?"


    Morrie knew this girl was not normal but everything about her was. Her voice to her appearance. Nothing seemed at all odd.


    "Hey" Said Lucius standing up.


    "Are you ready to tell me what the book says?" Said the girl.


    "Yes but come close. I imagine you wouldn''t want anyone else to hear" Said Lucius shaking slightly.


    His body was on the brink. He was far weaker than most cared to understand. The only reason he lived was because of what was inside the pills. It was the only reason he made it past the first month of life.


    "You walk over here" Said the girl.


    He hobbled over slowly.


    "What is he doing?" Morrie whispered to Athena


    "I don''t know" Said Athena.


    Morrie could see the girl slowly lean closer to him. He kissed her cheek and she pushed him. She knocked him over.


    "You lose" Said Lucius.


    "You, you you cheated" Said the girl.


    "I know you can''t use your power when you''re flustered.You don¡¯t have the control to do it do you"


    "You little idiot why are you so dumb!" Said the girl.


    "Sorry but you weren''t invited" Said Lucius standing up.


    Morrie watched him walk over to her.


    "Would you mind if I used that?" Said Lucius looking at a spoon.


    Morrie handed him a spoon and he took a spoon full of chocolate fudge.


    He walked over to the girl "Say ahhhh"


    "I don''t like you!" Said the girl.


    "I didn''t ask"


    Morrie liked his response. The girl opened her mouth and ate the fudge.


    "You''re invited now just don''t make my sister mad or hurt anyone" He was looking into her eyes.


    Morrie had no idea what was going on. This girl had almost killed him and now he was feeding her.


    "Why are you being nice to me?" Said the girl.


    "Because my sister wanted me to work on my people skills" Said Lucius.


    He walked back to table and sat down. He started eating. Morrie just went with it and sat down. He had sat down across the table from Aurora. Morrie pretended to be comfortable with the situation and everyone else soon joined in.


    "So what''s your name?" Asked Aurora.


    "Just call me Azrin" Said the girl.


    "Where you from?" Said Morrie.


    She can¡¯t be human.


    "Well, I was raised on Golovin but I was born in the citadel of the Ark of Madness" replied the girl.


    Morrie wondered if she was crazy but wanted to ask what the citadel was.


    "What is the citadel?" Said Morrie.


    "Well it''s the birthplace of an Ark" Said the girl.


    "What''s an Ark"


    "Do you people know nothing? How have you people survived?" Said Azrin.


    "Azrin please be nice" Said Lucius.


    "You can''t tell me what to do!" Said Azrin.


    He grabbed her hands "Please for me?"


    His eyes seemed so sad and needing of some light.


    She turned away from him "Fine"


    Her face was slightly red.


    They spend an hour talking and eating. They were all driven home and Morrie thought the day was rather interesting. She like being with Lucius but hoped he didn''t like her too much.

 Chapter 5.1 Atlas

    Why do I hate everyone so much?


    He knew no one would reply but wanted to ask. He looked at his gate and thought about what he would do the next time he visited.


    "I can do this, I can put up with those people for Levy"


    He didn''t like them in the least. He hated them like he hated everyone else. He wanted them dead and gone. The only issue he felt was that his heart rate would increase around some of them. He found this annoying and had a plan in mind. His father and his two best friends told him if he needed any help with anything to call them.


    Even the flashes in his mind that showed him the death of all had become more common. He decided he needed two pill a day to keep up with the devil within.


    He got his phone out and began to dial. He waited a few second and heard Logan.


    "Hey kid" Said Logan as gunfire filled the background.


    "Is that gunshots?"


    "Yeah, but are you hurt, what going on?!" More gunfire.


    "I need advice about girls" Said Lucius.


    "Can this wait?" Said Logan.


    "I think I like her" Said Lucius.


    "Just do what your dad would.... Never mind don''t do what he would do. You might get someone pregnant if you do that. Just be midway between him and I"


    "What about John''s method?" Said Lucius.


    "That''s funny, he doesn''t like anything but food" Said Logan.


    "Is that kid?" A heavy voice spoke up.


    "Yeah, he''s getting girl advice" Replied Logan.


    "That''s my boy! Get some!" He heard his father say just before Logan hung up.


    "What would a in-between be?" Lucius spoke aloud. This was a rare situation in which he didn''t have an answer.


    He began to think of what the solution could be. He knew his father was in his own words a whore. Logan had a method that Lucius favored. It involved not talking to the girl you like, and pretending they don''t exist. His father had a different approach. He had no intention of attempting what his father would have recommended.


    He would deal with this problem later, he had places to go.


    He made the markings necessary to travel through the gate. He placed it down and took a deep breath. Traveling to a pocket dimension took the breath out of him. He had the timer set for three hours. He knew time was faster in the gate so he was ready for a full week of learning. He body was shifted to another world. He looked around and saw limitless trees. He knew they loved nature almost as much as they loved visitors.


    "ATLAS!" Yelled the girl with light red eyes.


    It was Havana. Her gray hair was draped over her creamy California gold skin. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.


    "How long has it been?" Said Atlas.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Well about one hundred and thirteen days" Said Havana.


    "You don''t look a day older" Said Atlas as they walked to the city.


    "That''s a perk of living for millions of years" Said Havana.


    She was just a few decades old but could live till the day Earth turned to dust.


    "Well you don''t seem to grow either" Said Atlas poking at her side.


    "Are you calling me flat?" Said Havana with a raised eyebrow.


    She was anything but. She seemed around Levy''s physical age.


    Flat? Insufficient context for a proper comprehension of new vocabulary.


    "I am saying you are not very tall" Said Atlas.


    She picked up a stick and used it as a sword.


    "This is a battle you can''t win" Said Atlas with a half smile.


    He grabbed a stick as well. They both turned the sticks into iron rods using alchemy. They began to clash blades and Atlas shattered her blade as usual.


    "Told you" Said Atlas.


    "I expected nothing less. You are her son after all" Said Havana.


    Atlas felt pride that his intellect had surpassed most older Noah. He knew he was smarter than his father years ago. He was only allowed to use what he invented in this world. Earth would most likely abuse what he created. Most everything he made had been made by his mother in the past. But she wanted him to try and improve anyway.


    "So what have you been up to?"


    "Just spending time with Levy and her friends" Replied Atlas.


    "Any luck with that girl you like?"


    "No, but her sister may be able to help me"


    "So, do you mind taking me outside next time?"


    "Well, If the Elders let you"


    "But they''re no fun. They won''t let me go anywhere"


    "I will convince them" Said Atlas.


    The forest had a cool breeze run through it. Atlas enjoyed how vast the world was. He knew it was larger than Jupiter by a few thousand miles. Well five thousand two hundred and twelve square miles more to be exact.


    "Do you like anyone" Said Atlas.


    She stopped and smiled.


    "Why do you want to know?"


    She had a short dress and a shirt that resembled a sports bra. She tugged at her white dress and looked up at his eyes. Her long thick lashes waved to him as her light pink lips parted slightly.


    "Just want to know" He replied.


    "Well he has really interesting eyes and he is really smart. He is always nice to me but I don''t get to spend much time with him" Said Havana.


    Atlas knew she must be talking about Ario.


    "Do you always have the same clothing?" Said Atlas.


    "Well it''s part of being a Noah I guess, we have always had this type of clothing. Well everyone but the Elders" Said Havana.


    They reached the river and Havana gave him an interesting look.


    "It''s so hot!" She exclaimed reaching for the toes. She ran her fingers through the snow colored sand and looked him up and down.


    "It seems fine to me" said Atlas.


    She walked over to him  "Let take a little swim".


    Atlas wanted to get to the city but he wanted to refresh himself before walking the ten miles they had left.


    He removed his shirt and pants. His shorts were more than enough.


    "Oooh that looks nice" Havana winked.


    "They do don''t they" Said Atlas looking at his shorts.


    She placed her clothing on a tree alongside his. Far in the distance were clouds beginning to roll in. Atlas felt the warm water and jumped right in. He dashed beneath the water and popped back up.


    "Feels good doesn''t it!" Yelled Havana.


    "It does"


    What is that supposed to mean? Is it a feeling? If so I probably don''t know.


    He didn''t really understand what that meant. To feel good. He often said it himself but still didn''t understand.


    She swam over "Want to know what would feel better".


    He had a list of things in his mind. But cared not to mention what they were.


    "What?" Asked Atlas.


    "A kiss" She replied leaning in.


    She kissed his cheek and looked into his eyes

 Chapter 5.2 Atlas

    She kissed his cheek and looked into his eyes.


    What was that supposed to do?


    "You''re right" Atlas wiped a drop of water from her lips, "It does feel good" She leaned in.


    Why is she coming closer?


    "What are you doing?"


    She paused "What do you think I''m doing?"


    "I don''t know, that''s why I''m asking" He replied.


    She pushed him over and he was unable to hear what she replied with. He stood up after a few seconds of floating underwater.


    "Can you describe color like the Elders yet?" Asked Havana.


    "Almost, they said I was getting very close" Replied Atlas.


    "One of the Elders said you could describe pain" Said Havana.


    "It was a mistake, I didn''t know it would hurt them so much" Said Atlas.


    "You must really know pain well" Said Havana.


    "I can''t say I do, but I did tear my essence from myself minutes after I was born. That was painful" Replied Atlas.


    "It''s really interesting how you can use Ark abilities without being bound to an Ark" Said Havana.


    "My mom said it had to do with being human and being her child"


    The lazy water was walking passed them as they talked. A bird landed on a branch near their clothing and Atlas looked over at it. It dashed over and lifted their clothing. He knew he would never be able to reach it in time. It was gone before Havana had time to turn.


    "The bird took our clothing" Said Atlas.


    He wanted his clothing back but knew it was better to let it go. He could hear Havana''s teeth chatter.


    "Are you cold?" Asked Atlas.


    "Yeah, we get cold easily" Said Havana.


    He knew the Noah were not good at taking cold things but he had no idea it was this bad.


    "Let''s get out before you freeze to death" Said Atlas.


    He knew it would start raining within the next two hours. The wind was pulling the clouds in and had no intention of letting go. The sun never set it, only dimmed till it seemed to be night.


    "I didn''t know I was so cold" Said Havana.


    Atlas held her and said "I''ll keep you warm".


    They held each other and before they knew it rain had began to fall. Atlas could feel the the rain was cold and pulled her beneath a tree.


    "Just hold me close" Said Atlas.


    She rested her head on his shoulder and said "I like you".


    "As a friend?"


    She was a inch from his lips and said "I mean like, like you like you".


    "Like a best friend?"


    "No, not like that I mean I really like you" Said Havana.


    "Like a pet?"


    "You''re not going to get this unless I spell it out are you! I mean in a intimate way. I want to do things with you" Said Havana.


    "What kind of things?" Asked Atlas with a half-hearted tone.


    He had known Havana for years and she had never said anything like this before.


    "Please don''t hate me but it''s indecent things like..." She took a moment to compose herself "hold hands and share drinks from the same cup!".This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Her face had a light shade of red. It was easy to tell even through her California gold skin. Atlas was having trouble understanding what was going on.


    So like a sister? But since she''s not related¡­


    He thought through what he would say "So like a really great best friend?".


    He believed it was the proper response. He had no idea what she meant.


    "Can you just shut up and hold my hand already" Said Havana.


    Atlas held her close and said "I have a question to ask you".


    "Yeah?"


    "What if I like someone other than Evelynn" Said Atlas as the rain began to thicken.


    "Who is it?" Said Havana with a hint of envy in her red eyes. She knew it, he must like Tabitha. He had always seemed fond of her.


    "That''s not important but I wanted to ask you if you would help me" Said Atlas.


    He saw a flash of light and soon after heard the boom of thunder. Havana squeeze him and pulled him into herself.


    "You''re scared of thunder aren''t you?"


    "Shut up, I''m not scared it''s just a little loud" Said Havana shaking.


    Atlas found the concept of fear strange. He had felt fear a few times in his life but not in the past few years. The only time he could truly say he was afraid was when he almost lost it beloved sister. They decided to wait until the rain stopped.


    "Are you still cold?"


    "Just a little" She replied holding herself.


    Atlas continued to hold her until she stopped shaking.


    "Why are you so warm" Said Havana.


    "Because I''m human. You''re pretty hot by the way" Said Atlas.


    "Thanks" Said Havana with a smile.


    "I''m going to start a fire" Said Atlas.


    He let her go and got a fire stone from his small pouch. He set it down and ignited it with the heat from his body.


    "Do you want some meat?" Asked Atlas.


    "As long as you give it to me" Said Havana.


    Atlas liked how all their names had an A, K or N sound. Only the Elders had a K sound. He loved eating but knew his body could only take specific foods. Any fatty foods were a danger to his well being. He cooked the beef and shared it with Havana.


    "I think it''s going to rain all night. We should just make a bed and sleep" Said Havana.


    Atlas knew it would be best and started to make two beds.


    "Why two?" Asked Havana.


    Atlas knew she would like to have a bed to herself.


    "Wouldn''t it be faster if you made one bed for both of us" Said Havana in a shy tone.


    "That is true but I know you would like a bed to yourself"


    "I would but we should sleep together to conserve heat" Said Havana looking up at the clouds.


    "The fire stone should be enough" Replied Atlas.


    "I think we should to evenly distributed heat" Said Havana.


    Atlas nodded "we should".


    He finished making the beds and laid down. He had his back facing her and a small blanket was covering them both. He had slept the day before and would not need sleep for the next few days. Hours into the night Havana got up and crawled over him. She lay in front of him. She smelled in a strange way very appealing. She kissed his cheek and pulled him in. He allowed this thinking she was cold. The kiss was a custom of the Noah. At least among the young or so he was told.


    She fell asleep soon after and he had an idea. Humans and Noah were the only kind that could dream. He had the idea of seeing what she was dreaming of. He would ask the next time she fell to sleep. The false stars in the sky reminded him this world was made. The thought that a world could be created at will with something his mother had created was humbling. He loved his mother just as much as he loved his sisters. He tried not to seem too fond of Levy. He knew he didn''t deserve to know her and he knew he had ruined her life. He laid down and felt her teeth nip at his ear.


    "Havana, you''re biting me" Said Atlas.


    She said nothing but continued to bite. Her hands began to drift. He was far weaker than her and knew it would be useless to fight back. It was just within reach but he knew it would be a rude awakening. He bit her ear and she woke up. She was looking right into his eyes. Her hands were in odd places and his lips were parted ever so slightly.


    "You were biting me and fondling me" Said Atlas.


    She shoved him off the bed and yelled "No I wasn''t! I was just seeing what you would do and I was wondering what you would taste like!".


    He thought those were perfectly valid reasons and had an idea of his own. He would practice asking Evelynn out on Havana. He would go so far as to practice flirting. If he was his father''s son he should be able to as least flirt.


    "That''s too bad," Said Atlas standing up "I was hoping you were trying something".


    She froze and was quite visibly blushing.


    "Havana, mind if I ask you something?"


    "What is it?" She said with an exuberant tone.


    "I want you, I want to kiss you... I just wanted to see your reaction" Said Atlas in is flat tone.


    She seemed shocked, angry, happy and interested.


    "Are you joking?..." Asked Havana.


    "Well yes, I did just want to see your reaction." Said Atlas.


    She laid back down and slept till dawn. Atlas notice what she was shaking during the night and held her. When dawn came they began to walk.


    "You don''t have to hold my hand you know" Said Havana with a sour tone.


    "I know, but I want to"


    He only wanted to hold her hand so she would keep up with his pace. He was all too ready to learn what the Elders had been preparing for him. A total of fifty thousand Noah lived in his world. Their true home world contained over one hundred septillion of them. A number that far exceeded the about of humans that had ever lived.


    "Atlas, what would you say if I asked you to be my boyfriend?" Said Havana.


    "Why?"

 Chapter 5.3 Atlas

    "Why?"


    "Well because I want to know" she replied.


    "No, my answer would be why" he said as he stepped over a tree branch.


    "Well because I like you" Said Havana.


    "I like you too" he replied.


    What does like mean again?


    This was a lie, he didn''t feel that way towards anyone, he simply said it to be kind.


    "Would you say yes if I asked you?" Inquired Havana.


    "I don''t know, I would have to ask my mom if I could date" Said Atlas.


    Havana knew Jane and knew she was very protective of her children. They reached her city and a mass of people were there to greet him.


    "Atlas!" Said hundreds of people.


    They had mountains of food cooking and even more drinks.


    "How have you been my boy, we haven''t see you in months" Said Ganas.


    "I''ve been well and you?" He replied.


    "All good in our city" Said Ganas.


    Atlas waved to all the people of the town as he walked to the city center.


    "Well I will see you in a few days" Said Atlas to Havana.


    "Atlas you are taking me with you to the outside world aren''t you?"


    "If you want me to. And if you are going with me I will see you in six days" Said Atlas.


    He walked into the tower and continued his studies with the Elders. He knew something they had worked to understand for millions of years. The language of the Ancients. They could read it but not speak it. He was able to expand his understanding of this with their help. He spend the next six days with them and was able to master three new skill that would have taken hundreds of years for most.


    "Zakori, I want to request something of you" Said Atlas.


    "What may that be?" Replied a sexless voice.


    The body of the Elder was hidden behind a dark cloak.


    "I am requesting permission to take Havana to my world" Said Atlas.


    "You may do as you wish. I am not the master of anyone. I merely ask you take care of Havana" Replied Zakori.


    He nodded and walked to the monastery where Havana attended school. He knocked on the door to her class and the teacher opened it.


    She immediately bowed down and said "Welcome".


    "No need to be so formal. I am just here to pick Havana up" Said Atlas.


    He walked in and every person was looking at him.


    He reached out to Havana and said "shall we?".


    They walked out of the classroom and he drew the symbols necessary to transport them both out. They appeared in his room. It was six in the morning and he was ready for school.


    "Well I am going to take you to school with me" Said Atlas.


    "What am I going to do their?" Asked Havana.


    "Just learn what we humans do. And Levy still thinks we are a couple just so you know" Said Atlas. Atlas made an extra lunch for Havana.


    "I walk to school with my acquaintance Morrie every morning. You will be joining me. You will be shadowing me and will refrain from overly affectionate physical contact" Said Atlas walking out the door.


    Havana still had her usual Noah clothing. It was just a bit more than a sports bra and a short skirt. The Noah were not ashamed of their bodies like most humans were. They loved themselves almost as much as they loved his mother. They worshiped her despite her request to stop. They love his mother and viewed her as the highest standard of all life.


    "So is this girl pretty?" Said Havana. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I don''t know, I can''t really tell" Replied Atlas.


    Havana began to shiver. Atlas grabbed her hand and pulled her in.


    "You should have told me if you were cold" Said Atlas.


    She loved how selfless he was. He was ready to give everything up to help her. Levy had told her it was because he hated himself but why would he ever feel that way. Atlas felt they way he did because he knew if he had just died after giving Levy her life back she could of had a normal life. He wanted to make up for that fact that he was alive. She deserved everything and he deserved death. He would have kill himself years ago if he knew Levy, Jane, Valery, Angel, John, Logan and his baby sister Natalie would not miss or feel disappointed in him.


    "Is that her?" Asked Havana.


    Atlas saw her slumped against a wall. She was bleeding heavily and had large bruises. Atlas ran over to her and checked the wounds. He looked in his journal and found a ruin for the binding of flesh. It would place whatever wounds she had on his body. It was the safest ruin he could make. Havana seemed confused. The Noah had white blood and the red looked strange. He used the ruin and felt the tearing of his own flesh. Her body was healed within seconds. He covered his body with bandages and laid down.


    Morrie opened her eyes slowly and he replied with "I don''t think I will be able to walk with you today".


    He was in a hospital again soon after. Havana almost started fighting them as the tried to place an IV in his arm. She picked up two doctors but Atlas explained what was going on. She was confused once again and sat beside him.


    Morrie was home and he was let go a few hours later. He still managed to get to his last class. Everyone was looking at Havana, the same way they had looked at Levy. Levy was possibly more attractive but it was hard to tell.


    "Who is she?" Asked the teacher.


    "I''m his girlfriend" Said Havana.


    Everyone widened their eyes at that statement, including the teacher. Havana was beautiful and her eyes despite being red were the third most beautiful thing at school.


    More trouble is coming my way I bet¡­


    "She is shadowing me today" Replied Atlas.


    Atlas had not picked up on the fact she had not distinguished between a girl friend and a girlfriend. She pulled a desk up beside him and sat down.


    "So what do you people learn about here" Said Havana.


    They were in sex ed. Havana had no idea what that word even meant. She had never been introduced to the content like most young Noah. She sat silently and never let her eyes leave Atlas. When the class ended a boy walked up to her.


    "You''re not really dating him are you" Said the boy.


    Havana wanted to take the opportunity to say yes.


    "As matter of fact I am, and he is a really a good kisser"


    Atlas heard that and pulled her aside.


    "I never kissed you"


    "You were sleeping" Replied Havana.


    What, why? How come she would do that?


    "That does not count and that kiss was not meant for you. Are you telling the truth did you really kiss me?" Asked Atlas.


    "Maybe I did maybe I didn''t. All I know is your lips are mine. And I just can''t wait to feel them again" Havana swished her hips.


    Atlas noticed Aurora was standing just behind her as she said this. She was about to walk away before Atlas called out to her.


    "Aurora, this is Havana"


    Atlas realized his eyes were fixed on her skirt for a short time and drifted to her upper body. He had not taken into consideration how attractive she was.


    "Nice to finally meet Lucius''s girlfriend" Said Aurora with a heavy strain.


    "She is not my girlfriend" Said Atlas.


    "You said you kissed him" Replied Aurora.


    "She is just messing with me she never has" he answered.


    Havana grabbed Aurora''s cheeks.


    "Is this the girl you have a..."


    Atlas place his hand over her mouth. Aurora wanted to know what she was going to say.


    Please shut up, you''ll make my life worse than it already is. Wait, why would saying anything make my life worse? Its not a bad thing right? I''ll have to take notes on this¡­


    "Where is Morrie?" Atlas said trying to change the subject.


    "She stayed home" Said Aurora.


    Hmmmm. What to do now?


    "Havana would you like to go on a date with me?" Asked Atlas.


    Havana had been waiting for him to say that for over sixteen years. She had wanted him to since the first week they meet.


    "Aurora would you also like to join me on a date?"


    Aurora had no idea what she should say. She didn''t want to be a third wheel.


    "I can''t I have to do some things with Hex" replied Aurora. She wanted him to be happy even if it meant she wasn''t.


    I haven''t seen Hex in awhile, maybe I should invite her to be... nice.


    "You should bring Hex with us, she''ll brighten up the atmosphere"


    Aurora looked at him for a couple seconds, "Sorry we''re doing something important"


    She walked away.


    Atlas walked to the mall with Havana. He knew Morrie was in far more pain than he had been in. He knew it would hurt him if he lost something his sisters or mother had given him. But if it was the last thing they had ever given him it would be like tearing his own heart out. She had a pain that could not be seen.


    He had set off on a mission to take that pain away. He knew he meant nothing to her but it would at least help to calm the pain. He used Havana as a crutch when the strain from the wounds began to annoy him.


    They slowly looked through the stores and were able to find everything but what he was looking for. Atlas got every piece of clothing Havana looked at with a happy expression. He still had his goal in mind but knew it would not hurt to get Havana a few things.


    He was unable to find what he was looking for after a full three hours of looking and gave up for the time being. He got Havana a few pounds of food and they walked to the stores around town. Atlas noticed she made noises every time she bit into a piece of food. She would make louder noises the more she liked the food. Atlas found a small clothing shop near the ghetto and decided he might as well try.


    "Hello" Said a young woman as they stepped in.


    "Hi! Very nice to meet you!" Said Havana with such enthusiasm the woman began to smile.

 Chapter 5.4 Atlas

    "Hi! Very nice to meet you!" Said Havana with such enthusiasm the woman began to smile.


    Havana began to look at everything and lifted any odd looking object she could find. Atlas was looking through the boxes and looked over at the woman''s direction. She had a baby crib beside her and he smiled.


    Atlas was always very caring towards small children. He decided she could use some cash. He knocked over a box as he walked to the woman. He picked up the box and found what he had been looking for. He walked up to the lady who was chattering away with Havana.


    "Look Atlas it''s so cute!" Said Havana turning with a small baby.


    "Her name is Rosy. And this is her sister Ka. And why didn''t you tell me Noah lived on Earth already?" Said Havana. Rosy was pale unlike Ka.


    I''ll have to explain that she isn''t a Noah later.


    They were tiny and Ka had a similar skin tone to Havana. Ka was smiling at Atlas.


    "Go on say hello" Her mother said pushing her towards Atlas.


    Ka seemed to be around the age of two or three. She walked up to Atlas and hugged him.


    "You smell nice"


    Atlas could not help but smile. He looked at the other baby and could not help but feel joy.


    "How much" Atlas held up the item.


    "One Mark" Replied the woman.


    Atlas patted Ka on the head "Thank you"


    He rolled a ten thousand Mark bill and placed it in a tip jar. Atlas held hands with Havana


    "Why are people following us?" She asked.


    Atlas knew that Levy and some of her friends were stalking them but paid it no mind. He thought they were simply making sure he didn''t get hurt again.


    He got the sweater washed and dried. He walked to Morrie''s home and told Havana to wait at the front door. He walked to her door and knocked. The door was open and Atlas let himself in. He walked up to her room and knocked. He could hear sad feet shuffle to the door. She was sniffling. The door opened and Atlas immediately hugged her. She began to cry and he held her till she had no tears left.


    "I got something for you" Said Atlas.


    He pulled out a black long sleeve sweater. She cried again but not of sadness. Atlas was worried he had done something wrong. She kissed his cheek and embraced him.


    This is what you do to help sad people right?


    "Try it on" Atlas handed her the sweater.


    She took her shirt off without thinking and slipped the sweater on. She smiled and hugged Atlas again. It was loose around her shoulders and only covered one at a time. Despite having long sleeves it reached just above her belly button.


    She looked at Atlas and asked "Do you want to sleep over?"


    It''s not like she would try to hurt me¡­ probably


    "Yes"


    He called Levy and told her. He got Havana back home and he would get her back in the morning. He spent the night with Morrie. She didn''t let go of him off a single second of the night. Over the next few weeks he repeated most of the same routines. He began to feel closer to the girls and felt he was getting to like them.


    He was beginning to feel like he didn''t hate them or like he might care for their lives. He was still struggling with what he felt, not being able to distinguish between hate and friendship. He constantly asked himself, "What does it mean to feel for others?"


    Havana seemed to have a bad habit of biting him when she was sleeping. Atlas would leave her at her home world during the night and pick her up in the morning most night. This became their thing.


    "You have all your classes with me" Said Atlas.


    They were sitting together in class as always. She would always leave her seat and join him. The teacher never said anything about it. She was treated just as highly as Levy. Havana liked human clothing and would have something different every day. She looked beautiful in all of them just like Levy.


    "What is a potato?" Asked Havana.


    Her hands were spread over a history book and pointing out several different breeds of potato.


    Only the most majestic thing ever found.


    "I will show you later" replied Atlas.


    They drifted through class and eventually got to lunch. Havana had a look of familiarity when she saw Hex.


    ¡°Is she a Noah?¡± Havana whispered.


    ¡°Just human.¡± They walked over and got introduced to each other.


    "So you''re just his friend?" Said Hex.


    "Well yes but that''s only because he won''t say he loves me" Replied Havana.


    Aurora tapped Atlas''s shoulder "Mind if I talk to you alone?"


    He nodded and they walked to an alone area.Stolen novel; please report.


    "I made something for you" said Aurora handing him a beautifully decorated basket with hearts. It had a small note hidden between the chocolate muffins.


    What''s this? Another attempt to poison me? I thought they would have known better by now.


    Atlas dropped the basket and stamped on the basket. He then tossed it into the trash. He walked away without saying a word. The hearts were crumpled in a dark filthy place. Atlas had been given gifts such as food before. It was often laced with chemicals and laxatives. People had a natural need to hate him.


    Atlas walked back to the group. He would not be able to understand why what he had done would have hurt her feelings. He sat down and began to eat his meal. A piece of bread and a few pills. He had a new container for his pills. He unlocked it and took a single pill out. The outside of the pill was clear with a dark center.


    The small dark ball seemed to reach out when he touched its surface. He chewed it and felt its cold sting. It would spread to every cell in his body and strengthen him. It was half the reason his heart still beat.


    "What is that?" Asked Havana.


    "Medicine"


    She had seen images of a similar object before in the libraries. She believed it was a proxy seal. They were used to suppress powers and certain types of psychological disorders in Knights. She wondered why Atlas would need to take one every day when Knights would take one every few millennia.


    "Where is Aurora?" Hex asked the group.


    Aurora was hiding a small box. She was doing a horrible job at it.


    "Over here" Said Atlas taking Hex''s hand.


    Atlas left her near where Aurora was. A short time later Hex came back and dragged Allison, Morrie, and Havana away. He walked this next class. The day ended and he waited at the entrance for Morrie and Levy. Aurora walked up to him. She looked so beautiful beneath the soft gleam of the sun. Her soft brown hair swayed as her lips parted.


    "I''m pregnant"


    "Okay" Atlas replied completely unfazed.


    "And you''re the father"


    Atlas nodded and passed out. He woke up in her arms. He tried to speak but nothing came out. He was deep in thought. He had come to the conclusion that it was possible that he had gotten her pregnant. He knew he had blacked out for extended periods of time.


    Darn, just like him¡­


    He had ended up like his father after all. He had hoped he wouldn''t be a dad by this age but then this happened. He stood up and took a moment to get his mind together. Hex walked over before he could say anything to Aurora. Scarlet held up a pregnancy test.


    "You got me pregnant you idiot"


    Atlas was at his wits end. How had he had enough time to do it twice.


    "Umm Lucius?" Said Morrie in a shy tone. She held another pregnancy test


    He had intended to ask Aurora to be with him but now that there were more than one person it would be odd. He again did not want to be like his father.


    He took a deep breath "I will take care of all of you"


    Atlas wanted to be better than his father. He knew he wouldn''t have to work three jobs to keep up with payments. He wouldn''t be gone six days of the week. He would be able to spend every waking moment with them.


    Maybe I could even learn how to love people other than my family.


    "We got you didn''t we!" Laughed Hex.


    I heard families that eat together stay together. I''ll always- wait what did she just say?


    Atlas was confused he believed he was the one who had gotten them.


    "It was a joke" Said Hex with a smile.


    Atlas was still slightly confused.


    "Nobody is pregnant it was a joke" Repeated Hex.


    Atlas was not able to understand what was going on.


    "But if you actually want to get someone pregnant you could start with me" Even Atlas could tell Hex was winking underneath her sunglasses.


    He nodded and walked away. He was going to use the gate. He wanted to calm down in a place he liked. They had given him the false impression that he had created life. They could have done almost anything else and it would not have made him mad but they had done the one thing that could.


    Of all the cruel things people have done to me, why do I feel like that actually hurt?


    He walked home without Levy and went to his room. He made the symbols necessary for the transportation of one human there and back. He took a moment to breath. He cleared his mind and shut out the world. He was unable to hear the door open as he activated the transport. He stood up and looked at the world around him. As far as the eye could see there were trees. Millions of breeds in every direction.


    "Ow"


    He turned and felt annoyance. When he saw Aurora.


    "Where are we!" Yelled Aurora.


    She was completely disoriented. His vacation would be cut short.


    He grabbed her hands "Don''t worry, we are safe here"


    He knew that was only half true. They had landed a few miles off from where he had wanted due to the extra weight. He could see the tower just in the distance and knew he was off with his guess. It was likely they were over one hundred miles off.


    Well... this is an inconvenience.


    He had all his gear at the tower. He calculated the exact distance by looking at the side of the tower. He knew it was just five hundred and sixty four miles away.


    "How did we get here?" Asked Aurora.


    "Well we got here because you messed up my transportation seal. But we are here because I wanted some peace and quiet"


    He knew this world was just like the other. He did not age in here just like any other human. Only the Noah and animals aged in here. He hoped they had arrived during the dry season. Otherwise the rivers would be impossible to cross. He jammed a stick into the ground and sighed when he saw liquid seep out of the indentation.


    What am I supposed to do now?


    "What''s wrong?" Asked Aurora.


    "It''s the rain season and I will be weeks before we will be able to cross the rivers if we are lucky" Said Atlas.


    She seemed to be taking the information well but she was crushing his arm.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Do you see that tower? Well we need to get there to get home"


    She leaned against him and seemed to be on the brink.


    "We should start walking then" Said Aurora attempting to find courage she did not have.


    "Maybe but we should pick up some food before we do" Said Atlas.


    Atlas climbed a tree and knocked a few ripe apple shaped foods off. He collected as many different kinds as possible. He cut his shirt to make a basket and held Aurora''s hand.


    "We have a long way to go. And if you see anything strange, hide" Said Atlas.


    He knew the different breeds in this world had changed since the last time he came here. Time flowed faster here than where he had come from. Every second in the outside world was a full year in here. It was the fastest time flow out of the worlds he had in the gate. He knew the sun set every fifty Earth hours and would stay dark for fifty as well.


    He wanted to reach one hundred miles before the sun set. The sun was in the center of the sky which told him he had twenty five hours left. They walked holding hands. After twenty minutes they stopped.


    "I''m so tired" Groaned Aurora laying on a patch of grass.


    "Well we still have eighty miles to go" Said Atlas.


    "That is crazy. How are we going to do that"


    "Well, by walking. Which you aren''t doing" Replied Atlas.


    Atlas felt like his feet were on fire and his lungs burned like hell. He still wanted to be fast but knew it was likely that he would not reach his goal. He just wanted to relax, not spend the next few months babysitting Aurora even if she was cute. if anything he didn''t want to be around her because of that reason.

 Chapter 6.1 Aurora

    "Finally back." Said Lucius.


    Don''t freak out, don''t freak out, don''t freak out


    Aurora was already going crazy because they had ended up in this place. She thought she had died and ended up in a mysterious place. But Lucius told her they were not dead. She had no idea how long they had been walking or how far, but her feet hurt. Lucius still had his pills and would eat them. She was wondering how many he had in the container.


    "Aurora I have to warn you that the nights last for two days and two hours. I don''t know how long we will be here because if it rained enough we might spend months here but if we are very lucky it could be just a few weeks" Said Lucius.


    "Lucius I don''t think I can go any further" Said Aurora. She felt like crap and knew she looked like it too.


    "Fine we will set up camp here" Said Lucius.


    Aurora took her shoes off and wondered why Lucius hadn''t taken his off. She looked at the sky and could see five moons. They were far larger than the moon on Earth. She removed her shoes and rubbed her feet. She looked at the odd fruits Lucius had picked and took a bite. It was amazing to say the least. It was sweet and juice. She moaned from joy.


    So... good¡­


    "You made a noise" Lucius looked at her and she felt self-conscious


    Aurora was not aware she had made the noise and did her best to eat silently.


    "So how did we get here exactly?" Said Aurora.


    "Well, I was rather angry about the joke you all played and decided to spend a few hour calming down. But you came along and made the situation worse. Now I''m stuck with you for the next few weeks" Said Lucius.


    "But what about school?" Said Aurora.


    She was unaware of the shift in time.


    "Time is different here. We can spend a year in here and only a second will pass in the real world" He replied.


    Well that''s convenient. I wonder how many times Lucius has come here for comfort.


    "Oh" She replied.


    She looked at the tower that loomed in the distance. She could only imagine how large it was. Lucius had told her it was hundreds of miles away. She had no idea anything could be so tall. She could see a massive shape swimming through the clouds. It looked like a jelly fish mixed with a whale. It''s body had lighting coursing through it and what looked like water falling from its back.


    "That''s a skypup" Said Lucius.


    It was over a mile long or it looked like it was.


    "The bigger ones are the interesting ones" Said Lucius.


    She could not imagine anything bigger. But she didn''t have to. A beast bigger anything she could have thought possible burst through the clouds. Several smaller sky pups floated beside it. She could see grass and trees on its back. This world was beautiful and so were its animals.


    Aw, they are so cute, like a family.


    "Well it will be night in a few hours so I''m going to get a fire started and do you mind making a bed or two?" Said Lucius.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Aurora nodded and looked at the trees. She thought about what he said and pondered making one bed. She felt like to would be wrong to force him into it. She found the leafs that felt softest and made a bed. She wanted to ask if he was fine sleeping together but it was to much for her, just thinking about it make her blush. She felt wrong for just thinking about it.


    She finished the beds after an hour and Lucius was nowhere to be found. She could feel his wolf eyes gleam over her but knew not from where. He was something she had never had. All the boys she knew were horrible people. They were spoiled and rude. They didn''t make friends they bought them. They just wanted to do indecent things and once they were done they would break your heart. Most girls were no different. They were the same and perhaps that is why some of Allison''s friends had their eyes drawn to Lucius. He was untouched like few others. He was like the first spark of light untarnished by darkness. He was something different.


    Athena was seen in the same way. But everyone liked her except jealous girls. She was impossible to match. She had become cheer captain on the fourth day of school. She had become lead singer of a vocal arts class and captain of the all gender football team. She was the best at everything.


    "Hey" Said Lucius.


    "Aaaaaaah!!!!" Aurora screamed


    That nearly gave me a heart attack!


    She felt like her heart had stopped and her breath was gone.


    "Are you hurt?" Said Lucius.


    "No, sorry, never mind, hey" Aurora replied with an odd smile.


    I sound stupid and he probably knows it.


    He turned away from her. Had her smile really been so ugly he had to turn away. She looked down in sadness.


    "Anyway I have everything else ready" Said Lucius.


    She nodded with her hands held up to her face. Her soft brown hair bobbed with every nod of her head. Her soft brown eyes glistened with the bat of her eyelashes.


    "Thanks for taking care of me" She whispered.


    "Shut up"


    He walked away and dragged wood to an open area. He tossed it into a pile and sparked it. The fire grew and the warmth reached her. She still felt cold but didn''t want to make him mad. She guessed he needed his spaced and stayed a fair distances away from him. The sun set and she began to shiver. She wanted to get closer but didn''t want to make him angry.


    Does she really hate me that much? She would rather be freezing than be near me? Well it''s not the most hate someone has had towards me. Just last week people walked up to me and told me how much they hated me. I didn''t even know their names


    Aurora closed her eyes and felt like she was ready to cry. She knew what she had done was wrong, but was he really be that mad? She let her cold hand grasp at herself because they had nothing left. She wanted to know what she could do to make him happy. She didn''t want to make him angry.


    So cold... I guess this is how Lucius feels, he is always so lonely.


    Abruptly she felt something warm cover her and turned to see what it was. Lucius was holding her close.


    "Might as well let you steal my warmth"


    She felt her body rush with heat. And not just because he was holding her. She felt her face go red and her heart began to pound like a drum. Her body was shaking because she was so nervous not because of the cold anymore. She wanted to kiss him more than she wanted to take her next breath. She could feel what those wild eyes held. She knew she loved him. She didn''t know why but she did. Not because he was attractive but something about him just seemed all to right and bring without him seemed all too wrong.


    This just feels so right. Like it was meant to be like this.


    She pressed her head against his chest and heard a soft steady tapping. Before she knew it. She was somewhere else.


    She was awake but the world was dark. She could hear a metallic hammering in the distance. She got up and walked to the noise. She watched as the sparks rained over his body. She could see burn marks on his skin and large scars. She wondered why she had not seemed them before. She walked closer and saw what he had made. Blades and guns, they were laying on the floor beside him.


    She took a breath "Hey"


    He turned slowly What do you want?".


    He had made tools as well.


    "Mind if I ask you something?" She ventured.


    ¡°You just did"


    She didn''t know how to respond.


    "If you mean to ask me something other than that, go ahead"


    "Where did you get those scars?" she watched him as he set his hammer down and walk over.


    "I don''t want to lie to you but you might not like my response" Said Lucius.


    "I can take it" Said Aurora.

 Chapter 6.2 Aurora

    "I can take it" Said Aurora.


    She looked at his skin that had scars on almost every inch.


    "People have tried to kill me. Most were knives and brands. Your sister is the person who kills those people. She is good at her job but even she has her limits. When they do find us they don''t hold back. But she is stronger than I could ever be. They managed to catch me for a single hour before and during that time they branded me and cut me up like a pig. Your sister found me and killed them for what they did. I can tell you what they did to make every single scar on me. They hate me because I am a different. I don''t judge them and I don''t hate them for what they did to me. I hate them because Athena and my family can''t have a normal life" He finished with the expression of someone who felt nothing.


    Aurora wished she could understand the situation and his mind. She would want to kill anyone who had done something like that to her. How could he just be angry for what they did to others and not for what they had done to him?


    If he can''t learn to love himself, then I''ll do it for him.


    "My sister never told me she was a mercenary" Said Aurora.


    "That''s because she''s not. She protects people like me and my sister. But only kill if absolutely necessary. Well she didn''t have to kill the people who caught me but it was better that way" He replied.


    "So how long will it be dark for?" Said Aurora.


    She had forgotten and felt like the entire day had been a dream.


    "Two days and two hours. We can''t risk walking because I don''t know what is waiting out there" Lucius looked out over the dark landscape like he was scanning it.


    She felt those words shatter her hope. He did not know what was waiting out their.


    "Nothing will come close to us as long as the fire is up" Said Lucius.


    "Let''s just sit a bit closer to the fire" Said Aurora.


    She pulled him by his hand still shaking for nervousness. She could hear her heart pounding and her breath quicken. She was with him all alone. They sat down and felt the heat of the flame.


    "This is the only fire on this planet. The only way fire start here is if it is made by someone" Said Lucius.


    Aurora found that odd. The only fire on the planet was right in front of them. A vital spark keeping darkness away from them. She felt sleepy just being next to him but knew she would be unable to fall asleep.


    "So what do you think we should do?" Said Aurora.


    "Nothing really but I will be finishing making a few weapons in the meanwhile. And here take my phone play games on it or watch a few videos I have downloaded. Or if you like to read look at my library and reread some books or manga" Said Lucius.


    He walked over to where he had set up a work table and continued to hammer away.


    She looked at his phone and unlocked it. It had a picture of what she assumed to be his family as the background. The two older woman in the pictures looked like goddesses. She looked through the phone and found the internet browser.


    She wanted to see his history just for fun. It was empty with only one search from four months ago. "Potato recipes".


    Good thing to know he like potatoes.


    She looked at what books he had read and found herself looking at ten''s of thousands of book. She began with the first book on the list. She spent hours reading and lost track of time. She fell asleep and woke again an untold amount of time later.


    "Hey, by the way I also have music" Said Lucius.


    She looked at what looked like a large cooking pot and said "What is that?"


    "Food" Said Lucius.


    It smelled like soup but she felt like she could eat all of it. She watched him poured a bowl of the food. It had cut up chunks of fruits and smelled like paradise when the steam reached her nose. It was gone before she knew it. She ate until she could eat no more. She watched him eat a single piece of bread. She was more curious as to where he had gotten the bread from.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Where are you keeping the bread?" Said Aurora.


    He reached into a large pocket in his pants and pulled out a medium sized box.


    "I keep it in here" Said Lucius.


    It was a similar size box to the one that he kept his pills in.


    "Why do you take the pills" Said Aurora.


    He wilt as the words reached his ears.


    "My body is deteriorating and the pills keep me alive" He replied with a shadow of a voice.


    "Why are you deteriorating?" Said Aurora.


    "My body is weak as hell and my cells die faster than they grow. The pill forces them to stay alive long enough to keep me in one piece. It also causes my body to reject almost any new growth including muscle." Said Lucius.


    You have more than enough muscle if you ask me. There is nobody even slightly more perfect than you.


    He knew they did more but that was more than enough information.


    "Should we sleep in the same bed to conserve heat?" Said Aurora without thinking.


    "That is a very good idea I hadn''t thought of that".


    They were both blushing, but one far more than the other.


    "Should we sleep?" Said Lucius.


    "This is just to stay warm" Said Aurora.


    "Yeah" Replied Lucius.


    Well, that was easy.


    He lied down and closed his eyes. She sat down and took a moment to calm herself. It was absolutely useless her heart was still pounding and her face was still blushing. She lay beside him and wondered if he had fallen asleep.


    He rolled over "I don''t bite, you came come a little closer" he said


    "Oh okay"


    She got closer but was still a fair distance away.


    "I''m sorry I lied, I do bite but not to hard" Said Lucius.


    She knew she was blushing more than before but had nothing to say. She did the only logical thing and pulled him in and hugged him. His body seemed to emanate heat like a fire.


    "Sorry I was really cold" Said Aurora.


    She had been cold but it was nothing that really bothered her. She had her face pressed up against his shoulder and one arm around his waist. She fell asleep faster than she had thought possible and when she woke the sun had returned.


    "We''re moving" Said Lucius.


    He had everything they needed packed or so she hoped.


    "How do you know where to go?" Said Aurora.


    "I don''t" He replied.


    She didn''t want to hear that coming from her guide but at least he was honest. They day was far hotter the the last one. Lucius had gotten water from a tree and stored it in a few containers.


    "Can I get some water?" Said Aurora.


    "You don''t have to ask. It''s our water not mine" He replied.


    "Oh thanks" Said Aurora.


    She grabbed a container and took a sip. She had never had a more refreshing drink. Every drop felt like she was having the first drink of water in weeks. Before she knew it she had emptied the container.


    She walked right beside him "Might as well get to knew you. What sports do you like?" He looked over at her.


    Aurora was caught off guard "What?"


    "What sports do you like" He repeated.


    "Well I like gymnastics" Said Aurora.


    She took notice of just how massive some of the trees were. Some seemed to go on forever. They had trunks bigger than houses. She could see trees in the distances that looked like a world on their own. With a shadow reaching hundreds of miles.


    "Those are Willow trees, my mom liked them so she placed them across all space and time. It''s kinda cool, they think together like a mind. They are the only truly immortal organism that she ever created" Said Lucius.


    "Who is your mother?" Said Aurora.


    "You won''t remember once this is all over so might as well tell you" Said Lucius.


    "Wait why?" Said Aurora with a hint of anger.


    "Because I can''t let you, but if you really wanted to remember all I would have to do is erase anything you know about my mom" Said Lucius.


    "I mean...I guess"


    She watched him draw a symbol on a piece of paper and place it on her head. She had a nice of paper on her head and wondered why.


    "So how long will it take to walk there?" Said Aurora.


    "A few weeks if we are lucky".


    She liked the idea of spending a few weeks with him.


    Wow, it''s hot right now.


    The trees shaded them but the sun was like a heat lamp.


    "Can I have more water?"


    "How many times must I tell you just take some if you want it" Said Lucius.


    She got more water and they continued to walk. They reached a river and stopped. The river was not very large. Aurora watched Lucius drop everything and dive into the water.


    "Much better" Said Lucius.


    Aurora was burning up as well. She thought of taking off anything she didn''t want getting wet. She still had all her clothing on and wondered whether to dive in with it on. She didn''t have any extra clothes and felt she would make Lucius uncomfortable. She decided she would take a bath after he was done. She looked at the river and found a isolated area. She being the neat freak she was always had soap and some other cleaning utensils in her pockets. She placed her clothing on a branch and sunk into the water. She had missed feeling clean. She washed away any fifth and rested in the warm water. She saw a small tan hand grab her clothing and dash off.


    "Wait stop! Come back!" Yelled Aurora.

 chapter 6.3 Aurora

    "Crap I''m blind" Said Lucius. He stood up and covered his eyes. "Yep, I''m blind. Anyway I should be able to see in a few minutes"


    She didn''t know whether to be happy or not. But that also meant she only had a few minutes to get dressed.


    "What happened anyway. I don''t remember what happened" Said Lucius.


    "You passed out" Said Aurora in a nervous tone.


    "Do you mind walking me to my clothing" Side Lucius.


    "Yeah" Said Aurora.


    She walked him over and found he had two shirts.


    He can''t see me right now... he won''t notice if I take one of his shirts right?


    She put it on and noticed it was extremely soft and comfortable.


    "I can see shapes now. Do you mind helping me put my shirt on?" Said Lucius.


    "Sure" Said Aurora.


    She picked up his shirt and helped his arms through. He seemed confused and turned red.


    "Your shirt is kinda see through" Said Lucius.


    What does he mean-agh!


    She covered herself with a large leaf.


    "Why were you looking there?"


    "Because you had my shirt on" Said Lucius.


    Aurora smiled knowing he was not like the others. She knew he was different.


    "Why are you so different?" Said Aurora.


    "That''s depending on what you mean" Said Lucius.


    "You''re not like other guys. You don''t care about what people look like just who they are" Said Aurora.


    "That''s because I don''t care about people. I don''t care about people as a whole not just their appearances. It''s a matter of relevance" Said Lucius.


    "Do you care about me?" Said Aurora leaning in.


    "Don''t do that" Said Lucius.


    "Do what?" Said Aurora.


    "That, that thing!" Said Lucius with a slight raised voice.


    "What is that thing?" Said Aurora.


    "You know what it is don''t play dumb" Said Lucius.


    "I really don''t" Said Aurora began to pout.


    "Stop that you''re doing it right now" Said Lucius.


    She squished her cheeks and said "I''m confused".


    "Stop being cute it''s annoying" Said Lucius.


    "You think I''m cute?"She watched him mutter for a long while and turn away for her.


    "We should keep moving" Said Lucius.


    "By the way why didn''t you tell me people lived here one of them stole my shirt and stuff".


    "Someone stole your clothing?" Asked Lucius.


    What if they stole mine?


    "Yeah, that''s kinda why I have your shirt on" Said Aurora.


    "Well that''s new".


    He picked up his gear and began to walk. She walked beside him but he looked in the other direction. They walked day in and day out.


    After what seemed like two months of walking Aurora had begun to outpace Lucius. She felt like she was getting stronger with every passing day. He upgraded his weapons every time the night fell. She felt like they were growing closer together. He would talk to her like any normal person would. He was still rather cold-hearted but she didn''t mind. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    As they walked through the thick underbrush of the trees he pushed her into a dark hole. Before she knew it several masked beings had surrounded him. She stayed silent only because he signaled her to. They began to scream something at him and he lifted his hands.


    "Aurora! Cover your ears!" Yelled Lucius with a booming voice.


    If she doesn''t cover her ears I could hurt her maybe even kill her¡­ I have to have fate that she will trust me...


    She did and held her hands over her ears as well as she could. She waited and waited but nothing happened. She felt a hand on her shoulder and screamed. She felt a hand remove her one hands for her ears.


    "It''s over, we''re safe" Said Lucius.


    She looked outside of the darkness and saw the massive group of people on the ground. Blood was dripping from their mouths and they had red eyes.


    "If I did it right they should be fine in a few hours" Said Lucius.


    He began to take some of their weapons. Aurora looked at their nearly blood red eyes. She didn''t know why but they were beautiful. They were like a far less frightening version of Lucius''s eyes.


    "What did you do to them" Said Aurora.


    "I showed them what pain really is" Said Lucius.


    He grabbed her hand and they continued to walk. They walked until he could walk more more.


    "I can help you with your stuff you know" Said Aurora.


    She wanted to ask what he had done, what he had really done but it seemed useless.


    "Lucius I know this is an odd time to ask who you like but who do you like?" Said Aurora.


    They had nearly died, and that motivated her to ask.


    "My family" Said Lucius.


    "No I mean who do you like in a more, you know, different way"


    "Havana-" She felt her heart break and felt like hope was lost."-is like a sister to me".


    She felt silly for thinking any different.


    "I mean who would you like to kiss on the lips" Said Aurora.


    "I can''t tell you" He replied.


    "Who can you tell?" Said Aurora.


    "Only Athena can know"


    "Can you tell me what she looks like?"


    "She has hazel brown eyes, her hair is a golden brown. Her hair is wavy and has streaks of lighter blonder hair. She has a smile that could brighten my day not matter how dark it had been".


    That''s almost...? No, it can''t be, I wonder who it really is.


    "If I guess her name will you tell me?" Said Aurora.


    "No"


    They continued to walk once they had rested for an hour. They reached the main river. It looked like a ocean but she was just able to see the other side.


    "Well, let''s build a home here" Said Lucius.


    "What?" Said Aurora.


    "That is going to take at least six months to be small enough for us to cross" Said Lucius.


    "Why don''t we just build boat?" Said Aurora.


    "Big fish" He replied


    What? that''s not a whole lot of information¡­


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean that there are fish big enough to eat us as a whole. With teeth" Lucius added the last part as if it was an afterthought.


    She looked at the vast river and sighed. Lucius had already begun to build a home.


    "Do you need help?" Said Aurora.


    "You can collect some dry leafs for a fire" Said Lucius.


    In a week''s time he had build a home with a water system and electricity.


    "When did you make a charger?" Asked Aurora.


    "Yesterday, you can read or watch movies of something" Said Lucius as he carved something.


    "Thanks, and what are you making!?"


    "I am upgrading the dynamo" Said Lucius.


    He had created a armory and several other so called necessary things. He had a fully functional automated utilities factory. The interchangeable parts allow him to make almost anything.


    "Why do we need so many weapons?" Asked Aurora.


    "It''s not for us" Said Lucius.


    "Who is it for then?" Said Aurora.


    "The people who live here" He replied.


    "Oh".


    He spent most of the time farming and growing different plants that tasted very good. The fish in the river were also very flavor full. Everywhere she looked fish flooded the river. Lucius had made her a place to wash off.


    "It looks nice" Said Aurora holding the ankle bracelet she had made for Lucius.


    She had taken some of the scrap metal from Lucius''s weapons and made it. She had paid a price for doing so. She had burned her right hand and was unable to use it for a week.


    "I hope he likes it" Said Aurora.


    She placed it back in the box and covered it. Lucius had made a sewing machine and Aurora had been given new clothes. As she walked away and heard something. She looked back to see a person grab the box and run.


    "What the?!"


    Wait, that''s for Lucius!


    She had worked too hard on his present just for some stupid masked man to take it. She picked up a stick and tossed it at the person. She hit the person and they fell. She ran over and jumped on top of the person and punched through her mask. She didn''t know she had gotten strong. She began to wrestle with the person and they pulled at each others hair.


    "Give it back!" yelled Aurora.


    The person yelled something she could not understand. Aurora lifted the person and slammed them against a tree. Aurora felt rage. She wanted to make Lucius happy and this person would not stand in her way. Aurora punched the person in the face shattering the mask. She could see her face. One eye was already beginning to swell. Blood ran down her tan skin and her red eyes looked into hers.


    "Aurora" Lucius was running towards her.


    She felt fear shot through her. She knew if he was risking running something was wrong. He reached out towards her and he seemed like he was going to say something. An arrow shot through his arm and leg. He hit the ground and skid a short distance.


    They did not just do that!

 Chapter 6.4 Aurora

    They did not just do that!


    Aurora sprinted at the people and managed to evade the arrows. She kicked one of them as hard as she could and sent him flying. She was surprised by how strong she had become. She aimed for the head on her next target. She managed to knock the person out instantly. She was able to keep fighting until an arrow hit her arm. She screamed in pain and leaned against a tree. Only a few people remained. She saw a small black sphere hit the people. They fell screaming and went limp.


    "Don''t touch those" Lucius had recovered.


    He crawled over to her and pick the pill up.


    "Just wait here" Said Lucius limping away.


    He came back with a numbing cream and a sewing kit. She was unable to feel her arm in seconds. She placed a second substance that healed her arm in seconds. He tied everyone up and tended to their wounds. She had the girl in a chair.


    "What are we going to do with them?" Said Aurora.


    "Interrogate" Said Lucius sitting down.


    He woke the girl up and began to talk to her in a language she did not understand. She sat near by looking at the people. She tossed seeds at them. She looked over at Lucius and noticed the girl looked scared to death.


    The girl was paralyzed by fear. She couldn''t even breath. Her body wanted nothing more than to run away. His eyes were the doors to eternal agony.


    Maybe...that''s too much?


    Aurora walked over and tapped his shoulder.


    "Lucius she seems really scared. Just let her calm down for a moment" Said Aurora.


    She wanted to punch her face in for trying to steal Lucius''s present but didn''t like holding in hate. Aurora brought her food and fed everyone else. Lucius was able to talk to her and relayed the information to Aurora. Aurora wonder how he had learned to speak their language.


    "They have been following us for months, and want to know what we are" Said Lucius.


    "Human of course" Said Aurora.


    She realized how stupid it was. "They have never seen anything like us before. They feared we would soon come in mass groups. They were especially interested in you and thought I was a beast of darkness. Like like angels and demons" Said Lucius.


    "So should we let them go?" Asked Aurora.


    "Of course not, I''m going to kill them all" Said Lucius pulling a gun out.


    She felt terror crush her. He was about to execute all those people.


    "Just kidding, we can let them go" Said Lucius untying the rope.


    "You had me for a moment their" Said Aurora.


    They let the people go and went back to their daily routines.


    "Hey Lucius, mind if I ask you something?" Asked Aurora popping through the door.


    "Go for it" Said Lucius taking a drink of water.


    "What would you name you baby if you had one?" Said Aurora.


    Lucius spit his water out and took a moment.


    "What?" Said Lucius with a red face.


    "Like an adopted baby" Said Aurora backing away from the door slightly.


    Unless you would want to do anything else...


    "Well it depends if the baby is male or female" Said Lucius.


    "Male" Said Aurora taking a step forward.


    "I would name it whatever you wanted to name it" Said Lucius.


    "And a girl?" Said Aurora.


    "Jane or Calypso" Said Lucius with a half hearted smile.


    "What would you name your kid?" Said Lucius.


    She felt like he might just like her.


    "It depends" Said Aurora.


    "On what?" Asked Lucius.


    "Male or female" She asked.


    "A daughter".


    She smiled not just with her lips but with her heart.


    "Still depends" Said Aurora taking a step forward.


    "On?" Asked Lucius.


    "If you decided Jane or Calypso" Said Aurora leaning within inches of Lucius.


    He turned away from her and she felt worried.


    "Jane" Said Lucius as he covered his face.


    When night came she had only him on her mind. She could imagine small tubby baby in a white cradle with a teddy bear in the corner. His eyes and her brown gold wavy hair. A fragile small hand reaching out for love that she would never stop giving.


    She dreamt of spending every day with him and their little one. She could only imagine the joy she would feel when the best of both of them would call her mommy. She rolled in bed and hugged her pillow. It felt unusual even in her sleep. When she woke they lay side by side. She felt sadness knowing they would only be able to spend so much more time together. His eyes flutter open and she kissed his forehead. She knew they had only know each other for about ten months but she felt like it was right.


    "You, you kissed me?" Lucius wondered in an exasperated voice.


    She was able to hear his heart and see the absolute starstruck look in his eyes. He picked up one of his pills and the beast was gone along with the look in his eyes. She didn''t like what the pills did to him but knew he had to take them.


    As months passed the river grew smaller and smaller. She was out in the garden and he walked up behind her. She felt it like the calm before the storm.


    "Today''s the day" Said Lucius. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    She put her flower down and looked over at where she had been keeping the gift. She had been waiting to give it to him on Valentine''s day. And she wanted to keep waiting here.


    "Yeah it is isn''t it?" Aurora was doing her best to keep her tears away.


    "I have everything ready"


    She took his hand and they walked to the boat. It was more like a ship considering its size. He drove the ship across the river. Their final day together. They only had a few hours walk to reach the massive tower. A library was what it was. It had a shield around it but Lucius knew how to get through. She Walked with him to where he had his supplies.


    "I need to send you first" Said Lucius.


    "Why?"


    Don¡¯t leave me


    "You need to repair the transport on the other side. Athena will know what to do. Just find her as fast as you can and tell her it''s damaged" Said Lucius.


    "Why can''t we both go?" Said Aurora.


    "I wouldn''t make it to the other side alive. You are a lot tougher than me and I just don''t stand a chance of living if it''s not perfect. You will pass through and feel a little light headed but that''s all"


    Wait, but time flows differently here. That means-


    "I can''t leave you" Aurora blurted out.


    "I know that why you are standing where you are" Said Lucius activating the transport.


    She felt light cover her and she was back on Earth.


    Athena! I have to get Athena!


    She sprinted faster than she ever had before and looked in Athena''s room. She began to cry when she didn''t see her their. She left like she had just died inside. She found a phone and called Athena.


    "Athena!" She screamed as burning tears filled and fell for her eyes "Lucius is trapped, the... the transport. Get over here now!!".


    She felt her heart began to pound harder and harder. She only heard the phone hit the floor.


    Athena didn''t even open the doors. She ran straight through them and at that point about three minutes had passed. Athena knew by how desperate she sounded that it was not just a slight time difference. She looked like a blur as she fixed the transport in just under two seconds. She activated it and he appeared. Before he could say a word Aurora wrapped her arms around him crying.


    "Are you okay?" Asked Lucius.


    "I''m sorry!" Said Aurora.


    "Don''t worry about out it. I was asleep nearly the entire time. I woke up yesterday" Said Lucius.


    He was lying. He had spent over two hundred and sixty years waiting. Isolated but he spent time reading.


    "I''m sorry" Aurora kept repeating.


    "Don''t be" Said Lucius. He meant it.


    Aurora felt like she hadn''t seen him in years.


    "Well if you don''t mean me, I''m going to take a bath" Said Lucius. He still had his pill box.


    He walked away and left Aurora and Athena standing alone.


    "You two didn''t you know..." Said Aurora making a circle with her thumb and index finger.


    "What? No. Why would you think that?" Asked Aurora.


    But it¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t let him¡­


    "It''s just that you two seemed oddly affectionate. How long were you in their?" Said Athena.


    "About ten months" Said Aurora placing her index finger on her chin.


    I wish it were longer though.


    "Just saying it seems like he is become accustomed to you" Athena looked at her and smiled.


    Finally, she sighed "Want to watch a movie?"


    " Sure" Aurora nodded. She wanted to spend time with all her friends as well.


    "I''m calling everyone so see if they want to hang out" Said Athena as she took out her phone. Aurora had pizza with every


    "Hey Athena, is Lucius here " Morrie said after examining the house interior and taking notes.


    Aurora had changed into her usually clothing and noticed that Morry had a similar skirt. Both skirts reached halfway down their legs.


    "I think he''s in his room" Athena replied.


    Aurora ate more pizza until Morrie walked back into the room.


    "He left a note"


    Athena walked over and picked it up. She looked angry as she read the contents.


    "Well he will be at school tomorrow but he won''t be here tonight " She looked even more peeved as she said it.


    Maybe I should ask why¡­ Strange, I feel like I it would be a bad idea to ask.


    As the day went by they got board.


    "Who wants to play truth or dare?" Asked Hex. Aurora noticed the smile she had. It said she had a reason.


    Hmmmm. She¡¯s planning something isn''t she¡­


    "Why not" Said Athena taking a seat.


    Eventually everyone joined in.


    "Who wants to go first?" Said Hex.


    There was a knock at the door.


    "Just a moment" Said Athena.


    She walked back with Raven under her arm like a handbag.


    "This is demeaning" Said Raven with her head slumped down.


    "Hey it''s the angry child" Said Hex.


    Aurora giggled at that point.


    "Why did you bring a child?" Asked Havana.


    "She is older than most of us, she''s just short" Said Athena.


    "I''m not short. I''m just fun size" Said Raven.


    Aurora knew it was inevitable and looked over at Hex.


    "I really doubt anyone will be having fun with you any time soon¡± Said Hex pointing in her general direction.


    "Let''s get started, I''ll ask first" Said Aurora.


    "Wait, to make thing interesting I got this from Lucius room. It''s a truth serums" Said Athena.


    She poured it into a bowl of apple juice.


    "Drink up" Said Athena.


    They all had some dispute not truly wanting to.


    "We can''t lie!" Said Athena.


    As long as they don''t ask anything about Lucias.


    Athena placed a bottle on the table and said "Who ever it lands on has to go first".


    Aurora spun the bottle and it stopped on Hex.


    "Hex," Said Aurora as she thought of what to say "Truth or dare".


    "Truth!" Said Hex with a grin.


    "Have you ever kissed anyone?" Asked Aurora.


    "No..." Said Hex with a flat tone.


    "Hex it''s your turn" Said Athena.


    Hex looked like the devil with that smile of hers. She spun it and it stopped on Allison.


    She''s gonna do something bad isn''t she...


    "It landed on Allison" Said Athena.


    "Truth or dare" Said Hex.


    "I''m afraid you will ask something personal so I choose dare" Said Allison.


    "I dare you to tell me if you have ever had a fantasy about someone" Said Hex.


    "Yes..." Said Allison slowly.


    Allison spun the bottle and it stopped on Athena.


    ¡°Was it L-¡± Athena cleared her throat indicating that is wasn''t Hex''s turn.


    "Truth or dare?" Asked Allison.


    "Truth" Said Athena eating some chips. She seemed far to calm compared to everyone else.


    "What is the name of your first love" Said Allison. She smiled with her flawless smile.


    "Lucius" Said Athena.


    "Aww that''s cute. I''m happy you''re his sister because if you weren''t none of us would stand a chance" Said Scarlet.


    "Your turn" Said Hex.


    The bottle stopped on her. Aurora felt her heart as it began to beat louder.


    "Truth or dare" Said Athena.


    "Truth" Said Aurora fearing the worst.


    "Do you like..."


    Their was a knock at the door and Aurora yelled "got it!".


    She walked to the door and the odd girl stood their.


    "Why are you here?" Said the girl.


    "I followed Lucius home to say sorry and things got out of hand" Said Aurora.


    "Well is he home?" Said the girl.


    "No" Said Aurora.


    She walked away without another word. She walked back to the group and sat down.


    "So have you kissed my brother?" Asked Athena.


    "No" Said Aurora in a calm tone.


    She feared that Athena would have asked her she liked Lucius.


    She landed on Raven. Raven had a sinister look on her face.


    "Truth" Said Raven.


    "Do you like Lucius?" Said Aurora.


    "Of course I do. I want him to have my babies" Said Raven.


    Raven spun the bottle and it landed on her.


    "Truth or dare" Raven and Aurora knew what they had in mind.


    "Truth" Said Aurora.


    "Do you like Lucius?" Said Raven.


    She knew she could not hold out forever


    "No".

 chapter 7.1 Scarlet

    ¡°Take me with you.¡± Said Penelope squishing her plump cheeks.


    ¡°I take you every day. I don''t see why you are making a big deal about it.¡± Said Scarlet taking her hand.


    She knew Valentines was in four days and she had the intention of getting something for Lucius.


    Penelope pulled at Scarlet¡¯s long red braid ¡°Because I haven''t see you all day and I missed you¡±


    Scarlet lifted Penelope over a pile of glass ¡°I''m already taking you. So how was school?¡±


    ¡°Good, but someone stole the books at night.¡± Penelope began to make popping noises with her mouth.


    ¡°How much did he give you?¡± Said Scarlet.


    Penelope looked back at her ¡°two¡±.


    That¡¯s more than usual.


    Scarlet smiled. She had sold one fine silk swimsuit to a broker for one hundred marks. Half the original price but making good deals with brokers worked out in the long run. She had had enough money to pay for the food for the next two months. She felt bad about selling the two things she had but it helped her family.


    It¡¯s a good things Penelope¡¯s education is basically set.


    Someone had donated to her sister''s school fund and she would able to go to school all the way through college.


    ¡°So will I be going to the same school as you?¡± Penelope mumbled while squishing Scarlets cheeks.


    Scarlet moved Penelope¡¯s hands away from her face ¡°Yeah, I''m taking you tomorrow¡±


    They got to the market and looked at the hundreds of people bartering. Hunting the wildlife was illegal for most of the year but that didn''t stop anyone. Deer, Moose, and Ox rabbits were the most common in the market. They walked around and saw Cona. He was a large man with a larger heart.


    If only our purse was as big as his heart. We¡¯d be able to buy anything.


    ¡°Good day¡± Said Cona through a thick fluffy beard.


    It was snowy white like his coat.


    ¡°Cona what you got today?¡± Asked Scarlet as she looked around.


    Hopefully something we can afford.


    ¡°The usually hunt. A few pelts and meat¡± Said Cona patting his thick yet muscular body.


    Scarlet''s eyes honed in on the price tags ¡°What''s cheap?¡±


    ¡°Well, just got a full grown Ox rabbit, it was hard as stone to finish¡± Said Cona.


    ¡°I believe you, I¡¯ve tried¡± Said Scarlet.


    Ox rabbits were like bears with more fur. They were also larger and faster. To top it off they had massive horns. A gun had a hard time getting through their fur when half grown. She could only imagine what it took to keep it in one place. She looked at the enormous leg and nodded. It was half the size of a bear on its own.


    The only reason I didn¡¯t catch mine was because one of the patrols showed up, and I don¡¯t have a hunting license.


    No one in authority actually cared, the patrols usually just looked for a reason to bring someone in. So they could avoid actually trying stop the people who were tearing the slums apart with gunfire.


    ¡°What did you do to bring it down?¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°I didn''t do anything. It got in a fight with a bigger Ox and it lost¡± Said Cona.


    They were only dangerous because of their horns and stubby claws. The real big animals were the moose. They were like tanks of meat. But spent their day eating all the plant life they could find. Usually they kept their distance from humans but had migrated in the past few years.


    ¡°How much for a pound?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°How about one mark and a smile¡± Said Cona with a happy chuckle.


    ¡°You got a deal¡± Said Penelope flashing her ¡®I¡¯m a good girl¡¯ smile.


    ¡°How about I send you home with a bundle of love?¡± He carved a chunk about the size of Penelope out of the beast.¡°Take it right home¡±.


    Wow¡­ that normally would have costed over a 300 marks. Well that¡¯s Cona for you, the Santa Claus of Mars.


    Penelope and Scarlet both hugged Cona, and walked back home. They locked the meat in the icebox and walked back to the market. They looked at the fruits and vegetables. Cona¡¯s son once worked a garden but lost his life defending a school from a shooter. The gunman was executed as always but not before they were tortured to the brink of insanity. In fact the ex-head scientist of the E.N.D Legacy corporation personally came down to interrogate him.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I heard that when he was done the shooter was begging to tossed into a meat grinder¡­


    Scarlet shook that disturbing thought out of her head and turned her attention back to Penelope who was running amok around the market stalls.


    They were unable to bargain for any good deals. They looked at the random nick nacks the market had to offer but moved on. They decided to find some furs to make bedding out of. They had an eye out for thieves that were all too common.


    Scarlet eyed an especially thick fur and turned to catch the attention of Harbor; the man who ran the stall. ¡°How about one fifty?¡±


    ¡°Please¡± Penelope sealed the deal.


    ¡°You got me. Here¡± Said Harbor.


    His old pale eyes blinked and he passed her the bundle of fur.


    ¡°Thanks Harbor¡± Said Scarlet and Penelope.


    As they walked Scarlet felt a hand pull the bundle away. And she turned to see a hooded boy start sprinting off with their newly purchased bedding.


    Oh no you don¡¯t, you ass!


    She began to run after the boy until she saw him lifted into the air.


    ¡°That wasn''t very nice of you¡± Said Cona.


    Cona was about seven feet tall and had served in the last world war. Dispute being nearly a century old he stayed in shape. He had been one of the last humans experiments on during the Titans project. Or the last legal experiment.


    He pulled the bundle away and handed it to Scarlet. Then he placed the boy in a cage ¡°Now think about what you have done¡±.


    Scarlet waved goodbye and walked home. She cooked some of the rabbit and fed Penelope. Her mother would be back at ten and her brother would be home at two in the morning.


    ¡°So have you asked that boy out yet?¡± Penelope spun around when she asked.


    ¡°I''m going to ask him on Valentine''s day¡±


    If I have the courage, and if someone doesn¡¯t claim him first¡­


    Penelope nodded and Scarlet patted her head.


    ¡°How much are the Valentine''s grams?¡± Penelope questioned.


    ¡°The small ones are one Mark the median size boxes are five, the larger are ten. But there are some other ridiculously sized ones, but those are like fifty, the biggest are two hundred¡±


    They could only imagine how big the box would be.


    ¡°What are you going to get the boy with freaky eyes?¡±


    ¡°Don''t say that, he¡¯s just different, not freaky. And I have something big planned. I know he will love it¡±


    I hope he will.


    She was worried he wouldn''t. She had already finished her homework thanks to Lucius. She went in bed and wondered if Lucius actually liked Havana like Athena had said.


    Maybe


    Scarlet fell asleep with that word on her lips.


    Scarlet woke before the sun, she cooked the meals for her mother and brother.


    ¡°Love you, bye¡± Scarlet waved as her brother walked out with a chunk of meat.


    And stay safe.


    She got her sister ready and made her some breakfast.


    ¡°Can I have toast?¡± Asked Penelope with her mouth full.


    ¡°You''re already eating toast, and don¡¯t talk with food in your mouth¡± Replied Scarlet.


    ¡°I know but, more¡± Said Penelope stuffing more toast in her mouth.


    Scarlett sighed as her sisters little face. She continued to stuff her mouth with toast. Breadcrumbs fell from her face like a light snow.


    ¡°You''re already tubby enough as it is¡± Scarlet squeezing her cheeks.


    ¡°It''s baby fat¡± Said Penelope running her fingers through her wavy fire red hair.


    Scarlet struggled to button the upper part of her shirt. ¡°And this is baby fat too, I¡¯m guessing¡±


    They walked to school holding hands and Scarlet left her sister at the office to get oriented.


    Penelope was starting at the school. She was gifted in mathematics to say the least. But sadly it was her only super power. She was just above average in most other categories.


    ¡°Hey¡± Morrie whispered with her sleepy voice.


    ¡°What''s up?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. By they way did you hear what happened to Lucius?¡±


    ¡°No? What happened?¡±


    I hope it¡¯s nothing bad. But then again he''s always getting hurt


    ¡°I was hoping you would know¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Hey girls¡± It was Allison.


    She seemed a little to happy. Her usual expression that could only be described as bitchy was replaced by a snarky smile.


    Morrie opened one eye fully ¡°Why are you so happy¡±


    Allison looked ecstatic ¡°I have a date¡±


    Hex heard them and walked over ¡°Hey boys¡±.


    ¡°Hey Hexy¡± Said Morrie


    Hex blew Morrie a kiss.


    ¡°Oh it''s you¡± Allison eyed Hex like she was a piece of gum stuck to her new designer shoes.


    Well someone¡¯s about to get it.


    That someone being Allison.


    ¡°So what were you guys talking about?¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Nothing much, but I just got a date¡± Allison smirked.


    Hex somehow returned the smirk. ¡°When don''t you, you never turn anyone down¡± Scarlet could tell that Hex was winding up for the pitch.


    ¡°Thats rude, I do turn people down. Oh, and you¡¯ll be happy to know its with Lucius¡±


    ¡°I''m not surprised¡±


    ¡°Of course not just look at me¡±


    ¡°Well Alison if I could look at you I''d probably die so no thanks. Your just lucky Lucius is made of stone and he cares about looks just as much as I do.¡± Said Hex.


    Annnnnndd Striiiiike


    Allison didn''t say anything this time.


    Hex: infinity, Allison: 0


    ¡°Where is he anyway, I didn''t see him yesterday?¡±


    Hex hasn''t seen him either but she''s blind so¡­ Hmmmm, since he¡¯s not with Allison, then where is he?


    ¡°Havana was gone too¡± Morrie added with her lullaby voice.


    Allison picked at her pink professionally done nails ¡°Maybe they took a day off¡±


    ¡°He probably got tired of seeing you¡± Said Morrie looking at Allison.


    Allison glared at Morrie and seemed taken back by her words.


    ¡°Then have any of you seen Athena?¡±


    ¡°Yeah she was in the weight room. She was lifting like a million pounds¡± Said Allison.


    ¡°Wow, she can lift you?¡± Hex went for another kill shot.

 chapter 7.2 Scarlet

    ¡°Wow, she can lift you?¡± Hex went for another kill shot.


    Allison did a double take. Her mouth was just slightly open and her eyes were angry.


    Hex: infinity plus one, Allison: negative one


    The bell rang and they all walked to their classes. Scarlet tapped her feet and looked at the clock. Slowly but surely she made her way through the day. When school finally ended she found Athena.


    ¡°Hey where¡¯s your brother?¡± Scarlet ventured.


    ¡°He is working on a project and needed the day off.¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Don''t know. He just said to come over on the fourteenth¡±


    I wonder what he¡¯s planning?


    She nodded and walked to find Aurora.


    Scarlet found her by the entrance of the school library. ¡°Hey where have you been all day?¡±


    ¡°In class¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn''t fill out my calendar¡±


    They walked to Aurora¡¯s house but not before they picked up Hex and Penelope.


    ¡°Aurora what does the boy with funny eyes look like?¡± Penelope asked.


    ¡°I''ll show you¡± Said Aurora pulling her phone out. Scarlet looked over at her.


    ¡°This is what he looks like¡±


    Penelope went wide-eyed ¡°His eyes are so cool!¡±


    Wait¡­ why does he have a picture of him?


    ¡°Why do you have a picture of him?¡±


    ¡°Well umm¡­¡±


    ¡°And why is he shirtless?¡±


    ¡°Hoe¡± Hex muttered under her breath.


    ¡°What''s a hoe?¡± Asked Penelope.


    ¡°It''s a girl that, umm. A girl that likes to talk too much¡± Scarlet attempted to cover up for Hex.


    She nodded and they continued eating chips.


    ¡°Hello is anyone in their?¡± Said Morrie.


    Scarlet ran to the door and opened it.


    ¡°Hey girl what up¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Nothing much just wanted to see if any of you have seen Lucius¡± Said Morrie in her sleepy tone.


    ¡°We haven''t but come on in¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Havana probably knows where he is, she is always with him¡± Said Morrie.


    They walked and sat with the group.


    ¡°I know this is out of the blue and is going to sound absolutely crazy but Lucius took me to another world¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Wow, you let him hit a homerun!?¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Not like that, I really mean another world¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°How?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Well he had this massive symbol thing on the ground and he somehow got us on another world¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Can I go?¡± Asked Penelope.


    ¡°I don''t know ask him¡± Said Aurora. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Scarlet wonder what kind of drug he gave her. She knew drugs were all too easy to find in the Market.


    ¡°So homework?¡± Said Scarlet.


    Morrie and Scarlet were the smartest in the group and were done almost immediately. They helped Hex and Aurora finish in just half an hour. They played games and ate food most of the day. When it came to an end, Scarlet walked home with Penelope on her back. She once again avoided any living thing she could. She made it home and got her sister to bed. Her brother was sleeping and so was her mother.


    ¡°Just a little work today¡± Said Scarlet as she washed the dishes.


    She also washed what little clothing their was and placed wood in the metal box they called a fireplace. The night got cold even during the spring. She got to bed and wondered what tomorrow would bring. She woke up to a small mouth clamping down on her hand.


    ¡°Ow, you little!¡± Said Scarlet as she began to follow her sister.


    ¡°Get me if you can!¡± Said Penelope.


    She ran after her little sister and was able to catch her foot before she slipped through a hole in the wall.


    ¡°No!¡± Said Penelope with joy.


    ¡°Got you!¡± Said Scarlet as she began to tickle Penelope.


    They looked at how much they had for the day. They knew it was all they had to get food and water.


    ¡°Two Marks¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°Don''t worry I found ten yesterday¡± Said Scarlet.


    They felt like queens with a total of twelve. They walked into the market and looked at what it had to offer. Everything. They looked at hundreds of kinds of food.


    ¡°What looks good?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Everything¡± Said Penelope.


    They had their eyes on candy. They bought a single lollipop and a chocolate bar. They walked around and saw an enormous man, even bigger than Cona. He seemed lost. He walked around looking at a map with the face of disappointment.


    ¡°Excuse me how do you get here¡± He asked people as they walked by.


    His clothes looked expensive and so did his backpack. Scarlet saw a man pickpocket him. Before she could call out what had happened he reached down and crushed the man''s hand.


    ¡°Oops sorry I only meant to get my wallet back¡± Said the man.


    Wow, he is really freaking strong¡­


    He was possible seven and a half feet tall. The man who had tried to rob him was clasping his shattered hand.


    ¡°Hey Mister giant are you lost?¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°That I am¡± Said the man.


    He had pitch black hair and worn out dark brown eyes. They almost seemed to blend with the pupil.


    ¡°Do you girls know how to get to Water street?¡± Asked the man.


    ¡°Yep¡± Said Penelope.


    Scarlet sighed and said ¡°We are headed in that direction anyway so we can just walk you their¡±.


    ¡°Thank you¡± Said the man.


    Scarlett didn¡¯t bother avoiding anyone this time. She had the massive man as a lion to frighten the tiny wolfs that hid nearby.


    ¡°Mister giant how old are you?¡± Asked Penelope.


    ¡°Well, I have no idea. I forget.¡± Said the man.


    Scarlet was unable to guess his age. He gave off a vibe that made her think he was old but didn''t look the part. He walked right behind then as they guided him to the house.


    ¡°Thank you young ladies. For your troubles¡± Said the man handing them both a sum of cash and a solid gold card.


    The card said ¡°Adriel¡¯s Odd jobs service. This card entitles the owner to a gold membership job¡±.


    ¡°It''s shiny!¡± Said Penelope with a smile.


    The card must have been made of gold, it felt heavy. Scarlet and Penelope walked hand in hand to Aurora¡¯s house.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Aurora at the doorstep.


    She was standing in the garden her house had.


    ¡°What up¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°Just looking at one of the roses Morrie got from Lucius¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Why?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°That change color, it''s really cool.¡± Said Aurora.


    Scarlet walked over with Penelope and looked at the rose.


    ¡°Look¡± Said Aurora as she poked the rose.


    It seemed to send a ripple through and left the entire rose a different color.


    ¡°Wow¡± Said Penelope and Scarlet.


    ¡°Want something to eat and drink?¡± Said Aurora walking to the kitchen.


    Scarlet made four sandwiches and gave one to Penelope. The phone rang and Aurora walked over.


    ¡°Get over her now!,¡± Said Athena shooting joy through the phone. ¡°My uncle is in town you have to meet him!¡±.


    She seemed to have reached the maximum human level of joy.


    ¡°Our address is 321 Water street. I already called everyone else come over quick!!¡± Said Athena as she hung up.


    ¡°Well, want to see why she is so happy?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°No reason not to.¡± Said Scarlet.


    They got up and followed Aurora. They walked to a familiar place and looked at the house. None of them had been to Lucius¡¯s house except for Morrie. Scarlet remembered this is where they had dropped the man off. They walked in and Athena hugged them immediately.


    ¡°You''re here! you''re here! you''re here!¡± Said Athena with utter joy.


    Laughter was falling out of the living room. ¡°Come on!¡± Said Athena. They all walked in and saw something unusual. Lucius was smiling. It seemed like a meaningful smile.


    ¡°I remember you¡± Said the man standing up and walked over to shake their hands.


    ¡°My name is Adriel, it''s on the cards.¡± he said as he shook all their hands.


    ¡°You''re Lucius¡¯s uncle?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°That I am, and you must be Scarlet, she brought me here,¡± he turned to Aurora ¡°and you must be Aurora¡±.


    ¡°You showed him how to get here?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°I was lost for hours, I wasn''t even going in the right district¡± Said Adriel.He had simple brown eyes that seemed to be from a time when the world was simple.


    Lucius walked over and hugged Scarlet.

 chapter 7.3 Scarlet

    He had simple brown eyes. Lucius walked over and hugged Scarlet.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Lucius seemed to be happy for once.


    ¡°So which one is your girlfriend?,¡± Asked Adriel.


    ¡°Is it Scarlet? She looks like your type if your father is any indicator¡±.


    Scarlet could feel her heart began to pound and her face blush.


    ¡°Or is it this young lady?¡± Said Adriel pointing at Aurora.


    ¡°I''m not dating anyone¡± Said Lucius.


    Scarlet felt a bit of envy when he suggested Aurora may be his girlfriend. Morrie, Raven, Hex, and Allison were all waiting to add into the conversation.


    ¡°Hmmm, but this young lady looked just like what you told me that girl¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhhhhhhh¡± Said Lucius pushing Adriel out of the room.


    Havana walked in and sat down as close as she could to where Lucius was sitting.


    ¡°What I miss?¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°Nothing much¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°So what do you think about the big guy¡± Said Allison.


    ¡°He looks like he fist fights bears for a living¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°He has the same personality as Lucius when Lucius is drunk¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°I am going to do something stupid¡± Said Hex.


    Scarlet knew she truly was if she was preparing them for what she was about to do.


    When they walked back in Hex walked to the sound of Adriel¡¯s heavy footsteps and said ¡°Lucius where are you standing?¡±.


    ¡°Right here¡± Said Lucius talking a few steps towards Hex.


    I got a bad feeling¡­


    ¡°I wanted to tell you I''m pregnant and you''re the daddy¡± Said Hex placing her hands over her belly.


    Adriel picked Lucius and Hex up saying ¡°I knew it I knew it!¡±.


    He had the biggest smile she had ever seen.


    ¡°I''m going to be a great uncle. I know I shouldn¡¯t be saying it but I''m so happy. Even if you two are still to young¡± Said Adriel.


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke we joke like that¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I knew that, I just wanted to play along¡± Said Adriel with a hint of doubt.


    She knew he wasn''t. Penelope walked up to Lucius and tugged at his sleeve.


    ¡°Will you date my big sister¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°Well, aren''t you cute¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Please, she likes your face¡± Said Penelope with emphasis on the please.


    ¡°How about, maybe¡± Said Lucius.


    Scarlet wanted to tackle her sister and get her to stop talking. Her face was completely red and she knew it.


    ¡°Here,¡± Said Penelope handing Adriel the card.


    ¡°Get him to by my sister''s boyfriend forever¡±.


    Adriel blinked a few times and said ¡°The thing is, I don''t know if I can do that¡±.


    Scarlet ran over and picked her up.


    ¡°She¡¯s joking, it''s just a joke¡± Said Scarlet.


    They got back to normal banter and spent hours talking. Evelynn was there too. She was right beside Aurora.


    ¡°Well kid, I have to go. I don''t want people catching on to me¡± Said Adriel.


    ¡°So soon?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Don''t worry kid, I will be back a few days after spring break next year. And sweetheart take care of him. Kid take care of her¡± Said Adriel to Lucius and Athena.


    He walked to the door ¡°And one more thing, Do you have a boyfriend yet sweetheart?¡± Asked Adriel.


    ¡°I haven''t met a boy who meets my standards. But I''ll give you a call when I do¡± Said Athena.


    He waved goodbye and left. ¡°He is really tall isn''t he?¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Yeah he is, how can you tell¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°I felt like I was going up an elevator when he picked us up and his voice is up high. It sounded like he was seven feet tall¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°He is by the looks of it¡± Said Scarlet.


    They all continued to talk till it was late.


    ¡°We have to go home¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Want me to walk you home?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°That would be great¡± Said Scarlet. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    They walked out the door together and Penelope was slightly ahead of them.


    ¡°So why did Penelope say that you wanted to be my girlfriend?¡± Asked Lucius.


    She wanted to say it.


    Because I like you and she knows it


    ¡°Because she¡¯s crazy¡± Said Scarlet.


    She had not meant to say that.


    ¡°Oh¡±


    She didn''t know he found her to be very cute and the most physically attractive out of all of them, most of the time.


    ¡°Do you want to hold hand?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    She forgot to wait for his reply. She grabbed his hand and he laughed slightly.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Asked Scarlet with worry.


    ¡°I could imagine Penelope being our daughter¡± Said Lucius.


    Scarlet felt warmth cover her.


    I can''t she to annoying but we could make our own.


    ¡°Why?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°My mom has red hair and you have red hair. You don''t look like her but, your hair¡± Said Lucius pushing her bangs out of her face.


    ¡°It just seems like I could fall in love with you if I¡¯m as similar to my dad as people say¡± Said Lucius.


    She had no idea what that meant but hoped he was like his father. She decided to build up all the bravery she had and kiss his cheek. He smiled a half smile.


    ¡°Is that a thank you?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Why would it be?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Well, I was told it was customary to kiss someone to say thank you on some parts of Mars¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Well yeah but not always¡± Said Scarlet.


    He got to her home and he hugged her goodbye.


    ¡°So are you two together yet?¡± Asked Penelope.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re just friends¡± Said Scarlet.


    She cooked some more rabbit and fed Penelope. She looked at how much Adriel had given her. She opened it and was able to see that it was a five, one hundred Mark bill. She had never see one and knew it was likely she would never see one again.


    ¡°Wow¡± Said Scarlet.


    She knew just how much she held and felt joy. She would not be hungry for the next few months.


    ¡°The big guy gave me the card back what should I do with it?¡± Asked Penelope.


    Scarlet looked at her own card. The phone number was odd. She decided she would call it later.


    ¡°Read my a bedtime story¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°We don''t have any books we used our last one for the fireplace¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Well make up a story¡±


    Scarlet walked her sister to bed and tucked her in.


    ¡°How about I just get you a book tomorrow?¡± Said Scarlet.


    She cleaned the house and got to bed. She woke up at night to the sound of tapping at her room''s wall. She looked through a small crack in her wall and saw Lucius.


    She ran outside and said ¡°What are you doing!?¡±.


    ¡°Standing?¡± Said Lucius.


    She felt like it was very romantic of him to visit her in the night. But in the back of her mind was the question of how he got passed all the thugs that would have snached him up in a split second. Not to mention the entire slum was a maze of twisted trails.


    ¡°No I mean why did you come here¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Just come with me¡± Said Lucius grabbing her hand.


    She could only hope it would be something cute. He walked her to a large house and walked in.


    ¡°Stand here¡± Said Lucius.


    She did so and felt light enveloped her. She opened her eyes to see a world beyond her wildest dreams. She could see floating mountains with a single massive tree connecting them all. Animals bigger than skyscrapers flying through the sky. The clouds in the setting sun looked like nebulas. She noticed where she stood and was at her wits end. Nothing was beneath her feet. ¡°I need you to hold this¡± Said Lucius. It was a dark ball with cravings.


    ¡°Try not to move¡± Said Lucius.


    Light began to grow from the center of the ball. It seemed to be spitting light out. The red setting sun looked beautiful.


    ¡°Got it!,¡± Said Lucius. ¡°I just save the world no need to thank me¡±.


    He walked over and she felt the ball vanish.


    ¡°What was that thing?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°A bomb I made to reset the sun¡± Said Lucius.


    He had made her hold a bomb and here she was hoping they were gonna do something cute. All that hope for her to just be holding a explosive.


    She felt anger and turned away from him.


    She felt dizzy looking down but tried not to.


    ¡°Well let''s go¡± Said Lucius.


    She took a moment and pinched herself. She was not awake. She felt his hand press against her face and she woke up in her bed. She looked at the clock and saw it was five in the morning.


    ¡°Was I dreaming?¡± Said Scarlet.


    She tiptoed out of the house and walked to the house he had taken her. She opens the door and found tables. Several finely crafted objects lay across the tables. Tiny cities made of steel, stone, wood, and glass. She walked through the house and found weapons everywhere. Some strange objects that seems to shiver as she walked by. She saw a large bird standing on a table. It was an owl by the looks of it but it seemed like it had been born of the darkest shadows of the abyss. It was hard to see if it had eyes or not. It''s eyes seemed to blend into the darkness of its face. It spread its wings that seemed to go on for infinitely. She felt her heart slam against the inside of her chest.


    That thing was no bird. She turned and saw a negative of the bird she had just seen. It looked as if corrupted light had woven itself into feathers and a beak. It opens its eyes, all six of them. The darkness in its eyes seemed to grow. Scarlet was unable to move as it to unveiled its massive wings. She sprinted faster that she thought possible. She slammed the doors and held them shut. She regretted looking inside. She didn''t want to know what those monsters were but hoped she would never see them again. She ran from the house and got home. She looked out the door hoping she would not see them flying after her. She was happy to see nothing.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Penelope.


    Scarlet screamed and turned to face her sister. Her sister was on her tippy toes.


    ¡°You scared me¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Boo¡± Said Penelope making jazz hands for whatever reason.


    ¡°You little dork¡± Scarlet ruffled her hair with a smile.


    She was still shaking but did her best to hide it. Penelope always freaked out when she did.


    ¡°Your boyfriend called and asked if you wanted to join him for dinner later¡± Said Penelope.


    Penelope bobbed her head side to side and shimmied her shoulders. She looked at their nearly disintegrated plastic phone and walked over to it. Scarlet called Lucius and heard Evelynn.


    ¡°Sorry kid Athena isn¡¯t here¡±.


    ¡°It''s me Scarlet. I was wondering if Lucius was home?¡± Scarlet was tapping her foot.


    ¡°Yeah just hold on a second he is in his room¡± Scarlet could hear Evelynn¡¯s footsteps as she walked to his room. She waited a few moments and heard.


    ¡°You to look so cute together¡± fly out of Evelynn¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Thanks Evelynn¡± Havana¡¯s voice was slightly muffled.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Scarlet, she is wondering about your date¡± Evelynn just so happened to say what Lucius should have.


    ¡°It''s not a date, and may I please have the phone?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Hey¡± Scarlet was playing with her hair as she spoke.


    She wonder why Havana was in his room at six in the morning.


    ¡°Would you care to join me for dinner at one and don''t worry about clothing, Athena was kind enough to drop off the dress I picked out of for you¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°That sounds great, so should I meet you at your house?¡± Scarlet had moved on to pulling at her shirt.


    ¡°No, I''ll pick you up at twelve. See you then. Goodbye¡± Said Lucius.


    She placed the phone back and walked to the front door. She found the package and took it to her room. Her room was more like a renovated closet but was big enough for two small beds. She opens the box and blushed. She was not expecting anything like this. It was a very skimpy outfit. It would barely cover anything. The thin black lace and it also came with a blindfold and pair of handcuffs.

 chapter 7.4 Scarlet

    . It would barely cover anything. The thin black lace and it also came with a blindfold and pair of handcuffs.


    She looked at the note at the bottom of the box and it said ¡°I hid the real box on your roof. With care, Athena¡±.


    She looked at her roof and pushed the box down with a stick. The dress was beautiful. The wavy blue dress looked to be made of silk. It felt like something softer. She placed the dress on and it was just her size. She looked into a shattered mirror and thought it looked beautiful. She felt like she ruined it by putting it on. She felt like something so beautiful should not touch something so wrong. She asked Penelope how it looked.


    ¡°If he doesn''t marry you I''ll kick his butt¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°Don''t do that, he''s nice¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Maybe¡± Replied Penelope.


    Scarlet washed her hair and brushed it. She did her best to look nice. She wanted to be beautiful for Lucius. She had never felt the need to impress anyone else before but she liked him. She knew she wasn''t funny like Hex. She knew she wasn''t truly beautiful like Allison. She knew she wasn''t for a fact not as breathtaking as Aurora. She wasn''t even mysterious like Morrie. She had nothing going for her and she knew it. She heard a knock at the door and walked over to open it.


    ¡°Wow, you look beautiful¡± Said Lucius.


    She wanted to kiss him right then and there.


    ¡°Thanks, nice suit¡± Said Scarlet.


    He took her hand and walked her to a limo.


    ¡°Wow¡± Said Scarlet.


    They sat right next to each other and she thought it was extremely romantic. All this just for a date. They pulled up to the house he had brought her to last time. She didn''t want to see the owls. He took her hand and guided her to the front door. She felt fear and joy smash together.


    Son of a bi¡­


    He opened the door and she saw everyone.


    ¡°Hey, how are you¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Good?¡± Replied Scarlet.


    The fairytale moment Lucius had created was dead.


    ¡°Are you ready for the rehearsal?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°For what?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you all to meet the Council of the Noha. I want them to have a greater understanding of what the human race is like. But I need to show you a few rules before we go tomorrow¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Who are the Noah?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°They are the first living sentient beings that can also reproduce¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°All right then¡± Said Scarlet.


    They began the rehearsal. Lucius educated them all on proper edicate and how to eat the several hundred types of food. Hours passed as they ate some absolutely mouth watering food. Hex was enjoying her time being fed by Lucius. She was fully capable of feeding herself but asked Lucius to do it anyway.


    ¡°It''s all so good¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Time for some dessert¡± Lucius was turning Hex¡¯s face up towards himself.


    It seemed like Hex could feel his lips drawing closer. She blushed and turned away.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Am I jealous? Yep I''m jealous¡­


    ¡°It''s my job to make you uncomfortable, thank you¡± Said Hex.


    They ate the several dozen kinds of desserts.


    ¡°Well that''s really all I have to show you and please be ready at four tomorrow¡± Said Lucius


    Scarlet could not wait for tomorrow. She wanted to ask him to be her Valentine''s.


    ¡°I''ll be taking you all home¡± Said Lucius.


    He dropped everyone else off. Scarlet and Lucius sat alone together in the car.


    ¡°Lucius can I ask you something?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Anything¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Do you want to be my valentine?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°I''m sorry I can''t¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Why?¡± Asked Scarlet with a hint of sadness.


    Why did I say that!


    ¡°My little sisters sent me a card asking me to be her Valentine''s¡± Replied Lucius.


    She thought it was possible the cutest thing she had ever heard.


    ¡°That''s so cute¡± Said Scarlet.


    She took a moment to reword what she would ask.


    ¡°Do you want to go on a date with me¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°You would have to ask Athena if I could¡± Replied Lucius.


    ¡°Why does she control your life?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Because I make bad discussions. I forget that people matter. I forget that life is important to others. I forget that killing people is wrong. Just little things like that¡± Said Lucius.


    She knew Lucius was odd but how could he forget that life matters.


    ¡°Lucius what would you say if I told you I love you?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Replied Lucius.


    ¡°I just wanted to know¡± said Scarlet in a shy tone


    ¡°No,¡± Said Lucius taking her hands. ¡°Why do you love me?¡±.


    His eyes were fixed on hers and hers on his. ¡°I...I love you because,¡± She could list a billion reasons she could give as to why she liked him, but she knew it was all those little things that made her love him.


    ¡°Because...¡± The car stopped suddenly and she was tossed into his arms.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± He seemed to be wondering what to do ¡°we have stopped¡±


    ¡°Oh right¡± Said Scarlet brushing her hair away from her face.


    His hands lay at her waist and her hands rested on his shoulders. She wanted to tell him why but felt it would be better to wait.


    ¡°Let me walk you home¡± Said Lucius.


    They walked together ¡°Lucius, do you like me?¡±.


    ¡°In what way?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Like a girlfriend¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Oh, like a friend who is female?¡± Asked Lucius.


    I don''t even know if you''re just messing around or not...


    ¡°Well not quite, I mean like do you want to kiss me?¡± She asked.


    Lucius was deep in thought. If he did kiss her it would most likely kill him and he would never be able to see his family again. He knew that he wanted to but wanted to live more. Over all he felt it was a no.


    ¡°No¡± Replied Lucius.


    She looked devastated but Lucius would never be able to tell. She ran away and got home. She got to her room and crawled into bed. She pressed a pillow against her face. She was fine with just being his friend but she had thought he like her. She must have misunderstood.


    ¡°In worthless¡± Said Scarlet.


    She knew she shouldn''t be surprised. She was competing with girls like Allison and Aurora. She knew she never had a chance to start with but felt like anything was possible.


    ¡°You''re not worthless¡± Said a familiar voice. ¡°And you forgot your party gift¡±.


    She felt angry and happy. She ran outside and hugged him.


    He patted her head ¡°You are worth more than you could ever imagine¡± She felt those words warm her heart.


    ¡°Here¡± Said Lucius.


    She looked at the beautiful dress. It''s was white but a shade of white she had never seen before. It seemed other worldly. It seemed to have great depth in its vast pale.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Scarlet taking the dress.


    ¡°By the way you looked beautiful today¡± Said Lucius walking away.


    She felt reassured that their may be a spark between them.


    ¡°How was the date?¡± Asked Penelope waking up from her nap.


    ¡°Well it was not what I expected¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Was he to forward? Was he mean to you, did he not compliment you. I''ll kick his but if he was not absolutely the best date ever!¡± Said Penelope with a determined look in her eye.


    ¡°No he was forward, or mean, he did compliment me and he was the best date ever¡± Said Scarlet pushing Penelope¡¯s button nose.


    ¡°Hmm¡± Said Penelope turning away.


    ¡°You¡¯re cute for a chubby potato baby¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°I''m not cute, I''m a lady!¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°Don''t worry you''ll grow up to be a fine lady¡±

 Morrie chapter 8.1

    ¡°They should be home any day now¡± Said Morrie.


    I know they will¡­


    She was sharpening her throwing knives.


    She looked at the board and tossed another knife striking the back end of her first knife.


    ¡°I''ll find them some day¡±


    She walked to her room after another hour of practice and looked at the pictures of her father''s and brother. She still remembered asking the offices where her dads were. They had not come home for her birthday. She remembered standing at their funeral thinking ¡°They aren''t dead, just lost, they will feel sad if I''m not home when they get back. Why are the soldiers crying?¡±.


    ¡°Their just lost¡± She had called out.


    She had walked over to the empty coffin and said ¡°See! My daddies are just lost¡±.


    She felt the loss of her brother a bit harder. He had recorded himself reading books so she could always hear him read a bedtime story.


    ¡°He just needs a little more time to get home¡± She told herself.


    She walked to her bed and looked at the object Lucius had given her.


    ¡°What is it¡± Said asked herself.


    He had told her it was an interesting toy but she had yet to see it do anything interesting.


    She walked to the closet and removed her dress. She walked through the plan in her head. She was going to walk right up to Lucius and tell him. She knew if she didn''t that girl Allison would. She got the long sleeve sweater Lucius had gotten her. It was just perfect for her. It only covered one of her shoulders at a time but she loved it. She knew she loved him and intended to tell him. She didn''t care what he said unless it was ¡®I love you¡¯. She was going to kiss him right on the lips tomorrow after the party. She looked at the mirror and admired just how perfectly the sweater fit her.


    Maybe I''ll just wear this tomorrow


    She felt like it could be the perfect story to tell their kids one day. Meeting at a library and becoming friends. Then promising to walk together every day they could.


    ¡°It would be cute¡± Said Morrie mid pushup.


    She finished her daily exercise and washed the sweater. She wanted to keep it till they had kids. She would wrap their first born in it and give the baby all the love in the world. She blushed knowing what it took to make a baby. Hex had told Lucius babies were made by looking at people in a certain way. She added that he could try and get her pregnant as much as he wanted. He avoided looking at anyone after the rehearsal. It seemed like he really didn''t know how babies were made.


    Hmmm I¡¯ll make some soup


    Half an hour later she was tasting her creation.


    More salt


    She stayed up well into the night repeating her daily exercise routine. She heard a tapping at the window. She walked over through the darkness and found Lucius. She could only see those eyes. His unholy eyes. She felt frozen by fear. His hand reached out and tapped the glass. Her heart skipped a beat. His eyes seemed to intensify as she stood for a unknown amount of time. They seemed to emit light as the ate her bravery.


    ¡°Morrie¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Oh hey¡± Said Morrie.


    She felt joy once he spoke. She knew it was him not a beast.


    ¡°Mind joining me on a little adventure?¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°What kind of adventure?¡± Asked Morrie helping him through the window.


    ¡°Well I wanted to show you what I am making for my sister. I wanted an outside opinion on it¡± Said Lucius.


    Does that mean he really cares about what I think?


    ¡°That sounds fine. So where are we going?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°My bedroom¡±


    Morrie knew she was blushing. She knew what kind of things happened in bedrooms.


    ¡°What are we going to do their?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Something I know you will like¡±


    She took his hand and walked out of the house.


    This is Lucius I''m thinking about, it''s not like he''s thinking about anything lewd.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°We have to be very quiet, I don''t want Athena or Evelynn thinking I''m up to no good. They thought me and Raven were trying to make babies last week¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Why not do some naughty things?¡± Asked Morrie in her sleepy voice.


    ¡°I don''t want to disappoint them¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie kissed his cheek and said ¡°That''s so sweet of you¡±.


    They held hands as they walked into the house. They walked into his dark room.


    ¡°Lucius I''m cold¡± Havana was in his bed with all the blankets forced into a corner.


    ¡°Why is she in your bed!¡± Said Morrie a bit louder than she expected.


    You, you cheating jerk! How could you!!


    ¡°We sleep together most nights¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°We cuddle¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°She insists on it and says it helps build a strong bond¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Asked Havana.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Good I didn''t want to think I was intruding on your relationship. But it seems like you don''t like him so we will just stick to our usual routine¡± Said Havana.


    She winked at Lucius and blew a kiss.


    ¡°Let''s go¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie didn''t see what happened next. She just knew she was in a place beyond her wildest dreams.


    ¡°What is this place?!¡± Said Morrie.


    She felt dizzy looking down the several hundred mile drop. They stood on the balcony of a tower spanning hundreds of miles in all directions. Entire ecosystems lived within each room of the tower.


    ¡°Take my hand¡± Said Lucius.


    She was wonderstruck by the sky with five moons, each a different color. She looked at the flying continents and rivers in the sky. She took his hand.


    ¡°Just breath I know it must be a lot to take in¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°You don''t say¡± Said Morrie.


    She had long since forgotten why she was here.


    ¡°Stand here¡± Said Lucius.


    The markings on the ground seemed to glow. They arrived in a new location. A statue of what seemed to be Atlas the Titan, he held a world sized mound of black stone.


    ¡°How did you make all this?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°I had a few tools and lots of time¡±


    She was taking in this new place. Several statutes that seemed to be thousand of miles away loomed over them. Their size was not lost in distance but only helped to show their all encumbering mass. What looked like a mountain range nipped at the bottom of their feet. She began to understand what the true size of the statues were once she saw the trees.


    ¡°I made this for Athena, do you this she¡¯ll like it?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°I think she will love it!¡±


    She had kept her sleepy tone through the entire ride so far.


    ¡°Really?¡± Replied Lucius.


    ¡°Yes¡± Said Morrie looking at the trees.


    Thousands of feet tall and still nothing more than a dot at the feet of the statues. She was unable to make herself grasp just how massive the statues were.


    ¡°The real present is over their¡± Said Lucius pointing at something in the opposite direction of the other statutes.


    It looked just like Athena. It seemed to be holding a massive sphere but it was hard to tell what it was because of the distance fog. The clouds seemed to be just at its knees.


    ¡°You made all this for her?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Yes, but I wanted to show you the inside of the structure to get your opinion¡± Said Lucius.


    They appeared in a new place. A garden of Eden. It seemed impossible. The world sized sphere had surrounded them. It was as if someone had turned a world inside out and covered it in green. A small star floated in the center of the hollow sphere.


    ¡°I learned how to manipulate gravity and this was the result¡± Said Lucius.


    She realized he was far smarter than he let on.


    ¡°How did you learn to do this?¡± Asked Morrie.


    What are you


    ¡°My mom gave me a few notes to read, she told be I can read the more advanced stuff when I¡¯m older¡± Said Lucius.


    Who are you


    He had finished the first twenty pages of the book during the time he was trapped. But he still lacked a complete understanding.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Asked Morrie.


    Morrie didn''t understand the situation but hoped if he tried to explain her mind may be able to grasp it.


    ¡°I don''t really know¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°How does your mom know all this?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Well she has been around a long time and during that time she has learned a few things. It''s kinda her business to know everything¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°How old is she?¡± Asked Morrie.


    She felt the need to know what Lucius and his family were like.


    ¡°Well it''s this crazy big number. I don''t really know.¡± Said Lucius.


    Wow, he didn''t have a cold response for once. He almost sounded normal.


    ¡°Is Levy like you?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Well she is but has more power that she knows what to do with, My mom had to place a Lord seal or two on her to keep her from tearing this world apart. She placed one on me as well but for different reasons¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°What''s a Lord seal?¡± Asked Morrie feeling one of the flowers near by.


    ¡°It''s something used to restrain powerful things¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Thanks for bringing me here¡± Said Morrie.


    She tugged at her sweater and felt like it may not be necessary to wait.


    She hugged Lucius and he held her as well.


    ¡°You''re warm¡± Said Lucius.


    She felt happy with him. She wanted to tell him just how much he meant to her but she lacked the words to do so.


    ¡°You''re so nice¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°I''m not, you don''t¡­¡± He stopped, his voice seemed slightly emotional.


    Morrie waited for the response but nothing came out.


    ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°I''m sorry, please forgive me¡± Said Lucius.


    She felt cold when his dead hellish eyes meet with hers. She woke up feeling groggy. She tried to remember the dream but all she could see was the eyes of a monster. She showered, brushed her teeth, and walked to the library.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Morrie.


    Lucius was standing beside someone tall. She felt rage and ran up to him. She felt her fist hit his face full force. The person stumbled and took a few seconds to recover.

 Morrie Chapter 8.2

    Lucius was standing beside someone tall. She felt rage and ran up to him. She felt her fist hit his face full force. The person stumbled and took a few seconds to recover.


    ¡°Get away from him!¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°What was that for?...never mind sorry I totally deserved that¡± Said Nero rubbing the side of his face.


    His short brown buzz cut hair managed to look messy on him. His dull brown eyes seemed glassy and far away.


    ¡°Morrie you remember Nero it seems¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Why is he here?!¡± Yelled Morrie.


    ¡°Well he found me this morning and apologized for attacking me. He also wanted to tell you he was sorry¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°I really am sorry. I really overreacted and got really upset. I thought¡­ it doesn''t matter what I thought all that matters is that I messed up and I want to make it up to you both¡± Said Nero.


    ¡°I''ll think about it¡± Said Morrie.


    She hated Nero because he attacked Lucius but was willing to get passed it.


    ¡°Still sorry Lucius¡± Said Nero.


    ¡°Don''t say sorry to me. Tell that to my sister¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°I''m sorry Morrie¡± Said Nero.


    ¡°I''m not his sister¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°You''re not?¡± Asked Nero.


    ¡°Athena is his sister¡±.


    ¡°Wait a second, so that supermodel girl is your sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Replied Lucius.


    ¡°And Morrie is your girlfriend?¡± He continued.


    ¡°Well no¡± Said Lucius.


    You could have said yes¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re just friends¡± Said Morrie with a hint of scorn.


    ¡°I totally thought you and that pretty girl were together¡± Said Nero.


    ¡°Her name is Athena it''s best you learn it¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie took Lucius¡¯s hand and walked on the right of Lucius while Nero walked on the left.


    ¡°So the girl who knocked me out is your sister?¡± Asked Nero.


    ¡°Yes, my older twin sister to be exact¡± Replied Lucius.


    ¡°Why are you giving him a second chance?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Athena asked me to try and be more social. This is a part of being social, I think. Anyway it seemed like a good way to make a friend¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Just curious here how exactly are you and Athena twins. You have black hair and your eyes are, you know. And she¡¯s blond and has blue eyes¡± Said Nero.


    ¡°We have different biological mothers¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Oh¡± Said Nero.


    They arrived at school and Morrie got her new schedule along with everyone else. She looked at the list of classes. She had physical education with Lucius and Athena. She smiled and walked to her first class. She walked into the gym and looked at the seating chart at the front of the class. She was right beside Athena.


    ¡°Heyyy!¡± Said Athena with her ever flawless smile.


    ¡°Hello Athena¡± Morrie¡¯s sleepy voice pepped.


    It seemed like Athena had forgotten to get a sports bra. Morrie knew she wasn''t but the new gym teacher did.


    ¡°Hey, Athena right?¡± Said the teacher.


    Athena was a school all star and school sweetheart so it was no surprise she knew her name.


    ¡°Yes it is, so nice to finally meet you Miss Olivia¡± Said Athena with the most beautiful voice any human could hope to make.


    ¡°Nice to meet you too. Did you forget your under armour or sports bra?¡± Asked Olivia.


    ¡°I have both actually, it''s kinda crushing me¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Oh, well then¡± Said Olivia.


    Morrie looked over at Lucius who was conversing with Kip. Morrie was not fond of Kip or Nero.


    ¡°Hey Athena do you want to be my C partner?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Yeah that would be great!¡± Said Athena with so much enthusiasm it seemed as if she had just own the lottery.


    Athena shot up and ran over to the other side of the class. Morrie wondered why until she saw that Hex was sitting in the corner. Morrie looked at Lucius again.


    ¡°Alright get your C through G partners¡± Said Olivia.


    Her short brown hair looked remarkably well on her.


    Morrie walked over to where Lucius sat and asked ¡°Do you want to be my D partner?¡±


    ¡°So you want his D¡± Said Hex with a giggle.


    ¡°I''ll be your partner if you want¡± Replied Lucius.


    ¡°Want to help me find my G partner?¡± Said Hex with a wicked smile.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Okay¡± Replied Lucius.


    Morrie thought this was odd. She had not yet gotten a E partner but was asking for a G. And why help her find a G partner when she could simply ask him.


    ¡°oh never mind¡± Said Hex.


    No noise came from anyone. They were all deep in thought trying to understand what she meant.


    ¡°Really nothing? Do I have to spell it out or something?¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°I think I understand¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Do you now¡± Said Hex.


    Morrie felt like he truly had no idea.


    ¡°You have a spot open for a G partner and would like help finding a partner dispute being able to find one¡± Said Lucius.


    He was hopeless.


    ¡°Just be my G partner you clueless idiot¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Fine¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie picked up in it a short time later. ¡°Eww¡±


    Lucius had yet to look at anyone directly today. She noticed he had not looked at her when they were talking. He seems to believe that looking at people was truly the way to reproduce.


    ¡°All right let''s get started¡± Said Olivia.


    They walked to the weight room and Morrie found some twenty pound weights.


    ¡°This looks just about right¡± Said Morrie.


    She looked over at Lucius with three pound weights. Athena was holding what looked to be two hundred pounds weights in each hand. It seems impossible for someone her size but she was doing it.


    ¡°Well then¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Lucius can you spot me?¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°For jump rope?¡± Asked Lucius.


    Morrie knew she was planning something evil. Morrie began to lift her weights.


    ¡°Yeah just get over here and I''ll explain what you have to do¡± Said Hex.


    Morrie asked Athena ¡°Where is the party going to be?¡±.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s going to be at¡­ I don¡¯t remember but by brother does¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Lucius just hold me close¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°What are we doing exactly?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Your spotting me, but you have to hold me close¡± Said Hex.


    She tied his hands and said ¡°Got you!¡±.


    ¡°What are you doing exactly?¡± Asked Olivia.


    ¡°He is teaching me to tie knots¡± Replied Hex.


    ¡°Oh, carry on then¡± Said Olivia.


    ¡°All the teacher thinks she is super innocent¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda funny, she has a really filthy imagination. But it''s more like she just she says what we are all kinda thinking¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Mind if I ask you something?¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Anything¡± Said Athena beginning to do crunches.


    ¡°What happened to make Lucius the way he is?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Well it''s probably because he¡¯s smart¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Lots of kids are smart¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Not like him, he is a different kind of smart. He already passed ninth grade¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°So has Scarlet and they are almost the same age¡±


    ¡°He was three when he passed his first college exit exam. I can prove it. He just thinks on a different level than most people. It make him isolated in a way. He can¡¯t talk about thing he really wants to with anyone. I can¡¯t even imagine how alone he must feel inside. To top it off he doesn''t feel the same way people do. Pain or emotions¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°So he just can¡¯t relate to anyone?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Exactly, well he can talk to our mom and feel normal. But things are complicated and we haven¡¯t seen her in a while¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, our lives are fine otherwise¡± Replied Athena.


    Morrie walked outside and began the mile run with the rest of the class.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said a bush.


    Morrie looked at the plant and walked over. Havana was sitting inside. She seemed nervous to say the least.


    ¡°Why aren''t you in class?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Because I was looking for Lucius¡± Said Havana. ¡°He is over there but why are you hiding?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Well, one of those funny looking dogs with ears on the top of its head like this,¡± Said Havana placing her hands on the top of her head like a rabbit ¡°Was following me¡±.


    ¡°A bunny?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Sure, whatever it¡¯s called, anyway it had a small army so I ran here after spotting you¡±


    Morrie looked around and found the bunnies closing in. It was a normal sized bunnie followed by a mass of tiny bunnies. The small bunnies looked like cotton balls with ears and eyes.


    ¡°Do you want me to tell Lucius to get over here?¡±


    ¡°That would be very helpful¡± Said Havana.


    Morrie walked to Lucius and said ¡°Havana wants to talk to you¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s important because?¡±


    ¡°She is hiding in the bush over there¡±


    Havana sprinted out and the bunnies were following her.


    ¡°They want to eat me!¡± Havana screamed at the brink of tears.


    Morrie found it funny that she was afraid of the rabbits. Lucius walked over and patted her head saying ¡°No they won¡¯t¡±.


    Morrie picked up one of the rabbits. ¡°It''s so cute!¡± Said Athena.


    She looked at the tiny bunnies as they began to surround her.


    ¡°Eww! get them away from me!¡± Said Havana.


    Morrie picked them up along with Athena. Havana and Lucius walked away and came back a short time later. Class ended and they moved on to their next class. Morrie sat through calculus her hardest class. She felt stupid but knew most people did when doing math like this. She walked through each and every problem until class ended. She ate lunch with everyone including Nero. Nero was talking with Lucius and Athena was glaring at Nero. Her next class was just as boring. English was rather dull. The school day ended and she was ready for what Lucius was planing. She walked to the gate where they always meet and found him talking to Nero.


    ¡°Let''s go Lucius¡± Said Morrie taking his hand.


    He didn¡¯t argue but when they were out of sight he said ¡°We still have to wait for everyone else¡±.


    They waited and walked back to the main entrance of the school. Everyone eventually arrived and they were off.


    ¡°So where are we going exactly?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Well,¡± Said Havana with a matter a factly tone ¡°We are going to the place where I¡¯m from. It¡¯s the most prestigious place you will ever be¡±


    ¡°That sound cool¡± Said Aurora.


    They walked to a strange house and Lucius unlocked the doors. They walked in and Morrie saw two massive birds. They sat at opposite ends of the room. They seemed to have no eyes.


    ¡°What are those things?¡± Asked Morrie


    Morrie was focused on the birds. Scarlet was holding Lucius close and seemed to be hiding. A low bellowing began to emanate from the white owl. It spread its wings and seemed to bow.


    ¡°It seems to know you¡± Said Lucius looking at Scarlet.


    Morrie felt sick by just looking at the owl like things.


    ¡°They only do that when they like you and know you¡± Said Lucius.


    When they opened their wings it sounded like the sales of a massive boat being flung open. The wings they had seemed far larger than necessary for a bird their size. They seemed to be around four or five feet tall but the fact still remained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry they won¡¯t hurt you unless you try to hurt Athena or myself.¡± Said Lucius.


    They seemed old but it was impossible to tell.


    ¡°Lets all get into position¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie saw the makings on the floor and followed Aurora and Athena¡¯s example. The next instant they were all in a new location. Morrie was attempting to understand what had just happened. Before she could fully grasp the situation, thousands of people began to surround them. They were cheering and began to hug Lucius and Havana. People began to shake her hand. Five especially tall individuals walked up to Lucius. They spoke in a voice without any indication of sex.


    ¡°May I ask that you speak english so my friends may understand?¡± Requested Lucius.


    ¡°My apologies, my name is Zakori. I am an Elder Noah. We are happy that you have joined us for this celebration of love¡±.


    Zakori turned to face Lucius and said ¡°Your mother would be so proud. We have been waiting for this day for many years. It truly brings joy to my heart. But first a day of celebration!¡±


    They had enormous amounts of food. They began to shoot fireworks into the darkening sky.

 Morrie chapter 8.3

    They had enormous amounts of food. They began to shoot fireworks into the darkening sky.


    ¡°This is a pretty interesting festival¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Greetings, I am Azul. We have dresses for you all¡±


    Azul seemed to be one of the Elden Noah. Morrie and the rest of the group followed one of the Noah that presented herself as Manora. She was similar to the rest of the Noah with her ruby red eyes. It seemed like they had four main hair colors. Pitch black, gray, ashy gray almost like charred coal, and a soft pick. They got to the changing rooms and were handed the dresses. Morrie looked at her dress and noticed it was in two pieces. It had a very short upper half and a skirt. Morrie had not seen clothing like this before. She placed it on how she assumed it should be. Athena seemed to fill every single inch of her clothing.


    ¡°Well then¡± Said Havana.


    Raven on the other hand had more than enough room in her outfit.


    ¡°Hey Ravan can I have a hug¡± Said Hex.


    Raven glared at Hex and said ¡°Fine¡±.


    She smiled and opened her arms. Raven walked over and hugged Hex.


    ¡°Feels like you¡¯ve lost a bit of weight¡± Said Hex.


    Morrie was expecting a clover remark. Hex stayed silent for a moment and asked Athena for a hug.


    At least she didn''t say anything lewd


    ¡°Anything for you sweety pie¡± Said Athena.


    Even the well built people of this place did not compare to Athena.


    Athena hug Hex and Hex said ¡°Well, well looks like you got whatever weight Raven lost and stuck it on your chest¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°Hey is right, you took all the good stuff and left nothing for Raven, shame on you Athena¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°I hate you¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°I know you love me¡± Said Hex blowing a kiss.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be that big¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Trust me all three of you really are¡± Said Hex.


    Morrie knew Hex could not go a day without sassing someone.


    Maybe it''s addictive or something. Could explain why she always does it.


    She began to chuckle.


    ¡°What''s so funny?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Remember that time Hex had her earbuds in and the teacher asked what she could be listening to that would be more important than what she was saying¡± asked Morrie.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Replied Allison, Aurora, Morrie and Scarlet.


    ¡°I said the national anthem¡± Replied Hex.


    They giggled and walked out of the buildings.


    Thousands of people were dancing and drinking. Fireworks danced in the air and left stars like clouds of fireflies.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡± Said Athena.


    She began to twirl and move to the beat of the song. Athena was a goddess of rhythm and her from was beyond divine.


    ¡°Might as well¡± Said Hex.


    Hex began to move but not to the rhythm. With every move, with every motion she created her own melody, a beautiful song.


    Morrie felt self conscious of her lack of natural rhythm. Lucius was in what looked to be a mix between armor and egyptian clothing. He didn¡¯t have a shirt and his eyes stood out more that ever. His eyes looked as if hell had been placed into two small stones.


    He walked up to Havana first and said ¡°Would you care to dance¡±.


    ¡°You want to dance with me?!¡± Said Havana with a shine in her eyes and a smile to warm a heart.


    ¡°No, the other girl Havana¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°No other Noah here has the same title as me, you know that¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°Just shut up and dance with me¡± Said Lucius with his half smile.


    She took his hands and they began to dance. Raven was bursting with envy. Morrie felt sick to her stomach.


    ¡°Hey girls scene we aren''t on earth we don¡¯t have to follow the laws. We have drinks!¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Let''s get wasted!¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Well it''s not alcohol but it¡¯s something the Noah invented that is very similar. We can still feel the affect thou¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Give me some of that too¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Might as well¡± Said Allison. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Just a little for me¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°So you''re only having a drop?¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Ha ha that¡¯s so funny I forgot to laugh¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try it¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Wow goodie two shoes over here is doing something bad for once¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking. Little miss It''s not illegal unless I get caught¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Here you go¡± Said Athena handing everyone a cup of the odd drink.


    Morrie felt the sweet flavor slide over her lips and onto her tongue. It was extremely refreshing.


    ¡°Would you care to dance?¡± Asked Lucius tapping Hex on the shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, why not. By the way I don¡¯t know how¡± Said Hex.


    Yes you do


    ¡°Just stand on my feet. I¡¯ll teach you¡± Said Lucius still bearing his half smile.


    Morrie couldn¡¯t bare watch. It seemed Aurora felt the same way. A few minutes passed as they laughed and danced. Morrie felt a warm hand tap her bare shoulder.


    ¡°I got your sweater, you like having it on don¡¯t you?¡± Asked Lucius.


    She turned away from him, still feeling jealous. She felt his arms hold her. He wrapped her in the sweater and kissed her cheek.


    ¡°You look adorable when you''re you¡± He whispered.


    She knew she could not hide her blushing face. But she could think of a way how. She pulled her sweater away from him and he sat beside her. She still felt a bit angry.


    You''re just saying that. I know you don''t mean it. Cute boys like you¡­ wait¡­ I think you''re cute.


    ¡°Why are you sad?¡± Asked Lucius.


    She didn¡¯t want to tell him she felt envy over what he had done with Hex. She didn¡¯t want to say it was because she had wished it was her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡± Said Morrie.


    He stood up and reached out to her.


    ¡°Will you do me this honor and dance with me?¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie wanted to say no but wanted to hold him more than anything. She turned away from him and said ¡°No¡±.


    He hugged her from behind and said ¡°Please?¡±.


    She sighed and said ¡°Fine¡± with a little smile.


    I know I wanted to¡­


    They walked to a slightly more open area. She looked into his eyes hoping to see joy. They held nothing, not even his near purrmanently sad expression. He seems void of all that made him human. She pulled away from him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asked the boy.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you¡± Morrie placed her hands at the either side of his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean¡± Said the boy flashing a broken smile.


    It seemed wrong like he was tearing himself apart just to seem happy. Like it was a pain that no mind should ever undertake. Morrie could not stand it. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him off. Morrie got Aurora knowing she was far better at dealing with emotions than her. They got him alone and Morrie pushed him against a wall.


    ¡°What is going on with you¡± Said Morrie.


    His eyes held nothing but a hunger like the void. The hunger that they held lashed out attempting to eat her humanity.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Asked Aurora.


    His smile made her sick, she could feel the agony peak at the corners of his mouth and span across his lips.


    ¡°Please you have nothing to worry about¡± Replied the boy falling apart.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer the question?¡± Said Morrie.


    She saw something change in his eyes. She wished she hadn''t.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to frighten you¡± Said the boy.


    The void had grown and seemed to be pressing against the edge of its cage.


    ¡°Tell us, please¡± Said Aurora.


    The void had broken its cage. The void came crashing down on the world. His face said nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy, I took one of my happy pills because I knew it would make you happy¡± Said the broke boy.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Asked Morrie feeling a growing sadness.


    ¡°The pills that made me happy¡± Said the boy as the void flowed into the world.


    ¡°No they don¡¯t¡± Said Aurora.


    His teeth clenched tight and he smiled. He shook slightly, the void meet the peaks of agony and fell to the ground.


    ¡°It really does. Please let''s get back to being happy¡± Said the boy.


    ¡°Lucius please,¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°We just want to help you¡± cried Morrie, she didn''t know when her own tears had left her eyes.


    Aurora was crying. Morrie understood why. This was not the friend they had come to know. Morrie knew they could not reason with him.


    He walked away slowly and said ¡°Smile¡± with a broken eyes.


    They stood their for a moment and Scarlet walked over with Hex.


    ¡°Is it just me or is something up with Lucius. He sounds like he¡¯s in pain¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°He took some sort of pill and now he is like that¡± Said Morrie.


    Why would he do that himself


    ¡°I have a bad feeling about that¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°Hey something is up with Lucius¡± Said Allison walking over.


    ¡°We kinda picked up on that¡± Said Aurora.


    They could see him off in the distance and even his movement seemed to cause him absolute agony. He seemed to strain against his own body just to keep moving. If he felt joy somewhere he did not know where. Morrie could hardly look at him.


    ¡°Do you think he is okay?¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°What do you think. We all picked up on that fact that something is wrong with him¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°That¡¯s like saying the sun is shiny. He needs help¡± Said Aurora.


    Morrie looked over at the boy that was dancing with Havana. It was easy to tell that she was too happy to see what was wrong. Morrie knew she would not have picked up on how much he was struggling if she had been as overjoyed as Havana. They seemed so happy.


    Morrie looked at Aurora and said ¡°Should we ask Athena what¡¯s wrong?¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a good idea¡± Said Aurora.


    They walked around and found Athena on a animal that looked like a lion. It seemed scared to death. The cage she was in had other lion looking creatures inside. They were at the edge of the cage pressed against it. When it attempted to move she clasped her hands around its neck.


    ¡°So fluffy¡± Said Athena.


    Morrie walked over to the cage and said ¡°Hey Athena¡±.


    She opened her eyes and said in an equally sleepy voice ¡°Having fun?¡±.


    ¡°Kinda but we want to ask you something¡± Said Morrie.


    Athena let go of the lion snake animal and walked over. It scurried away to the other side of the cage.


    ¡°What up¡± Said Athena with a tipsy smile.


    ¡°Something is up with Lucius¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Like the sky¡± Said Athena opening the door to the cage.


    ¡°What?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°You know silly¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°No we don¡¯t¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°I want to hug all of you¡± Said Athena.


    She walked over and hugged each of them individually.


    ¡°Are you drunk?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°No?¡± Said Athena with a pure smile.


    ¡°Well something is wrong with Lucius¡± Said Aurora.


    Her smile faded as she asked ¡°Who?¡±.


    ¡°Your brother!¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°Why didn''t you tell me Atlas was hurt¡± Her voice had lost the joy it once had.

 Morrie chapter 8.4

    ¡°Why didn''t you tell me Atlas was hurt¡± Her voice had lost the joy it once had.


    ¡°Who?¡± Asked Everyone.


    ¡°My little brother silly¡± Said Athena.


    Morrie was confused.


    Is his name Atlas?


    ¡°Why did you call your brother Atlas?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°That''s his name¡± Said Athena.


    Morrie found it odd that she had not known the name of the boy she was in love with. She found his name ironic. She liked the way it rolled off her tongue.


    ¡°Atlas¡± She muttered to herself.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Asked Athena.


    Her hands were on her hips and her crystal blue eyes were spectacular.


    ¡°Over here¡± Said Raven looking at her phone.


    ¡°Why are you checking your phone?¡± Asked Allison.


    ¡°No reason¡± Replied Raven.


    Morrie saw that her phone had a tracking ping on Lucius¡¯s phone. They found Lucius dancing with Havana. Havana looked worried when she saw them all standing there.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Havana.


    Lucius was holding her and seemed to be holding on to his fake joy. Morrie wanted to know why he was pretending to be happy.


    ¡°Atlas¡± Said Athena hugging her brother.


    ¡°Athena I think you want to call me Lucius¡± He replied.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Said Athena.


    He seemed confused and replied ¡°Why wouldn''t I be¡±.


    ¡°He said he took a happy pill¡± Said Morrie.


    She looked at him and said ¡°We have to talk¡±.


    She walked away with him. A few hours passed and they arrived back with the group.


    ¡°None of you took advantage of me when I was on the pill did you?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°No¡± Replied everyone except Hex.


    They looked over at her and wondered what she had done.


    ¡°What did you do Hex?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it we used protection¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°What were we protecting?¡± Asked Lucius.


    He''s gotta be joking


    Morrie didn''t know whether he was truly innocent or just stupid. Morrie knew she had not been alone with him. It would have been impossible.


    ¡°Nothing sweetie¡± Said Hex.


    Morrie walked over to him and whispered something in his ear.


    ¡°Mind if I talk to you alone?¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°If you want¡± replied Lucius.


    They walked to a room alone and she locked the doors.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Athena was calling you Atlas¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°That''s my nickname, she just calls me Atlas¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Oh¡± Replies Morrie.


    You can be honest with me¡­


    She thought for a moment and decided she was going to ask him the next time he made eyes contact with her. He had been avoiding looking at anyone.


    ¡°Want some water?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Yes, I do thank you¡± Said Lucius.


    He took a sip and spit most of it out.


    ¡°It''s not water¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°I''m so sorry I thought it was my cup¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it I only drank a little bit of it. This doesn''t have any alcohol does it?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°You would have to ask Hex¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie waited and he eventually walked back with a slight change.


    ¡°So what were you doing?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Thinking about you¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie felt her face blush. He had a calm and collected look in his eyes.


    ¡°That''s cute. I like it when you blush¡± Said Lucius pushing her bangs out of her face.


    Her jade green eyes were almost always hidden behind her near purple hair.


    ¡°Beautiful¡± Said Lucius looking directly into her eyes.


    She knew she had promised herself to say it but she was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Don''t thank me. Your parents made you the beautiful and amazing person you are. I just wish I could have meet them and told them I was going to marry their daughter¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie felt her entire face blush. She covered her face with her sleeve and smiled. She wanted to do something but the way he kept talking to her made her flustered.


    ¡°So you want to join the rest of the group?¡± Asked Lucius.


    Morrie wanted to be alone with him but didn''t want to make the situation weird. She had no idea what had changed but she liked it.


    ¡°If you want to¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything as long as you¡¯re with me¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie hid her face and continued to smile.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°What are you trying to do? If you want to hide just how beautiful you are you''re going to have to do a lot more than that¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Let¡¯s join everyone¡± Said Morrie.


    He took her hand and pulled her close. He had his arms around her waist. Morrie wanted to kiss him more than she wanted to take her next breath. She closed her eyes and leaned in. She felt his lips press against her cheek. She hadn''t felt so happy in years. She felt joy, no, absolute ecstasy overwhelm her. She felt her heart beating in her chest. She could hear his. They beat as one. She held him and could feel his warm in brace.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡± Asked Lucius.


    Morrie nodded and they walked to the party. ¡°Hey everyone¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie was still holding his hand.


    ¡°What were you to up too?¡± Asked Havana with a hand in her hip.


    Morrie felt his warm grasp leave her and be taken by Havana. She seemed just as surprised as everyone else. He was not his usually cold self.


    ¡°I saw the way you were looking at me¡± Said Lucius with a wild look in his eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Said Havana looking away.


    ¡°Fine if you want to play like that¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie already felt envy creeping over her. She didn''t like that he just started on another girl like they had never had anything. He looked over at Hex.


    He walked right up to her and said ¡°Mind if I see you how you see me?¡±.


    ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°I am, would you mind if I felt you up¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie was drowning in envy.


    ¡°Well fine¡± Said Hex.


    Her eyes were closed as always. Morrie remember that she had never see what her eyes looked like. Lucius placed his hand on her face and had his own eyes closed.


    ¡°Wow¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°You even feel beautiful¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that¡± Said Hex blushing slightly.


    Morrie didn''t like that he was flirting with everyone.


    He walked over to Allison and she said ¡°What, are you going to hit on me too¡±.


    ¡°No, never. A beautiful lady such as yourself deserves more¡± Said Lucius.


    He seemed to pull a flower out of thin air.


    ¡°Will you give me this dance¡± Said Lucius.


    Raven cleared her throat.


    ¡°Don''t worry I haven''t forgotten about you my princess¡± Said Lucius looking over at her and blowing a kiss.


    He walked up to her and pulled a flower out. He took a knee and held her hand.


    ¡°For someone so small you have so much beauty¡± Said Lucius.


    She grabbed his shirt and pulled him in close. He was blushing ever so slightly.


    ¡°I see how it is¡± Said Raven leaning in close.


    Raven kissed his cheek. Morrie had the same idea in her mind. He stood up and she pulled him back down. She kissed his cheek and he ran off. Morrie had not expected that. Aurora and Scarlet were nowhere to be found as well.


    ¡°So he doesn''t like when someone else makes the first move¡± Said Raven with a smile.


    ¡°You go girl¡± Said Hex after Morrie explained what happened.


    ¡°That''s cute¡± Said Allison.


    Morrie knew they all felt envy towards one another. They all played games until the sun began to set. Morrie found Havana talking to a short little girl.


    ¡°Hey we''ve been looking for you¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Oh sorry¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Hi¡± Said the little girl.


    ¡°Nice to meet you sweetie¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Very nice to meet you as well, I am Korra. I¡¯m the keeper of this world¡± Said the little girl.


    ¡°She is the youngest Elder Noah here. She is also very knowledgeable about the Arks, if you have any questions¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°How old are you exactly?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°I''m one hundred fifty nine billion, seven hundred twenty two million, and ten years old¡± Said Korra with a smile.


    ¡°Wow you are old¡± Said Morrie.


    Korra had a light pink hair color. She had her hair in two pony tails. Her eyes were red like all Noah. The dress she had looked like it was from earth.


    ¡°Where did you get the dress?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Oh, this? Lucius got it for me. He helped me get it on too, but I think he has more fun helping me take it off¡± Said Korra pressing her hands against her own cheeks.


    ¡°So he is a lolicon¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°A what now?¡± Asked Korra.


    ¡°He is into girls like you¡± Said Raven.


    Morrie felt jealous as she said this.


    ¡°Ha! Havana I¡¯m about to steal your husband¡± Said Korra.


    She walked away and Morrie looked at Havana.


    ¡°What did she mean by that?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°I have no idea who would I know. It''s not like I know anything that has to do with him getting married¡± Said Havana.


    Morrie shrugged it off and decided to find where Lucius would be sleeping.


    ¡°Where does Lucius sleep?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Why, do you want to watch him sleep or something¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°No¡± Replied Morrie.


    ¡°I''ll show you¡± Said Havana.


    They walked through the city and walked up to a beautifully decorated house.


    ¡°He sleeps in here. Want to take a look inside?¡± Asked Havana.


    ¡°Yes¡± Said Morrie without thinking.


    ¡°Let''s go¡± Said Havana.


    They walked inside as silent as humanly possible. Morrie followed Havana through the building and she stopped at a thin door.


    ¡°Shhhh¡± Said Havana.


    Morrie leaned in and placed her ear beside the door.


    ¡°When does the stork get involved?...¡± Said Lucius in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Don''t worry just follow my lead¡± Replied Korra.


    Morrie could imagine them just waiting there for someone to get the wrong idea. Morrie opened the door. She looked at Korra and Lucius.


    ¡°This is exactly what it looks like¡± Said Korra.


    She had Lucius pinned to a bed.


    ¡°You little!¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°What it''s nothing strange, I''m just teaching him how humans reproduce¡± Said Korra.


    Morrie wanted to slap her little face. Morrie walked over and slapped her.


    ¡°You''re not even human. If anyone should be teaching him it¡¯s m...¡± Said Morrie.


    At that moment she realized just what she had said. She felt Korra slap her back. Havana slapped Korra and Lucius seemed absolutely confused and claped.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Asked Athena.


    Morrie felt a chill freeze her to the core. Her cold eyes looked over them as a god would to ants. Morrie could feel Athena''s every step as she closed in on them. Morrie felt the hand of death move her aside. She lifted Korra and walked out of the room. Havana sat with her hands on her lap. Morrie could understand why they had changed the way they were behaving so rapidly. Athena was like death itself. She could snap her fingers and end the life of almost any rival.


    Morrie found herself looking over at Lucius. She could see the dark marks on his body just barely reaching over his arms. But in a shade so light they were almost gone. Morrie wanted to look at his eyes just to know what she felt the first time. She knew she would never forget that rush of fear and wonder but wanted to attempt it anyway. She looked into his eyes and saw a dull shade compared to his original color. His eyes seemed to lack their near permanent hellish aura. Morrie realized he was still intoxicated. He stood up and walked over in her direction. He seemed to be looking at every inch of her at once.


    "Do you want to make out?" Asked Lucius.


    Morrie was attempting to understand the information.


    ¡°What?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°I want to know if you have ever considered the idea, between you and me.¡± He tilted his head.


    Morrie didn''t know what to say. She wanted to say yes but knew it would be wrong.


    ¡°Why¡± Asked Morrie out of curiosity.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just been considering the idea.¡± Said Lucius leaning in.


    Morrie would let him kiss her but would not kiss him. She was ready for his lips to press against hers. She felt something on her shoulder and she opened her eyes.


    He hugged her and said ¡°I like when girls are spontaneous¡±.


    Morrie saw Athena at the doorway holding Korra like a handbag. The smile on her face said she was about to kill every living thing in sight as well as saying she was the kindest person on the planet.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°We were about to make out¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie felt her blood freeze as Athena took a step forward.


    ¡°You were going to do what?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°He was going to kiss me and he¡¯s intoxicated¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡± Replied Lucius.


    He took a moment and said ¡°I was going to french kiss her¡± He blew a kiss at Morrie. Morrie wanted to blow one back. And she did.


    Why did I do that¡­


    ¡°You should have my babies¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Go sit in the corner until you aren''t wasted¡± Said Athena.


    He shrugged and walked away. Morrie could only imagine what Athena had in mind.


    ¡°Get out¡± Said Athena to Korra.


    She ran out and Athena sat Morrie and Havana down. Athena seemed to be angry but with a face like hers it was hard to tell. She always seemed happy as could be. Lucius was scooting around on the floor towards the door.


    ¡°Let me tell you how this works. I am his big sister, I get rid of anything that can hurt in no matter what. He is my baby brother. Nothing will ever change that. I make the rules for him. I tell you whether or not he can date you or be around you if I want. I love him and that is why I''m so overprotective. Just don''t try anything without asking my permission first. Wait here I''m going to get everyone.¡±.


    Morrie nodded and watched she walked out. Morrie spent a few minutes thinking before Athena had everyone in the room.


    ¡°Story time¡± Said Athena.

 Atlas chapter 9.1

    ¡°Hmmm, I''ll ask her to go on a boat ride¡± Said Atlas to himself.


    He looked at his watch and thought about what would be happening soon. He didn''t have forever.


    The ocean on this world had fresh water. He remembered the first day on this world with Levy. Atlas asked Havana her name and she hid behind one of the Elders. All the Elders loved and care deeply for his mother and sisters. They cared for all his family. He wondered what the day would hold.


    ¡°As long as it makes mom proud of me¡± Said Atlas.


    He felt her roll on top of him.


    ¡°Levy you''re crushing me¡± Said Atlas as his body was covered by her bulk.


    ¡°Oh potato, I love you¡± Said Levy.


    Atlas sighed knowing she was deep in her world of dreams. He was able to crawl out from underneath her. She grabbed his leg and pulled him back in. She held him like she did to her pillows. She yawned and bit him. He stood still and waited till she lulled herself awake.


    I swear I''m gonna get you a muzzle. Well maybe not that would be to much.


    ¡°Morning big guy¡± Said Levy.


    Her perfect blonde hair covered most of his body.


    ¡°You¡¯re crushing me¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Oops sorry¡± Said Levy sitting up.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it just don''t go all cry baby ¡®I''m so sorry¡¯ on me¡±


    He rolled a pill in his hand and ate it. He felt it''s cold sting once again. He knew it was the only way. He reached into his backpack and looked at the two artifacts within. One looked like a crystal triangle and the other looked like a small star.


    ¡°Hug me¡± Said Levy wrapping her arms around Atlas.


    ¡°You know you don''t really have to ask¡± but you always do¡­


    He walked out of the room and looked out the window. He had flipped a coin and decided on who he would be taking on a boat trip. He throughout it unnecessary to include Havana because they would be spending more than enough time together. He dressed himself and could hear Levy rolling around in the bed. She had insisted it would be the only way to keep the girls away. Atlas didn''t mind their company. He had grown to feel like he might miss them if they died. Maybe only for a few hour but nevertheless. He wanted them around for now. He walked outside and sat beneath a tree.


    ¡°You truly are your mother''s child¡± Said Azul.


    ¡°Thank you¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Asked Azul.


    ¡°I just took my pill, I couldn''t feel even if I wanted to¡± Said Atlas.


    Azul nodded and sat down. His long robe engraved with symbols.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Would you like to know the existence was like before they closed the Ark gates?¡± Asked Azul.


    ¡°Yes, but who are they?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°The Archive, to be exact. The United new age Empire of the Archive¡± Said Azul talking down the hood worn by all Elder Noah.


    ¡°The Archive were once a Major Ark before their collapse. They closed the Ark gates and doomed the Arks to death. The Lord of Archives was the most powerful Lord in all history until the Lord of Nightmare came to be. But even with the power he held he could not stop the Lord of Archives. All dimensions once flowed as one, as you know. They were like a river as one but when they gates closed the flow of time was interrupted. Time has killed many Lord and ended several Arks as well¡± Said Azul.


    ¡°And they hid the Philosopher''s stone somewhere in the universe I came from¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°That¡¯s believed. Do you remember why it is different traveling from this location than others?¡± Asked Azul.


    ¡°Because this world has the same laws of physics and overall nature. Coming here is like placing a fish in another bowl. But other universes are like placing a snowflake in the center of the big bang and expecting it to exist until the day life takes root¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Our bodies are far too fragile, but the gates allowed safe passage thanks to you mother¡± Said Azul.


    ¡°Do you regret leaving home to become an elder?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°No, because as far as I know we are the last of the Noah. Death may have already taken the rest of my kind. It brings me hope that we are still living¡± Said Azul.


    ¡°Have a good day Azul¡± Said Atlas as he stood and walked away.


    He walked to the house where the girls would be at. He knocked and the door opened.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°It''s me, Lucius¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I didn''t order a sriper but I''m not complaining¡± Said Hex.


    A striper? What is that? Maybe I should ask. No, Levy told me not to ask about that kind of thing. I wonder why.


    ¡°May I come in?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Only if you have protection¡± Said Hex tilting her glasses.


    Is there some reason why I might need to defend myself?


    He could see her wink behind her glasses. He held the knife in his pocket and walked in.


    ¡°Do you know where Aurora may be?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°What you don''t want to play with me¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas alway had trouble understanding Hex. He was unable to understand her word choice. He assumed it was some sort of play on words. Levy had told him not to try to understand the word play.


    ¡°I do but I have a schedule to keep¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Mind if I borrow your phone?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°What for?¡± Replied Atlas.


    ¡°Just girly things¡± Replied Hex.


    What does she mean? Why does she always talk in riddles.


    Atlas reached into his pocket and handed her his phone.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Hex with a mischievous giggle.


    Atlas walked in and knocked at the door.


    ¡°Come in¡± Said Aurora.


    Atlas opened the door and saw Aurora in what seemed to be a swimsuit. ¡°Hey Hex have you seen my¡­¡± Aurora paused for a moment.


    ¡°Hex is at the door for you want me to retrieve her?¡± Asked Atlas.


    Aurora ran for cover and came back fully dressed a moment later.


    ¡°How did you get in?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Hex let me in. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go on a boat ride¡± Said Atlas.


    The image of her was stuck in his head. He did his best to keep it away.


    ¡°Yeah that sounds like fun¡± Said Aurora as she began to run her fingers through her hair.


    ¡°Just grab an extra pair of clothes¡± Said Atlas.


    He waited outside and saw Hex, Allison, Havana, Morrie, Raven and Scarlet playing with his phone. Aurora walked up to Atlas with a beautiful dress.


    ¡°Ready¡± Said Aurora. They walked to the beach where a massive boat sat waiting.


    ¡°It''s named the Carpathia. I built it a few months ago. Shall we go?¡± Asked Atlas.

 Atlas chapter 9.2

    ¡°It''s named the Carpathia. I built it a few months ago. Shall we go?¡± Asked Atlas.


    Atlas was at odd with fate. He had a one in six chance of ending up with Aurora on this boat ride but he felt like he waved the odds in her favor. Writing their names on a piece of paper and pulling it out of a hat felt like the best way to go about choosing. But it was too late to think about that.


    He walked on to the boat. Fifteen Noah were on board the ship for matunace. They often used the ship to hunt for large breeds of fish. Ako said ¡°Hello Atlas, kin of Jane, it has been quite some time since I''ve seen you¡±. Aurora had no clue as to what the conversation Lucius and Ako was about. She didn''t know the language after all.


    Atlas pointed at Aurora and said ¡°This is my friend. I thought it would be a good experience to show her a little more about this world¡±.


    ¡°That is very kind of you Atlas. What location would you like to show her today. And before it slips my mind congratulations, I hope you are both very happy together¡± Said Ako.


    ¡°One last thing, would you mind speaking in English so my friend may understand what we are saying?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Anything for you¡± Said Ako in English.


    ¡°Aurora would you like to join me in the captain''s quarters?¡± Asked Atlas.


    Aurora nodded and took his hand. They walked up as the boat began to move.


    ¡°It''s powered by a cold fusion reactor¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°A what?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°It''s a fancy engine¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°What do you think you''re doing¡± Said a demanding voice.


    Atlas let a half smile paint his face.


    ¡°It seems like we have a stow away¡± Said Atlas.


    The woman had rather one of a kind clothing. It looked like knight armor had been turned into almost casual clothing. Her hair had several small braids and the hat she wore looked perfect on her.


    ¡°Well, well, well, looks like you brought a pretty little friend¡± Said Tabitha.


    Her ash colored hair was just above her hips. She had a scar across her eye and her eye looked like that of a snake.


    ¡°Maybe I did, what will the child of War do to my friend?¡± Asked Atlas to spark the conversation.


    ¡°Make her walk the plank!¡± Said Tabitha with a smile.


    ¡°How are you¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Better, still bored with the civilian life. But it''s not like I can just walk to an Ark war¡± Said Tabitha opening a bottle.


    She sat down and placed her bare feet on a chair.


    ¡°Aurora this is Tabitha. She fought in the last Ark war¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I killed plenty of those filthy Archive soldiers. Hard as hell to kill those filthy bastards. Just wish I would have killed more of them¡± Said Tabitha.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°You seem different than the others¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Well that''s because I''m actually from a different group of Noah. I ended up here because I was with his mom as a guard¡± Said Tabitha.


    ¡°I bet she is wondering what the Archive is and what the Arks are¡± Said Atlas.


    He knew it would be awhile before they reached the ref. He thought it would he a good idea to pass the time by teaching her a few things.


    ¡°Well listen here the Archive are a bunch of filthy good for nothing criminals. The war crimes they committed are far more than I could count. Good thing they all died. They have this power, we call powers Ark abilities. They got a power that''s like a checkpoint. They can retry almost any event hundreds of trillions of times. The only way to win against them is to beat them every time. The Arks are like groups that share a common goal. They all want to become powerful but they all have different methods. The Ark war was fought over many things. The Lord of Archives, that slimy bastard, was  powerful. Let me put it like this. He could win a war by doing absolutely nothing. He could play his chances and manage to get you to kill yourself. He was more powerful than any other Lord until the King came along and showed him. That man!¡± Said Tabitha biting her lips ever so lightly.


    ¡°He put all the other Lords to shame. Made them all look like nothing. He managed to kill an Ancient! Can you believe that! He killed the Lord of Archives in his own Citadel too. But enough about him. Got any questions so far?¡± Asked Tabitha.


    ¡°How powerful are you?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Well ain''t that a good one. Well I could kill every human with my bare hands. Even if you were all armed to the teeth. But the problem is I got this knight seal¡± Said Tabitha pulling her shirt up.


    Over her heart sat a dark symbol with strange markings.


    ¡°See this here. It makes me just as strong as the rest of the Noah here. I could destroy the entire planet and I don''t mean just scratching up the outside I mean literally making this world into nothing but dust¡± Said Tabitha.


    Atlas looked out the window and knew they had at least five minutes to go.


    ¡°Wow you really are powerful¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Yes I am¡± Said Tabitha crossing her arms.


    ¡°Do you know what kind I have?¡± Asked Atlas. He pulled off his shirt and revealed a few small patches on his back.


    ¡°That''s nothing¡± Scoffed Tabitha without taking a good look at his body.


    Atlas tossed his shirt around his body like a towle. Aurora looked at his surprisingly muscular build. He began to use his shirt like a scrub. He wiped off the makeup on his back. Most of his back was black as night. He continued to scrub until half of his arms, lower back, neck and part of his  face displayed the mark. Tabitha took a step back. Her face had a slight blush and her eyes were off to the side.


    ¡°I''m powerful too¡± Tabitha pouted.


    You''re just showing off¡­ well, I can''t be that surprised. You are her son.


    ¡°Do you know what clarification they are?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Are you making fun off me?¡± Tabitha shifted to face away from Atlas.


    ¡°Why would I?¡± Questioned Atlas in a monotone voice.


    ¡°Because you brought the girl you like your being a jerk Atl¡­" Tabitha was interrupted by Atlas as he said ¡°shut up¡±.


    He looked at her and she knew she had done something wrong. She knew it was better not to try and pick a fight with Atlas. With a mind like his, even if it was suppressed by seals was far more than she could hope to rival.


    ¡°Sorry¡± Said Tabitha.


    ¡°Mind if I have a word with you¡± Said Atlas.


    She nodded and walked with him to another room.


    ¡°She doesn''t know my name. We are trying to hide our identities because some people on earth really want me dead¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°So what should I call you?¡± Asked Tabitha.


    ¡°Just call me Lucius and Levy, Athena¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Sorry I didn''t know¡± Said Tabitha.


    ¡°Let just go back before she gets suspicious¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Wait what should the excuse be?¡± Asked Tabitha.


    ¡°Anything you want¡± Said Atlas walking back.


    Atlas looked out the window and knew they had arrived. He looked at the small island and said ¡°Are you ready? The island is pretty fun¡±.


    ¡°Wow¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°You called something fun¡± Said Aurora.

 Atlas chapter 9.3

    ¡°You called something fun¡± Said Aurora.


    Atlas didn''t understand this and only looked at her with confusion.


    ¡°Let''s go¡± Said Tabitha pointing out the door.


    She truly enjoyed rum and almost anything else unhealthy.


    Atlas remembered the first time they meet. Tabitha was training and seemed confused when she saw him. But when she saw his mother she gasped and ran over. She looked at Levy and Atlas. She asked his mother if they were her''s.


    When Jane said ¡°Yes¡±.


    Tabitha hugged them and would not stop smiling.


    ¡°Look at this beautiful place!¡± Said Tabitha.


    The beach had sand that looked like tiny drops of sunlight. The water was crystal clear.


    ¡°Lucius, remember when we spend that time together in the place with the big river?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Yes, what about it¡± Said Lucius. Atlas knew he would never forget it. He had enjoyed getting to know Aurora. He felt like he would be angry if he lost her. He wanted to keep her around. She had become an object that he liked to keep around.


    ¡°Do you remember how you freaked out when I kissed you¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°I didn''t freak out that much¡± Said Atlas.


    He knew in his mind it could not have been more wrong. When she kissed him his mind was in shambles. He knew he was being honest because he did much more than freaked out.


    ¡°That''s so cute¡± Tabitha began poking at a flustered Atlas.


    He never showed in in his expression, he just barely knew it himself with his own feelings. But the feeling however small was there.


    ¡°Isn''t he just¡± Said Aurora.


    Atlas jumped into the water and drifted. He didn''t understand why he felt so odd. He knew what he felt for Aurora made him uncomfortable but he didn''t understand why. He poked out of the water and looked at Aurora. He quickly looked away knowing he ran the risk of getting her pregnant. Hex had told him that was how babies were made. He was not allowed to study in the area of human reproduction so he had no understanding of it. He worried if he had looked at her to long it may just happen. Tabitha was busy getting wasted.


    She removed her uniform and had only a thin skirt and shirt. Tabitha looked over at Atlas and could not help but notice the similarity between him and King. Not only were the eyes similar but King had once showed the Elders that he had a mortal form. The sketch of King had a frightening resemble. She remembered being there for his trial. Held in court for Crimes against the Arks. Showing his mortal form proved he was not a true Ark member and released him of all charges. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Hey Lucius remember when you told me you would teach me to swim?¡± Aurora was making a small circle in the sand with her foot.


    ¡°Yes would you like to continue that lesson?¡± Asked Atlas.


    He felt a sharp pain cut his body. He was unable to feel his body as it hit the ground. He attempted to move as his vision left him. He knew he would never reach his pills in time. He closed his eyes and felt only hate for himself. He hated himself for being so selfish and careless. His mind drifted to his sisters and mother. He did his best to keep them off his mind knowing he would just disappoint them. He had failed at the only thing he truly needed to do. Live. He felt his lips part and something strange. He shot up and his body burned. She had somehow done it. Aurora knew he needed his pills.


    ¡°Thanks, I felt a little funny¡± Said Atlas taking a few deep breath. He pretended that it was all fine. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt.


    ¡°I was so scared¡± Said Aurora holding him.


    Atlas felt wrong. He knew he liked the feel of her soft skin. He didn''t want to. He liked how easy it was to smile around her but he didn''t want to smile. He didn''t know when he had done it but his lips had kissed her cheek.


    ¡°Thanks for saving me¡± Said Atlas.


    He knew he meant it but he didn''t want to admit it.


    ¡°Saving you?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Never mind let''s get back to teaching you how to swim¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°No way, we are taking you right back to your sister. She can take better care of you¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Not buts, she''s right. Athena knows how to take better care of you than any of us. Other than your mother of course¡± Said Tabitha.


    Atlas nodded and walked back to the ship. They spend some time talking with the crew and drank some fruit smoothies. Atlas got a large cup and was going to hand it to Aurora. His hand felt numb and he spilled it on her.


    ¡°Sorry¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll just change my shirt¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°I got a spare if you want it¡± Said Tabitha.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Aurora walking away with Tabitha.


    Atlas got back to commanding the ship. Atlas was deep in thought. He wonder what would have happened if he had not chosen Aurora. He wondered if that sandy beach would have been his resting place.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Asked Aurora.


    Atlas know how to describe color to the blind, he knew how to describe pain so well it could kill. He knew he to describe hunger so well it could make others starve to death. But he knew he could never be able to describe how beautiful she was and would always be. He had no way to tell her how beautiful she was. He wanted her to understand his predicament.


    ¡°Maybe you should look in a mirror before you ask¡± Said Atlas.


    She seemed sad for just an instant but Atlas would never have known. Tabitha, Atlas and Aurora all walked back to the main house.


    ¡°We have a dinner to attend¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Oh Lucius!¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas Turned and said ¡°Do you like my outfit¡± Hex was blowing a kiss in his direction.


    Atlas knew he quite enjoyed the maiden outfit but felt like a horrible person for doing so.


    ¡°Mind if we talk in my bedroom¡± Said Atlas.

 Atlas Chapter 9.4

    ¡°Mind if we talk in my bedroom¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Wow that worked a lot better than expected¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas walked with Hex to his room. They held hand as they walked.


    ¡°Would you mind sitting down¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°What exactly are you planning to do to me?¡± Asked Hex in a seemingly suggestive tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to describe a color to you¡± Said Atlas.


    He took a deep breath and began with the color of his eyes. A half hour passed as he finally completed his task.


    He opened his eyes and said ¡°That¡¯s the color of my eyes¡±.


    Hex had a smile and tears running down her face. Atlas felt worried. What had he done to make her cry. He was convinced he had made her sad.


    ¡°Get over here!¡± Said Hex.


    She kissed his cheek and said ¡°Thank you¡±.


    ¡°Maybe tomorrow I could describe a few more¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°That would be great¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas felt the need to hold her. He held her hand. She smiled and pressed herself against him. They walked outside and everyone was giving them odd glances.


    ¡°I''ll be right back¡± Said Atlas.


    He walked to his room and changed. Someone knock on the door just as he finished.


    ¡°Hurry up Atlas you''re going to be late!¡± Said Levy.


    She sounded happy even when she yelled. Atlas knew he loved her and he would do anything to make her smile. Everyone was dressed well including Hex. She had changed into a fancy blue dress.


    ¡°So what were you and Aurora doing earlier¡± Asked Levy.


    ¡°Nothing in particular¡± Said Atlas walking over to the door.


    They walked to the building where they would be dining with the Elders. They saw a total of fifty Elders.


    ¡°Good morning¡± Said Ako.


    ¡°Hello Ako¡± Said Atlas.


    They all took their seats and looked at the foods on the table.


    ¡°Ako, what is all this?¡± Asked Atlas looking at the tacos, hamburgers, burritos, pizzas and pies.


    ¡°We prepared food to make our honored guest more at home¡± Said Ako.


    ¡°I see¡± Replied Atlas.


    ¡°Lucky¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°A toast to love¡± Said Azul.


    ¡°To love¡± Chanted the council.


    ¡°Hey why do you all have an A in your names?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°Well it is part of who we are. We the Noah are bore knowing our names. But our names have always had an A, N, H, or K sound. The first of our people Ka was the only Noah with only a K and an A. Nakhan the second Noah was the first to have a N and H. But our names are believed to be sacred so we tell only those who we love. What you know us by is our titles¡± Said Ako.


    ¡°That''s cool¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Let''s eat¡± Said Levy.


    The Elders removed their hoods revealing their soft faces. Levy picked up a hamburger and the Elders mimicked her. They moved in a perfectly identical way.


    Tabitha jammed an entire hamburger in her mouth and yelled ¡°By the Seven this is good¡±.


    The Elders looked young yet old, happy yet hate full, but they seemed to be somewhere between a man and woman. They had faces without flaws with the exception of two Tabitha and Awar. But Tabitha looked distinctly female.


    ¡°Aurora,¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Replied Aurora.


    ¡°Did you enjoy being surrounded by sea men?¡± Said Atlas.


    Levy, Allison, Morrie, Raven, Hex, Korea, Havana and Scarlet all spit out their food. The Elders thinking it was part of the culture did so as well. Tabitha continued eating.


    ¡°And sorry for getting you wet¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°We were on a boat!¡± Said Aurora as red as humans could ever be.


    ¡°I know it''s not my place to question but as a favor to your mother we are all to look after you, so I must ask have you had sexual intercorse with your brown haired friend Aurora or anyone besides Havana?¡± Said Awar.


    ¡°As of yet I believe I have had not sexual relations with anyone¡± Replied Atlas.


    Awar had what looked like black vines across right eye.


    ¡°Good¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°I just needed to know to insure that you have not created any offspring without your mother''s blessings. But if you are having relations with anyone please keep in mind that you are very young¡± Said Awar.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''m not my father¡± Atlas looked at the injury Awar had.


    Atlas recalled how Awar had come across that scar. He was in the top one percentile of the oldest Noah alive with a total of six hundred thirteen trillion nine hundred sixty seven billion five hundred twenty two million eighty one thousand and fifty years. He was nearing the end of this life and only had a few million year left. The scar as Atlas recalled was given to Awar by a Lord. The Lord of Yull had attempted to kill him as revenge against his ancestor War. War is one of the four horsemen. War is one of the few beings Jane had blessed with agelessness. He could be killed but he could never die of age. The Lord of Yull had the power to create cracks in space and let energy from the void seep through. Raw energy from the void can kill primordial gods and could easily kill the average Noah. But Awar was anything but. Awar killed the Lord of Yull by opening a full view into the void. This broke the mind of the Lord of Yull. But the damage was done to Awar. Nothing he could do could ever reverse the damage done by the void. Awar was a low Lord class slayer.


    ¡°Why would you think that I have had a relationship with Aurora in particular?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°I can read emotions as you will recall. I get almost nothing from you of course but from your friend I can read a deep emotion. I believe it may be love¡± Said Awar.


    ¡°It''s most likely hate¡± Said Atlas.


    Awar nodded and got back to eating. Tabitha had eaten at least twenty of every food. When the dinner finally ended Atlas knew the time had come. He took a moment to think about what his children might look like. He walked out the door and all the Noah of the town were there to greet them.


    Atlas didn''t notice the surprise on their faces. He thought they knew. He took Havana''s hand and smiled. They walked to the Citadel of the Last. Awar would be the one to unite them in the absence of his mother. Everyone took a seat and they began to understand what was happening. Havana was walked down the aisle by one of the Elders. Atlas walked alone.


    Havana had a beautiful dress, unknown to Atlas she had chosen it with Jane. She had promised she would wear it if she married him. Atlas knew he wanted to stop but would do anything to make his mother proud. Awar started to speak in the language of the Ancient. The words could be understood regardless of any obstacle. It was a language all understood but few knew how to speak.


    ¡°You''re getting married!¡± Cried out Aurora.


    ¡°Yes¡± Replied Atlas.


    ¡°Married!¡± Yelled Scarlet.


    One by one they stood up. Aurora had tears as well as Scarlet and Morrie. Aurora ran off and Scarlet followed. One by one they ran off after her Hex followed Morrie by holding her sweater.


    ¡°Awar may a have a moment¡± Said Atlas.


    The Noah began to chatter and wonder. Havana followed closely behind. Atlas walked at a quick pace and managed to find Aurora first. He was able to follow her out of the crowds. She had lost the rest of the group. She walked towards a forest and hid beneath a tree. Her tears watering it''s old roots.


    ¡°Aurora¡± Said Atlas walking towards her.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°You''re getting married!¡± Cried Aurora.


    ¡°So?¡± Asked Atlas.


    His mind could not grasp why she was sad.


    ¡°Don''t you get it, I thought you liked me!¡± Said Aurora.


    Atlas didn''t know if he did. He knew he felt something but it was not the same thing as what he felt for Levy or his sisters. He knew it could be a form of love. He didn''t want to lie to her if it was love so he told her.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I don''t know about that¡± Said Atlas in a way that seemed to say he questioned whether he liked her at all.


    She seemed to be in pain.


    ¡°I know it''s probably too late but I want to give this to you¡± Said Aurora pushing her tears away.


    She had two things to give. She had built up courage. She grabbed his shirt closed her eyes and kissed his lips. Their lips seemed to be holding on forever. Atlas could feel his hands go numb along with his mind for just an instant. He seemed to be in frozen. With a mind like is it was eternity in ecstasy.


    If only she knew his mind had just exploded with joy and confusion. He had never felt so much in his life. Her soft warm lips called to him. They continued to kiss for a short while. His hand finding a place around her waist. She places her hands on his chest.


    She had one more thing to give. She had kept it safe just for him. She had spent months working on the bracelet. She knew it wasn''t beautiful but that was part of the point. If he could love something as flawed and strange as the bracket she knew he could love her. She did the one thing she never thought she would do and backed away from him. She handed him the box she had placed it in. He seemed to like it as first until he opened the box. He dropped the box and smashed it with his feet. He didn''t know what that had done to her. It made her feel like she had just taken all her love and crushed it once again. She had fought to protect it just for him. She had spent months crafting it dispute hurting herself several times. She felt like each crunch and snap was that of her own bones and heart. She felt hollow and only wondered why he was so intent on hurting her.


    He knew what that material was. It was slag from the blades. Atlas had no idea why it had not exploded and killed her. The material was toxic in large pieces but was harmless in small pieces. Atlas continued to smash it until it was small enough for him to feel certain she would be safe. He felt her hand strike his face. She ran away and he felt broken. His mind had reached its maximum. He could not understand what was going on.


    He stood alone beneath the willow tree like she once had.


    He reached in his pocket and grabbed a handful of pills. He knew he needed another. He felt it kill what remained of his humanity. He was better this way. Clear cold, lacking in human emotions. He took a step forward as he walked to the Citadel. He found Havan standing beside Awar.


    ¡°Child?,¡± Awar hesitated when he saw his eyes ¡°Havana has explained the situation to me. The festival of all love was not to celebrate your love for one another?¡±


    ¡°I don''t love Havana, and that would be a yes. It is a celebration of all love not our love¡± Said Atlas.


    Awar nodded and flinched when Tabitha said ¡°anyone got any drinks?¡±


    She had a smile on her cute face. Her small nose and vibrant eye only seemed more beautiful when she smiled.


    ¡°No¡± Replied Awar and Atlas.


    ¡°One of you should feed me¡± Said Tabitha tossing a piece of pepperoni at Awar.


    ¡°I am deeply sorry for the misunderstanding¡± Said Awar.


    ¡°No need to apologize¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Atlas I''m sorry about all this¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°As I said no need to apologize¡± Repeated Atlas.


    Dispute not being able to feel emotion in his current state he still knew that Scarlet and other had started crying before they ran off. He had the intention of asking why. He didn''t care whether they felt better or not because of it. He wanted to understand why they were sad for the sake of knowing.


    He walked with Havana and eventually found everyone. He walked up to the group and Levy turned to him.


    ¡°I''m disappointed in you¡±


    Were the only words that could have affected him in such a way to make him feel anything. He had never heard Levy say that to him before. Even in the state of mind he was in he understood how much the words hurt.


    She was everything to him. She was his main motivation to live and hearing the words she had said made him feel something he had never felt.


    ¡°Let''s go to our house¡± Said Atlas.


    He was going to spend time alone with his thoughts. Not because he wanted to but because he knew he didn''t deserve to be in her presences. He was worthless and simply being around her seemed wrong. They all returned home. Once they all went home he locked his room. Atlas looked at himself in the mirror. He removed the waterproof makeup from his body. He wiped away his perfection. He looked at the countless scars and wished that they had finished him off. He continued to undress more and more wounds. The memories of all the people who had tried to kill him came rushing back. He listened to the music that played in his room. Every note a different face. Each had brought him harm and pain. He had never hated anyone for their hate for him. He only felt sorry felt living as long as he did. He looked at the massive amount of scar tissue that covered his chest. It looked as if he had been struck by lightning in an acid rain storm. He looked at the markings that covered his back. He could feel his tree shaped birthmark. Every roots planted in worthless dirt. Every leaf showered in bountiful light every time he turned away from it. The old bark calist by hate and pain. He lay in bed and fell asleep after a few short hours. He heard the door open and soft feet walk in. He felt her hands grab him and he knew she had another nightmare. He hugged her once she fell asleep. He placed a blanket over her as well.


    ¡°Sweet dream¡± Said Atlas.


    She smiled as she slept. When it was six he had already cooked the meals for Evelynn and Levy.


    ¡°Smells amazing¡± Said Evelynn hugging Atlas.


    Her soft skin made him conscious of his own ruined body. His flesh a mausoleum of pain. His scars an archive of hatred.


    He shrugged ¡°I wanted it to smell how you look¡±.


    She smiled and ruffled his hair. She ate the bacon and eggs. She also had french toast with Levy and Havana. They seemed to enjoy the meal.


    ¡°Sorry about what I said Atlas I didn''t mean it I was just a little upset¡± Her blue eyes seemed to bestow him with joy. He felt better knowing she hadn''t meant it.


    He walked to Morrie''s library. He found a note saying she was already at school. He walked to school alone and found where he told her to wait for him and Nero by chance.


    ¡°Sup¡± Said Nero walking away from his group.


    ¡°How are you today?¡± Asked Atlas without out any real interest in the response.


    ¡°Good how about you?¡± Asked Nero.


    ¡°Fine¡± Replied Atlas.


    Evelynn had hugged him so he was having a rather good day.


    ¡°Mind if I talk to you alone alone real quick¡± Said Nero scratching his short brown hair.


    Atlas walk off with Nero and he asked ¡°Is that girl your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No, she just lives with me¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Oh, by the way I wanted to ask you if your sister has a boyfriend¡± Said Nero.


    ¡°I am a boy and her friend¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I mean like is she with anyone?¡± Asked Nero.


    ¡°Most mornings she is in the same area as me¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Never mind¡± Said Nero with a smile.


    Havana walked back over and held Atlas¡¯s hand.


    ¡°By the way these are my friends. Kip, Nile, Jay, Randolph and my sister Dick¡± Said Nero.


    ¡°Nice to meet all of you¡± Said Atlas not meaning a single word of it.


    Kip had hazel eyes and dark brown hair. He was large and muscular like Nero. Jay had gray eyes and extremely dirty blonde hair. Randolph was taller but thinner than and Jay with extremely similar features. Jay¡¯s simple eyes seemed to capture every movement Havana made in fear.


    ¡°Nice to meet you¡± Said Dick.


    Her golden blonde hair was in a ponytail.


    Her green eyes seemed to say ¡°what you looking at¡±.


    Nile was short with a mean face. His dark brown eyes matched his hair. Atlas noticed none of them seemed to make eye contact with him. They seemed to be avoiding his eyes if anything.


    ¡°Dick¡¯s a strange name¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°It''s short for Richard¡± Said Dick crossing her arms.


    She seems to be more comfortable looking at Havana¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°How do you get Dick from Richard?¡± Asked Havana.


    ¡°You ask nicely¡± Replied Atlas.


    Havana stood silent for a moment before she pushed Atlas.


    ¡°You pervert!¡± Said Havana with a smile.


    ¡°I heard your sister is super strong¡± Said Dick.


    ¡°Not really, she is about five times stronger than Havana but that''s all¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°She doesn''t look that strong¡± Said Nile looking at Havana.


    Havana sighed and picked up a rock. She crushed it with two fingers.


    ¡°Damn¡± Said Jay.


    ¡°I suppose it would be a good idea for me to introduce you to Athena sooner than later¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± asked Randolph.


    ¡°So if you accidentally hurt me she doesn¡¯t kill you out of anger¡± Replied Atlas.


    They seemed frightened by that. Levy had built a reputation for quit a few things. She had beauty without equal. She was stronger than everyone in the entire school. She was the head cheerleader and now had every heavy lifting record in the school. She wasn''t the smartest but she wasn''t stupid. She was loved by all the teachers. Nearly the entire school wanted to be friends with her.


    Atlas heard the bell ring and walked to class. He would have to introduce them to Levy later. He found it odd that he was unable to find any of Levy''s friends such as Scarlet and Morrie. He had arranged to have every class with Havana by paying the headmaster to place them in the same classes.


    He spent most of his time teaching Havana. People would ask Havan if she wanted to work with them. She would alway demand they they be nice to Atlas. They alway agreed in order to talk to Havana. The end of the day came and he was unable to spot any of Levy''s friends.


    He found Nero at the end of the day and asked ¡°How was your day today?¡±.


    ¡°Good enough. What about you?¡± Asked Nero.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead so that''s a good sign¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°So Lucius, would you want to go on a date on Wednesday?¡± Asked Havana.


    ¡°Maybe¡± Said Atlas.


    Nero looked at his watch and said ¡°Well I have to get walking. See you tomorrow¡±.


    Atlas and Havana began walking home.


    ¡°Hey¡± Yelled out a childish voice. Azrin was holding a heart shaped box.


    ¡°What do you want bitch¡± Said Havana with a pouting face.


    ¡°Hey chill out I just wanted to give him something¡± Said Azrin with sadness in her voice.


    Azrin didn''t know what his real name was but made her best guesses. She had it down to about fifteen different names.


    ¡°I wanted to give you this¡± Said Azrin blushing slightly.


    Atlas followed the instruction plan Levy had made for him ¡°Thank you¡± whispered Atlas as he hugged her.


    ¡°I''m not giving you this because I like you it''s just because I wanted to say thank you¡± Said Azrin.


    ¡°I never asked if you liked me but maybe we could hang out this week end¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Sounds like fun, just you and me though¡± Said Azrin.


    ¡°As you wish¡± Said Atlas.


    Atlas wanted to drop by the store where he had gotten Morrie''s sweater.


    He walked to downtown. He walked through the crowds of people and quickly realized he had lost Havana. He walked around and was unable to find her. He walked to the store and walked in. He saw the woman and her children. Atlas bought a pair of socks and gave her three thousand Marks.


    ¡°You don''t have to do this. You have already given me so much. I can''t thank you enough and that''s why I can''t take this¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Please, if you won''t do it for yourself do it for them. With his money you can take a break from work and spend time with them. This is my way of saying. Take care of them, you as a parent should know better than anyone that your children are the most precious thing that you will ever have in your life. So do this for them¡± Said Atlas handing her the money.


    She wiped a tear away and said ¡°Can I give you a hug¡±.


    Atlas smiled and said ¡°That would be great¡±.


    ¡°Please come back to visit anytime¡± Said the woman.


    As he walked about he recalled the dinner date he would be having with Moriarty¡¯s daughter. Atlas walked around until he found Havana. She was sitting by the curb in front of a taco shop.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Where were you!¡± Said Havana.


    She ran up to him and hugged him.


    ¡°What are you hugging me for?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°I thought I lost you!¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°You did¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°That isn''t making me feel any better¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°Will this?¡± Said Atlas kissing her cheek.


    She began smiling more than he had ever seen before.


    ¡°Hey Atlas!¡± Yelled his phone.


    He pulled it out of his pocket.


    ¡°Did you place my phone on automatic pick up again?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Nooooo¡­ anyway everyone is here and I wanted to know what time you would be home. Oh and I need help with my German homework¡±


    ¡°I''ll be marching home¡±.

 Chaper 10.1 Aurora

    ¡°Maybe, it was a misunderstanding¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°I hope so¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°He is really bad at showing how he feels after all,¡± Said Morrie ¡°and that''s coming from me¡±.


    ¡°We are meeting them at that taco shop right?¡± Asked Allison.


    ¡°Yeah, speaking of that what is the taco shop called anyway?¡± Asked Raven.


    ¡°No idea¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Anyone know?¡± Asked Aurora.


    Everyone shook their head. They walked to the taco shop with Athena as a guard. Aurora could see the crowds of people and found Atlas holding a hamburger.


    She walked up and asked ¡°Why do you have a hamburger?¡±


    ¡°I got it from Not a taco shop¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°What¡± Asked Morrie.


    He pointed at the sign and said ¡°It''s called Not a taco shop, they sell hamburgers but I just bought a bun¡±.


    ¡°Who wants to go to a park?¡± Asked Athena.


    Her golden hair making her eyes look like sapphires in a sea of gold.


    ¡°That would be fun¡± Said Everyone.


    Aurora looked at Lucius and felt a bit of joy and sadness. She walked beside Hex and Scarlet. They got to the park and looked at the new equipment that had been placed there about five months ago. Lucius sat on a swing and looked at the world. Aurora notice he looked sad, she decided to get him ice cream to cheer him up. She ran to a small ice cream machine and got chocolate heart. She had heard from Scarlet that he liked the flavor. She didn''t like the flavor much but she got two of chocolate hearts anyway.


    She walked passed the trees and saw Lucius. His arms were placed around a girl with ashy charcoal hair and a tan that Aurora though could only be obtained on Mars. Her milky coffee cream color skin looked just as flawless as Athena''s skin. The girl had her lips on his. Aurora dropped the ice cream and was frozen with rage and sadness. She burned with envy and walked towards Lucius.


    They pulled away from each other and Lucius said something to the girl. She smiled in response to whatever he said.


    They kissed again and Aurora yelled ¡°What do you think you''re doing!¡±.


    ¡°Kissing him¡± Said the girl with a soft, calm voice. Her lips so close to his they might as well have been kissing.


    Aurora wanted to punch her pretty little face. Her light green eyes seemed to shine. She still had one hand on Lucius¡¯s shoulder. Her shirt covered half her chest and her shorts seemed like underwear.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Sorry, is he your boyfriend?¡± Said the green eyed girl.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Replied Aurora with great hesitation.


    ¡°Good¡± Said the girl before turning and kissing Lucius once more.


    Athena walked over and said ¡°Get away from my brother¡±.


    ¡°Sorry but he''s my boyfriend. So I get to be as close to him as we feel like¡± said the girl.


    ¡°Why didn''t you tell me you had a girlfriend!¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Because he doesn''t have to tell you everything. But mind giving us some privacy I was¡­ but I don''t want to go!¡± said the girl talking into her bracelet.


    ¡°Can I keep this one? It''s the only one I''ve ever wanted. Please, it''s really cute¡± Said the girl.


    She pressed against Lucius and said ¡°I am pretty sure he would want to join me. Wouldn''t you Astraeus. Fine I''ll come back for him later¡± the girl kissed him one last time.


    ¡°I''ll be back for you. And don''t worry I''ll kiss you the next time I see you¡± She placed something in his pocket and reached up his shirt with a wink.


    ¡°I love your skin¡± .


    She ran off and Lucius said ¡°She¡¯s pretty cute¡±.


    His facial expression said he had enjoyed every second of her presence. Aurora felt angry and had no idea why. Aurora hadn''t even noticed that everyone else had also seen the event unfold with the exception of Hex. It was more than possible that they were all angry or jealous.


    ¡°Why did you let her kiss you!¡± Said Morrie not having a sleepy voice for the first time in what seemed like forever.


    She had a beautiful voice. It seemed more enlightened and joyful than mad.


    ¡°Who kissed who?¡± Asked Hex. ¡°Some girl kissed Lucius¡± Said Allison with scorn.


    Aurora didn''t feel like staying and grabbed Hex before leaving with Scarlet.


    ¡°So what exactly happened?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°I don''t want to talk about it¡± Said Aurora with a hint of sadness.


    ¡°Wait a second, are you sad!?¡± Said Hex.


    Aurora knew she wasn''t sad, she was depressed. She had known him for over a year and he had only raised her hopes to bring them down on her.


    ¡°No¡± Said Aurora attempting to sound more joyful.


    Hex and Scarlet hugged Aurora. They had only seen her sad once before. That day was the worst day her life. She dared not recall what happened that day. To many demons lay there ready to rise again. She did have four angels in the battle field of demons. Her sister Evelynn and Sam were her first. Sam was just over nineteen but had been there for her and Evelynn. He adopted Aurora in order to keep her with Evelynn when she was still too young to take care of Aurora herself. On Marz sixteen was when people were considered a legal adults. Sam had gotten a job rehabilitating soldiers when he was seventeen to support Aurora and Evelynn. The war had left no shortage of injured. Evelynn and Sam both worked hard to give Aurora an easy life. Evelynn brought in more money than Aurora thought possible for a nanny.


    ¡°Let''s go cheer you up!¡± Said Hex.


    Scarlet gave her the smile and she knew they were up to no good.


    ¡°By the way I got this card and according to this card that I got from you know who''s uncle. I can get people to help with anything we want¡± Said Scarlet.


    She had a wicked smile was more than enough to let Aurora know they were going to do plenty of mischief.


    ¡°Can I see the card¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Replied Scarlet.


    ¡°That makes one of us¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Adriel¡¯s Odd jobs service. This card entitles the owner to a gold membership job¡± Said Aurora.


    Aurora looked at the back and read the phone number.


    ¡°Should I call?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Why not¡± Said Hex.


    She dialed the phone number and heard a feminine voice.

 Chapter 10.2 Aurora

    She dialed the phone number and heard a feminine voice.


    ¡°Hi you must be Aurora, because you don''t quite sound like Scarlet¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°How did you know my name?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°That''s just what we do. Anyway what would you or Scarlet want help with sweetie pie¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Well we didn''t quite know what you all do¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Well there isn''t much we don''t do¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Well we need help getting back at this boy¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Yeah! He tore her heart apart!¡± Said Hex with a slight bounce in her hair.


    ¡°Well then what do you have in mind¡± Said the woman with interest in her voice.


    ¡°Well we don''t want to be too harsh but we do want to get back at him so what would you recommend?¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Well one thing first, make him jealous. Show that prick just what he lost. And we have specialist that can help you¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°What do you recommend we do?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Well I would mess with his daily routine just to start. The real fun begins when you get your hands dirty or we can do it for you as well¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Well it depends on what you recommend¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Well let''s get started¡± Said the woman.


    Scarlet, Hex and Aurora all talked to the woman and soon had a plan.


    ¡°We will have a representative there by tomorrow at four, just after you get out of school¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Aurora hanging up.


    ¡°Well that went well¡± Said Hex with a smile.


    ¡°Should we do something to him in the meantime?¡± Asked Hex.


    Aurora knew she didn''t want to do anything to him. She still felt for him despite being angry. She didn''t want to hurt his feelings.


    ¡°Let''s take all the girls out for a night on the city¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°I''m good with anything¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°You should bring Penelope¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°You just want to teach her bad things¡± Said Scarlet with a smile.


    ¡°Just like you want to teach Lucius how to french kiss¡± Said Hex.


    Scarlet merely glared at Hex and pushed her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start calling everyone¡± Said Aurora.


    She dialed Lucius¡¯s number and stopped. She took a moment and called Athena instead.


    ¡°Hey what''s up?¡± Asked Athena.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Well we wanted to know if you wanted to go downtown, just us girls¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°That sounds like fun¡± Said Athena with a smile that could be heard through the phone.


    A second noise could be heard through the phone.


    ¡°Why are all three of you using me as a cushion? I know I''m not soft. And would it not be more comfortable to use a large pillow?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Well the pillow won''t give us complements and commentary¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°And I like looking at your little face and eyes anyway¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°What time?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°Well it''s about four, so how about five?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Sounds great, and ask Havana to join us too¡± Said Aurora.


    Aurora called Morrie, Allison, Raven and Azrin. She only wanted to ask Azrin what she knew about Lucius. They all arrived at the location they agreed upon. Aurora didn''t expect to find Lucius there.


    ¡°Be safe you two¡± Said Lucius looking at Athena and Havana.


    ¡°We will¡± Said Athena hugging Havana.


    ¡°You¡± Said Lucius looking at Scarlet.


    He walked up to her and handed her a card.


    ¡°It''s a gift from Athena¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°You really don''t have to¡± Said Scarlet shaking her head.


    ¡°We''ve been over this. I know I don''t but I am doing this because I care about you. And Hex I recorded my self describing you in your entirety¡± Said Lucius handing them both different objects.


    Hex hugged Lucius and he seemed to be caught off guard. He held her and smiled his half smile.


    Scarlet walked over and hugged him ¡°Thanks¡± Said Scarlet before kissing his cheek and punching his arm lightly.


    ¡°By the way, all my friends will be at theater¡± Said Athena pulling Scarlet away


    Aurora felt sad once again. She didn''t want the feeling to stay.


    Maybe if I could make him happy he would stop hurting inside.


    She just wanted to see him have a real smile. She could tell he was in agony and it killed her knowing he still did his best to see everyone happy. She wanted to ask just how hurt he was but knew she wouldn¡¯t like the answer. She didn¡¯t want to know because it would give her a goal to reach but if she didn''t know she would never stop trying to make him happy.


    ¡°Let''s get going¡± Said Havana.


    They began walking down town. Aurora held hands with Hex as they walked.


    ¡°I thought you were mad at Lucius¡± Said Allison.


    ¡°I am,¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Why did you hug him then¡± Said Allison.


    ¡°Because he did something impossible just for me¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Oh really what was it?¡± Said Allison with envy in her tone.


    ¡°He described color just for me¡± Said Hex.


    Aurora knew that was impossible but knew Hex always did her best not to lie.


    ¡°No he didn''t¡± Said Allison.


    ¡°Hey stop fighting with each other¡± Said Athena.


    They walked and did their best not to upset Athena. She had given them all five hundred marks by force to spend.


    Morrie still had her new sweater on as always. Aurora thought she looked wonderful to in it. The only problem was it reached just above her belly button. Morrie seemed to get more beautiful with every passing day.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Yelled Athena waving at a group of girls.


    The group of girls ran over and hugged Athena.


    ¡°So what are we up to today?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°We are going to spoil you and don''t you dare try to pay for us. We got you this time. And nice to meet all of you I''m Ginger¡± Said the girl.


    Her orangish red hair went well with her water blue eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emily so nice to finally meet you¡± Said the girl with blonde hair and brown eyes.


    ¡°Hi my name is Jill¡± Said the girl with dark brown hair and creamy chocolate skin. Her eyes were a deep shade of green.


    ¡°I¡¯m Bonny¡± Said one girl ¡°And I''m Doll¡± Said the other girl.


    They were identical. Both with orangey red hair and green eyes. They all greeted one another.


    ¡°Hey where''s your little bro?¡± Asked Ginger.


    ¡°At home¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Aww that''s too bad he was funny¡± Said Ginger.


    ¡°That reminds me¡± Said Athena pulling a box out of her handbag.


    ¡°Oh my gosh he didn''t¡± Said the girl.


    ¡°He did¡± Said Athena with a smile.


    She handed Ginger the box and she opened it. The aroma made Aurora''s mouth water.


    ¡°If he keeps cooking like this I¡¯m going to have to marry him¡± Said Ginger.

 chapter 10.3 Aurora

    ¡°If he keeps cooking like this I¡¯m going to have to marry him¡± Said Ginger.


    They all grabbed cookies and Ginger asked Aurora and everyone else ¡°Want some?¡±.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Aurora.


    They placed the cookies in Athena''s care.


    ¡°So where should we go¡± Said Jill.


    ¡°Let''s go to a pet shop¡± Said Bonny and Doll in unison.


    ¡°How about a strip club¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said a familiar voice.


    Azrin stood just feet behind her. Everyone that knew her instantly turned to face her.


    ¡°Why are you here¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Do you want me to shoot you again¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°How did you find us exactly?¡± Asked Allison.


    ¡°I just wanted to say hello¡± Said Azrin oozing with sadness.


    ¡°Be nice, how are you Azrin¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Nice to meet you¡± Said Bonny and Doll.


    ¡°Hey there¡± Said Jill.


    ¡°Howdy¡± Said Ginger.


    ¡°Sup¡± Said Emily.


    ¡°Nice to meet all of you¡± Said Azrin.


    ¡°Tacos!¡± Said Hex walking away.


    ¡°Yeah, let''s get some food¡± Said Athena.


    They all walked to a taco shop. Only Hex got a taco. Everyone else got a burrito. Hex was smiling for some reason.


    ¡°So what should we do?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°Maybe get some sweets¡± Said Jill.


    ¡°I know a beautiful candy shop¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°I know a great place to get ice cream¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°What about the ice cream shop Lucius took you too¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°That place was really good¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°That''s so cute¡± Said Bonny and Doll.


    ¡°Ice cream that is¡± Said Athena.


    They spent the day eating and talking, somehow they ended up on the topic of Lucius and food.


    ¡°When did he learn to cook¡± Said Jill.


    ¡°Maybe when he was six. Our little sisters were always hungry and he loved seeing them happy so he learned to cook. He got really good really fast. I''m happy he did because Evelynn can''t cook. But she can fight¡± Said Athena.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Wait isn''t Evelynn Aurora''s sister¡± Said Allison.


    ¡°She is my sister¡± Said Aurora.


    Aurora loved Evelynn even if she was almost never around. She knew Evelynn was away doing good.


    ¡°So why does she live with you?¡± Asked Allison.


    Everyone was wondering.


    ¡°Some stuff happened and now it''s not safe for us to be around our dad. He didn''t do anything wrong he just got in trouble with bad people¡± Said Athena with a hint of sadness.


    ¡°What about your mom¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Well they are in danger too so they''re hiding¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Hey we should ask your brother to take us to that cool place again¡± Said Raven.


    Athena¡¯s smile said she had a horrible and epic idea.


    ¡°Let''s go¡± Said Athena.


    Aurora didn''t want to see Lucius just yet. She still felt like she might start crying. They arrived soon after and knocked at the door. When the door opened Jill, Ginger, Emily, Bonny and Doll all said ¡°wow¡±


    Lucius dispute being thin had a very well built body. He stood in front of Evelynn who had a long T-shirt. It looked as if she had nothing beneath it.


    ¡°That''s a strange way to say hello¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Sup¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°That''s a bit better¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Since when were you a bodybuilder?¡± Asked Jill.


    ¡°Never, anyway why are you all here? I was hoping to have a day of rest with Evelynn¡± Said Lucius.


    The aroma in the house had made her mouth water.


    ¡°What is that smell?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°It''s Evelynn¡¯s dinner. But I did make extra. Just take a seat at the table we were about to eat anyway¡± Said Lucius.


    He walked in and everyone followed. He served the vast supplies of food he had made and poured drinks.


    ¡°Get over here¡± Said Evelynn to Lucius.


    Aurora had no idea they were so close. She hugged him and sat him down beside her.


    ¡°So how was the mall?¡± Asked Evelynn.


    ¡°Great¡± Replied everyone.


    ¡°Lucius you are going to have to tell me the recipe¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°Of course but I''ll be cooking it anyway. I don''t want you accidentally burning everything like you did the last nine times¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Wow you still can''t cook?¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Well he eats it anyway and tells me it''s pretty good so I''ve gotten a bit better¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°So once we are done eating, I was hoping you would take us to that place you made for me¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Fine but please don''t touch anything in my room. Especially not the pictures. Someone touched them last time and it''s the only pictures I have of the rest of my family so please understand why I don''t want anyone touching them¡± Said Lucius in a calm tone.


    ¡°Lets got¡± Said Athena once everyone finished their food.


    She walked to the dark and bone chilling basement.


    ¡°Just one moment I need to talk to Hex alone¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Me?¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Yes you, now follow me it will only take a few minutes¡± Said Lucius.


    Hex felt his hand touched hers. She could feel the warmth of his body and his thin skin.


    ¡°Hex, I want to let you know what I really look like¡± Said Lucius.


    His voice was slightly lower that usual. She knew this meant he was going to do something serious. She could hear a brushing sound and she waited. She still had the image of his eyes in her mind. She also had the image of herself just not her eyes. She still didn''t understand how he had described her so well or at all. She didn''t know whether she was beautiful or not. She didn''t know if she wanted to know. But she knew he didn''t think of her as most did. He viewed her as if she were completely normal and she loved him for it.


    ¡°Give me your hands¡± Said Lucius.


    She felt him and could not count the amount of scars that covered his hands and face. And that was just as she pressed her hands against him.


    ¡°Who did this to you?!¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Lots of people. But I wanted you to know what I looked like before anyone else¡± Said Lucius.


    She didn''t know what to say. She could feel the massive scars that ran from just above his eye to his lip. Several hundred more covered his body.


    ¡°I got that one when I was ten. It was from a rail gun. I was blind for about a month and deaf for two¡± Said Lucius as he placed her hand over his heart.


    ¡°I got this when I was nine. I was able to place myself in such a way so they hit nothing that would kill me¡± Said Lucius.


    Hex didn''t know when but she had started crying. She didn''t understand how he could be so kind after so many people had hurt him.

 chapter 10.4 Aurora

    Hex didn''t know when but she had started crying. She didn''t understand how he could be so kind after so many people had hurt him.


    She hugged him and said ¡°I will never hurt you¡±.


    She embraced the pain and knew she was not alone.


    They walked back and Lucius said ¡°Let''s go¡±.


    Aurora did her best not to look at him.


    ¡°I have to go¡± Said Aurora.


    She knew she would start crying if she didn''t.


    ¡°Why¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°I just do¡± Said Aurora.


    She ran off and got home soon after. She started crying and had no idea why. Or if she did she didn''t want to understand. She spent an hour alone before there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Evelynn standing at the doorway.


    ¡°Hi¡± Said Aurora. Evelynn scooped her up and hugged her. ¡°How''s my baby sis¡± Said Evelynn with a motherly smile.


    ¡°Better¡± Said Aurora pressing her head against her chest.


    ¡°Sorry I don''t visit. I''ll make sure to come over more¡± Said Evelynn with eyes that belonged to a beauty beyond comprehension.


    The same eyes that had belonged to their mother. The same eyes that belonged to Aurora.


    ¡°So how''s school?¡± Asked Evelynn.


    ¡°It''s fine, the classes are really hard and the homework is terrible but I get help¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°From who?¡± Asked Evelynn.


    Aurora hadn''t thought about it but Lucius had helped her with everything. Every class every extra activity. She didn''t know weather to love him or hate him. He hurt her in so many way so many times.


    ¡°My friends help me¡± Said Aurora. ¡°That''s good¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°Can I ask you something about Lucius?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Anything¡± Said Evelynn. ¡°


    ¡°Why do people hate him¡± Asked Aurora.


    Evelynn sighed and said ¡°I don''t really know. People just do. I love him but I don''t like to think about why people hate him so much. It makes me sad. As far as I know he has never done anything wrong¡±.


    She knew he was just a kid that was a little different. He never asked to be born the way he was. Evelynn had taken care of him for years and grown to love them as her own. They continued to talk until the sun began to set.


    ¡°I''ll see you later¡± Said Evelynn hugging Aurora.


    Aurora walked to her room and found a teddy bear.


    ¡°With care from Lucius and Evelynn¡± Were the words on its little chest.


    She fell asleep and woke up at night. She felt like something was crushing her. A heavy pressure filled the room. She sat up and felt her blood chill. Something sat in the corner of the room. The silhouette of the thing did not shift for a full hour. It began to growl in a pitch so low she felt her room shake. It stood up slowly and looked at her. She felt less afraid of it than she expected. It''s animal eyes were nothing compared to Lucius eyes. If anything it under whelmed her. She heard something shift besides her. The teddy bear was holding a stick. It''s tiny arms held the stick like a sword.


    ¡°This is a weird dream¡± Said Aurora.


    She lay back down and woke the next morning.


    ¡°Wednesdays suck¡± Said Aurora as she flopped out of bed.


    She looked around her room and collected what she would be wearing.


    ¡°This looks nice¡± Said Aurora.


    She walked to Hex¡¯s house, they meet Scarlet and Penelope on there way.


    ¡°Hey Penelope do you have a boyfriend?¡± Said Hex with a smile.


    ¡°No but I know who will¡± Said Penelope.


    Her eyes were fixed on Scarlet.


    ¡°Who?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°He told me not to tell anyone¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°Who?¡± Asked Hex and Scarlet.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°I''m not telling¡± Said Penelope.


    They arrived at school and found Lucius talking with a girl with golden hair. She punched his arm and they sat down next to each other. Morrie was also talking with them. The bell rang and Aurora floated through the day. She finally got out and walked home with Scarlet, Hex and Penelope. When she opened the door a woman was sitting down in her living room.


    ¡°Hello you must be Aurora¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Said Aurora backing away.


    ¡°You called the company I work for and I am here to help¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Oh right¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°So what exactly do you need help with¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°My sister needs a boyfriend!¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°I mean a real job kid¡± Said the woman.


    Penelope reached into her dress pocket and tossed the card at the woman. She caught the card and said ¡°okay, if it''s what you really want. How about you?¡± Asked the woman looking at Scarlet.


    ¡°Well um we were planning on getting back at this boy but I didn''t think it''s necessary¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Come on kid anything. I''m so bored I haven''t gotten any interesting jobs in weeks¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Well you could help us figure out who a certain boy is¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Just give me his name and I''ll give you everything we got¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Lucius¡± Said Scarlet.


    Aurora realized they didn''t know their last names.


    ¡°Does he have a last name¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°I don''t remember it¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Well tell me when you do. So Penelope who is your sister?¡± Asked the woman.


    ¡°Her¡± Said Penelope pointing at Scarlet.


    ¡°So do you want a boyfriend or is she just messing around¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Well¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Make Lucius date my sister!¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°I''ll try but if I can''t you get a refund anyway¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Penelope.


    Scarlet called Athena and asked ¡°Hey Athena what''s your last name?¡±


    ¡±Last Star, why?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°No reason thanks¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°His name is Lucius Last Star¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Now let me see¡± Said the woman.


    Her face had a puzzled expression.


    ¡°What''s wrong¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Well you see. He doesn''t exist¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°I''ll be back¡± Said the woman running off.


    She came back a short time later.


    ¡°So sorry about this but we will have to do this at another time¡± She was gone as quickly as she arrived.


    ¡°So what should we do¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Sleep over!¡± Said Hex.


    Aurora completed her homework and played games with everyone. A week passed before she knew it. She was eating during lunch still feeling down about Lucius.


    ¡°Hey Aurora¡± Said Kip.


    ¡°Oh hi¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°So if you don''t mind me asking would you like to go on a date?¡± Asked Kip.


    Aurora felt like she had tried long enough on Lucius. She just wanted to feel happy for once.


    ¡°That would be great¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°I know this is a bit soon but would you be my girlfriend?¡± Said Kip.


    Aurora didn''t see a reason why she shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡®Yes¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Really?¡± Said Kip.


    ¡°Yes¡± Said Aurora.


    He smiled and said ¡°I guess I''m your boyfriend¡±.


    Aurora hadn''t noticed that Lucius was standing a few feet away from her. He turned around and walked away. He left behind a small piece of himself. She smiled and felt a little better. Kip was nice and seemed like he could help her be happy. She hoped she could make him happy as well. She felt it deep down inside. She knew she hadn''t given up on him just yet. She knew she had fallen for him and she had yet to reach the bottom.


    ¡°So maybe we could plan our date after school¡± Said Kip.


    ¡°Sounds good¡± Said Aurora.


    She passed the rest of the day thinking of what to do. This was her first boyfriend and she didn''t know what people did when they were dating. She wondered if she should just look up the information.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Kip with a sly look on his face.


    ¡°Hi¡± Replied Aurora looking up at his dark brown hair.


    ¡°So want to go somewhere or something?¡± Asked Kip.


    ¡°I guess, what do you have in mind¡± Said Aurora.


    She felt sick and had no idea why.


    ¡°Maybe we should watch a movie¡± Said Kip.


    She nodded and they walked to the movie theater.


    ¡°What movie do you want to watch?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Anything that¡¯s good with you¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°How about that one¡± Said Kip pointing at a movie about a strange man that hunted ghosts.


    ¡°It looks nice¡± Said Aurora.


    She walked with him to the ticket booth.


    ¡°I''ll buy the popcorn¡± Said Kip.


    Aurora paid and when they walked in. He got popcorn and candy. He ate all the candy and gave her very little popcorn. She was fine with this and felt happy having someone with her. When the movie ended he walked out without waiting. She walked close behind and smiled.


    ¡°See you tomorrow¡± Said Kip.


    He walked off and she walked home alone. She finished her homework and ate. Before she knew it April had arrived. Aurora had not seen much of Lucius lately and wanted to see how he was. She found him holding hands with Allison. She didn''t know what to feel. She knew she had a boyfriend but still felt envy. Her lips pressed against his cheek. She felt sick.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Kip.


    ¡°Oh hi¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°What you looking at?¡± Asked Kip.


    ¡°Nothing¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Oh really¡± Said Kip.


    He began to walk towards Lucius. Lucius turned and Kip said something.


    She felt something like fear and anxiety. Kip pushed Lucius. But when Kip touched Allison his once calm body did something she had never seen. His hand shot out and hit his face and before she knew it Kip''s large body was on the floor. Lucius placed his hands on his throat and the words he spoke could be felt.


    ¡°If you ever touch her again¡± He paused.


    He''s eyes said what needed to be said. Aurora ran over to Kip.


    ¡°Are you hurt¡± Said Aurora.


    He said nothing but Lucius walked away with Allison. He held Allison so lightly and it seemed as if he was afraid to hurt her. He seemed ever so slightly different. Aurora couldn''t help but feel like the inferno in his eyes had become a fire.

 Chapter 11.1 Scarlet

    ¡°Would you like to go to my party¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Absolutely¡± Said Lucius with a half smile.


    ¡°It''s the day after tomorrow¡± Said Scarlet. His eyes seemed different but still there in a way. They seemed less aggressive. She didn''t know whether she liked it or not.


    ¡°What time?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Well it starts at three but you can come sooner¡± Said Scarlet.


    He gave his half smiled and nodded. Scarlet still felt envy toward his girlfriend Allison but they remained friends. Scarlet, Aurora, Havana, Morrie and Hex spent most most of their time together. Scarlet walked with Hex and found Azrin. She had the hat they had gotten her.


    ¡°Hey, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come to my birthday party¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°That would be great¡± Said Azrin.


    Scarlet was happy that she would finally be able to have a real party with food and all the normal birthday things. She felt a chill run down her spine once again. That feeling had hit her once again. The dreams were the least of her worries. She had felt them but kept telling herself they were just in her head because of the stress. She walked with Penelope and walked through the darkening world. The sky was full of snow white clouds that had eaten the sun. She didn''t know what else to feel but wary. The abysses for alleyways seemed darker than ever before nothing not even the beast that hide within could escape. She saw something shift but ignored it knowing it was better that way.


    People had begun going missing faster than ever before. The policy wouldn''t do anything about it but fear of what was taking people. The gang''s all blamed one another. But they knew just as well that they only did it to keep the feeling away.


    ¡°How are you this afternoon¡± Said Cona.


    His left arm was now missing. He only remembered getting hit by something and a jolt of pain. Nothing more.


    ¡°Good how about you?¡± Said Scarlet with her beautiful smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen better days¡± Said Cona.


    Cona was not the kind of man to lose his spirits over something so small. He would cling to hope until nothing remained and then he would hold nothing. Scarlet got home and finish her homework. She looked at her baby sister and knew she would outsmart her one day. As night came down so did cages of light.


    Scarlet heard something in the house next door. Just a slight rustle and it turned into bloody murder. People began to scream and guns were fired. Scarlet ran to Penelope and get her down on the floor. A hellish roar shattered the air. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. Half her home was gone a split second later. She could see it lift a man in the air and tear his chest open. It bathed in the blood of the once screaming man. The other men and women were in pieces all over the floor. The thing walked away and vanished into the night. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Nothing this brutal had ever happened. She wished she had turned away but the light was the last thing she wanted. It ripped away any sense of safety she had ever happened.


    The beast had used bones to impale a man to a wall. The others were almost alive. A woman without legs began to reach out for help. Scarlet kept her sister safe from the evil that stood only yards away. She didn''t sleep the rest of the day.


    The police asked again and again what had happened they could not believe that one person had done all that. They were unable to determine how someone could have killed ten armed people with their bare hands. She waited attempting to forget the hell she saw. It was still five in the morning.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said a kind voice.


    She said nothing but she screamed out in joy by hugging him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Said Lucius.


    She felt safe as he said this. Her mom and brother arrived soon after. Lucius was holding Penelope. She was smiling.


    ¡°Why did you come here?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°I wanted to protect you¡± Said Lucius his eyes still didn''t have their old shine.


    ¡°So you do love her¡± Said Penelope.


    She had the cutest baby face ever. Her chubby cheeks had a slight red hue and her blue eyes looked up at Lucius.


    ¡°Maybe I do¡± Said Lucius.


    Scarlet blushed but recalled he was dating Allison. Scarlet then proceeded to gag.


    ¡°Don''t you have a girlfriend?¡± Said Scarlet.


    She knew because Allison had told everyone she could. Raven had murder in her eyes when she found out.


    ¡°That doesn''t mean I can''t be kind to other people¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°How did you find out?¡± Asked Scarlet


    He didn''t want to tell her the truth but he felt like he should warn her about that thing.


    ¡°I just heard something¡± Said Lucius.


    Scarlet felt like he knew something but didn''t ask.


    ¡°Would you all like to spend the night at my house?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Really!¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°Now sweetheart¡± Said Dorie.


    ¡°Mom please¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°We have to ask his parents¡± Said Dorie.


    ¡°They aren''t around. And just so you know I bought the house I live in. It belongs to me and my sister¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to be a burden¡± Said Dorie.


    ¡°Please, it would be my pleasure. And it is quite lonely in the house anyway. Company would be absolutely wonderful¡± Said Lucius.


    Tom smiled and said ¡°It would be closer to school and my job¡±.


    Scarlet hugged her brother and said ¡°Thank you¡±.


    ¡°Don''t thank me thank your boyfriend¡± Said Tom.


    ¡°A thank you wouldn''t hurt¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Hey I thought you had a girlfriend¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Maybe it''s you. Anyway I will have someone fix your home and in the meanwhile stay in my home¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Thank you so much¡± Said Dorie.


    Lucius walked them to his home and Scarlet did her best not to freak out. She was going to be sleeping in his home. She didn''t know what she should do. Maybe she would wake up early and cook breakfast for him. She decided it was a good idea.


    ¡°Scarlet and Penelope you will be taking my room and Miss Dorie you will be taking the Master guest room. Tom will be taking the extra guessed room. If you need anything I will be in my study. Please knock before you enter my study if you need anything. If you are hungry the snacks are in the fridge feel free to take anything you want¡± Said Lucius before he continued and told them where they had the extra toothbrushes.


    He explained where everything was and walked to the basement.


    ¡°Scarlet your room is down here¡± Said Lucius.

 Chapter 11.2 Scarlet

    ¡°Scarlet your room is down here¡± Said Lucius.


    When she reached the base of the stairs she felt a chill. Several door lined the walls. Each had yellow tape with the words do not enter. Five doors were on each side of the hallway.


    ¡°My room is at the end of the hall. Havana will be in their as well. She will be sharing the bed with you¡± Said Lucius waiting by a door.


    He walked into the dark room and closed the door. She opened the door and saw Havana in what looked like a swimsuit.


    ¡°What do you think¡­¡± Said Havana stopping mid sentence.


    She covered herself and said ¡°Where is Lucius!¡±.


    ¡°Why are you dressed like that in his room!?¡± Yelled Scarlet.


    A smirk crossed her face ¡°Did he not tell you?¡±


    ¡°Tell me what?¡± Asked Scarlett with concern.


    ¡°We are lovers¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°What!¡± Yelled Scarlet.


    ¡°Why do you think we sleep in the same bed. Just kidding but really where is he and why are you here so early?¡± Asked Havana.


    ¡°Well my house is kinda gone so we are sleeping here for a while¡± Said Scarlet.


    Scarlet and Havana arranged the bed and began to talk.


    ¡°You know Alison is dating Lucius right?¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Yeah, she only told me fifty times¡± Said Havana.


    She sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°What''s wrong?¡±


    ¡°He doesn''t even like her, he just said yes because she asked first¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°I''m studying to be a reader. Which is basically reading people''s emotions. It''s almost impossible to read Lucius but I have been trying for so long that I can. He is almost dead inside but I can pick up the little pieces of what are probably emotions. He almost never feels anything. It''s actually kinda funny because the modified proxy seals he eats help him feel something but he''s just empty. I don''t know where all the emotions he feels could be going¡± Havana said those words as if he was dying and all she could do is watch.


    Scarlet could not help but wonder if he was really human. The way she talked about him made it seem as if he was some kind of living nightmare. Like he was born to be feared.


    ¡°You know I can read you too¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°What?¡± Replied Scarlet.


    ¡°I don''t think he''s a monster. But his skills are pretty frightening. He learned how to describe color and pain in a few days, on his own! Some Lords have taken tens of thousands of year just to learn one description with help¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°Where does he get all of this stuff?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Well your people once had things called gods. We have things call Ancients. They were created them along with artifacts. He has ten artifacts personally. My people have yet to understand how she created even after a near eternity of study but Lucius learned how to make proxy artifacts in no time at all. He is smarter than he gives himself credit for but Athena is far stronger than you could imagine. He even made proxy seal breakers! Do you have any idea how big of a deal that is. Entire Arks would go to war over things like that¡± Said Havana. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Scarlet was lost and had no idea what she was talking about.


    ¡°Never mind, wait I know¡± She reached under the bed and pulled a stack of books out. ¡°He wrote some of the history of Arks in here¡± Havana handed her a book.


    ¡°I know this might sound stupid but I thought you liked Lucius¡± Said Scarlet.


    She smiled and looked down at her necklace.


    ¡°I don''t¡±, Havana was grasping the pendant ¡°I love him¡±.


    Scarlet felt horrible. Had she really been hitting on the boy her friend loves?


    ¡°I''m sorry I had no idea. I promise I won''t flirt with him¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Go ahead I never said he loved me back,¡± Said Havana with a single tear falling from her face.


    ¡°He looks at me the way he looks at Levy. He sees me as his sister but to me he''s the boy who made me brave. He made me feel alive when nothing else could. I love him so I want him to be happy. I know he¡¯s happy with you. He likes you¡± Said Havana.


    There was a knock at the door. ¡°Hey¡± Said Penelope.


    Her pony tail shifted from one side to the other.


    ¡°Hey I made the bed for us¡± Said Scarlet.


    Penelope yawned and jumped in. Scarlet decided to reread the book to Penelope. Scarlet woke again later that night. She heard a wisp of a name she knew. She sat up. Havana and Penelope seemed deep in sleep. Scarlet felt like the air creaked as she moved. She walked to the door and could hear her heart beat louder and louder. She opened the door and could see a light coming from one of his rooms with the do not enter tape on the ground. She could feel her heart in her head and finger tips. She could see the flickering golden lights lash out of the room attempting to escape. She reached for the door and felt her body begin to pulse. With every step she took down to his study she could feel her body tremble. The ice cold floor burned her feet and the flaming air bit her skin. Each step colder than the last each bite harder than the last. She could see what she believed to be his silhouette. She took her final steps in what felt like slow motion. Her head was throbbing. Her body burned and her mind was blinded by an all consuming light.


    She saw his body. She felt all feeling but one leave her. Fear has crowned itself King in her mind. What looked like the embodiment of Death stood in the center of the room facing away from her. His body had marking that could not be called dark because they ate darkness and light itself. She felt it''s body turn. It felt like years but the feeling of fear never faltered. It only grew more powerful as it''s godly eyes began to face her. She now understood why the light was attempting to run. She felt it''s eyes lock on her. She shot up in bed. She felt the cold beads of sweat and looked around the room. She walked to the door and saw nothing. She felt nothing like she had before. She heard something in the kitchen and walked over. He was cooking with an apron around him.


    ¡°Good morning¡± Said Lucius walking over.


    He had large amounts of food cooking.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Scarlet.


    She felt his arms wrap around her.


    ¡°Want to watch the sunrise with me?¡± Asked Lucius.


    Scarlet knew she would. It would be romantic.


    ¡°I made you some muffins and pudding¡± Said Lucius running over to the table.


    He picked up two of each and ran over. ¡°Come with me¡± Said Lucius.


    His eyes still seemed off. He walked to the upstairs bedroom. Scarlet began walking up the stairs. Scarlet saw something in his eyes. Eyes beyond what she could call calm. She felt calm just being seen by them. Like she felt nothing at all. She walked after him and saw the balcony. He had set up a beautiful picnic.


    ¡°I wanted to surprise you¡± Said Lucius.


    Scarlet felt like she shouldn''t do this. She hated Allison but Allison didn''t deserve to be cheated on. Scarlet felt her heart flutter. He had flowers and sweets. She sat down and looked at his smiling face.


    ¡°Lucius, what''s wrong¡± Asked Scarlet.


    He seemed to cringe when she said this. ¡°Nothing, why would anything be wrong?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Stop¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°I thought it would make you all happy¡± Said Lucius smiling.


    ¡°What did you think would make us happy?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°If I was happy along with you¡± Said Lucius.


    The sun began to rise and he looked at the beautiful sky. Scarlet looked at his dying eyes.


    ¡°But you''re not happy!¡± Yelled Scarlet.


    ¡°I know I''m not happy but I thought it would make you all happy if you thought I was¡± Said Lucius admiring the rising sun.

 Chapter 11.3 Scarlet

    ¡°I know I''m not happy but I thought it would make you all happy if you thought I was¡± Said Lucius admiring the rising sun.


    ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    She could not understand why he would do this.


    ¡°Because the way you looked at me last night. You were afraid of me and I don''t want you to. If this helps you feel safe around me I will endure the pain¡± Said Lucius his broken smile tearing into his face.


    She held him and could barely hear the beating of his weak heart. Something so fragile that true joy had brought him close to death many times before.


    ¡°It''s isn''t worth it if it hurts you. If it hurts you stop. Stop and think about yourself. What are you doing to yourself¡± Said Scarlet beginning to cry.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''m already dead inside¡± Said Lucius.


    His smile said more than she ever wanted to know and his eyes were something she dared not look at. He felt her tears and it numbed his body. He could feel her crying. He felt her pain like his own. Scarlet held him close wishing he could just understand how much she care for him. She wished she could take all his pain so he could finally smile a true smile.


    He felt it. He knew it was not the pills. It wasn''t the seals. It wasn''t the artifact. He felt like he care for her. Someone he barely knew and he felt like he wanted to protect her and not because he would disappoint his sister. Scarlet felt his hand touch her face. She looked up and felt his lips against her cheek.


    ¡°I''m sorry I hurt you¡± Said Lucius. She kissed his cheek. He kissed her back. They looked at each other for a moment.


    ¡°What are you two doing¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°Kissing¡± Replied Lucius.


    Scarlet felt as if he had given her a death sentence.


    ¡°Very funny¡± Said Athena with her eyes so beautiful that calling them flawless would be disgraceful.


    ¡°Come on let''s go eat¡± Said Athena reaching out towards Lucius.


    Scarlet stood up and followed. They walked down stairs and the food still sat waiting.


    ¡°So what were you two actually doing?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°Watching the sunrise¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Don''t be like dad¡± Said Athena with a smile.


    ¡°What is your dad like?¡± Asked Scarlet.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Well we love him and all but he just likes too many people. He would flirt with anyone he thought was cute. But it ended when he met mom¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°He¡¯s a whore¡± Said Lucius.


    They walked down stairs and they ran into Scarlet''s mother.


    ¡°Good morning¡± Said Dorie.


    ¡°Morning mom¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Wow, who cooked all this¡± Said Dorie.


    ¡°I did¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°You wouldn''t mind marrying Scarlet would you?¡± Asked Dorie.


    ¡°Not at all¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°What do you think Scarlet, do you think he''s cute?¡± Said her mother.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Yelled Scarlett blushing.


    ¡°I''m joking,¡± Said her mother ¡°she''s single¡±.


    Lucius walked to the table and served her mother.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Said Athena with a smile.


    ¡°She''s a lot like my mom¡±.


    ¡°I''ll be right back¡± Said Scarlet.


    Scarlet watched her brother walk over and she got food for him. She ran to the bathroom and washed her hands. She came back. She could hear her mother and brother laughing with Lucius. He was smiling and it still wasn''t a real one. If she didn''t know better she would have guessed he was trying to say sad. Her mother and brother left for work soon after. It was about seven when Penelope and Evelynn woke up.


    ¡°When did your girlfriend get here?¡± Said Evelynn.


    She managed to look absolutely beautiful in a white T-shirt. She looked so similar to Aurora but had an ease about her that seemed almost enticing. They had the same ancient beautiful eyes.


    ¡°Aren''t you going to give me a hug?¡± Asked Evelynn.


    Her eyes fixed on Lucius. He smiled, it almost seemed complete. Penelope looked at Lucius and lifted her hands towards him. He picked her up. Scarlet could imagine him scooping up their daughter. Bright red wavy hair flowing down from a small head with blue eyes.


    ¡°You would be a great dad¡± Said Scarlet without a second thought.


    She was surprised when he walked over and held Penelope between them.


    They both cradled Penelope and he said ¡°You would be the perfect mother¡±.


    ¡°Are you two going to kiss yet?¡± Asked Penelope.


    ¡°Hey we have chocolate¡± Said Athena looking at Penelope.


    She got herself free and ate some chocolate with Athena. They all ate breakfast and Scarlet walked with Lucius to his room.


    ¡°I''m headed to Morrie''s house¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Care to join us?¡± Said Havana.


    Scarlet nodded and followed with Penelope. She knew Aurora would get Hex to school. She alway did. A cold breeze rushed through her hair. She shivered and looked at Penelope to make sure she is not cold. She smiled when she saw that Penelope had one of Lucius¡¯s shirts and a jacket. She felt a cold hand on her shoulder and Lucius placed a jacket on her. Scarlet felt warm, not because of the jacket. She felt happy but wondered if he was happy. She hugged Lucius from behind to keep him warm.


    They arrived at a library and she saw what Morrie had done to herself. She had curled her dark almost purple hair. Both her and Havana looked at Morrie with envy. When had she gotten so beautiful. Her pale and nearly flawless skin with the exception of small birthmark on her cheek only helped her ever growing beauty. The birthmark only made her look more adorable.


    ¡°I made you muffins¡± Said Morrie handing Lucius a box.


    She pushed her bangs out of her face. Her jade green eyes seemed far more vibrant than usual. The sweater Lucius had given her seemed to give her a hidden beauty that could only be felt. Her usual sweatpants were now black shorts that reached halfway down her thighs.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Lucius stepping away from Scarlet.


    ¡°Anything for you¡± Morrie then gently clasped her hands together and looking away.

 Chapter 11.4 Scarlet

    ¡°Anything for you¡± Morrie then gently clasped her hands together.


    Her eyes peered from behind her dark hair like a sacred treasure. She pressed herself against him as she let the words slip from her lips. Words that gave Scarlet envy.


    ¡°You''re so cute¡±.


    They continued as if nothing happened. Scarlet held Penelope¡¯s hand until they reached school. Kip was standing near the gate and walked towards them. Nero was walking into the school but turned when he saw Lucius. Scarlet knew Lucius and Kip weren''t exactly friends. Lucius had beaten him after all. Not to mention in front of Aurora, Kip''s girlfriend. Scarlet was afraid they would get into a fight.


    ¡°Hey bitch!¡± Said Kip charging towards Lucius.


    Scarlet stepped in front of Lucius. Morrie and Havana did the same. Kip was inches from Havana just before Nero grabbed his shoulder.


    ¡°What do you think you''re doing?¡± Said Nero with clenched teeth.


    Kip turned and pushed Nero who was just over a half foot taller. And Kip was no small boy but was looking at a boy who stood at six foot one.


    ¡°What do you want Kip¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°I was afraid you wouldn''t ask,¡± Said Kip ¡°you must think you''re real tough. You just hit me when I was off guard to make me look weak. But I''ll show you¡±.


    He took a step forward and Nero tossed him like a rag doll. Kip hit the floor and stood up quickly.


    ¡°Go away before I hurt you¡± Said Nero.


    Kip walked away but not before saying ¡°Yeah, just keep hiding behind them¡±.


    Lucius shook his head and thanked Nero.


    ¡°Since when were you two friends¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Don''t really know¡± Said Nero.


    Scarlet feld most of the day fly by. Lucius spent most of his day with Allison. Scarlet envied her but knew she would never admit it. Scarlet was in no way friends with Allison. But Scarlet had her party on her mind. For once Aurora wouldn¡¯t be the one to bear the burden of getting everything with her. She planned on having the party on Friday. Scarlet had invited more people than usual. Before she knew it Friday had come and she was sitting in bed with a list of things she still needed.


    ¡°What should we get¡± Asked Scarlet looking at her notepad.


    ¡°Cake¡± Said Azrin and Penelope.


    ¡°Anything you haven''t said fifty times already¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°What about that boy you like¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°You mean Lucius?¡± Azrin looked over at Penelope.


    ¡°I don''t like him¡± Said Scarlet slowly.


    She knew the feeling was far deeper. She knew she loved him.


    She looked at the list and said ¡°This should be all¡±.


    She stood up and looked at Aurora who had gotten dressed up for the occasion. She looked at Aurora and wondered why she was so beautiful as well. Her creamy brown hair was wavy and her brown eyes seemed unbelievably beautiful. She had a ancient beauty in her eyes.


    ¡°Let''s get the stuff¡± Said Azrin. Azrin didn''t know much about buying or money.


    They walked to the store and found everything they needed. Scarlet saw Lucius walking with Allison. They were holding hand and his eyes seemed broken. His smile told the same story. She felt like someone had punched her gut. A cold pit began to grow in her chest.


    They had changed. They seemed to be just nearly holding on the the last dying ember. They had once held a primordial flame but now we''re on the brink of extinction.


    Did you take another pill?


    His eyes meet hers. She felt it. She knew he had seen her. Azrin was walking right up to them. Scarlet wanted to tell her to stop but nothing happened. Her words never left her lips. They began to talk. Aurora was on her phone talking to Kip. He would be on his way. Athena was with Nero. Lucius had asked her to attempt to become more accustomed to his presence. He thought forcing them to spend a day together would work just fine.


    ¡°Hey Kip will be here soon¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Thanks for the heads up¡± Said Scarlet.


    Morrie was taking notes on everything in the meanwhile. She was unable to spend much time with Lucius because Allison didn''t like him being alone with other girls. Athena was an exception. Azrin walked over with Lucius and Allison soon after.


    ¡°Did you get my invitation?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°I did¡± Said Lucius with that meaningless smile.


    She could not understand how he could smile. He was alway in pain but kept smiling. They talked and Kip arrived. He was glaring at Lucius. Aurora was holding him back ever so slightly.


    ¡°Why is he here¡± Said Kip.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s my friend¡± Said Scarlet.


    Scarlet saw something she did not expect. Nero was walking out of a flower shop with Athena. She seemed grumpy but held a stuffed bear. Nero he had gotten nice clothes it seemed.


    ¡°Hey everyone¡± Said Nero.


    Scarlet only turned to face him so she could look away with disapproval.


    ¡°Hello Nero, hello sister how has your day been?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Fine I guess, maybe I will let him hang out with you,¡± She turned to face Nero. ¡°But if you do anything I''ll put you in a meat grinder¡±.


    ¡°I promise not to do anything¡± Said Nero.


    When Athena let her once braided hair free she released a new standard for the word goddess. She could have bump into Medusa and turn her into a supermodel via osmosis.


    ¡°Why are you so freaking beautiful!? Like really you make us all look like potatoes with eyes¡± Said Raven. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°She make you look like a flat potato with eyes¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°For the last time in not flat chested!¡± Screamed Raven.


    ¡°Just low fat¡± Said Hex placing bunny ears in the air.


    ¡°Sorry I took my makeup off today¡± Said Athena.


    Scarlet felt like she was telling the truth.


    ¡°You should dye your hair the same color as Lucius¡¯s eyes¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°That¡¯s not as easy as it sounds¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Why¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°I''ll explain it to you later. If you can hang out¡± Said Lucius.


    Hex had her beautiful smile etched across her face.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Hex.


    Allison nudged Lucius and looked at him with a frown.


    ¡°Sorry Hex I forgot I can''t¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Oh okay¡± Said Hex obviously disappointed.


    ¡°Hey would you all like to go to an amusement park?¡± Asked Nero.


    ¡°We are having a party for Scarlet today¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Can I talk to you in private?¡± Said Athena facing Allison.


    Allison nodded and followed. Athena waited till they were out of sight and out of earshot. Her smile left her.


    ¡°What do you think you''re doing?¡± Said Athena with eyes so cold they could freeze a star from the inside out.


    Her eyes gave Allison a chill so deep she could feel her bones splinter.


    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± Muttered Allison.


    ¡°Why aren''t you letting my little brother hang out with his friends?¡± Said Athena.


    Allison wanted to say something but only a choked cry came out. She took a moment to get herself together.


    ¡°I just don''t trust them being alone Lucius¡± Said Allison.


    ¡°Are you saying you don''t trust him? Because it takes two to tango¡± Athena narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°No I do trust him¡­¡± Allison stopped when Athena lifted her hand.


    ¡°Listen you may think you control him but he knows I would only do what''s best for him and if I told him to break up with you he would. And if we have another problem like this I won''t let you be around him¡± Said Athena walking away.


    They arrived back and Athena had her near permanent smile. Allison walked over to Lucius and hugged him.


    ¡°Well let''s head back to my place¡± Said Aurora.


    As they walked to Aurora''s home they saw something strange. Scarlet was the third to spot it. It was unbelievably dark. The being stood far away from them to be hidden in the trees. Lucius began to walk out towards it.


    ¡°Lucius?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    He didn''t stop. He continued to walk at a quick pace. It moved out of sight and he began to run after it. Scarlet followed and everyone soon had their eyes on Lucius as he ran into the woods. Scarlet followed closely. He was quick but she was faster. She continued to follow him and he walking down a cave. The cave had once been used to mine iron. Scarlet did her best to spot whatever he had been chasing she could hear Athena yelling his name. The others were calling her name for the most part.


    ¡°Lucius¡± Yelled Scarlet.


    She felt the floor shift and her body come crashing down. She had stepped on something. She continued to tumble down the cave. Lucius stopped and turned to face her. His face told her he had no idea she had been behind him. He ran to her and helped her up. She had twisted her ankle. She felt the cuts she had gotten begin to burn.


    He moved her towards a corner and said ¡°Whatever you do don''t speak¡±.


    She felt terror overwhelm her. She saw the things that he had been following.


    They looked like him in a unnatural way. They had cracks across their bodies and massive burning pits in their chests. She began to cry. One snapped its head to face her. She saw something move on the top of the cave. Several of the creatures were moving towards them.


    ¡°Stop crying, please you have to stop¡± Said Lucius.


    They continue to move closer. She felt frozen. She could nearly see how many of them moved in the darkness but the fact that Lucius seemed worried scared her to death. She could hear her heart beat like a war drum.


    ¡°You have to stop or they will kill you,¡± Said Lucius. ¡°Stay back!¡±.


    They began to make a low pitch noise and she felt her head begin to num from the pain. She felt his hands grasp hers.


    ¡°Look at me, look at me, I won''t let them hurt you. I won''t let them hurt you¡± Said Lucius.


    Scarlet knew he would find a way to protect her. He was a man of his word. He walked away from her and tried drawing the attention of the beasts. He was barely visible in the dark. But she could see one of the things ram a sharp jagged hand through his leg. He grabbed it''s face and it screeched. It''s body seemed to fuse into his body. He fell over and clasped at the gash.


    ¡°Scarlet, please cover your ears¡± He chanted with a unholy voice.


    It wasn''t the seemingly harmless voice he alway had. It was old beyond words and seemed to come from everything but him. She knew he had something in mind. She did as she was told. She waited and waited. After twenty minutes she had opened her eyes. Her heart sank. She could see blood over most of his body. His eyes were back to the raging hell. With more anger than ever before.


    ¡°Lucius!¡± Scared Scarlet.


    She attempt to stand but felt her foot almost snap. She began to crawl to him limp body. She placed her ear near his chest. She could hear his heartbeat. She ripped her clothes to shreds attempting to dress his wounds. She did her best to get him out safely. Her eyes were fixed on the light at the end of the tunnel. Sgw reached the mouth of the cave and saw a strange girl standing before her. Her green eyes danced behind the curtain that was her eyelids.


    ¡°Astraeus!¡± Yelled the girl snatching him from her.


    She pulled him out and placed something in his mouth.


    She proceeded to kiss his cheek.


    ¡°Wake up I need you¡± Said the girl running her finger over his face.


    He opened his eyes once again and she lifted him towards herself. Scarlet wanted to scream at the girl but she felt too much pain to move or speak. She kissed Lucius and placed something in his hand.


    ¡°When you are fully awake the next time we meet I''ll marry you¡± Said the girl.


    She gave him a final kiss and looked over to Scarlet. ¡°Thank you¡± She tossed something at Scarlet and her pain vanished, just before she vanished into the woods. Athena ran out of a bush and ran up to Lucius. Scarlet wanted to know why she had called him Astraeus. Scarlet crawled over to Lucius.


    ¡°Atlas?¡± Said Scarlet.


    His lips moved slowly. ¡°It feels a little painful.¡±


    ¡°How the hell did this happen? And what were those things? You know what never mind I''ll call Evelynn and she will.¡±


    ¡°Don''t!¡± Said Lucius with a hint of distress.


    ¡°Why not¡±Athena finally taking a break from crying just long enough to say something.


    ¡°Because, I made a deal with Evelynn. She told me if I got hurt again she would have to be around me all the time. I don''t want to be treated like a baby again¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I''m calling her¡± Said Athena.


    Everyone else popped out of the woods and stood near by waiting. An ambulance took Lucius away. They walked to Aurora''s home and they tried to relax.


    ¡°He deserved it¡± Said Kip.


    Scarlet felt fear once more as Athena moved toward Kip.


    ¡°Athena, I don''t think Lucius would be happy if you did that¡± Said Nero.


    She stopped and puffed her cheeks for a few seconds.


    ¡°Fine¡± She hissed.


    Scarlet waited as people began to enter the house for the party. Scarlet was standing next to Hex and Aurora.


    ¡°Do you think he will be okay¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°I really hope so and I think Allison is mad at you¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Why would she be mad?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    ¡°Well Raven saw you kiss him but she didn''t tell Allison but Allison did get mad at you running away with her boyfriend¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°I didn''t kiss him¡± Said Scarlet.


    She held the ring in her hand and wondered if it had been a bad idea to take it.


    She only took it because she was afraid that girl really would marry Lucius.


    That girl was almost as beautiful as Athena and that was saying something.


    ¡°Who did?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°That girl we saw at the park. The girl with ashy hair¡± Said Scarlet.


    A noise came from Hex¡¯s handbag.


    ¡°Crap, My mom is going to be home in half an hour¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Do you want me to walk you home?¡± Asked Aurora and Scarlet.


    ¡°I''ll get Azrin to walk me home¡± Said Hex.


    Scarlet didn''t feel happy and asked herself why. She felt selfish. She had more than she needed but still wanted more. She didn''t know what she wanted but she still felt like asking for anything more than enough was wrong. She looked over at her baby sister Penelope who was on Nero''s shoulder.

 Chapter 12.1 Morrie

    ¡°Note, subject Lucius- may also be called Atlas. Research is to be conducted on the true name of Subject Lucius Last Star¡±.


    Morrie closed her notebook and looked out her bedroom window. She wished he would drop by her home just to talk. She missed his mean, smart and with a witty manner of speaking.


    He had been in the hospital for three days. But that was four days ago. He had gone unseen scene. Morrie looked at the framed picture she had of Lucius. He wasn''t the best looking guy around but his way of being just made her fall in love. Morrie looked at the ring and placed it back in the box. She looked at the tall willow in her yard. She had the image in her head. A beautiful dress, a handsome groom waiting under the tree. She wanted to sleep for the first time in a long time because she knew she would see him in her dreams. She lay in bed and soon drifted off.


    She felt so cold. So cold. She opened her eyes and looked at the mountain blankets on top of her. She looked at the window and saw frost. Her soft breath made a pillar of steam. She was only able to move her eyes. She felt something else in the room. Something that made her feel like the world itself was pressing against her chest. She saw something move just within sight. She felt a chill run down her spine. Something turned to face her. She felt it. A feeling so old time itself had forgotten who had come first. It had a human form but lacked all humanity. She could hear it''s heavy strained breathing. It hissed and sniffed at the air. When it spoke she knew the single word it had cried. It was in a language older than the whole of creation. But she knew the word. She could feel the word and began to cry. She didn''t care about the beast as her sadness overwhelmed her. It opened the door to her room and she soon fell into a deep slumber.


    She woke the next morning with only the feeling as a reminder. She sat up and got dressed. She walked through the empty halls and felt the lack of others.


    ¡°Alone¡± Said whispered to herself.


    She forced herself to take each and every step. Then another and another. She grabbed her heavy backpack and pushed the door. She walked to her library.


    She sat between the books filled with stories of loved ones and happy endings. She envied the stupid princess that would alway have their knights return home. She envied the close relationship of the hero''s. She just wanted a little love. Was that too much to ask for. She held herself and could feel nothing but alone. Abandon by love. She wished for the knights that would never be able to come home. She wished she could be like the stupid princess and simply wish them back. She knew her last Knight would not come to save her. He had another princess. She sat in the ruins of her kingdom and cried. She didn''t hear the intruder. She didn''t know what would soon be upon her. She felt his arms wrap around her. She looked up at hellish eyes and felt joy overrun the feeling she had before.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said the knight.


    ¡°You''re home!¡± Cried Morrie.


    ¡°How about you and me spend the day together? I hope it''s not too much to ask¡± Pleaded the knight.


    She kissed his cheek and whispered ¡°That would be a dream come true¡±.


    She looked at his bandage covered body and hugged him gently. She didn¡¯t want to undo the work he had done to get better.


    ¡°I have something to show you¡± Said Lucius taking her hand.


    He placed down his backpack and took out a large roll of cloth. It was the transport.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°It''s a surprise¡± Said Lucius.


    They stood hand in hand. Before she knew it they were in a different world.


    ¡°This is a place called the Archive. It once belonged to an extremely powerful group of people. But they died off because of war¡± Said Lucius looking over the vast world. It was the largest of all the world''s contained within the artifact. A monument to display their love for knowledge. The entire planet was the size of a small universe, just a few light years across.


    ¡°It''s a giant library¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°But the books aren''t in English are they?¡± Morrie tilted her head as she asked.


    ¡°Well yes and no. The books can be transcribed¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie followed Lucius to a massive body of water. The shimmering water danced as they walked closer. It seemed to reach to the core of the planet. With water as clear as it was she wasn''t so surprised that it looked as deep as it did. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°This is a proxy lazareth pit. I''ll show you what is dose¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie turned bright red when he began to strip. Removing everything but his boxers.


    ¡°Care to join me?¡± Asked Lucius.


    Morrie nodded and took a moment to calm her nerves. She removed the sweater Lucius had given her. She eventually had only her thin shirt, bra and skirt. She looked at the deep cuts over his body and looked at the hundreds of stitches. His body looked like darker where the scars sat. Nearly every inch of his body had the same darker color. He walked into the water and slowly sunk in. Morrie follow and felt amazing the instant the water bumped her toes.


    When Lucius popped back out she could see several hundred new scars as his makeup floated away. Older larger scars that had sunk their fangs far deeper into his flesh.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°People don''t like me so they try to kill me¡± Said Lucius as if this was something natural.


    Morrie hugged him and smiled. She knew she would never feel the way she did again as long as she had him. She wouldn''t have picked up on the almost unnoticeable amount of alcohol if his lips had not pressed against her cheek.


    ¡°I didn''t envy water till this moment¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie could not stop think about pressing her lips against his. But if Allison found out she would never stop bitching.


    ¡°Why?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Because water can touch every part of you at once, but I''m limited to my body¡± Said Lucius.


    His eyes held something different. She didn''t know it but it was lust. Morrie had her mind running wild. She would never have expected him to say anything like that. Of all thing he said that.


    ¡°You don''t mean that¡± Said Morrie. She felt his hands touch hers.


    ¡°Morrie, I love you,¡± His drunken smile told a similar story. ¡°you can take advantage of me if you want¡±.


    Morrie knew it. He was intoxicated.


    ¡°I''m not like that Lucius, how about we read some books together¡± Said Morrie.


    She wished he hadn''t been intoxicated. He smiled his half smile. Morrie now knew something was up.


    ¡°Thank you, now I know I can trust you a little more¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°This was a test?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Yes and you passed. You¡¯re the first person I have tested so far. I will be testing one of you every month until I have tested all of you¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°What''s very interesting¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°But we can still spend few weeks alone together in here. Reading is very fun after all¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°I have a question for you. Do you promise to answer honestly?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°Fine, as a reward for passing¡± Replied Lucius.


    ¡°Who are you really?¡± Said Morrie.


    He smiled slightly, as alway giving his half smile, but maybe just a little more.


    ¡°Wow you really are smart. My name is Atlas. Atlas Astraeus Lugo Wilson. Nice to finally introduce myself¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Your name is Atlas? That''s kinda ironic¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Now I have a question for you¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Go for it¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°How are babies made and if you do know will you demonstrate how?¡± Said Atlas.


    Morrie took a moment to take in the situation. She knew she couldn''t just lie to him.


    He had told her the truth and now she would.


    ¡°Well when two people love each other¡­¡± He interrupted and asked ¡°Do you love me?¡±


    She frozen and said ¡°I''m already answering a question. Anyway when people love each other they give something to each other. One of them places something inside the other and a baby grows inside. And the baby comes out months later¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Will you show me how it is done?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°When we are older¡± Said Morrie.


    He nodded and said ¡°By the way don''t try and look up my name and don''t tell anyone what my name is or I will die¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± Said Morrie.


    She wanted to ask why but knew he had reasons.


    ¡°Let''s read¡± Said Lucius walking to the library.


    They sat together and when she felt sleepy they slept together. He didn''t lie. They spent weeks reading and talking. She asked him on the last day.


    ¡°Lucius do you like me?¡±


    ¡°I can''t tell, I might like you but it could be love. All I know is that I don''t want you to go¡± Said Atlas with his emotionless voice.


    Morrie could not grasp just how much those words meant. When they got back to earth only a few hours had passed. They spent about an hour together before Evelynn arrived.


    ¡°Hey kids you weren''t doing anything indecent were you¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Morrie was just teaching me about reproduction¡±


    ¡°You''re joking right¡± Asked Evelynn.


    ¡°Yep yep yes we are¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Did you enjoy your last days of independence because you''re going to be stuck with me from now on¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°Yes I did and it''s not like I don''t enjoy your company¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Anyway I still have to help you with you know what and we have to get you know where¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°Goodbye Morrie I will be seeing you tomorrow¡± Said Atlas kissing her hand.

 Chapter 12.2 Morrie

    Morrie felt alive. She smiled till the sun began to set. She looked at the picture she had of Lucius and kisses it.


    Three months had passed and he was still with Allison. She had wished he would have ended the relationship or that it never would have started to begin with. He was the perfect boy and she was a ungrateful self-centered prick.


    Aurora and Kip were still together as well. But it was due to Aurora being one of if not the kindest person you would ever meet. Morrie now called Lucius by his true name but only when they were alone together which was almost never.


    Morrie fell out of bed and rolled like a burrito to her kitchen. Lucius had come over the day before and cooked with her.


    Evelynn was with him as always. Morrie grabbed her backpack and waited at the library. Atlas had let her borrow a book from the Archive. The Archive seemed to be intelligent but was extremely shy around anyone but Atlas. She had been on the same page for the passed month. She had learned things she once thought impossible. School seemed dull now that she understood such mind bending concepts.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Lucius.


    Evelynn looked absolutely stunning as always. She looked like a older Aurora.


    ¡°Good morning¡± Said Morrie standing up.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Asked Evelynn.


    Morrie nodded. Evelynn had short cut jeans and a shirt that reached just above her belly button. They began the short walk to school. It was a boarding school for some and just a regular school for others. There stood Nero, Jay, Randolph and Dick. Nile had gotten arrested and would be their for a few years.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Nero.


    Nero had a new scar across his cheek. Someone had attempted to kidnap Penelope. He said it was worth. They had also jammed a knife through his arm. It was stunning to watch him pull it out and stab one of the kidnappers with it. He said that most pain no longer fazed him after what Lucius had done with the pill incident.


    ¡°Hey cutie¡± Said Dick.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Dick.


    They walked to class. They would change classes every three months. Morrie now sat in calculous. She understood it only because of what she had learned from the book Lucius had let her borrow. She had an A+ in an advanced placement mathematics class for the first time. Not the usual A minus. She finished her work before anyone else. She went back to learning from the book. She also enjoyed the stories. It spoke of Knights and Lords with power so vast they could destroy entire galaxies. But above them stood being like Elders and Primordials. God''s were on par with high priest. But there were exceptions.


    ¡°Hey Morrie¡± Said Grinda.


    ¡°What¡± Replied Morrie.


    ¡°I heard you and Lucius kissed. Allison isn''t going to be happy¡± Said Grinda.


    ¡°I don''t care what you think you heard¡± Said Morrie turning back to her book.


    She only wished they had. She ended the day by nearly vomiting as Allison kissed Lucius.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Morrie. Allison had her hands wrapped around Lucius.


    ¡°Hi¡± He Replied.


    ¡°Hey peeps,¡± Said Hex out of nowhere. ¡°By the way Lucius you''re a great French kisser¡± she winked behind her glasses.


    ¡°By the way the day after tomorrow I do have a dentist appointment so you will have a day off from me¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°You''re still joining me for dinner the day after tomorrow aren''t you Lucius?¡± Said Hex.


    Lucius nodded as he said ¡°Absolutely¡±.


    Allison gave a look of displeasure. She didn''t enjoy the idea of leaving him with Hex. No one ever mentioned it but Hex was nearly as stunning as Athena. Granted that was before she dyed her hair. Athena had colored her hair a pitch black hue. Snow white would have been jealous. Even teacher made jokes about it.


    She had worn red lipstick once and started a trend. Morrie cleared her throat and Lucius said ¡°And I will show you that thing we talked about¡±.


    Morrie wanted to see a knight face to face. Even if it was dead. She so only imagine what it would look like. And Lucius promised to show her a recording of a number of the archive.


    ¡°Well I don''t know how I feel about leaving you two alone in your bedroom for hours at a time but you will have a new companion soon¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Asked Lucius


    ¡°Nothing. Now, come on let''s go¡± Said Evelynn.


    Morrie, Hex and Allison followed. Scarlet was at a mix martial arts class with Athena and Aurora. They walked down to Lucius¡¯ room and found a large box.


    He looked at it for a moment and said ¡°Would one of you mind opening it¡±.


    ¡°I''ll do it¡± Said Morrie.


    She walked up to the box and removed the bow. The box fell open and a large ball of fur lay in the center. It seemed to stand and face Morrie.


    ¡°What is that¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°I have no idea¡± Said Lucius.


    The small black puff of fur looked up at Morrie.


    ¡°Is it a dog?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°How would you know?¡± Sneered Allison.


    ¡°Well thanks for asking. It''s because I¡¯ve been around bitches like you so long I can tell by the smell¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Please be nice¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Only if you give me a hug¡± Said Hex. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Lucius gave his half smile and she said ¡°I know you''re smiling¡±.


    She spread her arms to be ready for the hug. Morrie envied this about Hex. Her uncanny ability to know everything around her. Lucius walked over and hugged her despite Allison''s disapproval.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Asked Lucius in a whisper just low enough for Alison not to hear.


    ¡°Because I know you love me¡±.


    Morrie didn''t understand how she could be so confident.


    ¡°What about the dog¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°That no way to talk to Allison¡± Said Hex with a smile.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Yelled Allison.


    ¡°I mean the puppy¡± Morrie''s voice now sound annoyed and sleepy.


    The puppy was wagging it''s tail so fast it looked like it was going to fly off. It then began to whimper. Morrie walked over to the fur ball and picked it up.


    ¡°You''re a heavy puppy¡± Said Morrie.


    It licked her face and she smiled.


    ¡°Let''s go I still have to show you the battle between the Ark soldiers¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°What are you going to name him?¡± Said Morrie.


    She felt its soft fur brush her face as it attempted to eat her hair. It had a few teeth. Mostly small round teeth.


    ¡°I don''t care,¡± Said Lucius. ¡°It''s just a dog¡±.


    She watched him placed the transport markers on the floor. They waited a few seconds and she soon felt the world change.


    ¡°Welcome to the Archive¡¯s Ark Citadel¡± Said Lucius.


    As far as she could see their was massive buildings and dead cities. The sky was red and purple. The aurora borealis that stood in the sky danced. The different color had what looked like people fighting.


    ¡°Hex, I took the liberty of recording what this place looks like¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Hex hugging him.


    Morrie looked at the beautiful world and could not help but smile. She slowly placed the puppy down and tapped it''s head.


    ¡°Let''s go¡± Said Morrie.


    The puppy did not walk but bounced and galloped. It seemed to be very fat. It had massive paws and bug eyes. They all walked to the largest of all the towers. Statues so tall that they held a strong gravitational pull of their own.


    ¡°Those are statues of the Lords¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie was mesmerised by the statutes.  They were more detailed that she she could have imagined. She could only wait to see one. The dog bounced behind Morrie. They entered the Citadel and had a full view of all the once great people had mastered.


    ¡°Trillions upon trillions of Lords and high knights have stood where you now stand. Let me show you the battles that would take place¡±.


    They stepped on a platform and we''re sent to a new location. A massive empty room.


    ¡°This place can display recordings of just about anything. I will start by showing you an attempted assassination of a Archive Priest¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie was standing ready to view the fight. Godlike beings going head to head.


    The room seemed to alter and Lucius said ¡°And don''t worry we won''t get hurt¡±


    Morrie wanted to see one of the Major Ark members. Major Arks were the top one hundred Arks. It is far more impressive when you consider there were more Arks than atoms in the universe. What looked like a woman stood in the center of the room.


    ¡°I know you''re there¡± Said the person in the center.


    She was cloaked and held a small dagger. A total of nine different assassins walked out of the shadows.


    ¡°It seems they were right, you would notice us¡± Said a dark hooded person.


    ¡°I will place markers over them so you can know what powers they have¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Why are they fighting anyway?¡± Said Allison oozing narcissism


    ¡°Because they want to protect their way of life that the Archive had threatened¡± Said Lucius.


    The markers over the heads of each of the soldiers told the power of all the soldiers but the one in the center.


    ¡°The most important are the three I have highlighted. The others die very soon after the fight begins¡± Said Lucius.


    Morrie had not hear much about the Archive in her reading. But what she did know is that they were nothing to be taken lightly. The fight continued. Four of them ran in first. The Archive soldiers held her ground. They all swung full force at her with swords. The swords shattered against her skin. They seemed shocked by this and she smiled. She jammed the dragged through a gap in the armor of one of the soldiers. She then grabbed dagger through with a loud pop. She grabbed the hilt of a shattered sword and reformed it in mid air. She used it to decapitate one of the soldiers to her right. The speed at with it occurred was mind numbing. Morrie''s knew it was in slow motion because she could watch the cracks form on the blade. One of the soldiers that stood farther back aimed what looked like a gun at the girl. The head of the soldiers to her left splattered the ground. A silver blood hung in the air. Only five remained.


    ¡°Well aren''t you all so clever. Not using you Ark abilities so they can''t convict you¡± Said the girl.


    She tossed the sword into the air and rushed them. One of the larger soldiers slammed the ground sending spikes into the air. She seemed to know where each and every spike was coming from. She reached up bragging the grabbing sword she had tossed and shattered the war ax on of them held.


    He bellowed ¡°Is that all you got!¡±.


    She rammed the sword through his chest and he smiled.


    ¡°That''s the spirit¡± Said the man.


    His eyes went black as he grabbed her by the throat and shattered the ground with her head. She held a similar smile.  She kicked the sword through him. She was bleeding and shot up quickly.


    ¡°Sorry to ruin the fun but I don''t have time for this anymore¡± Said the girl.


    She removed her cloak and tossed the sword once more. It vanished and manifested behind one of the soldiers. Morrie heard a buzzing sound come from Lucius.


    ¡°Sorry we are going to have to postpone this, my sister is having an emotional day¡± Said Lucius.


    He seemed worried and not his usual annoyed why do I have to deal with this expression. He paused the film and they stepped on the transport. They arrived back and could hear crying upstairs. Lucius jogged up stairs and they could see Athena crying her eyes out. Aurora and Scarlet were doing their best to calm her. Lucius seemed so kind and gentle with Athena. Like a father taking care of his only child.


    ¡°Come on don''t cry,¡± Said Lucius with his half smile.


    His eyes seemed warm like a fire on a cold winter night.


    ¡°You know you alway get tears on your necklaces¡± Said Lucius.


    She alway had the two. One fit perfectly around her neck and the other hung lower. About an inch over where her heart would be. It felt odd seeing Athena cry. She was always happy and smiling. She embodied the idea of perfection. But she still sat there crying. They left Athena and Lucius alone and sat at Morrie''s home.


    ¡°I have a few things on my mind¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Why was Athena crying?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°She accidentally hurt someone during sparring¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°He was also bleeding from his nose pretty badly¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°She started crying after that. She cried all over Nero''s shoulder it looked like something had spilled a cup of water on him¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Why was she on Nero?¡± Asked Allison.


    ¡°He was carrying her¡± Said Aurora.


    They continued to talk and all decided to sleep over. Everyone but Hex, she had to be home by eight. They all walked her home and walked back after that. They were still up around one in the morning and heard something at the door. It was a light tapping at first. Scarlet was the first to notice.


    ¡°Where is it coming from?¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°I think it''s coming from down stairs¡± Said Allison.


    They all walked down stairs and could hear it become faster. It stopped and the house was dead silent.


    Allison screamed and said ¡°There it is¡± as she pointed at a flower pot.


    They all turned fearing whatever had gotten into the house. They saw nothing but the flower pot.


    ¡°Really you all felt for it¡± Said Allison as she fell to the floor laughing.


    Something from behind the door mimicked her laugh. But it sounded wrong. Like an animal attempting to copy a human voice. It sounded chopped up and forced. It began to scratch at the door and continued laughing. Morrie called one of the security guards that would protect her home.

 Chapter 12.3 Morrie

    ¡°Zack, there is something at the front door¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°On my way¡± Replied Zack.


    The noise stopped.


    ¡°There is nothing here,¡± Said Zack. ¡°But don''t worry I''ll keep an eyes out¡±.


    They tried to go back to being relaxed. It took a few hours but they were back to being relaxed. It was three and they decided to go to sleep. Morrie woke with a heavy pressure on her chest. She felt a cold breath rush over her. She could not move and could barely breath. She felt cold touch her face. She attempt to scream but felt like her lungs were empty. Two dark glowing eyes looked down on her. She couldn''t help but feel underwhelmed by them. She felt the cold breath draw closer. And she would see white teeth as a slimy young touched her face. Then it yipped. She could feel it''s body begin to shift as it''s tale began to wag.


    Morrie now knew it was the dog. But could not understand how it had gotten in. It began to sprint around the room and slammed into a wall. It felt over with a soft flop. It rolled over and stood up. It ran over to the lights and flipped them on. Morrie sat up and saw Scarlet getting up.


    ¡°Who''s there?¡± Asked Scarlet


    ¡°Me¡± Said the shattered voice of the dog.


    It''s pudge body shook side to side. Morrie looked at the dog and could not help but feel uneasy.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there¡± Said Scarlet eyes half closed.


    ¡°Don''t worry it''s just the dog¡± Said Morrie.


    The dog began to pull a drawer open.


    ¡°No don''t do that!¡± Said Morrie.


    She had hidden the pictures of Lucius in the bottom drawer. She saw the dogs fluffy face holding a picture of Lucius along with underwear over its face. It galloped down the hall.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Yelled Allison.


    ¡°Why are you yelling¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°What going on?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    They were all up and only Scarlet and Morrie knew about the dog.


    ¡°The dog is in the house!¡± Said Morrie.


    Morrie ran down the hall and saw the dog. Everyone was up and looked at the fat dog. They walked after it dressed in their pajamas.


    ¡°Follow,¡± Said the inhuman voice ¡°Danger¡±


    The dog moved at a speed unbelonging to its from. It was at the bottom of the stairs in less than a second. It yipped and sprinted at the door. It had managed to chew a hole in the massive oak doors without alerting any of the guards. It zipped through as the all slowly followed she with everyone else. She could see none of the guards once they got outside. She felt an uneasiness grow more powerful with every instant. When she saw that it chewed through the steel fence she had to reconsider if it was really a dog. She unlocked the gate and followed the dog.


    ¡°Why are we follow a talking dog?¡± Asked Scarlet.


    Morrie didn''t want to say it was because it had stolen her favorite picture of Lucius or that it had stolen her underwear.


    ¡°It took something¡± Said Morrie with a slight nod.


    ¡°Well do we just keep following it?¡± Asked Allison.


    She had plane pajamas. Scarlet had plain clothing. Aurora had a sports bra and sweatpants. Morrie had the sweater and shorts. They continued to follow the dog and Morrie realized it was leading them to Lucius¡¯s home.


    They heard gunshots come from the direction of Morrie¡¯s home. A world shattering roar split the air. The dog was running in a small circle around Lucius''s front door. It yipped and they walked closer to see the dog. The body of the dog was hard to distinguish between darkness itself. They were mere feet away from the dog before the door opened. Eyes that held hell itself hostage loomed over them. Lucius was standing at the door with Havana as a shirt. Her arms were wrapped around Lucius and her head rested on his shoulder. He had apparently given her a piggyback ride.


    ¡°Why are you all dressed like that?,¡± Said Lucius in a cold tone ¡°And you dog why are you outside, did I give you permission?¡±.


    They stood their for a moment before Allison began to bitch.


    ¡°Why is she holding you like that!¡± Said Allison.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Asked Lucius. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    The screech ran through the air once more. Lucius turned to face the sound. He set Havana down slowly and walked out into the darkness.


    ¡°What do you think¡­¡± Allison froze.


    Those eyes belonged to death itself. And they spoke.


    ¡°Stay¡±. The dog began pushing them inside.


    ¡°This is bad¡± Said Havana.


    ¡°What''s bad?¡± Asked Evelynn standing a few feet away.


    She had a massive gun in her left hand.


    ¡°Lucius ran off¡± Said Havana.


    Evelynn was gone in a flash. She was sprinting after him. The dog was sitting on the floor.


    ¡°You should just wait here¡± Said Havana.


    They all sat in the living room.


    ¡°Why did he run off?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°He probably thinks it''s the monster things that have been popping up lately¡± Replied Havana.


    ¡°Where''s Lucius¡± Said Athena popping out of the doorway.


    She sounded grumpy and looked annoyingly stunning.


    ¡°He ran off with Evelynn¡± Said Allison with crossed arms.


    ¡°Wow, he finally did it. He''s had that fantasy for years¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°What?¡± Said Aurora.


    Athena seemed to be surprised.


    ¡°Just kidding!¡± Said Athena.


    It was about five in the morning. Morrie usually woke up at this time.


    The dog ran up to Athena and she said ¡°Who needs a haircut cut! You do, you do¡±.


    She grabbed a pair of scissors and held the dog between her legs. She began snipping his hair away. After a few minutes the dog no longer looked like a ball of black fur. It looked like a normal puppy. It had huge paws and a fat head. It bounced and galloped around the room seemingly looking for something.


    It stood still and barked at the door. Lucius and Evelynn walked in soon after. Lucius had his dark tattoos splayed across his body. The dog began to whimper and ran away. Morrie felt it was slightly unnerving. Evelynn was helping him stand.


    ¡°Come on let''s take you to your room¡± Said Evelynn.


    Morrie could see what looked like hand shaped burns hidden under the clothes Evelynn had given him. The burns had a black hue.


    ¡°Sorry kiddies, he''s going to bed. Athena, I think it may take all day. I''ll tell you when he''s back to normal¡± Said Evelynn.


    She lifted Lucius down the stair and walked down passing through one of the mysterious doors. Morrie wanted to ask what had happened but felt it wasn''t time. The puppy sat on Morrie''s feet. They all found a place to sleep and woke around midday. Morrie still had the puppy watching over her.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Asked Morrie.


    The puppy ran at Athena and sat down.


    Athena lifted it into the air and said ¡°You''re so cute! What''s your name puppy?¡±.


    It only wiggled and yipped. Morrie felt her phone ring and saw it was Zach calling.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°How did you get out?¡± Asked Zack.


    ¡°We walked out¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°That''s impossible, I was at the door the entire night¡± Said Zack.


    He wanted to tell her about the monster or demon they had seen. They had filled it with more bullets than an armoury. It shrugged the bullet wounds off and leaped three stories up entering her bedroom window. They would have been unable to stop it. It then toor her room apart. Hundreds of beasts then flowed out of her room and vanished into the night.


    Morrie looked at the puppy and recalled it had taken her underwear.


    She asked the puppy ¡°Where did you leave the picture?¡±


    It wiggled out of her grasp and ran into Lucius¡¯s room. She followed it and found it had hidden the clothes in his. The puppy was holding her underwear and the picture of Lucius. The puppy dropped it and ran away. She ran over to the picture and heard something come from his main room. The door had been locked. She could hear Lucius''s wet feet slap the wood floor. She looked around the room for a place to hide. She heard Lucius walking towards her. She grabbed a shirt and did her best to hide. Lucius walked in missing a shirt but had something over his eyes. He walked up to Morrie. Just inches from her. He reached out to where the shirt she had taken had been. She was holding her breath and standing dead still. Someone had knocked on the door just in time.


    Lucius called out ¡°Whom is there?¡±


    ¡°Hex¡± She Replied.


    He began to remove his towel. Morrie grabbed his hand and side ¡°Wait¡±.


    ¡°Morrie?,¡± Replied Lucius.


    ¡°If you wanted to see me undress you could have asked¡±


    ¡°No it''s not like that!¡± Yelled Morrie.


    ¡°Hey still here!¡± Yelled Hex.


    ¡°Just a moment! Them why did you not alert me of your presence in my room?¡± Questioned Lucius.


    ¡°Well,¡± Morrie didn''t know what to say. ¡°I thought you would get mad¡±.


    ¡°Why were you in here anyway?¡± Asked Lucius.


    She knew the truth was best.


    ¡°The puppy stole my underwear and the picture I have of you¡± Said Morrie turning bright red.


    Lucius was blushing oddly enough and said ¡°You have a picture of me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡± Said Morrie attempting to keep calm.


    ¡°May I ask why?¡± Questioned Lucius.


    ¡°Because,¡± Morrie knew it was time she wanted to say it.


    ¡°Open the door you prick!¡± Yelled Hex.


    Lucius walked away slowly and opened the door. Hex walked in like she owned his room.


    ¡°Where''s the puppy I want to pet it¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°I have no idea, I''m temporarily blind¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°You''re blind too?¡± Said Hex with joy.


    She leaped at Lucius and hugged him.


    ¡°Oh shit, sorry didn''t know you had no shirt on¡± Hex with a sly tone.


    Morrie again felt envy towards Hex. Morrie looked at the puppy and smiled.


    ¡°So what are you going to name him?¡± Asked Morrie.


    ¡°What do you want to name him?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Darwin¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°Darwin it is,¡± Said Lucius. ¡°And do you mind helping me up¡±


    ¡°Depends, will you finish what you started in the Archive?¡±

 chapter 13.1 Atlas

    ¡°Nice to meet you¡± Said Atlas reaching out to greet Hex¡¯s mother.


    She lifted her hand but not to greet Atlas. She gestured as to say stop talking. She started speaking to someone on her ear piece.


    ¡°Yes the shipments will arrive a little late. No, we can''t get them here any sooner. Go ahead try to find someone who can get them here faster¡± Said Galatice.


    Atlas was able to hear the man speaking.


    She hung up and said ¡°What do you want, Pleio¡±.


    ¡°My name is Lucius, nice to finally meet you¡± Said Atlas.


    When her eyes meet with his own she seemed to cringe. It seemed like making eyes contact with him had caused her pain or great discomfort.


    ¡°Yes, nice¡­¡± She stammered slowly.


    Atlas knew he had messed up somehow and she now had the same hate all people had for him. A natural inborn fear. Like fear of the dark.


    ¡°Where''s dad?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°Why would I know. Can''t you do anything yourself. Go look for yourself if you really want to know where he is¡± Replied her mother.


    Hex nodded and Atlas took her hand.


    Once they were out of her mother''s ear shot Atlas asked ¡°She seemed somewhat angry if I picked up on the emotion correctly¡±.


    ¡°No, she''s just really stressed. She has this giant shipment that she has to get in tomorrow and if she doesn''t get it in on time she loses her job¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas recalled having a conversation with Moriarty regarding a shipment of weapons that was due tomorrow. Atlas would have to ask later. Hex walked up stairs and called out ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°Over here, Ione¡± Yelled the man.


    Hex walked down the hall and opened the door. A large desk was covered with stacks of paperwork.


    ¡°Be quick, I don''t have time for you¡± Said her father.


    ¡°This is my friend Lucius¡± Said Hex nudging Atlas.


    ¡°Nice to meet you¡± Said the man with a small wave of his hand.


    He never looked up. Atlas was somewhat displeases. He did not enjoy how little they showed affection towards Hex. It seemed wrong to him. He knew it was because they busy but it still crawled under his skin.


    ¡°So Lucius do you want to help me pick out a new outfit?¡± Asked Hex pushing her thick ash colored hair out of her face. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Her creamy dark skin resembled Havana¡¯s skin tone. But was somehow far more easy on the eyes. He liked the soft smooth creamy chocolate color but knew he would never admit it to her. Atlas dared say that it looked how fine chocolate felt on his lips.


    ¡°That would be interesting¡± Said Atlas.


    He wondered how she chose what to wear and decided it would be a perfect way to find out.


    ¡°Galatice gave me money yesterday so we can go right now¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas grabbed her hand and they began to walk out. Atlas began to look over Hex and wondered what to describe in his next recording for her. He felt something unusual when he looked at her soft face. Her lips seemed soft and smooth. He wondered what her lips would feel like. He wondered if he should ask.


    ¡°So how are you and Allison?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°I am well but I can''t speak for her¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I mean like are you two doing well together?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°We are still friends¡± Said Atlas pulling her close to avoid bumping into a poll. Hex smiled her cute lip biting smile.


    ¡°So you two aren''t together anymore?¡± Questioned Hex with a smooth tone.


    ¡°Yes, we broke up because weren''t happy together¡± Said Atlas.


    He remembered how Levy had asked him if he was happy with Allison.


    When he replied ¡°no¡± she told him to break up with her if he wasn''t happy with her. But then again, he rarely was happy.


    ¡°So,¡± Said Hex turning her face up towards Atlas.


    ¡°Do you want to go on a blind date?¡±. Atlas could not help but smile.


    ¡°You be the date I''ll be the blind¡± She smiled just before kissing his cheek.


    Wow, her lips are soft...


    Atlas felt her right arm around his waist and her left hand pull his left arm around herself.


    ¡°I was cold but I''m okay now¡± Said Hex pressing her head against his chest.


    Atlas held her closer and avoided another light post that was far off. They arrive at the mall and Atlas guided her to the clothing store. Atlas heard a yip and looked back to see the filthy puppy, Darwin.


    ¡°Was that Darwin?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°Yes, but ignore him¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Come on don''t be so mean, pick him up¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas sighed, he snapped with his thumb and pinky. Darwin galloped over and stood between Hex¡¯s legs. Atlas left Darwin where he stood. They continued to walk with Darwin. They reached a clothing shop and walked in.


    ¡°Do you mind showing me where the clothes are?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°Over here¡± Said Atlas taking her hands.


    Atlas watched her run her hands over every inch of the clothing. As if she was creating an image of what that looked like in her head. Atlas notice she cared far more about what the clothing felt like than what it looked like.


    ¡°Which one do you think is cuter?¡± Asked Hex.


    Atlas looked at the shirts she held in her right and left hand. If he understood what cute was correctly he knew what the proper response was.


    He walked right up to Hex and said ¡°This one¡± as he tapped her nose with his index finger.


    She crossed her arms and said ¡°Oh really¡±.


    ¡°Yes¡± Replied Atlas.


    ¡°Well I''m going to try these on, I''ll be right back¡± Said Hex.


    She stepped into a changing room and the closed the door. Darwin began to wine and galloped over to the door of the changing room. Atlas looked at his fat round body. He leaped up grabbing the doorknob. Atlas knew the door was locked and Darwin could do nothing to open it. Atlas watched Darwin bite off the doorknob with his rounded pebbles for teeth. The door began to open. Atlas ran over to close the door. He reached out and it moved away from him. Atlas slammed into Hex and froze. Atlas looked up and saw her glasses peering down on him.


    ¡°You could have asked¡± Said Hex.

 Chapter 13.2 Atlas

    ¡°I burnt everything¡± Said Evelynn. Atlas walked over to the table and ate a few pieces. It tasted terrible but he love that she cooked it or toasted for him.


    ¡°Sorry I ruined your food¡± Said Evelynn.


    Atlas hugged Evelynn and said ¡°Thank you¡±.


    He took all the burnt bread and took it to his room to eat. He sat down and saw hands shoot out from underneath his blankets.


    Levy and Havana yelled ¡°Boo!¡± As they reached out.


    ¡°Well, what exactly were you trying to do?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Scare you¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°Havana, you can stop attempt to scare me now¡± Said Atlas.


    Havana had her hands under his shirt. She smiled and drew her hands back. Levy glared at her.


    ¡°He¡¯s  dating Allison¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°No I¡¯m not¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°You''re not?¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°Of course not, you told me to break up with Allison¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I did not, I told you if you weren''t happy you should move on.¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°Oh, sorry¡± Said Atlas.


    Atlas had the book on his mind. He wanted to master a few more skills. He smiled knowing Levy could have instantly memorized all the information because of her photographic memory. Atlas has to spend hours to do what she could accomplish in minutes.


    ¡°Well I''m going to read¡± Said Atlas.


    He watched Levy walk out and he took his place beside Havana. She rested her head on his chest as she took a nap.


    He continued to read until Evelynn walked in later that night.


    ¡°Atlas,¡± Said Evelynn ¡°can I ask you something?¡±.


    ¡°Anything you want¡± Replied Atlas placing the book down.


    Atlas had learned how to heal minor wounds during his reading.


    ¡°Why did you let those things attack you. You know it''s my job to protect you. Not the other way around¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°I''m sorry, I just didn''t want them to hurt you¡± Said Atlas.


    He was worried she knew. She was more than able to figure it out.


    She sat on his bed and said ¡°I''m not mad but I''m worried. I don''t want you to get hurt for me¡±


    ¡°I''ll make you a deal, you must promise me that if you know we are in a situation that may get us both killed you will run.¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Never, even if we both die.¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°I need you to be their for Levy and your sister. I need you to protect them even if I''m gone.¡± Said Atlas.


    Evelynn walked to the door.


    ¡°Atlas, I hope you know I would die for you¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°You shouldn''t die for nothing¡±


    She walked back and caressed his face in her soft hands, she looked into his eyes. She kissed his forehead before walking out.


    Atlas almost didn''t notice he had gone to school. He had arrived at summer break before he knew it. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    He had a date with Hex and he felt worried he would disappoint her. He knew she could see right through him and read him like a open book, just like Havana. She was blind but she saw every time he smiled.


    Atlas wondered if he should describe the color of his eye, his true eyes. He wanted to wait. He looked in the mirrors and cared about what he looked like for the first time. He looked at the makeup on his desk and pushed it into the trash.


    He smiled at the pictures of his family and walked up the stairs. He took a deep breath.


    ¡°You look great¡± Said Evelynn and Levy.


    He gave his half smile as he always did.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Atlas.


    He walked out and to the car he had bought. It had a self driving feacher. He rode to where he had the carriage waiting. Four horses stood tall and proud. They didn''t know it but soon they would carry one of the most important cargo of their lives. Atlas walked to the carriage where a man sat waiting.


    ¡°Well that''s a surprise¡± Said the old man with a thick white beard.


    ¡°What is?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°This is usually rented out for weddings. You seem a little young¡± Said the old man.


    ¡°Well it''s for an occasion far more important than that.¡± Said Atlas jumping on.


    ¡°May I ask what that would be?¡± Said the old man with a whistle in his voice.


    ¡°It''s her first date.¡± Said Atlas.


    The old man smiled and moved the rains. The houses began to gallop. They marched all the way to Hex¡¯s door. The door opened before he touched it. Her parents stood at the door with crossed arms.


    ¡°You''re early¡± Said her mother.


    ¡°I couldn''t wait to see her¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°What if she wasn''t ready?¡± Asked her father.


    ¡°She would look beautiful anyway¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°It''s going to rain tonight¡± Hissed her mother.


    ¡°I payed to have that changed¡±


    ¡°What if she likes the rain?¡± Asked her mother.


    ¡°She told me otherwise. She said it''s too much noise¡± He replied.


    ¡°It''s bright out¡± spat her father.


    ¡°I brought sunscreen¡± he answered.


    ¡°What if she gets cold¡± Questioned her mother.


    ¡°I doubt she will, she is pretty hot¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°How long have you been there?¡± Asked her mother and father.


    ¡°You''re here early¡± Said Hex stepping outside and hugging Atlas.


    ¡°I couldn''t wait to see you¡± Said Atlas walking her to the carriage.


    ¡°Did I just hear a house?¡± Asked Hex turning in her elegant black dress.


    ¡°You did¡± Said the old man.


    ¡°Can I pet them!¡± Yelled Hex in a whisper as she does walked over to them.


    ¡°Go right ahead, and don''t worry they have never hurt anything but carrots and apples¡± Said the old man.


    Atlas walked Hex over to them. When they saw her the horses bowed.


    ¡°Well, that''s a surprise¡± Said the old man.


    ¡°Why?¡± Asked Atlas with a watchful eye on Hex.


    ¡°I never trained them to do that¡± He replied.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°They are bowing to you¡± Replied Atlas.


    Atlas took her hand and guided it to the horse''s face. She blushed and felt the horse''s face. When she was done she climbed into the carriage.


    ¡°So where are we going?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°Somewhere special.¡± he replied.


    Atlas tapped Hex on the shoulder.


    ¡°Want some food?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Depends¡± Said Hex with her sunny smile.


    ¡°On what? Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Are you on the menu?¡± She replied.


    ¡°No but you look pretty good¡± He replied.


    Hex reached out and said ¡°I want to see you¡±.


    Atlas grabbed her soft hands and placed them on his face. She could feel every scar once again. She ran her hand over his damaged skin. Atlas felt shame. How could he allow someone so flawless and perfect touch something as corrupt as himself.


    ¡°This one is shaped like a heart,¡± Said Hex. ¡°I have one like that¡±.


    ¡°Really?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Yeah, I''ll show you later¡± Said Hex.


    When they arrived at their destination, he smiled. He had bought a second house and had it prepared for the evening. He had the perfect destination.


    ¡°Thank you that¡¯s all for tonight¡± Said Atlas.


    The man and the horse vanished into the night. Atlas took her hand and walked her into the house.


    ¡°Hex, I need you to stand right here¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Will you stand with me?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°I will but in a few seconds¡± Said Atlas.


    The world shifted as they stood on their platforms. Atlas smiled as they entered a world created by the Ark of Madness. Gravity here knew no up or down. Cities and small villages stood on, under and around massive pillars. Ocean''s sat floating in the air and rivers of stone flowed in the sky. Touches emanated shadows and fire gave off a cool breeze. He could smell the colors around him and hear the rough ground beneath his feet. He could feel Hex move beside him.


    ¡°How¡± Said Hex.

 chapter 13.3 Atlas

    ¡°You could have asked¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas pulled himself away and said ¡°Sorry¡± in a choked voice.


    ¡°Don''t be¡± Whispered Hex pulling him up to her lips.


    She didn''t kiss him but she was close. His lips were only a slight lean away. If they had both pucker their lips it would have been a kiss.


    ¡°So what do you think of the shirt?¡± Asked Hex.


    Atlas looked over her and wanted to say it looked mind numbingly beautiful.


    But simply said ¡°You look better with it off¡±


    That''s inappropriate, but why did I say it. It''s not something I should have said, I know it''s not.


    ¡°You can help me with that¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas blushed. He was unable to understand why but he did. They continued to talk and look at clothes for a few hours.


    Atlas called Moriarty when Hex was distracted and said ¡°Moriarty, do you know anyone by the name of Galatice?¡±.


    ¡°Yes, why?¡± Asked Moriarty.


    ¡°Give her a few extra days for the shipment¡± Said Atlas.


    Atlas knew if they had that much extra time they would be able to spend some extra time Hex. Moriarty agree with out a question.


    Atlas walked Hex home and kissed her cheek. Hex smiled and kissed his cheek.


    ¡°See you next week¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I won''t see you tomorrow or ever again¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas turned back to face her. ¡°Goodbye Lucius¡± Hex turned away.


    Atlas grabbed her hand and asked ¡°Why?¡±.


    ¡°Kiss me and I''ll tell you¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas took the request into consideration and pulled her close. She placed her arms around his waist.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Hex ¡°Its would be wrong to blackmail you into kissing me. And I''m blind remember I can''t see you to begin with. So I won''t ever see you¡±.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Atlas could not help but feel silly. He had fallen for a simple play on words. He smiled knowing he had outsmarted gods and yet she had made him a fool.


    ¡°I know you''re smiling¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Goodnight Hex¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Before you go can I ask you something¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Anything¡± He replied. ¡°Would you like to be my boyfriend¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°No,¡± Said Atlas.


    The way she smiled told him she already knew he had something in mind. Just the way she looked at him.


    He walked back and held her hands ¡°I would love to¡±.


    She kissed his cheek and he walked away. She waved goodbye. Atlas saw one of them as he walked to his house. He pulled out one of his pills and walked after it. It looked at him and smiled it''s broken smile.


    Atlas knew it was a trap but he had to catch it. They had killed so many people already. Mostly at random but some had begun to favor killing curtain groups of people. Mostly drug dealers and gang members but that didn''t make things any better.


    Atlas walked deeper and deeper into the woods to find the fragments of himself. He knew there were more than enough of them to get him noticed.


    ¡°Why hunt us?¡± Called out one of the fragments.


    Atlas cared not for conversations with monsters such as them. He knew what kind of abominations they were. Nothing would ever satiate their hunger.


    He walked deeper and deeper into the woods.


    ¡°We are trying to help you! No you are trying to help yourself. Ever blow you strike against us is an eternal wound upon yourself! Why can''t you understand that was are protecting us!¡± They called out in unison.


    Atlas didn''t want to speak with them. He knew they simply wanted to live and feed.


    ¡°Are you so blinded! You could rule this world and bring unity to this lowly race! We as your army of the undying! No longer needing to fear the people who hunt you!¡±


    Atlas had never feared anything. Nothing had ever brought an emotion so strong to his mind. Or at least not an emotion that was truly his. He had never feared the people who hunted him. And he knew quite well he could end all life on earth and mars. But why would he. He had never wanted power. He has only wanted one thing since the day of his birth. To protect.


    Even if he wasn''t powerful enough he could be smart enough. Atlas continued to walk after the mass of shards that would absolutely be waiting for him.


    ¡°Let us help you! If those who hunted you were dead couldn''t our dear sister Levy live a normal life? And what of Valery and Angle? Or Natalie? Don''t you care for them¡±. Atlas had had enough. ¡°Enough!¡± Yelled Atlas with a voice unbelonging of his from.


    His voice rang out through the trees. Atlas spread the contents of the pills over his fingertips. He knew they would never truly attempt to kill him. Atlas began to describe agony. It was the only way to immobilize them long enough for him to get close. He knew that the pain they felt would linger in him till the day he died once he returned them to the seal. It happened last time when they wanted to kill Scarlet. He walked over to each as they attempt to reason with Atlas.


    Atlas didn''t know but they didn''t want to return out of fear. They were terrified of that so called child. They, beasts that wanted only to kill and grow more powerful knew what lay sleeping deep within his mind. They knew they were nothing compared to what had been locked up by his love for the few he did care for. And they dared not break the mortal chains that held it down.


    They felt him tear them from reality and force them back into the unity of his mind. They only existed as individuals when apart from him. Their millions of minds melding back with sea of monsters within him, all mastered by Atlas.


    They feared the day he was no longer leashed by those people. They hid in terror in the brightest corners of his minds knowing it liked the dark. The numbing of the dark kept it calm and rested.

 chapter 13.4 Atlas

    They feared the day he was no longer leashed by those people. They hid in terror in the brightest corners of his minds knowing it liked the dark. The numbing of the dark kept it calm and rested.


    Atlas captured the last shard and his seal was back in one piece. He felt a calm wash over him once more. He walked home as if nothing had ever happened.


    Darwin was just outside the door waiting. Atlas had been asked by Levy to be kind to the dog. He would do as she asked. She never truly told him to do anything but Atlas always did as she implied anyway. He walked up to the mut and patted its head once.


    He walked away and stepped into the house. The sweet smell of burnt food filled the air. Evelynn had attempt to cook again. Atlas walked into the kitchen and looked at the burnt toast on the table. Evelynn had her head down on the table and looked over to him. Her earthly brown hair was draped over her face and her face was on the table.


    ¡°I burnt everything¡± Said Evelynn. Atlas walked over to the table and ate a few pieces. It tasted terrible but he love that she cooked it or toasted for him.


    ¡°Sorry I ruined your food¡± Said Evelynn.


    Atlas hugged Evelynn and said ¡°Thank you¡±.


    He took all the burnt bread and took it to his room to eat. He sat down and saw hands shoot out from underneath his blankets.


    Levy and Havana yelled ¡°Boo!¡± As they reached out.


    ¡°Well, what exactly were you trying to do?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Scare you¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°Havana, you can stop attempt to scare me now¡± Said Atlas.


    Havana had her hands under his shirt. She smiled and drew her hands back. Levy glared at her.


    ¡°He¡¯s  dating Allison¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°No I¡¯m not¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°You''re not?¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°Of course not, you told me to break up with Allison¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I did not, I told you if you weren''t happy you should move on.¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°Oh, sorry¡± Said Atlas.


    Atlas had the book on his mind. He wanted to master a few more skills. He smiled knowing Levy could have instantly memorized all the information because of her photographic memory. Atlas has to spend hours to do what she could accomplish in minutes.


    ¡°Well I''m going to read¡± Said Atlas.


    He watched Levy walk out and he took his place beside Havana. She rested her head on his chest as she took a nap.


    He continued to read until Evelynn walked in later that night.


    ¡°Atlas,¡± Said Evelynn ¡°can I ask you something?¡±.


    ¡°Anything you want¡± Replied Atlas placing the book down.


    Atlas had learned how to heal minor wounds during his reading.


    ¡°Why did you let those things attack you. You know it''s my job to protect you. Not the other way around¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°I''m sorry, I just didn''t want them to hurt you¡± Said Atlas.


    He was worried she knew. She was more than able to figure it out.


    She sat on his bed and said ¡°I''m not mad but I''m worried. I don''t want you to get hurt for me¡±


    ¡°I''ll make you a deal, you must promise me that if you know we are in a situation that may get us both killed you will run.¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Never, even if we both die.¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°I need you to be their for Levy and your sister. I need you to protect them even if I''m gone.¡± Said Atlas.


    Evelynn walked to the door.


    ¡°Atlas, I hope you know I would die for you¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°You shouldn''t die for nothing¡±


    She walked back and caressed his face in her soft hands, she looked into his eyes. She kissed his forehead before walking out.


    Atlas almost didn''t notice he had gone to school. He had arrived at summer break before he knew it.


    He had a date with Hex and he felt worried he would disappoint her. He knew she could see right through him and read him like a open book, just like Havana. She was blind but she saw every time he smiled.


    Atlas wondered if he should describe the color of his eye, his true eyes. He wanted to wait. He looked in the mirrors and cared about what he looked like for the first time. He looked at the makeup on his desk and pushed it into the trash.


    He smiled at the pictures of his family and walked up the stairs. He took a deep breath.


    ¡°You look great¡± Said Evelynn and Levy.


    He gave his half smile as he always did.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Atlas.


    He walked out and to the car he had bought. It had a self driving feacher. He rode to where he had the carriage waiting. Four horses stood tall and proud. They didn''t know it but soon they would carry one of the most important cargo of their lives. Atlas walked to the carriage where a man sat waiting.


    ¡°Well that''s a surprise¡± Said the old man with a thick white beard.


    ¡°What is?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°This is usually rented out for weddings. You seem a little young¡± Said the old man.


    ¡°Well it''s for an occasion far more important than that.¡± Said Atlas jumping on.


    ¡°May I ask what that would be?¡± Said the old man with a whistle in his voice.


    ¡°It''s her first date.¡± Said Atlas.


    The old man smiled and moved the rains. The houses began to gallop. They marched all the way to Hex¡¯s door. The door opened before he touched it. Her parents stood at the door with crossed arms.


    ¡°You''re early¡± Said her mother.


    ¡°I couldn''t wait to see her¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°What if she wasn''t ready?¡± Asked her father.


    ¡°She would look beautiful anyway¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°It''s going to rain tonight¡± Hissed her mother.


    ¡°I payed to have that changed¡±


    ¡°What if she likes the rain?¡± Asked her mother.


    ¡°She told me otherwise. She said it''s too much noise¡± He replied.


    ¡°It''s bright out¡± spat her father.


    ¡°I brought sunscreen¡± he answered.


    ¡°What if she gets cold¡± Questioned her mother.


    ¡°I doubt she will, she is pretty hot¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°How long have you been there?¡± Asked her mother and father.


    ¡°You''re here early¡± Said Hex stepping outside and hugging Atlas.


    ¡°I couldn''t wait to see you¡± Said Atlas walking her to the carriage.


    ¡°Did I just hear a house?¡± Asked Hex turning in her elegant black dress.


    ¡°You did¡± Said the old man.


    ¡°Can I pet them!¡± Yelled Hex in a whisper as she does walked over to them.


    ¡°Go right ahead, and don''t worry they have never hurt anything but carrots and apples¡± Said the old man.


    Atlas walked Hex over to them. When they saw her the horses bowed.


    ¡°Well, that''s a surprise¡± Said the old man.


    ¡°Why?¡± Asked Atlas with a watchful eye on Hex.


    ¡°I never trained them to do that¡± He replied.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°They are bowing to you¡± Replied Atlas.


    Atlas took her hand and guided it to the horse''s face. She blushed and felt the horse''s face. When she was done she climbed into the carriage.


    ¡°So where are we going?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°Somewhere special.¡± he replied.


    Atlas tapped Hex on the shoulder.


    ¡°Want some food?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Depends¡± Said Hex with her sunny smile.


    ¡°On what? Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Are you on the menu?¡± She replied.


    ¡°No but you look pretty good¡± He replied.


    Hex reached out and said ¡°I want to see you¡±.


    Atlas grabbed her soft hands and placed them on his face. She could feel every scar once again. She ran her hand over his damaged skin. Atlas felt shame. How could he allow someone so flawless and perfect touch something as corrupt as himself.


    ¡°This one is shaped like a heart,¡± Said Hex. ¡°I have one like that¡±.


    ¡°Really?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Yeah, I''ll show you later¡± Said Hex.


    When they arrived at their destination, he smiled. He had bought a second house and had it prepared for the evening. He had the perfect destination.


    ¡°Thank you that¡¯s all for tonight¡± Said Atlas.


    The man and the horse vanished into the night. Atlas took her hand and walked her into the house.


    ¡°Hex, I need you to stand right here¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Will you stand with me?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°I will but in a few seconds¡± Said Atlas.


    The world shifted as they stood on their platforms. Atlas smiled as they entered a world created by the Ark of Madness. Gravity here knew no up or down. Cities and small villages stood on, under and around massive pillars. Ocean''s sat floating in the air and rivers of stone flowed in the sky. Touches emanated shadows and fire gave off a cool breeze. He could smell the colors around him and hear the rough ground beneath his feet. He could feel Hex move beside him.


    ¡°How¡± Said Hex.


    She had could feel the colors around her. She could smell the warmth and hear the texture of the ground at her feet.


    Atlas quickly mastered the change in perception. He was now bored but knew Hex would enjoy this world. Hex reached over to Atlas and kiss his cheek.


    ¡°I can smell your texture!¡± Yelled Hex.


    She had a wicked smile on her lips. She began to unbutton his shirt.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°I want to see you. Well this place let''s me feel you but in a different way ¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas looked away.


    She looked up and asked ¡°What''s wrong?¡±.


    ¡°I was looking at you and...¡± Atlas paused.


    ¡°And?¡± Asked Hex with her hand still clutching his shirt.


    ¡°I was able to hear your eyes and I was worried I would get you pregnant¡± Said Atlas.


    He still truly believed it was possible for him to impregnate her with eyes contact alone. He could hear her clasp her chest.


    ¡°You do realize that''s not how people really get pregnant¡± Hex laughed.


    Atlas had no idea what she meant by that.


    She turned his head and said ¡°It''s okay to look at me¡±


    Atlas didn''t want to be like his father. As his uncles worded it ¡°Whoring around all day with any girl he thought was cute¡± And that was not the kind of man he wanted to be. The last thing he wanted to be was anything like his father. Atlas would allow himself this moment of weakness. He looked at Hex as she held him. He could feel her soft skin. The smooth creamy color of her skin lingered on his lips. He could hear her hand as they rested on his face. She squeaked and fell to her knees shaking slightly.


    ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°I think I felt you eyes it was nice.¡± Said Hex with a smile.


    Atlas had no clue as to what that was supposed to mean. He didn''t understand how something could feel nice. They spent hours walking around and experiencing the world.


    ¡°Come on, I have to get you home¡± Said Atlas.


    She could see his words and followed him. They stepped on the transport and we''re back home before she knew it. They stood alone in the dark. Atlas knew she couldn''t see but he wanted to do it anyway. He removed the thick contact lenses that covered the true rage hidden in his eyes.


    He took a deep breath and said ¡°I know this will sound weird and stupid but...¡±


    Hex interrupted whispering ¡°I know¡±.


    Atlas knew there was no possible way she could have known. She reached up placing her hand at both sides of his face.


    ¡°I can feel them¡± Said Hex learning in.


    Atlas closes his eyes and leaned in. She kissed his forehead and hugged him. Hex knew he didn''t want to kiss her lips. She also knew that she wasn''t good enough for him. She knew he could find someone better than her without trying. Hex knew Alison was far more attractive. And he broke up with her, what chance could she have. She could feel his eyes but she didn''t know how or why. She wanted to kiss him, she wanted Lucius to be her first kiss.


    ¡°Want me to walk you home¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°It depends¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°On?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Well you see I lost my teddy bear¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Well I need something cute that likes to cuddle at night so...can I have you¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°I don''t think your parents would approve¡± Said Atlas pulling her closer.


    ¡°Well I don''t care and they think you''re great anyway¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Maybe if you ask¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°How about I tell them I''m sleeping over with your sister?¡± Replied Hex.


    ¡°It''s up to you¡± Said Atlas.


    Hex took her phone out and sent a message to her parents. Atlas saw no harm in a sleepover. He had yet to learn how humans truly reproduced.


    ¡°Hey mom can I sleep over with Athena?¡± Asked Hex.


    A moment passed and she smiled. ¡°Sleep over¡±


    They walked to his house and Levy was eating a jar of peanut butter at the dinner table.


    Her hair was in a messy bun and she had sweatpants. Her shirt was a sports bra with a large amount of writing on it.


    ¡°Sup¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°Hey Athena¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°You two look so cute together but remember. Try anything with my baby brother and I''ll teach you how to swim with lead shoes¡± Said Levy with joy so overwhelming it almost seemed like a good thing.


    ¡°Hmmm¡± Said Hex in a worried tone.


    ¡°Let''s go to my room¡± Said Atlas.


    They walked down stairs and he opened the door. Havana had a short skirt and an almost transparent shirt.


    ¡°Havana, I can see through your shirt¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I doubt there''s much to see¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Like you would know¡± Said Havana covering her chest.


    ¡°Lucius you''re sleeping with me again to night right?¡± Said Havana scowling at Hex.


    ¡°Of course¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°What?¡± Yelled Hex.


    ¡°Is something wrong¡± asked Atlas.


    ¡°Yes, you are sleeping in the same bed as her¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°She told me it would help me understand feelings. I have yet to grasp what feeling, but she told me it would help¡± Replied Atlas.


    Atlas noticed Darwin was attempting to run in his sleep.


    ¡°You don''t do that. You don''t sleep in the same bed with people when you have a girlfriend¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°What about our daughter, when we have a daughter will she be allowed to sleep with us?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Stop being cute I''m trying to be mad at you¡± Said Hex with a smile.


    Atlas had no idea as to what she mean by that.


    ¡°Let''s go to sleep¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas waited outside as she got ready. Havana had been forced to make a bed on the floor. Atlas walked in after she opened the door and she kissed his cheek. She had packed the bed with pillows so only a small amount of space was available for sleeping. They both lay in the bed and looked at each other without their eyes.


    ¡°Lucius!¡± Yelled Levy.


    She walked to the door and Hex frowned.


    ¡°I had a bad dream¡± Said Levy. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°How, it''s been twenty minutes? And you were eating a bucket of ice cream and peanut butter¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I took a nap okay. But I had a bad dream so can we share a bed¡± Asked Levy.


    ¡°You know you don''t have to ask¡± Said Atlas.


    She walked over and Levy lay between Hex and Atlas.


    ¡°Sweet dreams¡± Said Levy.


    When they fell asleep Atlas got out of bed and activated a transport. He had a game to finish. He stood on a single white cube. He looked at the god before him.


    ¡°You have lost five hundred and thirty nine trillion time in a row. Do you think you stand any real chance of beating me?¡± Asked Atlas.


    The being manifested its body out of dust and spoke.


    ¡°It''s only a matter of time¡± Said the God.


    Atlas shook his head. He had never lost against this so called supreme being in all the time they had played against one another. He knew she and he could read his mind. But that only made the game all the more fun. Even with knowing every more he would make the god still lost. Even when it used its ability to read the feature it lost. Nothing it had ever tried had gotten it close. Atlas had never so much as lost a piece unless he wanted to. Atlas had no need to speak only exists. They began the war. It created trillions of evenly matched soldiers at first. Then it created soldiers ten times more powerful that Atlas¡¯s in order to view the full extent of his power. They began the process piece by piece. Years passed as they played, loss after loss Atlas was left victorious.


    ¡°Do you want to know why you lose?¡± Asked Atlas dispute knowing she already knew why.


    ¡°You are a being of perfection. And the chaos I create is beyond your understanding. This is why you will never win¡± Said Atlas. Here Atlas was allowed to use more of his mind than anywhere else.


    The so called God was beneath Atlas on a mental level. But physically it was still had divine supremacy over him. Atlas knew it was reading his mind but not the right ones. The nearly limitless minds Atlas had within himself to understand emotion were nothing compared to his core but we''re more than enough to compete with Gods. When Atlas was done with the games he returned to his house. He was bored of playing with lesser minds. Months passed and Atlas grew to understand what he felt.


    Hex had ended the relationship with him and told him it was because her parents came to the conclusion that he was cheating. She had been given a choice end the relationship or move to a boarding school.


    ¡°Birthday¡± Said Atlas looking at his calendar.


    Scarlet birthday was tomorrow. Atlas still had lots to do. He had the present in its box. He knew he wouldn''t be able to go even if he did his absolute best. He had to catch the fragment before he hurt anyone else. This particular fragment had fused with other fragments to become stronger.


    Atlas walked with Havana to the library. He walked with Morrie who had grow to be remarkably beautiful. Atlas had turned fourteen many weeks ago. But they had celebrated Levy''s birthday at random points in the year. She had a summer birthday. That''s all her friends knew. Atlas walked to his first class of the new year. He sat at the back of the class and could hear the teacher drone on about the basic information of the biology of plants.


    He saw Scarlet take her assigned seat. Atlas never took his unless it was beside one of them. He spent the rest of the day floating to classes. When the end of the school day finally arrived he knew he had just enough time to talk to Scarlet and give her the present. He walked over and tapped her shoulder.


    "Hey I''m sorry but I can''t go to your party my caretaker said I can''t be out that late but I wanted to give you something" Said Atlas.


    Atlas had created the object inside with the help of his mother. It was one of the most precious things he had ever owned.


    "Don''t open it until you get home and don''t open the card until tomorrow" Said Atlas.


    "Thank you I really wish you could come thou" said Scarlet beginning to blush.


    "Don''t get your hopes too high I only gave you what you deserve" said Atlas walking away.


    "Thank you" Said Scarlet with tears attempted to escape her eyes.


    Atlas found Levy and Evelynn, they walked home together. Atlas got his gear together and waited till nightfall. Havana was laying atop Atlas. Atlas did his best not to wake her. He slowly moved her arms away and looked down. Her shorts left very little to the imagination. Her creamy skin was visible in the faint light. As he moved he away she began to wake. He knew she had promised to tell Evelynn if he tried to sneak out again. He had to be care full. The instant he was no longer beside her those sleepy red eyes opened. He had to make her believe she was dreaming.


    ¡°Atlas?¡± Said Havana in a sleepy tone.


    Her ruffled dark hair covering most of the bed.


    ¡°You''re dreaming¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°You''re going to be in trouble¡­¡± Atlas knew it was the most effective method he could think of.


    She would never believe he would kiss her anywhere but in a dream. Atlas kissed her, letting his lips linger for just a instant, she lay frozen.


    Maybe it hadn''t been enough.


    Atlas had an idea. If he truly wanted to make the moment dream like he would have to do it right. He kissed her lips once more holding the moment. He had to admit he enjoyed it. They kissed for several seconds. She moved her lips and her had hit the pillows.


    ¡°It worked¡± Said Atlas.


    He got out of bed picked up his backpack and started out. He knew none of the fragments could be more than two miles away from him. He walked out into the night and looked for the fragment. He alway had a slight feeling of where they were. Atlas marched into the woods and looked into the void. He held his handgun and hunting knife tightly in his fists. An hour passed without any sign of the shard. He knew it was near by.


    The darkness that covered the world was unlike anything that had come before. The trees seemed to cry as the wind pushed them. The wind cast a cold into all life. And light left those unfortunate enough to be in full sight of monsters, demons far more sinister than the fallen.


    ¡°Core¡± Said a wisp of a voice.


    Atlas looked up and could see hundreds of dead bodies. Only a small handful were humans. Just about twenty. The shard dropped hundreds of feet from the tall canopy of trees above. It slammed the into the earth and rose as a shadow of death. It''s skin darker than the void. It¡¯s from broken to the core. It held a woman in its left and a man in its right. It dropped them inches from his feet.


    ¡°Abusive¡± Said the shard.


    Is slithered away from Atlas. Atlas didn''t know wether to be angry or not. One of its dark tendrils slithered it''s way up their legs and shredded their skin. It lifted them into the air as it ripped a massive chunk out of their legs. It split them in half and their intestines hit the floor with a wet thud. Another body hit the floor as it chanted.


    ¡°Pedophilia¡±, and another body ¡°murderer¡± and another ¡°rapist¡±.


    Body after body fell as it named of their crimes. Atlas was at odds. He knew they could not lie. Atlas knew it was not his job to be judge and jury. This shard was as much a part of him as the blood in his veins. It walked away and slithered back.


    It''s body language changed, ¡°Abandoned¡±.


    It held a small child possibly no older than a week.


    ¡°Abused¡± It cried holding another larger child.


    It took a moment and sutured ¡°Too late¡± It howled into the sky before falling.


    A small girl lay in its wings covered in flowers. A snow white dress with forget-me-nots. It''s body shook as it placed her small heavily bruised body down. It bowed and kissed the girls head.


    ¡°Sleep¡± it whimpered.


    It set down the two younger children as a mother or father would their own. It lowered its head just within reach for Atlas. Atlas knew all he would have to do is reach out. Atlas lifted his hand and the smaller child began to cry out. It stopped and turned picking up the baby. Only seconds later the baby stopped it''s crying and began to giggle. The baby touched it''s face and fell back to sleep.


    ¡°I''m taking them to an orphanage¡± Said Atlas picking up the baby and small child.


    Atlas looked at the shard and said ¡°I will be back for you,¡± he looked away ¡°And her¡±.


    He walked an hour hour back to the city and another half hour to the orphanage. He left the children at the doorstep. He linked a back account to each of them by using their fingerprints and DNA. Fifty thousand marks for each. Atlas walked back to meet the shard. It stood over the lost child holding it between its many wings. Atlas was unable to determine how many because of how dark the wings were. It set the child down and looked over at Atlas.


    ¡°Return?¡± It asked.


    Atlas nodded. He touched it''s face and a pain like none he had ever felt before made its home in his mind. Atlas collapse as this pain spoke its name.


    ¡°Sorrow¡±


    He had never felt this kind of emotion to this extent before. To any other it would have seemed seemed like a slight sadness. But he had never felt something so overwhelming before. He attempted to move but the pain had been too powerful. He lay in the darkness for hours. Atlas knew it wasn''t the last shard. He hadn''t felt the calm. Atlas saw the shard. It smiled and slammed it''s massive clawed foot on the body of the lost girl. It split her body into bloody chunks. He felt her blood cover him. It walked up to Atlas and stood over his body. A single long pale finger touched his skin. Several dozen cuts formed.


    ¡°Why do you allow yourself to be so weak. I can tell you know that I''m not like the others. You know what I am. Now, telt talk¡±


    ¡°You walk among the human race only bing half yourself. And we are just as human as you are. What gives you the right to do this to us. You imprison us in your mind and let the human race kill one another without restraint. We do nothing they haven''t already done. We merely seek to remove that cancers of the human race. Do you think the human race would hate us? Hate you for what you are. Maybe you think out appearance just won''t do?¡±


    It began to change its form to a more human one. Its body became identical to his own. Blonde hair formed from the top of its head and it had ocean blue eyes.


    ¡°I can make life from death, I can be more human than you ever could! You took away everything we could ever we could have been before we even had the chance! You took our lives away and continue to hold us in you prison of pain. I am a force beyond gods! I am your shadow!¡±


    It created billions upon billions of stars in the palm of its hand. The stars died as it neared him. It lifted its hand and the body of the girl moved. Shadows began to form around her and reformed her body. She gasped and looked at Atlas. Her eyes were black voids. He knew that he had taken all the humanity and burned it.


    When the second finger touched his skin several hundred cuts began to spread across his skin.


    He could feel the cuts across his skin and he passed out. He woke at the doorstep to his house. The cuts had not faded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± whispered a small vice.


    When Evelynn opened the door for her morning run she nearly began to cry. Atlas felt her warm embrace and she walked him to his chamber. She set him down in the pool like chamber. She stayed with him and told Levy he would be home all day. Atlas was glad she had not seen him. He knew she would have cried and he always felt bad for making her feel sad. He spent the day with Evelynn. He enjoyed the day as she gave him everything he could ask for. Most of the day was spend floating on Evelyn lap as she placed bandages on him.


    Atlas woke the next day and had most of his minor wounds healed. Atlas had a gift for Aurora but knew it would be wrong to give it to her himself. He thought it would be better to give it to Kip and he would deliver the gift.


    Atlas knew where Kip lived and he decided to give the gift to Kip. Atlas knocked on the door and Nero looked around. Dick was waiting at the fence. When the door opened a large fat man scowled at Nero. But when his eyes met with the eyes of Atlas he stepped back.


    ¡°Where is Kip¡± Said Atlas in a voice that seemed far too demanding.


    The man merely nodded and moved back slowly.


    Nero looked at Atlas and said ¡°He seems scared of you¡±.


    Kip walked out and said ¡°What do you want¡±.


    Atlas handed the box to Kip.


    ¡°It''s for Aurora would you mind giving it to her?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Maybe¡± Said Kip.


    Atlas walked with Nero and Dick.


    ¡°So you don''t have a girlfriend anymore¡± Said Dick.


    ¡°Well, not anymore, why?¡± Asked Atlas.


    Nero glared at his sister.


    ¡°You too?¡± Said Nero.


    ¡°What¡± Said Dick with a smile.


    ¡°I really don''t get it,¡± Said Atlas


    ¡°What are you talking about exactly?¡±


    ¡°This really cute kid I know¡± Said Dick.


    Atlas would ever catch on. He still struggled with such advanced concepts.


    ¡°Interesting¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Where are we meeting them?¡± Asked Nero.


    ¡°The park¡± Replied Atlas.


    They had a half hour before the time arrived that they needed to be at the park. They picked up Levy who was playing with Darwin. He had only grown a few inches and still looked like a massive puppy. He ran around Levy until she reached the group and Darwin began to run around all of them. Atlas was fine with the puppy.


    ¡°So who''s ready for some fun at the Park¡± Said Levy with so much enthusiast everyone began to smile.


    ¡°Yep¡± Said Nero.


    Atlas nodded and Dick simply hugged Atlas. They walked to the park slowly talking about anything that came to mind. When they arrived everyone was their. About a thirty five of Levy''s friend. Roughly one tenth of her total. She was very close with about two hundred of them. Atlas was happy when the rest of Levy''s friends arrived. Morrie, Hex, Raven, Azrin, Scarlet, Allison even Penelope. They ate and talked as the party Levy had set up went on. Atlas looked over at Evelynn who was reading on bench beside herself.


    ¡°What you reading?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°A book,¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°Have you read it before?¡± Atlas looked at the book and did not know the title.


    ¡°No¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Probably because I finished it yesterday¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°You wrote it?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°Yep, story of my life¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°Really, would you mind if I¡­¡± Evelynn interrupted Atlas.


    She held the book out and smiled. Atlas opened the book and read who it was dedicated to.


    ¡°In dedication to Aurora my little sis¡­Sam my almost brother...Levy my ball of spice...And Atlas my inspiration¡±.


    Atlas blushed when he saw those words. He had always hoped she thought of him in such a way but never knew. Morrie tapped Atlas on the shoulder.


    ¡°Lucius, you made these right?¡± Asked Morrie pulling the heart shaped pendant out from between her curves.


    ¡°Yes, why?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°No reason¡± Said Morrie. Atlas could not help but glance over her. She had a beautiful air about her.


    She still had the sweater he had gotten her. They spent the entire day talking and eventually went home.


    ¡°So you''re all having a sleepover?¡± Asked Evelynn.


    ¡°Yep¡± Said Levy.


    Evelynn looked at at the massive group of girls and looked over at Atlas. Atlas was reading her book word by word not his usually page by page. He wanted to savor every word.


    ¡°Lucious can I talk to you?¡± Asked Evelynn.


    Atlas nodded slowly. Evelynn sat Atlas down in her room and said ¡°You¡¯re sleeping in my room tonight¡±.


    Atlas opened his mouth slightly and nearly fainted. Evelynn caught him just before he fell.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Asked Evelynn.


    ¡°Just dizzy¡± he Replied.


    ¡°Anyway, I just don''t trust those girls¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°They don''t do anything bad¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Hex knocking on the door.


    Atlas walked over and opened it.


    ¡°Mind if I talked to you alone¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°I don''t mind, let''s go outside¡± Said Atlas.


    As they walked out Atlas notice Aurora and Kip were gone.


    When Atlas knew no one was near by he said ¡°Were alone¡±.


    ¡°Good¡± Whispered Hex.


    She pulled out a water gun and said ¡°Wanna to bang?¡±


    ¡°Depends do you have a bulletproof vest?¡± Asked Atlas.


    She held the squirt gun at her side and said ¡°Anyway¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen your eyes¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°How about I show you the day we kiss¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas kissed her cheek and said ¡°Done, will you show me?¡±


    ¡°That doesn''t count, only on the lips¡± Said Hex.


    Atlas had the intention of seeing her eyes. He had a thought flash in the back of his mind. Aurora was his first kiss and then the mysterious girl had been the second. Atlas recalled a trick his mother would play on his father. ¡°Find¡± Said Atlas pulling Hex in by the waist. He used his index and middle finger to quickly taped her lips.


    ¡°I know that wasn''t your lips. I would have felt sparks¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Maybe I will¡± said Atlas.


    ¡°Well I''ll show you the day you do¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Said Penelope pushing Hex.


    ¡°He''s not for you¡± Said Penelope.


    ¡°Penelope!¡± Said Scarlet popping out from behind the door.


    ¡°So you were watching me¡± Yelled Hex.


    ¡°Maybe¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°Time to sleep!¡± Said Evelynn.


    She walked out and took his hand.


    ¡°I really don''t trust them,¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°By the way I hope you don''t mind sharing because I really don''t want you to sleep out there¡±.


    ¡°Not at all¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°So let''s get sleeping¡± Said Evelynn jumping into bed.


    Atlas lay at the opposite side of the bed. He stayed up reading her book. He had found a comfortable position and it was gone soon after. Evelynn had rolled over and used him as a pillow.


    ¡°Silly potato¡± Said Evelynn.


    She pulled him away from the eade and held him like a baby would a teddy bear. When morning finally arrived Atlas was already in the kitchen cooking for all their guests. Atlas was still star struck. He never imagined he would be so lucky. Once he finished cooking all the meals he thought they needed he placed a single piece of bread in the toaster. His own meal cooked nicely. He felt someone hold him from behind.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Said Ginger ¡°I know what people say about you but I think you''re amazing¡±


    Atlas had no idea what she was talking about.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Replied Atlas.


    He stood up and walked to his room. Havana, Hex and Morrie were all sleeping in his bed. He walked down to one of his extra room and reached the massive door. He unlocked it and closed the door behind himself. He knew if it ever got out their would be nothing to stop it. He walked passed three more door and reached the chamber. He opened the last door and could see her.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Yelled the little girl running up to Atlas.


    ¡°Hello Jann¡± Said Atlas scooping her up.


    ¡°Mommy showed me how to read Schifrin today¡± Said Jann.


    Atlas had created a child with the help of the Archive. The Archive being the most powerful AI ever, had grown lonely and asked Atlas to have a baby with her. The Archive had chosen to be female and did so to suit Atlas. Atlas was the only being she had been able to communicate with in the past ten trillion years within her pocket dimension.


    ¡°How is Jann doing¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°She is doing very well, but we missed you¡± Said the Archive, she sounded remarkably similar to Evelynn.


    ¡°I''m taking her to you today. I hope you don''t mind but I think she¡¯s safer with you¡± Atlas knew this was true.


    He kissed her cheek and she cried ¡°Bye daddy¡±.


    ¡°Don''t cry, I will see you again soon. But until I''m back, I want you to have this¡± He reached into his pocket and held a small bracelet with a black heart.


    ¡°I love you sweetie.¡± Atlas wrapped his arms around her and gave a half smile.


    She pressed her face again his chest and smothered her tears. He cared for Jann. He had spent hundreds of years trying to create her after all. The Archive eventually borrowed a part of his Dna and mixed it with other DNA. Atlas had no idea whose. Perhaps the archive had it own DNA or she used that of a ancient Noah. Jann walked to the transport and went to join her mother. He walked back out and the phone rang. Atlas walked over to answer. The information barely registered. Aurora was missing and Kip was in the hospital. The police were wondering if they had any idea as to what could have happened.


    Atlas replied ¡°No¡± and hung up.


    He walked to his room grabbed his gear. If they hurt her he would let the fragment do as it wished. He walked out without telling anyone. He found the area the police believe she had been abducted. Policy offices were looking at the skid marks and possibility looking for footprints. Atlas know if anyone knew it would be the gangs. He knew where they lived for the most past. He needed muscle and knew just who to ask.


    ¡°Nero¡± Said Atlas knocking on his door.


    Nero opened the door and smiled ¡°Sup¡±


    ¡°I need your help, Aurora''s been kidnapped and I need back up¡± Said Atlas in a cold dead voice.


    ¡°I''m ready for anything what do you need?¡± Said Nero closing the door behind himself.


    ¡°I''m headed into the headquarters of a massive drug cartel to get information and I don''t believe I''ll be taken seriously. You on the other hand will, considering your size¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Let''s go them,¡± Said Nero.


    ¡°Is Darwin coming too?¡±


    Atlas looked over at the puppy. ¡°For now¡±.


    They walked to the run down slums and Atlas opened his backpack. He looked at his tools and reached for a proxy seal breaker. Atlas recalled that Nero had touched a proxy seal. But it''s true purpose was intimidation. When others touched the seal it had a different effect that it did when Atlas did due to the fact that he had many seals placed upon him.


    They reached the lower parts of town and Atlas turned to Darwin ¡°Go find Athena¡±.


    He was off faster than a bullet. They walked up to the door and were greeted with men wielding machine guns.


    ¡°What are you kids doing her¡± Said one man with a scarred face.


    Atlas had taken the liberty of removing his thick contact lenses for thinner ones. He had worn them for the majority of his life but decided it would be appropriate to remove the thicker top pair. Atlas lowered his sunglasses and the man froze.


    Tears began to fall down his face. He fell over and Atlas called out ¡°I need to talk to Dallis¡±.


    More people began to move in.


    ¡°Who do you think you are¡± Said a large woman.


    Atlas simply made eyes contact showing them just what he held deep inside. ¡°Where is Dallis¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°It''s that one freak¡± Said one of the people.


    ¡°Get the door open already¡± Said another.


    Atlas and Nero walked into the building. They soon arrived at the office of the king pin. ¡°What do you kids want. There are easier ways to get crack you know¡± Said Dallis.


    ¡°I''m not here for drugs. I want you tell what you know about any recent kidnappings¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°Why should I tell a punk ass kid like you¡± Said Dallis.


    ¡°Because if you don''t you can count on Lobo the beast himself will be at your door my tomorrow morning¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°You think I''m scared of him¡± Said Dallis with teeth clenched tight.


    ¡°Maybe you''re not but I have more than enough money to get Adriel to bash your skull in. But I like to make friends so I''ll give you fifty thousand Marks if you tell me everything you know¡± Said Atlas leaning back in a chain.


    ¡°Fine, I get the idea. But listen kid, it wasn''t us. But I do know who. The Fangs have been taking people. I don''t know where but if anyone knows it will be them¡± Said Dallis.


    ¡°Thank you¡± Said Atlas tossing a stack of cash.


    They walked out after that ¡°So what should we do next?¡± Asked Nero.


    ¡°We aren''t doing anything. I''m going to find the Fangs and kindly ask them to give Aurora back. Go home and tell my sister I''m safe¡± Said Atlas walking away.


    He turned on his scanners and took a position somewhere hidden in the woods. A full day of waiting and he finally heard what he was waiting for. He heard two women and a man talk about where they would taking their cargo. Atlas knew the location they mentioned did not exist on any maps. But Atlas had used a bug to steal information from Dallis. He knew everything they did. Atlas had a total of five seal breakers in his backpack. He knew two would be enough to temporary let him use his Ark ability. Anymore would run the risk of fracturing the Lord seal. The proxy priest class seal was the seal that had created the shards. He could only imagine what the Lord class shards would be capable of.


    He began what he knew to be a very long walk. He had enough toast in his backpack to last a month. He still had to eat black pill every day but that wouldn''t be a problem. He walked until the sun had hid at the far side of the world. He set up his orange camping tent and looked over his weapons. A stun gun and several pieces of paper.


    He knew the power he had been born with. His mother had told him exactly what it was. He smiled at the thought of his mother.


    He waited till the sun once again stood over the red planet. He walked through the rugged terrain and found the facility. Several large group of armed guards were waiting around every corner. Human trafficking was something Atlas hated. Atlas learned the patterns and hacked the systems. Atlas was able to hack the automated machine guns. Atlas them found a small group of traffickers sitting around a fire. Atlas knew just what to do. He waited till one of them walked off to take care of businesses. When the woman walked off he grabbed a piece of paper and used a possession seal. She hadn''t heard Atlas sneak up on her. He gave her other possession seals and told her to placed it on all the other guards.


    Atlas now had a total of ten guards under his control. He got two of them to pretend to capture him. The others would spend time possessing other people. Atlas was brought in and walked to where all the other prisoners would be held. When Atlas knew what was going on within the walls he considered killing someone for the first time.


    Young men and women were strapped to beds. They had lost eyes and seemed all to empty. Atlas felt something snap. Armed guards taking advantage of girls and young boys alike. Atlas had not noticed the shard as it fell. A darker part of Atlas had been set free. He heard it''s voice.


    ¡°Released?¡±


    Atlas had to find Aurora. Far off in the distance he could hear the crying of newborn children. Another piece had fallen. The voice called out.


    ¡°Free?¡±


    These shards were smarter and more powerful than any that had ever come before. They knew to fear the core, his core. They would wait till he gave the word knowing only death would come with defence. They walked Atlas around and he wanted to kill the more he saw. He found a cage with young girls and saw the word ¡°Virgin¡± in large red letters.


    He felt piece after piece fall. He found her, he felt joy and they knew fear. She was safe.


    He walked up to the cage and called out ¡°Aurora¡±.


    She saw Atlas and began to cry ¡°You idiot! How could you?!,¡±


    ¡°They''ll hurt you too¡±


    Atlas could not recall what he had done. But what she had said causes something to change in his mind. When his mind returned to the place it belonged only pieces remained. The shards had taken the lives of ever trafficker and had returned to him knowing he willed it so. Small shreds of people were scattered throughout the massive buildings. If he had known this would be the result, he would have killed them himself.


    Atlas was holding Aurora and had no clue as to when he had picked her up. He wanted to leave that place. Not because he held any hate for for what he had done but because he didn''t want Aurora near it. He knew he would do anything to keep her safe. He walked until the place was out of sight. But evidence of his crime was still visible.


    Aurora had fallen asleep or passed out. He felt the strain of what the shards had done on his body. As he carried her in the woods she began to wake up. Her eyes lit up and she hugged Atlas. She began to cry and he held her for hours. He continued to walk back to his camp.


    When they arrived the sun had hid behind the trees. Atlas had been unable to look away from her. He feared losing her again. She was afraid for so long. She had watch unspeakable crimes and had nearly been sold by human traffickers.


    ¡°I won''t let anyone hurt you¡± Said Atlas.


    He knew he would even if the price for doing so was his life. When they arrive he set her down and she pulled him down.


    ¡°Don''t leave me¡± Said Aurora.


    She wanted to be with him. She didn''t want to be alone. For the first time she would allow greed to take the lead. She wanted him to stay with her. Atlas kissed her cheek and sat beside her.


    ¡°We won''t be able get home tonight¡± Said Atlas.


    ¡°I''m fine with that, as long as you don''t leave me¡± Said Aurora.


    Atlas felt something he could not identify. The most powerful emotion he had felt so far in his life. Atlas didn''t know when but he had kissed her lips.


    The last drops of sunlight touched their tent at that moment. It was strange. Atlas had never felt anything so soft before. He had never felt his heart beat so fast. He had never loved anyone this way.


    They looked into eachothers eyes and kissed again. Aurora felt only joy as she looked into his eyes. Those eyes were her guardian, her protector, her lover. Atlas felt his hands drift and did his best not to.

 chapter 14 Aurora and Atlas

    ¡°Should we head home or spend another night together?¡± Asked Aurora.


    Atlas would have more than enjoyed another night alone but knew Levy was probably crying her eyes out.


    He kissed her and said ¡°Maybe we can spend a few weeks together later but my sister is probably crying her eyes out right now¡±. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Yeah my sister probably thinks we''re dead¡± Said Aurora.


    They spent a few hours holding one another before they got up. They walked home hand in hand. Atlas kept his shirt off the entire way home. When they arrived home they found Levy asleep on the couch with a picture of Atlas. Atlas walked over and shuck her lightly.


    ¡°Wake up¡± Said Atlas softly. When she opened her eyes she began to cry. ¡°Where were you!?¡± Cried Levy as she hugged Atlas.


    ¡°With Aurora, I needed to find her¡± Said Atlas.


    I need her.

 Chapter 15.1 Aurora

    ¡°School starts next week¡± Said Aurora as Lucius pulled her close.


    ¡°There is a festival in six days. Would you care to go?¡± Asked Atlas.


    ¡°You already know I''m going say yes¡± Replied Aurora.


    ¡°School starts on the twenty second¡± Stated Atlas.


    ¡°That gives us a week of hanging out¡± Replied Aurora.


    ¡°What are you two talking about¡± Said Havana walking into the room.


    Darwin galloped into the room and ran right up to Aurora.


    ¡°A carnival¡± Said Aurora holding Darwin on her lap.


    ¡°That''s cool, and Lucius I got a message from you know who about your little friend¡± Said Havana holding out a oldy shaped phone.


    Lucius picked up the phone and began to write a message.


    ¡°So does Evelynn know we''re...¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Well¡­ she knows we are hanging out right now¡± Replied Lucius.


    ¡°You haven''t told my sister?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Not yet¡± Said Atlas closing his book.


    ¡°Well should we tell her, we have time¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Are you two dating or something?¡± Asked Havana.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Said Aurora ¡°and he''s my future husband¡±.


    ¡°Lucky you¡± Said Havana with jealousy so powerful Aurora could feel it.


    ¡°Come on let''s go tell Evelynn¡± Said Aurora.


    They walked up stairs and knocked on Evelynn¡¯s door. Lucius knocked again and she opened the door. Aurora kissed Lucius the moment she opened the door. ¡°Are you two dating?¡± Asked Evelynn.


    ¡°Yes¡± Said Aurora with a smile.


    ¡°Lucius can I talk to you¡± Said Evelynn.


    He nodded and she closed the door. Aurora began to worry and wanted to know what they were doing. A few minutes passed and Lucius walked out with a red face.


    ¡°Sissy can I talk to you?¡± Said Evelynn.


    Aurora nodded slowly and walked in.


    ¡°He told me what you two did¡± Said Evelynn.


    Aurora felt mortified. Evelynn knew her little sister had done something with him. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°It was only once, and I had protection, please don''t be mad at him¡± Said Aurora in a pleading voice.


    Evelynn¡¯s mouth hung open.


    ¡°You two did what!,¡± Yelled Evelynn. ¡°Aurora listen, he doesn''t understand things like that he doesn''t understand what you two did means. He is a innocent little kid, well kinda, not really but you get what I mean. Things like that are beyond his understanding¡±.


    ¡°I''m sorry¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°I know this is going to sound really really weird, but how did you get him to do that? I mean seriously considering how little he feels for anything or anyone, how? And he hates when people touch him. I''ve seen his arm get crushed in a car accident. He shrugged it off like nothing. But then he didn''t want the paramedics to touch him either, I had to convince him. He is really tough and cold hearted as hell sometimes...¡± Said Evelynn beginning to rant.


    ¡°It just happened¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Just don''t pressure him into doing anything like that again. Unless he asked you, in that case I''m gonna make fun of him for the rest of his life¡± Evelynn was blushing ever so slightly.


    ¡°I didn''t¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Okay fine, let''s just forget this ever happened because his mom will kill me if she ever finds out¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°But I do have a few questions if you don''t mind¡±


    ¡°All right¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°So, ummm, When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°The night before I came back¡± She replied.


    Aurora nodded and walked out. She realized her sister had known nothing until she told her. Lucius was holding Darwin by his back right foot and he looked like the happiest pigmy war puppy ever. Darwin had grown just a few inches.


    ¡°So I was hoping we could go to that carnival, with everyone¡± Said Lucius.


    Aurora smiled and kissed his cheek.


    ¡°Of course¡± Said Aurora.


    She walked to the door. She smiled when he grabbed her hand. She felt bad because he treated her so well. He had never done anything wrong during their relationship. He was perfect. She felt she didn''t deserve someone like him. He didn''t understand what he had done to deserve to know people as kind as them. He had been so accustomed to hate he felt odd without it.


    ¡°You know the tickets cost like fifty dollars right?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Yes and did you forget back to school night¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°No but I am really lazy. Do we have to go¡± Replied Aurora leaning against Lucius.


    ¡°No, but everyone will be there¡± Aurora was looking down at her new shirt.


    It had a large black heart over the majority of her chest. They walked out and Darwin followed. He stopped and sprinted out and around the corner as fast as his fat puppy feet could take him. Which was a fast walking pace. He ran out into the street and a large car flashed in front of him. She could see his tiny body roll under the wheels of the car. Then the second wheel went over his tiny body she could hear a loud pop. The car stopped. Darwin lay motionless on the hard floor. Aurora felt like she was a split second from crying. Lucius tossed a ball at Darwin and it bounced off his puffy body.


    ¡°Get up you little shit!¡± Said Lucius.


    Darwin sat up and ran after the ball.


    A man stepped out of the car and yelled ¡°What did I hit?¡± in a worried voice.


    ¡°Nothing important¡± Said Lucius in a calm voice.


    Darwin ran out of sight and far from view. Darwin was walking back slowly with Hex. Aurora had no clue as to what had happened.


    What kind of dog is that thing.


    ¡°Hi Darwin, did you escape your house again or did you happen to run into me?¡± Asked Hex.


    Darwin said nothing but he did yip. He had yet to bark effectively. He couldn''t quite bark for some reason.


    ¡°Hey, Hex¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Have you been treating my lover well¡± Said Hex as she blew a kiss directly at Lucius.


    ¡°Yes, and he''s mine thank you very much¡± Replied Aurora.


    ¡°It doesn''t count because he never kissed me. Who knows, maybe if he kisses me he will fall in love that instant¡± Smirked Hex.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Said Lucius ¡°I was hoping we could all go to the carnival¡±.


    ¡°Do you mean you want to take all of this¡± Said Hex as he ran her hands down her divine form ¡°to the carnival¡±.

 chapter 15.2 Aurora

    ¡°Do you mean you want to take all of this¡± Said Hex as he ran her hands down her divine form ¡°to the carnival¡±.


    ¡°I don''t know how to respond¡± Uttered Lucius.


    ¡°Just don''t, it''s better that way¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong? Did I make you jealous¡± Said Hex facing Aurora as she blew a kiss.


    ¡°We should get going¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Where to?¡± Asked Hex walking to Lucius side.


    She wrapped her arm around his and leaned against him.


    ¡°I was going to take Aurora to a so called fancy restaurant but we can all go¡± Said Lucius.


    As they walked Allison walked out of thin air.


    ¡°Hey Lucius, I''ve missed you¡± Said Allison.


    She looked just as beautiful as ever.


    ¡°Is everyone hiding behind the corner or something?¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Nope¡± Said Azrin sitting atop Lucius¡¯ shoulders. A water bottle flew out of nowhere and smacked Azrin¡¯s face.


    ¡°That''s my spot!¡± Yelled Penelope walking besides Scarlet.


    Azrin almost hit the ground but Lucius had caught her foot. He slowly lowered her to the ground. Aurora could recall the first time they meet. She was far more violent then.


    ¡°So let''s all go¡± Said Aurora.


    They managed to find everyone as they walked. Even Morrie.


    ¡°So we''re all going on a date¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°No, Lucius and I are going on a date. You''re just joining us¡± Said Aurora.


    Aurora looked at Lucius and saw something dark move beneath his shirt. She hadn''t been the only one because Morrie pulled his shirt up the next thing she knew.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°I saw something move under your shirt. And when did you get a tattoo on your chest?¡± Asked Morrie looking directly into his eyes.


    ¡°I''m sorry I have to go, but please go ahead and go to this location and ask for our reservation¡± Said Lucius as he handed her a note walked away.


    Aurora looked at the paper but no longer felt like eating. They all went anyway. The restaurant was quite possibly the most expensive looking place on Mars. Olympus was the name of the beautifully decorated location. Aurora handed the paper to one of the people waiting at the door.


    ¡°Pleased to meet the famed Lucius¡¯s girlfriend. My name is Keith, please follow me.¡±


    They walked up the grand halls that had marvel statues and ascended the stairs to their table. Several cooks were preparing their meals as they took their seats.


    ¡°Good morning lady Aurora, my name is Jekel. I see that Lucius is not here is it right to assume that he will not be joining us this evening¡± He spoke in a thick low voice.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Replied Aurora.


    Everything in the room seemed expensive. The plates had gold engravings. The chairs were made of a single solid piece of wood topped with otter fur. A cruel seat but none the less soft. The chandeliers were made of blue crystals and the floor was made of what looked like stars. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°It''s pretty dark here¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Would you like us to brighten the room?¡± Asked Jekel.


    ¡°She''s blind¡± Said Azrin.


    ¡°A joker I see,¡± Said Jekel ¡°no pun intended¡±.


    Aurora had her mind focused on Lucius.Why had he abandoned them. Why was he so concerned about his tattoos. Aurora floated through the dinner and walked back to check on Lucius. She had everyone else alongside her. Athena was sitting on the roof of the house when they arrived. Nero was sitting besides her.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Athena with a smile.


    She then jumped down. Nero walked back into the house and came out.


    ¡°Where''s Lucius?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°I thought he was here¡± Said Aurora as everyone began to murmur.


    He had not come home.


    ¡°You''re joking right?¡± Replied Aurora.


    ¡°I''ll call him¡± Said Nero.


    Aurora could hear the phone ring. It was coming from her room.


    Athena ran into the house and yelled ¡°He left his phone!¡±


    ¡°We should go out and look for him¡± Said Nero.


    Aurora felt worried. He hadn''t told her he was going anywhere. It was not like him to not tell her where he planned on going. Evelynn was out buying medicine for Lucius. Aurora had a few ideas as to where he may be. Mars was a small enough world. They looked at every location they believed he may be and found absolutely nothing. Aurora could not think of any place he may be hiding.


    ¡°Maybe he just got lost¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°He can''t, he always knows where he is¡± Said Athena.


    Aurora could feel herself become more and more nervous. When it became late they went home. Aurora couldn''t sleep. She had him on her mind. What if he had gotten lost or hurt.


    ¡°Aurora!¡± Said voice.


    She walked to her window and looked down the ground. Lucius was standing in her garden. He was missing his shirt and something seemed off about his voice.


    ¡°I''m sorry, it''s not you it''s me. I''m a terrible person and I found someone else¡± Said Lucius.


    Aurora didn''t respond. She wanted to cry and yell and curse but didn''t.


    ¡°I''m sorry but I love her not you. I''m sorry if I miss lead you. I want you to know I don¡¯t love you. I never cared about you¡± He proclaimed.


    Aurora ran to her bed and began to cry. She woke in the morning with red dry eyes. She was hoping it had been a bad dream. She got out of bed and made breakfast. She wondered what she had done to make him lose his love for her. And who was the girl the he loved more. Could it be Hex? Perhaps Scarlet. Even Morrie?


    The following day lacked his presence. She didn''t want to go anywhere. She was angry at herself for believing someone as wonderful as him could truly love her. She knew she shouldn''t have cared so much about the relationship but she did. She walked to Hex¡¯s home and knocked at the door. Hex opened the door. She looked mad for the first time in a long time.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Lucius¡± Said Hex in a choked voice.


    She seemed like she was about to cry.


    ¡°What did he do?¡± Asked Aurora.


    They walked in and sat down.


    ¡°He just said a lot of hurtful things. I don''t want to get into the details but he made me cry¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Why is he being such an ass¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Let''s go get Scarlet¡± Hex doing her best not to cry.


    They walked out and marched to Scarlet home. When they arrived they could see Scarlet sitting at her doorstep. Tears had recently graced her face.


    ¡°Scarlet, are you okay?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°No, I''m really not,¡± Said Scarlet. ¡°Why would he say all that¡±.


    Tears began to fall down her face. Aurora hugged Scarlett as she cried.


    When enough time passed Aurora asked ¡°What did he say to you?¡±


    ¡°He called me worthless¡± Said Scarlet.


    Hex cringed. Hex didn''t want to think about what he could have said to Scarlet considering what he had said to her. Telling her he never cared about her and that he could never love a blind girl, a cripple. He told her she was stupid for believing he was telling the truth when he called her beautiful. He hurt her more than anything ever had.


    Aurora looked at Scarlet.


    ¡°I don''t want to talk about what he said¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Should we check up on Morrie?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°We really should¡± Said Aurora.


    They walked all the way to Morrie''s home. When they knocked on the door two large men opened the door.


    ¡°Are you here to visit Morrie?¡± Asked one of the men.


    ¡°Yes¡± Replied Aurora.


    They looked at each other and said ¡°Watch your step¡±.

 chapter 15.3 Aurora

    ¡°Do you mean you want to take all of this¡± Said Hex as he ran her hands down her divine form ¡°to the carnival¡±.


    ¡°I don''t know how to respond¡± Uttered Lucius.


    ¡°Just don''t, it''s better that way¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong? Did I make you jealous¡± Said Hex facing Aurora as she blew a kiss.


    ¡°We should get going¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Where to?¡± Asked Hex walking to Lucius side.


    She wrapped her arm around his and leaned against him.


    ¡°I was going to take Aurora to a so called fancy restaurant but we can all go¡± Said Lucius.


    As they walked Allison walked out of thin air.


    ¡°Hey Lucius, I''ve missed you¡± Said Allison.


    She looked just as beautiful as ever.


    ¡°Is everyone hiding behind the corner or something?¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Nope¡± Said Azrin sitting atop Lucius¡¯ shoulders. A water bottle flew out of nowhere and smacked Azrin¡¯s face.


    ¡°That''s my spot!¡± Yelled Penelope walking besides Scarlet.


    Azrin almost hit the ground but Lucius had caught her foot. He slowly lowered her to the ground. Aurora could recall the first time they meet. She was far more violent then.


    ¡°So let''s all go¡± Said Aurora.


    They managed to find everyone as they walked. Even Morrie.


    ¡°So we''re all going on a date¡± Said Raven.


    ¡°No, Lucius and I are going on a date. You''re just joining us¡± Said Aurora.


    Aurora looked at Lucius and saw something dark move beneath his shirt. She hadn''t been the only one because Morrie pulled his shirt up the next thing she knew.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°I saw something move under your shirt. And when did you get a tattoo on your chest?¡± Asked Morrie looking directly into his eyes.


    ¡°I''m sorry I have to go, but please go ahead and go to this location and ask for our reservation¡± Said Lucius as he handed her a note walked away.


    Aurora looked at the paper but no longer felt like eating. They all went anyway. The restaurant was quite possibly the most expensive looking place on Mars. Olympus was the name of the beautifully decorated location. Aurora handed the paper to one of the people waiting at the door.


    ¡°Pleased to meet the famed Lucius¡¯s girlfriend. My name is Keith, please follow me.¡±


    They walked up the grand halls that had marvel statues and ascended the stairs to their table. Several cooks were preparing their meals as they took their seats.


    ¡°Good morning lady Aurora, my name is Jekel. I see that Lucius is not here is it right to assume that he will not be joining us this evening¡± He spoke in a thick low voice.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Replied Aurora.


    Everything in the room seemed expensive. The plates had gold engravings. The chairs were made of a single solid piece of wood topped with otter fur. A cruel seat but none the less soft. The chandeliers were made of blue crystals and the floor was made of what looked like stars. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°It''s pretty dark here¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Would you like us to brighten the room?¡± Asked Jekel.


    ¡°She''s blind¡± Said Azrin.


    ¡°A joker I see,¡± Said Jekel ¡°no pun intended¡±.


    Aurora had her mind focused on Lucius.Why had he abandoned them. Why was he so concerned about his tattoos. Aurora floated through the dinner and walked back to check on Lucius. She had everyone else alongside her. Athena was sitting on the roof of the house when they arrived. Nero was sitting besides her.


    ¡°Hey¡± Said Athena with a smile.


    She then jumped down. Nero walked back into the house and came out.


    ¡°Where''s Lucius?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°I thought he was here¡± Said Aurora as everyone began to murmur.


    He had not come home.


    ¡°You''re joking right?¡± Replied Aurora.


    ¡°I''ll call him¡± Said Nero.


    Aurora could hear the phone ring. It was coming from her room.


    Athena ran into the house and yelled ¡°He left his phone!¡±


    ¡°We should go out and look for him¡± Said Nero.


    Aurora felt worried. He hadn''t told her he was going anywhere. It was not like him to not tell her where he planned on going. Evelynn was out buying medicine for Lucius. Aurora had a few ideas as to where he may be. Mars was a small enough world. They looked at every location they believed he may be and found absolutely nothing. Aurora could not think of any place he may be hiding.


    ¡°Maybe he just got lost¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°He can''t, he always knows where he is¡± Said Athena.


    Aurora could feel herself become more and more nervous. When it became late they went home. Aurora couldn''t sleep. She had him on her mind. What if he had gotten lost or hurt.


    ¡°Aurora!¡± Said voice.


    She walked to her window and looked down the ground. Lucius was standing in her garden. He was missing his shirt and something seemed off about his voice.


    ¡°I''m sorry, it''s not you it''s me. I''m a terrible person and I found someone else¡± Said Lucius.


    Aurora didn''t respond. She wanted to cry and yell and curse but didn''t.


    ¡°I''m sorry but I love her not you. I''m sorry if I miss lead you. I want you to know I don¡¯t love you. I never cared about you¡± He proclaimed.


    Aurora ran to her bed and began to cry. She woke in the morning with red dry eyes. She was hoping it had been a bad dream. She got out of bed and made breakfast. She wondered what she had done to make him lose his love for her. And who was the girl the he loved more. Could it be Hex? Perhaps Scarlet. Even Morrie?


    The following day lacked his presence. She didn''t want to go anywhere. She was angry at herself for believing someone as wonderful as him could truly love her. She knew she shouldn''t have cared so much about the relationship but she did. She walked to Hex¡¯s home and knocked at the door. Hex opened the door. She looked mad for the first time in a long time.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Lucius¡± Said Hex in a choked voice.


    She seemed like she was about to cry.


    ¡°What did he do?¡± Asked Aurora.


    They walked in and sat down.


    ¡°He just said a lot of hurtful things. I don''t want to get into the details but he made me cry¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°Why is he being such an ass¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Let''s go get Scarlet¡± Hex doing her best not to cry.


    They walked out and marched to Scarlet home. When they arrived they could see Scarlet sitting at her doorstep. Tears had recently graced her face.


    ¡°Scarlet, are you okay?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°No, I''m really not,¡± Said Scarlet. ¡°Why would he say all that¡±.


    Tears began to fall down her face. Aurora hugged Scarlett as she cried.


    When enough time passed Aurora asked ¡°What did he say to you?¡±


    ¡°He called me worthless¡± Said Scarlet.


    Hex cringed. Hex didn''t want to think about what he could have said to Scarlet considering what he had said to her. Telling her he never cared about her and that he could never love a blind girl, a cripple. He told her she was stupid for believing he was telling the truth when he called her beautiful. He hurt her more than anything ever had.


    Aurora looked at Scarlet.


    ¡°I don''t want to talk about what he said¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Should we check up on Morrie?¡± Asked Hex.


    ¡°We really should¡± Said Aurora.


    They walked all the way to Morrie''s home. When they knocked on the door two large men opened the door.


    ¡°Are you here to visit Morrie?¡± Asked one of the men.


    ¡°Yes¡± Replied Aurora.


    They looked at each other and said ¡°Watch your step¡±.

 chapter 15.4 Aurora

    They looked at each other and said ¡°Watch your step¡±.


    When they walked in hundreds of random object covered the floor. Swords, spears, tables, chairs, shattered glass, and a few chandeliers. And what was what they would identify. They walked passed everything and made it to Morrie''s room.


    ¡°Morrie?¡± Said Aurora knocking on the door.


    ¡°What do you want!¡± Yelled Morrie ripping the door of its hinges.


    ¡°We wanted to know if Lucius pissed you off too...¡± Said Hex.


    ¡°I swear I would have punched his smug little face. He just, just did everything that could have pushed me over the edge¡± Said Morrie ramming her fist through the wall.


    Morrie didn¡¯t look sleepy for once. She looked more depressed than ever.


    ¡°So should we go talk to him?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°I don''t really want to see him¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Same¡± Said Morrie.


    ¡°I don''t really want to be around him¡± Said Hex.


    They all felt in a similar way.


    ¡°Should we check up on Allison and Raven?¡± Asked Aurora.


    They nodded and walked to their homes. They found that he had not done anything to them. They spent the day trying to cheer each other up and when the day ended they went home. Aurora thought he had actually cared about her friends and her. Aurora blamed herself. Athena had warned them. He was nearly incapable of feeling any emotion. Athena had repeatedly told them to be careful and asked them not to blame him for being so detached. He truly cares for nothing. She heard a knocking at her door.


    ¡°Aurora, Aurora please open the door. I can explain everything!¡± Yelled Lucius.


    Aurora cover her head with a pillow. She didn''t want to hear it.


    ¡°Aurora please!¡± He called out with the dull lifeless voice that belonged to him alone. A full hour passed as he slowly called out less and less.


    ¡°Please Aurora, I love you¡±.


    It was the the most hurtful thing he could have said. She ran to the door and knew just what she was going to do. When she opened the door she could see a true whole smile. Not a broken half smile, a full hearted smile. His eyes were a flame so bright they could have eaten all creation. She slapped him as hard as her body would allow. She didn''t hit hard because of how badly she was shaking. Her eyes were streaming with tears as she slammed the door shut. She collapsed at the other side of the barrier. She could feel her shattered heart. After two full hour of crying she thought about calling Athena. She wanted to know why Lucius had changed so much.


    She got her phone out and called.


    ¡°Hey Athena, it''s me. I wanted to ask you something about Lucius. He started being really mean to us. Do you have any idea why?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°I haven''t seen him in the past three days. He''s been missing, I called you but you didn''t respond¡± Said Athena.


    ¡°But I saw him a few hours ago¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Where are you!¡± Screamed Athena.


    ¡°At my house?¡± She replied.


    ¡°I''m coming over, is he still with you?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°No¡± Whispered Aurora.


    Only two minutes had passed and Athena was at the door.


    ¡°What did he say to you¡± Yelled Athena.


    ¡°I don''t remember!¡± Replied Aurora taking a step back.


    ¡°You don''t understand why this is so important, he left his pills at home. The longest he has ever gone without them is two days. He could be dead right now¡± Said Athena as tears streaked her cheeks.


    Aurora felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. She may have condemned Lucius to death.


    ¡°Maybe he''ll come back¡± Said Aurora.


    Someone knocked on the door. When Aurora opened the door Azrin stood with wraps around her left arm. Or what remained of it. Her face had several large bruises and cuts. She looked like she had crawled out of hell.


    ¡°I found where they are keeping him¡± Said Azrin.


    ¡°Where who are keeping him?¡± Asked Athena.


    ¡°The shadows, those things that follow him¡± Said Azrin.


    Athena picked Azrin up and lay her on a bed.


    ¡°Save him,¡± Said Azrin with sleepy eyes ¡°I wrote down his location¡±.


    She handed Athena a paper.


    ¡°I''ll take care of Azrin, please find my brother¡± Said Athena.


    Aurora looked at the paper and ran to the location. It took over an hour but she arrived. It was an abandoned nuclear facility. She looked at the once mighty beast. It had provided power to most of the planet for over a century. She walked down the dead bones of the colossal structure. She could hear things move as she walked down the hall. She made certain the pill was in her pocket every few seconds.


    ¡°Aurora!¡± Cried a small voice.


    She began to run. She didn''t know, she couldn''t have known. Lucius stood at the mouth of another hall. Something massive and dark walked up behind him.


    He yelled ¡°Behind you!¡±.


    A massive claw lifted him off the ground and several dozen more claws rammed through his body.


    ¡°Aurora! Just keep running, find him. They are trying to¡­¡± Aurora turned just in time to see Lucius, or another Lucius get ripped in half by another monster.


    ¡°Trying to make you run away they can''t hurt you! Find him¡± Said the copy before a pair of massive jaws split him in half.


    Aurora began to follow the sound of her name. She continued to run until she reached what seemed the center. Hundreds of monsters crawled over every inch of the ground, walls, and ceiling. They moved away as she walked closer.


    ¡°Why save him? He doesn''t care about you. He has never loved you. He wanted you dead. He hated all of you¡± Said hundreds of voices.


    Aurora covered her ears. But she knew it would do nothing to help.


    ¡°He knows no love for any of you¡± Said the voices.


    She ran to what seems to be the center and found Lucius. A strange girl stood besides him. She looked like a ghost. Not transparent or floating but she was ghostly pale. She had snow white hair and skin. Her eyes were a pale blue and red. Her face was familiar. It resembled Morrie, Scarlet, Hex, even herself.


    ¡°Hello Aurora¡± Said the girl. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Lucius was tied to a rusted chair. He had the same clothes she had seen him with last. The real him.


    ¡°Cat got your young? Well that''s too bad. Anyway if you don''t mind I''m kinda busy with my chess partner¡± Said the girl.


    She grabbed Lucius and lifted his head to face her. She kissed his lips and placed a pill in his mouth. Aurora stepped forward and was ready to fight whoever this was.


    ¡°Are you really going to fight me? You really don''t know what I am do you¡± Said the strange girl.


    Aurora took another step forward and she manifested a few inches from her face. Aurora felt her hand slam her face. She hit the floor dazed by the impact.


    ¡°Go away¡± She whispered.


    Aurora wanted to tell her she wouldn''t leave without him but she was unable to speak.


    ¡°So you really won''t leave will you¡± said the girl.


    She lifted Aurora by her neck and smiled.


    ¡°Let''s play a game. I will placed him in the middle of this room and who ever he walks to gets to keep him. Because if he really loves you he will walk to you¡± Said the girl dropping her.


    ¡°Fine¡± Said Aurora as she wiped the blood from her mouth.


    She knew Aurora stood no chance of beating her head on. Lucius had dry blood over most of his body. His eyes held a overwhelming power.


    ¡°Walk over there¡± Said the girl.


    Aurora had no control of her body. Each step was out of her control. She could see the chains around Lucius¡¯s hands fall.


    ¡°Stand up¡± Said the girl.


    Lucius stood up and stopped.


    ¡°Now, walked to whoever you love more¡± Said the girl.


    Lucius instantly started to walk towards her.


    ¡°That''s it¡± Said the girl opening her arms.


    Aurora felt her hope leave her. She knew this person would keep him forever.


    ¡°See he loves me more. In fact he will do anything I tell him. Watch¡± Preached the girl.


    She crossed her arms and said ¡°Kiss me¡±.


    He leaned in and kissed her lips. Random action after random action he did as he was told.


    ¡°Now lift your hand¡± Said the girl.


    Aurora let the feeling skink in. Knowingly Lucius would be stuck with this psychopath forever. She heard a loud slap. The girl had her hand over her right cheek.


    ¡°You¡­¡± She spat before his left hand struck her face again.


    She began to cry.


    She fell to her knees and he said ¡°I do love her¡± as he walked away.


    ¡°Come back¡± She cried.


    He had almost reached Aurora when he hit the floor.


    The monsters began to burn away like ash reforming his tattoos. She continued to cry as she curled up. Lucius sat up and after spasming. He walked over to the girl and picked her up.


    ¡°Aurora, she doesn''t understand what she was doing. She was just lonely. She never meant any harm. She thought we were like her¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°What is she?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°A God, so to speak¡± Replied Lucius.


    He reached out and grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Replied Aurora.


    She had a billion questions to ask but felt it wasn''t the right time. He seemed weary and tired.


    ¡°You must be curious, go ahead ask me anything ¡° Said Lucius.


    ¡°What were those things?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Shards, the best way to word it is parts of me. I made them to learn emotions. They would learn how to feel and I use the feelings¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°Why isn''t she doing anything¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Her power is highly dependent on how powerful she feels. When I slapped her she lost that sense of power. And she lost that control she had. That''s why she''s a minor God¡± Said Lucius.


    Aurora wanted to ask why she looked like her and everyone else at the same time. She took a moment and was able to muster the courage


    ¡°Why did you kiss her and why did she look like Scarlet, Hex and Morrie¡± Said Aurora with great strain.


    ¡°She looked like you too,¡± Said Lucius ¡°And I kissed her because I thought it was you. And as to why she looked like all four of you. I think it was because she couldn''t decide who I loved more so she went with all of you. My mind couldn¡¯t make the distinction in the state of mind I was in¡±.


    Aurora had a slight understanding of what was going on and a wave of jealousy.


    ¡°So did you mean it when you said you loved me?¡± Asked Aurora letting the words slid her lips.


    ¡°I do¡± Said Lucius with a smile, a true smile.


    ¡°I know this will ruin the moment but I''m going to take her back to where she came from¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°By the way, I think Morrie, Hex, and Scarlet are mad at you¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Why?¡± Asked Lucius as the girl shifted.


    ¡°You said some really hurtful things to them¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Is that why you slapped me?¡± Asked Lucius.


    Aurora felt ashamed. She had hurt him and he had done nothing wrong.


    ¡°Yes¡± Replied Aurora.


    Atlas had made a deal with Scylla. If he could prove four people who were not related to him by blood loved him she would let him free. But if he was wrong, she belonged to him. Atlas was confident and placed his fate in their hands. He thought they would have had his back. But he had lost. He had believed they loved him. He visited Aurora first because she was the closest. And when he said ¡°I love you¡± and heard her running down the stairs he believed she truly loved him. Her soft hand was the most painful thing he had ever felt.


    ¡°What did I say to make you so mad?¡± Asked Lucius.


    ¡°You said you hated me and didn''t care about me or love me¡± Said Aurora choking up.


    ¡°I care about you and love you. If I didn''t I wouldn''t have, you know¡± Said Lucius.


    Aurora recalled having to explain what they were doing. His innocence was adorable in her opinion.


    ¡°It was a lot to take in wasn''t it¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Is that some sort of payback? Because I did say taking it slowly would have been best. The explanation you gave was too much for me¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°This is why I don''t think you understand what people are saying and what they mean¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°I don''t understand innuendo or word play very well,¡± Said Lucius ¡°the little I do understand is because of my father¡±


    ¡°You talk about your dad like you don''t really like him¡± Said Aurora.


    ¡°Well better now than never to give you an understanding of what my life is like. My father is a good enough man. He loves me and my sisters, but my moms more than anything else. I''m not very fond of him because he loves more than one person. My mom and my sisters mom. I love both my moms but I don''t understand how he could love two people. My main problem with him is that he just likes everyone. He just enjoys far too many people. He had no respect for my mother. I strive to not be like him¡± Said Lucius.


    Aurora found it funny yet sad. Did he mean he only loved one of them?


    ¡°So you don''t love me?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°Of course I love you¡± Said Lucius.


    ¡°So you don''t love Morrie?¡± Smirked Aurora.


    ¡°Well, I do...¡± Said Lucius looking toward the city.


    ¡°How about Scarlet or Hex?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°But I have known them all for some time now. And that is different¡­ kinda¡± Said Lucius.


    Scylla tugged at his ear and said ¡°Do...do you love me?¡± Lucius set her down and held her hands.


    He looked into her eyes and leaned in close ¡°Like a friend¡±.


    Aurora didn''t know what to think about her. She had almost killed Azrin after all.


    ¡°Why did you attack Azrin?¡± Asked Aurora.


    ¡°I didn''t, he did¡± Said Scylla.


    ¡°What?¡± Replied Aurora.


    ¡°He attacked Azrin not me. He was the one who did that to her¡± Said Scylla.


    Lucius looked away from Aurora.


    ¡°It was part of me. One of my main emotion proxies. If I had killed it I would have lost my only connection to human emotions. Without them I would be hollow¡± Said Lucius.


    He knew if he did nothing would have held him back.


    She was just barely able to understand the situation. Those monsters were him. He had been the monsters. When they arrived home Azrin was half awake. She lay in a bed with splotches of blood everywhere. Lucius walked up to her and she smiled.


    ¡°Lucius¡± Said Azrin with a weak smile.


    ¡°Don''t worry about your arm. I''ll fix it¡± Said Lucius.


    Aurora gasped when he cut a symbol into his hand and placed it on her head. Her wounds disappeared but reappeared on his body. His arm because a white almost ghostly pale. It began at his fingertips. Falling like ash in a storm. He nearly fell but Scylla caught him. She kissed his cheek and his wounds began to heal.


    ¡°I''m only helping because I need someone to play with¡± Said Scylla.


    Lucius opened his eyes and stood up. Aurora had no idea what her life had become.


    ¡°I need to go home¡± Said Lucius.


    He seemed afraid.


    ¡°Let''s go¡± Said Athena picking Lucius up.


    His eyes seemed sleepy and they along with Scylla walked home.


    Aurora spent the next few days working on a book. She had write down the first day they meet to the current day. She had even included the time they spent trapped in the strange world together. She had changed their names to make it seem more distant and intriguing. She had chosen the name Atlas for him in the book. She thought it suited him because of how he looked beneath his bewitching garbs.


    She recalled the first day Hex decided to take her little hands to see Lucius. She laughed to herself  and asked why she thought Morrie was his sister. Athena the school sweetheart, loved by everyone. Aurora counted her lucky stars that Athena was his sister. Aurora had taken off the necklace Lucius had given her and was unable to find it. She knew Morrie, Hex, and Scarlet had also removed the necklaces and bracelets they had. They had done it when they got mad at him. Aurora looked at the framed picture she had of Lucius.


    She loved him and knew they would be together forever.

 Chapter 16 END

    ¡°I will call you if I can go to the dance¡± Said Atlas.


    Atlas was still damaged and didn''t know if it was the best idea to go. Levy had told her friend dispute their hundreds of calls and texts that she had to take care of her brother. Evelynn was checking to make sure that Atlas had all the pills that he needed. Havana had a test to take back with the Noah Elders. Atlas had shown her a few tricks from his book. She would have no problem with the tests. Atlas heard a knock at the door. He was unable to sit up without running the risk of ripping his stitches open.


    ¡°Coming¡± yelled Levy with joy.


    Atlas heard her scream and yell ¡°Mom!¡± With more joy than the rest of the world had combined.


    Atlas looked at Evelynn and asked ¡°Would you mind helping me up?¡±


    She slowly lifted him and saw his mom holding Levy.


    ¡°How''s my baby?¡± Said Jane.


    She glided over and looked over his body. She lightly touched him and looked into his eyes. He smiled feeling the words my poor baby in her eyes.


    ¡°Better now¡± Said Lucius with a smile made of pure joy.


    Atlas and Levy hugged their mother and asked ¡°Is mom and dad here too?¡±.


    ¡°Just me,¡± Said Jane


    ¡°Now let me get a look at you¡±.


    Their mother set them down and looked at them.


    ¡°Levy you have made plenty of friends as always didn''t you.¡± Said their mother.


    ¡°Yes¡± Said Levy with the brightest smile to have ever stood on Mars.


    ¡°And you,¡± Said Jane. ¡°You didn''t, oh you did! What''s her name, Aurora? She has brown hair and brown eyes am I right? And what about this girl Morrie. She was your first friend at school wasn''t she¡±.


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Asked Atlas dumbstruck.


    ¡°I''m your mother I know everyone that matters. What about Hex and Scarlet. They seem nice. Are you going to let me meet them or keep them all to yourself. I think they like you.¡± Jane¡¯s voice bounced with happiness.


    ¡°Well there''s a dance at school today. You could go with us to meet them¡± Said Levy.


    ¡°I''ll go on ahead and get myself acquainted. You get something without blood stains. One more thing. If you''re wondering why I''m here it''s because we''re safe they caught the people that have been hunting us. Only a few are still in hiding. We can live a normal life now¡± Said his mother tapping his nose and kissing Atlas on the cheek.


    He nodded and was walked back down to his room by Evelynn.


    ¡°You look happy¡± Said Evelynn.


    ¡°I haven''t seen her in the past three years so I''m excited¡± said Lucius.


    He took about ten minutes to change clothes. He wanted to give his mother time to become friends with them.


    Atlas, Levy, and Evelynn were all ready. Atlas texted Aurora and she replied with ¡°Already there¡±.


    The sun had hidden behind the world. Atlas could see the massive arch that stood in front of the school. The Roman architecture with large pillars and stone slabs on top looked beautiful. The wooden pillars were also beautiful but we''re only their for that purpose. The stone held everything up.


    ¡°Hold up a few minutes I forgot my tierra. Just wait a few minutes¡± Said Levy running away.


    They stood waiting and after three minutes started to walk towards the building. An enormous explosion collapsed a large part of the school. Several smaller explosions collapsed the exists. Atlas knew it was napalm by the way it attached itself to everything and kept burning. The thought shattered his mind. They were inside. Atlas sprinted into the flames and attempted to find a way in. ¡°Why hadn''t the fire extinguishers gone off¡± was one of millions of thoughts racing through his mind. He heard the arc begin to crumble. Atlas moved out of the way and could feel his skin boil and blister. The massive arch smashed the halls behind him.


    "Atlas!" Screamed Evelynn through the flames.


    She was attempting to find a way to reach him. Atlas grasped the stone support beam and felt the napalm that covered him burn deeper into his flesh. He could feel the bones in his fingers snap as he forced his body to its maximum. He could see the students running to the exit. If he didn''t move it they would all die. He needed to save them. He needed to save Aurora, Hex, Morrie, Scarlet, his mother, everyone. His bones pushed through his skin. His shirt had become ash and he could no longer see. He had not seen it or heard it move. He had shifted it only an inch. Atlas could feel his skin char. He screamed out as the people who knew him as a kind selfless child watched him burn. Atlas had not seen her run up behind him.


    "I''m sorry" Yelled Levy placing her hand on the large glass door the support beam had forced shut.


    She picked Atlas up the best she could as her shoes melted to her feet. She could see Atlas had almost no skin left on his body. Levy smashed through more wooden beams and felt the napalm cover parts of her body.


    "I couldn''t save them. I wasn''t strong enough" Atlas whispered through cries.


    He would have cries but his tear ducts had been burned away and his eyes resembled the eyes of a dead animal.


    "Why couldn''t I save them" said Atlas attempting to move.


    He didn''t know it but be had burned nearly all of the tendons in his body. His hands were locked in the position that he had been in before Levy pulled him out. His body looked as if he had been pulled from the depths of hell. Parts of his bones could be seen in the gaps where his skin should be. Levy cried but not because she was in pain but because she could see how hurt her baby brother was.


    "It''s going to be okay just hold on Atlas just stay with me Atlas" said Levy as rows of tears fell down her face.


    The sound of an ambulance could be heard as Atlas gave out a final "I''m too weak". Evelynn looked at her medical equipment and knew nothing she had could help him. Atlas could hear their screams. He knew some belonged to his friends. Hex, Aurora, Scarlet, Morris, Allison, Raven, they had all gone because he said he would be there. He knew he had failed them. He had killed them. Evelyn saw the face of death, the headmaster himself. They were coming.


    ¡°Levy run!¡± Cried Evelyn.


    ¡°I won''t leave without him!¡± Screamed Levy.


    Evelynn slapped Levy as hard as she could.


    ¡°Run you idiot! Get out of here!¡± Screamed Evelynn.


    Levy began to run.


    ¡°I won''t let them take you. I won''t let them¡± Said Evelynn.


    She could see them. The Masters of the order themselves had come out to capture Atlas and Levy. She knew she didn''t stand a chance. If she stayed they would kill her. She cried knowing her baby sister had been inside the building.


    ¡°Leave me!¡± Yelled Atlas his voice quickly fading.


    ¡°I''m sorry but I''ll always be with you¡± Said Evelynn wiping away her tears.


    Evelynn saw Darwin galloping at one of the Masters of the order in a valiant attempt to protect them. He kicked Darwin straight into the fire. Darwin began to yip and whimper as his fur caught fire.


    He once again charged yipping ¡°protect you!¡±


    As he was kicked a final time. Evelynn felt light headed. Like the breath had been taken out of her lungs. Atlas began to feel the same and was soon out cold. When he woke he knew only ashes remain of them. He couldn''t see the world around him. The water in his eyes had boiled and left white pearls behind. His thick contact lenses had fused to his eyes. ¡°Don''t worry Atlas, I''m here for you¡± Said Evelynn. Atlas knew as long as she was with him he wouldn''t brake. ¡°Shut your fucking mouth¡± Said a woman. Atlas could hear her fist dislocate Evelynn¡¯s jaw. Atlas wanted to scream but his throat was damaged. He could barely breath. Atlas didn''t care about the pain he was in. It was nothing.


    ¡°If you don''t I''ll kill you like that pretty little blonde¡± Said the woman Atlas felt a part of himself crack and fracture.


    His minds were doing their best to shield him. They knew what he would become of him if his mind became completely aware of what had happened. The nearly endless sea of minds all worked to keep the idea suppressed. They had killed his mother, his sister, his friends. They shielded his mind to protect themselves from what he truly was and had alway been. Atlas spent the next day listening to them interrogate Evelynn. They had attempted to get information from Atlas but all he would do is look dead into their eyes. They tried everything to get information from Atlas. They tried torture for the first month but gave up. They focused their efforts on cracking what made him weak. They knew he was the gold mine of information. After the second month Atlas had regained the ability to fluently talk. They still tortured him but it was just for fun. Atlas knew each of them had somehow obtained powers. One of them had the power to create vacuums of air. With this, she could cause explosions and rip the air out of their lungs. Another could move at almost supersonic speeds. But out of the fifteenth know the most powerful of them all was Francis. He had the monstrous power to control the body of any living thing within a short range. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    On the third month Atlas was able to see but just a few feet around himself. Atlas had thought about describing pain or agony but knew Evelynn would be unable to cover her ears. Atlas could see the hole in his chest. He could almost see his own heart.


    ¡°Today''s the day you sack of shit. Tell us where your father and sisters are hiding or we will kill you¡± Said Francis.


    Atlas only smiled and said ¡°Fuck you¡±.


    Francis smiled and placed a gun on his lap. None of them had ever touched Atlas without their gloves. They were disgusted by his body. They could see his bones and organs. His skin was like paper. Evelynn sat a few inches away from him. Atlas could not move his hands. Someone behind him removed his chains and he felt his hand move towards the gun. He felt his hands grip the cold dead steel.


    Evelynn was looking into his eyes and said mouthed the words ¡°Everything will be okay¡±.


    Atlas could not stop as his hand as it aimed the gun at her head.


    ¡°Please don''t! Please, please, I''ll do anything!¡± Atlas began to crying and screaming, his skin tearing and oozing blood as he attempted to resist.


    ¡°To late¡± Francis smiled and pretend to pull the trigger himself as the flash of the muzzle ended the last hope he had in the world.


    Atlas could not move he could not think his mind had broken. He had no way to cope with what he was looking at. He had killed the last person on the planet that loved him. His mind had reached the limit. He had broken. He looked into the eyes of Francis. Francis felt fear overwhelm him.


    Those eyes could not have belonged to any human. Those hollow broken eyes. The void itself, the hunger that had eaten worlds, galaxies, entire dimensions was ripped apart by the beast in his eyes. The void, the hunger, all but the final spark had died. Frances took a step back and felt a cold rush through his chest. A hole had formed but the gun had not been used. Francis could see his hand reaching deep into his chest. Francis fell to the floor as his heart left his chest.


    Atlas screamed as the shadows attempted to flee. Hundreds of thousands of the shadows now stood around him. Each fully capable of wiping the planet clean. They knew nothing but this. He would never stop until only he remained. And if they could slow him they¡¯d give it their best shot. They knew they were that last thing that stood between Atlas and the world. Atlas swayed his hand and instantly half of them had fallen prey to the hunger. Their bodies eaten by the broken boy within. Octillions of centillions of minds had been held in every body. But so many more had not been able to leave his body and suffered a fate far worse.


    Atlas began to laugh. He killed nearly all the so called guardians with nothing more than the twitch of his finger. Even the most primal and soulless parts of his mind attempted to protect the world fearing the monstrosities he who inflict upon them. Frances was still living simply because Atlas had not yet finished with him. Atlas fused Francis to a wall and dragged his claws across his face.


    A woman with a ring on her finger stepped in ¡°Francis!, did you do this to him you little bastard!¡±


    ¡°What gave it away¡± Said Atlas.


    She was unable to move. Atlas had mastered the power he had stolen. She was unable to do anything as Atlas ripped off her arm and ate her heart. He smiled and created a vacuum in her lungs. Her chest explored splattering her blood on his face. He tore off her head and fused it to Francis. Atlas glanced back and cleaned the remaining guardians that had been frozen beneath his will. Atlas walked through the building killing everyone he came face to face with. He wanted to watch them all die. They screamed and begged for mercy. They attempted to run and hide but they could not hide from death. Atlas didn''t want to be waist full so he used their bodies as a weapon to kill even faster. Atlas no longer walked after he realized it place far too much strain into his heart. Atlas hunted and killed every living thing in range when he reached the cities he smiled. Darkness shrouded him as he slaughtered millions. Atlas reached the city of Dawn.


    The beast he controlled stood miles tall and reached for what seemed like forever. He had kept everyone alive. He could hear them cry out for mercy but he had none. Atlas looked down at the world and heard something up above. He had spent the past few weeks killing entire cities. And they simply decided to attack now. Atlas used the flesh of the millions he had killed and hid from the atomic blast. The hydrogen bomb didn''t do any better. For days they attacked as Atlas hid beneath living corpses. He had broken the will of every single human in his puppet. Atlas created smaller chunks of his pet to find and kill elsewhere around the world. Military could do nothing to stop him. Nothing could stand in his way.


    Atlas slowly made his way to the school where his friends and family had died. Of all the things that could have been in the remains there sat a rusted bed with a pit beneath it. He didn''t want to desecrate the grave of his loved ones. He lay between the bones of the people he had known and cried. After the first day he began the hardest task he had ever undertaken. He was unable to tell whose bones were who''s or were not his loved ones so he treated them all as if they were. He made a grave for each and every body. He had left his pet to devour the world. After the second week of digging without stopping the second to last body had been laid to rest.


    He knew his body had nothing left. His will to live had long since died. And he longed to slumber. He lay in his own grave waiting, knowing his body would soon give in to the will of death. He knew no one would be left to save him. He had killed all within reach. He looked up at the star he could no longer see and would never see again. Death would give his the greatest kindness and he would no longer feel the pain of losing them. As his heart gave it''s final stand he could hear his sister calling. He had missed her. He only wish to see her again in life. He closed his eyes and heard her cry out for him to return. He felt the embrace of death.


    ¡°Atlas!¡± Yelled Levy. He didn''t move.


    Levy could see his heart moving. She looked back at the hell she had walked through. She smiled. She found her baby brother. All that remained was to walk back through hell. She held him close and walked slowly. She didn''t want to hurt him. Those weeks she spent fighting through the strange world was all worth while. The odd beings she had seen never once came close to her. She opened her backpack and gave Atlas food. He didn''t chew but he drank the nutrient rich liquids she had packed. Atlas opened his eyes and could see his beloved sisters. He knew he had died. His beloved sister had come to join him in death or he had joined her. He closed his eyes and knew death had finally beaten him.


    Levy walked through the world and held the most valuable thing in her life. When she reached the military base they could not believe their eyes. She looked like the angel of death carrying the fallen. But what left them absolutely terrified was when the dead body she held reached out. They got every spare medical officer they had to get a grasp of how this child had managed to survive. Atlas heard something familiar.


    ¡°His heart is going to give out at any moment. We don''t understand how he''s still living. He had burns on his vital organs¡­ but his heart¡± Said a man that could have been the chief medical officer.


    ¡°Take mine! Take it! I can''t let him die!¡± Cried the voice of Death.


    ¡°He won''t survive, there''s no point¡± Said the man.


    ¡°That''s an order. And if he dies because of your inability to follow orders I''ll wipe this place from the world¡± Said Death.


    Atlas was unable to remain conscious. He slipped in and out of reality. He could see the light falling down onto him from the object that hovered over him. He felt something tug at his chest. He slowly faded. He could hear her cry. He felt like he had done something wrong. He wanted to tell his mother that everything would be okay. That he loved her but he couldn''t speak. He wanted to tell her he missed her. He wanted to hold her. His mind could not cope with what was going on. Atlas woke some time later with Levy. She was attempting to teach him to walk. His body had been almost catatonic. He didn''t eat or move unless Levy was with him.


    But it changed the day she said ¡°do it for them¡±.


    He didn''t understand why but he felt like she was asking him to become stronger for her. Atlas had one goal and one goal alone. To become the most powerful being in the history of the human race and any race. He never stopped. Every second of every day he spent trying to become stronger. He only stopped when Levy would feed him. He hadn''t talked to his sister in years but she stood beside him. Sometimes at night he could hear her cry. He knew it was because of him. If he had been stronger nothing bad would have happened to her. She could have had a normal life. Atlas knew he would only stop once he could end anything that hurt her. He had always been a burden to her. He didn''t want her to bare the weight the world on her shoulder. At least not alone. He wanted to redeem himself for what he had done. He had failed her and she paid the ultimate price. He would never allow his weakness to ever do that again. Levy had found Darwin during her search and he now lived with them. Atlas was laying in bed one night after Levy made him rest. She had fallen asleep and heard her voice. The voice of the last friend he was before he was broken.


    ¡°Hi my name is Trinity, I''m here to help you¡±


    ¡°Hi Trinity,¡± Atlas began to cry ¡°I missed you¡±.


    The next day Atlas saw his father. It had been years. Atlas missed him more than he thought possible. Atlas was guided to an operating table by his father. His father pumped his now massive six foot tall body full of drugs to numb the pain. Atlas woke but could not feel his body.


    ¡°It was the only way. He was a threat to the human race.¡± Said his father.


    Atlas wanted to ask why he couldn''t move. He wanted to ask Levy but she was crying. He reached out to her and for the first time she pushed him away. Atlas felt someone else move his body. Atlas began to feel choked up and cried out.


    ¡°Dad! Why can''t I move? Dad help me! Please dad I''m scared!¡±.


    His father turned to him and smiled. His voice had never escaped his lips.


    ¡°He won''t hurt anyone ever again.¡± Said his father.


    He could see John and Logan. They had their heads held low with a the remnants of tears on their faces.


    ¡°Logan, John! Tell him it''s me please. Tell him I won''t hurt anyone! Please it''s me!¡± Begged Atlas.


    Levy stood before him her face grim and soon vanished. Atlas wanted to hold her and ask her what was wrong but he couldn''t move. He couldn''t take his own breaths. Levy ran away from him.


    ¡°Levy please don''t leave me please! Levy please I''m scared!¡± Cried Atlas.


    ¡°I''m in control now¡± Said a strange voice.


    ¡°Who are you, where is Levy? Why can''t they hear me!¡± Cried Atlas.


    ¡°Because you''re a monster and monsters don''t deserve to be heard.¡± Said the voice.


    ¡°Come on don''t be afraid, come meet your big brother¡± Said his father.


    He could see his little sisters hiding behind Matt.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Atlas?¡± Asked Valery.


    ¡°I''m in here please, can you hear me!¡±


    She seemed confused and said ¡°Where is big brother?¡±


    They hadn''t heard his cry.


    ¡°Dad please listen to them this thing isn''t me!¡±


    ¡°They can''t hear you. And I control you now. He gave me control.¡± Said the voice as Atlas lost the ability to see the outside world.


    ¡°Don''t do this, please don''t do this. I don''t want to go! I don''t want to lose them again¡±.