
The Xenton Chronicles:

The Jenshia Star.

By W.M. Calloway

Artwork By M7

This Book is dedicated to the life of

William Jerome Calloway.

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2BHeroic.com

The Xenton Chronicles:

The Jenshia Star

Text copyright (C) 2009 By W.M. Calloway All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A No part of this work may be reproduced in any way, shape or fashion, without written permission from the publisher. Any characters, events, or situations that occur in this work, that may have any relation to any character, event or situation of any other work is entirely coincidental. 

# Table of Contents

Copyright Page

The Xenton Chronicles: The Jenshia Star

Prologue

Chapter 1: A Hero's Tale

Chapter 2: The Connection of Three

Chapter 3: The Return Home

Chapter 4: A Hero's Homecoming

Chapter 5: The Decided Future

Chapter 6: Sightings

Chapter 7: Underdog

Chapter 8: Brothers to the Rescue

Chapter 9: The People Before Man

Chapter 10: Their Greatest Threat Revealed

Chapter 11: Sorrow for a Nobody

Chapter 12: Thunder and Lightning

Chapter 13: Power and Regret

Chapter 14: Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Chapter 15: Proliferation

Chapter 16: The Jenshia Star

Chapter 17: Redemption and Reunion

Chapter 18: The Lost Bloodline

Chapter 19: The Spirit Life-Force

Chapter 20: A Drastic Turn of Events

Chapter 21: Truth Be Told

Chapter 22: Refusal

Chapter 23: Countdown to Apocalypse

Chapter 24: Eleven Fifty-Nine

Chapter 25: Brothers in Arms

Chapter 26: The Silver Wolf

Chapter 27: The Power of Love

Chapter 28: The Dawn of a New Day

Book II: The Invasion of The Coalts

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Prologue

Chapter 1: A Hero's Tale

Chapter 2: The Connection of Three

Chapter 3: The Return Home

Chapter 4: A Hero's Homecoming

Chapter 5: The Decided Future

Chapter 6: Sightings

Chapter 7: Underdog

Chapter 8: Brothers To the Rescue

Chapter 9: The People Before Man

Chapter 10: Their Greatest Threat Revealed

Chapter 11: Sorrow for a Nobody

Chapter 12: Thunder and Lightning

Chapter 13: Power and Regret

Chapter 14: Blood, Sweat and Tears

Chapter 15: Proliferation

Chapter 16: The Jenshia Star

Chapter 17: Redemption and Reunion

Chapter 18: The Lost Bloodline

Chapter 19: The Spirit Life-Force

Chapter 20: A Drastic Turn of Events

Chapter 21: Truth Be Told

Chapter 22: Refusal

Chapter 23: Countdown to Apocalypse

Chapter 24: Eleven Fifty-Nine

Chapter 25: Brothers in Arms

Chapter 26: The Silver Wolf

Chapter 27: The Power of Love

Chapter 28: The Dawn of a New Day

Book II: The Invasion of The Coalts

# Prologue

The world can be cruel to many people. I'mone of them. It expresses its cruelty in a way when water falls from the sky, the clashing of the gods takes a toll on humanity from above. People say that it is a way for all the things that contaminate the world to be flushed away. I beg to differ. The way my life has been going; you could say it's contaminated. The things that have happened to me, the way people treated me - that kind of dirt can never to be washed away. Yes, I'm a cold-hearted bitch, but I have every reason to be. For twenty-one long years, no one has suffered as much heartbreak as I have. I guess at one point I was loved by others, but that is a past I will never remember.

I was five when it began. I don't know what happened. As I woke up in a forest, the area around me was burned to ashes. The only spot that remained untouched by the flames was the grass around my body. I looked around this unfamiliar place and wondered why I was here. What I saw was the cliff side road with the railings broken through. There must have been an accident, which meant people would be coming for me any moment now. I waited, then waited some more. The day was nearing its end, and the moon rose into the sky. Still, I was alone. I had not left my green patch of grass, so I did what any other five-year-old child would do: I slept, hoping the next day I would be saved.

The hair of a wild animal's fur tickled my nose the next morning, and I awoke just as scared as ever. The beast was sleeping gracefully next to me. Its legs were tucked under its sturdy body, and its flowing tail lay gently on the ground. I was a smart child, and I knew not to wake the creature, so I got up from my resting area. My foot cracked a twig as I stood. The snapping sound twitched the beast's ear and I froze. The animal picked up its head and moved its ears, listening for an intruder. I saw her standing straight up, as though she was alert. It flung its head towards me, and I was caught in its blue-eyed gaze. They were beautiful. They reminded me of my mother's eyes. It was at that moment that I realized that this amazing creature wasn't a threat to me at all. It stood up and yawned, licking its lips. I will never forget the silver fur and the strong stance it had. It gave me a feeling that whoever was looking for me had found me.

The beast loped over to me and stared at me, the bright blue in contrast to my soft brown eyes. Then it extended its tongue and began to lick my face. I laughed and hugged the creature, and it flung me on its back. Before I knew it, I was racing through the forest on the back of this noble beast, the wind ripping through the leaves. I named her Stella. Stella was my mother in this hidden world. She fed me, kept me warm when I slept, and, for a time, I felt as though I was at home. I was careless to know where I came from because this was my new home, a home that I never knew.

Stella and I traveled the forest for a long time. She taught me everything I needed to know about how to survive, but I didn't care. If Stella was with me, I knew I was safe.  In those six months I discovered something about myself I had forgotten. The full moon hung in the sky, and I awoke, uneasy. Stella was cuddled next to me, fast asleep. Among the tall trees, I saw the flickering of orange light. I rose from my sleeping area and walked towards the light. I soon began to hear distant voices. As I drew forward, I saw a man and a woman with two children, sitting around a campfire. I stayed hidden behind the nearest tree I could.

"What's that?" Spoke the little boy, looking in my direction.

I crouched, hiding my head behind the tree, and resumed my observation.

"It's nothing," said the man. "Maybe just a squirrel or something."

I had seen enough. This was something I would never experience - a loving family. I thought to return to Stella as fast as I could to cry myself to sleep. Taking my first step back, I crushed a twig under my ragged shoe.

"Who's there?" Shouted the adult male. "Come out now!" He commanded, his voice betraying an undertone of fear.

My uncombed hair, the dirt on my face and my dirty, torn clothes softened his tone.

"Well, I'll be," said the man, "it's just a little girl."

"What's she doing out here, Pa?" asked the young girl, who looked to be about my age.

"It looks like she's lost," said the mother, with the same twang in her voice as her husband and daughter.

"Come on, now," said the man, holding out his hand. "Let's get you all cleaned up." I didn't speak one word to these people.

"She must have been out here for a while," said the mother, squinting at me through the smoke from the fire.

I looked at the man's hand, and then back up to his face. I had no intention of going with him. Instead, I started to back up slowly. He began approaching me like I was a wild animal, afraid of scaring me away, but it was too late. I wanted to scream for Stella.

"Come on, now," he said, now only feet away from me. "We'll get 'cha all cleaned up. We'll take care of ya until we find ya parents."

There was a loud rustling in the bushes behind me. I turned my head and out leaped Stella. She occupied the space between the family and me. I stood behind her, scared for both the people and my friend. Stella let a long, low growl escape her lips, and her hackles were raised. Her head dipped down, looking up at the misunderstood folk with bared teeth.

The people were frightened. The mother grabbed her two children while the man retreated into a big RV, parked up next to their campsite. He rushed out of the vehicle, an object with a long, extended barrel held up in his hands, pointed at Stella.

"Get away from her, beast!" He shouted, weapon weaving from side to side in his shaking hands.

I did not understand the nature of the situation. I was confused as I stood there behind Stella. She was trying to protect me, but these people saw her as a threat to everyone, including me. They didn't understand the connection between Stella and me.

"Shoot it, Marvin!" Yelled the mother, holding her two kids.

"Get out of here! Shoo!" He shouted, making pointing gestures with his gun and banging on the side of the RV with his free hand.

Stella didn't move at all. She growled and barked, shuffling her feet on the forest floor.

"I'll shoot!" Said the man. "I swear I will." The commitment in his voice was apparent.

Stella didn't comply with the man's request. She placed one paw in front of the other and charged towards the apparent threat on my life.

"Stella, no! Don't!" I shouted at her, watching her leave me behind.

She growled and barked as she bounded towards the man with the gun. She pounced, I closed my eyes, and turned away, unable to watch.

A huge crack followed by a muffled thump filled the air and tears began to gather in the corner of my eyes. I knew what had happened; I just didn't want to accept it. I turned back and saw the smoking gun in the man's hand, and there was Stella's body at his foot, blood gushing from an open wound, glistening in the fading light from the campfire.

"Stella! No!" I cried, rushing over to her.

Before I could place my hands on her, I was lifted off my feet by the man named Marvin. I kicked and screamed, but before I knew it, I was in the motor home. I glued my face to the window and watched Stella's body, hoping she would get up, but she didn't move, nor did she flinch. As they took me away, I watched her body disappear into the trees. I cried for her, knowing I would never see her again.

Years have come and gone since that night. By the time I was twelve, I was placed in a foster home. Shortly after, I was taken away and put back into a shelter. This horrible cycle of finding a family, being loved for a while and then taken out like yesterday's garbage was unbearable. Each family I was put with seemed to like me for a certain amount of time, but I always ended up back at the shelter. Even some of the friends I made never returned to the shelter, and, just like that, I was alone all over again. First, I lost Stella, and now I lost the few friends I ever had.

I grew older, and the cycle only got worse. I was given to nine families within the course of my teenage years, the next more despicable than the last. There wasn't a day or night that went by that I didn't want Stella to be with me. She had been my only true friend.

It must have been my seventeenth birthday. Like all my other birthdays, this one was an empty one. So I decided to give myself the gift that would change my life forever. I ran away. Away from all the horrors and evils I had to face. I roamed the streets and found myself jumping from city to city, wearing the same clothes I had left the shelter with. I had already traveled for a lonely five years, fending for myself, stealing what I needed to survive: clothes, money, and food. I used the survival instinct Stella taught me to get by. I was forced to eat from the garbage when I couldn't get a decent meal.

Over the course of those five years, my heart became cold and bitter. Revenge filled my heart. Even when the world expressed its cruelty, I pushed on. I became tougher and angrier at the world. I wanted nothing to do with it! To people, I was nothing but scraps that were to be thrown away. I had forgotten the concept of compassion and weakness. Most of all, I had forgotten the idea of love. I didn't know the idea of love, nor did I know what it meant to be loved.

I had wandered into a graveyard. I shared a lot of similarities with its inhabitants. Although they had died in peace, they were forgotten. Not forgotten by their loved ones, but forgotten by the world. Now those who had fallen before me were a part of the earth. The despicable world washed over me, and I found this place to be my home. I roamed with the dead because deep down, I was dead along with them. I looked at the top of the hill and saw a golden ray of hope, but I knew it was false. I really needed to know for myself, so I hiked to the glimmer. As I got closer, I saw an angel - a golden angel, weeping over a grave. I began to shed tears similar to the angel's pain of the poor soul who was buried here. I watched, wanting to see who was lucky enough to deserve such an honor.

I saw a name. A name that was different, yet familiar to me at the same time. I stared at it and visions of happier times invaded my dark mind. I had once known this person. It was a girl, I was sure, but her fate came to her when she was but a mere child. No wonder she had the tears of an angel falling over her. My head was clouded; my judgment was shaded. I dropped to my knees and sobbed for the poor girl for she was, without a doubt, departed from this world.

I found myself in a city named Beach Shores, sitting in an alleyway with my back against a dumpster, staring up into the twilight. I saw something that I thought would change my life. It was another angel, dressed in white and gold armor with his wings spread out over the skies as he soared above. I stood up and saw him, his face concealed behind a polished helmet. In his grasp was a poor soul resting peacefully, his arms flung over and his black, spiky-haired head dripped with blood. I wanted nothing but to leave this world.

"Take me too!" I shouted to the skies above. "Take me to Heaven with you!"

As I looked closer, I saw another boy on the angel's back. His great green eyes and curly brown hair ruffled in the wind. I couldn't understand why this child had the privilege of riding on the back of an angel, but I also saw something deep within him. An individual bravery and kindness that made up the person he was. Just like that, I felt a strong connection with him. I watched him disappear into the night, and the angel ignored my cries.

"Please take me," I whispered with overwhelming sadness. I shrunk back down as my plea was ignored.

"Why go to Heaven when you can create Hell on Earth?" Said an unearthly voice to me. I thought I was going crazy. I knew I was alone, but just to make sure I looked around some more.

"My child," said the sinister voice, "You have seen so much agony and despair. What these people have done to you - you didn't deserve it." From the beginning, I knew this voice was pure evil, preying on me because of what I'd been through.

I saw a purple mist beginning to surround me. "Who are you?" I asked.

"Do you want revenge?" It asked gently.

"More than anything," I replied. The ambition of making these people pay was rising within me. The mist was making me feel dizzy.

"Then open your heart full of vengeance to me," it replied.

"Yes!" I said. "Revenge is all I want. Let me taste it."

"Very well."

The purple mist attached itself to my skin and entered my body through my pores, my eyes, my nose, my mouth, and ears, invigorating me with its power. I could feel all my hatred, anger, and revenge rising tenfold along with excruciating pain. I was losing control, and I could feel myself beginning to slip away.

"Was this a good idea?" I thought.

"Yes," the voice hissed. "I was an excellent idea."

I wasn't me anymore, but that didn't matter. I hadn't been me for sixteen years.

# Chapter 1: A Hero's Tale

"Calling all units: We have a robbery in progress at Beachside Jewelers on Fifty-third and Sea View Street. Suspects are four Caucasian males between the ages of thirty-five and forty. All four suspects are presumed armed and dangerous."

All squad cars within range quickly changed routes and fell into a pursuit on the call. Meanwhile, the burglars made their way through the jewelry store, tying up the owner and staff. They stuffed their bags with whatever they could. Along with the sound of the store alarm, they began to hear the sounds of police sirens coming up the street as they packed to make their getaway.

"Come on!" Barked one of the robbers, the anxiety evident in his voice. "We got to go! The cops are coming!"

The four made their way towards the exit when a silhouette of a stranger came out of nowhere and blocked the door.

"Huh?" Said one of the burglars. "Who the hell are you?"

The criminals started to back up, and two of them readied their guns. The mysterious figure walked into the store. The sounds of police sirens were getting louder, giving an indication to the burglars that the authorities were getting closer.

"Move!" Said the first thug, waving his gun nervously.

The shadow-wreathed figure moved into the jewelry store, revealing a suit of golden armor, complete with helmet. On the helmet was a T-like symbol that stretched from the eyes down to the chin.

"I said move!" Yelled the leader, now pointing his gun at the armored figure.

"Move! Now!" The leader shouted as the sirens drew closer. As they heard the screech of tires nearby, all four of the burglars opened fire in unison. The owner squealed at the gunshots, curled in the fetal position. The bullets didn't scratch the golden armor. They merely bounced off, shattering glass display cases and the lights above. The burglars stopped their assault and started to realize that their efforts were futile.

In the blink of an eye, the armored figure made his move. He appeared before each thug and attacked them before they could react. The burglars fell to the ground and against walls, dazed and disorientated. The store owner watched with amazement while still tied up in the corner. The unknown hero grabbed each of the criminals and sat them back to back in the middle of the store.

Next, the hero stood at the back of the store and raised his hands into the air. They ignited with fire with a burning heat and light. He threw his hands onto the tiled floor of the store and a ring of fire surrounded the criminals, leaving them trapped and helpless.

As the sirens grew closer, the unknown hero walked over to the owner and tore the rope and tape that kept him tied and his mouth shut.

The first word that emerged was a stuttered thanks, massaging his numb wrists.

The hero nodded in response and was gone, leaving the owner confused and amazed.

The police arrived at the scene to find the crooks sitting within a circle of fire; two dazed and the others unconscious.

"What the hell is this?" Said the officer who reached the scene first. "Call the Fire Department. We need a hose in here," The police were once again left with a strange and arduous case to solve. Who could be behind these sudden, strange, heroic acts?

The hero of the day was speeding down the street, leaving a trail of fire in his tracks. He climbed to the rooftops, jumping from window to window, and began to run on the high buildings, jumping from one to the other. Using impressive agility, the hero performed acrobatic stunts and flips as he landed on the rooftops across the city. He leaped across the sky and the sun reflected his golden armor to those below.

He whooped with joy, his voice echoing from afar. Picking up speed, he ignited his arms and legs and jumped, launching himself into the sky like a rocket.

He laughed as the adrenaline rushed through him. He went into free fall, descending towards the ground. Again, he ignited his hands and released a burst of fire that slowed his momentum, allowing him to land on the ground safely. He found he was standing in a deserted alleyway. Just at that moment, a cover of fire surrounded his golden body. The massive flames consumed him entirely until not one body part was visible. The fire raged on for a few seconds until they were extinguished to reveal a young boy holding a backpack.

The curly haired boy swung his backpack over his back and exited the alley.

"This always seems to happen to me," said the boy, looking at the time on his phone. "You save another business and all society wants to do is make you late for school."

The boy raced out of the alley and darted off to school - this time, not leaving a trail of fire behind him.

"Who am I? Is that what you're thinking? So am I. I've asked myself that question every day for the past two weeks. You're asking yourself how a fifteen-year-old boy can do what I can. Believe it or not just two weeks ago I was your average teenager, excited about starting high school until my life changed forever. It all started about two weeks ago. My three brothers and I were going on our annual 'end of the summer' camping trip, or at least that's what my dad called it."

Grassy plains and redwood trees started to invade the young boy's mind. He found himself approaching a secluded area in a dark truck. The sun rested high in the sky and flickered through the leaves of the tall trees.

"This looks like a good spot," said the driver of the truck. The four doors opened and three boys dismounted.

The first of the three was a tall, muscular individual wearing hiking boots, jeans, and a fitted white T-shirt. He wore a backward black cap as he dismounted from the driver side of the truck. He looked to be the oldest, indicated by the scraggly facial hair on his chin.

"Hey, Mack!" The tall boy turned around. "Can you give me a hand over here?"

Another boy was in the bed of the truck trying to untie the knot that bound the camp equipment together. The youth had his dark, brown hair tied back. He wore blue board shorts, a black T-shirt with sandals on his feet. He was the second oldest of the group.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Said Mack, trying to get to his brother. "First off, you're doing it all wrong, Jason."

Jason got down from the bed of the truck and watched Mack attempt to untie the difficult knot. Mack began struggling with the stubborn coil, biting it and pulling it. From behind the passenger side of the truck, another boy dismounted. He reached into his shirt pocket and retrieved his glasses.

"Looks like Mack has his hands full," said the boy.

"Yeah!" Said Jason. "Always thinks he can do anything because he has the muscles," He said, imitating his brother flexing. The boy laughed at Jason.

"I heard that," barked Mack.

"Hey, Sam," the boy with glasses turned his head. "Want to give me a hand?" Asked a struggling voice coming from inside the truck. Sam walked over and saw a fourth boy, stuck on the floor of the back seat.

"Dye?" Said Sam, raising his eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

The boy was struggling with a bag that was stuck on the floor between the back and front seats. Sam let out a breath and seized his brother.

"Hang on," he said.

Sam pulled on Dye with all of his strength until the bag broke free. The two boys were thrown from their feet to the dusty ground with the heavy bag falling on the both of them.

"Get off of me!" Yelled Sam, punctuating each word with a shove against both the bag and his younger brother.

Dye rolled off of his brother, bag in hand, and scrambled back to his feet. He helped lift Sam up with a chuckle.

"Got it!" Said Mack.

The knot on the truck came apart, and the ropes that stretched across its bed started to loosen. Mack took a bag and threw it off.

"Heads up!" He shouted as the bag hurtled through the air.

The bag made contact with Dye's face, making him drop his bag and fall to the ground once again with a thump. The others laughed at Dye, who lay on the ground with the bag on his face.

"Get up, Dye," said Jason, laughing.

Dye threw the bag off his face and started to get up.

"Thanks a lot!" He said sarcastically,

"Oh, anytime," Mack replied, a huge grin on his face.

Dye picked himself up from off the ground and grabbed the bag his brother just threw at him. They began to unload the truck, throwing more bags onto the ground, a percussive thump and a cloud of dust heralding each bag being emptied.

"Well, that's the last of it," said Mack. "Come on, let's take a look around."

The four brothers headed to the dappled shade of a copse, throwing their bags down and inspecting the floor for any hazards.

"Well, let's start setting up," said Mack with a contented sigh after the inspection was complete.

"That's a good idea," replied Sam, "It'll be dark soon."

As he spoke, the sun sunk lower in the sky.

The brothers began to unpack, setting up about their tents. They put together a propane stove and established a perimeter, hanging lights from the trees around the campsite. The light from the sun faded faster as Sam started to light lanterns around the camp. Hooting owls and the wind's rustle through the trees put the brothers at ease, apart from one. A sudden noise, at odds with the peaceful atmosphere, startled Dye. The imagery of bears, mountain lions, and claws in the dark filled his mind.

"What was that?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"Relax, Dye," said Sam, rolling his eyes. "It's probably just a squirrel or something. Come and help me get the cooler."

The sunlight faded behind the smoky mountains as the sky went from navy blue, to purple, and then finally to black. With no city lights, the stars sparkled and glittered in a way the boys could never see back home. After the brothers had finished unpacking, they ate, contented sighs following the meal. Afterward, the brothers lay in a clearing not far from their campsite, staring up at the enchanting night sky.

"Wow!" Said Jason, amazed. "You can't get this back at home."

"Nope," replied Sam.

"That drive was totally worth it," Mack added.

Mack sat up and placed his arm on his knee, still looking at the stars in the sky.

"So," he said, "how was everybody's summer?

"Eh, okay I guess..." said Dye, staring up at the stars. "Nothing too exciting."

"You know me, bro" chimed in Jason, "surfed all day, everyday."

"Let's not forget stuffing your face all day everyday." Added Sam, allowing a wave of laughter to surface from everyone.

"Fast metabolism." Said Jason. "And that's all I'm going to say about that."

"Anybody ready for school?" They all sighed as Sam reminded them that summer was coming to an end. "I can't wait for this year's science fair to happen-"

"Boring!" Said Dye obnoxiously.

"Shut up, Dye!" Shouted Sam. "Do you always have to make fun of everything I do?"

"Wouldn't be doing my job as little brother if I didn't." smiled Dye.

"At least I got out of the house this summer. What did you do?"

Dye laughed.

"What are you talking about? I got out of the house every day this summer," Dye said to his brother with noticeable contempt. "Not my fault your face was stuffed in a book all summer."

"Whatever," Sam said under his breath, staring up at the stars once more.

"Okay," chimed in Mack, trying to ease the tension. "Let's all be cool and relax. It's not everyday you can chill like this..."

"Yeah, you two," Jason added calmly. "Chillax."

It wasn't long until the brothers found themselves in their tents, getting ready to turn in for the night. Sam and Dye shared a tent while Jason and Mack shared the other. Sam, still mad at Dye for his rude interruption, didn't speak for the rest of the evening. Instead, he was the first to fall asleep as the other brothers stayed up talking throughout the night.

Dye, Mack, and Jason found themselves sitting around the campfire, laughing at stories and roasting marshmallows. The stroke of one o'clock came, and it was finally time for the three brothers to begin turning in for the night. It wasn't until two in the morning that the campsite was completely empty and silent. The noises of a night in the forest were rivaled by the brothers' snores.

The moon shone wanly before it vanished behind a dark cloudbank that was brought in by a fierce wind.

Dye woke, half asleep, awakened by the wind that was blowing against his tent. Sam was on his side, his snoring so loud it felt like it was rattling Dye's bones. At that moment, he heard an unusual howling. Fear took over his body, and a white-hot surge of fear shot through his stomach as Dye buried himself deep within the depths of his sleeping bag. He heard the roar of a bear echoing throughout the forest. A series of scuffles and heavy footsteps made him take action. Wriggling out of his sleeping bag he pounced on Sam, still deep in sleep despite the gravity of the situation.

"Sam!" He whispered desperately. "Sam, wake up!" He rocked Sam back and forth, trying to wake him.

Sam was slowly coming to when the continued grunts of the bear woke him up, making him jump up.

"Get away from me," he said, pushing Dye away to the other side of the tent. Sam grabbed his glasses and a moment later he heard another mighty roar.

"That sounded like a bear," he said.

"Nah, really?" Said Dye sarcastically. "The food!"

The bear drew closer and got louder, making the brothers feel chill with fear.

"What are we going to do?" Asked Dye, trying and failing to keep the quaver from his voice.

"Calm down and let me think," whispered Sam.

"If you're thinking about getting out of this tent you should forget it," whispered Dye. "You can go, but I'm staying here."

"We have to try and get Mack and Jason to wake up," suggested Sam.

"That's it?" Said Dye in an aggressive whisper. "That's your plan? Come on! Mack and Jason sleep like logs. A marching band couldn't wake those two up."

Seconds later, flashes of light started to become apparent outside of their tent. Sam and Dye looked up through the ceiling of their tent as the rays of light illuminated their faces through the thin fabric.

"Lightning?" Asked Sam. "That's impossible. The forecast didn't say anything about rain!"

Dye continued to look up with amazement at the light show taking place just above him. It lit up their entire tent like an oversized lantern. The cry of an eagle started to echo throughout the campsite. Dye and Sam both felt scared and bemused at the unknown raging lights just outside.

"Just what is going on out there?" Asked Sam.

The roaring of the bear and the cry of the eagle started to become more consistent and simultaneous.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that an eagle is trying to take on that bear," said Dye in disbelief.

"And if I didn't know any better, I would say you have no relation to me," Sam said. Dye screwed up his face at the insult.

"Forget this! I'm going outside," Sam said. With that, he quickly put on his shoes, unzipped the tent and stepped foot outside.

"Hey, wait up," whispered Dye, putting on his shoes and following his brother. In his haste, he tripped and fell.

As he recovered at Sam's feet, he saw his brother staring up into the sky. The wind blew dirt into Dye's eyes, making him flinch. He picked himself up from the ground, rubbing his eyes and trying to capture a glimpse of his brother.

"Sam, what are you look-"

Just as Dye's eyes met with his brother's, something else caught his attention.

"What in the world?" Said Sam and Dye simultaneously.

Up in the sky within the clouds were the sources of the flashing lights. Dye continued to rub his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing. High in the sky were swirling, colored lights of red, blue, white, and yellow along with the roaring and the cries of an eagle and a bear, dancing across the pitch-black sky. Mack and Jason unzipped their tent, and Jason stuck his head out, yawning with his wild hair blowing in the wind. He laid his eyes upon his two brothers.

"What's all the racket out here?" He said, followed by a yawn. "What are you two doing up?"

Sam and Dye pointed up into the sky without any hesitation, their eyes wild.

"Huh?" Jason slowly turned his head and looked up to the heavens. His arm dropped, and his body became limp. He scrambled to his feet and got up.

"Um, Mack?" Said Jason, utterly confused, "I think you ought to see this."

Mack stuck his head outside the tent, yawning and rubbing his eyes, squinting against the wind.

"What is it?" He yawned.

The others once again pointed to the sky. Mack looked up to the swirling, dancing lights that filled the air. Mack stepped out of the tent.

"What is that?" He asked, amazed and confounded. "Are these the Northern Lights?" He asked.

"No, you idiot," said Sam. "The Northern Lights are only visible somewhere up north. You know, Northern Lights?"

"Then what are they?" Asked Dye.

The lights hung in the sky as if they were living things and had succeeded in getting the brothers' attention. The rays grew bigger as they began to spread out all across the sky.

"This is unnatural," said Mack, fear and awe in his voice.

The four of them continued to gaze up at the sky just as the lights started to take the form of creatures. The bodies and faces of the beings soon became visible, and each of them let out a wild roar that startled each of the brothers.

Before the brothers were four colorful beasts that looked down upon them from the sky, standing on the top of the suddenly light, fluffy clouds.

Dye looked up at one of the spectral animals. The clever-looking beast was a fox, surrounded by a red aura. With its bright orange eyes, it gazed at the youngest of the brothers with acceptance. It let out an untamed howl, startling Dye and making him fall to the ground.

Sam rested his eyes upon the lustrous, white eagle that was covered in a silvery, white light. The noble creature glared at Sam, and it was then that the boy found a feeling of utter comfort engulf him. The eagle followed the actions of the fox and let out a loud cry that hypnotized him. The sound of the eagle tore through the forest and frightened birds that were sleeping in the surrounding trees.

Jason's eyes were glued to a glowing blue shark that sat in the clouds, engulfed in a blinding blue light. It stared back and growled, chomping its powerful jaws full of razor sharp teeth. Its swift body swam through the air, but Jason was not afraid. He knew this magnificent beast had chosen him.

Mack stood at the head of the gathered brothers, staring aimlessly at what seemed to be a black bear covered in a beautiful, yellow veil. The bear gave off a mighty roar and sent goose bumps through all four of the brothers' bodies. The bear stood ahead of the other ghostly animals; its head held up high. The eldest of the brothers knew that whatever this was, only something good could come from it.

"What are they?" Asked Mack, thoroughly amazed.

"I don't know," replied Sam. "But they are magnificent, aren't they?"

Dye gazed up at the four, brightly lit animals that roared and growled from the sky.

"Who has the camera?" He asked quickly.

At that very moment, the animals had reverted back into swirling illuminations and started to descend upon the earth, racing towards the four brothers.

"Uh, what are they doing?" Asked Jason, panic entering his voice.

"I don't know, but it looks like they're headed straight for us," answered

Sam.

"Any ideas?" Asked Mack.

"Running would be a good one," replied Dye, quickly getting up from the ground.

"Run!" Shouted Jason.

The four brothers darted off towards the dark forest, hurtling and rolling under the perimeter that surrounded their campsite. The lights pursued them through the woods, roaring through the trees. Mack barreled through the trees as he tried to escape the light that sought him. He tripped over a tree root, falling face first into the mud. He rolled onto his back, watching the dancing yellow light approach him.

At the same time, Sam was making his way through the pitch-black forest, running for his life as the light pursued him, giving light to the shadowy corners. It wasn't long until Sam was out of breath. He gave up, and the bright light made its way towards him. Sam yelled in agony as the fire consumed his essence.

Hearing the cry of his brother, Jason darted through the forest, pursued by the dancing blue lights. In his frantic efforts to get away, he ran into a tree, knocking the wind out of him and throwing him to the ground. The blue light finally caught up to Jason's body and engulfed him.

The red light pursued Dye through the sweet-smelling forest. He ran in blind fear. All that mattered was escaping the red radiance and finding his brothers. He continued to run without slowing until disaster struck. There was nothing he could do to outrun the light. In his desperation, he skidded down a slope. He stumbled to the bottom, coming to a crashing halt into a bush. A stab of pain went through his foot, followed by a sickening crack. He yelled wordlessly in pain.

Dye watched as the red light swirled at the top of the slope. He dragged his body away, frantically trying to escape, not taking his eyes off of the unknown light. The light shone in his eyes as it drew closer. He threw his arms across his face and yelled as everything went dark.

# Chapter 2: The Connection of Three

Dye awoke suddenly, the dawn sun shining on his face through the tent's thin fabric. His heart was racing, and sweat slid down his face. He was confused, lost, and his head ached. He looked towards Sam's side and found his brother sound asleep, snoring as he always did. Had last night happened, or was it just a dream? In an instant, he remembered his broken ankle. He lifted up his sleeping bag, grabbed his foot and examined it carefully. There was no pain, and his feet were clean. How could he have run through the forest without any dirt on his soles?

"Must have been a dream, then," he concluded, and his heart finally slowed.

He heard movement coming from Sam's side of the tent and saw his brother waking up. Sam sat up and stretched, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"You sleep okay?" Sam asked Dye.

There was no reply. Instead, Dye nodded and placed his foot back into his sleeping bag.

"How did you sleep?" He asked Sam.

"I slept well," he replied. "But I had the weirdest dream."

Dye's attention was completely on Sam. Could he have had the same dream?

"What was it about?" He asked.

"I don't know, it was weird," Sam replied. "These colorful lights were swirling in the sky; then they turned into animals. The next thing I knew; we were running through the forest trying to get away from them."

"We?"

"Yeah," Sam replied "All of us."

Dye couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Sam had described the same dream he'd had. Dye sat on his side of the tent while Sam slipped on his shoes, unzipped the tent and walked outside, leaving his brother by himself. Dye heard movement coming from the tent containing his two other brothers.

I wonder if they had the same dream.

He quickly threw on his shoes and ran outside to see Sam in the food tent, digging through the cooler for food. Jason came out of the second tent, stretching and yawning.

"Morning, Dye," he said.

"Morning," Dye replied.

"Morning, Sam," said Jason.

"Morning," said Sam as he scavenged through the food tent.

Jason walked over to the picnic table and sat down, rubbing his forehead. Dye looked over at him with concern just as he began to tap his forehead.

"Jason!" Said Dye, getting his brother's attention. "You okay?"

"I don't know, bro," he replied. "Last night, I remember running headfirst into a tree."

"How did you run into a tree?" Asked Dye, knowing that it was a stupid question.

"I was running from this blue light thing."

Dye was struck again as he realized that Jason made a reference to the same dream. "But now," Jason continued, "I have no bruise or anything on my head. It's almost as if I didn't run into anything."

"Maybe it was a dream," Dye suggested.

"Maybe it was," he replied.

Dye moved closer towards Jason.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," he said in a small voice.

Jason turned and looked at Dye with a question in his eyes.

"That dream you had wasn't just your dream. Sammy and I had the same dream too."

Jason's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open.

"No way, bro!" Said Jason "Maybe we're like, telepathically linked or something," he said, making circles with his with index fingers near his temples.

"Yeah, perhaps," Dye continued, completely ignoring his brother's comment. "The only way to be sure is to ask Mack if he had the same dream too."

Sam came walking out of the food tent holding a pack of bacon and a carton of eggs.

"What's going on?" Sam asked, looking at Jason and Dye sitting on the bench, both with suspicious looks on their faces.

Mack had finally woken up and decided to grace his brothers with his presence. He stepped out of his tent, yawning. He stretched with a loud roar, getting Dye and Jason's attention.

"Good morning!" Said Mack, with an echoing voice, as he walked over to the picnic table, taking a seat in front of Dye and Jason. Sam made his way over to the stove and lit it. The smell of propane spread through the campsite.

Jason and Dye looked at Mack and grinned. Mack was taken aback and looked at Dye and Jason suspiciously, lifting his eyebrow.

"What's going on?" Mack asked suspiciously.

"We were-"

"Wondering what­-"

"You dreamt of-"

"Last night?"

The smell of bacon filled the air as Sam was well at work cooking over the propane stove.

"You guys okay?" Asked Mack

"Yeah," answered Jason and Dye simultaneously.

The suspicious look on Mack's face vanished and was replaced by a smile followed by laughter.

"Well, if you have to know," said Mack, "I had a dream of one of the Victoria's Secret models, where-"

"Stop right there!" Said Dye, holding up his hand to stop his brother in his tracks. "That's enough, thank you." Dye and Jason's smiles turned into looks of disappointment. Mack got up from the table to greet his little brother by the stove.

"So much for the telepathy thing," whispered Dye to Jason.

"You know," started Jason, "I was watching this thing on the health channel, and it was talking about how our minds react to certain things. How we feel, how we think and how we react emotionally."

"You watch the health channel?" Asked Dye, and Jason nodded. In disbelief, Dye shook his head to get back on topic.

"What's your point?" He asked.

"What I'm saying is that we could be telepathically linked anyway. The combination of similar feelings we all feel at the same time can produce some kind of telepathic ability."

"Like, we can read each other's minds, or, I don't know, have the same dream in accordance with our feelings?"

"Exactly," said Jason with absolute certainty.

"I don't buy it," Dye said, the skepticism evident in his voice.

"Breakfast is ready," said Sam, sitting down with a plate full of food and leaving Mack to make his own plate. Dye and Jason looked at Sam, who had begun eating. Sam looked up and saw his brothers eyeballing him and his food.

"What? This isn't a restaurant," he said, holding a stick of bacon.

Dye and Jason groaned and got up from the table to make their plates. The brothers sat around the table and enjoyed their meals, laughing and telling funny stories that happened to them over the summer. Dye, Jason and Mack gulped down their food like they had never eaten before. Sam, on the other hand, savored his food. Soon their breakfast was finished, and it was time to get ready to head back into the city. All of them changed clothes and started to pack their things. Mack began breaking down his tent, while Sam, Dye, and Jason were in a huddle, discussing last night's events.

"So we all had the same dream?" Asked Sam.

"Yeah, just from a different point of view," Dye replied. "Obviously all four of us shared the same dream."

"Four?" Asked Jason

"Yeah the four of us," continued Dye, "Me, you, Sammy and Mack."

"Didn't you hear what Mack said?" Dye looked over at Jason with a surprised look on his face.

"Mack has no recollection of the dream," Jason said.

"He could be lying," argued Dye.

"He could be telling the truth."

"Well, whatever the case may be," said Sam, "we know that we're the ones who shared that dream last night so let's keep it within our little circle okay?"

"Deal," said Dye and Jason.

"Hey!" Yelled Mack, who was struggling to stuff the tent back into its bag. "Come on you three. We got to get going soon," he said as he wrestled with the tent.

The three brothers broke formation and continued packing. Dye helped Sam load up the truck while Jason and Mack rolled up the tents and put them away. Soon, the entire campsite was clear.

"Well," said Mack, "Are we ready to go?"

The others nodded, and the four of them headed back to the truck. Mack got in on the driver's side as the other three fought over who got to sit where.

"Hey!" growled Mack. "Somebody better sit somewhere, or I'm leaving all three of you."

The three brothers quickly mounted the truck. Mack started up the engine, turned the truck around and began to drive away. Dye couldn't help but look back at the campsite. It was still mind boggling to him whether or not the dream was a reality. He watched the campsite vanish into the horizon as they drove away.

They were on the road for home. Sam fell asleep against the window and was snoring very loudly, his breath fogging the window. Jason was in the front seat, tapping his foot to the music on the radio. Mack was driving, keeping his eyes on the road and holding his arm out the window. Dye, however, was silent, seated behind Mack. He tuned out Sam's snoring and Jason's music and continued to play the dream over and over again in his head. To him, it had felt so real, but it was impossible! If the dream had been real, then walking would be impossible for him. The way he had slammed his foot had broken it for sure, but when he woke up this morning, his foot didn't have a scratch on it. Just what were those animals? It was almost as if they were trying to get the attention of the four brothers. If it was a dream, what did it mean? And why was it shared amongst only him, Jason and Sam, but not Mack? Either he was lying and he had the dream too, or he was denying it. Something much greater was trying to call to them - but what?

# Chapter 3: The Return Home

After hours of driving, the brothers finally made it to the outskirts of the city. The tall skyscrapers stood erect, and the thronged streets caught their attention. Sam finally woke up and was looking out the window of the truck, observing the people on the outside who were walking and going about their business. Jason was still pretending to be a rock star, playing an imaginary guitar as he listened to the music. Mack was quiet and focused on his driving, while Dye was silent as they drove through the city.

"Welcome to the city of Beach Shores,

The city where the waves of change flow ashore every day."

After driving past the sign, they continued uphill. On the sidewalks were people walking and kids laughing and playing. They continued to drive up as they slowly approached the top. When they reached the apex, the brothers laid their eyes upon the most beautiful sight. There before them was the everlasting ocean that sparkled in the sun. From the top of the hill they could see sails, far out to sea. Pure, white clouds sat on the horizon, and a pier stretched out from the shore. They slowly drove down the hill until they pulled up in front of a blue and white house. Mack parked the car and cut the engine.

"Well, we're here," he said, "everyone out!"

Mack jumped out of the vehicle, made his way to the bed of the truck and started to untie the ropes that held the camping equipment together. The front door opened and two people came outside, a man and a woman. The man was tall with caramel-toned skin. He wore glasses in front of the bright green eyes he had, just like his youngest son. The woman was light skinned and was dressed in jeans. Her eyes were as blue as sapphires.

"Hey, fellas," said the man.

"Hey, Dad," said Mack as the others unloaded the truck.

"Did you boys have fun?" Asked the mother.

Dye walked over to the porch and set some of the luggage down.

"It was fun," he said, as he thought about the dream he, Sam, and Jason had. "What did you guys do while we were away, Mom?"

"Well, your father and I had a romantic night out and enjoyed the freedom from our four demanding sons," she said, a small smile on her face.

She looked over at her husband and smiled as he smiled back.

"Sorry I asked," Dye murmured under his breath.

He returned to the truck and grabbed some more of the camping equipment.

"Here, I'll open the garage," said Mr. Haven.

"Thanks, Dad," said Mack, carrying the two stuffed tents over to the porch.

The garage door opened, and the four brothers placed the luggage in the dark, cobweb-infested shack next to their house.

"Here, let me give you guys a hand," offered their father.

He grabbed a couple of bags and followed the brothers into the garage, throwing the equipment wherever it would fit.

"We really need to choose a day where we can clean this place out," said their father.

"Yeah?" Said Sam.

"Well, until then, we'll let it get as junky as we want to," said Jason.

Their father laughed and closed the garage door as they went back to the house. The four brothers made it up the porch, and one by one gave their mother a hug as she kissed them back. Their father was at the end, heading up the stairs until he heard a voice.

"Oh my word," said the voice of an old woman.

Their father turned around, and so did the four brothers.

"Russell, are these your boys?"

There, at the foot of their porch stood an old lady with glasses, salt and pepper hair, walking her small dog.

"Yes, Mrs. Simmons," said Mr. Haven.

"They're getting so big. Bet you're really proud of them," she said.

"Yeah, I am," he said as he finally made it up the porch. "Mack is in his senior year this year."

"Oh my," said Mrs. Simmons. "I remember when he was just a little boy. In fact, I remember when all you boys were kids. I remember when you were just a baby, though." She said looking at Dye.

"Yes," said their mother, "Theodore here starts his first day of high school tomorrow."

"Well, I'll be," said Mrs. Simmons, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Are you excited?" She asked.

Dye smiled and replied with, "Well, I'm not down about it if that's what you mean."

Mrs. Simmons laughed, and his parents smiled.

"Well, enjoy your first day," she said. "Have a good afternoon. Y'all take care."

They all bid Mrs. Simmons goodbye, and she continued on her way down the street. The boys and their parents entered their house and closed the door behind them.

The brothers scattered as soon as they got inside. Dye ran to the couch and plopped his body down on it, grabbing the remote and turning on the television. Sam started upstairs, followed by Mack, while Jason began walking to the kitchen.

"Hold it!" Yelled their father. "You three get back here."

Mack and Sam dragged themselves downstairs while Jason waltzed out of the kitchen with a bag of chips in hand.

"What?" Said Jason around a mouthful of chips. "What did we do?"

"Okay, listen up," said Mr. Haven. "Dye, turn off the TV."

Dye groaned and obeyed. He placed the remote on the glass coffee table and looked at his parents.

"I don't know where you four get off, just walking into this house and attending to your needs. You guys have been gone for two days, and I want to know every detail of what happened. We are the Haven family, and we do things as a family. Now, sit down."

Sam and Mack sat on the couch next to Dye. Jason, who was crunching on his chips, walked over to the reclining chair and sat down, putting up the foot rest. Their parents sat on the couch adjacent from Mack, Sam, and Dye.

"So," started Mrs. Haven "Tell us about your trip."

The boys told their parents about their trip from start to finish. After they were through, they remained in the living room for several more hours. They brought up topics like past summer events, the previous school year and what to expect for the upcoming school year. They even returned to times when they were just kids. They sat there and laughed the entire evening away.

"Well," said Mr. Haven, "it's getting late. It's the first day of school tomorrow. You four better get upstairs and start getting ready."

The boys stood up, stretched and headed upstairs, saying goodnight to their parents.

"Good night, boys," said Mr. Haven.

Jason, Mack, Sam and Dye ran upstairs. Jason and Mack arrived at their room, while Dye and Sam continued down the hallway, reaching theirs. Sam opened the door and walked in, followed by Dye, who closed the door behind him. Before he knew it, Dye was lying in his bed and soon he was fast asleep. Later on, Sam was asleep, and the house was dying down for a nice quiet evening.

The creaks that ran through the house brought familiar sounds to Dye's subconscious mind as he began to drift into sleep. The noise of the outside world faded from his senses, and he soon found himself back in the forest. He was lying on the leaf-covered ground, staring up at the sky, watching the red light dance above him. He tried to recover, but his injured foot prevented him from moving. The swirling red light flew down towards him, and the young boy covered his face with his forearm as the red light covered his body.

Dye opened his eyes and found himself in a dark, cold void. He could see only his arms and legs. The darkness stretched out as far as he could see. He took a step through the dark, taking small, stuttering steps as he pressed on. As he took his next step, the dark place turned into an ocean of fire. He swung his arms over his face to protect himself from the raging flames. Something that didn't seem right. As the flames raged on, there was no heat. He slowly put his hands down and started to observe the blazing flames that surrounded him. He took his hand and waved it through the fire. To his surprise, there was no pain. It was as if the fire wasn't there at all.

He heard the sound of footsteps from behind him. He turned, and saw a fox standing before him, observing the boy with its head cocked to the side. Dye realized that this was the same beast he had seen before. The fox sat staring at Dye, its bright amber eyes transfixed on his. With a flash of red light, the fox's body shifted and changed. Now standing before Dye was a tall, armored figure with a 'T' on the face of its helmet. The 'T' stretched from his eyes to his chin. Dye attempted to back away, but the golden figure pressed on towards him, the flames blazing around them.

The light from the fire reflected off of the golden armor, and Dye threw up his arms to shield himself from the glare. He continued to retreat until his feet tangled and he sprawled to the ground. Surrounded by the flames, the golden figure made its way towards Dye until it was standing directly in front of him. Dye looked up, and the fear deepened in his stomach, paralyzing him. The figure stood above him, reaching out until a familiar ringing sound rang out. Dye strained as he listened for the source. The figure disappeared along with the flames, and with a rush the cold and dark returned, leaving Dye alone once again.

He opened his eyes and found himself back in his room. His heart was pounding through his chest. The sound of his alarm clock rang out. He was breathing hard, his chest heaving. He struck his alarm clock, shutting off the annoying sound. He wiped his face and threw the covers away, getting up. He looked over at Sam's side of the room and noticed his bed was made up with Sam nowhere to be found. He quickly remembered that today was his first day of high school. He jumped out of bed, rushed into the bathroom and showered. He threw on the first thing he could find in his closet, snatched his bag and hurried downstairs. He entered the kitchen to find his mom, dad and his three brothers at the table eating breakfast. Their father was sitting at the table holding a cup of coffee and reading the morning's paper. He was dressed for work while their mother was washing dishes, wearing her bathrobe.

"If this is the first day of the next four years I suggest you wake up earlier," said Sam, sipping his orange juice.

"Shut up," said Dye.

Dye sat down at the table next to his father. His mother set a plate of food in front of him with a welcoming "good morning."

"Thanks, Mom," he said.

She smiled. Their father folded down his newspaper and laid his eyes on his youngest son.

"So Theodore," he said, "Ready for your first day of high school?"

Dye looked up and nodded his head, biting into his bacon.

"That's good," he said, "just be yourself, and you'll be okay. I'm sure your brothers will show you around."

His brothers looked up and gave him an uncomfortable glare.

"Um, I think I'll be fine," he replied, grinning uneasily.

"Sweetheart," said Mrs. Haven, "You're going to have to walk home today."

Dye looked up, a strip of bacon hanging from his mouth.

"Sam has science club, Mack has football practice, and Jason has surf lessons to teach, you're on your own. It's not that long of a walk."

"Wait, why can't you or Dad get me?" He groaned.

"I have to work too, you know," she said, "and your father has a really tough case to work on today."

With his father a lawyer and his mother a professor, there was little chance to see his parents. With his brothers attending to their extracurricular activities, it seemed that Dye was faced with no alternative.

"Okay," he said, downcast, as he continued to eat his breakfast.

"Well, you boys better get going, or you'll be late," said Mr. Haven, ruffling his newspaper.

The four boys got up from the table one by one and handed their plates to their mother as she kissed them goodbye in return.

"Have a good day," she said, while they made their way out of the kitchen, through the living room and out the front door. They loaded up the truck and drove off as their parents stood on the porch, waving goodbye. They drove for about fifteen minutes until Mack pulled into a parking lot full of youngsters. They were all converging into a school building that had Beach Shores High School engraved above its doors. The four brothers dismounted with their book bags.

"See ya later, Dye," said Jason as he, Mack and Sam went their separate ways, disappearing into the crowd of students.

After receiving his schedule from the counseling office, Dye found himself roaming the hallways in search of his locker. This was something new to him. Never before had he seen so many teenagers gathered in one place. Everybody seemed to know where they were supposed to go. He saw groups of different people everywhere. To his right, he saw punk rockers, to his left were the Goths, the Sci-fi geeks, and of course, there were the jocks, cheerleaders, and a big group of what seemed to be the 'smart people.'

As he walked through the hallway, the most beautiful spectacle caught his attention. There, walking towards him, was the most beautiful girl Dye had ever seen. She wore jeans that fitted her body perfectly along with a pink shirt that showed her hourglass torso as she carried her books. She was talking to a group of other girls as she blew right passed him. Dye couldn't help but stare. She was the most radiant, beautiful girl he had ever seen. As she passed, all time seemed to slow down around the both of them. She saw Dye looking at her and smiled as he watched her beautiful hazel eyes glide right through him. Dye's heart fluttered as he watched her walk down the crowded hallway.

An upperclassman bumped into him, slamming Dye back into reality. He resumed trying to find locker number twelve fifty-seven. He saw no signs of his brothers, which made him feel even more like an outcast. Finally reaching his new locker, he spun the knob and entered the code. His locker propped open just as the locker next to his was slammed shut.

"Hey!" Said the boy next to him.

The boy looked to be about Dye's age. He had dark skin and very short hair.

"Hey," Dye replied nervously.

"First day, huh?" Asked the boy.

Dye nodded.

"Don't worry," said the boy. "It's mine, too."

Dye let a rare smile show. Finally, he wasn't so alone.

"I'm Joss," said the boy, holding out his hand. "Short for Josslyn,"

"Dye," he replied, shaking Josslyn's hand.

"First day here at Beach Shores can be rough, from what I hear," he said, "but after a while, you start to get used to it. Let me see your schedule," he said, holding out his hand.

Dye handed him his schedule and Joss's eyes flew across it.

"Hey, you got English with me first period," he said with a grin.

"I do?" Asked Dye with excitement, taking back his schedule and looking at it. "Sweet!"

"Come on," Joss said, "I'll show you where the classroom is. The bell should be ringing any moment now."

Dye closed his locker, and the two boys proceeded down the hall until they noticed a throng of students at the end of the corridor. They were shouting, cheering and yelling "Fight! Fight!"

Dye and Joss drew closer. They noticed movement at the front of the crowd. Dye tore his way through the crowd, trying to make his way to the front, while Joss was lost in the mass. When Dye made his way to the front, he saw the back of a tall, heavily built, muscular stranger. He had another student pinned up by their shirt against the lockers. Due to the person's massive body blocking his view, Dye couldn't see who it was pinned up against the locker. The person raised his fist and struck the student.

"Oh, how my fist missed you this summer," said the bully with a deep voice, "and this is only the first day."

The students watched as the bully pounded the unknown student. The student fell to the ground, and his glasses slid over towards Dye's feet. The bully turned around, revealing his black spiky hair and a dab of facial hair under his lip and chin along with his brown, almost black, eyes. The entire student body jumped back in intimidation, apart from Dye, who finally got a chance to see the student who had just been struck. Looking past all the bruises that dressed the student's face, Dye eyes widened with shock as he realized Sam was the victim. Sam lay upon the floor, grasping his bruised cheek and bleeding from his lip. Dye picked up his brother's glasses, furious. He rushed into the circle of students to help up his brother.

The bully grabbed Dye and pinned him against the locker just as he had with Sam.

"What do you think you're doing?" He said, his face inches away from Dye's. "You smell like a freshman."

Dye stared into the eyes of his newfound enemy. Frozen, Dye couldn't speak. Fear started to overwhelm him. But, looking at his suffering brother, his fear turned into courage, causing him to retaliate.

"This!" He said, kicking the bully in the shins, making him drop him to the ground. Dye got up and spun in a back kick. The bully collapsed, his nose bleeding. The other students gasped and stared at Dye. How had he, a freshman, taken down the scariest student in school?

"That's right!" Yelled Joss from the front of the crowd. "Kick him again, Dye!" The bully got up, wiping the blood from his nose.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" He asked as he stood.

Dye didn't answer.

"Nobody puts their hands on my brother!" Dye barked. The student looked at Sam and then back at Dye.

"Ah," he said, "So you're the last of the clan, eh?"

Dye shrugged.

The ringing of the bell sounded and the students dispersed. In the corner of his eye, the girl that had passed him in the hallway was smiling at him. She gave a discrete wave and walked away.

"You got lucky this time, freshman," said the tyrant, wiping the blood from his nose. "But today after school you won't be,"

Dye's foe left the scene as the hallways cleared.

"Thanks, Dye," said Sam, putting his glasses on his beaten face.

"Just who was that punk, anyway?" Asked Dye.

"His name is TJ. He's no one important though. Just some scum bag who's been at my neck ever since I started here."

"Well, that's not cool," said Dye, looking at his brother's face, "and I don't think that was a kid. More like a bull with facial hair."

"Sam, your face!" exclaimed Dye, unable to believe what was happening.

He stared at Sam's head while his bruises began to heal. His skin turned from black to purple until finally changing back to his original skin color.

"What?" Asked Sam.

"Your face," he said astonished. "It healed. It healed on its own. I mean it healed fast."

"Dye, don't be ridiculous," retorted Sam. "You and I both know that such rapid cellular regeneration is imposs-" Sam paused as he touched his face.

Sam felt no pain on his face anymore. He headed towards the bathroom, Dye following not far behind. When they came to the lavatory, they rushed in, and Sam looked into the mirror and saw that the bruises were no longer there.

"What the hell?" Asked a confused Sam.

"See?" Said Dye. "I told you."

"This is weird," said Sam, examining himself in the mirror, then paused. "Promise me you'll keep this between you and me."

"Yeah, sure," said Dye. "Like people would ever believe me. But a horde of students just saw you get your face bashed in. You think they won't notice?"

"They won't," replied Sam. "Everyone is always buried in their phones. I can sneak by today and quite possibly tomorrow. As for you, you head home after school. Don't stick around waiting for a fight."

"Pssh!" Dye replied. "What makes you think I would do that? That guy was ten times my size. That's suicide. I'm surprised I even got him with that move."

"Because I know how you are when it comes to a challenge."

"That wasn't a challenge. That was a death sentence."

"Well, whatever it was, be sure to get home after school," said a worried Sam, "I don't want you being TJ's new chew toy."

"Yeah, yeah," said Dye, waving his brother off.

"We better get to class before the second bell rings," said Sam.

Sam and Dye raced out of the bathroom and down the hallway, going their separate ways to get to their classes on time. Dye made it just in time for his first period English class. He spotted a seat next to Joss, who was waving at Dye to come and sit next to him, noticing eyes staring at him from every corner of the room.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" Whispered Dye.

"You don't have a clue, do you?" Said Joss. "That guy you beat up was Thomas Jones, better known as TJ. One of the toughest people you'd ever meet."

"So I've heard," Dye replied.

"They say that he's been in juvi three times. All three times were for armed robbery. You're the first one who's ever stood up to him like that. That, man, is real bravery. Everybody here is waiting to see what happens after school."

"After school?"

"Yeah, man, everybody is looking forward to that fight. We want to see what else you can do."

"Well, you won't, because I'm not going to show. I have better things to do than start fights."

"You don't have to start it, but you can sure as hell finish it."

"No!" Barked Dye.

"Dye, man, look around," he said. "These kids look up to you now. Not just them, but the entire freshman class."

"Dye," he continued, "do you really want these kids to look forward to the next four years of pain brought on by TJ or any other guy who decides to set foot in this school?"

Dye felt empathy for the rest of his fellow students. Before he could make a decision one way or the other, a nicely dressed man walked into the classroom. Grabbing a piece of chalk, he wrote his name on the board. Mr. Beagle. Dye's first class of the day had begun.

Every now and then, other students laid their eyes upon Dye. If he sensed somebody looking at him and attempted to make eye contact, they would quickly look away.

Soon, his first three classes of the day were over and oddly enough, in every class Dye caught more than one person staring at him. It was lunch time, and he found himself eating with Joss at a remote table. Even then, people would walk by, taking a quick glance - everyone, but the person who he wanted to be staring at him. Sitting three tables over was the beauty which he had encountered twice that morning. Once again, he couldn't help but stare at her. Sitting across from him, Joss caught Dye staring into space, but didn't know what he was focusing on. As he turned around, he saw the girl he had his eyes glued on.

"Hey," he said.

Dye didn't respond. He continued to stare and eat.

"Hey," he said again, waving his hand in front of him.

"Hey!" He said one last time, throwing an empty milk carton at Dye, breaking him from his trance.

"What? What'd I do?" Said Dye, panicking and breathing hard.

"I know what you're looking at," he said, "and let me just say, you ain't going to get her."

"Oh yeah? And how do you know?"

"That, my friend, is Jennifer Rose," Joss turned to face her.

"You know her name?" Dye asked surprisingly, looking over at her as she laughed with her friends.

"Yeah, sure," he said, "We graduated from Jr. High together and let me just say she's not the easy type. Really picky on how she chooses her men."

"Really? Well, I'm different."

"That's what they all said," Joss replied.

The bell rang, and lunch was over. Dye got up with his tray and grabbed his bag, taking one last glance at Jennifer as she got up and did the same. He headed for the trash can to throw his trash away until another student made him fall to the ground, spilling all of his uneaten food. He looked up and saw TJ, the one who bumped into him, smirking at him as he walked out the doors into the hallway. The freshman got up and grabbed his tray, placed it on top of the counter and walked out of the cafeteria along with Joss, who wasn't too far ahead.

The day continued on, and Dye found himself in the next three classes of the day. After lunch, he scurried to his Math class with Joss in which they sat next to each other once again. They observed the attractive teacher they had teaching them. She went by the name of Ms. Clover. She must have been new to teaching because to Dye; she was very nervous. However, Joss used this opportunity to make himself known to her. He started to ask and answer questions and participate in class: getting every single question wrong and asking questions that didn't make sense. Joss was heartbroken when the bell rang for dismissal. He didn't want to leave, but would rather stay the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Ms. Clover was getting ready for another class and walked Joss outside.

Laughing at him, Dye left the classroom to get to his next class. Fortunately for him, it was just down the hall. He entered his next class, ready for Art. Unfortunately, time didn't go on for long and finally, he found himself in his last period of the day, History. For his first day of high school, he was having a great time. He made a new friend and had a new crush, Jennifer, whom he thought about every minute. He continually thought about ways to make her notice him. Dye was a boy who made everything a challenge and decided if he made getting Jennifer to acknowledge him a challenge he would succeed with ease. He came up with ideas such as leaving a rose at her locker with note professing his feelings for her. Maybe even coming to school one day and sweeping her off her feet with a song he wrote for her.

"Maybe the rose idea would work," he said to himself, trying to stay awake in class. "I can't even play an instrument. Would be nice though if I could, maybe a guitar."

Besides trying to get the girl, Dye was enjoying himself, the classes, even the other students, when they decided not to stare at him. The teachers were even okay. Dye looked up at the clock and saw that it was about a quarter to three. There were only fifteen minutes left before school was over. Then something hit him, something that he had completely forgotten about as the day went by.

He started to recall that morning and what happened between him and the school's oppressor. His organs began to twist up inside his body, and people's voices began to speak inside his head. First, he heard Sam, who was telling him to go home after school and not to get involved with TJ. Then he saw the face of the spiky-haired fiend that tormented him.

"I'll see you after school," he said, fading away laughing.

He saw the beautiful face of Jennifer, which melted into the face of Joss, who was telling him that he should stand and fight, for the students' sake.

These voices wracked his head as the time for final dismissal died down to a mere two minutes, but he forgot something. That something would make all the difference in his decision. He forgot about his own choice, what he wanted to do in this situation. This was his first day of high school, the first day of becoming the person he was going to be for the rest of his life. If he was going to fight, he was going to fight because he wanted to, not because Joss said so. If he was going to flee and go home, then he would do it of his own free will, not because Sam told him. Sure, he would hear it from Sam later, but at least he would be proud that he made his own decision without the guidance from his brothers.

The bell sounded for final dismissal, and the students jumped from their seats and exited the classroom with incredible speed. Dye grabbed his bag and walked out of the classroom. Suddenly everything started to feel like that morning, the students of the freshman class resumed their staring as he walked through the halls with his head down, and out the doors. Not too long after he left the hallways, most of the students who were interested in the fight grabbed their backpacks and ran out the doors and towards the courtyard that was located in the back of the school. Unfortunately, Dye was nowhere to be found. The only people that were standing at the foot of the flagpole were TJ, along with three other thuggish looking individuals. The students kept their distance from TJ, who was standing with his arms folded, looking for the little freshman that had made his nose bleed that morning. The expression on his face turned angry as blood began to rush to his head, making his face turn red.

"Come on, TJ. This kid ain't gonna show," said one of the thugs.

"Shut up," he said. "He'll be here."

"Let's go," said the other thug. "The kid chickened out."

"No," said TJ softly. "No, he'll be here."

TJ took a deep breath.

"You should have seen the fire in this kid's eyes. The way he stood up to me, the way he took me down. No, this kid is different, and if we don't do something about him, then he might start something. These little punks might lose their place."

"Well, if he doesn't show," he continued, "then we would just have to make do with what we have," he said, clenching his fists.

TJ walked over and grabbed a pudgy freshman from out the crowd and raised his fist, getting ready to deliver a devastating blow to the child's face.

"Scared?" Said TJ to the cowering student

The student nodded his head and swallowed hard as he closed his eyes, preparing himself for TJ's attack.

"Hey!" A voice shouted from behind the crowd of students.

TJ looked over as everyone began to separate. A curly-haired, green-eyed boy clutching his backpack stood there, defiance in his eyes. TJ smiled and dropped the defenseless student, who sprinted away. Dye strolled into the crowd, making his way towards the fight of his life. The hole in the circle started to close up as Dye proceeded forward until he was trapped within the center of the pit.

"Well, well, well," said TJ, "told you he would show. Told you he was different."

TJ clenched his fists once more and cracked his knuckles.

"So, boys," he said, "ready to show this kid who he's dealing with?"

The students who surrounded the four people inside the circle started to back up, increasing the size of the ring. Dye threw his backpack to the side where Joss was standing, who picked it up and held on to it. Dye stood, calm.

"I'm going to show you what happens when you cross me," growled TJ.

Dye stood there with his head up, his fists held tight with a determined look on his face.

"Get him!" TJ shouted. Without any hesitation, he and his partners began to press on towards Dye. They started to throw punches at him. However, Dye dodged every punch that was thrown at him. He ducked, dived and jumped over his opponents.

"I'm not going to fight you," he said.

The young student had TJ and his boys running in circles. After a while, fatigue started to eat through their bodies and Dye was smiling at them, taunting them.

"This is ridiculous. Fighting is a waste of time!" Dye cried. "Can't we just talk this out?"

TJ ignored him.

Dye knew he had this victory within his grasp. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he continued to move across the battlefield, quickly dodging and blocking all of their attacks.

"I told you," said Dye, "I won't fight you, but I will defend myself."

One of the thugs felt the impact of a sudden kick and fell to the ground, squirming and clutching his chest, trying to get up. Dye gently retracted his leg and placed it on the ground just as the other thug started to sneak up behind him.

"Behind you!" Shouted Joss, alerting Dye.

Catching wind of the sneak attack, Dye flung around and struck the enemy in his groin with a solid fist. The thug's face turned red as he grabbed his crotch and fell to the ground. Dye stood up straight again and looked around at all of the admiring students he had cheering for him. The third hoodlum braced himself, having watched how quickly Dye had taken out the first two. With fear running through his body, the whimpering criminal ran off.

The only one left standing from the group was TJ, who in front of Dye, mad as a bull and ready to charge. Then someone caught Dye's eye from a distance, someone important, as the sunlight reflected off of the glasses they wore. Sam was standing at the edge of the crowd with a disappointed look on his face. Dye looked over to his older brother and saw Sam shake his head. He felt the guilt hit him. He wanted to show Sam that he was his own person now, but it seemed that Sam didn't care about what his brother did.

For a moment, Dye let his guard down and dropped his fist and just at that moment, TJ rushed in and delivered to him an uppercut that threw him to the floor. The crowd of students gasped as his body slammed into the ground.

Dye laid there with his body face-first on the ground, his lip bleeding. TJ walked over and started hitting him over and over, yelling insults with every strike. Punch after punch and kick after kick; he hit the young boy who was lying on the ground, his face severely beaten.

"See?" Yelled TJ. "See what happens when you mess with me?"

The students grew quiet. Joss was frozen with fear. "Come on, Dye," he whispered, "get up."

Dye's body didn't move. TJ stood there, his muddy shoe on Dye's back, laughing in triumph. Sam saw his brother was beaten and shook his head in shame. TJ's two accomplices had risen from the ground, holding their wounds as they made their way to the motionless freshman's body.

The crowd started to break up, and at that moment TJ stopped. The students paused and turned around to see why TJ had ceased his laughter. He was looking down at Dye's body - the breath from his body exhaled and blew the dirt from under his mouth. TJ looked with both fear and amazement as Dye's skin started to glow a bright red, as if the blood running through his body was surging through him, making his body completely scarlet. His body began to heat up, melting the rubber under TJ's shoe. He quickly took his foot from on top of his victim and started to back up along with his accomplices.

Dye, starting to get up from the ground, was burning red. Sam watched as his brother became a human torch, his wounds healing incredibly fast. He stood up straight with his back turned to TJ, his thugs, and Sam. The students who were standing in front of him were startled. They backed away quickly.

"Hey, freshman," he said, "Turn around. We ain't done yet."

Dye cracked the knots in his neck, leaning it to the left and then to the right. He slowly turned around, and the rest of the students jumped, gasped and then backed away. Sam's heart skipped a beat as he laid his eyes on his brother. Sam couldn't believe his eyes, for his brother had completely changed. It was almost as if Dye wasn't himself anymore. Dye looked at TJ and his thugs, the trio slowly backing up.

"Man, you were right," said one of the thugs, "that kid really does have a fire in his eyes."

Along with his blazing red body, Dye's facial features had changed dramatically. His eyes became a bright orange, in stark contrast to their regular green. Orange veins ran through his body, down his arms, up his neck, and throughout his face. He was giving off heat as if a fire was raging in the middle of the circle. The students backed up more, trying to escape the mysterious heat.

"Dye?" Asked Sam.

TJ tried his best not to look scared, but he couldn't help himself. Standing before him was a boy with demonic features, along with a mysterious radiation from his body. However, pride had gotten the best of him, and instead of taking into consideration what Dye was capable of, he quickly threw a punch at him. Dye didn't hesitate. He caught the enemy's fist in a burning grasp and squeezed it. TJ struggled to get his hand free, but it was futile. Dye had a grip on TJ's fist that not even he could break. Soon, the heat from Dye's hand started burning TJ's fist. Smoke rose from Dye's hand, and TJ yelled in pain as his fist turned red. As the remaining two thugs attacked, Dye quickly brought up his leg and struck the both of them, sending both flying into the crowd. The circle of students immediately broke open to let the two soar into a nearby tree, leaving it dented and the two thugs on the ground, unconscious. Dye squeezed TJ's fist tighter, causing him to scream in agony and drop to his knees. TJ looked up and glared into the bright orange eyes of the boy who had brought him to his knees. Dye smirked.

The rest of the students watched and stared as the boy gave TJ no mercy. Dye squeezed harder and harder, and TJ cried louder and louder like a hole was being burned through his hand.

"Dye!" Shouted a voice from behind TJ.

Dye took his bright orange eyes off of TJ and looked up to see a boy with glasses standing at the front of the crowd. He recognized the boy as his older brother Sam. Dye soon returned to his senses, and TJ snatched his hand away from Dye, cradling it with his other hand. Dye saw it was severely burned, covered with blisters and its skin burned off. Dye's body started to cool down, and his skin color soon returned to normal; his eyes turned back to the green they normally were. He looked around and saw that the students were afraid of him. He quickly walked over to Joss, who was just as scared as the other students, grabbed his backpack and ran out of the circle, taking one last glance at Sam before fleeing the scene. The students broke open the ring quickly, allowing him to run by. TJ was left in the middle of the circle on his knees, looking at his badly burned hand. The students soon broke up and started to exit the school, scared and confused.

# Chapter 4: A Hero's Homecoming

Dye raced down the street, trying to escape what had just happened. He ran as fast as he could, cutting corners and running across streets, doing his best to get home. He didn't know what had happened: he was in complete control of his actions, but felt as if he was a different person: like he was having an out of body experience. The worst part was, in a way, it felt good to him - all the power he had - he didn't want it to stop. He'd wanted to keep on going until TJ's hand was completely burned off. If it wasn't for Sam, who brought him back to his senses, TJ would have probably been in worse shape than he already was.

Whatever was happening to him, Dye wanted it to stop. Who would know the next time he would lose control, and what if Sam wasn't there to stop him? He was afraid that he would lose himself to this beast within and hurt the people he cared most deeply for.

Dye stopped at the corner of a street which wasn't too far from his house.

He stood there and inhaled, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. He stayed on the corner waiting for the light to change. He tapped his foot as the anxiety made him unable to stand still. The cars that drove by him, the children playing in their front yard, and other students walking home from school filled his senses. Dye observed all of this as he stayed on the corner, waiting for the light to change. The sun was setting, and all the shadows were pointing to the east. He continued to hold on, anxious to get across, pushing the signal button to make the light change faster so he could finally get home.

At once, he saw something happen out the corner of his eye. The laughter of the kids who were playing had stopped, and Dye saw a ball bounce into the street. He turned and saw one of the little boys had gone to fetch it, leaving his front yard and entering the street, unaware. Dye paused and watched in horror. As the little boy started to go and retrieve his ball, a full sized semi-truck began to approach him at high speed. Dye's heart raced, his body frozen.

"Hey!" He yelled. "Kid, get out of the street!"

The child's mother came running out of the house, screaming and yelling for her son to get back into the yard. The truck was drawing near as its engine roared loudly; its wheels running closer towards the unaware toddler. The driver finally realized the child in the middle of the street and slammed on his breaks. The tires squealed in protest as the truck began to slow. The boy finally noticed the giant truck heading for him and started to scream and cry. The truck, sliding towards the kid, was still at a very high velocity as the mother continued to yell for her child; crying as she entered the street to retrieve her young boy. Dye stared, helpless, but then something started to happen.

Everything began to slow down. Dye looked around and saw that everything and everyone was going half their normal speed - except for him.

What's going on? Why is everyone moving so slow?

He looked over to the skidding truck that was just a few feet away from hitting the boy.

Dye continued to stare at the crying boy and the slow skidding truck.

From his position, he took off from the corner and raced to get to the kid in time. He hurtled over cars, ran between people, bumping into them, making them slowly lose their balance. Once Dye reached the boy, he picked him up and sprinted to the sidewalk. The moment he reached the sidewalk, everything went back to its normal speed. Dye was holding the crying child in his arms, crouching on the sidewalk. The truck continued to skid down the street until finally coming to a complete stop at the intersection, where dozens of cars slammed on their brakes to avoid a collision.

The mother couldn't believe her eyes. To her and the rest of the people watching, it was almost as if Dye had teleported. The mother ran over to Dye and grabbed her son, thanking him as she held her child, hugging him hard. The people cheered for the mysterious youth that stood before them. He smiled, confused, and ran onwards, trying to get home.

Dye finally came to his house. He stormed into his house and closed the door, leaning back against it. His house was quiet. It seemed that he was the first one home after all. All he could hear was the ticking of a small clock that sat on the glass coffee table. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Soon, all the events that had occurred that day rushed back into his head.

"What's happening to me?" He asked. "This isn't normal. What's wrong with me?"

A sudden feeling of acceptance came over him, and he began to laugh hysterically. He finally realized that whatever was happening to him was for a reason, a reason that was yet to be revealed. His nervous laughter brought him bursting through the living room with great speed. First, he went from the front door to the kitchen door in the blink of an eye. Then from the kitchen door to the couch, and from the sofa to the top of the staircase, he continued to laugh in response to his newly found ability, still trying to believe what was happening.

"This is incredible," he said, walking down the stairs, still laughing.

"What's so funny?" Asked a voice entering the house.

Dye had made his way to the first two steps when Sam came walking through the front door.

"I don't find anything the least bit funny, Dye," he said.

"Oh, lighten up, Sam," he said, smiling.

Sam threw his bag on the floor.

"Just what did you think you were doing today?" Yelled Sam.

"Saving you!"

"Don't give me that," he said. "I told you to go home, and you didn't. Do you realize what could have happened today?

"Stop worrying about me," said Dye. "I'm here, and I'm all right, okay?"

"I wasn't referring to you."

Dye's expression changed from defensive to confused.

"What happened to you today?" Asked Sam. "It was almost as if you were a different person."

"I don't know," Dye replied. "It was like something inside me wanted to take over."

"And it looked like it was getting to you fast," said Sam, "if you hadn't come to your senses when you did, TJ would be missing a hand right now."

Dye dropped his head to the floor, ashamed.

"I don't know what's happening to me," he said. "I'm starting to believe the dream you, Jason and I had wasn't a dream at all." Dye picked up his head and looked at Sam. "Something happened to me in that forest that night, Sammy. I don't know if I can control it, or if it really happened."

Dye turned around and started to walk up the stairs. Sam watched his brother take step after step when something urged him to speak.

"Us," said Sam.

Dye paused at the top of the staircase and turned to face his brother.

"Something happened to us in that forest that night."

"What are you talking about?"

Sam took off his glasses and placed them on a small table that sat at the foot of the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Dye asked.

Sam then took off his shoes and socks and placed them under the table.

"Watch," he replied.

Dye waited as Sam prepared himself. He placed his hands down at his sides and shook them, as though he was getting ready to run. He took in a deep breath.

"Ready?"

Dye didn't reply. Instead, he stood at the top of the staircase watching and waiting for whatever Sam was about to do.

A faint wind began to blow through the living room, waving both Sam's hair and Dye's. Immediately, Dye began to look around for the source of the wind but found nothing.

Sam's clothes were blowing wildly like he was standing in front of a giant fan. He soon realized that the faint wind was strongest near Sam, for it was he who was the source of the gusts. Dye stared down at his brother from the top of the staircase with an amazed look in his eyes. He continued to gaze at the incredible performance Sam was putting on. Then Dye's reaction increased as the wind around Sam's body amplified dramatically, but strangely enough, all the items in the living room stayed where they were. Dye couldn't believe his eyes.  At the foot of the stairs, Sam's body began to ascend into midair with his head nearly touching the ceiling. Dye's eyes flared. The bottom of Sam's feet were dangling inches off the floor.

Dye looked at his levitating brother in shock. Sam slowly started to move towards Dye, who remained motionless at the top of the staircase. It wasn't until Sam was inches away from Dye's face that he started to descend to the step that was below him. The wind stopped, and Sam's cold feet were touching the carpet covered stairs.

Dye was stunned.

"Well?" Asked Sam. "Say something, Dye!"

A huge smile spread across Dye's face and then he started to laugh.

"This is no laughing matter," said Sam angrily.

"Yes, it is," said Dye, as he continued to laugh.

Soon a smile grew across Sam's face, and he too started to laugh along with his brother.

They both enjoyed the hysterical amusement, taking a seat on the steps.

"Sammy, you can fly," said Dye, laughing. "That has to be the coolest thing ever."

"I don't know about that," said Sam, laughing, "You're faster than any other human on this planet. That's way cooler, not to mention impressive."

"Yeah, maybe so, but I would trade being fast for being able to fly any day,"

"Are you crazy? If I had your speed, I would just run so fast that TJ couldn't catch me."

"That's a good plan, Sammy," said Dye, still expressing his amusement, "but now you can just fly away."

"This is true," said Sam, as he and Dye continued to hoot.

"So," started Dye as he died down from his laughter. "How did you know you could do that?"

Sam wiped the tears from his eyes. He walked down the rest of the steps to retrieve his shoes and glasses. Dye got up and followed him down.

"Well, while I was getting ready for my science club meeting," he said as he started to put on his shoes and socks, "I saw you heading towards the courtyard. I knew exactly what you were up to so I rushed out of the meeting room to try and stop you. I didn't see a wet floor sign, and I slipped and started to slide down the hall until I went crashing through a window. I began to fall three stories to the ground, and after a few seconds of falling, I noticed that my body had never hit the ground. When I opened my eyes, I found my body hovering three inches off the ground. I couldn't explain what it was."

"Wow!" Said Dye as Sam adjusted his glasses.

"So, your powers came when you were in danger, too?"

"Uh," said Sam, "I guess that's it. What are you getting at?"

"Well, my powers came to me when I wanted to save someone else and when I wanted to defend myself. Maybe different abilities come to us depending on the situation,"

"Maybe so," said Sam, "but where did these "powers" come from?"

Dye lay on the couch with his hands tucked behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

He began to think, and he started to recall something. He sat up and looked at Sam.

"Hey, "" he said, "You know what? I think that it had something to do with that dream we had."

"I don't know," Sam responded, unsure.

The two heard a sudden noise come from the kitchen; crashing sounds and the water faucet turning on and off. They turned quickly to the folding door that led into the kitchen, expecting somebody to walk through it. At once they heard footsteps drawing closer to the door until it swung open, with nobody there. The door just swung back and forth until it came to rest. Shivers ran up and down Sam and Dye's spines.

"What was that?" Asked Dye, the fear evident in his voice.

Sam was shaking against the couch.

"I don't know," whispered Sam. "There's something in here with us."

Dye looked around.

"What are you talking about?" He said. "There's nothing here."

Sam didn't respond. Instead, he just looked around the living room, trying to locate the source of the disturbance.

"Dye!" Said Sam. "Wait here."

"What?" Cried Dye. "You're not leaving me down here with whatever this is."

"Relax! I'm just going upstairs to get something."

"You're not leaving me down here!" He commanded.

The sounds of footsteps and thumping noises continued, this time coming from same the room.

"Th-there it is again," stuttered Dye.

The noises grew closer. So close, that it sounded as though the being was on the opposite side of the coffee table. A small ticking noise started to sound throughout the room as though somebody was tapping their fingernails against the glass of the coffee table over and over again.

"Sam," whispered Dye, whose voice was breaking up, "it's at the coffee table."

Sam continued to stare as the tapping noises continued. He too was getting scared beyond belief. Just at that very moment, the small clock on the glass table began to pick itself up into the air.

"Sam," Dye said with his voice still tearing up. "The clock is floating.

The ghost. It's right in front of us."

The two brothers watched as the clock soared through the air, doing loops and flips. Dye's shaking increased as his body was glued to the couch, not willing to move. Sam stood behind the sofa and watched the clock glide through the air.

The next moment introduced itself with strange noises. Sounding almost like laughter.

"Sam?" Dye said. "Why are you laughing?"

Dye turned to Sam and saw that his facial expression had not changed at all.

"What are you talking about?" He said, 'Why would I be laughing? That's not me!" He said as the sound of amusement reached his ears. "It must be the ghost."

"What? Ghosts can't laugh!"

All of a sudden, the television turned itself on and sent a static ring all around the living room. Sam and Dye covered their ears from the white noise the TV was producing.

"Make it stop!" Yelled Sam, cupping his ears.

Suddenly, the TV clicked off, and the clock was gently set back onto the glass table. The laughter ceased, and all was quiet once again. Sam and Dye took their hands off their ears and looked around the living room to see if all was back to normal.

"Is it gone?" Asked Dye, still scared.

"I don't know?" replied Sam, "Ghosts just don't leave like that, especially not at the request of the living."

"How do you know all this?" Asked Dye, turning to his brother.

"Research," Sam replied, still on high alert.

"You must have a lot of time on your hands," mumbled Dye.

"Shut up," said Sam.

The sounds of delight started again, shaking both Sam and Dye. Dye threw his head around to look in every direction for the source of the laughter. However, he kept on coming to the same conclusion that it was only him and Sam in the living room. The giggles continued, and then a cough. Sam and Dye were taken back abruptly.

"Sam?" said Dye.

"Yeah?"

"I'm no ghost expert, but are they supposed to cough like that?"

Sam didn't answer. He continued to stare at the spot where the cough had come from.

"Dye!" Said Sam. "Look!"

Dye looked over at the lazy chair, and a figure started to come into focus. They watched as skin appeared, along with clothes and long hair, with its feet wearing sandals.

"I don't believe this," said Dye in an unhappy tone.

As the figure's body started to come into view, Sam and Dye recognized the so-called 'ghost' as none other than Jason.

Dye and Sam seized the throw pillows and hurled them at Jason. They were not happy that the whole time their older brother was pretending to be a ghost. Jason sat in the chair, holding his gut, laughing harder than ever.

"Dude!" Said Jason, laughing. "The looks on your faces... Priceless."

He continued to laugh at Dye and Sam. Then, something hit the both of them. Jason had just appeared out of thin air. Their anger disappeared as their curiosity rose.

"What?" Jason asked as his laughter started to die down.

"Jason," said Sam, "how did you do that?"

"What?" He said.

"You know what!" Replied Dye.

"Oh, you mean the popping in and out of existence," Jason replied. Okay, so I'm at the beach, right? You know, surfing and teaching my classes. During one of my breaks, I noticed these big surfer guys walking up to me. They didn't look too friendly at all I might add. They must have wanted some revenge on me taking the National Surf Champion title away from them for another year," he bragged. "Anyways, I tried to find a place to hide, but where can you hide smack dab in the middle of the beach? So I just started to say in my head that they couldn't see me over and over again, and, sure enough, they just kept on walking. I walked home invisible. Nobody could see me. I figured you two were home, so I decided to mess with you a bit," he chuckled.

"Then it all makes sense," said Dye.

"What makes sense?" Jason and Sam said simultaneously.

"The reason why these powers surfaced today. Look, all three of us supposedly had the same dream, right? I think the reason why these forces came to our aid when we needed it was because either we wanted to save someone or had to protect ourselves. These 'abilities' must have something to do with the dream we had."

"Maybe so," said Sam, "but how can we prove whether or not it was a dream?"

"That's a great question," Dye retorted. "Good thing I don't have the answers or we would be all confused right now."

"Dudes, I'm so psyched," said Jason, excited. "I can go invisible. Do you know what this means?"

The two brothers looked at him with blank expressions.

"An all-access pass to the girls' locker room, up close and personal, without getting caught."

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" Yelled Sam and Dye.

Jason vanished from sight. Dye and Sam saw the folding door to the kitchen swing open. They ran into the kitchen to see Jason at the refrigerator, looking for something to eat.

"Any of you hungry?" He asked, grabbing some food.

"Not me," Sam replied. "I've got to get started on my homework."

"Okay, suit yourself," said Jason.

Sam walked out of the kitchen, back into the living room and up the stairs.

"What about you, Dye?" Asked Jason. "Hungry?"

Dye nodded and sat at the table with his brother. He filled Jason in on everything that had happened that day, from the fight with TJ to saving the life of a little boy. "Be careful little bro, TJ is one bad dude," Jason said while reaching into a bag of chips. It was six o'clock when Mack walked into the kitchen to find his two brothers laughing and talking.

"What's going on?" He said, dirty from football practice and grabbing a glass of water. "How was your first day?" He said looking at Dye.

"It was interesting," Dye replied, looking at his older brother.

"Really now?" Said Mack. "Well, I'm going to have to listen to it later. I have to get cleaned up and start on my homework," he said as he left the kitchen. It wasn't long until their parents came into the kitchen and saw Dye and Jason still tearing into a bag of chips.

"Boys! Seriously?" Said their mother furiously, barging into the kitchen carrying a bag of groceries. "Come on; you'll ruin your appetite for dinner. Put those away."

"Go wash up," she said. "Dinner will be ready soon."

The two boys left the kitchen and ran upstairs where they washed their hands and started on their homework. It wasn't long before they heard the voice of their mom calling for dinner. The six family members sat at the table, said Grace and started to eat. Everybody wanted to know how Dye's first day of high school had gone. He told them everything from the moment he got there to the moment he left. Everything, except the extraordinary things that had happened to him that day and the fight he was in. They sat around the table eating and enjoying each other's company, taking turns to tell the rest of their family about their day.

After dinner, Dye found himself in his room, finishing up his homework and enjoying the evening. He got up from his desk, stretched and walked over to his bed. He jumped onto it and laid down, staring up at the ceiling, recalling the day's events. It was quiet and dark, and the window was open, letting in a light breeze that relaxed Dye as he tried to come up with a logical explanation as to why he had these powers. Better yet, why did he and his two brothers have these powers? Mack was in the dream as well. So why was it that he didn't have anything to say about his extraordinary abilities, or could he not recall the dream that the other three brothers had?

Maybe he's not telling us something. Maybe something happened to him today, just like the rest of us?

Suddenly, the wind blowing in from the window started to grow gradually, blowing the curtains and papers all around in his room. Dye jumped up from his bed and tried to contain his homework papers as they surrounded him in a tornado-like cyclone. Dye turned towards the window and saw a figure fly in through the space. The papers still swirled around him, hitting him in the face and flying against his body. In through the window flew Sam, who landed in front of Dye and stopped the indoor tornado, making the papers fall to the ground. Dye took a deep breath and exhaled hard.

"I'll never get used to that," he said, picking up his papers. "Where'd you come from anyway?"

"I went for a little flight," replied Sam. "It was unbelievable. I've never felt any thrill like it before. I soared through the clouds, over buildings, and across the moon."

"Glad you had a good time," Dye said sarcastically, collecting his papers, upset at Sam.

"Oh," said Sam, "let me help."

Sam took his hands and waved them across the floor. The wind stirred up and picked up the loose papers gently. Sam moved his hand forward like he was lightly pushing something and the papers soared back over the desk. They were stacked on the desktop while the wind disappeared.

"Cool!" Said Dye, amazed. "Where did you learn that?"

"I was practicing while I was out," Sam replied. "I've found that I can create wind and control air currents."

"Really? Wow. I wonder what I can do?" He said, imagining the possibilities.

"Well, while you do that, I'm going to take a shower."

Sam walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Dye fell back on his bed, thinking and wondering about his new-found abilities. He thought long and hard about the future of these powers, and why he had them. Was it for something that was yet to come? Or was it a mistake? He went on and on, trying to find a logical explanation for why he had these powers. Sam came out of the steamy bathroom and made his way to his bed.

"Hey, Sam," he said, "you think something happened to Mack today? You know - something extraordinary?"

"Perhaps," he replied, sitting on his bed, "but it's up to him whether or not he wants to tell us."

"But he doesn't know what we can do."

"True," Sam said, taking off his glasses and putting them on the table next to his bed, "but if he wanted to tell us if something weird happened to him today he would have, no doubt about it."

"What if he's scared?" Asked Dye. "What if he's scared to tell us because he doesn't know what we can do?" Sam started to tear his bed apart so he could start wrapping himself into its warm concealments.

"Well," said Sam, getting under his covers, "the day will come when we will tell him, but for now he already has enough on his mind with football, finishing his senior year and deciding what college he wants to go to. Let's not put more weight on his shoulders. I think its best that we get some sleep. Goodnight," he said, turning over.

"Goodnight."

It was late, and the house was settling down for another quiet night. Silence reigned as the family turned in for the evening. Jason and Mack were tucked away in their room, probably finishing up last-minute homework so they could turn in. Their parents were in the master bedroom already, fast asleep. The outside world was starting to shut down with the exception of train horns and barking dogs. The breeze gently flowed in through Sam and Dye's window, filling their room with a warm wind. Dye's senses slowly drifted from the world he knew into the world he had only seen once before. He found himself yet again in the dark, cold wasteland he had visited just the night before.

# Chapter 5: The Decided Future

Dye stood at the center of the dark, cold wasteland when flames exploded around him. He turned around and saw the same golden figure from the other night standing in his midst. The gold figure began to make its way towards him until it was face to face with the young boy. Dye looked and found his reflection in the T-shaped lenses and all was quiet while the flames raged on.

"Power," said the figure, "only comes to those who need it."

Dye looked at the figure with a confused look.

"Huh?" Said Dye. "What are you talking about?"

"Behold, the fate that awaits your people."

Dye felt a rumbling from beneath his feet; the gold figure had disappeared along with the flames, and the place became dark and cold once more. A light started to grow from beneath Dye's feet as a hole began to tear open, letting through more and more light that blinded him. He threw his arms over his face and shielded his eyes. The gap continued to tear open. He fell through the fissure as the light consumed his body.

Seconds later, Dye woke up and found himself in an odd, but familiar place. He was lying on an asphalt street in the middle of a destroyed city. He got up from the road and laid his eyes on the most disturbing sight. Everything around him was on fire, completely destroyed, being devoured by flames. He looked around, but couldn't find a single person. It was as if he was the last person on the planet. It was quiet, and the sky was burning red. He looked up and saw the moon being blocked out by an object glowing with a strange red light. Everything within the city was absorbing the red light.

He couldn't believe his eyes as he ran through the town, trying to find any survivors. He stopped when he came to another disturbing sight, a blue and white house entirely engulfed by flames. Pictures of his family ran through his mind while he stood there in front of his house with the heat of the flames moving over his face. He fell to his knees at the horrible sight.

"This can't be happening," he said, frightened and lost. "Why is this happening?"

He felt a rumbling getting closer. He turned, facing the most horrible sight he had yet to see. Coming towards him were deformed, bizarre looking monsters, that had teeth pointing in every direction; glowing red eyes, black, slimy skin, and incredibly large bodies. Dye could hear the growling and grunting of each one. There were tens of thousands of them, maybe more, marching straight for him. Those that were able to soared through the air with their bat-like wings, some wielded swords, while others had javelins and shields.

At the head of the oncoming crowd of creatures was a person dressed in a bizarre set of purple armor. The armor became more frightening the more Dye gazed at it. The purple knight looked polished to perfection; similar to the golden armored knight that was standing before him not too long ago. However, the purple armor was sharper and more unpleasant than the golden knight's. The purple knight looked to be the leader of the deadly army and was approaching him. They marched under the blooming sky, with the red light still blazing by the strange eclipse.

Dye began to back up, and the purple knight started to raise its hand. It shone with a purple light and unleashed a purple beam, shot straight at him. He yelled and found himself waking up in his room, falling out of his bed. He got up from the floor just before his alarm started to go off. It was morning. The alarm rang on, pestering Dye until he shut it off. He made his bed and attended to his morning routine. He put on some clothes and made his way downstairs to the kitchen where his family sat around the kitchen table, enjoying their breakfast.

"Two minutes earlier," said Sam, "a new record. Keep this up, and you'll be right on time."

Dye sat at the kitchen table and started to dig into his breakfast. Before he knew it, it was time for him and his brothers to get to school. They loaded up the truck and drove off, heading towards Beach Shores High.

Jason, Mack, and Sam enjoyed the morning commute, laughing and kidding around. However, Dye sat in the back, reminiscing on the dream that haunted him so much. The anxiety he felt last night was sucked right back into his body. His mind brought back the red sky, the emptiness that plagued his city and the red eclipse that shined high above him. Most of all, he remembered the creatures that were responsible for the destruction. The purple knight that lead the army and shot the purple energy at him stuck out in his mind the most. He couldn't explain why those events took place. Why did the golden figure show him this? Was it really what was going to come to pass? If so, how was he going to stop it? More importantly, did Jason and Sam have the same dream?

It was too much for Dye to handle. To add more fuel to the fire, he was five minutes away from the place where he had displayed his oddly defined strength: the same location where he had nearly burned off another student's hand. What was going to be the reaction of the other students? Would they continue to stare at him, like yesterday? He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, blowing all of his worries and fears away.

They finally made it to the school, pulling into the parking lot and disembarking from the truck. He stepped into the school hallway and immediately, eyes locked onto him from all angles. His nerves swarmed him again as he made his way through the lobby. The eyes of his fellow students made him terribly uncomfortable, and he tried to get to his locker as fast as he could. He finally saw the number twelve fifty-seven and walked towards it, entering his combination and opening his locker to hide his face. He took another deep breath and started to gather his books.

"Hey," said a voice that startled him half to death.

He turned around and saw Joss with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh, hey," he said, relieved.

Dye turned back into his locker to gather his books, stuffing them into his book bag.

"Man, that was sick what you did yesterday," said Joss, obviously still excited over Dye's performance the other day. "I've never seen anything like that before."

"Yeah?" Said Dye. "Then why is everyone looking at me like I'm some kind of freak?" He grabbed his bag and slammed his locker, making it echo through the hallway.

The students in the hall continued to converse with their friends, blocking out the slamming of Dye's locker.

"Easy man," Joss said, "you did what you had to do. Now we can go to school in peace."

"I didn't know what I was doing, okay! It just happened."

Dye made his way around Joss, trying to walk away. He stopped and saw something he shouldn't have. Making his way towards him was the toughest looking person that the other freshmen students came to fear. His entire left hand was wrapped in bandages, and his black hair that was usually spiked up swung over his forehead and bounced as he walked up to Dye. The hallway fell silent as TJ made his way through the halls. He stopped and glued his brown eyes upon Dye along with the rest of the students surrounding them. Joss stood behind Dye, who threw a fierce look back at TJ. Both anger and fear made their way through Dye's body, paralyzing him, as he stared back at TJ.

"Look," said TJ, "I don't know who you think you are, freshman, or how you pulled that stunt yesterday but I assure you will taste my revenge. Watch your back."

The hallway was silent. TJ shoved his way past Dye and continued on his way down the halls.

"My name is Dye," he said, halting TJ in his tracks, "And it's not who I think I am, it's who I am. I see how you treat the students around here who are trying to learn and make something of themselves. Students that have done nothing to you! What gives you the right to take advantage of them?"

"Watch your mouth, you little-" said TJ getting upset.

"Or you'll what?" Said Dye, cutting him off, "Beat me down? Believe me, if that's the best you got then you have another thing coming. You're not going to keep me down. At all! Wherever you are causing pain and suffering in this school, I'll be there. So you watch your back."

TJ smirked evilly and turned his head to face Dye.

"You got guts kid, I'll give you that," said TJ with anticipation, "which will make my revenge on you all the sweeter." With that said, TJ made his exit and soon the hallway was free from his presence. The students smiled and looked at Dye with happiness, something Dye had never seen before. An unexplained sense of accomplishment overcame him, and a big smile grew on his face. Joss came up from behind him and gave him a pat on the back as Dye had once again stood up to the scariest, most intimidating looking student who ever set foot in Beach Shores High. The bell rang, and Dye and Joss walked off to class.

As the day went on, Dye found himself feeling more and more comfortable with meeting the people whom he crossed paths with. The day concluded with his last period of the day, History and soon Dye found himself heading home - until he heard the sound of girl call out to him. He turned around, and his heart sank. The beauty of his dreams was walking towards him with a dazzling smile and bright, hazel eyes.

"Hi," she said.

Dye's voice couldn't escape his throat. Instead, he gave a gesture that he was choking, clearing his throat.

"Are you okay?" She asked

Dye nodded.

"Okay, well, I just wanted to say hi," she said, "My name is Jennifer, Jenny for short."

Dye smiled.

"I'm Dye," he responded nervously.

"Dye?" She said.

"It's a nickname, for Theodore. My brothers gave it to me when I was a kid."

"Aw! How cute! Such a lovely name."

Dye's heart leaped in his chest.

"So you're the new hero whose been rocking the school lately."

"Yeah, that's me, Mr. Heroic," he felt a sense of embarrassment shake him.

"Well, it's really cool what you're doing, making this school a better place. If only more people were like you."

Dye's heart jumped for joy.

"Yeah, too bad, I'm one of a kind."

They both laughed. The sound of a horn blowing from a nearby car stopped their laughing along with the yelling of a man shouting Jenny's name.

"Your dad?"

"Yep," she responded "Got to go. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," he replied, "of course."

"Well, it was great to meet you." She said.

"Likewise."

Jenny smiled and waved goodbye as she made her way towards her father's car. Dye watched as she flowed away, got into the car and drove off down the street. Overexcitement flushed his body, and his soul leaped into the air as he walked off down the street, headed for home. He ran across the street, through neighborhoods and back alleys. The girl whom he's been thinking about for the past two days finally spoke to him. From the first moment he saw her, he knew that it was only a matter of time. He just didn't think it would be so soon. It took him standing up to one of the fiercest people he has ever known for her just to say hi, and it felt great. He could only imagine what else he could do to get her to talk to him some more.

Suddenly all of the happiness that was flowing through his soul vanished. He stopped his running and found himself in a back alley, breathing hard. He stood there in the dark alleyway with the sun peering over a nearby building. He heard something that didn't fit. Like somebody was screaming in distress. Not soon afterward, he started to smell something odd. He sniffed until the smell clicked in his head, something was on fire. He looked up into the sky and saw a deep, dark cloud of smoke rising to block out the sun, making the alley dim. Dye watched as his shadow started to disappear from the ground below him. The yelling of voices got louder. The sound of fire engines roared and soon soared passed him; their bright lights catching his attention. He ran out of the alley and followed the trail of smoke in the sky onto a burning, blazing building.

The fire engines stopped, and Dye watched as the firefighters quickly jumped out and began assembling the fire hose to a nearby fire hydrant. Dye stood at the top of the street and watched as the fire ate through the building like paper. Ashes fell from the sky, and the cloud of smoke got deeper and darker as it soared over the sun. The screams and cries plagued him once again. He looked around until finally realizing that the disturbing screams were coming from inside the burning building. A confused look took control of his face. He was several feet away from the blazing building, so far, that he could not feel the heat from the fire. So how was he able to hear the desperate cries of the people still trapped inside? Maybe this was a new ability brought on by the mysterious force living within him.

He stood at the top of the street and watched as firefighters rushed into the blazing building. Some of the other firefighters stayed behind and finally got the fire hose to work. The high-pressure water shot onto the burning building, trying to put out the fire. The firefighters that rushed in earlier were making their exit, carrying injured people, unconscious children, even pets to safety. Dye was relieved that the people were safe, but something else started to catch his attention.

A woman, who came walking down the street, bearing groceries, had noticed the blazing building. She dropped her bags and ran towards the burning building trying to make her way inside. She was bombarded by three firefighters who held her back from the entrance. From where Dye was standing, he saw the woman fall to her knees and began to cry. Using his new found ability, he zeroed in on the woman and began to focus on her, trying to see if maybe he could figure out why she was so upset. It wasn't an easy task. The loud sirens from the fire engines, the thundering sounds of planes flying over the area thousands of feet up, and the conversations of people who were miles away gave him a horrible headache as he too fell to his knees, clutching his head. The noises had no choice but to get louder, racking Dye's head until it literally began to throb. The sound of the sobbing woman finally made it to Dye's ears; he focused on it, and all the other sounds disappeared. He listened to the sobbing woman as he looked upon her. She got up and once again tried to make her way into the blazing house. The firefighter grabbed her and forcefully took her away from the entrance.

"Ma'am!" Dye heard the firefighter say, "You can't go in there. The building is going to come down any moment now."

The woman started to cry harder and yelled in sorrow.

"Please! Please!" Dye heard the woman say. "Please, my two children are in there."

"Impossible," said one of the firefighters, "We got everybody out before the foundation got unstable.

Dye saw the woman look around for her kids. She tried to match the faces of the survivors to those of her children.

"They're not here," she said.

Dye looked up into the burning building. He lost his focus from the woman and began to concentrate on the burning structure to listen for any people that were probably still trapped inside. He started to hear coughing and light cries for help that sounded like two little children. His heart began to race. An unexplained obsession began to overcome him. The only thing that was set in his mind was saving those two kids. Sure, he was faster than the speed of sound, he just now discovered he had supersonic hearing, but none of those abilities could help him. If he were to take one step inside, the building would come crashing down on top of him, not only killing him but the two children who were still inside. Anxiety quickly took control. He wanted to do something to help return the two children safely to their mother, but how?

Then a forgotten memory traveled its way back to him. The dream he had for the past two nights, the fox, the blazing dark wasteland, and most of all, the golden entity that stood in front of him.

"Power," he recalled, "Only comes to those who need it."

Dye stood back up on his two feet and stared down at the quick fire consuming the building. He listened to the two unknown children that were still trapped inside the blazing building. He felt a warm feeling ignite inside him that grew larger and hotter as if something started a raging wildfire inside him. He fell back to his knees, grasping his chest in pain. He felt this feeling before, during his fight with TJ, during the time he made his gruesome transformation. He started to feel the same unknown force come over him slowly as he began to make his change all over again. He looked up at the burning building to reveal his bright orange eyes and vein-like body. He stood up slowly with his body colored inferno red, being sure that he was hotter that the blazing building itself.

His hands were so hot that he left handprints in the cemented sidewalk as he got up. He stood up on the sidewalk, giving off smoke, fully transformed. However, something was different; something didn't feel right. He looked at his red hot hands and realized that something was missing. He felt a gap in his power that would enable him to go further into the transformation.

"Maybe certain abilities arise depending on the situation," he recalled what he said yesterday.

He smirked and suddenly he felt an unexplained feeling in the palm of his hand. He raised his smoking hand to his face and saw a red, swirling energy. The energy, without any hesitation, burst from his palm and swirled around his body. His adrenaline went out of control, and his heart pounded against his chest. His eyes turned red, and his entire body started to glow a brighter red as well. He gave a loud cry and with that his whole body exploded into flames, disintegrating his clothes and leaving him resembling a human torch. The red energy got stronger and brighter as it swirled around his body. His body was as hot as a volcano, but controlled. Nothing around him seemed to catch on fire; his breathing increased, and his heart continued to beat faster and faster. The energy increased its strength until Dye's body was completely covered in it from his neck down to his toes. His face returned to normal, and his body was bathed with the bright red energy. When he opened his eyes, he found his body completely covered in the crimson glow that exploded from his hand. The light shone brighter than the sun, and, one by one, markings were etched everywhere on his legs down to his feet, from his waist up to his neck, and from his shoulders down to his hands. The markings started to become clear and the red energy covering him shattered like glass, revealing shiny gold armor pieces all over his limbs and torso. His head became bathed in the blooming aura until it broke, revealing a shiny gold helmet with a T-tinted lens that covered his face, concealing his identity.

Dye looked at his newly formed body and was impressed with what he had become. The shiny gold armor didn't feel heavy at all, almost like it was his skin.

Symbols were etched all over his body containing different shapes and markings. The armor reflected with the sun's beating rays as he also noticed he was a bit taller as well, almost a foot and half taller to be exact.

"This is new," he said, raising his hand up to his golden head, admiring it.

Dye heard the constant yelling of the children who were still trapped inside the building.

"Wonder what else I can do?" He said curiously, "Only one way to find out." He pushed off with his back leg and exploded down the street with incredible speed, leaving behind him a trail of fire. He was moving so fast that a sonic boom followed directly behind him, shattering every single window on the block.

"Sorry," he said as he quickly made his way down the street.

When he finally made it to the blaze, he leaped into the air and soared across the sky and sun. His shadow swept across the people below, catching their attention. The firefighters, the survivors, and the crying lady looked up with wonder in their eyes.

Dye swept through the sky until he crashed into the building, entering it. He ran through inside, following the sounds of the crying children. Falling embers and weak floors didn't stand a chance against Dye's solid armor. He darted through the blazing apartment building, searching for the two children.

Waiting outside, the crying woman and the firefighters looked up at the hole where the mysterious hero just made his entrance, hoping to see him leap out holding both of her children but no one came. They stared anxiously, waiting to see the shiny hero jump through the blazing hole of fire. The woman's anxiety started to get the best of her. She began to cry again with horrible thoughts of her children not making it out of the burning building alive. The building started to become unstable as burning pieces of wood fell down to the ground. The crowd backed away from the falling rubble. The fire chief grabbed the woman, who resisted, but she couldn't overpower him. She cried harder and harder with tears streaming down her face like tiny rivers.

"Everyone, get back!" Shouted the Chief. "It's coming down!"

The chief grabbed the lady and took her behind the fire truck for cover. Piece by piece, the building came falling down. The burning building started to wobble and tip from side to side. Walls came falling to the ground, shattering completely, along with bricks and some more wood from the roof. Piece by piece the blazing building was falling apart. Time ticked until finally, the burning building came crashing down to the ground, picking up a thick dust cloud and extinguishing the flames. The lady yelled in agony as she witnessed her entire home become nothing more, but a giant pile of burned wood and ash, along with her two kids and the hero, who were trapped inside. The cover of dust and dirt shielded the whole entire block making it hard for the firefighters to see anything as they approached the site where the building once stood. They eased their way through the thick cloud while the sun made its way through the haze, making things easier to see.

The firefighters made their way to the rubble to begin digging for the bodies that were so helplessly trapped inside. The woman's cries echoed through the silent street. The dust cloud finally lifted while the firefighters continued to dig through the fallen concrete, wood and debris that still had hot embers on them. The sound of the cracking rubble pierced the silence as the rescuers made their way over the wreckage.

Suddenly, movement began to shake the ruins. All of the firefighters quickly turned towards the site where the effort was coming from. The woman slowly came from behind the fire engine, sniffing and wiping her dirty, sweaty face. The movement got stronger, shifting the rubble. They crowd of spectators slowly walked towards the wreckage and waited in suspense for whatever was about to rise. The sun fully showed its face across the destroyed site, and people came out of their homes to observe the disaster that had befallen their neighbors. The rubble raised and sank as if something was breathing under it. Suddenly, the rubble exploded, causing another dust cloud to consume the area. Rocks and other loose pieces of the structure fell from the sky, slamming into the ground. The sun once again beamed its golden rays through the dust, but this time the light was reflected off of a golden figure shining from head to toe. The figure started to walk from the dust cloud revealing their whole entire body. The woman began to sob again until she noticed that the figure was holding something under both of their arms. She ran towards the individual, crying.

When she came face to face with him, she glared up at his shiny, golden head. She then looked down and saw two small bodies under his arms, one being a girl and the other a boy.

"I believe these two belong to you," said Dye in a deep voice.

The woman fell to her knees, crying harder than ever before. Dye gently set the two bodies on the ground next to her.

"My kids, my babies," said the woman, crying, "are they?"

"They're fine," Dye replied "Just unconscious."

The lady held her kids in her arms and hugged them tightly. She looked up at the mysterious, golden bathed hero standing before her and gratitude filled her.

"I don't care if our house is gone," she said, sniffing, "I'm glad that my kids are alive, and back in my arms. Thank you, thank you so very much."

Dye nodded his head in confirmation and turned to the firefighters, who were still standing on the rubble, gazing at him. He saluted them and took off down the street like a rocket. The fire department, the people who stood outside their homes, the survivors, and the woman, holding her two unconscious children, watched as the mysterious hero left a trail of fire and disappeared beyond the horizon.

# Chapter 6: Sightings

Dye was on his bed with his hands tucked behind his head, staring up at the ceiling, smiling as he recalled the events of that day; his very first encounter with Jenny, standing up to TJ once again, and lastly, tapping into a new source of power and saving two children from a burning building. What a great day. He was feeling so good that it could only get better. He heard the front door close from downstairs. He jumped up from his bed as he heard the voices of his brothers, Sam and Jason. He darted from his room, down the stairs, and into the living room. He saw his brothers sitting on the couch, turning to the news. Their eyes fell on Dye, who was just leaving the staircase.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" He said, making his way over to the sofa.

"Nothing much," said Jason.

"Just got home from school," Sam replied.

Dye sat on the couch and began watching the news along with his two brothers.

"Thank you for tuning in for the Channel Three, five o'clock news. I'm Susan Weaver. And I 'm Joseph Cunning," said the man to her left. "And do we have some fantastic top stories today."

"That's right folks, Beach Shore's City is now home to superheroes?" Said the Anchorman, "our first story took place overnight. A commercial airliner carrying a hundred and ninety people had to make an emergency landing last night due to system malfunction. However, it wasn't the pilot who made the landing. We have Susan Porter on the scene. Susan?"

The camera went to a well-dressed woman standing outside an airport. Dye, Jason, and Sam continued to watch.

"Good evening," said the reporter. "I'm standing just outside Horizon Line International Airport where at approximately eight forty-five last night, flight 235 traveling from Florida to Washington had to make an emergency landing due to an engine malfunction. However, according to the passengers, it was a miracle that any of them survived.

The camera once again changed, putting a man on the television screen. The interview seemed to have been taken sometime in the morning due to the early light of the sun.

"We were going down," said the man, "all I could remember was holding my daughter close to me. The plane dropped from the sky, and I could see smoke and fire coming from one of the engines. I started to pray. I knew me and my daughter weren't going to make it out alive. I opened my eyes and saw a light peering into the window, and outside was an angel. Not just any angel, this one was dressed in white golden armor and had broad shiny wings. The angel flew past my window and towards the front of the plane. The next thing I knew I was on the ground safe and sound with my daughter, watching the angel fly off."

The camera switched back to the reporter.

"Nobody really knows what caused the malfunction or if the passengers saw what they did. All we know is that those people did make it to Washington safe and sound. This is Susan Porter, Channel Three News."

"Amazing," Dye said. "This is so cool! He almost looked like m-"

Dye caught himself before almost revealing his secret of the day. Sam looked around the room nervous, almost as if he needed to go to the bathroom.

"Sam?" Asked Dye with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Alright!" Sam snapped aggressively with a panic. "It was me."

"You?" Dye said, which made sense considering what happened to him earlier that day. "You did what?" He began to play dumb.

"It was me who saved those people," said Sam in a panic, "please don't tell anyone."

"No way, bro," said Jason with curiosity, "how man? And why would we tell anyone?"

There was no answer to Jason's last question. Both he and Dye knew Sam was being his old paranoid self and didn't pay that notion any attention.

Dye sat up to listen to his brother's story.

"Well, last night I went for a little joy flight," said Sam, "You know, to see what my limits were."

"Yeah, I remember," said Dye, recalling the flying papers.

"It was incredible, soaring over rooftops and what not." Sam continued on, "So I flew as high as I could into the sky until the lights from the city were little specks. I sat there, floating in the air, thousands of feet up and it was the most beautiful feeling I had ever felt, then out of nowhere, came this plane that nearly killed me if hadn't moved. I noticed that one of its engines had smoke coming out of it so I flew after it to catch up to it, but the jet was falling so fast that I was falling behind. I couldn't just let those people die so I pushed as hard as I could until my body started to glow with this bright light. I know the people down below must have thought I was a shooting star or something. Anyways, the next thing I knew, I had wings, and this shiny, white gold armor covered my entire body with this weird symbol stretched across my face. I found myself flying faster than ever before. So I soared to the head of the plane and caught it with my bare hands. To me, it was as heavy as a television. So I found the nearest airport and set it down there. The rest is history."

Both Dye and Jason were impressed. Before they could respond the news caught their attention once more.

"But the heroics aren't over yet folks," said the Anchorman, "that's right. Earlier this afternoon there was a horrible oil spill from an explosion that occurred on an oil tanker. We have Tom Shackles on the scene."

The screen switched to a tall man in a shirt and tie standing out on the pier that wasn't too far from the brother's home.

"Good Evening," said the reporter, "I'm standing out here, live, on Beach Shores Pier, and if you look closely over to the shoreline you can see the beached oil tanker that suddenly exploded earlier today. Sailors say that an armored shark -- that's right folks, an armored shark -- towed them to shore, but not before cleaning up the oil spill. From what I could conjure up, the mysterious beast was wearing shiny blue armor. Well, when you consider the possibilities almost anything is possible. This is Tom Shackles, Channel Three News."

"It wasn't a shark, you idiot!" Jason said, infuriated, "Who in their right mind has heard of an armored shark? I mean, come on, let's be real here."

"A shark?" Said Dye.

"It wasn't a shark!" Yelled Jason, "I just looked like a shark."

"So obviously that was you," said Sam, finally calming down from his paranoia.

"Yeah," Jason replied, "I was catching a few waves after school. I was sitting on my board waiting for a wave when this massive explosion happened. I saw the oil spill into the water, and I said to myself. Those fish So I fell off my board into the water, and my body started to shine with this weird blue light, and then my entire body went into overdrive. This blue armor covered my whole body along with my head and this kind of cool shark fin coming out of my head and arms. I shot off like a torpedo towards the burning ship. Got rid of all the oil and pulled the tanker to shore. Saving everybody on board! Yeah!" He ended with a smug brashness.

"Impressive," said Dye.

"Bro, it was sick," Jason replied, "it was like I was flying, but I was soaring underwater."

"Our next story hit's a little closer to home," said the Anchorman, "A fire broke out today at a local apartment complex, burning it to the ground. Witnesses say there was a golden armored man, who appeared out of nowhere and jumped into the blaze to save two children who were still trapped inside. Thanks to the mysterious hero, the two kids made a quick recovery.

Investigators still have no clue as to who these three heroes are, but we owe them a debt that can never be repaid, and if they're watching -- thank you."

"And that was me," said Dye, standing up with excitement.

"I'll say," said Sam. "Who else would run into a burning building but you?"

"Golden armor huh?" Said Jason. "Well, that's cool."

Dye told them everything, not forgetting any details. He mentioned how he ran so fast the windows shattered and how he leaped so high that he could almost fly.

"I got it," said Dye, "Why don't we all just protect the city from now on. Like superheroes."

Sam and Jason started to laugh out loud. Jason fell to the ground holding his stomach and Sam rolled around on the couch, laughing hysterically.

"Hey guys, let's be superheroes," said Jason, mocking Dye.

Dye got upset.

"It's not funny," he said. "Come on, I'm serious."

"Dye," said Sam, "you don't expect us to quit school to go out and play hero do you? You may be into all that, but we're not."

"We don't have to quit school."

"Well, we can't be in two places at once," Jason added.

"Maybe not, but didn't it feel good to save those people?"

Sam and Jason stopped their amusement and recalled their heroic deeds.

"I guess so," Sam retorted.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool," Jason added.

"See?" Said Dye. "So why not?"

"Jason just said it," said Sam, adjusting his glasses, "we can't be in two places at once. We have to focus on our lives first rather than creating another one."

"So what do we do with this?" Asked Dye, "these powers?"

"Tell you what," said Sam, sitting up on the couch "If we're in the right place at the right time and the authorities seem not to have the situation under control, then we'll step in. Sound good?"

Dye nodded with a grin on his face.

"Great then we have a deal?"

"Deal!"

Sam looked over at Jason.

"I'm down!" He replied

"Great! Let's shake on it," said Sam.

The three brothers gathered up all the saliva in their mouths and spat in their hands. Dye reached out for Sam's hand.

"Wait!" Said Sam.

"What?" Dye paused.

"You can't go out playing hero either, got it? Only if all your work is done, " said Sam.

"What're you, my dad?" He said, grasping Sam's hand in which he spat in.

The three brothers rotated in shaking hands until the deal was complete. The front door opened, and Mack came walking in. Dye smiled at him, but his smile quickly faded due to Mack's appearance of depression. Without saying a word, Mack made his way upstairs, and the brothers heard a door slam.

"Yeesh," said Jason. "Wonder what's gotten into him. Oh well. Who's hungry?"

# Chapter 7: Underdog

"And that's pretty much it," said the young hero, returning from his flashback and back to the present. "That's how we all got our powers and discovered them for ourselves. Since then, our lives haven't been the same, with protecting the city and all. We've been in the newspaper and sightings of us have been all over the news almost every single day. I mean, this has just been amazing, nobody knows who we are and stopping that jewelry store robbery just now is sure to strike up some attention somewhere." He walked out of the alley and onto the street. He looked at his phone and noticed a time that shouldn't have been there.

"And right now I'm late for school," he said, panicked.

He ran his hardest down the busy street. He raced down the sidewalk, cutting in-between people, jumping over bus stops, and crossing the street into traffic. He was running for a few minutes until finally making it to his school as the second bell was ringing.

"Oh man," he said as he jumped through the bushes onto the long, paved staircase.

He stopped and caught his breath just before entering the deserted school hallway. He straightened out his clothes, tugged on his backpack and opened the heavy school doors slowly and carefully, trying not to make any small noises. He entered the corridor and without realizing it, the heavy door slammed shut, scaring him and sending a loud echo through the empty hallway. He tiptoed slowly but couldn't control the squeaky noises of his sneakers on the newly waxed floors. He continued to creep through the hall trying not to be detected.

"Mr. Theodore Haven," said a deep voice emerging from behind him.

Dye stopped in his tracks, shaken up by the voice. He turned around slowly to lay his eyes on a tall, dark-skinned man wearing a pair of neatly ironed slacks with a shirt and tie. He wore glasses and had a nicely trimmed goatee surrounding his mouth. In his hand was a clipboard with three ink pens resting in his shirt pocket.

"Vice Principal Charles," Dye replied, "beautiful morning isn't it? I was just heading to the bathroom."

"With your backpack, son?" replied Vice Principle Charles, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah," he answered, "it's the new trend these days. Yep, taking your backpack to the bathroom," He leaned in closer to the Vice Principal. "Between you and me," Dye said in a whisper, "I don't want my backpack being turned inside out or what we like to call turtling."

"Turtling?" Said Vice Principal Charles suspiciously.

"Better hope your bags are tightly secured, Vice Principal Charles. So if you would excuse me, I must go and do my business and get back to class. Have a nice day."

Dye turned his back and started to walk away.

"Hold it!" Barked Vice Principal Charles in a deep voice that halted Dye. "I don't know what you take me for, Haven, but I'm no idiot."

"Damn it!" Dye snickered. He turned around quickly to face the tall, dark-skinned man with a smile. "Whatever do you mean? Why would I, a self-righteous student, ever question your intelligence?"

"Save it," Vice Principal Charles replied, "this is the third time this week I have caught you strolling through the halls, and all three of those times you have been tardy." He reached for a pen in his pocket and started to scribble on the clipboard.

"I've warned you that the next time I caught you were going to receive detention. Consider my promise kept," He tore a piece of pink parchment from his clipboard and handed it to Dye. "See you this afternoon, Mr. Haven, and if you ever insult my intelligence again, I'll make sure to see you here a Saturday or two. Got it?"

The Vice Principal made his way around Dye and started to walk down the hallway. He paused to turn around.

"I don't understand you, Theodore. I see you pull into the parking lot every morning with your brothers, yet every day you're always late. I don't know where you go or if drugs play an issue in this little escapade of yours but it must stop. You're a smart kid and your grades show it, but on the road to being successful you must be on time. I can't stress that enough. See you this afternoon Mr. Haven."

With that said, the Vice Principal made his exit around a corner.

"Pssh," said an outraged Dye. "Drugs? What makes you think I'm on drugs? Do I look high?"

He continued to bicker at himself for what Vice Principal Charles had accused him of on his way to class. The day found itself going abnormally fast. It was lunch time, and he and Joss were sitting at their usual table eating lunch.

"Drugs?" questioned Joss.

"Yeah, drugs," said Dye furiously, "that's an insult to me in so many ways."

"Well, that would be a good explanation to why you disappear every day before school starts."

"Joss!" Said Dye, now even more infuriated, "I'm not on drugs."

"Okay, okay, man, chill," he replied, smiling, "just joking with you."

Joss saw somebody approaching their table from the corner of his eye. He turned and immediately got Dye's attention.

"My man," he said. "My man, look, Jenny at nine o'clock."

He turned his head and saw the beauty of his life walking towards their table holding a tray of food with her bag hanging from her shoulder. Dye became hypnotized by her walk and finally made eye contact with her as she approached their table.

"Dude, she's headed this way," said Joss, starting to panic, "what are you going to do?"

"Improvise," he replied, still being mesmerized by her walk.

"Hi," she said, finally coming to their table "Can I eat with you guys?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Dye replied, his nerves constricting his vocal chords once again.

She sat down next to Dye with Joss in facing the two.

"So what's up?" She asked. "I heard you got detention today."

"How does everyone know that?" wondered Dye, shaking off his nerves.

"It's high school," she replied, "word gets around. Besides, it's only the third week of school. You're never in trouble."

"But when you're as late as I am every day, it happens," he replied.

"I don't get it," she said curiously, "I see you pull up with your brothers every day, where do you go?

"Uh, here and there," he said. The conversation was starting to get interesting as his secret double life stuck out in his mind. She didn't know what he was really up to every day, but he did, which made his confidence take a jump forward.

"Yeah, well Vice Principal Charles has always been on my back since the first time I was late."

"I'm pretty sure he has. So, Joss, I see you made a new friend these past three weeks."

"Who? Dye? We go way back."

"Right," said Jenny sarcastically, "and you and I only go back a day or two."

The trio of newly formed friends enjoyed each other's company while finishing off the scraps of food they had left on their trays. The chemistry between the three friends couldn't have been better. The way they interacted made Dye see that this company was going to last a while.

The bell rang.

"Well, there's the bell," she said, getting up from the table, "Don't want to be late again, Dye. Better get up and get to class."

"Uh, yeah," he said, "Sure."

She swung her leg over the bench of the table and headed off towards the trash can.

"Jenny," She turned around to face him.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to go out with me this weekend?" He asked, not realizing what he just did. Joss was blown away by his friend's boldness. "That's if you're not doing anything"

She smiled and looked at him.

"Sure, why not. Maybe I can find out where you disappear to every day," she suggested.

"Sure, sounds good to me," he replied, concealing his excitement.

"Great," she said still smiling, "the earlier, the better. Saturday?"

"Okay. Well, I guess it's a date."

"Looking forward to it," she said, dumping her tray and leaving the cafeteria, staring at Dye as she made her way out. He turned to Joss, and they both started to laugh.

"That, was smooth," Joss said, holding out his hand in admiration.

"You think so?" Said Dye, slapping Joss's hand. "All improvised."

"Oh, sure! But let's get to class before time turns against you again, and you get another detention."

"Good idea."

They got up from the table, dumped their tray and made their way from the cafeteria with the rest of the student body.

The day progressed on, and the final bell sounded as the students grabbed their belongings and cleared the classrooms without any hesitation. Dye, on the other hand, had to find room five hundred and seven, the detention room. Once he found it, he twisted the knob on the door and entered the room. As Dye pushed the door open, he saw Vice Principal Charles sitting at the head of the classroom behind a desk, doing paperwork. He looked at the opening door to see who had just arrived.

"Ah, Mr. Haven," said the Vice Principal, "take a seat." He said, waving his hand in front of him.

Dye walked over to a window seat and sat down. He dropped his bag on the floor and rested his head in his palm. There were four other students in the classroom that looked as though they didn't care whether they were there or not. One student was wearing all black with dark makeup surrounding her right eye while her left eye was concealed by her black hair. The female had on black lipstick with a lip piercing in the edge of her mouth. She slouched in the desk with her arms folded, chewing gum and making loud and obnoxious smacking noises.

"Ms. Peters," said the Vice Principal, "Please spit out the gum," he said, pointing over to the trash can.

The girl lazily got up from her desk, walked over to the trashcan and spat out the gum. On her way back to her seat, she gave Vice Principal Charles a despicable roll of the eyes.

"Little girl," Vice Principal Charles arose from his seat, "don't ever roll your eyes at me. Your gum chewing is what got you in here in the first place. Now sit down and don't move. Don't even breathe or so help me God; you will regret it."

Dye was stricken at Vice Principal's immediate retaliation against disrespect. He quickly changed his position and folded his hands on his desk.

"Let's not be late again," said Dye to himself, being sure not to allow Vice Principal Charles to hear him.

Meanwhile, the attention of another student caught Dye's eye. The student was overweight and couldn't help but smile. He sat at his desk. The next student was a dark-skinned boy who sat on the opposite side of the classroom wearing a basketball jersey and shorts. He had a flat top haircut and leaned back in his desk with his feet in the aisle spinning a basketball on his fingertip. The last student, who was sitting at the very back of the classroom, had blonde hair that covered his forehead off to the right. He wore a sweater jacket and tight pants. They were so tight that if he had coins in his pocket, Dye would be able to tell the exact value of each one. He rested his feet on a skateboard that sat under his desk.

Dye resumed placing his head in his palm. This time he made his head sink deeper, almost dropping it on the table in despair. He just got there, and already the apprehension of wanting to get out made his leg bounce. He looked at the clock and found that it was five minutes past three and at that moment the door beneath the clock opened and waltzing in was the last person Dye wanted to see.

"Mr. Jones," said Vice Principal Charles, "please take your seat."

TJ walked through the classroom glaring at Dye as Dye glared back. He made his way down the first aisle until he found the chair that was at the very back of the row. He sat with his legs open and his arms folded, chewing on a piece of gum. Dye put on a disgusted look. However, TJ continued to gaze with a big smirk as he gnawed on his gum. Dye slowly looked away and locked on to Vice Principal Charles, who got up from his desk and walked around to the front of it. Dye set his sights on the time-ticking demon that was going to keep him confined for the next hour. The minute hand slowly approached the ten-minute mark while the second hand slowly made its way towards the top, crossing the number twelve.

"Okay!" Said the Vice Principal, "You have approximately one hour to think about what you have done while you're here. There will be no talking, no bathroom breaks, and most importantly no sleeping! If I catch you sleeping, you will be here Saturday for the next month. I have paperwork to do so serve your hour and get out of here."

Vice Principal Charles made his way back to his desk and sat in his squeaky chair to continue his paperwork. This was the first time Dye had ever received detention in his life. He didn't know what to expect, all he knew was that if he fell asleep, he would have to be at school on a Saturday. He would rather shoot himself if he had to be at school any Saturday of the year, all day for that matter. Letting the thought go, he just quietly sat at his desk, watching the sunlight stream into the room. He watched as sail boats soared across the wavy water top and lifeguard boats did their patrol of patrons in the water. The pier stretched itself out to sea with the red octagonal building that sat at the very end. Although he was in detention, Dye felt relaxed and at ease with his anxiety. He couldn't help but gaze at the world outside. He hoped for time to somehow speed up, which made him wish for the ability to control time rather than super speed. He thought about maybe somehow he could use his abilities to speed up time. He didn't attempt to try it for fear that something could go wrong and his secret would be exposed to the six other people who were sitting in that room. Most of all, his secret would be revealed to TJ, who as of now, was his number one enemy. Miraculously, time seemed to have snuck by unnoticed. Dye grabbed his things and walked out of the classroom, headed for home.

Clutching his backpack, he slowly made his way down the street. It wouldn't be long now until he was home. Away from all the pressure and most of all, away from the person whom he thought wanted nothing more than revenge. Of course, Dye was still number one on TJ's hit list. He couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened if TJ had gotten the chance. Dye was crossing the last street that was before his house that sat at the end of the block. When he reached the other side, he received an eerie feeling that he was being followed. The light turned green, and the traffic began to start up again. He turned around and in between the zooming cars was a person that stood at the other side of the crosswalk.

Dye's heart stopped at the sight, because on the other side was none other than TJ, looking past the cars and smirking at him. The light turned red, allowing TJ to cross. Dye took off down the street, trying his best to make his way home alive. Two thuggish men came from around the corner and blocked him from getting through. He turned around and ran across to the other side of the street and began to dash down the block, his heart racing along with him. Two more thuggish men came from inside the corner drug store which made him run across the next street and down into an alleyway. It wasn't long before Dye found out it was a dead end. He turned around and started to head out until he noticed five figures standing in his exit.

"Finally," said TJ, "I have you where I want you."

The crowd of five made their way in towards Dye, who was taking steps back until finally backing into the wall.

"Getting that detention was easy," said TJ, "because I knew you got one, I was able to devise a plan to get you right here in this very spot. Now, it's time to pay up."

He held his fist in his burned hand and looked at Dye with a smirk. The four other men drew out weapons. Two had chains while the other two had crowbars.

"Let's have a party, boys!" He said.

The five closed in towards Dye, reducing the distance between them.

Dye smirked, making TJ's expression change.

"Why are the dumb ones always so aggressive?" Said Dye.

He took off his backpack and braced himself.

"Get him!" Commanded TJ.

As the thugs closed in on Dye, everything around the young boy began to slow down; from the cars passing by the alley, to the birds that flew up above, to the dripping of water into a puddle along and the thugs coming towards him.

"Perfect," he said with a brash arrogance.

One by one he attacked the thugs. He kicked one in the face, struck another in the neck, kneed the next one in the stomach and elbowed the last in the kidney area along with a kick to his back. With each hit, the thugs were slowly thrown into random directions. As they slowly moved, Dye stood in the middle of the four and at the very second, time went back to normal. The thugs flew in opposite directions, some into the side of a dumpster and the others against walls. The young fighter stood there in the center with his back turned to TJ. He slightly turned around and set his sights on his enemy, whose expression transformed into both hatred and fear.

"Want some?" He asked.

"You freak!" Said TJ furiously. "I don't know how you did that, but your bag of tricks ends here."

TJ sprinted towards Dye throwing punch after punch, doing his best to hit him. Dye lightly moved across TJ's path, dodging every one of TJ's blows until finally hitting TJ in the stomach. He finished up with an uppercut that threw TJ to the ground. The fearsome person got up and wiped the blood that tracked down his mouth.

"Not bad!" He said.

"Whatever!" Dye replied angrily.

"Oh, you'll be sorry," said TJ.

Suddenly, one of the thugs snuck up behind Dye and pinned him to the ground, chaining his wrist together.

"Who the-?" Said Dye. "Get off of me!"

He turned his head and saw one of the thugs holding his wrist together. The thug picked the struggling boy up from off the ground and held him up in front of his enemy.

"See," said TJ happily, "what I say?"

TJ punched Dye in the stomach with all of his might.

Dye cried in pain as he struggled to get loose, gasping for air. TJ continued to release his fury on him, hitting him in every part of his body, giving him no mercy as though Dye was a punching bag. With a single blow to the jaw, Dye fell to his knees into a puddle of water and then fell forward. TJ kicked him in the stomach numerous times, causing Dye to curl up into the fetal position.

"Pick him up," he snapped, "I'm not finished yet."

The thug grabbed Dye by his wet hair and lifted his body up and seized his shoulders.

"You think you're really tough, don't you?" Said TJ with every punch he made.

Dye fell into the puddle of water once again. The thug picked him up and grappled his arms. His face was badly beaten. Water raced down his bruised and bloody face as his wet hair crept over his forehead, no longer was it curly. He couldn't hold his head up straight, being dizzy from all of TJ's beatings. Blood surfaced from his mouth and dripped to the ground.

"What you gotta say now?" Said TJ. "Huh?" His voice echoing in the alley.

Dye picked up his bobbing head and tried his best to look at TJ and give him a straight answer.

"When I get free you are so fried, literally," he said, panting.

"Why you-" said TJ, getting angrier.

The monster continued to beat Dye severely, making new bruises and wounds while making the ones he already had worse. Dye couldn't take the pain any longer. With his arms tied together, he was helpless. Every part of his body ached, making it difficult for him to move. The remaining thugs finally made their recovery and were as vengeful as TJ. One of the thugs took their crowbar and swung it against Dye's face, making a horrible incision appear on his cheek. His wet hair swung around, and blood slid down the side of his face. TJ seized Dye by the neck and gave him three blows to the face until he fell to his knees for the third time and into the dirty water.

"Stay down there," he said, "that's where you belong."

He kicked Dye in the face with his heavy boot, sending him to flying over to his back into another puddle; his arms confined behind him. He laid there unable to move as he rolled around in pain. TJ and his thugs stood over him as they watched him lay there, bleeding heavily.

"Pick him up," said TJ once again.

One of the thugs walked over to his beaten body and lifted him up.

"I hope this teaches you a lesson."

Dye spat blood on the ground and looked at TJ with contempt.

"Oh, what's the matter, hero?" He said sarcastically. "No more gas in the tank?"

The thugs laughed at him, and Dye's head fell towards the ground with his wet hair covering his face.

"Jenny and I are going to have a hell of a time this weekend. As for you

You will be tending to your wounds."

Dye's heart gave a loud thump in response to the comment his enemy just made. It was happening again, his unexplained transformation. Dye looked up at TJ with his bright orange eyes and abnormally veined face while TJ looked down at him, completely eaten by his fear. The thug holding Dye couldn't hold him any longer for his body was starting to heat up rapidly. All five of the muggers moved back as Dye's heat radiation increased with every passing moment. His breathing was hard and sounded almost like growling. He broke the chains that were binding his arms together and let out a loud cry. He sent out a heat wave that sent the five thugs flying through the air, crashing into the ground. Dye grew hotter as his skin burned more scarlet. He continued to growl, making his way over to TJ. The pride filled teen looked into the bloody face of the boy he tormented and abused.

Dye stood over the five thugs, grinding his teeth together, letting the heat flow from his body. The four criminals got up fast and ran off, leaving TJ to deal with the transformed boy. He tried to scurry away from Dye, but the boy wouldn't let him get away.

"I can create a level of heat that would melt the flesh right off your bones," He said darkly, raising his hand to TJ and burning his body to expose a deeper red color.

"But I won't," he started to revert back to his normal state, lowering his hand. "Because I'm not like you, and you're not worth my time."

TJ watched from the ground as Dye's face started to heal rapidly until no bruises or cuts were left.

"What?" Said TJ in terror and confusion, "What the hell are you?"

"Something you're not. You may think you're tough and all but remember there will always be that one person who owns you in everything you do. The truth is that you're afraid, afraid of your own authority, afraid that someone will come into the picture and make you their bitch. Well, I got news for you. It will happen and when it does, it won't be from me, but someone who you will hate and despise. And when that day comes, you'll wish that you had changed your ways. Consider this your day to repent," Dye turned away and went to go and pick up his bag, leaving TJ behind.

He seized his bag and started to be on his way. TJ laid there on the muddy ground with hatred and rage building in his heart. What Dye had said to him was the truth. The one person that he couldn't strike fear into was a lone freshman.

"Don't walk away from me!" He yelled, trying to move forward with his elbows.

Dye stopped in his footsteps and looked back at the whimpering being that set so much horror into his fellow students.

"You're pathetic," he said, "even when beaten, your pride still takes control."

Dye looked forward and started to walk out of the alley.

"I said don't walk away from me!" He repeated with aggression in his voice.

He slowly got to his two feet, lifted his shirt and drew out a gun, pointing it at Dye.

"Let's see who the pathetic one is," he said, cocking the gun. Dye heard the sound of the click, and quickly turned around.

"Coward!" He said with anger. His hands started to ignite with fire; his eyes going from green to orange.

"You may have this power," said TJ, full of egotism. "But you're still human, and I doubt you can survive a bullet."

Dye lifted his hand at TJ, and the flames around his hand got bigger and hotter.

"Die!" Shouted TJ.

At that very moment, an enormous updraft took TJ from the ground, into the air and slammed him back into the asphalt, knocking him unconscious. The flames around Dye's hand dissipated, and his eyes returned to normal. He looked around the area, confused, trying to find the source of the unexplained updraft.

"Where did that come from?" He said.

"You okay down there?" Said a voice from above.

Dye looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. In the sky was an armored angel dressed in white gold armor with a heavenly light that surrounded him. His face was concealed with a shiny, silvery helmet with a strange symbol on his face.

"Sammy?" Said Dye, looking up with amazement at the angel-like figure above him.

The angel took his wings in and started to descend slowly to the ground.

"Yeah," said the voice of Sam from behind the helmet. He gently landed on the ground completely filling the eyes of his younger brother. "You okay?"

"Fine," said Dye, sending signals that he didn't want to talk about it. When Dye inhaled, he began to cough vigorously. He raised his hand to Sam and signaled to give him a moment.

His expressions quickly changed. "But, wow, look at you, Sammy," he said, circling his brother's armored body. "You actually have wings, and this armor is amazing. Hey, wait," he paused, "how did you know I was here?"

"When you didn't come home, I knew something was up," said Sam, "I heard around school that TJ was finally going to get his revenge on you so I put two and two together and if I didn't you'd be dead."

"Uh, thanks, I guess," said Dye, stuck with the idea that he was almost shot.

"Come on," said Sam, spreading his wings, "hop on, we got to go."

Dye smiled and jumped on his back.

"Wait."

"What?"

Dye jumped off his brother's back and ran over to TJ. He found blood seeping from the back of his head, mixing into the puddle of water beneath him.

"Dye you're not thinking right. Come on, he nearly killed you."

"True, but we can't just leave him here to die."

"You were leaving anyway."

"Yeah, but that was before you threw him in the air and slammed him into the ground. Come on Sammy."

"Fine," said Sam, Sam's tall body walked over to TJ's lifeless body and picked him up, "come on, We'll drop him off at the hospital."

Dye smiled and leaped onto his brother's armored back, throwing his arms around his neck.

"Hang on," said Sam, "I'm still new at this."

Sam expanded his wings and jumped into the sky, catching the air currents beneath them. He began to climb higher until the two brothers and an unconscious TJ were soaring above buildings. Sam and Dye rose over the city, flying between buildings and over rooftops. Sam flapped his wings, and they flew higher and faster. Dye's eyes were watering due to Sam's speed. They soared through the clouds and below he saw the city lights starting to take over. The sun was setting, and the bright blue sky was going from a navy blue to a dark purple. He saw the blue ocean change color as the sun started to hide behind the horizon. The tiny stars began to twinkle in the sky, and the full moon was waking up to do its nightly duty. Dye's soul was lifted, and he felt a sense of relief coming over him. If he could fly, he would fly every day to school or to wherever he wanted to. To get this kind of feeling just by soaring through the sky was incredible.

"Hang on," said Sam.

Sam began his descent in the form of a dive. The speed of Sam's flight increased as the gravity from the free-fall seized them. Dye's heart began to pick up its pace as thrills and excitement took his senses for an intense ride. They fell through the clouds and just before reaching the ground Sam threw his wings out and caught the air beneath them, slowing them down. They started to descend slowly into the city, just above the local hospital. TJ's body lay unconscious in Sam's arms with his bloody and bruised face. As they got closer to the hospital, Sam saw a paramedic outside, talking on his cell phone.

"Watch out below," he said, getting the attention of the medic.

The medic watched as the armored Sam slowly descended before him.

"This man needs medical attention now," said Sam, trying to hide his voice.

"Uh, right away," said the medic, closing his phone and running inside to get a stretcher.

"Here. Set him here," said the medic.

Sam set TJ's body onto the stretcher gently. The medic put on rubber gloves and started to examine the victim's body, checking for vitals sign. Dye jumped off of Sam's back and walked over to the stretcher where TJ's body lay.

"Bleeding from the head, minor injuries," said the medic. "Other than that he'll be okay. Once we get the bleeding under control."

"Thanks," said Dye.

The medic rushed him inside, leaving Dye and his armored brother alone.

"Well, shall we?" Asked Sam.

"Yeah, Let's go!"

Dye jumped on Sam's back. Sam expanded his wings, and they flew into the twilight sky. They soared above the clouds and watched the moon's light shine down on the city.

Dye's senses put him on alert. He examined the area around him. Something didn't feel right to him.

"Sammy!" Shouted Dye over the mighty wind blowing into them. "Sammy! Fly lower!"

Sam changed his course and flew lower beneath the clouds, enough to see the city lights and the top of buildings. As they drew closer to the city's skyline, Dye started to hear yelling and screaming coming from dozens of people. He stood up on Sam's back, making no effort to keep his balance.

"Sam, head straight!" He shouted.

Sam pressed on forward, flying with immense speed, Dye holding his balance on his brother's back.

"There!" Shouted Dye, pointing at a commuter train.

Dye found the source of the screams. It was coming from the train that wasn't going its normal speed. In fact, it was going faster than usual. He looked harder and noticed something else. Standing on the roof of the speeding train was a purple armored figure. The figure looked up at Dye and Sam, saluted them goodbye and vanished as the train went through an underpass.

"That train is going way too fast," yelled Sam.

"I know," said Dye, "I'm on it."

With that said, Dye jumped off of Sam's back and fell towards the speeding train. His body was engulfed in flames and exploded, revealing golden armor covering his body and a T-faced helmet that kept his identity a secret. Sam flew after his brother, and together they prepared themselves to stop the out of control train. 

# Chapter 8: Brothers to the Rescue

Dye's golden armored body fell towards the tracks of the speeding train. He landed and quickly fell into pursuit of the high-velocity train. The speed of the train was incredible, but it was nothing too fast for Dye. His speed left a trail of fire behind him while he effortlessly reached the train. The cries for help of the people on the train got louder. From the back window, he saw men, women, and children banging on the glass yelling for help.

Sam flew up above, keeping a keen eye on the situation. Then he hurried on ahead of the train to see if he could come up with any solutions to solve the problem. Dye's athletic body jumped on top of the train. Quickly, he fell to the side to prevent his body from slamming into the wall of an underpass. He stood up and noticed something very disturbing miles up ahead.

"Uh oh!" He said. "Sam!" He yelled. His brother joined him by his side.

"What is it?" Sam said, flying next to the train.

"The track," Dye replied, "it's going to end soon. Can we stop it from the inside?"

"No. The controls are completely destroyed. Any ideas?"

"You're asking me?" Dye said in response. "You're the smart one."

The two separated as the train went through another underpass.

"Please," Sam replied, "you're the one who always wants to be the 'big hero'."

Dye snapped his golden fingers.

"I've got it. Follow my lead."

Sam fell behind to pursue the train. Meanwhile, Dye ignited his fist and blew a hole through the roof of the train. He fell through and landed inside the car, and the screams and cries of the passengers were silenced as they stared at him with a wonder.

"Okay, listen up," he spoke from behind his golden helmet. "We haven't got much time. You are all going to have to cooperate, okay?"

Dye took a deep breath and exhaled, fogging up the inside of his helmet.

"There's no way to slow down the train from the inside and the track is going to end soon. So let's not panic."

The passengers started to panic.

"Great! Shouldn't have told them that," he said to himself. "Quiet!" He shouted, submerged under the pressure and responsibility of saving the lives of these people.  The people fell silent once again.

"I have a plan, but it can only work if you work with me. Now grab all of your things and hang on. Hurry, we don't have much time," The young hero sprung back up through the hole onto the roof of the train and ran towards the front of the car. He dropped down between the cars to find the connection. He engulfed his fist in flames and broke the link between the two cars.

"Sam!" He shouted.

Sam flew from above and threw his body in front of the speeding train car, throwing his wings out as far as he could. Using his resistance, Sam pressed against the train car, causing it to slow down exponentially until it came to a complete stop. The people in the car cheered for Sam's heroics and their lives as he flew off to help his brother.

Dye yelled in celebration. "It worked!"

"Don't get too cocky!" Yelled Sam as he flew alongside Dye, making his way on ahead to the next car. "We still have five cars to go!"

"Right!" Dye said, regaining his focus.

He ran along the roof of the next car, fell between them and broke the connection keeping it to the train line. Sam once again flew down in front and took the same action he used for the first car. They continued this for the next four cars until they came to the last. Dye broke into the window and swung himself inside.

"Is everyone alright?" He asked.

The passengers were amazed at the golden hero standing in front of them.

"No worries," said Dye, "we'll have you safe and sound in no time."

As he was about to leap back through the window, he saw someone very familiar. Sitting at the head of the train was a girl he was infatuated with since the first day he saw her. Jenny, who looked as afraid as the rest of the passengers, held on tightly to the safety pole with her face pressed hard against it and her eyes shut tight.

Dye jumped back through the window and onto the top of the car. The final train car was racing throughout the city, speeding out of control. Dye looked up ahead and saw they were quickly approaching the end of the track and running out of time. The train began rocking back and forth swiftly, pushing Dye off balance. One of the wheels broke off, and the train started to skid, allowing sparks to fly everywhere. Dye was thrown off the roof of the train and was sent falling to the city's bottom. The passengers started to yell and cry for help, banging on the windows and shouting at the top of their lungs. The sounds were beginning to fade away from Dye as he fell. Sam dove for his brother, grabbing his hand and flying him back to the speeding train.

"Come on, Sammy, pick it up," said Dye.

He swung himself onto the track as the train car quickly approached the end. He accelerated himself with desires to catch the runaway train.

"No!" He yelled, still pushing on.

Leaving before his eyes, the train tore through the blockade and flew off the tracks. Dye decreased his speed, stopped and witnessed the screams of Jenny and the passengers leave his ears.

"No!" He said, full of failure and falling to his knees.

Sam floated in the sky and witnessed the tragedy that had just befallen them. Dye slammed his fist into the tracks, trying to stop himself from tearing up.

Dye wasn't sure, but it sounded like he could hear the rushing of water.

"Dye, look," Sam yelled from above.

Dye picked his golden head up and saw the most amazing thing.

"What is that?" He asked.

In front of them was a cyclone of water balancing the train car on top of its splashy surface.

"Thought you guys might need a hand," shouted a voice. A blue armored figure burst from of the water. He landed on the rough track, looking at Sam and Dye.

"Always wanted to say that," said the figure from behind the blue, shiny helmet. "Jason?" Asked Dye.

"Yes, sir," he replied, giving them a two-finger salute.

"You totally saved that car," bellowed Sam from above.

"That was the point, duh," Jason replied, "I saw you guys on the news trying to save the train, so I said hey, why not go and help? So here I am."

"That's great," said Sam.

"Okay, let's finish the job shall we?" Said Dye.

"Let's go," Jason replied.

The three brothers went after the car that sat on top of the swirling, water cyclone. Jason threw his hands up towards the cyclone to regain control of it.

"I can only hold this for a little bit longer," he said. "Get the people out of there."

Sam took flight and Dye jumped from the track over to the train. The passengers of the train car were holding on for dear life, completely frozen with fright.

"Okay everyone," said Dye, "In groups of five you're either going to go with him or me," he said, referring to Sam, who floated just outside.

The people started to gather, and Dye collected five people and so did Sam and together they safely relocated them to the ground below. They returned and got five more and went on until the train car was nearly empty.

"Is that all?" Asked Dye, looking back to the train from the ground. Just at that moment, he heard a scream coming from the car above. The cyclone started to get weaker causing the car to wobble; bits and pieces falling to the ground.

"Dye!" Yelled Jason from above, still standing on the train track. "There's one more person still stuck up here. Get them; I can't hold this much longer."

Dye jumped up towards the car followed by Sam, who soared not far behind him. They came to the car and saw the very last person who was trapped inside. Crouched in the back of the train car was the girl he left behind.

"Jenny," he said to himself in a whisper.

She was crying and couldn't let go of the hand rail. The car started to shake due to Jason's instability of the water cyclone. She screamed louder for help until she opened her eyes and saw the golden hero standing in front of her, holding out his hand.

"Come on," Dye spoke to her, "we don't have much time. Take my hand."

She held onto the handrail tighter and looked away.

"Please!" He said.

She opened her eyes and saw something familiar within the hero. She looked up at the golden hero and wondered. His voice was so full of promise, almost as though she had heard it somewhere before. She slowly let go of the bar and reached out for his hand. The train car wobbled again.

"Easy now," he said, as she reached for his hand, finally seizing it.

She got up from the floor, and Dye picked her up in his arms. She looked into the T-shaped lens that concealed his identity and saw her reflection.

"Hang on," he said.

He ran towards the opening of the car with Jenny in his arms. She held on tight, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He jumped from the car and fell towards the ground.

Sam fell through the air and swept Dye up and carried him and Jenny safely to the ground.

"Finally!" Yelled Jason.

He discontinued the vortex, and the water fell to the ground along with the train. The people watched as gravity grabbed the passenger car and pulled it to the ground, completely destroying itself, making a loud bombing noise and startling the people who were gathered around.

Dye looked at the fallen train car and laughed.

"Whew!" He said, giggling, "That could have been bad. Don't you think?" He asked Jenny, who was still holding onto Dye as though she was still in danger. Dye turned his golden head towards her and looked at her through his T-lens into her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked her while gently putting her down.

"Yeah," she said, still in shock of what could have happened.

Jason and Sam came falling from the sky and landed right beside their brother.

"Who are you guys?" She asked.

Dye put his hand behind his head and stood up straight.

"Just a bunch of heroes, I guess," he replied.

The oncoming sounds of the crowd applauding started to cover the area and Dye, Sam and Jason began to feel their appreciation ascend. Jason took a couple of bows in his blue shiny armor and Sam, and Dye waved at their newly gained admirers. Sam dispersed his wings and jumped into the sky. Jason jumped into the air and was picked up by Sam, and they both soared down the street. Dye took one last look at Jenny; she smiled back. He turned around and blasted down the avenue, throwing his fierce wind back at the people. They watched as their newly accomplished heroes left the scene.

Dye whooped with joy, running with tremendous speed. "Did you see that? Did you see that?! We were awesome!"

Dye continued his sprint down the boulevard, making his speed increase more and more until his body was completely engulfed in flames. From up above, Sam and Jason saw him surging through the streets like a fireball. His speed increased as the flames around him grew so hot they were nearly turning gold. The three brothers found themselves down an empty street and out of nowhere, a boulder pierced the asphalt. Without noticing it, Dye ran straight into the rock and tripped over it. His armored body caused an enormous ditch to dig itself along the street with a powerful earthquake, making a loud booming noise ring in the street.

Sam and Jason fell from the sky to see to their brother. They saw Dye sitting at the end of the ditch grasping his foot.

"Where the hell did that come from?" He snapped, getting up.

Sam walked over to the odd looking rock and started to analyze it carefully through his white, gold helmet.

"This is very strange," he said, "Nothing like this should be peeking out in the middle of a street. I'm surprised no accidents have happened."

Just then, the rock slipped its way back into the ground, and the hole was resealed.

"What the?" Said Sam with surprise. "What the hell was that?"

"What is it?" Asked Jason curiously.

Dye came strolling over to his brothers.

"Where did it go? He asked.

"I don't know?" replied Sam. "It just slipped back into the ground."

"That's impossible," Jason said in response.

"Yeah, I mean rocks just don't move on their own free will," said Dye.

"This stone is different somehow." replied Sam.

The three of them towered over the area where the rock mysteriously disappeared.

"You're right," said a voice coming out of a darkened alley, startling the three heroes.

The three armored brothers turned around to face the dark alley, and a tall, shadowy figure came out from the curtain of darkness, walking into the light of the street lamp.

"Mack?" Dye whispered to himself.

"True, rocks don't move by themselves. I'm glad you three are smart enough to know that," Mack continued, "You guys can cut the crap. I know who you are Dye. Jason. Sam." Mack seemed stressed. The tone of his voice showed no emotion and his personality was darker than usual.

The three brothers hesitated before they revealed themselves.

"Are you sure that's Mack?" Asked Dye.

"Yes, it's me," he replied.

"Prove it," Jason said.

"I don't have time for this," he replied stressfully, rubbing his finger on his forehead. "Dye, you play with dolls, Sam, you like to sew, and Jason, you love to read romance novels."

Feeling embarrassed, the three brothers relieved themselves and returned to their original forms; letting down their armor.

"They're not dolls, they're action figures," said Dye.

"Yeah, and reading romance is good for the soul," Jason replied.

"Mack, what are you doing here?" Asked Sam

"Seems to me," started Mack, "that you have no idea what you're doing."

"What?" Asked Dye. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your powers - our powers," Mack said, correcting himself.

"Ha! See I told you," said Dye, relieved that Mack finally came out about his abilities.

"That doesn't matter now," the older brother replied. "I'm sure you have questions, but I'm not the one who's obligated to answer them. Instead, there's someone here who can."

The three brothers stood along the ditch, and they saw from the dark alley another person coming forth. The mysterious person was wearing a heavy, dark cloak along with golden wristbands and a crystal medallion hanging around their neck. The person stood by Mack and slowly took off the hood, revealing bluish, black hair that covered his left eye. His right eye, however, showed an eye as blue as the sky. His age seemed centered around a couple years older than Dye's.

"Who's that?" whispered Dye to Sam.

"You're asking me?" Sam replied.

The mysterious individual stood next to Mack, observing the three brothers

"Greetings heroes," The mysterious person said, "or should I say -- Xenton."

"Xenton?" Asked Dye. "The hell is that?"

"Please, it isn't safe for me to be out in the open. Come with me and I will tell you everything you want to know."

"Go with you?" Asked Sam, "We don't even know who you are."

"My name is Arayan," he replied. "Please come with me and everything shall be made clear to you."

"Come on you three," said Mack, "he's harmless."

"If you say so, Mack," said Dye, being the first to step up, "but how do we know this isn't a trick?"

"Does this look like the face of a trickster?" Said Mack, making his facial appearance more severe than ever.

"Point taken," said Jason.

The three brothers made their way out of the street and towards Arayan and Mack.

"Gather around," Arayan said, "and link to each other."

The four brothers gathered around Arayan in a huddle formation, holding each other's hand and forming a closed circle around the mysterious person.

"Here we go," he said.

The stranger grasped the crystal medallion that hung around his neck and squeezed it until a burst of light shot from it. He took his hand from around the mysterious jewel, and it started to shine with a bright and intense white light; the jewel supported itself in midair. The light surged through the five beings that stood in its midst and consumed their bodies. With a bright flash of light, the brothers and Arayan instantly vanished from the empty street.

# Chapter 9: The People Before Man

Dye and his brothers found themselves swirling out of control through a white, swirling vortex. The sensation of falling was incredible, but at the same time, it seemed like the vortex-like tunnel was moving passed them. Who was this Arayan? Why was he here? And what was on the other side of the vortex? Dye held on to Mack's hand for dear life, squeezing and crushing it. The mysterious stranger stood in the middle of the group with his eyes closed and his medallion locked within his hands. The power of the vortex started to increase dramatically, and Dye was torn away from his brother. The link between the others was broken, and the four of them were sent flying out of control until they saw a bright light with a mixture of colors emerging from the end of the vortex. The five of them fell through the hypnotizing light, and the vortex vanished. Just as quickly as it left, the four clueless brothers were thrown onto the floors of a vast area.

"Ah, that hurt," said Dye, getting up from the ground with his hand on his head. "My head!" He took a look around at the ground and saw nicely polished, crystal, tiled floors with strange symbols etched into them.

"What a landing," said Jason, getting up from the floor.

Sam got up along with Mack and the both of them looked around at the strange place that the stranger had taken them. It felt like they were standing in the middle of a church. The entire room was in a circular design and had giant pillars at the edge that supported the ceiling above. The whole place looked as if it could fit an entire football stadium of people. There were no walls. Instead, the night sky and the moon stared through the mysterious palace. At the end of the temple were crystal stairs that led up to what looked like an altar of some sort. On the floor, there were various symbols that Dye recognized to be the symbol on, not only on the face of his alter ego but on Jason and Sam's as well. There were also etchings of people who looked like Sam's transformed self all over the pillars. In the middle of this vast place was an erected statue of Sam in his armored form; or at least it looked like Sam.

"Where are we?" Dye asked.

"Welcome!" Said Arayan, his voice echoing through the vast area, "To the Sky Sanctuary of the Xenton."

"No," said Sam, "he means where are we?" He finished sarcastically.

"Technically, we're above the ocean of the Atlantic, Europe if you will."

"Above?" Asked Dye.

"That is correct."

"Exactly how high?" Asked Mack.

"Sixty thousand feet to be exact," replied Arayan once more.

"What?" the four brothers said simultaneously with a shocked pitch.

"That's impossible," said Sam.

The sanctuary began to tremble with the sound of an oncoming thunder. The four brothers stood in suspense as the noise of an airplane was quickly approaching the palace. They ran to the edge of the beautiful castle and saw a commercial jetliner fly beneath the floating palace. The rumbling got worse as the airplane finally passed below, blowing air at the brothers and throwing them back to the ground.

"Say what?" Said Jason, lit up with wonder.

"Just what's holding this place up? And how has it been avoiding the planes that fly through this area?" Asked Sam, as the four of them started to rise from the ground.

"I'm sure you're familiar with the rock structure Stonehenge, correct?" Asked Arayan. The brothers nodded. "That structure gives off an unusual degree of electromagnetism that is concentrated into the mechanism built into this place that keeps this sanctuary airborne. As for the non-detection you speak of, there's a cloaking device that is also powered by the rock structure that repels anything coming towards it and keeps this place clear from sight."

"Who the hell are you?" Asked Sam, wanting nothing more but an answer.

"Ah yes," said Arayan, "if you wish to hear my story so you may receive the answers to the questions you have, open your ears and release your minds for what I'm about to tell you has not reached human ears for centuries." The four brothers stood in suspense with incredible eagerness tearing its way through their thoughts.

"During the birth of this planet," began Arayan, "when your world's landmasses were one, we referred to it as Genia or what you humans now call Pangaea. A race of people known as the Quailocians ruled this planet and I am the last of that dead and forgotten race. It has been said that my people were brought here by an intelligent, all-powerful Being that gave us life and this entire planet to rule. We were an advanced race of people and had technology beyond your wildest dreams."

"Okay, that's nice and all," Dye rudely interrupted. "But what does that have to do with us?"

"Yeah," replied Jason, "we want to know why we're here."

"Very well," said Arayan, "this place that you find yourselves in is, as you know, the Sky Sanctuary of the Xenton. We Quailocians existed over billions of years ago, and we were the first race to inhabit this planet. We were separated into three tribes. There were the Genicians, who occupied a third of the globe. They ruled over areas that were covered with the healthy green color that gives your world life. The second were the Atlantians, who ruled over the seas, and the third were the Oltalians who ruled over the desert area. We lived in peace along with the beasts of the earth."

Still bewildered, the brothers had no choice but to listen to the stranger's story. All of them had questions that desperately needed to be answered. Dye gently retreated to the nicely tiled floor and looked up at Arayan. Soon his three other brothers joined him, and together they continued to listen to Arayan's story.

"Amongst our people were an elite group of warriors called the Xenton," Arayan continued, "the Xenton were the ones who protected our civilization from outside threats. However, each Xenton possessed his or her own power depending on the spirit that had been given to them. You see, when an animal died or passed on their energy never left this world. Instead, they chose a host and their life force or spirit was transferred into the individual and that person became a Xenton. Depending on the animal's habitat, the Xenton would inherit the power over fire, water, earth, or the skies. Some hosts were as young as seven years of age, and some were as old as six centuries."

All four of the brothers were taken aback. Little by little, the answers they had been waiting for were slowly making their way from Arayan's mouth.

"It was customary for a newly chosen Xenton to learn to use their abilities. In order to do that, the warrior was sent away for a period of four years to master his or her own abilities."

"Where were they sent to?" Asked Sam.

"They were sent to the four elemental sanctuaries that were erected all over the planet. This being one of them," replied Arayan as he referred to the great temple they were sitting in.

"If a Xenton bared the power of Earth, he or she was taken to Earth Sanctuary to master their abilities with the Oltalians. If a Xenton bared the power of water, they were taken to the Water Sanctuary to do the same with the Atlantians. If a Xenton had the power of fire, they were taken to the Fire Sanctuary and if a Xenton bared the power of the skies, they were taken here, The Sky Sanctuary. These sanctuaries were meant to train a Xenton to help harness their Xentonian abilities. Once they had mastered their skills they were ready to become warriors of legend. The Xenton were more than a Quailocian; they were mighty warriors with the ability of cellular regeneration and enhanced abilities."

The boys' minds had stopped wandering and soon their full attentions were set on Arayan. Everything that was being said was actually making sense, to an extent.

"So like cellular regeneration as in invincibility?" Asked Mack.

"Not necessarily," replied Sam, who took it upon himself to clarify. "It means we can heal quickly. But say if we were struck down through a vital organ like our hearts, or our heads were chopped off. Then we would die."

Jason grabbed his throat and made a ghastly face.

"Precisely," spoke Arayan, "however, every generation or so, two of the strongest Xenton were born," Arayan continued on with his story. "One, who bared the spirit of the beast of the moon, The Great Wolf and another who bared the spirit of the beast of the sun, The Mighty Lion. Whenever one of these beasts was to die, their spirits would roam the earth until they had found someone who was absolutely worthy to wield their incredible power. These two Xenton became the overseers of our world and led the Xenton into battle whenever it was necessary."

Dye felts this information too overwhelming. Before he wanted to process it, he decided to bombard their guide with more questions.

"Okay, so we get the drift of these Quailocians and the Xenton and stuff," said Dye. "So what happened to them - your people?"

"Our people never actually experienced anything like what your people experience today: war, famine, discrimination; however, the reason why the Xenton were assembled was because of, like I said before, outside threats."

"What do you mean by outside threats?" asked Mack.

"My people were involved in an attempted genocide by a ruthless and power hungry warlord, named Griflore," Dye paused and gave Arayan an indescribable look, "He sought nothing but power and wanted nothing more but to control our people and our technological advances. Griflore had power never before seen amongst my people. With it, he unleashed a war against all three civilizations. King Owena, the host of the Lion Spirit, united the three cultures and led the battle against Griflore along with his wife Diea, the host of the Wolf Spirit. Griflore engaged a war of revenge against us and quickly conquered us. He caused a horrible eclipse to occur and using that mysterious power; he stripped the Xenton of their spirits and one by one he killed them off. For a hundred years my people were enslaved under the power of a mysterious eclipse that left our planet overshadowed in a red light day and night."

"A red eclipse?" Dye said to himself, recalling him dream.

Dye found it necessary to let Arayan know of his findings. However, he didn't know how to explain his precognitive dream, if that's what it came to be known as. He really didn't want to sound like an idiot.

"This pure evil demon killed any and all who opposed him. Destroying lives and killing the innocent. Whispers started surfacing that his actions were all an attempt to find someone he desperately needed. But before he could find that person, he mysteriously vanished."

"What happened to him?" Asked Jason.

"Nobody knows," replied Arayan, "to this day, nobody knows what happened to him. However, the damage done by him was so cataclysmic that it was impossible to rebuild our great civilization. Almost all of our people were wiped out; Genia had separated into the continents, and The City of Atlantis had sunk to the dark depths of the ocean, killing off the Atlantians. The Oltalians left Earth in search of another planet they could inhabit while the remaining Quailocians stayed behind and cultivated the land with mankind. In an attempt to keep our civilization a secret, our leaders hid the rest of the sanctuaries to keep our power a secret so that history wouldn't repeat itself. Our way of life was lost, and the Xenton Order was discontinued because the animals no longer gave up their life-force."

"So what does any of this have to do with us," asked Dye, "If all of the animals were unable to give their spirits away, why do we have four?"

"They weren't unable to," said Arayan, "They just decided not to."

"Why?"

"The animals were more intelligent than us. More in tune with nature," said Arayan, "They were wise and chose their host carefully. They no longer gave up their spirits because they no longer trusted us. I've heard rumors about four spirits that were wandering the earth, but I didn't believe they existed. Instead, here they are, in the form of four human boys. You four possess the spirits of the fox, eagle, bear and shark and are the last spirits of the Xenton Order."

"Again," said Dye, "Why do we have them?"

"That, I am not quite sure of," Arayan replied as he scratched his chin, "My only guess is to say that they've sensed something terrible and had no choice to but to choose a host in you four."

"I have a question," said Sam, Arayan acknowledged him.

"If these people existed over billions of years ago, how is that you know all of this. Where do you come from?" Asked Sam, still skeptical about the whole situation.

Arayan attempted to answer Sam's question, but as he opened his mouth, no words seemed to escape his tongue.

"I don't know where I came from," Arayan replied, who seemed disoriented. "The last thing I remember was" Arayan was sucked into a memory of his origins. His blue hair completely drenched with water as heavy rain fell from the sky. He laid in a dark forest staring up into the dark, thunderous sky until he was sucked back into the present; the echoing voice of Jason catching his ears.

"What about these markings?" Asked Jason, rubbing his fingers on the etched symbols on the floor. "I know that three of these are on our faces when we wear that armor, but what do they mean?" Arayan kneeled down in front of Jason and pointed at each of the symbols. He looked at the symbol that Dye was familiar with, the symbol that rested upon his golden head.

"This is the Quailocian symbol for fire," he said.

He moved his finger over.

--------

"This is the symbol for the skies,"

"The next one is the symbol for earth,"

"This next one is the symbol for water,"

--------

"And lastly, the two symbols in the middle of the four are the symbols for the sun,"

"and the moon."

Dye looked over and found another symbol in the ground that was isolated by itself.

"What about this one?" He asked.

"That is the symbol of Griflore," Arayan replied, "He etched that symbol into all of the sanctuaries himself when he was in power."

The four brothers walked around the temple and observed the symbols that were carved all over its walls and floors and pointed out which ones were theirs. The full moon shined its light throughout the temple, illuminating the entire area as the light bounced from the crystal floors. Dye wandered through the temple, astonished at the revelations. He took his hands and softly felt the etched symbols that he so greatly admired.

"So you're the one who bears the fox's spirit?" Said the voice of Arayan from behind him. "A magnificent creature isn't it, cunning, swift and smart when it comes to outsmarting a predator."

Dye was startled at the sudden voice that quickly crept up from behind him. He threw himself around and found that he was inches away from Arayan's face.

"Sorry that I startled you."

"It's cool," Dye replied, "I just have personal space issues. Could you back up a little?"

Arayan backed up slowly, taking three steps, but still keeping his eyes on Dye in a suspicious way.

"What?" He asked.

"I see you've experienced the half beast, half human transformations."

"And you know this how?"

"I can sense it. Do you know what triggers this power and yet the horrible transformation?"

"No, but I have a feeling I'm about to find out," Dye folded his arms.

"You must remember that as long as you possess a spirit you have all access to its soul just as it has all access to your body," Arayan replied, "As long as you feel emotions, it will feel what you feel. In this case, all the times you were angry it wanted to attack for you but couldn't find a proper way to vent itself. Thus, you became a human, beast-like creature."

"Yeah, I was angry all those times, but it was for a logical reason."

"Do you wish to learn how to control it?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Follow me then," Arayan and Dye began heading towards the front of the temple where the great altar stood. Dye's older brother, Mack, saw the two moving towards the platform and began to follow them.

"Stay right here," Arayan said.

Dye stayed at the foot of the stairs, and Arayan stepped his way up towards the altar. Jason, Sam, and Mack stood there behind their younger brother and watched Arayan approach the top of the staircase. He took off his cloak and threw it to the ground, revealing a black and gold leather suit underneath. His black trousers were fitted to his lower body with a pair of black boots to protect his feet. His upper body had tight leather covering as well; however, his broad shoulders to his hands were exposed.

"I need you to relax," he said, "and just to be safe, you three may want to stand clear."

The three brothers took a couple steps back while Dye remained at the foot of the stairs. At the top of the staircase, Arayan seized the crystal medallion that swung from his neck. He squeezed it, and the ornament started to give off a bright colorless light that made the moon's light seem inferior. The bright light zipped back and forth, and jets of it swarmed throughout the sanctuary and erased all the shadows. Arayan released his grip from around the medallion, and it began to move away from his chest. All the light that was swimming through the temple started to centralize itself around Dye. His brothers stood and watched the phenomenon that was unfolding before them.

The mystic light swirled around Dye's body, and soon he began to ascend from the crystal ground. The light lifted him slowly and soon he was high off the ground as the white light started to consume his body.

Arayan seized his medallion and squeezed it once again. The light coming from the emblem slowly began to turn red and soon the entire temple was engulfed in a rosy aurora. Dye began to feel the light around him become stable, compressing his body.

"What is this?" He said.

The light around his body constricted him. It was almost as if dozens of snakes were crushing his body forcefully.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Asked Mack. "Put him down now!"

Arayan raised his hand and shot a scarlet light at the other three brothers, trapping them inside a red, clear box.

"Stay put!" Barked Arayan.

They watched helplessly as Dye started to shout in pain on account of the compressing red ropes. Arayan threw his hands apart and the cords that were constricting Dye's body seized his arms, legs and neck, stretching his body wide open, leaving his chest unguarded. Dye struggled and fought the force of the red cables, but couldn't break free.

"Dye!" cried Sam from behind the rose-shaded box.

Arayan conjured the extra red energy into his right hand. It swirled and then materialized into a red, laser-like javelin. He raised the spear and aimed it straight for Dye's struggling body. The three brothers watched aimlessly as their brother was moments away from being impaled.

"I swear," said Jason with scorn, "if you throw that at him I will tear you apart myself."

"Humph," Arayan responded, looking at the see-through box that contained the other three brothers.

"Try and stop me," he said, "I'm taking back what's mine."

The brothers began to pound the walls of the box, trying their best to break free. They yelled the name of their younger brother and negative remarks towards Arayan. Arayan looked away and laid his eyes upon Dye, who was struggling against the tight, rope-like energy that held the limbs of his body. Arayan raised the arm that held the javelin and aimed it straight at Dye.

"He's going to kill him," said Sam, still beating on the walls of the box along with his two brothers.

Dye found Arayan and saw the long javelin being aimed at him.

"That doesn't look good," he said, still continuing to struggle.

"Don't try to escape," said Arayan.

He pulled back the javelin and then threw it with huge force. Dye saw the javelin flying towards him, but before he could think of anything to do the spear pierced his chest and went through his heart, allowing it to stop beating. He yelled in pain; his entire body grew cold and numb.

The brothers looked as the javelin stuck out through their brother's chest, wanting nothing more but to make Arayan pay.

"Stop it," Dye cried in pain.

"As you wish," Arayan replied.

Using the arm he threw the javelin with; he slowly moved it back. The javelin in Dye's chest started to make its way backward out of his chest as his heart started to beat, but something felt different. Instead of one heartbeat, Dye felt two, which began to beat out of sync with each other as the javelin was pulled further from his chest. The spear retreated from Dye's body until it was completely free. At the end of the javelin was something the young, green-eyed boy would never forget.

A red colored, transparent fox with the javelin stabbing it through the chest howled and cried in agony, struggling to get free. The three brothers watched as the spirit that formerly belonged to Dye was forcefully being taken away from him. The fox finally became silent and was quickly absorbed by Arayan's body. The red ropes and box faded and Dye's body was sent falling to the ground. Mack ran and dove for his brother's body and caught him just before he crashed into the ground.

"Dye! Dye, wake up," said Mack, lightly slapping his brother's face. "What did you-"

Mack paused and looked up to see something that took his breath away. Standing at the top of the staircase was Arayan dressed in the golden armor that Dye once wore.

"Don't worry about him," said Arayan, raising his hand to examine his new form. "He's just unconscious."

"What the hell was that for?" Barked Jason, angrily standing up and clutching his fist. "You idiot! You threw a javelin at my brother. I swear when I get my hands on you I'm going to tear you apart­-"

"Calm down," said Arayan, "I just needed to take back what was rightfully mine, and now that I have it I can continue my mission. Your brother will be all right."

Arayan seized his medallion, and a bright light started to shine once again. "As for you three, whatever danger the spirits were sensing has probably already arrived. So be ready."

The three brothers listened as Arayan's voice started to fade away and the four of them, including the motionless body of their younger brother, were sent falling through a tunnel of white light. They watched as the white, crystal temple faded from sight. Mack held on to the body of his little brother as they continued to fall through the endless tunnel; all three of them keeping a grip on Dye's body until the light faded. Sam, Jason, and Mack found themselves in the street from whence they had departed with Dye's body in their grasp. 

# Chapter 10: Their Greatest Threat Revealed

The bright, full moon was high in the sky. It rested its midnight rays throughout the empty, deserted street. The only movement that was detected within the empty avenue was that of three brothers. The lifeless body of their baby brother, Dye, was stretched over the asphalt next to the ditch he had created hours ago.

"Damn," said Jason. "Next time I see that punk I'll kill him."

"Jason!" Shouted Mack stressfully. "Shut it!"

"But Mack," he replied, "you saw what he did."

"I know," Mack continued, "but that's the past now, it's done, finished. What we have to worry about now is Dye and getting him home safely and most of all, not getting caught by Mom and Dad. Sam, what time is it?"

"Judging by the moon's position," started Sam, adjusting his glasses and looking up at the moon, "It's about midnight."

"Great!" Mack sighed. He grabbed the body of his little brother and threw him over his shoulder. "Come on," he said to the other two and together they left the deserted street, making their way home.

It wasn't long until the three brothers found themselves sneaking in through the back door of their house, entering through the kitchen. They were careful to be discrete. Sam's shoes squeaked with every step he took, Jason closed and locked the back door quietly, and Mack was getting annoyed with the unease of going upstairs to their room. The smell of pot roast and potatoes that filled the kitchen tempted Jason. Dirty dishes covered the sink which reminded Mack that tonight was his night to wash them. Jason quietly walked over to the refrigerator and threw open its doors. The light from the fridge flooded the floor.

"Jason!" Mack said in an angry whisper. "Close it!"

"But, dude, I'm starving," whispered Jason.

"If you don't close it you'll be eating my fist in a second, now shut the damn fridge!" Jason could sense the aggression. He closed the door of the refrigerator, and the three of them entered the staircase through the kitchen. Which each step they took, the stairs sent a loud creaking echo through the halls. They quickly and quietly made their way up the stairs and were soon standing in front of the door, which lead into their parent's room. The door was cracked, and they could hear the snoring of their father, which sounded like a beast in a cave. They continued on down the pitch black hallway and quietly made their way into Sam and Dye's room. They threw open the doors and everything was quiet, as if no one had been there for days. The window was opened, and the air blew the white curtains; the rushing waves of the beach could be heard. Mack slowly laid Dye on his bed and covered him with his blankets.

"You did the right thing saving those people tonight, little brother," said Mack, "Rest easy now." He turned to his other two brothers. "You two come with me," They quietly walked out of Dye's room. Sam closed the door, and the three of them continued towards Mack and Jason's room which was only a few feet further down the hall. The three of them entered the room where they were finally safe from being caught. Mack quietly closed the door, walked over to his desk and turned on his lamp that partially lit up the room. Jason went to his bed and fell upon it while Mack leaned on his desk and folded his arms. Sam found a place on Mack's bed and sat down. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Well?" Said Sam, breaking the silence. "What are we going to do about this?"

"I tell you what we're not going to do," Mack replied, "we are not going to dwell on this. It's already happened. I think it would be best if we let it go," he said with a sad tone.

"Let it go?" barked Sam.

"Shhhh!" Said Jason. "We've come this far so let's not get caught."

"You want us just to let it go?" Sam continued on with his blood boiling. "You weren't there tonight when Dye saved those people on that train. If he hadn't heard the screams of those people from miles away, then they would have been killed. If anything, he above all three of us deserves to be a Xenton or whatever you call it."

"But that isn't the issue, Sam," said Mack, "Dye is just a kid, barely starting high school. He shouldn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders."

"But he does, or he did anyway."

"Yeah?" Mack replied, getting angry and unfolding his arms. "And what if next time he's not so lucky? What if next time he goes out and kills himself? Huh? Then what?"

"Shhhh," said Jason once again, catching both of their attention.

"How did you meet this guy anyway?" Asked Sam.

Mack breathed in and let out a stressed exhale.

"While I was at practice today I saw him sitting in the bleachers and he was watching me in a weird way. I didn't think much of it, but after practice, he approached me and told me everything about myself, even the spirit that inhabited my body, something I never wanted," said Mack, mumbling that last part to himself.

"Why would you say that?" Asked Jason, who slightly heard him.

"Because I never wanted this!" exclaimed Mack in a harsh way. "I hurt people. I never wanted to hurt anyone."

"What happened?" Asked Sam.

"The week after we came back from our trip I was at football practice," he began, "Coach was giving me a hard time, so I just snapped. We were scrimmaging and when I yelled hike the opposing team had called a blitz and rushed me. Two came charging at me and both tried taking me down, but I knocked them into the bleachers by barely shoving them off me. I didn't realize the damage I had done, so I continued with the play and tore my way through the offensive line with no effort at all, knocking all of my teammates out of my way. It was like my strength had increased by a thousand times. I was tossing my team like rag dolls. I couldn't explain it. After coach had yelled at me all I could do was be angry, and I guess that's how my power surfaced. My entire team was hospitalized. And there goes our whole season."

"That's the same week the rest of us discovered our powers," Jason connected.

"Yeah, well anyways I heard talk that 'armored people' were attempting to stop a speeding train car. Figured it had to be you three. So I took Arayan and that's where we met you."

"Really?" questioned Sam, sounding a bit skeptical, "I think there's more than what you're telling us."

"Oh yeah?" Said Mack, snatching up his anger. "Like what?"

"Like why did Arayan take Dye's spirit," Sam replied. "He could've had any one of ours. Yet he chose Dye."

"Yeah, bro," chiming in Jason, jumping into the conversation, "why?"

Mack didn't reply, and he felt that he didn't need to answer to his younger siblings.

"Spit it out already," Sam egged on.

"I made a deal with him," said Mack.

"Deal?" questioned Jason. "What kind of deal?"

Mack exhaled with stress once again.

"He made it quite clear that he needed to speak with you right away. So I made a deal with him. If Arayan was what he said he was and I brought him to you, then Arayan would make Dye a normal kid again."

"You did what?" Said Sam and Jason, outraged.

Mack made a quiet gesture with his finger over his lips.

"Why would you do that?" Asked Sam.

"Because, Sammy, we have to look at the big picture here, and that is what's best for Dye. Sure, he made a great hero and put the city in an uproar for a while, but that's the past. You, Jason and I have to decide what's best for him from here on out. Whatever force is coming to destroy the world, or enslave humanity or whatever, we'll be the ones to take care of it. Got it?"

Both Sam and Jason nodded in agreement.

"Dye is just a kid, and he should be living like one," said Mack, lowering his stress gauge.

"We understand," Jason settled.

"Good," said Mack, returning to his previous position.

"There is one thing I forgot to mention," Sam spoke again, catching both of his brothers' attention.

"What is it?" Asked Jason.

"What Arayan said about something is coming," his expression turned to one of pure concern, "I think it's already here."

"How do you know?" Asked Mack.

"Well, when Dye and I were heading towards the train problem we saw something, or should I say, someone."

"What do you mean?" Jason inquired, "Someone? Who was it?"

"I don't know?" Sam replied, "They were on top of the train, but I couldn't make out who it was. All I remember seeing was shiny purple armor that was similar to ours, but with a different symbol on their face that I couldn't make out. It saluted Dye and me and then vanished without a trace."

"Vanished?" Asked Mack, starting to become concerned

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that whoever it was may have been responsible for the train acting up. I mean whoever it was they weren't trying to hide either. They wanted me and Dye to know that they existed and that they could cause any type of mayhem they wanted. We have to be on our guard."

"Yeah," said Jason, "so it seems like we're dealing with one of our own?"

"Seems like it," said Mack, looking over at Jason, "but we don't know what this enemy is capable of. I mean you guys don't even know the extent of your powers."

"True," agreed Sam, "I say it's time we find out. If we're going to stop whatever this is, then we need to be ready. And that means" Sam paused to yawn. "Getting some sleep."

"Right on," responded Jason, yawning as well. "I'm totally with you on that one."

"I'll see you guys in the morning," said Sam, walking over to the door.

"Sam!" called Mack, getting Sam's attention, "don't let Dye know what we talked about tonight and again, I don't want you guys stepping in. Let the military or something take care of this. This is not our fight unless it needs to be, okay?"

Sam yawned. "Sure thing, but you know you can't stop him. He's as determined as the rest of us."

"That's what I'm afraid of,"

"Oh well," said Sam, yawning again, "and for the record, I don't trust this Arayan guy."

"Neither do I," said Mack, "but we have to deal if we're going to handle this."

"Yeah, sure," said Sam, "Goodnight," he opened the door and walked out, closing it quietly behind him.

Mack stripped down to his boxers and got under the covers of his bed, and all fell silent in the Haven house. Soon the remaining three brothers were fast asleep.

The night slipped by. Dye woke up and found himself in his bed. He arose and allowed the sun's yellow and warm rays spray onto him. He looked over at Sam, who was still asleep and then fell back onto his bed. Everything was different now; he was different. Just three days ago, he was a hero for saving people from speeding trains and burning buildings. Most of all, he was proud of himself for saving Jenny. Now that he was back to being a typical fifteen-year-old boy, he felt that those days were years ago. He thought to himself that maybe not having his powers anymore was the best thing for him. Now, he was able to talk to Jenny freely, and he and Joss became closer as friends. TJ was nowhere to be found, which made every day a holiday without him. Now that he didn't have his powers anymore, things were finally going his way. It was Saturday and the weekend was only the beginning for him. He relaxed on his bed and breathed slowly, not having a care in the world. The squawking of seagulls that flocked around outside filled his ears along with the rushing of the waves against the shores; the shouting of good morning from fellow neighbors to other neighbors, the laughter of kids playing in their backyard but most of all he heard the snoring of his brother Sam.

Then something suddenly was thrown into his mind, he tossed himself up on his bed and threw his feet on the floor. He couldn't stop thinking about what today was. The day that he and Jenny were supposed to spend the day together. His heart began to race, and his nerves rattled his body. He quickly jumped up and ran into the bathroom to wash up.

He wasn't thinking straight at all. He picked up his wash rag and stuck it in his mouth and took his toothbrush and started to brush his face. Once he realized what he was doing, he quickly switched the two, and after he was done, Dye jumped into the shower and bathed longer than he normally did. He washed about a dozen times until he felt that all was clean. He took his towel and wrapped it around his waist, walked over to the mirror and started to style his hair. His frustration was getting the best of him with every way he styled it. First, he slicked it back and then he parted it at the center. Next, he slicked it back again and left a few strands to let hang over his eye. He threw his head down and flung his hair back up, sending water against the door of the bathroom. He shook it until it finally came out the way he liked it, the way he always wore it.

He ran out of the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist and made his way to his dresser. He got out some boxers, a T-shirt, and some socks and quickly put them on. He threw his towel on his bed and ran to his closet. The doors slid open, and he began to quickly make his way through the enormous collection of clothes he had. He grabbed a pair of jeans and started to put them on, putting one leg through successfully. The end of the other pant leg was tangled and caused Dye to hop around his room trying to get his leg through. He hopped once, then twice and again until falling to the ground of his room making a loud thumping noise.

Sam scurried in his bed and awoke with a loud yawn. He used his hand to search the top of his bedside table for his glasses. Once he found them, he sat up in bed, rubbed his face and placed his glasses on his face, allowing them to rest upon his nose. He yawned again, and his eyes finally found his brother, who was laid across the floor, finally finished with the battle he was having with his pants.

"Why are you on the ground?" He asked.

Dye got up quickly and ran back to his closet to pick out a shirt.

"Oh wait, today is your date with Jenny isn't it?"

Dye turned around with two shirts in his hand and looked at Sam.

"It's not a date," he said, "we're just going to go hang out."

"Whatever," said Sam, "we all know it's a date."

"Shut up already," he woofed, his nerves working him, "what shirt should I wear: the black or the red one?

Sam jumped out of his bed and started to examine the two shirts Dye was holding up.

"Hmmm," he said, "if you ask me, neither of them, one tells me you're an emo kid, and the other just doesn't match you."

Sam walked over to Dye's closet and pulled out a white polo shirt with black stripes running across it.

"Now if you're really trying to impress a girl, I would suggest you wear this one."

Dye threw the two other shirts on his bed and took the one that Sam had suggested. He quickly put it on and fixed himself.

"Well, how do I look?" Asked Dye.

"Like you're ready for a date," Sam replied.

Dye gave his brother an evil look.

"Thanks! I'll be back later," he said as he exited the room.

"Alright," said Sam yawning. "I think I'm going back to sleep," he said to himself.

Dye closed the door on his way out and ran down the stairs to find his mother and father sitting on the couch in their bathrobes. His father was reading the newspaper, and his mother was enjoying a sitcom on TV, drinking coffee.

"Good morning," he said, walking down the stairs.

Both his mom and dad looked up and saw their son fully dressed to go out.

"Well, look at you," said Mrs. Haven. "Theodore, what's with that get up, huh?"

Dye walked over to the couch.

"Me and a friend are supposed to hang out today," he said.

"Really?" Said Mrs. Haven. "Would this friend happen to be a girl?"

The question from his mother caught him off guard.

"A girl?" He bellowed, trying to play dumb. "Pssh, no way."

His mother threw him a look which made it known that he was lying.

"Yeah, it's a girl," he said, lowering his eyes and feeling unaccomplished.

"Aw, my baby is growing up," said his mother with a sentimental look fixing her face. "First high school now this. Just too fast, what's her name?"

"Mom!" He barked, getting annoyed with his mother's babying.

"Okay, okay, you're right," said his mother. "You're a teenager now, so I'll treat you like one."

"Thank you," he said with relief.

His mother jumped up from the couch and hugged him.

"Oh, but it's so cute, my baby's first date."

"It's not a date!" He exclaimed. "Dad, do something."

His dad seized his mother off of him.

"Honey, quit babying him. He's a Haven man now. Here you go son," Mr. Haven slapped forty dollars in his hand and smiled, "treat your date right."

"It's not a date for the thousandth time!" He exclaimed again.

"Okay then - friend. Well, you better get going then. Don't want to keep her waiting."

Dye was headed towards the front door until he heard the voice of his father call for him again.

"Oh yeah, and before I forget," he said while turning around with his index finger pointed at Dye. He hated this motion his father constantly used to make a point. "Be back in this house when the street lights come on. You may be getting older, but you still have a curfew. Understand? I still haven't forgotten the night you boys came in past midnight."

"Yes, sir!" Dye responded, with his body temperature increasing with his nervousness.

"Thinking of you, slick. Have a good time."

"I will."

Dye walked outside and closed the door behind him.

"Well," said his mother. "There goes the last one on their first date adventure. I remember Mack's first date. What a cute girl he went out with."

"Yeah, and soon they'll be out of here," said the man of the house.

The sun was high above him; the sky was cloud free, and the people of the city moved about their town, attending to their business. This was the perfect day to call his own. The smell of sea water caught his nose, and the soft blowing of the wind blew through his clothes and hair, which was still wet from his rushed shower. From his neighborhood street, he saw the sparkling ocean and the white sails of boats that were way out to sea. He saw the pier where he was supposed to meet Jenny and the blue and white octagonal building that sat at the end of it.

"Didn't that used to be another color?" He said to himself.

This peaceful sight fueled his body with relief and happiness. He had almost forgotten about what happened to him earlier within the week. He wasn't a hero anymore. He was normal once again. An average teenager about to enjoy the whole day with the girl he had been interested in since his high school life started. He made his way down the street, and the crying of seagulls caught his attention. They flapped their wings faster and harder, and they soared in the same direction as Dye did. He followed the birds until he shortly made it to the dock. He watched as the birds flew further out to sea until they vanished from sight. Dye leaned on the rail of the pier and looked out into the amazing ocean. Being able to call this place home was his high. The smell of the sea and the fishermen put him at peace. People ran along the strand and up and down the pier. Some with their dogs, others with partners, bike riders, people on longboards, skateboards, and rollerblades. The entire day was active, and it was almost like they were feeling the same way as him.

"Hey, Dye!" Said a voice from behind him. His heart jumped since the voice was quite familiar to him. He turned around to face the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

"Hey!" She said again. "Nice day, isn't it?"

For a moment, Dye felt like he had died and went to heaven, her hazel eyes were as bright as the sun. Just gazing into them made him weak at the knees.

"Y-Yeah, it is," he replied nervously. She laughed and then quickly attached herself to his arm.

"We're going to have fun today," she chirped.

Dye blushed. "Yeah, let's have a good time today."

They began to walk up the pier conversing with each other. It wasn't long until Dye felt comfortable around her. Soon he started to laugh and tell stories of a time when he would play tricks on his brothers or when they would do the same to him.

"Like there was this one time when I was sick, and I really had to throw up. I couldn't reach the bathroom in time, so I found a shoe and threw up in it. I didn't know that it was Mack's shoe at the time. He put it on, and man, was he upset."

Jenny began to laugh both out of humor and disgust.

"Well, did he find out it was you?" She asked, smiling.

"Nope!" replied Dye, "That's still a mystery to him up to this day." He started to laugh along with her.

It was about noon, and the two were enjoying each other's company. After they had finished walking the pier, they lay on the beach and stared out into the vast, deep ocean. They continued to talk about their childhood, problems that the two of them shared, even about the incident between Dye and TJ.

"What was your scariest experience?" He asked her.

Jenny stopped smiling, and for a second, Dye thought he'd asked the wrong question. She looked out into the ocean and then a faint breeze blew through the both of them.

"Do you remember that horrible train accident that happened a few days ago?"

"I don't know much about it," he lied, "I did see it on the news, though. Why do you ask?"

Jenny turned to him and looked him deeply in his eyes.

"I've never really told anybody about this, but I was on that train."

Dye pretended to be shocked.

"No way!" He said.

She nodded with her eyes closed.

"To be honest," she continued, "I thought being on that train was going to be the last moment of my life. When that train started to speed up and then flew off the track, I thought my life was over. But then those armored people who have been protecting the city lately. Have you heard of them?"

Dye was caught off guard. He quickly saved himself and answered her.

"Yeah, I heard of them. Kind of cool guys if I do say so myself. The city has been a little bit more disaster free since they arrived."

Jenny smiled.

"Yeah, well anyways, those three guys showed up and saved the train, but it was the golden one who made me feel like everything was going to be okay. He told me that this would all be over soon and that everything was going to be alright."

Dye smiled at her, and a feeling of relief rested his body. He felt like he could do anything but something started to plague him. He began to think if he should tell her the truth. Would she still like him or would she consider him to be a liar for keeping this from her all this time? What if she asked him to prove it? How would he accomplish that task? His powers were no longer with him. She would probably get upset at him for making a fool out of her.

Jenny smiled back and started to laugh. "I know it's crazy, but-"

"Oh no, I believe every word. Believing in someone you know is capable of saving you isn't a stupid idea. I believe in my brothers all the time not because they're older, but because we're family and family always protects its members."

"Wow, you're really into the whole family thing, aren't you?"

"Yeah, believing in someone because you know they're capable of achieving something inspires you. Everyone needs a hero now and then to start their journey towards being a hero for others."

"So you're saying I can be like that guy who helped save the train?"

"I'm saying you can if you wanted to," he replied, "Now if you can pull off the armor and firepower I'd be really amazed."

Jenny smiled back at him and looked out into the ocean.

"When I saw that golden armor something struck me," she said, "I remember him from when I was little. That same armored person saved my mom and me nine years ago if I remember right. If it wasn't for him, then I wouldn't be here talking to you."

Dye scrunched his eyebrows. "The spirits had another host? Besides me?" He said to himself. Dye remembered what Arayan said about the spirits just roaming the earth for centuries. He never said anything about the spirits having other hosts. Who was the previous host of the fox? All of this wasn't adding up, but before he could make any more interpretations he broke away at Jenny's voice.

"Then who was your hero?" Jenny asked him.

Dye looked at her with a shocked looked on his face.

"Oh," he replied with a blank stare, "I guess my hero would have to be my brother Mack."

"How?" Asked Jenny.

He looked out into the vast ocean.

"I would have to say because he supports me in everything that I do and never gives me doubt. My mom and dad always say that you can do anything if you put your mind to it and my brothers are always there to help me whenever I need them. It feels good when you have people that believe in you." He turned back to Jenny. "Who's your hero?"

Jenny looked at Dye with a very puzzled look. "I don't know?" She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"You mean you don't have anybody who you look up to?"

Jenny glued her eyes on the glittering water and the yellow star that sat high in the sky.

"Afraid not. When it came down to it, I was always the one who gave myself hope and determination. I guess you can say I'm my own hero. I'm not really good at opening up, so I keep most of my problems to myself

"Well, that's something new," said Dye.

"What?"

"You're the first one that has said that. To be honest, I look up to you now."

"Why?"

"Because," started Dye, "Being able to give yourself a positive outlook on life means you have a lot of confidence in yourself. The more you're able to do and accomplish means you rarely let people put you down."

"Hmm. I never really thought of it that way."

"I'm sure that one day, whatever you decide to do, you're going to inspire a lot of people, and you will become their hero."

Jenny smiled and gave Dye hug, which made the both of them fall into the sand. They both laughed and got up to begin a walk along the beach.

Dye's stomach caught a hold of him.

"Hey, are you hungry?" He asked, hoping that she would say yes.

"Thought you would never ask."

"Come on, I know of a fantastic restaurant right up on The Strand."

They walked up towards The Strand, climbed the stairs and started to walk again, both laughing and playing and talking some more until coming to the restaurant. They walked in and were seated immediately.

"What can I get you to drink?" Asked the waitress.

"Root beer, please," Dye responded.

"And for the lady?" Asked the waitress.

"Do you have lemonade?" Asked Jenny.

"Sure do," replied the waitress.

"Then I'll have that please."

"Okay! One root beer and lemonade coming right up," The waitress gave them two menus and left to retrieve their drinks.

"The Sea Shore Shack," Jenny read the front of the menu.

The place didn't look half bad. It had a harbor theme to it with windows that looked out over the ocean. Thick fishnets hung from the ceilings and walls. Pictures of fish and fisherman decorated the dimly lit place while boat props and paddles gave the restaurant an atmosphere of oceanic freedom.

"Yep!" Said Dye. "One of the best restaurants in the city,"

The two of them glanced at the menus and started talking about what they were going to have. Soon the waitress returned with their drinks.

"Alright," said the server, flipping her notepad open, "What will it be?"

Before Dye could answer, the entire restaurant shook as if there was an earthquake; lasting about five seconds, then the shaking immediately stopped. Dye started to think it was all in his head and went to continue his order until the entire restaurant began to shake again. This time it was more violent than the one before, allowing the lights inside to flicker. Everybody in the restaurant quickly jumped under their table, and so did Dye and Jenny. The waitress ran behind the counter of the bar and ducked as well. Glasses that sat on the table fell to the ground and shattered. Chandeliers that hung from the ceiling dropped to the ground, and broke into hundreds of pieces. The people inside the restaurant started to yell; children began to cry. The shaking got worse until it suddenly stopped. Everything was quiet. The only thing blaring was the loud alarms from cars that lined the streets.

Dye could hear the people outside questioning what had just happened. He slowly came up from under the table, and so did the rest of the citizens.

"Is everyone okay?" bellowed the manager of the restaurant.

Dye took Jenny by her hand and helped her from off the floor.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Jenny examined her entire body before replying.

"I think so. Are you?" She asked him.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Just what was that anyway?"

"I don't know? I think it was an earth-"

Before Dye could finish his answer another earthquake trembled rapidly and stopped. The quakes got stronger and more aggressive, and the people in the restaurant fell back under their tables. It continued as though there were a giant walking through the city, heading for the restaurant. Dye and everybody in the eatery started to hear screams and cries of the people outside. Before long, they heard explosions. Cars and trucks were falling from above; the on and off quakes continued.

"What the hell is going on?" Asked Dye.

He made his way to the window and looked out into the street. The people outside were running away in complete hysteria. Some were falling from the sky; others were being blown away due to exploding cars. Dye pressed his face against the glass and tried to see what was happening up the street. Just at that moment, what looked like purple beams started to fly everywhere; they blew up buildings, cars, and took down traffic signals. The people in the restaurant began to scream and cry again as the situation became dire.

"Dye!" Shouted Jenny. He quickly turned around to find Jenny under the table looking at him.

"Stay there," he said, looking back, "I'll be back."

"Dye! Where are you going?"

"That's some boyfriend you got there, miss," said a man from the table next to her, with a sarcastic tone.

Dye ran outside and looked to find the street he was standing in was completely in ruin. There were no more bystanders around. Everything was on fire, and the street had dozens of craters.

"What are you doing, boy?" Said a demonic voice from behind him.

Dye's bones jumped from beneath his skin, and his heart began to pound like the speeding tempo of a drum. He slowly turned around, and to him it felt like he was reliving a dream. Standing in front of him was an entity wearing a strange set of purple armor. Its face was concealed with a shiny, purple head covering that was sealed by a mysterious symbol.

"It can't be," mumbled Dye under his breath, "you're the one I saw on top of the train that night and in my dre-"

"What are you mumbling about, boy?" Said the purple, armored entity that stood before him, with its demonic voice. "Stand aside or perish," the mysterious knight continued, raising its shiny, purple, armored hand. It was set aglow by a violet light that illuminated the entire street. Dye's feet were glued to the ground as he stood in the midst of what was about to happen.

"So be it," said the entity as it released a purple ball of generated power. Jenny watched as Dye was caught in the explosion of the attack. Tears started to track down her face as she watched helplessly from inside of the cafe.

"Humph," said the evil entity, "How pathetic you humans are. I shall enjoy eradicating your entire race."

Smoke raised into the air where Dye once stood.

"What's this?" Said the entity.

As the smoke cleared, a figure started to become visible both to the people inside the restaurant and to the purple armored entity. Jenny wiped her face without the slightest idea that it could be Dye. The one figure turned into two with each passing second as the smoke lifted. One figure was on his knees, covering what looked like to be a boy. He was wearing blue armor with a head covering that sealed his face with a symbol. The other was wearing shiny, white armor and his wings were swung out in front of him, protecting him and his brothers.

"Sam! Jason!" Whispered Dye. "Cutting it kind of close there, huh?"

Sam stood up and spread his enormous wings out, revealing his entire body and blowing away the rest of the smoke. Jason stood at the side of his armored brother, ready. The people in the restaurant applauded the heroics of the duo as they stood in front of their little brother

"Dye," whispered Sam, just loud enough so that he could hear him, "get inside now. We'll handle this."

"No way!" He replied, "I'm staying to help."

"Dude!" whispered an agitated Jason. "This is not the time nor place to argue. You can help by seeing if the people inside that restaurant are okay."

"Fine," he responded disappointedly. He started to walk back towards the restaurant until stopping to see something coming up the street. He noticed a red line of fire coming from up the street; sneaking up behind the purpled armored entity that stood before them. The line of fire came closer to the purple being until it became visible. It threw a fist at the entity; the being countered by backflipping over the golden armored hero that was once Dye. The golden being stopped as the purpled, armored being landed behind him. Dye stopped, and it felt like he was staring into a mirror of the past. He knew the golden Xenton standing in front of him was no longer him. A sentiment of regret came over him, and he slowly retreated inside the restaurant and was greeted with a hug from Jenny.

"Better late than never," said Sam, with memories of Arayan's betrayal still in the back of his head. Arayan stayed silent and turned around to face the glossy, purple being.

"Nice try," said the entity, "but I heard you coming a mile away."

"Arayan," said Jason, "who is this guy?"

"I do not want to fight my fellow Xenton," said the demon voice of the entity, "but if I must kill you to get what I want then so be it. I am here to give you a choice. Join me and we can rebuild our home of ancient Genia together. These humans took our planet. I am asking that we join forces and together destroy these humans."

"You must be kidding," said Sam.

"Very well." Said the purpled, armored Xenton, "then their blood will be on your hands. Fighting me can only be compared with committing suicide. Death, my friends, is inevitable for you. When the time is right, we will do battle, and I can assure you -- you will fall."

The purpled armored Xenton turned around.

"Goodbye," it said and with a bright purple light it had vanished completely, leaving a purple mist lingering in its wake.

"We'll be waiting," said Sam.

The destroyed boulevard was free of the evil being's presence. The injured people just outside were recovering, but the lonely three Xenton were still staring at the spot from whence the being had left.

"What the hell was that, Arayan?" Asked Jason.

Arayan didn't answer. Instead, he ran away.

"Hey! Get back here!" Jason yelled.

"Let him go," said Sam calmly.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know? But I'm sure we're in for the fight of our lives," said Sam.

Jason didn't reply. Instead, he and his brother sighed.

# Chapter 11: Sorrow for a Nobody

Dye came bursting into Jason's room to find Sam, his brother Jason and Arayan standing around in a melancholy state.

"Well?" Dye inquired, as if he was going to get an answer right away. "What was that back there?

"Calm down, Dye," said Sam.

"Yeah man, chill! We have no idea what it was ourselves," added Jason.

"Maybe not but I bet he knows," he replied angrily, looking at Arayan.

Arayan was facing the window of the room. His arms were folded, and his black cloak was waving smoothly with the soft wind that came in through the opened space. He saw an angry Dye through the reflection of the window and slowly turned around.

"Yeah, you," said Dye, "hey, I'm talking to you," he said, starting to approach Arayan with his fists balled up.

"Dye!" Yelled Jason, "shut up!"

Dye quickly quailed himself and sat on the bed with his pride completely crushed. The room fell silent for a quick second until the voice of Arayan filled the room.

"He's back," The three brothers created a confused look on their faces and turned their attention towards Arayan.

"What do you mean?" Asked Sam. "Who's back?"

"The symbol on its face -- it was his symbol," Arayan replied. "Griflore's symbol.

"What?" Said the three brothers simultaneously.

"That can't be," said Jason.

"Yeah, he would have to be like," said Dye as he started to count on his fingers. "Well over a billion years old."

"But it looked like a Xenton," said Sam.

"Your eyes weren't lying. It was, without a doubt, a Xenton and from what I could tell it was a very powerful one," Arayan replied, "this was why I flocked to you. I've been tracking Griflore's action ever since he came to my attention. I took him on once, but couldn't defeat him. I needed something that would help me in my success."

Dye glanced at Arayan and Arayan stared back. They exchanged dreadful looks. Sam and Jason could feel the tension building.

"Then how can a Xenton be evil then?" Jason asked. "I thought you said Griflore was something more like a dictator, not a Xenton."

"I don't know," replied Arayan hesitantly. "Your guess is as good as mine. But I'll be back with more information. For the time being, do not escalate a battle with him. Not until I get back."

A bright white light filled the room, and Arayan vanished from sight. The three brothers sat in the room thinking about what happened earlier that day.

"Great!" Dye said sarcastically. "This thing just comes storming into the city and the one person who knows everything about these powers and ancient civilizations can't tell us one thing about it."

"We have no idea what this thing is," said Jason, "Only that it's really powerful, could have killed us if it wanted to and now it's supposedly a powerful dictator that lived billions of years ago. This makes no sense, bros."

"This is a terrible situation," said Sam, "and if it attacks again, which could be at any moment, Arayan told us to stay put, but if we do fight there is a fifty-fifty chance we won't survive. What to do? What to do?"

The three brothers threw themselves onto the beds and made a loud exhale as all the pressure and stress that had just befallen them began to ease out through their mouths. Would they go and fight it or heed Arayan words? How long were they expecting Arayan to be gone? The room fell silent, and a dim light from the sunset filled the quartersa. The curtains on the window blew softly from the afternoon breeze. Dye laid there next to Sam until something came to mind.

"That's it!" Dye expressed loudly, making his two brothers turn their attention to him.

"What? What is it?" Said Jason, startled.

"That's why that thing looked so familiar."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Sam.

"I've encountered that fake Xenton twice."

"Huh?" Said Jason as the two brothers gave their full attention.

"The time when Sammy and I stopped that train from crashing into the ground, I saw that thing on top of one of the cars right when we were getting to the scene."

"Oh, that's right," said Sam, finally catching his memory, "Good call, Dye."

"Okay?" Said Jason. We already know that. When was the second time?"

"That was the second time!" Dye replied.

"Huh?" Said both Sam and Jason.

"The first time was in a dream," started Dye, "It was back when I had my spirit. It showed it to me. Anyways, I was standing in the city, and everything was in ruin and on fire. That purple Xenton thing was marching through the town with these monster looking things, and the moon was red."

"Where were we?" Asked Jason.

"Dead, I suppose!" Dye replied.

A shiver made Jason and Sam fix ghastly looks on their faces.

"Oh," said Jason.

"Yeah, my spirit spoke of this being our future or something like that."

"Well, now we know why the spirits chose us to be their host," said Sam.

"And so far, we have a red moon, freaky demon things," he paused, "and us being dead. Did I miss anything?"

"So now we know what could happen," said Jason, "but why is all of this happening now? And why is this thing just now showing itself? We've been like this for weeks, and all we have managed to do is stop a few freak accidents. Why is this thing just now showing up?"

"My guess would be that it was waiting for us," said Sam, "So when it caused that train accident it was luring us out. It probably knew that we were going to act on saving it, so it was waiting for the right time. Then afterward it decided to get a little more into the game by making itself known to the people and to us too. As for why it didn't kill us is still a complete mystery to me."

Silence fell over the room once again for a quick moment.

"It's waiting for something," said Dye.

"What could it possibly be waiting for?" Asked Jason. "It already knows we're here. Why hold on?"

"The city is still standing," said Dye, pointing out the window at the large city they called home.

"So, and?" replied Jason.

"Well, it wasn't when that freak was marching with those monster things in my dream."

"How do we know that your vision is accurate though?" Asked Sam.

"Oh, come on," said Dye, getting frustrated, "I haven't had any account of predicting the future in the past. Why do you think I would dream up something like this?"

"You would dream up anything, Dye," Jason added.

"That's not the point," he replied furiously.

"Maybe Dye is right, Jason," said Sam, "I mean what if Dye's dream is accurate. This could give us a giant leap in front of the enemy."

"I guess," Jason replied, "okay, so let's assume that this dream of Dye's is right on target. It won't start getting serious until these demon things show up.

The question is where will they come from? And how do we stop an army of them?"

"If only we knew how long we have. I could do some digging," said Sam.

"I don't know how that would work, but okay," said Dye, "but I'm sure we don't have a long time."

"We?" Said Jason. "Sorry, but you are officially out of this circle. No spirit equals no membership."

"Jason's right," said Sam, "This is our fight now, not yours."

"So come on, let's go," said Jason.

Jason started shoving his little brother out of his room.

"Hey, wait! Come on guys, I can help," Dye said while his brother pushed him out of the room. He tripped over the carpet and fell out into the hallway, onto the floor and from behind him, he heard the door to the room slam.

"Fine then!" He barked, "I hope those things eat you first!"

Dye got up from the floor of the hallway when he noticed a shadowy figure coming up the stairs towards him.

"Mack?"

"What's all this noise and talk about things eating people up here?" He said

"Nothing," Dye replied. "Just Sam and Jason throwing me out of the room, I have rights you know!" He roared, pointing his face at the door of the room, hoping his two brothers could hear him.

"Whatever, go to your room," said Mack, who seemed to be more stressed than usual.

"But Mack, can you just-"

"Go! Now!" Mack barked angrily while placing his hand on his head, "I have a terrible headache. Please just go."

"Okay," he said. Dye turned his back and went about his business to his room. He pushed open the door and sat on his bed.

"Wonder what his problem is?"

Come to think of it; Dye noticed a peculiar changed is his brother's behavior. Ever since the camping trip, Mack had suddenly become stressed and withdrawn. Dye noticed he usually disappeared without anybody knowing where he was. Was this a sign that Dye should take seriously? Or was it just Mack being his old moody self, suffocated by the pressure of deciding what he wanted to do with his life after high school.

"Pssh!" He said. "Everybody thinks I'm useless without my powers. I'll show them. It's about time to get into some strong, over the limit training so when this thing does come again, I'll be ready for it. Yeah, they'll see. They need me."

His mind slowly drifted from reality as he fell into an afternoon sleep. The setting of the sun revealed a purple, black dusk sky and little by little the room became dark with the light of full moon piercing through the curtains of the room.

The next morning, Dye awoke around seven thirty, anxious about his training day. He quickly washed up, gathered his gear quietly, being careful not to wake Sam. He dressed in his GI trousers from years ago and wore a black, no sleeve shirt. He quietly grabbed his bag and silently made his way down the hallway, being sure not to wake his parents. He finally made it to the front door, quietly opened it, walked out and closed it silently, locking it. He threw the strap of his bag across his chest and started off with a jog to the neighborhood park.

The sun was rising in the sky, and slowly the city awoke. Dye saw people walking outside in their bathrobes, retrieving their morning paper and letting their pets out. Other people were out and about doing their morning routines; taking their morning jogs, some with their dogs and others with partners. Dye saw Mrs. Simmons out on her front porch enjoying a cup of coffee. She yelled a good morning, but Dye just waved and continued on with his jog.

Just over the ocean horizon, dark clouds started to plague the blue morning sky. He figured the more intense the weather, the better of a workout he would get. He finally made it to the park located across the street from the beach. He threw his stuff on the ground and started to stretch with intensity. Afterward, he dropped to the floor and started to do as many push-ups as he could. Then he turned over to his back and did as many sit-ups as he could. Next, he got up and did as many squats as he could. After his warm-up, he found the pathway that ran through the park and jogged again. The clouds were getting thicker and darker, not to mention bigger. Dye stopped for a while and took a drink of water. He took a look at the sky above and found the sun was completely gone, blanketed by the thickness of many clouds. A fierce wind picked up and blew foliage and trash everywhere around the park. He could hear the distant sounds of thunder that signaled it was raining somewhere else very violently. The people in the park began to head for their cars and soon the park was completely deserted.

"Bring it on Mother Nature," he said fiercely as he continued with his training.

He resumed on with his jog as droplets of rain started to fall in the form of a semi-light drizzle. Dye's clothes started to grow damp from the onslaught of water that fell from the sky. Water ran down his face, and his wet hair crawled over his forehead.

"I guess I can call it a day, then," Dye said, panting as he glanced at his phone to check the time. It was getting late.

Dye had finally finished his jog and fell to the ground, catching his breath. He looked up into the dark, cloudy, rainy sky and sighed for a moment. He got up from the ground and grabbed his bag, throwing it over his shoulder, starting on his journey back home. As he was making his way, he saw something that caught his attention immediately. Over in the play area was one other person that was left in the park. From the distance he was, he found it to be a girl. She sat on the swing set and swung back and forth, keeping her body in one spot as the rain continued to fall.

She didn't look very well dressed. She looked as if she had been living on the streets for some time now. As Dye drew closer, he noticed a not too happy expression stamped across her face. Before he could say anything, a flash of lighting struck and not long after a loud crash of thunder scared the both of them. The girl jumped which brought her eyes up.

Dye's heart stopped with the immediate eye contact he made with the girl. He stared deep into the brown eyes of the heartbroken girl before him and felt empathy.

"Scary, isn't it?" He said. "Wow, from a distance you looked younger, but now you look no older than my brother Mack. Mind if I sit here?"

The girl gave no reply. Instead, she looked at him with a very odd face.

Dye sat on the swing next to her.

"Hi," he held out his hand, "my name is Dye." The girl ignored him.

Feeling rejected, Dye took his hand back and looked up into the sky.

"I love rainy days," he said, "especially when I get to be outside like this. What about you?"

The girl continued to sway back and forth, ignoring Dye as if he wasn't there. Her head was facing the ground, and her unruly black hair was covering her left eye.

"I hate rainy days," she replied in a small, soft voice.

Dye took a glance at her. She glared up, and her expression turned hateful.

"Why don't you go home to your family, kid, I don't have time for people worrying about me."

"Well, why don't you go home to yours?"

"Yeah, right, kid," she replied, "My family doesn't want me, and neither did the nine other ones I've had."

"You were adopted I suppose."

"I guess I had a family at one point, but they abandoned me when I was five. I was found in a forest and from there I was thrown around from foster family to foster family. Some were okay, I guess, but in the end, they didn't want me because I always ended up back at the shelter. Each family kept on getting worse. I was beaten, forced to do housework all day, even starved when I didn't obey. I left when I was seventeen. I finally decided to run away to get away from all the horror that I didn't deserve. I've been wandering for a few years now. Surviving on my own and living on my own. I don't care what happens to me. I'd rather die now. There's nothing left for me now."

The girl got up from the swing and turned her back. The rained started to fall even more.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you this. So why don't you go home to your family while you still have one kid and leave me alone," she said as she began to walk off. Dye's heart broke in two. How could someone so young have so much hate for life? He started to wonder if he could do something to help her.

"Why don't you come with me?" He said, jumping up from his swing. "I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind getting you cleaned up and making you something to eat."

The girl stopped in her tracks and turned her head a fraction.

"I don't need your pity. That's your family, not mine. I'm tired of being other people's responsibility."

"Wait!" Shouted Dye, still trying his best to make friends with her.

"I said leave me alone!" She said, turning around completely. Dye felt utterly horrified at her facial features. Her eyes turned yellow with slit pupils, and purple veins started to creep up her face. Dye stumbled to the ground but couldn't take his eyes off of what he was seeing. She threw her head in her hands and started to yell in pain.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, completely mortified.

"Get away from me!" She said with agony. "Leave me alone. You can't help me. Nobody can! "

With that said, she ran from the park and up the street. Dye got up from the ground and saw the girl running as though she was being chased for her life. He picked up his stuff and watched as she ran up the street, running from sight.

# Chapter 12: Thunder and Lightning

Rain continued to fall in the city of Beach Shores. Water was hurriedly flowing towards storm drains and streets were becoming flooded. Lightning hit in every direction followed by loud explosions of thunder. Dye found his legs moving by themselves. He was lost in his mind as he wandered around the park until he noticed a place that was the most peaceful of all. He gained control of his legs and started to make his way towards the pier. The entire city was in darkness. Cars drove along in the streets and splashed water onto the sidewalks.

"How can somebody hate life so much?" He said sorrowfully, thinking about the girl he had just encountered. "Everybody should have someone to call their family."

He began to walk slowly down the pier. The benches that sat on the wharf were completely soaked; the sand on the beach was a dark brown. Nothing could be seen from the pier as mist covered the watered land.

As much as he tried, Dye could not stop thinking about the girl. Every time he did, sorrow fell over him and anger for the people that made her that way engulfed him. What made things worse for him was that she was right. He did have a family to go home to, to call his own and to enjoy life with. He felt guilty because he couldn't share that with her. He would do anything to see somebody else happy rather than himself. No amount of power can bring happiness to anybody. A flash of lightning had struck, and a loud crash of thunder gave its attention to Dye as he wandered down the deserted pier. He was drawing closer to the building that stood at its end. Water ran down his face along with water droplets that fell from his hair to the ground. His clothes were entirely wet down to his socks.

What scared him the most was the look she had in her eyes. Was what he saw real? Or was it all in his imagination? Those bright, and yellow eyes looked like a cat's stare piercing through his body right into his soul. It was almost like the pain she was feeling inside had somehow surfaced and turned itself into physical pain.

"Sometimes I wonder if life is what people say it is?" He murmured as he finally reached the edge of the pier. He stared down into the watery void below him and watched as the powerful waves thrashed against the stone pillars supporting the pier.

"If people expect so much with what God has to offer, then why do so many people suffer? I've never had to worry about where I was going to end up tomorrow or about how I was going to get by the next day with food. My parents have always been there to support me and give me what I needed. So why does she have to suffer because of what other people did to her in the past? It isn't fair!"

A loud crash of thunder struck again, but this time something else happened. He found himself in the living room of his house, recalling the past, looking at a man sitting in a chair next to the fireplace. On his lap was a younger version of himself holding a book upside down and trying to spell words that were written inside.

"Family," said the young child. The sound of the crackling fire filled the room, and a sudden warmth started to overcome Dye. A flash of lightning came through the window which was followed by the sound of rolling thunder. The child that sat in the lap of the man threw the book over his head and grabbed the man tightly.

"What's the matter, Theodore?" Mr. Haven asked.

"What was that noise just now, Daddy?" A young Dye responded.

"Are you afraid of that loud noise, Theodore?"

The boy nodded and slowly took the book off of his head. "It sounds like there's a monster outside."

"Well, I can assure you that there is no monster out there."

"Then what was that loud noise?"

The man laughed. Dye chuckled a little bit while observing from a corner.

"Well, Theodore, that is what we call thunder."

"Thunder?" replied the boy looking up at his father.

"That's right."

"What is thunder?" Asked the boy.

"Well, whenever you see those flashes of light come in through the window that is known as lightning."

"Lightning?" Asked the boy.

"Uh huh," replied the man. "And what it does is when you see that flash of light, that light expands a lot of heat and air that it sounds like an explosion." Mr. Haven portrayed by making gestures with his hands.

"Then why doesn't it happen right after the flash?" Asked the younger Dye. "Why does it wait?"

"That's because light travels faster than sound," Mr. Haven said cheerfully. "My mother always told me that every time you see a flash of lightning, if you count, then you will see how many miles away the lightning had struck?"

"Really?" Asked the boy.

Just then, a flash of light came flooding in through the window.

"Want to try it, Theodore?"

"Yeah,"

"Okay, let's count,"

Together, Mr. Haven and the young Dye both started to count.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight" and then the sound of thunder came rolling through the house.

"So, it was... eight miles away?"

"It sure was. You are a quick learner, Theodore."

"That's because my dad is a great teacher."

"Come on. Let's get something to eat shall we?"

The child started to laugh and then another flash of lightning came flooding into the room which brought Dye back to the pier.

"My dad is awesome," he said, "And I have four brothers to share him with. I swear I will make it to where that girl has people that appreciate her and love her like my mom and dad loves my brothers and me. That's a promise."

The lightning cracked the sky again, and powerful sounds of thunder rolled through. Dye turned around and began to make his way back to the boulevard. Immediately, a stream of purple lightning shot up from deep within the city.

"It's back," he said to himself. He took his bag and began pursuing the source of the violent lightning that shot up from below. Buildings crumbled and erupted into flames. He heard the constant screams of people from a distance that echoed across the city. He tried his best to run at full speed, but he couldn't perform the same with his abilities being absent.

The sounds of thunder ruled the sky and Dye continued to run towards his destination. As he got deeper into the city, sights of destruction filled his eyes and anger became his primary emotion. Paramedics were tending to people on the streets who were hurt from the ongoing attack taking place further up the avenue. Dye heard military choppers and gunfire up ahead. The military aircraft fired missiles and just as quickly as they were fired they were redirected back to the airborne vehicles, destroying them and killing all who were aboard.

Purple lightning was being unleashed upon its foes, striking other military vehicles and troops. Military tanks were retreating from a nearby avenue, continuing strong with their assault upon the unknown target. Troops were backing up as well, firing their weapons and throwing grenades. Their efforts were futile as another tank was thrown from the boulevard, falling into another, and exploding upon impact. Dye ran down to the street where the unknown enemy was, making it passed all of the destruction and finally came face to face with the city's destroyer.

"Hey!" He said.

The purple, armored Xenton stopped, it's back facing Dye. The Xenton turned, summoning a powerful gust that blew Dye away, making him skid along the ground. He got up with cuts and scrapes plaguing his arm and threw his bag to the ground. He held up his clenched fists and looked at his enemy.

"I've had enough of you," he said, "just me and you now."

All the anger and rage that he felt before had surfaced again; the girl and all the unnecessary suffering in the city due to this being. He finally had enough.

"You're mine," he said. He quickly pressed on towards the Xenton with everything he had, knowing that he probably wouldn't survive.

# Chapter 13: Power and Regret

The storm raged on in the city of Beach Shores. The rain thrashed the city along with its thunder and lightning. The self-driven boy pushed on towards the enemy as the water fell upon his head. With his fists clenched tight, he delivered a punch to the evil Xenton. Thunder sounded, and the Xenton caught the fist of the young boy and began to squeeze tightly. Dye didn't show any emotion or pain. He took his other hand and threw another punch. The Xenton caught that one as well and started to squeeze them both. The Xenton created so much pressure that Dye was brought down to his knees. He knelt before the Xenton in a puddle of water, trying hard not to submit to the pain of his crushed fist.

"Well, boy," said the Xenton. The demonic sound of the Xenton's voice struck fear in Dye's heart, "looks like we meet again."

Dye looked up at the purple face of his enemy, but could not speak.

"What's the matter? Why do you not speak?"

Dye began to climb to his feet. He struggled and pushed himself until he was standing up completely. His legs were shaking, but he didn't let anything stop him from what he was trying to do.

"I will defeat you," he said with determination in his voice as fire built up in his eyes.

"Is that so?" replied the Xenton.

The Xenton released the grip he had on Dye's fist and delivered a blow to Dye's stomach. Dye felt as if as rock was being lodged into him, the pain was excruciating. Oxygen exerted from his lungs and left him winded. The Xenton twisted his fist deeper into Dye's stomach, making him feel the twisting of his organs and the cracking of his ribs. He fell down, holding his gut tightly, trying to handle the incredible pain handed to him. Looking up, Dye saw the Xenton kneel to his level, and immediately the demon flicked him away with a finger. The force delivered to the youth was great. Dye's body skipped across the ground like a rock skipping across a lake. When he stopped, he found himself at the end of the street. His entire body was paralyzed. With all of his might, he gained control of his hands and feet and did his best to stand up. His body was heavy and was giving him pain from head to toe. He finally stood up, then found that he was back on the ground. He looked up with his dirty face to find his enemy standing right in front of him. His heart stopped.

The Xenton reached down and seized the young boy by his neck and held him up, making Dye's feet dangle from the ground. Dye looked into the face of his greatest enemy as the Xenton pulled his body closer, speaking into his ear.

"What makes you tick, boy?" Said the Xenton. "Of all these humans here, you have been the only one to oppose me face to face."

Dye's heart began to race; his airway being cut off. He struggled and fought for air, but couldn't break free from the monster's hold. Suddenly, the Xenton dropped Dye to the ground. The boy breathed in as much air as he could. The Xenton lowered himself to Dye's level and stared into the eyes of the boy.

"Answer the question," said the Xenton.

Dye continued to breathe heavily until finally preparing himself to answer.

"Why do I fight?" He said, catching his breath.

"Yes," the Xenton replied, in a calm, patient voice.

Dye looked into the face of his enemy and saw his reflection through the lens of the demon's helmet.

"I fight," he started as his reflection plagued him. "I fight because..."

The fear of the Xenton gained control of his body as an invisible hand clenched his throat, keeping him from speaking. The Xenton stared at Dye, waiting for the answer to his question.

"I fight," he stuttered once again. He couldn't stop glaring at the face of the Xenton.

"Speak, boy!" Yelled the Xenton, who was finally growing impatient.

Suddenly, Dye saw the face of the girl he saw in the park in the lens of his enemy. Then he saw the faces of his brothers and his parents then his friends.

"I fight because I need to!" Dye exploded. The Xenton remained silent. "For the people I care about the most. And for those who are less fortunate than me."

"Hmm," said the Xenton, "how pathetic."

The Xenton raised himself to look down at Dye. "You fight for love," the Xenton said. "Yet the power you possess comes from complete anger, your passion for wanting me dead."

"Yes, dead, because you threatened to hurt the people that mean the most in my life. This is where I get my power and strength from because those I love and care about believe in me."

The Xenton lowered himself again and looked at Dye's bloody and bruised face.

"And here you are, inches from death itself and these so called 'loved ones' of yours have no idea."

Dye looked down into the puddle he was kneeling in and saw a reflection of himself.

"The darkness in you is rich," said the Xenton, "you can be so much more than what you are now. You have so much power, yet you chose to stay and fight for these people."

Dye looked up.

"Power?" He said. "What are you talking about?"

"Power comes from darkness, and darkness comes from hate and anger. You hide it all behind a happy smile, but you don't fool me. I see an extraordinary darkness growing within you. I can look at you and tell that you have lots of anger, not only for me but from others as well. Particularly for the one named Gregory."

Dye's heart skipped a beat.

"That name," he thought to himself, "how did he know that name? Did he just read my mind? I haven't spoken to Greg in years. How did he-"

"Surprised?" Said the Xenton.

Dye stared deeper into the face of his enemy.

"The darkness inside your heart lets me see the reason for your hatred and apparently this human really did a number on you, boy."

"Shut up," Dye said as his anger started to get the best of him.

"Come with me, and I can help you to master your powers of darkness that will allow you become a god amongst men."

"Shut up," he said once more, getting angrier.

"Don't deny your power. You're somewhat like me."

"Shut up!" Yelled Dye at once, striking the Xenton; his fist slamming the Xenton's metal face.

The Xenton's armor slashed Dye's knuckles severely. Blood started to run down his hand as the water from the rain ran with it.

The punch from Dye didn't affect the Xenton at all. The Xenton merely turned its head back to face Dye.

"Now just imagine what kind of damage that would have done if you really meant it. The powers of darkness are strong."

Fear overcame Dye completely, and his body was utterly frozen. The Xenton seized Dye by the neck and lifted him off the ground, allowing his feet to dangle once again.

"Since you don't want my help, it is time for you to leave this world," said the Xenton. "So, if you don't mind"

Using its free hand, the Xenton transformed its arm into an ax. Dye stared upon the angry weapon that had his end written all over it. He was once again struggling to get free, but couldn't manage to do so. The Xenton moved closer to Dye's face and spoke.

"Don't worry about your so called 'loved ones,'" the Xenton said. "I'll be sure to let them know how you died right before I do the same to them"

The Xenton began the strike on Dye. The young boy shut his eyes as the ax was moving closer towards him until something interrupted its path.

"Hmm?" Said the Xenton.

Dye opened his eyes and saw the armored body of his brother, Sam, blocking the pathway of the ax. The ax embedded itself in the right shoulder of Sam's armor. It was an unbearable pain for Sam, but he didn't express it. Sam seized the axed arm of his enemy and gradually pulled it out. Then Sam took his fist and delivered a devastating blow to the Xenton. The demon dropped Dye and was sent soaring down to the other end of the street. Dye fell into his brother's arms, completely relieved.

"Are you okay?" Asked Sam.

"Yeah," Dye replied, still holding his stomach from the blow he received earlier.

"Wait here, okay?" Asked Sam.

He laid Dye softly on the ground and quickly pursued the evil Xenton.

As the Xenton continued to fly down the street, a blue armored person exploded from beneath the asphalt and delivered a kick to the Xenton, sending him soaring straight up into the sky. Sam flew up into the air; flying passed the Xenton and delivered another blow, sending it falling back towards the city street and causing a huge crater to tear open within it. Cars and buildings were toppled due to the impact of the Xenton. Sam soared down and stood at Jason's side. The both of them waited at the edge of the smoking crater looking as the smoke cleared.

Purple flashes of light started to pierce the smoke and soon laser beams from the enemy started to arise. Sam took flight, and Jason summoned the water that was running underneath the city.

He materialized the water to resemble a shark and sent it rushing towards his enemy. The Xenton came jumping out of the smoke, swinging its ax-hand at the shark, completely slicing through it. As the water from the shark started to separate, Jason turned the water into liquid ropes and tied them around the Xenton while freezing the fluid.

"Sam!" He yelled.

The evil Xenton looked to find Sam flying towards him with incredible speed. He struggled to break free, but Jason was not letting go. Sam's body was moving so fast that he was sending out sonic booms throughout the whole block. Windows shattered, buildings fell, and the earth began to shake. Sam sent razor sharp wind attacks followed by a strike of lightning that hit the Xenton and sent it falling to the ground once more. The earth shook tremendously as lightning and thunder continued to bash each other in the sky above. Sam waited in the heavens while Jason waited on the land. The Xenton came up from the rubble unscratched and unmarked.

"Impossible," said Jason.

The Xenton looked at both Sam and Jason and started to laugh; its demonic voice echoing through the streets.

"Fools," it said, "I told you, you will perish. My powers are not ones to be reckoned with. You will die this day." Sam and Jason started to fight the fear that was creeping up behind them. "I knew if I played with the boy a little you would show up. Just like the last time we met." The Xenton looked around. "Where is the third?"

"We don't need him," said Sam.

"We can handle you on our own," said Jason

The Xenton began to laugh again.

"Fools!" Said the Xenton. "My power is greater than yours. I am Griflore, this world's king."

"Arayan was right," said an injured Dye, "I hope they know what they're doing."

The thunder, lightning, and rain gave way to the perfect battlefield. Sam and Jason prepared themselves to strike Griflore again. Dye watched from a distance as his brothers faced death in every corner.

Sam summoned a razor sharp wind that was easily evaded by the evil Xenton, who had now introduced himself as Griflore. Griflore jumped towards Sam and struck him in the face, sending him soaring up into the sky. Griflore appeared behind Sam and without Sam noticing he was hit again from behind and was sent crashing into the city streets. Jason summoned another water beast in the form of a serpent-like dragon and sent it flying towards Griflore, who evaded that as well. Jason redirected it and sent it chasing after his enemy. He gave the command for his creation to attack and Griflore melted his other arm into a shield and protected himself from Jason's attack.

Sam came flying out of his crater and seized Griflore in a bear hug from behind, throwing his wings over the enemy's body. Sam spun around at the speed of a tornado, and without warning he opened his arms and released Griflore, sending him flying out towards the ocean. Jason used his ability over water and conjured from the sea a gigantic tidal wave. Dye looked up at the towering tsunami with amazement, scared and unable to move due to his injuries. Sam swept him up and flew him to the top of a nearby building. With the given signal from Sam, Jason let the wave crash onto Griflore. Water surged through the streets, filling it up to almost thirty feet. Jason swam through the water until he found Griflore and with incredible speed, he continuously struck Griflore over and over again until finally knocking him out of the water and into the air. Sam flew down and delivered a blow that plowed Griflore into the roof of a tall building. There was a moment of silence and anxiety as the brothers waited to see if Griflore would emerge. Meanwhile, the water level subsided to the ground as it dispersed through the city. Suddenly, the building collapsed and out of the rubble and debris flying through the air, Griflore landed before them.

The two brothers could feel the fatigue rising. The constant fighting they were enduring and still Griflore wasn't showing signs of weakness. The purple tyrant started to laugh again, making Sam and Jason angry.

"You two are pathetic," said Griflore, returning his arms to normal. "And you call yourself Xenton. You still haven't fully grasped the full potential of what it means to be a Xenton. These childish attacks, they're nothing to me, a fully realized Xenton. Now, I will show what real power is. Prepare yourselves!"

Griflore raised his hands into the air and immediately they started to shine with a purple illumination that pierced the darkness. Dye watched from the lonely rooftop as purple lightning shot out from Griflore hands. Jason and Sam watched aimlessly as purple lightning bolts cracked straight for them. The two quickly evaded and witnessed as the bolts started to gather all of the rubble from within the ruined street. The purple lightning started to weld the ruins, putting them together piece by piece while rocks of all shapes and sizes were chosen. Sam and Jason watched as the monument was growing bigger until a winged titan made from rocks was standing before them.

"Do you like my pet?" Said Griflore.

He began to use the purple lightning attached to the golem like puppet strings to control the towering titan. The glowing yellow eyes of the giant spotted the two brothers. With the commands from its master, it raised its solid, rock palm and slammed it at the two. Together, they evaded the attack and were continuing to move, conserving energy they had left. Griflore controlled the puppet-like titan with ease with a mission to kill the two opposing Xenton. Sam flew into the air but was quickly swatted by the palm of the winged, rocky beast. Jason summoned another tidal wave, but the winged creature took flight, easily avoiding the attack. Once the attack was finished, the winged beast fell on top of Jason with the intention of crushing him, but before the golem landed, Sam swooped down and snatched Jason, and together they vanished.

The rain was falling harder than ever, but the battle was just beginning. Dye watched helplessly from the roof top, worrying himself crazy about the well-being of his brothers. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Dye spotted two figures in the sky coming into sight. Sam appeared holding his brother, using Jason's invisibility powers to move without being detected. The winged stone creature caught sight of the two heroes and immediately opened fire. From its mouth came purple fireballs and the two brothers flew and dodged every single comet before making their move.

"You ready?" Said Sam to Jason as he carried him in towards the creature.

"Let it rip, bro," Jason replied.

As they flew closer to the creature, Sam took Jason by the arm and threw him down. Jason fell and dove for the creature, but instead he flew directly passed it.

"You missed," said Griflore.

Sam chuckled a bit. "Who said we were aiming for that?

Griflore finally got a glimpse of what Jason was aiming for. The fins on Jason's arms extended out and grew sharper.

"What is he doing?" Said Griflore.

Jason drew closer to Griflore. The demon tried to evade, but his hands were in control of the rock creature, and he failed. Jason extended his arms and sliced his way through the purple lightning bolt threads and delivered a blow to Griflore, sending him flying out into the ocean.

"Now, Sammy!" Jason yelled.

Sam fell into pursuit of the now freed creature and increased his speed tenfold. With both of his arms extended out in front of him, he blew his way directly through the towering, rock creature leaving it with a gigantic hole. The bright yellow eyes of the creature dimmed and the stone structure broke apart and fell to the ground.

Jason yelled in delight. "How 'bout them apples, huh?"

Dye cheered from the top of the building as so did his brothers. However, the celebration was premature. Jason, Sam, and Dye noticed a disturbance out to sea.

A whirlpool of water was forming. The thunder and lightning in the sky raged, and the rain continued to fall from the sky. From the depths of the ocean came the Xenton who was defying gravity over the vast ocean water. He levitated his body slowly back to land and soon enough the two brothers found themselves face to face with the enemy that they had thought they'd damaged. Not a scratch was seen on his armor. As for Jason and Sam, their armor was dirty and scratched everywhere, not to mention the battle was taking a heavy toll on their bodies. They didn't know how much longer they would last. The Xenton stood in front of the two brothers with an uninjured body and was preparing himself for an attack. As much as they tried, the two brothers couldn't move. Their bodies were heavy and trying to evade an attack was way out of the question. They had no choice but to give up. The Xenton raised his hand and gathered as much energy as he could. The purple light was blinding to the two brothers. They knew this was the end for them.

"You two put up a good fight," Griflore said sarcastically. "However, I win."

The Xenton released an energy beam at the two, and the street was caught in a heavy explosion. Dye gathered tears in his eyes as he watched his brothers take their last breath.

"This can't be happening. This is all my fault," he said as he squeezed his fist tightly. Just at that moment, the bright, purple beam was redirected toward the clouded sky and with the next lightning strike; purple lightning was sent surging throughout the gray heavens.

"What was that?" Asked Dye.

"So," stated Griflore, "you finally choose to show your face."

As the smoke cleared, the bright glare of golden armor caught Dye's eyes from a distance. Sam and Jason found themselves breathing yet another breath. Standing in front of them stood Arayan who was dressed in the golden armor that was once Dye's. He was wielding a gold and red blade in which he used to deflect the beam given to him by Griflore. He swung the blade down to his side and prepared himself for battle.

"Arayan," said Jason, both shocked and relieved to see him.

"I'll take it from here," he said with confidence in his voice, "You two get some rest."

Arayan quickly turned his attention to Griflore, who was as silent as can be.

"I am your opponent now," said Arayan as he swung the golden red blade up behind his helmet, taking a fighting stance.

"Finally," said Griflore, "a real fight."

Arayan dropped his hand down to his side and started to move closer.

"I've seen how you fight," he said, "you fight to protect others without even regarding yourself. You remind me of that boy who tried to fight me earlier." Griflore laughed, being fooled by the sheer illusion that the golden armored Xenton was in fact, Dye. "Yes, this is going to be fun."

Arayan braced himself and with another lightning strike the two began their battle.

# Chapter 14: Blood, Sweat, and Tears

The two Xenton pressed on towards each other in the storming rain. The thunder and lightning waged war in the sky above just as the two Xenton began theirs. The purple Xenton melted his arm into a blade while Arayan used his sword and ignited it with a red cyclone of flames. The two took a swing at each other and a clash of power rushed through the streets. The two found themselves in a power struggle between their weapons. As the power increased between the two, the grinding power canceled out, and an explosion threw the both of them in opposite directions. Arayan rebounded off a nearby wall and pushed himself towards Griflore, who was recovering in the street. Griflore used his blade to counter Arayan's attack. However, Arayan quickly appeared behind Griflore and struck him, sending him flying through buildings and making another crater in the street.

"Amazing," said Jason, "Who would have thought that Arayan would put up such a decent fight?"

"Well, he is a direct descendant of these people," Sam added, "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Oh, now you believe him, huh?" Said a smart toned Jason.

"Shut up," said Sam after a slight pause.

Both Sam and Jason's armor were completely scratched up and dirty all over. Suddenly, the two of them started to feel their energy returning to their bodies. Their armor started to regenerate by themselves, and the injuries that their bodies had taken on were suddenly starting to heal.

"Sammy," said Jason in amazement, "do you see this?"

"Yeah," replied Sam. "It's amazing. My energy is returning to me."

"This still surprises me," said Jason, "I'm still not used to this."

The two other Xenton continued their battle all through the streets, breaking their way into buildings, cars and even fighting throughout the ocean. The battle of the two even made its way to where Dye was. He ducked for cover as the two titans fought continuously.

As the battle of the two seemed to fade off into the distance, Dye retreated to his feet and looked over the ledge of the building to find his two brothers regaining their energy rapidly. The street was completely destroyed. There were holes and craters everywhere; cars were on fire and traffic signals were offline and destroyed as well. The rain continued to fall, and the thunder and lightning raged on. Dye looked upon the street with fear. Not fear for himself, but for his brothers, his family, his friends, and even Arayan. If this entity could do so much damage, he could imagine what it could do to the entire world, if given the chance. It had to be stopped.

Constant explosions were occurring all throughout the sky due to the fighting of Arayan and Griflore. Dye looked up and saw purple beams and fire being shot all throughout the thundering sky.

Just at that moment, Arayan came crashing to the ground, causing another crater to appear in the street. He quickly got up, retrieved his blade and took off like a missile at Griflore. He took his sword and struck Griflore, sending him to the ground where another crater tore open.

Dye took his eyes off of the battle and looked at the hole that Arayan had just created, admiring the power he once had. Down below, he saw the red glimmer of a shiny object.

"What is that?" He asked.

Dye felt an overpowering urge to feed his curiosity. Partially recovered, he picked up his bag and ran towards the stairs, he threw open the door and saw a sign that read 'Twenty-seventh Floor'.

"Aww, man!" He said sadly. He started to quickly make his way down the stairs with his body still expressing pain.

Fully restored, Jason and Sam prepared themselves to join Arayan in battle. They looked up into the sky and saw the raging battle mimic the movement of the lightning that was battling through the sky. Jason jumped on Sam's back.

"Ready for round two?" He asked.

"Let's do it!" Sam replied with determination, spreading his wings.

Together they took off towards the battle, unconcerned about the outcome. Jason jumped off of his brother's back and summoned a somewhat smaller wave in which he began to ride on. Side by side, the brothers had caught the sight of their enemy, Griflore, who was standing on the ground. Jason extended the fins on his arms into blades and jumped towards his enemy in hopes of striking him. Griflore dodged the attack and hit Jason, sending him falling to the ground. Quickly, Sam struck Griflore with a knee to his stomach and gave him a hammer fist that sent him falling face down to the ground. Jason got up and grabbed Griflore and tossed him up into the air. Instantly following, Jason started to swirl his body, and soon a series of water cyclones appeared. With great speed, Jason struck Griflore with his cyclones as he came falling down, and sent him flying back into the sky.

"Your hit," Jason said.

Arayan took his blade and ignited it with flames. As Griflore came closer, he struck him with an upward swing that sent him crashing into the city, causing debris to fly everywhere on the street below.

Dye continued to race down the stairs when the rumbling from the fight caused him to fall down the stairway. He tumbled down the stairs and fell face first on the metal floor. His injuries from earlier began to hurt him with intense pain. He began to bleed from his mouth and the cuts on his face. He got up slowly to ensure that he didn't strike any sudden movements that would bring about any hurt. He was finally able to stand up straight and directly in front of him, he saw a sign that said ninth floor. He grabbed the handrail and slowly continued to make his way down.

Sam, Jason, and Arayan were holding their own against the ruthless enemy. From the smoke, stood the shiny, purple, armored Xenton in the wake of his destruction. He took his other hand and forged it into an ax. Now the uncontrollable being was wielding two weapons. Griflore took off into the sky and made his way towards Sam. Sam ducked and dodged every attempt made on his life. He flew up into the sky and at that moment a bolt of lightning hit Griflore. Sam redirected the lightning and aimed it at Griflore, striking him again. Caught off guard, Griflore fell back to the ground where Jason was anxiously waiting for him. The tyrant landed, causing his metal feet to leave prints in the asphalt. He looked in front of him and saw Jason. Immediately, the psychotic demon attacked. Using the blades on his arms, Jason fell into hand to hand combat against Griflore. Each attack made contact with both of their blades until Jason was struck. Griflore delivered a powerful kick that sent Jason soaring into the sky. Sam quickly caught his brother.

Arayan dove towards Griflore, who saw him coming and braced himself for impact by covering his face with his two weapon-like arms. Arayan ignited his fist and delivered a devastating blow to Griflore which caused yet another explosion. Sam watched as the thick smoke made its way up from the impact site. Sam observed in suspense to see who would arise victorious. As the smoke began to clear, Sam and Jason saw the shadows of two figures standing in the smoke of the fires. Arayan and Griflore were caught in a standoff, with Arayan's fist slammed against the enemy's metal arms. Using his superior power, Griflore broke the connection with Arayan and kicked him just as hard as he did Jason. Arayan was sent accelerating into the sky, but just as he reached the height of his ascension, the young Quailocian was slammed back into the ground.

Dye came bursting out from inside the building and saw Arayan on the ground and Griflore standing over him. He looked into the sky and saw Sam with Jason in his arms. Dye scanned the area for the shiny object, but not before catching the eye of his most feared opponent. Griflore stared at Dye as if he was looking into his very soul. His feet were immobile at the sight of the dangerous demon-like enemy. The Xenton stepped over Arayan and started to walk over to Dye.

"Dye!" Yelled Sam. "Get back inside, now!"

Dye ignored Sam's voice and continued to stare at the purple Xenton coming his way. Then Dye started to notice something. The Xenton wasn't looking at him at all; he found that Griflore was looking past him. Dye broke his glare and looked behind him and there, behind him laid the shiny object that he had seen from the rooftop. Dye turned back and saw the Xenton slowly walking towards him.

"Don't even think about it, boy," Griflore said.

Dye turned to face the shiny object and immediately ran towards it. Griflore fell into pursuit, but before he could catch him, Dye dove for the shiny rock and grabbed it. The shiny object seemed to have the characteristics of an oversized red, ruby. Most of its body had a rock coating spotted around it. When he turned over to his back, Griflore was standing over him. He melted his ax hand back to normal and held it out.

"Hand it over, boy," said Griflore, "and I will spare your life."

Dye laid there on the ground, clutching the shiny stone with both hands.

"Fine," he growled, "have it your way then."

He took the hand that he was holding out and forged it into his ax. He raised it above Dye and was ready to strike. As the blade was coming down, Jason exploded from beneath the ground in front of Dye and delivered an uppercut to Griflore, sending him back into the sky. Sam summoned another bolt of lightning and struck him, sending him falling back to the street.

"Damn it, Dye," muttered Jason. "Get out of here."

Dye got up from the ground and examined the glimmering red, fist-sized rock in his possession. He quickly put it in his bag and ran to hide.

Jason and Sam continued to do their best against the never tiring enemy, but like before the two brothers were tiring fast. Sounds of mini explosions were happening all throughout the sky. Sam battled Griflore with all of his strength, but Griflore was too powerful. With a mighty blow, Griflore hit Sam in his stomach breaking through his armor. Next, he took his ax hand and struck Sam in the back of the head, sending him falling towards the city.

"Sam!" Yelled Jason as he ran to catch his brother's body.

Just at that moment, Griflore appeared right in front of Jason and punched him directly in the face. Before the body was out of range, Griflore grabbed one of his legs and slammed him into the street. The impact was so hard that Jason had an imprint of his body in the asphalt. Jason was face down in the street, unconscious, and so was his brother Sam. Griflore stepped on Jason's head, making it burrow deeper into the ground.

"This isn't over yet!" Said a voice from behind Griflore.

He turned around and saw the golden armored Xenton standing before him, still wielding the gold and red blade. Griflore chuckled.

"You," said Griflore, "you are an excellent fighter. You fight in the style of the ancients, my people."

"They weren't your people!" Screamed Arayan. "You killed them. Every last one of them!"

Griflore grabbed Arayan by his neck and slammed him into the ground. Unable to move, Arayan stared into the eyes of his demise.

"They got what they deserved," said Griflore, stepping on Arayan, "they were trying to play a divine role in creating life, and look where it lead them; Right off the face of this planet. I assure you that I will re-awaken that world, and I will be its only king."

"Never!" Said Arayan exploding with energy. The shockwave of energy threw Griflore off and to the ground. Arayan stabbed his blade into the earth to help pick himself up. The armor on his body was glowing red as intense heat radiated from his body. The rain water that fell from the sky turned into steam when it landed on Arayan's armor.

"Let's finish this!" He said, angrier than ever.

"Ha," said Griflore, "child's play."

"I will not let the same thing that had befallen the people of legend happen to this race," he said, giving off more heat and shining even more radiant than before. "I will defeat you this day."

Griflore looked upon his fierce opponent. The heat he was giving off didn't make him move one bit.

"Fine," he said, "Let's do it your way."

The two began their battle once again. They stayed earthbound as the sounds of weapons clashing grew more intense with each passing moment. Arayan unleashed streams of firepower and sent it towards Griflore, who quickly evaded the attack by leaping into the air. Arayan redirected his attacks, using both hands, towards Griflore and the snake-like fire streams turned around and attacked Griflore. Griflore took one of his hands and melted it into a sword and sliced through the fire serpent.

"Is that the best you got?" Said Griflore.

The fire snake turned into two fire foxes. Arayan waved his arms in certain patterns and redirected the foxes towards Griflore for another attack. Griflore ducked and dodged the two fire foxes before slicing through both foxes as well. However, his attempts were futile. Each slash gave birth to new heads. Two became four, multiplying four into eight then eight became sixteen. It wasn't long before about two hundred fire foxes were standing before Griflore.

"Go!" Yelled Arayan.

The two hundred foxes attacked their prey as they flew towards Griflore. He tried his best to dodge the oncoming foxes until one of them seized him by the leg. Next, two more seized each of his arms and three sunk their teeth into his neck while two other foxes grabbed his other leg and pinned him to the ground. Griflore was completely unable to move. Just at that moment, Arayan sent the remaining foxes at Griflore, and each of them struck him, leaving him weak. When all of the foxes were done attacking, Arayan powered both of his fists and charged towards Griflore. With his fist full of fire, Arayan delivered a jab from his left fist and then a jab from his right fist. Instantly following, Arayan initiated a barrage of blows to Griflore's face that drilled his head into the ground until he heard a sudden snap. Arayan ceased his attack when he saw Griflore's head in an awkward position, assuming his neck was broken. The foxes diminished. Catching his breath, Arayan was barely able to stand up straight.

"My deed is done," he said, catching his breath, "this fight is over."

The weakened warrior made his way over to his fellow companions until he heard something very disturbing. Demonic laughter started to fill the air. Arayan listened as the laughing got louder. He turned around and saw the laughing was coming from Griflore, who was still lying on the ground.

"Impossible," said Arayan in shock, "nobody could have survived that."

Griflore started to pick himself up from the rubble earth. The young warrior stood in shock as the unbeatable foe recovered rapidly and soon, Arayan was once again face to face with the evil warrior. His severely damaged body was no match for the fully recovered Griflore.

"Well apparently I'm not just your average person," said Griflore, who quickly seized Arayan by the neck and whispered in his ear. "I'm two."

Arayan's heart began to pound against his chest. Griflore placed his hand against Arayan's stomach and released a big burst of energy that sent him flying into a nearby car. Dye, who was behind the car, clenched his bag and tried to hide. He looked through the passenger side window and saw Griflore making his way to Arayan's immobile body. Arayan sought to pick his head up to look at Griflore, but he was too weak to do so. Slowly making his way towards Arayan, Griflore took his left arm and melted it into a sword.

"Time to die," he said darkly.

Dye watched as Griflore made his final approach to Arayan, he picked him up by the neck and drew his blade back ready to strike him down.

"My mission will be fulfilled," he said gruesomely,

Before he could strike, Dye leaped from behind the car and began an all-out assault against Griflore. Griflore released his grip on Arayan, whose body fell to the ground. Dye continued to strike as Griflore chuckled, taking baby steps back. His continuous impact on the Xenton's armor caused his knuckles to bleed horribly. Sam and Jason were starting to regain consciousness and a blurred vision of their brother fighting Griflore came into sight.

"Dye?" Said Sam, weakly.

Dye continued his onslaught against Griflore as his knuckles were completely bloody and bruised. Due to the fatigue, Dye stopped the assault, and the blood that ran from his hands dropped to the ground and began to mix with the puddles of water. Without speaking, Griflore lifted the boy from the ground by his foot and elevated him to his own chest level. Dye dangled upside down and looked up at Griflore from below. Griflore laughed at his prey and soon enough Dye was once again looking into the face of death. Sam and Jason struggled to get to their feet, but their bodies were too badly injured. They watched as their brother was staring down his last sight.

"Your existence is becoming a nuisance, boy," said Griflore.

Dye was speechless.

"Let's see how you fare with a blade through your heart," And just at that moment, Griflore took his sword and stabbed Dye through his chest, breaking his ribs, tearing through his heart and out through his back. Blood erupted from Dye's mouth.

"Dye!" Yelled Sam and Jason simultaneously.

Blood dripped from Dye's mouth as Griflore snatched his blade back. He dropped the boy's body with no remorse and walked away.

"Dye!" Stuttered Sam, who was trying to make his way to his severely wounded brother. He crawled through the puddles and over rubble until he was able to grab his brother's hand. Jason did the same.

"Hang on," said Jason as he and Sam began to cry. Dye stared continuously at his two brothers, shaking, with his body temperature dropping rapidly.

"It's going to be okay," said Sam, who was lying, but with good intentions to comfort his dying brother.

Dye didn't speak. He looked upon his two brothers with the hole in his chest gushing blood; his heart rate slowing down tremendously. Dye gave one last smile and rolled his eyes into the back of his head; his eyelids lowered like curtains. Dye's heart stopped, and his breathing ceased. Sam and Jason began to mourn over their brother, for he was dead.

# Chapter 15: Proliferation

Thunder, lightning, and rain continued to cover the city. The sight of destruction plagued the metropolis. Jason and Sam held the body of their now-dead brother in their arms, Sam covering them with his wings. Dye's lifeless body, in the hands of his brothers, caused them to cry even more; the sound of their sobbing taking over the streets. The two of them released agonizing cries for their dead kin. Arayan lay upon the ground in his golden suit of armor, looking upon the mourning brothers. Dye's blood ran from his body and created a stream of bloody water that flowed to the feet of Griflore.

"Ha!" Said Griflore. "How pathetic."

The sound of Griflore's voice caused the two to halt their sobbing. Sam and Jason laid the body of their brother to the ground and quickly turned to face Griflore.

"You won't get away with this," said Sam, whose anger was building rapidly. "You won't get away with this!" He shouted as he stood up quickly on his two feet, throwing his wings out.

"This fight is far from over!" Said Jason. "You will pay!" He said as he too stood up from the ground. The both of them towered over the dead body of their younger brother, their bodies regenerating quicker than before. The hole in Sam's armor repaired itself and soon their armor was as blinding and shiny as it was before the fight had erupted.

"You still wish to fight me?" Said Griflore, annoyed with the duo's defiance. "I won't be so lenient this time!"

He took his blade that was covered in Dye's blood and started to rampage towards the two. Suddenly a gale of wind picked up and Griflore was pushed away and slammed into the ground.

"This time," said Sam, who finished his attack.

"We won't lose," finished Jason.

Moments later, two blinding lights started to cover the brother's body. Sam's body began shining with a white light and Jason's body began glowing blue. The lights were immensely bright. So bright in fact that the constant flashes of lightning seemed not to appear. The white and blue lights retreated into Sam and Jason's body and began to race through their armor outlining the symbols that were etched into their armored bodies. The lights surged from their feet to their upper body, down to their arms and up to their heads where the lights filled their symbols. The lens on Sam's face glowed with a bright white light and the lens on Jason's face glowed with a blue light, making it the most brilliant part of their bodies. The two brothers felt as powerful as ever. They sent a shockwave of energy surging through the town. It made buildings fall, cars explode, and also made the street crack open.

Griflore laid his eyes upon the two newly powerful Xenton and prepared himself for battle. He took his blade and charged at the two vigorously. With a wave of his hand, Sam sent a powerful gale of wind that sent Griflore back to the ground. They began to walk. With every step Sam and Jason took, the earth shook. Griflore came rising from the ground exploding with anger.

"What is this?" He snarled.

The shaking of earth planted fear into Griflore. "Nobody is stronger than I!"

Both Sam and Jason summoned their powers and unleashed their elemental rage against the one responsible for their brother's death. Their blinding light grew brighter with every blow they threw at their foe. Getting tired, Griflore tried his best to dodge all their attacks, but was unsuccessful; being hit with a hydro geyser of water that sent him crashing through walls. The two brothers separated their movements and took different routes towards their enemy. Their speed was so fast that from a distance they looked like lasers of white and blue, leaving a trail of their light behind them. As Griflore was struggling to get out of the wall, Sam flew in towards him and delivered a powerful blow that sent him deeper into the wall. Sam continued to punch him vigorously until Griflore flew out of the other side. Jason fell out of the sky with his fists covered in solid ice and slammed Griflore into the ground.

Sam flew into the air and summoned a bolt of lightning that struck Griflore and caused another explosion within the street. From the fires, Jason was seen holding Griflore by the neck, his glowering blue body shining through the flames. He delivered devastating blows to Griflore's stomach. Next, he swung him by his neck and sent him flying into the sky. Sam, who was still in the heavens, cocked back his fist and struck Griflore with incredible force and sent him falling back into the city below. Jason grew the fins on his arms into blades and leaped into the sky. With Griflore falling closer towards him, he took his arm and slashed him, breaking through his armor. He took his other arm and slammed it into the back of his neck that sent the demon flying back into the fiery ground. Sam flew down to grab Jason, and they went to continue their fight.

Dye's dead body lay in the street, his blood mixing with the water, sending it down into the nearby storm drain. His shirt was a dark color due to the puncture in his chest and the blood that bled from it. The clashing sounds of the never ending battle shook the streets. Arayan regained his consciousness and saw the road they were battling on was more destroyed than what it was a few minutes ago. He struggled for movement but couldn't seem to make it to his feet. He looked further up and saw streams of white and blue lights swirling about in different patterns. He then looked over and saw the dead body of the boy who saved his life. The blood from his hands and mouth and his sealed eyes allowed compassion to overcome him. All he could remember was him looking into face death, and out of nowhere this young boy came to his rescue, and then the blade that was meant for him was sent through the heart of this innocent one.

Arayan's golden armor was battered, cracked, and scratched all over. He continued to look at the dead boy's body and came to a decision. He crawled his way over towards the boy's body using only his arms. The sounds of the battle in combination with the constant clashing of the thunder and lightning fueled his desire.

"You saved me," he said, "You didn't deserve this fate. All of this was my doing."

He finally made it to Dye's body and saw the wound that ended his life.

"I now see that it was not meant for me to defeat him," Arayan said to the dead boy. "It was you. It was you all along, Dye, who was supposed to stop this enemy. Not me. I was blinded by my own pride to avenge my people that I brainwashed myself and took from you what wasn't mine. For this, I am sorry."

Arayan golden helmet opened up and revealed his beaten and bloody face. He took the blood that was running from his lip and with his golden finger he drew the Quailocian symbol of fire on Dye's forehead.

"I see now why the fox spirit chose you to be its host. Even without its power the fire inside you still burns brightly."

He took both of his hands and together the two of them started to glow red. He rested his hands upon Dye's lifeless body and the symbol that was written upon his head started to shine with a colorless light. Dye's body was now drenched in the light from Arayan's hand; his body now glowing red. He watched as the wounds on Dye's body started to heal and the beating of his heart resumed its pounding against his chest.

Dye flicked open his eyes and threw his body up from the ground.

"Where am I?" He said, looking around. Dye was in a dark and cold place. He looked around the dark area, but didn't see anything.

"This place feels so familiar to me," he said, "almost like the place that was in my dreams." Suddenly the dark area was immersed in flames and Dye became trapped. He threw his arms over his face to protect himself from the heat of the fire.

"What is this?" He said looking at the flames around him. He found something strange about the fire. "There's no heat?" He said strangely. The sea of fire raged on as Dye observed its wonders. He started to notice something emerging from behind the flames. He backed up in fear, but began to realize that he had no reason to be afraid. The four-legged creature appeared from behind the wall of fire; its bright orange eyes and beautiful red fur along with its fluffy tail. The red fox stood out in front of Dye and pierced his mind with its glowing eyes.

"You," it said, "you, with the flames that burn brightly inside of you, take my power now and protect all that is just in the world."

Dye's body started to get hot, and his eyes turned orange. The fox stepped closer towards him and then exploded into flames. The flames of the fox settled around Dye in a cyclone of fire, and he began to cry in agony as the power that was flooding through him started to refuel his body.

Dye woke up in the streets gasping for air. He choked for a moment and then looked up into the dark sky. Lightning flashed, and thunder crashed. He slowly lifted his body up and saw the entire street completely destroyed.

"What happened?" He said with confusion. He looked around himself and saw Arayan lying on the ground next to him, unconscious, dressed in his usual garments.

"Arayan?" He questioned. "What happened? The last thing I remember was-"

Dye had a quick flashback of his death and the blade of Griflore striking him down. He looked down at the ground and saw blood moving through the water. He quickly touched his chest to find the wound that ended his life but failed to do so.

"How am I here?" Sounds of thunder raged from down the street. He looked further and saw streaks of blue and white lights flying about; both lights striking a particular target.

"What's happening?" He asked himself. The thundering noises continued up the street, and soon structures started to fall and crumble to the ground.

"What's going on down there?" He asked himself until he remembered his brothers.

"Where are Sam and Jason?" He said looking around for them. He acknowledged the swirling blue and white lights up ahead.

"No way," he said to himself.

The battle between Sam, Jason and Griflore raged on. Sam and Jason, who had the upper hand, were not holding back against the evil entity anymore. Displaying impressive power, Sam conjured the power of the sky and air and summoned a lightning strike along with a razor sharp wind of cyclones that sent Griflore slamming into the ground. Controlling the power of water, Jason pressurized the water and turned it into a blade that could cut through anything. Griflore ducked and dodged the stream of water as much as he could until the water caught him. The water sliced off the armor on his right arm, exposing human skin. With Griflore distracted, Sam fell from the sky and slammed Griflore right into the asphalt; a loud booming noise took to the air. Sam retreated himself to Jason's side and together, the light shining through their bodies beamed with an infinite brightness.

Griflore came crawling and struggling out of the smoke. His human arm was dressed with blood over the chocolate skin. Both Sam and Jason were shocked at this sight.

"Sam, do you see that?" Asked Jason.

"Yeah, I do," he replied. "He's human. All this time I thought it was a crazy suit of armor that's been trying to kill us. Apparently, I was wrong."

"Yeah," Jason replied. "Apparently"

Griflore struggled to get to his feet, but it wasn't an easy task for his battered and broken body.

"You will pay for this defiance," he said with contempt, "I will make sure you perish."

The light on Sam and Jason started to shine stronger. Griflore took his good hand and covered his eyes from the intense light. Dye was watching the growth of the light from down the street. He got up to his feet and sprinted towards the strange glow in high hopes of finding his brothers.

"You just don't know when to give up," said Jason, who was calm, holding back his anger.

"You killed our brother," said Sam, "you're not leaving here alive."

The two charged towards Griflore, causing trenches to appear in the street after themselves. The two delivered a punch to Griflore that tore through his armor, exposing his abdomen. Griflore fell silent and to his knees. Unable to catch himself, Griflore fell to the ground and landed in a puddle of water.

"How does it feel to have your face in the water?" taunted Jason.

Griflore laid there at the feet of the two victorious brothers. The light that was radiating from their body was beginning to dim. Their bodies returned to normal as the light faded away. Both the armored bodies of Sam and Jason stood there, glaring at the motionless body of Griflore.

"How is this possible?" Said Griflore, struggling to look up. "You are just humans."

Jason's anger started to creep up behind him. He took his foot and kicked Griflore in his head, allowing his body to roll over.

"Last time I checked," said Jason, "You were too."

Griflore started to laugh as he made his way to his feet, revealing his bloody, human arm and broken armor.

"It is so much you have yet to discover," he said, "the power you've displayed here today has proven yourself to be worthy adversaries for the future. I will find the source of this power and will return to fulfill my mission. You may have won this battle, but the war is far from over. Something more terrible than I shall arise and you will be powerless to stop it."

Sam and Jason watched as Griflore started to heal himself. His armor regrew itself over his arm and abdomen. Suddenly a flash of purple light filled the streets and faded. Griflore was gone.

"Damn it!" Said Jason furiously, "We almost had him."

"True," said Sam, "But we have more important things to worry about."

The atmosphere of the battlefield suddenly changed. The brothers had proved themselves to be victorious in this battle, but feelings of failure ate through them. The death of their brother came flushing back into their minds and sorrow overflowed their hearts.

"Oh, yeah," Jason replied sadly.

The armor on their bodies disappeared and returned them to their original states.

"I can't believe that he's gone," said Jason, "this is too much to handle. It's almost like he was here by our side right now, but when we remember what happened-"

"We remember that he's dead," finished Sam. The two brothers started to walk towards the site of their dead brother. The rain finally stopped, and a ray of sunshine pierced through the dark cloudy, sky above.

"How are we going to explain this to Mom and Dad?" Whispered Sam.

"Explain what?" Said a voice that sounded familiar to the both of them. The two brothers stopped in shock, their hearts in their throats.

"It can't be," said Jason.

The two brothers slowly turned around and saw a young boy with green eyes running up the street, his shirt with a slit rip in his chest.

"Dye," said Sam, whose expression started to morph. The two brothers ran to their baby brother and hugged him tightly, both of them beginning to cry.

"Dye!" Jason rejoiced, sniffing and wiping his puffy, red eyes. "We thought you were-"

"Dead?" He finished.

"That's impossible," said Sam. "Nobody can resurrect themselves from the dead."

"We saw the blade go right through you," said Jason.

"I know," said Dye, "And I felt it. The worst thing you can ever feel. But when I came to, I found Arayan lying face down next to me."

"Arayan?" Asked Sam.

"Yeah, and strangely enough my body feels like how it was before. Arayan must've given me my spirit back, which explains why I healed."

"We're just glad you're back," said Sam

The two hugged their resurrected brother with tears running down their faces.

"Ewww," said Dye, "Come on you guys. Stop with the mushy hugging."

The two brothers ignored his request.

"Oh, come on," said Dye. "You two just displayed awesome power, and now you're all lovey-dovey. Not cool, you guys! Not cool!"

The sky started to clear as the sun poked through, showing its face to the city of Beach Shores.

# Chapter 16: The Jenshia Star

"It's been three weeks since the mysterious and cataclysmic attack that occurred in Downtown Beach Shores," said the Anchorwoman. Suddenly the television picture flipped to the street that was completely destroyed. "As you can see, the damage taken here was incredible. Twenty-first Street has been completely destroyed, reduced to nothing but oversized craters and ruins. Officials say that the damage will cost millions of dollars to repair. Meanwhile, people are forced to live on the streets or with family and friends due to the fact that their homes were destroyed in the mysterious attack. Businesses were destroyed as well, leaving thousands of people out of work. The Military is unable to confirm if the attack was terrorist-related or not. However, hundreds of eyewitnesses have described the attacker as a purple armored person who toppled military tanks and destroyed helicopters. Other eyewitnesses have confirmed that the trio responsible for the derailed train rescue we're seen during the attack. Whomever these armored people are, are they friend or foe?"

The TV was turned off by Sam, who was sitting in the living room on the couch with his laptop on his lap. "Can't believe they think we're the ones to blame," he began typing on his laptop when Dye came walking through the folding door leading into the kitchen eating a sandwich.

"What's up, Sammy?" Dye said. "What are you up to?"

"You come back from the dead, and all you can think 'bout is food?" Sam replied while keeping his eyes on the computer screen. Dye walked over and sat on the couch adjacent to Sam.

"I'm starving," Dye replied, "don't judge me. So what are you doing?" He asked in a curious tone, taking another bite out of his sandwich, "Homework?"

Sam shook his head. "To be honest, I'm trying to see if I can pull up any information about our purple armored friend."

"You can do that?" Asked Dye, munching on his sandwich.

"That's what's so great about the era we live in," said Sam. "We have a whole archive of information we like to call the internet at our fingertips."

"Hmm?" Said Dye surprised. "I've never really thought of it like that. So have you found anything yet?"

"Not yet," said Sam, "I mean it's Saturday, so I practically have all day. Not saying I'm going to be here all day."

The sound of Dye's teeth crunching on lettuce bounced within in the living room.

"We still don't know what this thing wants," said Dye. "We may have a clue as to what's going to happen, but we still don't know what it wants or who it may be."

"We know it's human, though."

Dye nearly choked on a piece of his sandwich.

"What?" He asked. "When did this happen?"

Sam continued to type on his computer while answering him.

"When we were fighting it, Jason began using an attack that pressurized water. It hit Griflore on one of his arms, and the armor shattered right off. Not only that, but he started to bleed, which is something only living beings can do."

The room fell silent. The only thing that was making noise was the mixture of Sam's typing and Dye's crunching.

"Wait a minute," said Sam, catching Dye's attention and breaking the silence.

"What is it?"

"Get over here and look at this," stuttered Sam.

Dye jumped up from his seat and walked over to the couch where Sam was sitting. He laid his eyes on the computer screen, finishing the last piece of his sandwich.

"Um, what am I supposed to be looking at?" He said

"This is a document that describes a purple armored being that was sighted during the climax at the Battle of Gettysburg."

"Really? Are you talking about the same Battle of Gettysburg that happened during the Civil War?

"It says here, that this sighting happened around eighteen sixty-three, the same time that the action was taking place."

"That's impossible. That would make this thing over a hundred-years-old."

"A hundred and forty-five-years-old to be exact. Look at this," Sam minimized the window on his computer and opened a new one. "A river in Russia called the Vedrosha River was where the Battle of Vedrosha took place. A record was found of a soldier who claimed to have seen a purple armored, unknown being. And it says here that this battle took place in the year fifteen hundred."

"That's impossible."

"These records about Griflore go back as far as the ninth century, maybe even further." Said Sam.

"How can something live for centuries and still be here?" Asked Dye.

"Well, seeing as this guy was some kind of Quailocian dictator I'm not surprised that he's been around this long. Just a few months ago we had no idea that life existed on Pangaea. However, there is one thing bothering me, though. The arm that we saw wasn't old at all. Which means the person underneath the mask must be young."

"Okay? I'm confused," said Dye, tearing out the remaining food from the back of his teeth. "How can something so young be sighted for centuries and not get old?"

"I have no idea," Sam replied. "Could Griflore not age?"

Dye shrugged his shoulders.

The two brothers sat in silence and thought about a logical explanation that could support the reason why Griflore was so young yet so old. Suddenly, Dye thought of something that occurred during his fight with him.

"Hey, Sam," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember Greg?"

"Greg?" Asked Sam, "You mean your best friend up until the first grade?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, what about him?"

"Well, during the fight that thing somehow pulled his name out of my head. Almost like it was reading my mind."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, he said his name right in front of me. Almost as if he knew who Greg was."

"I got it!" blurted out Sam.

"Got what?" Spoke a startled Dye.

"What about this? What if Griflore isn't the same person at all?" He said. "But in fact energy, like our spirits, that has been using hosts over the years."

"Did you even hear what I said?" Barked Dye with frustration. "I've been given a second chance at life, and still I get no attention."

"Yeah, yeah, about Greg," said Sam. "But this is more important."

Dye walked back over to the couch and sank his body into its grooves.

"It all makes sense," said Sam.

"What are you talking about?"

"The reason why this thing has been appearing only in wars."

"Why?" Dye interrupted.

"Because it's been trying to destroy us since it got here."

"Got here from where?"

Sam sighed.

"For my sake and yours can you pretend you have a brain and you fully understand what I'm saying?" Said a frustrated Sam, who was getting upset with his brother who couldn't process the situation fast enough.

Dye felt his humiliation. He sat up on the couch and made full eye contact with his brother.

"Remember that war that Arayan told us about when we first met him?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Asked Dye.

"Remember he told us that Griflore suddenly vanished?"

"Yeah, so?"

"What if from that moment on, his spirit has been roaming the earth in search of the host?" Said Sam. "Just like our spirits were before they came to us."

"Okay, that could make sense."

"Before he retreated, he said something about completing his mission. His mission is and always has been to eradicate the human race. That's probably why he's been showing up in history only in civil wars and wars against other nations. He might have been hoping that we would destroy ourselves while he sat back and watched. Since we haven't yet, he's taken it upon himself to do it."

"Hmm," Dye pondered, "make sense, but why does it want to destroy us?"

"I don't know? But he did mention world domination. What if he's been taking control of people to stay alive and at the same time trying to take us out?"

"Then the question that's left is who has he taken possession of this time?" wondered Dye.

"Beats me."

Dye sat and stared at the wall and began to think.

"Wait!" He said. "TJ hasn't been seen since we dropped him off at the hospital that night. That was the same night Griflore showed up and tried to derail that train."

"Come on, Dye," said Sam. Dye sensed his skepticism. "You can't honestly think that TJ is the thing that's been trying to kill us for months do you?"

"Sam! He hasn't been seen since the night at the hospital, the minute we take our eyes off of him, Griflore shows up. It all fits."

"Maybe it's all a coincidence?"

"Coincidence my ass!" Said Dye passionately. "Maybe that's the reason why that thing took so much pleasure in killing me. That's exactly what TJ tried to do, and he would have succeeded if you hadn't found me."

"Okay, so what if it's not TJ?" Said Sam. "Who else do you wish to accuse?"

"Well," said Dye. "It could be Greg?"

"Greg?" Said Sam, becoming even more cynical. "Okay? What reason do you have to accuse Greg?"

"Well, the only people who knew about what happened between him and me are all the people who live under this roof plus Greg. The only people who could know about him is us."

"I guess you have a point,"

"This thing could be TJ or Greg."

"Remember Dye, this is only an educated guess," said Sam. "I could be wrong, but I suppose it's a place to start, so how you expect to get to the bottom of this?"

"I don't know?" Dye replied. "Maybe if I were to go and visit Greg I could maybe find out something. After all," Dye's emotions changed faintly. "It's about time we patched things up."

"No!" Said Sam. "Absolutely not, you've already cheated death once, and I don't think it's going to let you slide again."

"Well, what if he's not? He doesn't have to know that I'm a Xenton. For all he knows I could be an All-Star football player."

"How are you going to get the answers out of him?"

"I'll have just to play it by ear, I guess."

"I don't approve, but it's the only thing we have at this point. Do you know where he lives?"

"I guess at the same place. If he's moved out of Beach Shores, then that would give us one less suspect to worry about."

"True!" Said Sam, closing his laptop and getting up from the couch.

"Where are you going?"

"I got homework to do."

"Hold on before you go," said Dye. "I have one more thing for you to research."

"What is it?" Asked Sam.

Dye jumped off the couch and proceeded to the closet near the front door. He took out the bag he had on the day when the fight took place. Dye opened it and reached inside to pull out the ruby, red rock he found on that day.

"What can you tell me about this?" Asked Dye.

"What is that?" Said Sam, mesmerized by the shiny stone.

"I don't know?" Dye replied. "I was hoping you could tell me?"

Sam took the stone from Dye's hands and began to analyze it.

"I don't know what this is. But I can tell you one thing. Whatever this thing is it isn't from our planet."

"How do you know?"

"Its composition is different from a usual stone," he said, caressing his fingers over it. "Just rubbing it feels distinct from any rock I've held before."

"So you're saying this thing is from space or something?"

"Could be?" He said, giving the stone back to Dye. "Who knows?"

"I wish Arayan was here. He may know something about this thing," suggested Dye.

At that moment, a flash of light lit up the living room. The flash was so bright that the glare blinded both Sam and Dye. Allowing Dye to drop the stone.

"What the?" Said Dye, rubbing his eyes and moaning over their sensitivity.

"What was that?" queried Sam.

As they were regaining their eyesight, the two started to distinguish a figure standing in the middle of the room.

"A-Arayan?" Said Sam.

"Yes," the figure replied.

"Geez, man!" Said Dye. "You really gotta start warning us when you do that, for both our sake and yours."

"Yeah," said Sam, "what if our parents were home?"

"My apologies," said Arayan. The room fell silent again. Realizing he dropped the stone, Dye bent down and picked it up. Arayan moved in closer to the two brothers.

"I wish I had a million dollars," said Dye, as if he was expecting something to happen. Both Sam and Arayan looked at Dye with puzzled expressions.

"What?" He said. "Hey, it worked just now when I wished for Arayan."

"Glad to see that you're up and about," said Arayan.

"Yeah, thanks to you for giving me a second life," Dye replied with appreciation. "I never really got to say thanks for returning me back to life." He held out his hand.

"No thanks required. I used a unique technique that was able to bring you back from the dead. Don't die on me again because it was only a one-time thing," spoke Arayan, grasping his hand. "It is I who should be thanking you for opening my eyes to my mistakes."

Dye smiled and just like that all the negative feelings he had towards Arayan vanished instantly.

"So we cool?" Asked Dye.

Arayan's confusion began to tower over him.

"No, it's a bit warm in here," Arayan replied.

Dye and Sam exchanged looks, and then began to laugh.

"No, what he means is that is everything between you two been resolved?" Sam clarified.

"Oh," said Arayan, embarrassed at his reply. "Yes, of course."

"So what brings you here?" pondered Dye, taking back his hand.

"Is that-?" Arayan paused, setting his eyes on the stone Dye was holding.

"Is this what?"

"May I?" Asked Arayan, who held out his hand to hold the rock. Dye generously gave it to him. "Where did you get this?" He asked, completely mesmerized by the ruby red stone. Dye felt lost and confused yet again.

"Uh, I found it on the streets where we were fighting. Why? What is it?"

"No wonder my medallion was acting up. It detected the energy from the star." Arayan said under his breath. "This rock is known as the Jenshia Star."

"The Jenshia Star?" Said both Sam and Dye at the same time.

"I'm no astronomer, but I'm positive that stars are a lot bigger than this," said Dye.

"Well, it's not literally a star. It's actually the remains of a planet named Jenshia that blew up eons ago due to a massive supernova. The gas from the exploding star was infused with the pieces of the world and gave the shards a mysterious power. Some of its remains made it to earth. They use to fall every year or so, and my people would collect them. Whoever would find one would be granted the power to do whatever he or she desired. Almost like granting a wish, however, the wish could be reversed by destroying the star."

"How can a wish be reversed?" Asked Dye. "That doesn't make any sense."

"The nature of the particular properties of the Jenshia Star are quite unique," Arayan replied in a thoughtful manner. "It's not like in stories where the genie grants you your wish and 'poof' a desire happens. No, a wish made by the Jenshia Star could only be done during a full moon. Once made, the wish will gradually occur until it is complete. Once completed the star would disappear.

"So that's why Griflore wanted this thing so badly," said Dye, "to quickly complete his mission. And that's why he made such a scene when he was looking for it because it was buried. This thing must've been here a while then, if it was buried under all that asphalt."

Arayan continued to be awestruck by the mysterious object he held.

"He must have tracked its energy somehow and found it, I suppose," said Arayan.

"Which would explain why he's here in the city," interjected Dye.

"If he gets his hands on this thing then we're doomed. I think it'll be best if I held on to it. If he's planning on tracking its energy again, then your family will be in danger. If I were to take it up to the Sky Sanctuary, its power signal would disappear because technically the place doesn't exist."

"Sure," said Sam. "Whatever you think would keep our family safe."

"Agreed," Arayan replied. With that said, the mysterious boy vanished from sight, and the two boys were left in the silence of their home.

"Now if you would excuse me, I have homework to get done," said Sam, marching upstairs.

Sam made his way upstairs, leaving Dye in the living room by himself. Thinking about nothing but getting down to the bottom of this great mystery, Dye grabbed a hooded sweater from the closet and left the house. He had obligations of visiting an old friend to get the answers he needed.

# Chapter 17: Redemption and Reunion

The fall season was nearly over with and winter was making its way in to take over. The autumn leaves were moving in the wind all throughout the city. The cold air was stirring in, and everybody who lived in the city was forced to dig out their jackets. Tree leaves were completely gone, and the branches stuck up facing the sky, letting the wind blow right through them. The sun was setting on the horizon of the ocean while the children that were playing out in the streets were being called in by their parents. Dye found himself walking through the neighborhood. He wore a red hooded sweatshirt and switched from his usual shorts into jeans. The wind blew through his curly hair and caused some of it to wipe across his face.

His mind was wandering over the events of the past few months. From when he first received his powers to nearly a month ago when he lost his life. Suddenly an enormous amount of stress started to devour him. The idea that he was the center of all the incidents happening in the city afflicted him greatly. He really couldn't tell his friends or his parents what he was doing. He was close to unraveling this mystery yet so far, but he felt that his time was running out. Whatever Griflore was planning it was drawing near, and neither he nor his brothers had any idea about how to stop whatever was going to happen. Suddenly, all of his responsibilities turned into burdens, nearly making him stop his walk.

"So this is what it's like to be a superhero," he thought to himself.

His wandering mind wasn't even aware of where his feet were leading him. He just continued to walk aimlessly around the neighborhood. He threw his hood over his head and put his icy cold hands in the pocket of the sweatshirt. The street lights began to flicker on as the sun was slowly disappearing over the horizon. Dye paused and started to look around the neighborhood he was in. He began to reminisce about a time long ago when he used to play basketball in the street with his friend Greg. The smell, the common reality of being in this place struck so many memories he had long forgotten. He continued to walk down the street until coming to a very familiar place.

Dye came to a halt and looked at the residence, and even more, memories started to come back to him. Sounds of laughter and feelings he hadn't felt for a long time resurfaced. A smile spread his face as he stared at the familiar place.

The grass in front of the home was as green as he remembered it. The porch was cleaner than before with a chair swing that must have been added recently. The house was just as the same if not similar to before.

Dye took his hands from out of his pockets and opened the front gate. He walked on the pathway up towards the porch of the house. With every step he took, more and more memories came flooding back to him. Memories of days in the sun, swimming and having fun at the beach with a cherished friend stirred up old emotions. He finally made it to the door, but before knocking, he began to hesitate.

"What if he doesn't live here anymore?" He thought to himself. Suddenly, he released his ambitions and knocked on the wooden door. He stuck his hands back into his pockets and waited. He didn't hear anything coming from the other side. Still, he stood and waited, hoping that someone would come and open the door at any moment. With each passing second, his hope started to diminish. He finally gave up and turned around to make his way out of the yard until he started to hear the unlocking of locks. He paused and turned around as the door swung open. A middle-aged woman with dirty blonde hair stood behind the cover of the door.

"Can I help you?" She asked, speaking with sort of a country accent. Dye took off his hood and said

"Hi, Mrs. Alan." The woman opened the door wider along with her eyes.

"Dye?" She replied.

Dye stood in her line of vision and smiled, giving her an affirmative gesture with his head.

"Come on in! Come on in!" She said while she opened the door, welcoming him in. He walked into the house and found himself in the living room, reliving a past reminder. Everything there looked like how it was before. Nothing really had changed.

"Can I offer you something to drink?" Asked Mrs. Alan. "I just made some lemonade."

"No thanks," he replied.

Dye found a seat on the couch and looked at the pictures that hung on the wall.  "It's good to see you, Dye," she said. "How long has it been? Eight, nine years?"

"Yeah," he replied, "something like that."

Mrs. Alan came over and sat in the chair across from Dye with a glass of lemonade. The room was silent for a brief moment. Dye was conjuring up a question to ask her, but couldn't think of one other than the one that he wanted the answer to the most.

"How's Greg?" He asked.

She sipped her lemonade and swallowed slowly.

"He's fine," she said hesitantly. Dye caught her answer with suspicion.

"Have you heard about the attack that happened to the city not too long ago?" Mrs. Alan asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Yeah," Dye replied; thinking this would be a good time to find out from the people about what they thought of the alter egos of him and his brothers.

"What do you think it was?" He asked.

Mrs. Alan took another sip of her lemonade.

"To be honest, your guess is as good as mine."

"What about those armored, knight looking people?" Dye asked. "Heard about them on the news and how they saved that train."

She continued to sip her lemonade before answering.

"Well, I don't know, Dye," she said. "They did save those people from the train accident. I think if they were here to hurt us, then they would have done it already. But I don't have a clue of their real motives, although, there has been reports of one that has been doing a lot of damage to the city. Who knows? God has sent these beings here for a reason, a reason far more than our understanding. Maybe this is His way of saying that we need to be more involved with the safety and well-being of ourselves. For all we know, these armored things can just as well be human and setting that example for us."

Dye smiled.

"That's what I think. I wouldn't be afraid of them. After all, they haven't done anything but help us right?"

Mrs. Alan nodded as she sipped her lemonade.

"Um...." Said Dye, quickly pausing, "I was wondering if Greg was here? There is something I need to talk to him about."

She nodded once again while drinking her drink.

"Yeah," she replied, "he's upstairs."

"Great!" Said Dye getting up. "Well, I guess I will go see how he's doing then."

Mrs. Alan gave a hand gesture to sit down while she finished her lemonade. Dye, with his excitement seeping away, sat back down and waited for the reason why he was halted. She placed her empty glass on the coffee table and began to speak.

"There is something you need to know before you go up there. About two and a half years ago Greg was in a car accident. His father was driving," her tone changed. "Greg was spared with a disability, but his father was killed. My son blamed himself for the accident. Since then, Greg has been to every psychiatrist in the city, and none of them have been able to help him. My boy has never been the same. All he does is sit up in his room. My husband is gone, and my son might as well be too."

Tears began to form in her eyes and Dye's empathy for her ran wild. All this time, he thought everything was the same when in fact things had changed dramatically. Dye glared upon the pictures of Mr. Alan along the wall. He recalled the clear skin the man used to have, his dark hair that was parted off to the side and the enjoyed smile he used to show everyone. He remembered the days when he would pick Dye and Greg up and take them to the park to practice their swings for the next upcoming T-ball game. He taught them everything he knew and Dye almost saw Mr. Alan as another father figure in his life, considering he saw Greg as his brother. Now dealing with the fact that this incredible man was gone struck Dye with an incredible blow.

"I remember when you and Greg used to be best friends. Your mother and I couldn't tear you guys apart no matter how much we tried. I continued to pray that those days would come back and here you are."

Dye smiled slightly. He was speechless. He couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, he got up, walked over to Mrs. Alan and gave her a hug. She hugged back and squeezed tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear. She released him and looked into his green eyes and wiped the tears from her face. For a quick moment, she could sense greatness in Dye. She knew from that point on; things were going to be okay with her and her son. All she could do was smile.

Dye left her and made his way up the stairs. He remembered exactly where to go. Up the stairs he went, he made the first left and headed down the hall until coming to a door that was closed. The hallway was dark. The only source of light was the dim sunlight coming from the bathroom. He placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open slowly. As the door opened, Dye saw a boy with dirty blonde hair sitting in front of a window.

"Greg?" He spoke with a very timid voice.

The boy turned his head slightly to acknowledge the sound of his name. He returned his head to its original position and pretended that no one was there. Dye walked deeper into the room, closing the door behind him. He sat on the bed that was situated behind the boy.

"That smell," said the boy, "I haven't smelt it for years. So familiar, yet so different from what it used to be."

"Greg," said Dye, "it's me."

"I know, Dye," he said.

Dye was surprised. How was Greg able to identify him with just his scent? Greg got up from the seat holding a white cane and turned around to face Dye, who was stunned to find Greg with a new appearance. The boy stood up in a long sleeved shirt with jeans and upon his face was a pair of sunglasses.

"Greg!" Said Dye stunningly. "You're-­"

"Blind?" He finished. "I know. But don't let it fool you. I can still see pretty well.

Dye was speechless once again. From where he was standing, Greg used the cane in his hand to navigate his way around his room. Dye watched as Greg very easily made his way towards the bed where Dye was sitting. The end of the cane made contact with Dye's shoes telling Greg that he had made it to the bed. He sat down next to Dye, staring at the wall ahead.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Said Greg.

Dye tried to look around the room to find out what he was talking about.

"The sunset," Greg pointed out. Dye looked out the window and saw the sun was setting beyond the horizon of the ocean.

"How can you see that?"

"It's the sunset," Greg replied, "there's never anything really different about a sunset. Just how the sun rises, the sun sets."

Dye looked out into the sunset as the shadows in Greg's room began to fade.

"I remember it perfectly when I had my sight, all I have to do is remember it, and it's like I have a front row view."

Dye remained without words.

"So what brings you over here?" He asked.

"Nothing, just wanted to see how you were. It's been about-"

"Nine years," said Greg, finishing Dye's sentence, "come on, Dye, you and me both know why you're here."

Dye felt surprised again. If Greg already knew why Dye was there, and he was Griflore in disguise, then could he be reading his mind again? Tapping into Dye's greatly guarded secret?

"About what happened all those years ago? I was a kid. I didn't know any better. I wanted to be liked."

Dye's mind returned from roaming and caught Greg's comment.

"One of my biggest regrets has never been telling you how sorry I was for doing that to you," Greg sincerely said. "I shouldn't have sold you out like that. My mom told me how those older kids tortured and beat you, all because they wanted your collection of baseball cards."

"Yeah," said Dye remorsefully. "I had bruises for a week. Why did you do it?"

Greg took a deep breath.

"I don't know. I guess I was getting tired of people not noticing me, always getting picked on by everyone else, and every day. I know I shouldn't have betrayed you like that, but like I said I was a kid. Honestly, you were the greatest friend I ever had. Remember the good old days? When it was just you and me?"

Dye laughed a little with his reply.

"Yeah," he said, "those were good times."

"Weren't they?" Said Greg. "Remember the time when we used that huge sling shot and ambushed your brothers with water balloons." Both Dye and Greg started to laugh.

"Yeah, I do. Man was I in for it when I got home that night."

The sound of the two's laughter filled the room, attracting Mrs. Alan to the outskirts of the quarters. She listened in carefully through the door, trying not to make a sound.

"Where's my bag?" Asked Greg.

"Over there near your closet," said Dye. "Here, let me get it for you." He offered, feeling obligated to retrieve the item.

Greg took his cane and planted it on Dye's lap, preventing him from standing.

"No! I'll get it."

Greg got up from his seat and used his stick to show him the way to his bag.

"I'm blind, Dye," he said, walking over to his closet. "Not paralyzed. My mom babies me because I'm blind. Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't get the things I need by myself. Because of my blindness, my senses are better than ever. I can do a lot more than what people think." After stabbing his bag with his cane, Greg stopped and picked up the sack that was lying on the floor. He reached inside and took out a baseball, which had writing on it. "Remember this?" He said, tossing the ball to Dye. Dye caught it immediately.

As Dye stared at it, memories came flooding back to him. Pictures of a baseball stadium and people cheering, having fun and shouting for their favorite team attacked Dye's mind.

"I remember this," he said. He saw child versions himself and Greg wearing baseball gloves and hats of their favorite team, standing in the bleachers of the giant stadium. The sound of a baseball bat hitting a ball echoed through the ballpark and looking up, the two boys raised their gloves and landing in their grasp was the game winning ball. Both Dye and Greg laughed as they both admired the ball that had just landed in their possession. Dye was flushed back to reality.

"I remember when we went to this game. Afterward, we got it signed by Alex Rhodes. The-"

"Godfather of Major League Baseball," Greg finished by swinging his white cane like a baseball bat. "For some odd reason, you came to my mind not too long ago. Next thing I know my mom and I are destroying my room to find it."

The two laughed again as the excitement from the game came sprinting back to them. They laughed and laughed some more.

"Oh man," said Dye still in a state of amusement, "when we were only kids. Those were the best times of our lives. They went by us so fast, though. Wish we could have it back."

"I know what you mean," said Greg, making it back to the bed, tapping his cane on the ground as he walked. "But the future is what is ahead of us. We can dwell on the past as much as we want to but in the end, time will still move, and we will eventually grow up faster with no idea that time ate us up. What we did in the past, what happened to us, it's all in the past. All we can do is pray that our future will make up for lost times." Dye smiled and together the two old friends shook hands and hugged.

"I suppose my mother told you about my accident."

"Yeah," Dye said sadly.

"Don't feel sorry for me," said Greg, "our God works in mysterious ways. I just can't stop replaying the whole accident over and over in my head."

Dye's smile turned upside down into a serious look.

"My dad was picking me up from school that day. I was so excited because it was really rare my dad would pick me up from school. We were going to meet mom for dinner to have pizza. Moments later a drunk driver hit us in a head on collision. My dad had died upon impact, but as for me, I escaped with minor injuries and shattered glass in my eyes. I remember the doctor saying that I will never see again. In a way I was happy. The last thing I saw was my father's smile, and that's all I have left of him."

Reenacting everything in his head, Dye was once again brought back to the present.

"As of now," said Greg, "I see you as the boy I used to play with. I can't picture your new, grown-up body. Time may be moving, but my memories are still stuck in the past, and that's the beauty of being blind. Nothing can taint what you remember."

"Can I see?" Said Dye.

"Hmm?" Said Greg, responding, "Oh, my eyes you mean."

Greg reached up to his sunglasses and slowly took them off. Dye's heart stopped as his eyes rested upon the eyes of his best friend. He saw his milky-blue eyes and the cuts and scars on them, most likely the result of the glass from the accident. The cuts and scars stretched down from his eyes nearly touching his cheek. Greg took his glasses and put them back on and smiled.

"It's nothing for me to be ashamed of," he said, "so I can't see. There are tons of people who have other disabilities that make blindness look like a cut. Besides, consider it as a Divine punishment."

Dye smirked a little bit, knowing that Greg wasn't serious. Caught up in all of the reminiscing, he had almost forgotten the reason why he came to visit Greg. Griflore came storming his way back into his mind. The events from not too long ago, his death and resurrection and the destruction Griflore had enacted upon the city.

"Hey, Greg, I guess that you've heard of the mysterious attacks that have been happening all around the city."

"Yeah," Greg replied. "What of it?"

"Well" hesitated Dye. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

"Um," he brainstormed for an answer. "I've heard rumors if that's what you mean."

"What kind of rumors?"

"Well, from what I hear, there's a purple armored one whose been causing most of the damage all through the city. I've also heard that these attacks haven't just occurred here, but around the world as well."

Dye's heart jumped.

"That explains why he's been appearing so randomly," Dye said to himself.

"I don't know about the other three, though. I heard about the train accident, and all of the other accidents that have happened and these armored people have prevented them from getting any worse. I say let these guys do their job, whatever that may be."

Dye smiled and felt a great relief come over him. His reunion with his best friend made things a whole lot easier for him. His best friend wasn't the possessed body they were looking for, which left one last suspect.

The sun finally disappeared over the horizon, and the sudden disappearance of daylight made Dye remember that he had to get home.

"It's getting late," said Greg. "I think you should be heading home

"Yeah," said Dye, "I almost forgot." Mrs. Alan, who was listening from outside the door thought of this as her chance to make her exit. She left the door with a happy, teary expression on her face just as Dye got up from the bed and stretched.

"Dye," said Greg. Dye turned to face him. "Thanks, you know, for coming to see me. I know it took a lot of guts to come over here."

Dye smiled once more.

"I know you would do the same for me," he said. "After all, that's what friends do."

Greg smiled. "These small hours we have before the sun sets on our lives," he said as he stood up. They shook hands symbolizing their reunion and just as fast as they locked hands they were unlocked. Dye made his way over to the bedroom door, but before he left, he turned his head once more.

"I'll be back to see you again," he said, "after I'm done doing what it is I have to do." He said as he made his exit.

"I know," said Greg, "Be careful my friend."

The sun's aurora was slowly vanishing from the sky. It's orange light was just about gone, bringing forth the purple and black night sky.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Alan," said Dye, marching down the stairs. "It was good seeing you again." Mrs. Alan departed him with a hug just before he left the house.

Dye closed the door behind him. He put back on his hood and stuck his hands back into his pockets. He stood there on the porch and took a glimpse up into the night sky as he sighed. Moments later, he began to make his way out of the gates of the yard and started on his journey home. The clear night sky had dozens of twinkling stars that were surrounding the bright full moon. The last day of November was over. His emotions were all over the place. His happiness and joy were all he could feel at the moment. He was almost convinced to go see Jenny and profess his feelings for her. Nothing was able to bring him down tonight. He just got back his best friend whom he lost for nine years and best of all, Greg wasn't the horrible, purple armored Xenton that's been destroying the city for months.

Dye walked gracefully down the street with his hands tucked into his pockets. At once, Dye exploded with awesome speed down the rest of the highway, creating a loud burst of sound. He raced down the street and around corners, deciding to take a detour going home. He made it back to the big streets and ran through traffic and up buildings and once at the top, he took flight and fell towards the city. Flames were ignited on his limbs as his speed returned. He fell to the ground and resumed his racing into a very unfamiliar neighborhood. His body decelerated and he looked around at the surroundings.

"I've never noticed this neighborhood before," he said.

The area was run down, almost as if a hurricane had hit it. Everything was quiet, and the only source of light was the moon that sat high. Dye cautiously walked through the run down area, looking at the destroyed houses and totaled cars. As he walked deeper into the area, a very dim white light shone nearby. He began to proceed with caution. As he made his way further up the street, the light started to get brighter and bigger. The more he approached, the more silvery the light became. As he finally made his way to the end of the street, he started to see a four legged creature standing in the center of the light. Dye took his hand and tried to shield his eyes from the intensity of the light. A howl shook his soul.

"Is that-?" He said as he drew closer to the mysterious creature, "It is!" He gasped, as he finally saw what it was.

Standing in front of him was a silvery-white wolf with bright blue eyes. The wolf stared back at the boy and sat down. The light started to diminish, and the sight of the wolf became apparent to Dye. Suddenly, the wolf howled at the moon and vanished, leaving Dye standing in front of his house.

"What was that just now?" He said, utterly astonished.

# Chapter 18: The Lost Bloodline

It seemed that a time of peace was finally upon the people of Beach Shores. Over the next few weeks, the city was quiet from the destructive path of Griflore, who had not been seen since the fatal fight against Sam, Jason, and Arayan. The city was slowly rebuilding itself. Sam, Jason, and Dye were almost returning to their normal lives. Sam was now able to resume his position as president of the science club. Meanwhile, Jason still continued to surf at the beach every day, and Dye still continued to play hero all throughout the city, stopping freak accidents and petty theft everywhere. Mack, however, was mysterious as ever; never actually being seen with his brothers or by them and rarely even home.

The season finally changed into winter, but regardless, the sun still shined with clear skies. The beaches were still alive with sailboats and people fishing along the pier. The students of Beach Shores High were getting ready for the greatest event of their lives -- winter break.

As the bell rang, the students of Beach Shores High burst out of the building, making their way out into the courtyard and embarking on their way home. Some students unlocked their bikes with their surfboards in hand. Others ran to their cars, while some just walked with friends. Joss, Jenny, and Dye were excited that their first semester of high school was over. Smiles were dressed over all of their faces. However, behind Dye's smile, something was making him frown inside. The fact that he had died not too long ago and not a soul of the student body knew still bothered him.

"Would people mourn for me that I died?" He thought to himself. "What if it happened again? And death didn't give me another chance?"

The fact remained that Griflore was still on the loose and could attack at any moment. The idea that his friends were in danger made his stomach do back flips. What if he couldn't protect them? What if the next time Griflore had him in a corner and his brothers weren't there to bail him out? All of these "what if" questions gathered up inside of him and a big empty void of darkness opened up inside, yet he continued to smile.

The big secret, also known as his life, was his greatest weakness ever. He went on with his friends until Jenny left to meet her father.

"Bye, you guys," she said, "Be safe. I'll call you over the break."

Dye and Joss waved back as they made their way into the city streets from the school's courtyard.

"Well, I'm this way," said Joss, "I'll catch you over the break, Dye."

"Yeah," he chirped, being sure to disguise his real emotions, "now that we have three weeks of no homework."

"I know what you mean," said Joss. "See ya later."

"Bye," he waved; having to walk home brought back horrible memories for the lone hero. The last time he walked back, he was ambushed by a bunch of thugs and would have been killed if not for Sam. Dye swallowed his fear and started on his way.

"TJ is still missing, come to think of it," he said to himself. "What if he really is Griflore? As much as it seems impossible, TJ hasn't been seen, and Griflore has gone into hiding also. This is all too weird. The more we get closer to finding who or what this thing is, more and more questions start to come up, and I know time is running out before whatever Griflore is planning happens."

Dye mindlessly continued to walk in the direction of his house, and he was nearly half way there.

"Maybe I should stop worrying about it," he said, "maybe he's given up. It's been like three, four weeks since we last saw him." This idea seemed a little bit too suspicious for him.

"Where could Griflore be hiding?" He thought to himself. The anxiety started to compress his body and all of the events that had been occurring began to attack the boy's mind until something that had happened recently stood out in his head.

"What was that?" He said with stress.

Dye recalled himself in the middle of an abandoned neighborhood where a shiny, light bearing wolf stood in front of him.

"All of these events," he said. "They all have to be connected in some way. Griflore, these weird precognitive dreams, the wolf, what does it all mean? What's going to happen?"

He had so many questions, yet so little time to figure it all out.

"I need to sit down," he said as he unlocked the door to his home. As the door swung open, he found the house completely empty. However, he saw a tall pine tree standing on the side of the stairs.

"Dad," he murmured, "always early with the Christmas spirit."

He threw his bag on the couch and sat down on the sofa facing the television. He found a note on the table with his father's handwriting that said:

"Dye, if you're reading this then you must know that I've gotten the

Christmas tree already. We're going to decorate it tonight as a family so if you have plans cancel them."

-Dad

Dye folded the note and placed it back on the table. He rested his head on the couch and drifted off to sleep. The next thing he heard was the sound of the door opening and the sound of voices piercing the silence. Dye awoke quickly and found that it was seven o'clock in the evening. The sound of his family's voices caused him to become alert.

"Wake up, Dye!" Shouted Jason in Dye's ear as he walked by.

"I'm gonna hurt you!" Said Dye with an annoyed growl.

Dye pushed Jason's face away as he saw Mack and his dad coming in through the door carrying Christmas ornaments and lights. His mother was followed behind them being tailed by Sam, who closed the door behind him.

"Finally, school is done," said Sam, "three weeks of nothing but R&R?"

Dye arose from the couch, stretching and yawning as he followed his family into the kitchen.

"Russell," said Mrs. Haven, "why did you buy all those new ornaments? You know we have ornaments in the attic."

"I know, dear," he replied, "I thought this year we could something newer than those old rocks we have."

"Excuse me," she snapped, "Those ornaments happen to be priceless heirlooms passed down through my family for generations. Now you're going to use them, whether you like them or not."

The boys stood there in the wake of their angry mother.

"Yes, dear," he replied, "but we're still using these."

"Just as long as we mix it up," she replied, "and boys you know your stuff doesn't go there. Take it to your rooms. Now!" She exclaimed, making her boys move more hastily.

"Come on, boys," said Mr. Haven "Let's go before your mother decides to eat us alive."

"Dye!" His mother bellowed, making him jump to the sudden sound of her voice. "Come with me and help me with these ornaments."

Dye followed behind his mother up the stairs and into the hallway. She grabbed the string that hung from the ceiling and pulled it down, bringing down with it stairs that led into a dark place. Mrs. Haven went on ahead, turning on a light with Dye following behind her.

"Now, where did I put them?" She said to herself. "Dye!" She said, getting her son's attention. "Go check over there. I'll look for them here."

"Okay," he said.

He began to make his way to the other side of the cluttered attic that was filled with sealed boxes that had writing on them. As he walked the floors creaked with the movement of his mother as she searched through the boxes for the ornaments. Over in the corner of the attic, Dye found an old rocking chair his dad used to sit in before he got his recliner. He began to walk over to the chair until his foot stepped on something that made a distinct cracking noise beneath his feet.

"Dye, be careful," Mrs. Haven said in response to the cracking noise. Dye lifted his foot and found an old, dusty picture frame. The dust was so thick that it covered the entire glass part of the frame that now had a crack running down the center of it. He picked it up and took his hand to wipe it, revealing a picture of a little girl.

"Those eyes," he said to himself. "They remind me of someone?" He stared at the picture a little bit more to see if he could identify the girl in the portrait. The brown eyes, the black, bushy hair all seemed too familiar to him. She seemed young, maybe around the age of five. Her two front teeth were missing, and her smile was flawless and innocent. A smile crept across Dye's face.

"Found them!" Yelled the voice of his mother with accomplishment, startling him. "Come on, Dye, give me a hand," With the old picture in his hand, he maneuvered his way through the storage area; around and over the boxes, until he finally reached his mother.

"Here!" She said while holding a box in her hands. "Get that box over there," She commanded. While Dye was retrieving the box, his mother noticed the picture frame in his hand and said, "Whatcha got there, kid?"

"It's a picture of someone, but I don't know who it is?" He said in reply.

"Here, let me see," she said, putting down the box.

Dye handed the old picture to his mother. As her eyes caught the old photo, her face fell.

"Mom?" Said Dye with a worried tone. "Are you okay? Who is that?"

"She's your sister."

Dye was shocked.

"What do you mean, sister?" He asked.

"Yes." She said, "follow me downstairs," she made her way out of the attic and down the hall.

"What about the ornaments?" Dye yelled down the hallway.

"Leave them," she said as she stormed down the corridor with the photo in hand.  Dye jumped down the stairs with a loud thump and quickly pursued his mother. By the time he reached the stairs, she was already at the foot of them.

"Dye!" She shouted, "come down here."

"What's the matter, Mom?" Asked Sam. "Whose picture is that?"

Mr. Haven got a glimpse of the photo, and his heartbeat sped up.

"It's about time all of you knew," she said.

"Honey," Mr. Haven said in a panic, "now is not the time, don't you think?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Russell," she said, "it's always been a good time to tell them."

Dye finally made his way down the stairs.

"Tell us what?" Asked Sam, who sensed something was wrong.

"About who this is." She said, holding up the picture of the little girl.

"Who is that?" Asked Jason.

Mack was stationary as he looked at the picture. The ornaments he had in his hands dropped to the floor. Mr. and Mrs. Haven started to argue while the other three brothers began to argue with their parents. Mr. Haven was arguing with his wife about how bad of a time it was to tell the boys while she argued against it. Meanwhile, Sam and Jason argued with their parents about wanting answers about the girl in the picture. Tension grew rapidly amongst the family.

"Quiet!" Yelled Dye.

The bickering was quailed by his sudden outburst. He seized the picture from his mother and looked at it silently.

"She's..." He spoke hesitantly. "She's our sister."

"What?" Sam and Jason spoke simultaneously.

Mack remained quiet.

"How can we have a sister?" Asked Jason.

"We don't have a sister," said Sam.

"Correction," said Mack, "we had a sister."

Dye's eyes flew over to his older brother.

"How do you know?" He asked.

"Because," he said, "I was there when it happened. You two were just toddlers, and you were just a baby, Dye."

"Huh?" Dye replied. "When what happened?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Haven, "it's true that you boys have a sister. But you have to understand that every time we wanted to tell you, horrible memories showed up and we were just too ashamed to tell you." She paused.

"What was her name?" Asked Dye. His Mother handed out her hand for the picture.

"Her name was" she began as she stared at the picture, "Corrine."

Tears streamed down her face as horrible memories started to trouble her. She turned to her husband, and he held her while she sobbed in his arms.

"She was our little girl," Mr. Haven said who started to sound regretful.

"She was the sweetest little girl you could ever meet. Bringing happiness to everyone she met."

"What happened to her?" Asked Sam.

"One ni-," he paused as his wife place her finger over his mouth.

"Shhhh!" She said, "I'll tell them."

She removed her finger and kissed her husband on the lips. She then turned to her boys; her wet face and red, watery eyes stunned the boys.

"You better sit down," she said. The living room fell silent. Their mother was sniffing and grabbing tissues to wipe away her tears.

"One night your father, Mack, your sister Corrine and I were driving back from visiting your grandmother in the country. The weather was awful. Rain fell like rocks against our window, and the thunder and lightning made it impossible to stay calm. We were on a really narrow interstate road that looked over a cliff. Mack and Corrine were in the back. Mack was asleep in his car seat, and Corrine just sat in hers, enjoying the ride. She looked so happy; almost like she enjoyed the thunder and rain."

"Where were Sam, Jason and me?" Asked Dye.

"We had to leave you three with Uncle Bobby," she replied. "Back then we didn't have a big enough car to fit the five of you. Anyways, the storm got worse, and Russell was having trouble seeing even with the high beams on. From up the road, we saw the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. We didn't think anything of it until it looked like the car was heading straight for us. Russell turned the car out of the way and drove into the railing that blocked off the cliff. The car flew off the road and into a tree. Mack woke up and started to cry. I got to him as fast as I could and grabbed him while Russell tried to get to Corrine, who was unconscious. I broke through the window and opened the door with Mack in my arms and held onto a nearby tree branch. Your father was able to get the child seat off of Corrine at the last minute. The moment he pulled the seat out, the car fell to the ground and exploded, creating a fire down below. Luckily, your father grabbed a branch of a tree with one hand in order to sustain himself while keeping his grip on Corrine. The water from the rain made it impossible for Russell to keep his grip, so I tried my best to get him."

"My grip on Corrine was slipping," started Mr. Haven, "I held on as long as I could, but the water was making it hard. The next thing I knew, my baby girl was falling into the fire. The last thing I saw were her eyes opening and looking at me. I've had nightmares about that night more than I should. If I could have just held on more Corrine would still be sitting here with us."

"After a while," started Mrs. Haven. "Somebody had reported the accident, and we were soon found. No matter how much we tried, we couldn't erase that day from our memory. As you boys grew older, we prayed to God that nothing would happen to you and that He would keep you safe and He has."

"But why keep it a secret?" Asked Jason.

"We didn't want you all to think of us as bad parents," said Mr. Haven. "Because we couldn't save our daughter made it seem like we weren't fit to be parents."

"You boys mean everything to us," said Mrs. Haven, "Don't ever forget that."

The room fell silent for a few moments until the silence was broken by Dye.

"This is a lot to take in," he said.

"Corrine was the only one of our children to be born with a birthmark," said Mrs. Haven. "She had a paw print shaped birthmark on the back of her neck. She was really one of a kind."

"About a month after the accident your mother and I decided to erect a memorial to her in Sunset Cemetery. It was the only thing that we could do for her."

The boys smiled, and feelings of sorrow and sadness began to erupt in each of them. From this point on, their lives would never be the same. Knowing that everything had altered, they carried on the night with decorating the Christmas tree to their preference. The brothers couldn't help but ask questions about their long lost and dead sister. What was she like? Was she, in any way, similar to them? After a night of talks and secret revelations, the Haven tree was finished and soon their celebration died down to a quiet sleep.

Dye was in his haven of solitude, face up on his bed. Thinking of all the possibilities there were with growing up with a big sister to watch over him. He was always fond of the motherly figure his mother gave him, but having another female individual who cared for him just as much as his mother did made him feel warm inside. Sure, he was content with his three older brothers, but being able to grow up with a big sister would be something he would have loved to experience.

# Chapter 19: The Spirit Life-Force

The holiday season came and went. Christmas flew by on the winds and the new school semester was right around the corner for the brothers. All that was left was New Years. The beach front was as beautiful as can be. Jason was out and about surfing on the waves while Dye took a jog along the strand. Sam was left at home to finish up some winter break homework, and Mack was out of the house before anybody was awake. The idea that the brothers had a sister was still mind-boggling to them. The fact that she was killed struck them the most. Each time Dye thought of Corrine and her accident, he intensified his training. Sam and Jason weren't too far behind. They too did whatever was necessary to keep their minds off of Corrine. For Jason, it was surfing, and for Sam, it was studying. "What was she like?" Dye thought to himself. As much as he wanted not to think about her, he couldn't control his thoughts which lead to his feelings.

The sun walked across the sky, and a light wind blew through the city of Beach Shores. After about half a of day of training, Dye found himself back at home. He immediately took a shower and started a rummage through the refrigerator for something to eat. With a sandwich and drink in hand, he made himself comfortable on the living room couch and turned on the television to view the news. He tore through his sandwich, enjoying every bite of it. The crispy lettuce, the smoky ham filled his taste buds with a satisfying sensation. The thumping of his brother came down stairs. Dye looked to his right to see Sam planting himself next to him.

"All done?" Asked Dye with a mouth full of food.

"Yep," Sam replied, "now I can really start to relax."

The two brothers sat on the couch and continued to watch the news. Nothing really caught their attention until an unlikable and familiar face appeared on the screen.

"Local high school student, who was arrested for armed robbery 3 months ago, has been found guilty and sentenced up to three years in a juvenile detention center." Dye dropped his sandwich and glued his eyes to the screen. Sam adjusted his glasses but couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"That's-" said Dye as he struggled to swallow his sandwich.

"TJ," said Sam. "So that explains why he hasn't been seen around school."

Dye remained silent.

"Sam," he said. Sam acknowledged him, "Do you know what this means?"

"Yeah," Sam replied, "it means we still have no clue who Griflore is. We've ruled out Greg and TJ which puts us back at square one."

Dye fell back on the couch and sighed for a moment, blowing his hair from his forehead, "and I was looking forward to fighting that thing again if it was TJ," he said.

"You know," said Sam, "I could be wrong about this whole possession thing."

"What?" Dye sat up on the couch.

"I mean there's not much we know about our enemy. The dream you had may not be connected to this in any way at all. You could have just been having a regular dream."

"Possibly?" replied Dye, feeling skeptical about his dream.

"The way things are turning out now, they don't seem to add up. Greg being blind, TJ in jail. It just doesn't seem to all fit."

"Then we gotta be missing something," Sam contemplated.

"Maybe, but what?" Replied a pondering Dye.

The false theories left the boys shrouded in darkness yet again. Everything they had based their arguments on was falling apart. They had no suspects, Sam's theory could be incorrect, and still they had no clue on what Griflore was planning. Feeling discouraged, Dye took his plate into the kitchen and went upstairs to his room. Still being attacked by the memory of his dead sister, he threw himself on his bed and slowly drifted off to a depressing sleep.

New Year's Eve was finally upon them. Dye thought this would be an excellent opportunity to clear his mind. So he summoned his golden armor and went out for the night. He leaped from rooftop to rooftop going about his business. The haunting memory of his sister seemed to have escaped his mind, for the moment. He jumped up higher and higher and planted himself on the top of the tall skyscraper that sat in the middle of the city. Down below he heard the voices of many cheering and waiting for the final countdown to the New Year to begin. He heard party horns, people laughing and having fun. The entire street was completely gone from sight, and all he could see were the many heads of individuals down below. He sat on top of the skyscraper as the bright full moon gave his golden body a silver lining. He stared down with his helmet covering his face to observe the actions of the people below.

"He could be any one of them," he said to himself.

As the moon hung in the sky, Dye found it time to go, but not before counting down to the New Year. He stood up and counted down with the people below.

"Happy New Year!" Shouted the people littering the city streets below.

Behind his helmet, Dye smiled and said, "Let it be a good one," as he leaped from atop of the skyscraper.

He was back at home, and the armor melted away from his body, returning him to normal. He threw himself on his bed and quickly fell asleep again.

The school was finally back in session. Dye and his brothers went through the same routine they went through every day to ensure their punctuality. For some strange reason, Dye was happy to be back at school. He was able to see his friends once more and most of all he knew that TJ was in jail. However, the fact still remained that he had a fight against Griflore coming up and still he had no idea of what was going to happen. Being back at school, he didn't let those thoughts bother him. He was too preoccupied with friends, school work and trying to evade Vice Principal Charles from getting detention whenever there was trouble before school. Everything seemed to be returning to normal, but Dye couldn't take his mind off of what was going to happen. He once again hid those feelings and thoughts and went about his business.

His first period English class was nothing to be too excited about. Mr. Beagle had the class write an essay on how the students spent their winter break. However, Dye's interpretation of his break was a bit more interesting than some. Finding out he had a sister who had been dead for sixteen years now seemed inappropriate for this type of topic. Still, he felt that his winter vacation would trump anybody who tried to compete with him. Joss couldn't help but tell Dye his entire vacation in complete detail. Dye wasn't interested at all since he had bigger issues on his mind at the time. Instead, the young teen played along and laughed whenever it was necessary.

The cafeteria seemed more alive than ever on the first day back. The students were conversing with one another; the food didn't taste like wood and TJ wasn't around to harass anybody. Dye, Joss, and Jenny were sitting together, eating their lunch, talking and laughing.

"So it's true that TJ is in jail?" Asked Joss.

"Yep," Dye replied, picking his food. "Saw it on the news a few days ago."

"What did he do?" Jenny asked.

"I think he robbed a place," Dye replied. "They weren't too clear on the situation, but he was found guilty and was sentenced to like three years in jail."

"Wow! Bet you're happy," said Joss.

"Hell yeah! Having to come to school every day with a target on the back of my head wasn't my idea of a good day."

Moments later the cafeteria began to tremble violently. The students dropped their food and took cover under the tables. Cups full of pudding and juice fell and splattered all over the ground. Joss, Dye, and Jenny quickly retreated under their table and covered their heads. The rumbling stopped and just before the students thought it was safe the rumbling resumed. The fire alarms started to sound, and the student body erupted into chaos. The rumbling ceased. The faculty burst through the doors with a panic and quickly began to tend to the students. The students quickly got up from under the tables and followed the teachers outside.

Dye's mind was running rampant along with his heart. He awakened in his mind the last time something like this happened. The source was a power hungry dictator who wanted nothing better than to see the world and the people within it suffer. He was praying and saying to himself that this time it was an actual earthquake, but of course, that was asking too much.

"What's going on?" Asked Jenny, trying to talk over the loud alarms, covering her ears.

"I don't know," Dye replied, also cupping his ears.

"Everyone stay calm and exit in an orderly fashion!" Said Vice Principal Charles through a loud speaker.

The students quickly left their belongings and headed straight for the doors when suddenly they were slammed shut. Every exit in the cafeteria was suddenly sealed and locked. The teachers and the students tried to ram the doors open, but it seemed impossible for them to do so. The fire alarms were silenced, and the power inside the cafeteria was discontinued, causing darkness to run amuck. The students and teachers sat in the dimly-lit eating facility with the sunlight shining through the windows above. Jenny held onto Dye; he sensed her fear as her uncontrollable shaking rattled his body. He looked everywhere for his brothers, but there were no signs of Mack, Sam, or Jason. Everything was quiet. Some students started to cry while some cracked under the apprehension.

"Let me out!" Cried one of the students banging on the door. "Let me out!"

A hole in the ceiling ate itself through, and the students saw a mass object fall to the ground, bringing down with it rubble, glass from the windows and a thick cloud of debris. The students screamed and cried for help as they too started to bang on the doors. Jenny's grip on Dye's arm tightened. The students and faculty began to lose control in the sealed cafeteria, trying their best to find a way out. The light of the sun shone through the hole in the ceiling and gave a faint outline to the character hiding within the cloud of dust.

"What is that?" Asked Dye, peering through the dust cloud.

As the haze began to lift, Dye's heart rate increased; beating against his chest. Jenny felt his heart and looked up at him.

"What is it?" She asked him.

He remained quiet; his eyes were set on the figure standing in the curtain of dirt; the continuing chaos of the students trying to get out of the sealed room got louder and more out of control.

"If I do not receive what I seek, then all of you will die this day," said a cold, demonic voice coming from within the smoke. The sound of the cold voice made Dye's heart stop. The mysterious shadow raised his hand and waved away the smoke that was blocking his appearance. The symbol of Griflore caught Dye's eye, and the glare of his purple armor blinded him as well. The students began to panic even more, continuing to thrash against the doors, trying to get out. Griflore let out an evil laugh as the students ran about the cafeteria, searching for a way out.

"Of all days he chooses today to make his move," Dye said under his breath.

Dye was parched of bravery. He couldn't move his limbs at all. Thoughts of failure filled his mind, for his most horrible fear had come to life. He was the only one of his brotherly trio able to stand up to this threat. But could he? Clouds of doubt and discouragement consumed him rapidly.

"Huh?" Said Jenny, who heard him.

Dye forgot he was thinking out loud.

"Uh, nothing," he said, "come on. We have to get out of here," Dye seized Jenny's hand and ran through the crowd, followed by Joss. He knew he had to do something to protect these innocent students and teachers even if he had to die again to do it. At least it would be for the greater good. He wasn't strong enough to take on Griflore by himself. It took the combined efforts and Sam, Jason and Arayan to stop him before and even then it took some work for Sam and Jason to get the upper hand.

The group of three escaped the sights of Griflore and searched each door for an exit. Throughout all of the commotion, Dye's grip on Jenny's hand slipped and the three were separated amongst the crowd.

"Dye!" Shouted Jenny. "Dye!"

Dye couldn't hear the call over all of the noise. He realized that Jenny and Joss were lost in the shuffle, but he thought this was a good time for him to find a place to summon his power. He knew this was a suicide attempt, but something had to be done.

"Where is the fox?" Said Griflore to a student he began to interrogate. "I know he's here. I tracked him to this exact location. Where is he?" He said, holding a student up from the ground, grasping his neck. "Answer me!" He said. The student's fear made words turn into gibberish. Growing angry, Griflore threw the student across the cafeteria and caused him to crash into the table.

Meanwhile, Dye dropped to the ground and crawled his way through the crowd.

"I've got to find a place to transform," he said. "But where?" He thought. All of the exits were sealed shut, where could he find a decent place?

"Wait a minute!" He said, coming to a conclusion. "The kitchen!"

"You!" Said Griflore. "Girl!" He looked at Jenny.

She froze in fear. Griflore walked over to her with the sound of his knocking metal feet against the tiled floor. She dropped her head, and Griflore finally made his way over to her.

"I remember you, child," he said. "You were with that boy on that day."

"Dye?" She said to herself.

"Too bad," he said, "He would have made an excellent student."

Jenny picked her head up and stared into the dark lens of the mysterious being that was standing before her.

"What are you talking about?" She said.

"The boy is dead. Yes, he begged for death, and I gave it to him. My blade destroyed his heart, and I watched him die."

Jenny's eyes filled with tears. "That's not true," she said. "I was just with-,"

"Are you calling me a liar, human?" He seized her by her neck and picked her up. "The boy is dead. Now tell me. Where is the fox?" He tightened his grip around her neck as she struggled and fought for air. "Answer me!" He said. "Where is the one who wears the golden armor?" Joss found what Griflore was doing to his friend and he retaliated against the armored demon.

"Let her go!" He growled, tightening up his fist. Griflore swung his arm and hit him, sending him flying across the room and crashing into the soda machine.

"Answer me, girl," resumed Griflore. "Where is the fox? Where is he?" He said, tightening his grip around her neck.

Just at that moment, a rope of fire wrapped around Griflore's arm and pulled it away from Jenny's neck, releasing her to the ground. Griflore's whole body was flung towards the source of the rope. A golden fist struck him and sent him soaring into a wall. The students looked at the source of the attack and found the golden armored hero standing on the counter of the kitchen. He ignited his hands and shot fireballs at the sealed exits.

"Go! Now!" Shouted Dye. "I'll hold him off!" The students made a chaotic exit from the cafeteria just as Griflore pulled himself from out of the wall. Vice Principal Charles grabbed Joss just as another member of the faculty grabbed the student who was attacked previously. Soon the cafeteria was completely evacuated, leaving Dye and Griflore alone.

"What do you want?" Asked Dye.

Griflore stood up and looked at Dye with his head cocked to the side.

"I've been looking for you," Griflore replied, "we need to talk."

Dye felt confused. What was Griflore up to? And why was he looking for him?

"First order of business: where is the star?" Griflore held out his hand.

"I don't have it."

"Ah. But you do know where it is?"

A memory of Dye giving the star to Arayan returned to mind.

"No, I don't," Dye stated clearly, "my turn to ask the question."

"Very well," Griflore responded.

"What are you planning?" Asked Dye. "This mission you've been talking about."

"In due time, boy, everything is going according to plan. However, I wasn't planning on sustaining so much damage when I fought the other two Xenton."

"So where have you been for the last few weeks? I've been waiting for you." Dye said as he cracked his knuckles.

"I've decided to do some homework," Griflore replied. "After I murdered that insignificant boy," Dye's anger increased with Griflore's immediate comment. "The Shark and the Eagle Bearers were able to summon incredible power. Power I had never seen before, the power that was able to bring even me to my knees. That light was incredible. Then I thought to myself; they're Xenton, and so am I. So why am I not able to summon that kind of power?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Patience, boy!" He hissed. "Are you familiar with the Spirit Life-Force?"

"The Spirit what?" Replied Dye.

"The Spirit Life-Force is a particular level of power that awakens inside every Xenton when intense emotions are reached. The energy comes from the life force of both the host and the spirit inhabiting their body becoming one in the form of light that corresponds to the Xenton's element. The Xenton becomes acutely aware of themselves and their spirit and the connection between them becomes stronger. Thus, the host is able to summon incredible power. That must have been the case with the two other Xenton when I killed that boy. They must have shared some kind of deep connection with him."

"Who are you? And why are you telling me this?"

Griflore marched over to Dye until their faces were inches away from each other.  "Who am I? You ask? What a ridiculous question. You should be calling me Lord. I will rule this planet just as I did those many eons ago. You three Xenton are the only thing standing in my way from completing my mission."

"And what is it for the thousandth time?"

Griflore balled up his fist and made a jab. Dye caught the demon's fist and struck Griflore, who just like Dye, caught the fist.

"There's something about you that's different, fox."

"Well, it's what I would call having a good day," Dye replied, "at least I thought I was." The two released each other's grip and retreated to the opposite ends of the cafeteria.

"What I am planning is no matter of your concern."

"It is when it involves the destruction of mankind. I will stop you."

"You speak with confidence. You are different this day. I don't understand you. I've seen two sides to you. One side was anxious at defeating me for their own gain and this one, who is putting their life on the line for the sake of a primitive race. The side I witnessed before."

"Well, this side is here to stay," said the young hero

With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Dye released all of his fears and pressed on towards the armored demon. With the golden Xenton rushing towards Griflore, Griflore also charged towards his enemy.

The two Xenton threw punches at each other, and the two attacks collided, resulting with both fists clashing with one another. The collision's aftermath unleashed a powerful shockwave that destroyed the windows and caused walls to crack and crumble. The two mighty warriors continued as their blows collided with each other, causing more shockwaves to destroy the cafeteria little by little. The students who were evacuating retreated to the courtyard and could hear the aftershocks of the clashing.

"Where's Dye?" Asked Jenny as she looked for him. Joss was still unconscious along with the other student.

With the continuous knuckle knocking, Dye finally got a hit in on Griflore that sent him through a wall, taking the battle outside. Dye dashed quickly and pursued his enemy. He caught the Xenton by his leg in midair and slammed Griflore into the ground. Immediately, Dye jumped on top of Griflore and started to pound him deeper into the rocky soil. Fed up with the unnecessary onslaught, Griflore released an incredible energy field towards Dye that sent him flying back into the cafeteria and crashing into the kitchen. Griflore exploded out of the ground and flew in after him. As he drew closer, Dye retreated quickly and kicked his enemy, sending Griflore back outside. Dye moved in the form of fire and followed Griflore and struck him from below, sending him soaring into the sky. Dye held out his hands and ignited them with intense flames and began a barrage of fireballs at the armored fiend. The shower of fireballs was countered by Griflore's massive barrage of lasers that were shooting from his hands and lens. The lasers and fireballs made contact with each other and canceled out the attacks. Griflore retreated to the wall at the side of the school and stared down at his prey. Dye watched as the demon stared down at him with his metal feet planted on the edge of the building.

"Is that all you got, boy?" Said Griflore, taunting him.

"You wish," Dye replied. "I'm just getting started."

He ignited his legs and exploded into the sky like a jet and passionately tried to strike Griflore. Griflore evaded by jumping from his position, allowing Dye to destroy a corner of the school. Griflore flew through the air, being pursued by Dye. Following his enemy, Dye destroyed each spot where Griflore had landed without landing a single blow on him.

A sword made of fire appeared in Dye's hands. Dye increased his speed through the air in hopes of finally getting the reach he needed. He swung the sword at Griflore, but Griflore vanished with speed and appeared just above Dye and delivered a devastating kick that sent the young boy falling to the ground. He collided with the floor face first with his body imprinted into the cement. Dye gathered his strength and got up from the ground with the help of his blade.

"There has to be a better way to fight him," he thought to himself. "He's just toying with me. He's too fast."

Standing there on the ground, Dye was struck with a thought.

"Wait!" He said to himself. "I'm way faster than him. But he doesn't know it. I wonder..."

At that moment, Dye began to run in a circle, increasing his speed with every rotation. He ignited his entire body and soon a cyclone of infernos was created that started to suck in everything that was within range, including Griflore.

"What is this?" The demon said as he was slowly sucked into the blazing vortex. He sped up his rotation and Griflore fell faster into the swirling tornado.

"Here I come!" Dye shouted.

Dye came soaring from the center of the cyclone wielding his blade.

"Enjoy!" The hero said as he struck Griflore from all sides of the vortex, disappearing within one wall and appearing out of another. He hit Griflore with attack after attack. The sword in combination with the intense heat started to break through the demon's armor. With one final slash, Dye ignited his blade and struck Griflore directly into the abdomen, causing his armor to break on that part of his body. The cyclone disappeared, and Dye landed on his two feet while Griflore was drilled into the ground.

Dye found the Xenton's armor severely damaged. He saw Griflore starting to get up and without any hesitation; Dye leaped into the air and fell right on top of him, making the purple demon's body become fixed deeper into the ground.

"Checkmate!" He said with confidence.

"I don't think so," said Griflore, struggling to get up with Dye's weight on top of him. Again, he let out another strong energy field. Dye avoided it by launching himself into the sky. He hung in the air, and watched as Griflore quickly recovered, restoring the broken armor. Griflore melted his right hand into his infamous blade and took off towards Dye. Using his gold and red blade, Dye protected himself by clashing his blade with Griflore's. He then gave Dye an out of control onslaught of slashing that was successfully blocked by the young hero. After the last attack, the two fighters fell into a deadlock in midair. Dye pushed away and rebounded from a nearby building with the idea of attacking Griflore. Griflore did the same, and the two took a swipe at each other. The sound of the clashing metal echoed throughout the school yard and was heard by the students who were being tended to by paramedics and police in the courtyard.

Jenny was still searching throughout the student body for Dye. Joss had finally regained consciousness, but unfortunately suffered a broken arm. He heard the constant clashing of the swords between the two armored warriors and looked in their direction.

Dye gave it his all to keep up with Griflore. Without him expecting it, Dye reignited his blade to catch Griflore off guard. He pushed off of the building and swung his weapon, making direct contact with the Griflore's head. Griflore fell to the ground, followed by Dye, who dove after him, slamming himself on top of the fiend. He leaped off, quickly expecting another energy field, but nothing happened. Dye stood there under the bright rays of the sun as his armor reflected his golden light. He watched Griflore try and stand up. The horror wobbled, trying to keep his balance.

"This ends now, boy," said Griflore.

"Fine then, let's do this!"

Dye reversed the way he was holding his sword and ignited it once more with flames. He powered it to the extent that the raging flames turned red and gold. Griflore took his sword-like arm and created an electric current flowing through it.

With the signal to go, the two began their journey towards each other. Dye ran with the passion and determination of finally destroying Griflore here and now. Memories of his brothers, his parents, and recaps of his short life played like a movie in his head. Nothing was going to stop him. He started to press on faster and harder with his powered up weapon in hand. He seized it with both hands and was preparing to strike. They were feet away when Griflore was on the verge of attacking.

Griflore swung his blade, and Dye ducked below with his weapon, letting the sword of his foe pass above him. He spun around to deliver his strongest attack yet, which made full contact with Griflore's body. Dye remained below Griflore with his blade engraved into the armor of his enemy. Griflore was motionless. His arms fell down to his side while Dye withdrew his sword and resumed his normal posture. Griflore fell forward to the ground and time stood still. Dye was breathing hard while he stood over the villain's body, holding his great gold and red sword.

"That's that," he said, while his armor started to recover from the scratches he received during battle. Griflore's body took in a deep breath, and Dye saw the purple, metal body rise and fall. He grabbed his sword with both hands and prepared himself for the unexpected. He backed up a little bit as he witnessed the body beginning to shine with a bright, purple light. The purple light got brighter, and a stream of it shot into the sky, sucking the attention of the students and all who might be watching the strange event. Dye shielded himself from the brightness of the light by throwing his arms over his face. The intense purple glare was sucked from the body and sent into the sky until there was no more. The brightness vanished. Dye took his hands from his face, and the body of a person wearing old, raggedy clothes was lying face down in front of him.

The individual took in a deep breath and started to get up from the ground. The person finally made it to their hands and knees when the laughter of Griflore started to sound from their mouth. The head of the body looked up, and Dye saw their yellow, slit eyes and veins pulsating from their neck.

"You," he said, feeling the same fear he felt on that day.

In front of him was a person he had only met once in his lifetime. Dye recalled the screams and cries of the individual as though they were familiar to him. He was beginning to experience the sadness and sorrow he felt on that day when he met a very unfortunate girl. Then he remembered those eyes - those same bright, yellow, slit pupil eyes that were staring at him at that very moment. The girl he met in the park was on her hands and knees before him, her hair unkempt with a hateful persona.

"It's been you this whole time?" He said, dropping his sword to the ground. "I should have known. Those eyes," The girl got up from the ground wearing her torn and old clothes. Dye witnessed the gash in her abdomen, where he struck her, healing rapidly and the blood that was falling to the ground from her wound had stopped its spread. Dye noticed the veins on her face were pumping harder.

"This isn't over, boy," said the girl, speaking with the voice of Griflore.

"Huh?" Said Dye. "How are you-?"

"It doesn't matter. You may have destroyed my Xentonian body. A minor setback, I'm sure, but mark my words boy you will die by my hands."

Dye was speechless as he stared into the frightening yellow eyes of his enemy.

"You cannot stop me," said Griflore, "it's only a matter of time until this race becomes extinct."

With that said, the girl jumped away, crawling on the side of buildings like an inhuman creature, making her grand escape. Dye stood there, listening to the laughter of Griflore fade into a distance. He dropped his head, and a cyclone of fire surrounded him, returning him to his teenaged body. His sword that lay upon the ground burst into flames and vanished. The authorities came running from inside the nearly destroyed cafeteria to find the melancholy boy standing there by himself. The shouts of the policemen for a paramedic seem to fade out as Dye's mind started to filter out the shouting. He fell to the ground and fainted.

# Chapter 20: A Drastic Turn of Events

The sound of clashing blades and powerful explosions caused buildings to fall and craters to erupt. The sky was blanketed with the thickness of many clouds. The young, golden hero pressed on towards his enemy that was dressed in a suit of shiny, purple armor. Impatient, the two began to tear through the city mercilessly. Dye tightened the grip on his blade and attacked the demon with everything he had. Griflore did the same by taking his sword and doing his best to penetrate the metal flesh Dye had covering his body. Thunder and lightning sounded, and the war between the two started to look like a battle to the death. Dye swung his blade. Griflore blocked with his weapon and on and on the two went on continuously, both not showing any sign of weakness. Dye made fire surge through his blade, while Griflore created a current of electricity that sent sparks bouncing off of the cemented walls and ground. The two charged at each other and with a powerful swipe with their blades, Dye was the one left standing. Griflore fell to the ground, only to turn over and laugh humorously. Dye seized his sword with both hands, ready to deliver the final blow when the face of his most foul enemy turned into one of an innocent girl.

"Help!" She said. "Please help me," Dye stopped himself and at that very moment yellow eyes and veins started to take over the characteristics of the face of the innocent girl. She raised her hand and released a powerful beam of power. Dye cried in pain as he was taken away into the stream of energy only to have found himself in bed.

His heart was beating forcefully. Sweat was beading down his face, and he felt a little dizziness come over him.

"Was that all a dream?" He said while still catching his breath. He looked around the area he was in and found it was his room. He got up slowly and placed his feet on the soft floor. His entire bed was drenched with sweat, giving an outline of his body on his sheets.

"What happened?" He said to himself. He became alert at the sound of vomiting coming from his bathroom. He heard the splattering of a liquid-like substance hitting the surface of the water. Feeling a bit light headed, he raised himself from his bed and slowly walked over to the bathroom door. The sound of the vomiting got worse just as the splattering got louder. There were numerous pauses in between each session of the vomiting. As he drew closer to the door, he saw the body of a boy who was crouched over the toilet. Their head must have been half way into the toilet bowl as their hair hung down to touch the rim of the bowl. Dye leaned up against the threshold of the door, holding his head in his hands.

"Are you okay?" He asked miserably.

Sam took his head from out of the toilet and wiped his mouth with his hand.

"Yeah," he replied with a sickly tone.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Something must not be agreeing with me," said Sam with his pale and sickly face. "Tuna surprise. Not the best choice for lunch. That's why I took an early out today." Sam replied. "But I heard about your heroics today on the news."

"Yeah, about that..." said Dye, still feeling a bit light-headed. He took his hand and rubbed it across his face.

"No need to explain, Dye," Sam replied. "You did what you had to do."

Jason came waltzing into their room with a bowl of soup and ginger ale on a bed tray.

"Dye," he said, putting the tray on the desk next to Sam's bed. "You're finally up. Hey, Sammy, I brought you up some clam chowder and ginger ale," Sam's face turned green at the mention of food. He cupped his mouth and started vomiting into the toilet once again.

"Ewwww!" Said Dye and Jason simultaneously.

"You okay?" Asked Jason, feeling Dye's forehead.

"Yeah, I think so," Dye replied. "For now I guess. Just a bit light headed."

"Come on," said Jason. "We should get you back to bed."

Jason threw Dye's arm over him and helped his little brother to his bed.

"I've got something to talk to you about," said Dye, "you and Sam."

"What is it?"

"I know Griflore's identity," he said over the disgusting sound of Sam's vomiting.

"Say what?" Said a surprised Jason. "How?"

"Doesn't matter. What matters now is that we stop her."

"Her?" Jason replied, stunned.

"Her?" Said Sam, finally coming out of the bathroom.

He walked over to his bed with his face white as snow. He lay down on his side to face Dye, who had made it to his bed along with Jason.

"What's the story, Dye?" Asked Sam.

"I met her in the park one day. Well, not just any day. The day when you guys fought Griflore. I should have added it all up."

"Added what?" Asked Jason.

"She started to run off, screaming in pain and her eyes turned to these scary, yellow cat eyes. Just moments later Griflore showed up. She's the one we've been looking for, and we have to stop her no matter what the cost."

"I know!" Said Sam. "But how are we supposed to find him -- I mean, her?"

"I don't know?" Dye responded.

"Well, she can't be too far," Said Jason. "From the looks of the damage our school has taken, it seems like she suffered most of it."

"Yeah," said Dye, "I gave her all I had."

He fell back on his bed with his arms spread out.

"What do you think she will do now?" Asked Jason.

"No doubt she'll try and get her hands on the star," Sam replied.

"Good thing Arayan hid it," retorted Dye, "but what if she does get her hands on it?"

"We have to pray that she doesn't," Jason replied, "things are getting too risky now. She's getting desperate and will probably do anything to get her hands on it."

"No, she won't," said Dye.

"Why?" Sam and Jason replied instantaneously.

"Because I destroyed her Xentonian armor; she has no more power. It would be suicide for her to show herself, knowing that she can't win. I think she's going to lay low until she manages some type of clue as to the whereabouts of the star."

"Wow, Dye!" Said Sam. "It looks like you have thought this through. Hurts to say it, but that's pretty smart thinking there," he coughed.

"Well, I try," he replied smiling.

"So what do we do now?" Jason asked.

"Our best bet is to lay low for now, as well," Sam replied. "Let's take a break and let Griflore make the first move this time."

"Agreed," said Dye, sitting up on the bed, "but there's more that I have to tell you. And by the way, where were you while I was trying to keep the school from being trashed?" He growled, looking at Jason.

"Uh," started Jason, caught off guard. "I sort of ditched to go surfing."

"You would. Gee, thanks, I know who not to look for when I need help," Dye said with sarcasm.

He filled them in on everything Griflore had told him earlier that day. He told them about the Spirit Life-Force and how they were able to achieve it. He told them as much as he could remember before starting to feel drowsy.

"Oh," the young brother said, "before I forget, when I went to go see Greg he gave me some very useful information."

"Like what?" Asked Sam.

"Greg said that there had been reports of Griflore from all over the world; deadly attacks and unexplained occurrences all over."

"Why would Griflore be in more places than here?" Asked Jason. "He was looking for the Jenshia Star. Why attack other parts of the world?"

"That's just it," Sam replied, "when we first showed Arayan the star he told us these things used to fall everywhere across the globe every so often. After he couldn't obtain the one that fell here, Griflore figured there must be more buried in other parts of the world."

"Which is why he left after the fight he had with you two," said Dye.

The two incapable brothers were left by Jason to get their rest. It wasn't long until the two youngest of the siblings were lost in their dreams. Night fell. The breath of the evening came in through their window, and a light wind cooled Dye as he drifted off to sleep once again. All his fears and thoughts vanished in an instant as the city became just as calm as he was.

The morning sun rose into the vast, clear blue sky. The warm fingers of the sun touched Dye's face and slowly woke him up into the world he was most familiar with. He yawned, stretched and slowly lifted his body up. With his eyes barely open, he looked around his room until reaching over to his clock that read nine o'clock. The fact that today was a school day forced him to get up. He threw off his sheets and nearly fell to the ground trying to get to the bathroom until he saw a strange sight that caused him to pause.

Over on the other side of the room, Sam was still asleep. Downstairs he heard rumbling and moving about. He stopped what he was doing and walked out of his room to go downstairs. There, he found Jason, Mack and their mother sitting at the table in the kitchen.

"You're up," said Mrs. Haven, pausing her reading of the daily newspaper. "No school today because of that attack yesterday. Luckily the police found you when they did. If you ask me, they need to bump up security at that school. And you," she looked over at Jason. "For the first time in my life, I'm glad you chose to skip. Sam was sent home with food poisoning and Mack had a field trip to go see a college campus.

"Mom, I'm fine."

"The paramedics said you suffered a concussion. You were unconscious for four hours. After they released you from the hospital you just fell right back to sleep."

"That all happened? I don't remember any of it," he said as a state of drowsiness perched itself on top of him.

"Well, it happened," she replied.

"I'm better now," he took a seat at the table. Mack stood up and grabbed his backpack.

"Where are you going?" Dye asked him. "I thought the school was shut down for the day."

"It is," Mack replied, "but I still have homework to do. I'm heading to the library to study for a test that was supposed to be today, but as to seeing the circumstances, I'm taking this time to study some more so I can pass. I'll be back later."

He swung his bag on his back and walked out through the back door. Dye grabbed whatever was left of breakfast and began to eat. Jason sat at the table and was doing homework himself while his mother enjoyed her coffee and newspaper.

"Is Sam still asleep?" She asked. Dye nodded with a mouth full of food. "Good," she said. "He needs his rest. In the meantime, I need to get ready for work. So you boys have a good day." She walked over to Jason and kissed him on the cheek as she did Dye.

"Mom!" He said, barely catching her as she left. She turned around just before heading up the stairs. "You said that Corrine's memorial is in the Sunset Cemetery right?"

"That's right," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Thought I would take this free day and visit her if that's okay?"

"Yeah, sure, do whatever you want," she said heading up the stairs. "And don't take that last part literally." Her last comment echoed off the walls.

Dye continued to tear through his breakfast until everything was gone. He got up from the table and placed his plate in the sink and rushed out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Asked Jason.

Dye popped his head back into the kitchen. "To see my sister," he said.

"I'm coming with you. Anything is better than homework."

Dye ran upstairs, took a shower, changed his clothes and met Jason back downstairs in no less than thirty minutes.

"Let's go," Dye said.

The two brothers left the house and headed for the cemetery. The brothers walked for what seemed to be thirty minutes until the feeling of death surrounded their essence. The sight of tombstones and crows filled them with an appreciation for life. The gates of the cemetery were standing before them and slowly Dye opened them while Jason stayed a few feet behind.

"What's the matter?" Asked Dye.

"For the record, places like these freak me out."

"Oh, stop being a baby and come on."

Jason entered the eerie feeling space and slowly followed behind his little brother. The vast plain was covered with tombstones and angel statues. Some parts were shaded by trees and stood all throughout the land of the dead. They walked through the graveyard with a sensation as though the dead were watching them.

"Hey," said a voice coming from nearby. Dye and Jason turned around and coming towards them was a dirty old man carrying a shovel.

Jason jumped behind Dye, startled.

"What are you kids doing here? said the old man pointing his shovel. "And why is that boy shaking?"

"Are you the grave keeper?" Asked Dye.

The man struck a look at Dye that made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Who wants to know?" Said the man.

"Um, we're looking for a grave site," replied Dye.

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific.

"Please, sir," said Dye.

A state of compassion overcame the old man. He looked at the young man and believed that this boy couldn't possibly cause any trouble.

"Name?" Asked the man.

"Uh, Corrine, Corrine Haven," Dye answered, unsure about the sound of the name.

"Wait a second. Are you Russell and Jessica's boys?"

"Uh, yeah?" Said Dye with a distinguished stare etched on his face.

"You know our parents?" Asked Jason, peeking out from behind his brother

"Yes," said the old man with a light smile. "Nice, happy couple they were.

How are they?"

"They're fine," Dye replied, "How do you know our parents?"

"About sixteen years ago, they came here wanting a memorial for their daughter who passed away. They couldn't afford it, but seeing them in such despair - I couldn't just send them away. So I made a deal with them. If they helped me to build it, then I would give it to them for free, and it would so have it that those two were here every day for three months helping me to build that statue."

"Wow," said Dye, "Mom and Dad did all that?"

"Where is the Memorial at?" Asked Jason.

"Just at the top of that hill," said the old man pointing with his shovel.

At the top of the hill, a golden angel statue sat in the glistening light of the sun. The two boys were hypnotized by the reflecting light of the messenger that wept over the grave site.

"Thank you," said Dye.

"Don't mention it," said the old man, "just tell your parents I said hello."

"Will do."

The two brothers began their journey to the top of the hill.

"That guy was weird," said Jason.

"Stop being so mean," said Dye. "He helped us out didn't he?"

"I suppose so. Mom and Dad must have gone through a lot of hell to get that thing erected and put on the top of that hill,"

"I guess so. Kind of nice, though."

"This place is really, really creepy," Jason said. "I wonder how long some of these people been here?"

"Frankly, I prefer not think about it," Dye replied.

They continued to walk along the path made for visitors. The angel statue wasn't too far away now. The ocean could be seen just over the cliff. They stood at the top of the peak in the shadow of the great angel that had been standing there for sixteen years.

The angel was dressed in a robe and was holding a harp. It was kneeling on one knee, weeping at the poor soul who had tragically lost her life. Its wings gave shadow to the ground in front of it. Dye and Jason looked down at the foot of the statue and saw inscriptions carved deep into the stone.

Corrine Haven

1984-1989

Our Beloved Daughter

May the light of the Sun guide you

To the gates of Heaven.

"She was only five years old when the accident happened," said Dye, "that would make Mack about three." The two brothers stopped and were in complete silence for a few moments, giving prayer to their departed sister until they were interrupted by a voice.

"What are you doing here?" Said the voice of a girl from behind them. Jason and Dye turned around. In front of them was a girl in rags for clothes. She stood just below the two with nothing but hate and anger feeding her soul.

"I'm not going to ask you again!" Said the girl, feeling threatened, "what are you doing here?" Dye's eyes opened wider than ever.

"This is my place," she said with a harsh tone. "Nobody comes here but me. You're not welcomed here. Leave now!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Wait up," said Dye. "We were just here for-"

"Wait, I know you," she said. "You're the boy from the park."

"The park?" Said Jason to himself. "Then that must mean she's-"

A faint wind blew through the three. "Griflore," Dye finished.

"Griflore?" Said the girl. "Who or what is a Griflore?"

The girl frowned at the two, wanting nothing more but to beat the living daylights out of them.

Jason and Dye looked at each other, puzzled.

"Dye," Jason whispered. "Are you sure this is the girl? She doesn't seem to remember fighting you," Dye and Jason turned their backs to her.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It is her, but I don't know why she doesn't remember anything. Stay on guard, though. It may be a trap,"

The two boys turned around, and the girl's brown eyes were looking directly through them. Silence fell over the ground for a quick moment before Dye so hastily spoke.

"So what's your name?"

"Shut up, kid!" Commanded the girl. "You're still not off the hook. What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," said Jason, "but we're here to pay res-"

"Are you following me?" Said the girl. "Huh? Is that it? This little twerp told you about me, and now you feel sorry for me too?"

"No! That's not it at all," said Jason.

"Save it!" She said. "I don't need anybody worrying about me."

"Look, it's nothing like that at all," said Jason, beginning to get scared of the angry girl. "We were just here paying respects to our sister. She was killed sixteen years ago."

"Sister?" She said, changing her face into a confused one. "Whose sister?"

"Mine and my brother's," Jason replied.

"You two are brothers?" She responded calmly.

"Yeah."

"This is impossible," replied the girl. "No! Lies, all lies, " she said, regaining her anger.

"What are you talking about?" Said Dye, as if he was expecting an answer.

The girl stood there in front of two with an angry face. The two boys were filled with fear as they both were motionless.

"I don't know what your problem is?" Said Dye as he stared at the mysterious girl. "This isn't a coincidence that we've met twice. Why won't you let us help you?"

"I don't need anybody's help," she barked. "I've made that mistake more times than I'll admit. Now leave."

"Hey, Dye," whispered Jason, turning him around along with himself, "I don't think this is the girl we've been looking for. Maybe you got her mixed up with someone else."

"No," whispered Dye, "something's not right."

"I don't know, bro," whispered Jason. "She's not showing any signs of possession. She's not trying to kill us."

"That's maybe because she doesn't know that we're the people she's been fighting all this time."

"But she heard you say Griflore's name. Shouldn't that have triggered something?"

"You're right. I don't know. We may have to play it by ear."

The two boys turned back around and faced the girl, who was staring off into the ocean in a melancholy state. She regained her senses and looked at the two boys gawking back at her.

"If your sister died sixteen years ago, why start coming here now?" She asked.

"We just found out she existed," Dye replied.

"We had no idea we had a sister," Jason said.

"Oh really?" She replied with a doubting voice, "And what was her name?"

"Corrine," replied the brothers.

The girl's eyes shook at the sudden sound of the name. "How do you know that name?" She asked, trying to repress her anger.

"Our parents told us," replied Dye.

"Not to mention it says it right there on the tombstone..." said Jason under his breath.

"Why do you wanna know?" Dye inquired.

"Because I--" started the girl.

Both Dye and Jason waited for her to spit out her words. The unknown girl tried her best to free the answer from her lips.

"No!" She said, "Lies! All lies. You two shouldn't be here."

Dye and Jason felt both pity and compassion for the girl. The wind picked up again, and the young lady's long black hair blew all around her.

"Are you okay?" Dye asked her, walking up to her.

"Stay away from me!" She snarled. She threw her head in her hands and dropped to the ground with an agonizing cry.

"What's wrong with me?" She said as she tried to resist an unknown pain. Dye and Jason stood and watched the strange girl yelled in agony. She turned her body away from the boys to hide her face.

"Jason," said Dye, pointing at the back of the girl's neck, "Look."

The wind picked up her hair from against her neck and showed them a mark that partially concluded everything.

"That mark," said Jason. "It's exactly how Mom described it. You don't think-" Flashbacks of their mother telling them about Corrine burst forth back into their heads. The known fact that she was the only one who had a paw print birthmark on the back of her neck kept a constant stand in their minds. Who was this girl? Could she be the lost bloodline to the Haven family? The boys sighed.

"I don't know?" replied Dye. "Things just keep on getting weirder and weirder."

The girl fell to her knees, screaming and crying in pain.

"We have to do something," Dye said, walking up to her.

"Stay away from me!" She yelled with a warped voice, turning her head to look at Dye, revealing to him her milky white eyes.

"Are you-?" Asked Dye just as scared as ever.

Just then, the girl threw her head from her hands towards the sky and let out a cry that echoed through the cemetery. She slammed her fist into the ground and dug her fingers deep into the soil. Dye and Jason took a few steps back and watched as the girl was in horrible pain.

"What should we do?" Asked Dye in a panic.

"I don't know if there is anything we can do," Jason replied, also in a panic.

She threw her head back in her hands and started to shake uncontrollably. Dye and Jason watched as she went through a horrible transformation. Her teeth grew to points, and thick purple veins started to surface through her hands, up her arms, and through her neck. Her head lashed out revealing thick purple veins resting just beneath her eye sockets. A yellow color started to peer through her milky white eyes and her pupils turned into slits.

"Is this-" said Jason. The girl stopped her cries and brought her bright yellow eyes to Jason and Dye. The two brothers were aghast to what they were witnessing.

"Hate to say it, but I told you so," said Dye.

# Chapter 21: Truth Be Told

The two brothers stared at the bloodthirsty demon as its yellow eyes peered through the eyes of the young girl. A faint wind blew across the land of the dead. The girl's long hair waved across her vein-like face while the rest of it danced along the air currents. Dye and Jason were frozen by fear of the demon that had been after them for months; standing before them in the body of a misunderstood girl Dye had met months ago. Griflore had proceeded to walk up to the statue. Dye and Jason were keeping their distance as they circled around the dangerous villain.

The golden angel stood behind her contaminated body, casting a deep, dark shadow over the three. Dye's heart pounded quickly, and his breathing started to increase while Jason braced himself for the worse. Griflore stood before them with sharp teeth peering through her mouth and with thick veins pumping up through her face. The wind stop and her hair fell, allowing some of it to cover her left eye.

"So, boy," said Griflore, "I see you're still alive."

Dye didn't respond.

"What's that matter? Lost your tongue?" Griflore said, taunting him.

Dye finally came back to his senses and found the girl that he tried to help was under the control of a psychotic, demonic entity. Complete anger replaced all of his emotions, and an expression of absolute contempt was drawn all over his face.

"You monster!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "How dare you!" He said, his eyes changing to an orange color. "How dare you force somebody to do such terrible things." His skin started to turn red, and his body emitted an intense heat. Jason took a couple steps back away from his outraged brother, trying to escape his heat.

Dye took a step towards Griflore, and his footstep left an inflamed imprint in the grass.

"How," said Griflore, flaring his bright yellow eyes, "How is this possible? You're nothing but a human." His yellow eyes flared even more. "You're-" said Griflore, "you're the Fox Bearer. It's been you all this time."

Dye ignited his fist and seized the possessed girl by her neck. A grin appeared on her face as Dye raised his fist, ready to unleash his anger and rage upon the face of his most hated enemy.

"Dye!" Shouted Jason. "Look at what you're doing!" Dye paused, and his orange eyes flared even more. "He wants you to give into your anger. Look!"

Dye removed his hand and saw a burned hand print on her neck. His body cooled off, and his eyes turned back to their original green color. Smoke rose from his body, and he fell to the ground, the sound of Griflore's laughter coming from above him.

"You can beat me all you want," said Griflore, "but I feel nothing." Dye picked up his head and looked up at Griflore. "This body has taken all the beatings you've given it. Even now, I can hear her painful screams from the burn you just placed on her."

"You," said Dye, picking his body up from off the ground, "you son of a bi-"

"Dye!" Yelled Jason, "Control your anger."

Dye ground his teeth and stood up from the ground. He glared into the eyes of his enemy. His green eyes met the yellow, cat-like eyes of the girl's uncontrollable body. He stared deeper into the hypnotizing eyes and appearing slowly in the middle of the yellow eye was the girl's soul. Her limbs were being choked by chains, and her body was stretched out across the yellow void. His eyes flared once again, and his mouth dropped wide open.

"You give her back now," he said while trying to hold back his anger.

"I'm sorry," said Griflore with a grin on her face, "but I'm not quite finished with her yet." Dye saw the veins on Corrine's head beginning to pump faster and harder. He ground his teeth even more, trying to hold back his anger.

"So it's been you all this time?" Said Griflore, "And you?" He moved his horrific eyes over to Jason. "You are but children. How are you able to compare yourselves to me?"

Dye smiled. He felt a feeling of superiority come over him.

"I will show you what real power is," said Griflore as he raised Corrine's hand. A bright purple veil started to surround her hand. Dye's eyes flew open wide as he was preparing to brace himself, but before he could get out of the way, Griflore released a beam of raw energy straight at Dye. The force allowed the soil to rise and give a smokescreen cover to the two boys. The grave keeper came outside from his hut with a shotgun in hand and observed the newly formed cloud of dirt that had just appeared up the hill.

Dye was completely covered with dirt and soil. He had his arms shielding his face with his eyes tightly shut. He slowly opened them and let his guard down.

"I'm still alive?" He said to himself, miraculously, "Man, that's twice in the same school year. By the same person... thing... I mean demon, or whatever it is."

He saw the glowing demon eyes of the girl peering back at him through the smoke. As he looked closer, he started to see them move in a waving motion as if he was looking through a wall of water. As the dirt and dust lifted, Dye and Jason were shocked to see what was standing in front of them. Before them was a tall, glass-like wall that looked like it was made out of water. It shielded them from Griflore's attack.

"Where did this come from?" Asked Jason.

Dye started to notice that the shadow of the golden angel statue was casting a shadow of something else. It was taller at the top which made the shadow stretch out further throughout their area. Dye looked up with the light of the sun blinding him. As he started to focus his vision more, a human figure began to appear at the top of the sculpture. The sight grew clearer, and the figure jumped and landed directly behind the two brothers.

"Arayan!" Dye said. Arayan blinked his blue eyes and the wall that was separating them from Griflore suddenly vanished.

"Great timing," said Jason, who finally decided to come closer and stand next to his brother.

Arayan saw the helpless body of a girl standing before him.

"What is this?" He asked, unaware of the drastic turn of events.

"That's him," Dye replied, "That's Griflore, seems like Sam's theory was right on target."

"He's in possession of this girl," said Jason, "he's been inside of her all this time. Is there anything you can do?"

"Yeah, there has to be some kind of exorcism thing you can do or something," pleaded Dye, "Like the one you did on me. Please, she's suffering, and as long as we have to fight him inside of her, she's going to continue to feel pain."

"We think she's our sister," added Jason.

A tender emotion overcame Arayan. He turned towards Griflore and stared at him with his blue eyes.

"I've been waiting for this day to come for years," said Arayan angrily, "you're the one responsible for the genocide of my people."

"Who are you?" Asked Griflore.

"I am Arayan," he replied, "the last of the Quailocian race."

Griflore exploded with laughter. Arayan felt his anger replace his compassion. All he could think to do was strike Griflore in the face, but he remembered what Dye said about the body the monster was using. If he were to attack Griflore, then the body would suffer the damage.

"My dear boy," said Griflore, recovering from the laughter, "You really have no idea, do you?"

"Idea of what?" Asked Arayan.

"The Quailocians, they were no different than humans. Your people still walk amongst you up to this day. In fact, it was their human nature that got them killed in the first place."

"You're wrong," said Arayan in denial. "That can't be true. We were more advanced than the humans. We were more civilized."

"And what made you more civilized?" Asked Griflore.

"Our way of living, everything!"

"Yes. That's the answer you gave, but it's not what you suggest," said Griflore, "how about the technology?"

Arayan frowned.

"The technology that wasn't made by human hands, as you do know," Griflore continued, "before the arrival of the distant travelers, your people were nothing more than savages."

"That's a lie," replied Arayan getting more livid. The level of blasphemy Griflore was expressing was indeed heavy for Arayan.

"Oh?" questioned Griflore. "Then let me show you."

Griflore raised the girl's hand and snapped her fingers. Before they knew it, Dye, Jason, and Arayan along with Griflore were falling through a vortex. The trip swiftly ended with the three boys finding themselves in a prehistoric world.

"What just happened?" Asked Dye, staring around.

The gigantic reptilian creatures enjoyed the wonders of the earth; the calm air, the never ending supply of vegetation for the herbivores to consume, and the natural order of life between parent and child. The roaring of an angry creature was heard rampaging its way towards them. Dye, Jason, and Arayan were frightened instantly. The three of them turned around and glimpsed the sight of the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex charging toward them.

"Calm down," said Griflore, "this is but a memory that has been downloaded into me. The creature doesn't even smell you."

The T-Rex passed directly through the boys and thrashed into the forest, attacking another creature. The horrible cry of an animal in pain filled their ears filling the boys with a disturbing feeling.

"Downloaded?" Said Arayan to himself.

"Before the dawn of man," said Griflore, "these creatures ruled the planet. That is until a meteor came crashing down from the heavens." Griflore pointed up, and the boys saw a giant asteroid bring fire from the sky, crashing into the earth. "The sun was blocked out for hundreds of years," Griflore continued, "killing the entire ecosystem on this planet. One by one, these creatures died out along with its vegetation. However, it wasn't long before new life started to emerge."

The image fast forwarded, and now the boys were looking at a group of hairy, apelike men who behaved savagely and wore the skins of animals. They watched as the primitive species started to fight violently and beat each other for leadership until the other was dead.

"Behold," Griflore continued, "the first Quailocians. They were savages, but as time went on they started to evolve." The image moved forward again, this time passing hundreds of years. In this scene, the boys saw the ape-men fully developed and wore clothes similar to those of Arayan's. They were conversing with strange creatures with a skinny and tall body type with pale blue skin. They had shiny silver eyes and abnormally big heads. All around them was an advanced city with advanced vehicles that whizzed everywhere. Their structures were towers made from gold and silver. "This is the civilization you were referring to, right, boy?" Said Griflore. Arayan remained silent. "These were but one of the species that helped with the development of these people. From then on, other species decided to visit earth and in exchange for clearance they traded some of their technology. This era of humanity was the most advanced compared to where you two come from." He said referring to Dye and Jason. "Their bonds with animals were so strong that the very first Xenton Order was formed."

"How do you know all of this?" Arayan asked.

"With knowledge, comes curiosity," Griflore replied, "the Quailocians were so technologically advanced at this time that they decided to create something of their own."

Griflore snapped her fingers once more, and the image sped up.

"Isn't that?" Said Dye.

"Yes," Griflore replied, "the meteor that killed off life once before and sprung forth a new generation."

"What are they doing with it?" Jason asked as they witnessed the Quailocians taking pieces of the rock from its resting place.

"The Quailocians believed that piece of rock to be godly," the demon continued. "They believed that if it could destroy life and recreate it, then they could tap into its secrets and do it themselves. Evidently, they were successful. They had unlocked the secret of how to create life. To recreate loved ones who had died, complete with their original memories. They continued on with the project until something drastic came to their attention. Suppose the Xenton were unable to do their duty all of sudden. Then who would be there to protect the people?" Griflore snapped her figures again, and the image vanished instantly. Next, the four were standing in an advanced laboratory with six oversized test tubes standing side by side in the center of the room. There were many Quailocians dressed in strange attire, finishing up calculations and preparing a test of some sort.

"What is this?" Arayan asked.

"The Quailocians thought about creating their own Xenton," said Griflore, "but not just any Xenton. These Xenton were to be the most powerful Xenton ever created. They didn't take regular animal spirits. Instead, they combined them to make even more powerful ones."

"This," said Griflore, "this is where I came into play."

"What?" Said Arayan.

Both Dye and Jason were amazed at Griflore's statement.

"That's right," said Griflore, "I was created by your people."

"But there are six tubes," said Dye, "what are the five others?"

"Stupid boy, there were more than just me," said Griflore. "The Quailocians created six very powerful spirits and made their bodies from scratch. The spirits of the Minotaur, Sphinx, Garuda, Basilisk, Siren, and Griffin were put into the bodies of these super Xenton or better known as the Zincas."

"Incredible," whispered Dye.

"They tried making the bodies durable enough to withstand the power of the spirits they had created," said Griflore, who was standing and watching. "Biolgically equipped to be superior."

The boys observed as the scientist began fusing the souls with the bodies inside the tubes. Colorful, swirling lights began advancing their way through the tubes and into the glass containers that kept the bodies. Lights of a thousand colors filled the containers and gave a silhouette to the bodies inside. Each body began to struggle with the lights inside, each of them showing signs of resistance. After a long drawn out process, the six spirits finally infused themselves with the bodies and immediately the bodies started to gain animal-like features and grow at an alarming rate. Dye, Jason, and Arayan witnessed the catastrophe closely as loud alarms were sent throughout the laboratory. The holographic computers started to flash in red with very strange symbols across the screen. Strange looking robots began assisting the scientist by pressing up against the tubes to prevent a rupture.

"What's happening?" Asked Jason. The glass started to crack, and a pink fluid seeped out.

"Somebody made an error," Griflore replied.

Just then, the glass tubes exploded, and the helper droids jumped from the ground and held themselves in midair. While the scientist braced themselves, standing before them were six, very strange looking creatures whose body features were completing their adjustments. Two of the creatures grew wings while one of them grew to the height of ten feet.

"What are those?" Asked Arayan.

"Because the spirits were too powerful for the hosts," Griflore began, "when the spirits were sent to infuse themselves into the host, the bodies couldn't handle the raw power that was given to them. So instead they took on the traits of the spirits they were hosting. In essence, we became the spirits."

The cries from the naked beasts echoed through the laboratory until the sight vanished and was replaced with a new one.

"Everything was going well," Griflore said, "they trained us in the ways of the Xenton and soon we became a great asset to the people. However, the Quailocians were not counting on one thing."

"What's that?" Said the three boys simultaneously.

"We gained a mind of our own," he replied. The vision melted into a sight of depression and sorrow. Dye and the others watched as the beasts were beginning to be mistreated. Screams and cries came from the struggling creatures as they sat locked up in chairs and cells.

"They wanted nothing but to control us. They feared us, feared our power and they threatened to seal us away in another dimension just to keep us in control and use us whenever they wanted to. We rebelled of course. We wanted those disgusting humans dead. So we raged war against the three civilizations. Nobody could stand up to our power, nobody until he showed up."

The image melted away again and a dark sky and nearly destroyed, and burning battlefields filled their sights. Thousands of shiny armored Xenton were fighting the fearsome six beasts. The beasts were tossing and throwing Xenton in all directions, tearing through their defenses and striking down hundreds. Then suddenly, out of nowhere came to a Xenton wearing gold armor that was purer than Dye's. He had lion's hair that sat on his neck and wielded a golden blade.

"Who is that?" Asked Dye.

"King Owena," replied both Griflore and Arayan.

They watched as he single-handedly fought all six of the powerful beasts. Out of the sky came another Xenton who wore armor with the light of the moon.

"Queen Diea," said Arayan.

Together, the two strongest Xenton fought for their lives against the bioengineered creations.

"Owena and Diea proved to be a good match for us," Griflore continued. "Owena opened the gates that lead to the Lost Void and one by one we were forced in. I managed to skip limbo, however. My body was sucked in, but my soul was not. My spirit roamed free for years until I found the thing that allowed me to regain my strength. I achieved my Xentonian form and tried to finish what my brethren started. I used a spell and sapped the spirits from the remaining Xenton and killed them before I took my rightful place at the throne. Before then I discovered the research that was my creation. What I would learn would become my drive to this day."

The boys awaited anxiously.

"Another spirit was created in addition the original six, the Phoenix spirit. I finally knew how to free my brethren, but I was too late. Apparently, that spirit was destroyed." Griflore snapped his fingers and immediately they were back in the cemetery.

"After I discovered the information I left the body I inhabited," said Griflore.

"Which gave the illusion that you vanished," said Dye.

"Precisely," Griflore replied.

The sun was halfway gone across the sky. The shadow of the angel was beginning to fade away.

"Now you know the origin of your people," said Griflore. "Your people were no more than human. Even today they are trying to commit the same crime they did back then, and soon they too will wipe this planet clean of their existence."

Arayan couldn't feel anything but resentment. Before he could realize anything, Griflore opened the mouth of the girl, and slowly a dark smoke started to seep out. The veins on her face were pumping faster and harder. Her fingers were cramping up, and her eyes were being rolled into the back of her head.

"What are you doing?" Cried Dye.

Immediately, from the girl's mouth came a ghoulish, shadow-like creature. The creature plagued the ground as it swarmed from the innocent girl's mouth. Dye and Jason jumped from the path of the ghoul and Arayan found himself looking directly into the yellow eyes of the black demon. The creature forced its way in through Arayan's mouth and just as it was completely inside him, the girl's unconscious body fell to the ground. Dye ran over to her body and held her in his arms with Jason standing over him.

"Hey!" He said trying to shake her awake. "Say something, wake up!"

"Dye, look!"

Dye picked up his head and saw the yellow, cat-like eyes that were once in the girl's body appearing in Arayan's.

"He transferred bodies?" Said Dye.

"In order to survive I need to switch off bodies regularly," said Griflore. "I'm attracted to negative energy so taking you on that little field trip sparked anger in this one." He admired his newly obtained body, the veins pumping through Arayan's face.

"He will do just fine."

Looks of anger were drawn all over both Jason and Dye's face.

"As for the girl," said Griflore, "she won't last long anyway. Her life force is almost gone. I need to feed off of the host's life force and once it's gone, they die. So will she and this one too."

"You're sick," said Dye, "I swear I'm going to kill you when I get the chance."

"You see, there's something wrong with that." Said Griflore. "When you do get the chance, you won't be around."

"Huh?" Said Jason.

"My plan is nearly complete," said Griflore. "So that's where you're hiding the star. Smart boy."

Jason and Dye knew exactly what Griflore was referring to. To stall for time, Dye asked the question he knew he wouldn't get the answer to, but he still needed to try.

"What are you planning?" Said Dye.

"Well, I guess you know so much already that it wouldn't be fair to keep you from the rest," said Griflore, falling for Dye's trick.

"The rest of what?" Asked Dye.

"It was a hoax that the final spirit was destroyed. That very spirit was under my nose the whole entire time. It was never placed into an artificial body. Instead, King Owena placed it in his son, Prince Ziehr, before I reignited the Rebellion War," Griflore snickered. "Even through death that old fool still managed to outsmart me."

"Prince Ziehr?" the brothers replied.

"Fearing the worst for his son, Owena cast a spell that would allow his son's soul to continuously reincarnate from one body to the next whenever the previous body was to perish. Nevertheless, the person he would reincarnate into would not be aware of their past, making it hard for anyone to find him. The only way that his power could be awakened is if the host was in life-threatening danger. This would awaken the Prince's spirit and the host would take on the role of being the Prince with all the memories of Ziehr and the host becoming one."

"So!" Said Dye, "What does the Prince have to do with any of this?"

"His blood is the key to opening the Lost Void. Once opened, my brethren will be free to rule this world as they please."

"So that's why you left the war," said Jason. "The Prince's spirit wasn't there anymore. So you went after it."

"Precisely," Griflore said coldly.

"How is his blood the key?" Asked Dye. "That doesn't make any sense."

"The Phoenix spirit was created from the same rock the Quailocians used to create my brethren and I. Since his body was infused with the spirit, his blood is powerful enough to open the gates. As to seeing I have nobody of my own, I cannot perform this deed. Only the Prince can. It can only be the primary body the spirit was infused with first."

"We will stop you," said Jason.

"Oh, I've heard that one before. I would love to stay around and chat, but I have a star to find and a family reunion to plan."

After those words had been spoken, Griflore evaporated into thin air, taking Arayan's body with him.

"Wait!" Shouted Dye, "Get back here!"

"Let him go."

"But you heard what he said," said Dye, responding furiously, "he's going after the star."

"Even if we wanted to we can't follow him," said Jason, "we don't have the resources. Sam isn't here. And besides, we have worse things to worry about." Jason looked down at the girl and saw her unconscious body lying at the foot of the golden angel statue. Her hair spread out over the grass with her old and torn clothes.

"She needs medical attention now," said Jason, "we need to get her to a hospital." Dye got his anger under control and picked up the girl, and along with Jason they immediately left the cemetery.

# Chapter 22: Refusal

The beautiful night sky was as dark as the space beyond it. Thousands of twinkling stars could be seen in the heavens.

A blur ran through the busy city. It slashed corners and ran through and across streets. The light moved so fast that it picked up a breeze behind it, throwing things around such as leaves and other loose material. People slammed on their brakes at the sudden appearance of the blur that streaked in front of their cars.

Dye was racing through the city with the girl that could be his sister in his arms along with his brother on his back. He ran as fast as he could to get his potential sister to the hospital. Jason was on the phone telling Sam everything that had happened. Sam said that he would meet them at the hospital as soon as he could. Jason hung up and held on to his brother with both hands as Dye accelerated. Together they went throughout the city to find the local hospital. Faster and faster the blur streaked until finally disappearing. Jason jumped off of Dye's back, and they both quickly ran into the busy hospital.

"Help!" They yelled as they rushed through the white hallways. "We need medical attention - now!"

One of the nurses came to aid them and called over to another nurse to get a stretcher. Dye placed the girl's lifeless body on the gurney, and both Dye and Jason followed the nurses down the hall at her bedside. They put an oxygen mask on her face and gave her shots in her arm. Before the two could go any further, they were halted by the other nurses and were told to stay in the waiting area.

Fifteen minutes passed, and Dye couldn't stop waltzing around in a circle as his nerves pulsed throughout his body. Jason sat in one of the chairs with his face sunken in his hands. His long hair hung down passed his hands. Dye paced back and forth, biting his fingers and rubbing his hair back to ease his tenseness.

"Dye! Jason!" Said Sam, running into the lobby.

"What's the word?" He asked. "Is she okay?"

"We don't know," replied Dye. "They just took her in not too long ago. All we can do is sit and wait."

The boys sat down in the lobby and waited patiently for the doctor to come out. Minutes drew by and soon hours flew by as well. People came and went from the hallway, but the boys remained there, silent as ever. The sound of the television flooded the room with the news still talking about Griflore's attack that took place months ago. However, the brothers were less interested in their victory and were more worried about the well-being of the girl that could be Corrine.

At last, a man in a white doctor's coat came walking through the doors carrying a clipboard. Dye, Sam, and Jason stood up to acknowledge him, the three of them having a worried look on their faces.

"Were you the boys who brought a girl in earlier?" Asked the doctor.

"Yes," replied the three boys simultaneously.

"Are you related to her?" Asked the doctor.

The brothers dropped their faces and paused for a moment.

"She's our sister." Dye said hesitantly, bringing Sam and Jason's heads back up.

"How is she?" Asked Jason.

"Unfortunately, she fell into a coma while we were working on her," said the  doctor. The boys' hearts sank.

"Will she be okay?" Asked Jason.

"It's hard to tell at this point," said the doctor.

"What do you mean?" Asked Sam.

"Well, she's a twenty-one-year-old woman with the body condition of a ninety-year-old. I've never seen anything like this before," he flipped through the papers on his clipboard, analyzing the girl's data.

"What do you mean? What's going to happen to her?" Dye asked hastily.

"Her body is slowly shutting itself down, her breathing is slowing down, her heart rate has dramatically dropped, and her bones are deteriorating. At this rate, she'll probably be dead in three months. Give or take a month."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Dye asked with tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

"No. I'm afraid not," said the doctor, "I'm sorry."

The boys were silent for a brief moment.

"Can I see her?" Asked Dye.

"Visiting hours are over," the doctor replied, "but since you've been waiting for a while I guess I can spare you five or ten minutes."

Dye slightly smiled and followed the doctor behind the closed doors into a white hallway, leaving his brothers behind. Its walls were covered with doors that lead into other rooms that were probably filled with other patients. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the hallway. A tear streamed down Dye's face and splattered on the nicely, waxed tiled floor. He picked up the rest of his tears with his sleeve and sniffed a little.

"She's in here," said the doctor opening the door.

Dye stood at the threshold for a moment. Something was holding him back. The sound of the heart pulse machine filled his ears as it beeped slowly. He gained control of his legs and was able to walk into the dark, depressing hospital room. The window was open, letting in a cool breeze that made Dye's anxiety worse. He started on his way into the room, and the doctor closed the door behind him, the sound of the closing door echoing.

There, in the bed was the body of a person whose chest raised and lowered with each passing breath. He walked over slowly, and as he approached the bed, the face of an unconscious girl peered over at him, her eyes were closed, and her mouth was drawn open with tubes sticking out. Her physical features were that of an aged woman. Her hair took on a gray, silver color and her face was shriveled like a raisin. Her bones were thin, and her skin was as white and wrinkled as the sheets. The heart monitor beeped. Tubes were running out her mouth with oxygen tubes going across her face and into her nostrils. She wasn't able to breathe on her own.

Dye's heart broke into a million pieces. He was yelling inside and crying on the outside at the sight of his sister's condition. He touched Corrine's ice cold hand, which made him sob even more. He sniffed and wiped away his tears and tried to throw up words. All he could do was look at her and feel failure eating him up inside. He remained silent and stared at her face. Nothing but revenge sparked within him. The yellow eyes of his most feared and hated enemy started to take over his mind. Being fed up with the constant struggle between Griflore and his family, Dye quickly left the room and marched down the empty hallway.

He met back up with his brothers who were anxiously awaiting his return.

Dye came from behind the closed doors to find his brothers sitting in the lobby waiting for him. His sad face gave a signal to his brothers that things were not okay.

"How is she?" Asked Jason.

Dye's expression got worse as he dragged his eyes up to his brothers.

"Not too good," he replied.

"What do we do now?" Asked Sam.

"We go after the star," said Dye.

"The star?" Asked Sam. Dye looked over at Jason. "Why would we go after that?"

"You didn't tell him?" Said Dye.

"Tell me what?" Asked Sam.

"Sorry," replied Jason, "I was so wrapped up in the moment that it must have slipped my mind."

"Your crazy theory about Griflore being a possessive spirit was right," Dye replied, "he jumped from Corrine's body and into Arayan's. Which means..."

"Which means he must have tapped into Arayan's memory and found the location of the star," Sam finished.

"But it's been hours since he's switched bodies," Jason said, "he could already have the star."

"We still have to check it out," said Dye.

"Dye's right," said Sam, "we need to see if we can find any clues as to what Griflore is up to."

"We already know that," said Dye.

"I know we know that," replied Sam, "but how he plans to do it is still a complete mystery. Come on; we have to go."

The brothers quickly left the lobby and ran through the hallway, passing the front desk where one of the receptionists yelled "No running!" The boys continued to run with Sam in the lead. They made it to the exit when Sam burst through the doors and wings sprouted from his back and white; golden armor covered his entire body. Dye jumped onto Sam's back while Jason stayed behind.

"I'll head home," said Jason, "maybe the news will have some info we can use."

"Sounds good," said Sam.

"We'll meet you back at home," Dye said.

The three brothers left the hospital. Sam and Dye took off into the night sky while Jason headed back home. Dye held on for dear life as Sam flew through the sound barrier, causing a loud sonic boom to erupt in the heavens above. They flew above the city, up through the clouds and across the moon. They climbed higher and higher into the sky until they were at their destination. Sam's armor started to glow, and within moments it shot a beam of light into the clouds. The clouds dissipated, and there in front of them was the Sky Sanctuary.

"This isn't good," said Dye.

The sanctuary was completely in ruin. A light cloud of dust orbited the once beautiful temple. The two brothers flew into the sanctuary and landed. The crystal floors were cracked with a gigantic hole in the center of the sacred palace. Two pillars were lying on the ground and were broken across the floor.

"Griflore really did a number on this place," said Sam, "and it looks like he got what he wanted."

The two brothers observed the gigantic hole in the floor and saw a metal case next to it that had been broken into.

"No doubt this is where Arayan was keeping the star," said Sam.

"So what do we do?" Asked Dye.

"We head back now," Sam replied, picking up his brother and soaring out of the sanctuary.

They flew down, heading back towards the city. They zipped through the neighborhood before flying through the open window that led to their room. Dye jumped off of Sam's back, and Sam returned to normal. During that moment, Jason came through the door and closed it.

"Well?" He said.

"We were too late," said Sam, "the star is gone."

"Where's Mack?" Asked Dye.

"He's sleeping," replied Jason. "Why?"

"He needs to know what's going on," said Dye walking towards the door; Jason stopped him by seizing his arm.

"He can't know," said Jason, "at least not right now."

"Corrine is his sister too!" Said Dye.

"What are you going to tell him? That she's the one who's been trying to kill us for the past six, seven months or however long it's been?"

"He has a point, Dye," said Sam, "maybe we should wait until we know more."

"More what?" Said Dye, getting angry and tearing his arm away from Jason's grip. "Our sister will be dead in three months. He has to know, and so do Mom and Dad."

"No!" Said Sam. "Then our secret will get out. You know Mom can't keep a secret. We'll be on the news before you know it."

"Yeah, and the Government will probably blame all the damage on us," said Jason.

Dye calmed down and looked down at the floor.

"Well, what are we supposed to do now?" He asked sadly.

"We prepare ourselves," said Sam, "for the worst."

"How?" Said Dye. "Griflore was powerful, even without the star. Just imagine what he could do now."

"We don't know where he is," said Jason, "and plus we still don't know his methods. If we intervened now, we could make things worse. That thing can grant the wish of anybody who holds it. It could be a trap."

"But it can be stopped," said Dye, "Arayan said so."

"Exactly," said Sam, "unless we know what he's up to then we should wait it out." "He could have already granted the wish already," Dye added.

"Highly unlikely," Sam replied.

"Why?" Asked Dye and Jason.

"Because we wouldn't be standing here," Sam replied, "but I don't know why he's taking his time."

"Maybe he's waiting for something to happen," Dye suggested.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Jason. "He has everything he needs - why hold on?"

"I'm guessing he's waiting for something. Something that's going to give him the edge he needs." Dye replied while lost in his thoughts.

"But what?" Asked Sam.

"I have no idea. Guess we will have to sit and wait."

The boys were completely puzzled. The closer they were to getting an answer, the more questions started to arise.

Waiting on Griflore to finally show his face, the boys resumed their normal lives. School and extra-curricular activities were the only things they could do until they had a lead on what was going to happen. Dye went to visit Corrine in the hospital every day after school. He thought maybe her condition could lead him to some clues to Griflore whereabouts. She continued to show no signs of waking up. Nevertheless, Dye was there to see and check on her. She was looking worse by the day. Her aging skin and gray hair scared him intensely. Still, he started to feel comfortable talking to her. He wanted answers, but the only answer he received was the girl in the picture he found in the attic. He reached into his back pocket and retrieved his wallet, opened it and pulled out the picture of the younger Corrine. Corrine and the girl in the picture shared a striking resemblance.

When he remembered the girl he met in the park, the two shared the same brown eyes, the same dark, black hair with the same skin complexion. The more he pictured this comparison, the less doubt he had in believing this was actually his sister. Each day he would visit her with the hope of some kind of change in her condition. Still, her old body lay in the bed with her eyes tightly shut.

There was still no sign of Griflore. Corrine's time was running out, and there was nothing the brothers could do. The boy's continued their regular routines with school and extra-curricular activities hoping that something would give them a clue.

It was the afternoon, Dye found himself at home, sitting on the couch and flipping through the channels. Sam and Jason were upstairs in their rooms doing homework.

"Boring!" He said as he skipped over the channels. "Not interested," he continued, "really, now? Over a thousand channels and nothing's on." He stopped his constant flicking and found the news. He sat on the couch and watched as the meteorologist dictated what the weather would be in the coming days.

"Today's weather was absolutely magnificent, wasn't it folks?" Said the weatherman. Dye rolled his eyes and was about to change the channel when something whispered in his ear to keep watching. "I hope you folks are in for a treat this week," the weatherman continued, "We are breaking records this week for the best weather Beach Shores has ever had, which is an excellent way to start this beautiful summer season off. Clear skies, light breezes and temperatures in the high seventies and low eighties, but that's not all folks. In just about two more days something phenomenal will occur in the sky," Dye sat up on the couch and directed his attention towards the television, "A very rare lunar eclipse will cover our moon in just two days," Dye looked at the simulation that had appeared on the screen. A three-dimensional model simulating the solar system was seen on the screen. The nine planets that shaped the solar system started to form a straight line, blocking out the light of the sun from the moon, "A very rare planetary alignment will happen, causing a lunar eclipse to last approximately seven minutes and will occur at midnight Friday night. So at around midnight two days from now, if you look into the sky I can more than guarantee you the moon completely will be covered by a shadow. This alignment happens once every two thousand years," The red moon from his dream-filled Dye's mind; the strange red glow, the destroyed city, and thousands of frightening creatures.

"Holy crap!" he said "Sam!" He yelled. "Jason!"

Moments later the thumping of the two brothers came from upstairs as they came rampaging down the staircase.

"What?" Said Sam, who was standing on the stairs, "what is it?"

"This is it. This is what he's been waiting for," he said compulsively, pointing at the screen. "He's been waiting for this ever since he got here."

"Who?" Asked Jason.

"Griflore," Dye replied, "who else?"

"Dye, what's this all about?" Asked Sam, "I have homework to do."

"Look!" Said Dye, pointing at the television screen. The two brothers saw the simulation of the eclipse upon the screen.

"So?" Said Jason, "It's an eclipse."

"Not just an eclipse, it's a very rare planetary alignment. Don't you see? This is why it's been taking Griflore so long to act."

"Huh?" Said Sam and Jason.

"This eclipse and planetary alignment only happen once every two thousand years. I'm pretty sure this is the eclipse that Arayan told us about."

"Wait, wait, hold on!" Said Sam, "You think this is the same eclipse that happened billions of years ago?"

"Could be," Dye said, "Everything up until now has made sense hasn't it?"

"I believe you," Jason replied, "it all fits."

"This eclipse could mean the end," Dye added.

"Wait!" Said Sam. "If this is what he's been waiting for then-" Something clicked in his mind. "That's why he couldn't destroy us before back when the human race had civil wars," Sam continued, "because he didn't have the star back then."

"And now that he does, he's going to destroy us," Dye continued. "I get it now! It all makes sense."

"Now that Griflore has the star, he has the power to kill us off," Jason said.

"And with the star, he can wish for incredible power that can kill us all in one shot," Sam added.

"But I'm not sure he's going to do it that way," Dye replied.

"Why?" Asked Sam.

"I'm pretty sure he's going to do things the way he likes it," he replied.

"And that way would be?" Asked Jason.

"My dream," Dye replied, "he's going to use that star to wish for an army, something so simple, yet so powerful."

"Exactly!" Sam added on, "He's going to turn everyone on this planet into bloodthirsty monsters. You know, I bet he's going to use the moon as a beckon to extend the star's energy all across the world.

"Yes! That's exactly what I was thinking too, but that's not all," Dye replied. "With all this worldwide chaos, the Prince will be awakened to protect his host."

"And if he awakens, then Griflore can find him," finished Dye.

"And if Griflore finds him he can use his blood to open the door to the Lost Void," said Jason.

"To release the Zincas just like that," Sam continued.

"And just like that, total apocalypse," finished Dye, the heaviness of the end plowing on top of him.

"When is this supposed to happen?" Asked Jason.

"Um, in about two days," Dye replied, "At midnight."

"That's a Friday," said Sam, "The same night as Mack's prom."

"I know," said Dye, "and we're going to need his help more than ever now.  Where is he?" Dye jumped from the couch and ran between Sam and Jason, up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Dye didn't reply. Instead, he continued to make his way to the top of the stairs until he charged into Jason and Mack's room. There, he saw Mack sitting at his desk doing his homework.

"Mack, we need your help," Dye said, closing the door.

"We?" Mack replied without taking his eyes off of his work

"Sam, Jason and I."

"With what?"

"That thing that has been attacking the city. It's going to destroy the world in two days, and we're-"

"Stop right there," Mack dropped his pencil and looked over at his brother. "We're not doing anything. I don't want any part in this."

"What?" Dye said with a perplexed attitude. "What are you talking about?"

"I refuse to get involved with this. I have better things to do," Mack replied, "and I will have no part in it."

"You can't be serious. You mean you're not going to help us?"

"I'm saying I'm not going to clean up you guys' mess."

"I can't believe you," Dye became furious, "you're just going to sit here and do nothing?"

"No. I'm giving you a choice."

"A choice? If it wasn't for us, hundreds, maybe even thousands of people would be dead right now and billions more if we don't act now."

"It's not your responsibility, Dye!" Shouted Mack.

"What do you mean it's not my responsibility?" Dye shouted back. "It's my responsibility, it's Sam's, it's Jason's and it's yours."

"I will have nothing to do with this little fantasy of yours."

"Fantasy? This isn't about you or me," Dye received more fury, "this thing is about to destroy us, and you refuse to help us. Mom, Dad, all your friends, everyone will die. Corrine is in the hospital right now because this thing got to her first," Dye reached into his wallet and pulled out the picture of his older sister. He flashed it in Mack's face.

"Look at this!" He said, "This little girl, your sister, is in the hospital inches from death and you won't do a thing about it."

"That's impossible. Corrine is dead and has been for sixteen years."

"That's what I thought too. But she's alive, and now she's in the hospital, in a coma, days away from death, and you still refuse to help us kill the thing that did that to her. Why?"

"I have my reasons,"

"You've been acting so weird lately. You're never around anymore. Me, Sam and Jason have been fighting this thing all year, and you are nowhere to be found. What is family to you then?"

Mack was silent. The angry look on his face was the only response he could give his younger brother. Mack was still feeling guilty about injuring his fellow teammates. He couldn't bear to uncontrollably hurt anyone else ever again, even if that meant distancing himself from his brothers.

"Unbelievable," Dye said with tense emotion rising. "You can't even give me a answer. You're one of us,"

"I don't have to answer to you!" Said Mack aggressively, "now get out of my room."

"Fine!" Dye turned around and walked out, "You know I used to look up to you, but now you're nothing more than a weak coward to me. As far as I'm concerned, you're not my brother."

Dye opened the door, walked out and slammed it. He came stomping down the stairs and threw himself on the couch and folded his arms with an indignant look on his face. Sam and Jason made themselves comfortable and were watching the television.  "What happened?" Asked Sam.

Dye didn't reply. Instead, he looked at the TV. Dye sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

"We have to keep on fighting, or billions of people will die," he said with pressure building substantially within him.

"Don't worry about it little bro," said Jason, "We'll come up with a plan." Dye smiled along with his two brothers. How were they going to come up with a scheme to save the world in just two days? The three of them felt the pressure crush their drive. They were scared and anxious, but they couldn't let the pressure get to them.

# Chapter 23: Countdown to Apocalypse

"Okay, we need a plan!" Said Dye, "We have until tomorrow night to figure out how we're going to stop Griflore."

Sam, Jason, and Dye were sitting in the living room. A day had passed since they discovered what Griflore was planning. It was the afternoon, and they had the entire house to themselves.

"Any ideas?" Asked Sam.

Both Jason and Dye sighed. The room fell silent.

"We have to find a way to destroy the star," answered Dye, "Arayan said that if we destroyed the star then whatever was wished for will be reversed."

"So we need to get close enough to destroy the star," said Jason.

"But how?" Said Sam. "Griflore won't let us near him. He knows what we're up to."

The three sighed yet again.

"What if we distracted him?" Suggested Dye.

"How?" Asked Sam.

"One of us goes in, while the other sneak up," Dye replied.

"That won't work," said Sam.

"Why?" Asked Dye.

"He has witnessed almost every war humanity has had, which means he knows basic tactics," said Sam. "He knows there are three of us and I'm sure he will see that coming."

"Then what do we do?" Asked Jason, "Give him an all-out brawl?"

"No, that's too risky," said Dye. "We have to go in playing our cards right."

The three brothers sighed for the third time.

"We need to figure out where he's going to be," Dye suggested.

"Let's see," said Sam, "If I wanted to get as close to an eclipse as possible, then I would go to the highest point in the city."

"The skyscraper," Dye answered, "I bet if we go there tomorrow night, then we'll find him."

"Okay, so we have one thing figured out," said Jason.

"So now, how do we get the star and destroy it?" Asked Sam.

"The only thing we can do is distract him," said Dye, "We can't fight, or we will be picked off one by one. We have to put our entire focus on getting the star back."

"Maybe that's it," said Sam, "What if we do the exact opposite?"

"Why?" Asked Jason. "Didn't you hear Dye?"

"I mean we keep the goal of getting the star there in our heads, but we don't show it. If Griflore thinks we're gunning for something else, then he'll let his guard down. That'll be our chance to snatch it," said Sam

"I got this," said Dye, "I have a lot of things I can go after. Like those ugly ass eyes."

"But don't get too focused on other things," said Sam. "Don't forget; we're going after the star."

"But what about Arayan?" Asked Jason. "His body is going to be taking all of the damage. Should we hold back?"

"No way!" Said Dye, "Arayan knows the risk, and I bet he's expecting us to save the world and him."

"We can't give Griflore the slip or it can mean disaster for us and the entire planet," said Sam.

"Then it's settled," said Dye, "we'll head out at eleven-thirty tomorrow night." Dye got up from the couch and walked towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" Asked Sam.

"For a walk," he responded. "Need to clear my mind. I'll be back later."

Dye reached into the closet and got out his red hoodie. He quickly put it on and opened the door. Standing there on the porch was Mack, who was digging in his bag for his keys. The both of them exchanged angry looks. Dye walked outside, leaving the door open and stepped off the porch. Without looking back, he threw on his hood and walked off.

The sunlight was almost gone from the sky. It sent pink and purple clouds in all directions. The ocean danced in its light and from where Dye was walking he could see the light crashing of ocean waves, he sighed.

The three-quarter moon was nearing its completion. It was high in the night sky with the sparkling stars sitting all around in it. They twinkled just as the city lights twinkled back. From the top of a church, Dye could see the city's night coming to life while the loud ringing of the church bells soared through the city. His body was dressed in the golden armor he had come to enjoy. He sat next to a gargoyle and hung his head over the ledge to look down below. He saw dozens of people coming and going from the church. Not feeling any better, he picked his head up and looked at the semi-full moon.

"What to do?" He said to himself.

Mack's discouraging words swamped the back of Dye's memory. The more he thought of them, the more he thought of this mission as a complete failure. So many things were going through his head at once that made him go crazy. The stress was back and was beginning to build up in his body. He ignited his limbs and took off from the church. From down below the people could see a stream of fire shoot through the night sky. He flew over to the next building, but wasn't prepared for his landing. As he came closer to the ground, he tripped and stumbled across the rooftop and fell face forward. The sound of his failure echoed through the nothingness of the rooftop air. He laid there for a quick second before he decided to pick himself up again.

"I can't do this," he said as he slowly began to rise from the ground.

"Can't do what?" Said a voice from behind him. He turned his head and saw Sam in his white, golden armor hovering behind him.

"What's the matter?" He asked, coming to a complete landing.

"Nothing."

"Dye!" Said Sam, "I'm your brother. I know when something is wrong. Mack told us what happened. He kind of said what he said to you last night a little while after you left."

"Yeah, and?" Dye said as he walked to the edge and took a seat.

"Don't let what he said get to you. Believe it or not, you've grown over this past year. You have given these people something to believe in."

"But that's just it. So much stuff has happened over this year that I don't know who's the real me. Is it the armor or the one who's wearing it? I've completely lost myself. Maybe Mack was right. Maybe this wasn't none of our business."

"You know what?" Said Sam.

Dye picked up his head into the light of the moon. "I think those two people are the same."

"I don't understand."

"Remember when you lost your powers?"

"How could I forget," Dye replied sarcastically.

"Even at a significant disadvantage you still fought. Even though the outcome was quite bizarre, you took up the torch even when you didn't have any fire to light it with."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you're a hero with or without that armor on you. Mack is just worried about you. He's worried about us."

"But I don't know what's going to happen if we fight."

"We didn't know how those other battles were going to end, but we fought them anyway. Before this I wouldn't have dared to do something so risky like try and save the world, even when I first got these powers," Sam looked at his armored body, "after I heard about you saving those children in that burning building the hero in me came out. Dye, you're a leader. Without you, what would have happened to that train, or to the school? The fact is that you act in response to what your heart says, which is what sets you apart from the rest of us."

Dye looked up at the moon and sighed some more. The bright moonlight reflected off of his armor and sent tiny golden sparkles onto Sam's armor.

"You're right, I guess," he said, still skeptical, "I don't know what my life would be like if these spirits never showed up. But something inside of me is saying that we have to do this. I won't back out," Dye stood up in the moonlight. His tall golden body was completely shining with the moon. Sam stood up and released his wings while Dye took off from the rooftop. The two brothers started on their way home

Time was going faster than usual. Before they knew it, it was the next day. That night was going to bring terror and destruction to everyone who lived in the city. Sitting in class, Dye couldn't concentrate on the day's lesson. He stared at the clock, whose hands wouldn't move. His mind couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen that night or what could happen if they were to fail. His foot tapped and tapped some more to get the anxiety out of his system. Joss looked at him and told him to calm down, but Dye couldn't stop worrying. The second half of the day was complete. The seniors left early to get ready for prom which was later on that night. Since Mack had already gone, Dye was forced to walk home.

The bell rang. The students rushed through the hallway in an attempt to get home. Standing next to Dye, was none other than his two best friends, Joss and Jenny.

"Can't wait until we get to go to prom," said Jenny as she sighed, "it's going to be magical."

"That's all you girls think about," said Joss, "long romantic nights. Disgusting."

"All boys are so self-centered."

"That's not true. You girls are the ones who always need to get their hair and nails done all the time."

"That's because we're girls, smart guy," Jenny said.

Dye didn't open his mouth. He knew that saying something would put him on Jenny's bad list. Instead, he smiled, and kind of laughed under his breath as they fought back and forth. It wasn't long until the bickering had stopped. Joss had turned the corner to go home, leaving Jenny and Dye alone to walk.

"Are you okay?" She asked him as they continued their quiet walk down the busy street.

"Already thinking about prom?" He said, "Wonder what it would be like?"

"I don't know?" She replied. "But I want my date to be handsome, cute and overall good looking. I want that night to be a night I will never forget."

Dye smiled and looked out into the ocean.

"Thanks," he said out of nowhere.

"For what?" She asked.

"For being my friend," he said, looking into her eyes; "you and Joss have made my first year of high school worthwhile," she smiled. "In case anything happens, promise me we will always be friends."

"Dye, you're talking like we're never going to see each other again. Are you going somewhere?"

"No, it's nothing like that, it's just" he stopped and saw the sunlight twinkle in her eyes, "It's just that something has come up."

"What is it?"

"I can't say."

"Why not?" She asked, "I thought you can talk to me about anything, Dye, why do you always have to be so mysterious all the time?"

"Because."

"Because of what?" She asked hastily.

"I can't tell you okay!" He was getting worried that he would announce his secret. "Please, just promise me," he smiled, her face remained lost.

"I promise," she said.

Dye leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and at that moment the two of them felt something that they never felt before.

"I can't die tonight," he said to himself. He turned away when she seized his hand. She pulled him in towards her and forced her lips against his. She pulled herself closer to him, and Dye held her tightly. The light smack of their lips flowed through the air. They stared into each other's eyes; the sunlight was giving a beautiful glow to their skin. She put her hand on the side of his face.

"Whatever this big secret may be, I hope you can trust me enough to tell me one day," she said. Dye remained silent. The sunlight glazed over his face. He looked into the beautiful soul of the girl he fell in love with on the first day of school. He released her body and held on to her hand as he slowly left her. He disappeared into the horizon and left her in the sunset.

The sun was setting in the sky, ending another day. Would it rise tomorrow? It was all up to the three brothers to determine that decision. The sun fell and gave life to the full moon. It was now a race against time before the fate of the planet was to be decided. The three boys waited for zero hour as they prepared themselves for the worse, the clock read seven thirty p.m. However, all was not quiet in the Haven house. Their parents were home, excited of their eldest son and his prom night. They waited for Mack to come downstairs wearing a beautiful tuxedo with a corsage for his date. The doorbell rang, and Sam got up to open it to let Mack's four friends come in who were also dressed in tuxedos, each with a different colored vest. Outside was a black stretch limousine waiting for them.

"Mack, your friends are here!" Shouted Mrs. Haven.

The four other boys waited for their last man to make an appearance. Moments later, Mack came waltzing downstairs wearing a white tuxedo over a gold vest. Their mother started to scream with excitement for her son. She snapped as many pictures as she could, nearly blinding him and his friends. Mr. Haven had to take the camera away from her. When he did, she pulled out another one from her pocket and continued to snap photos of her son.

"Wait, wait, one more," she said, trying to get a picture of all of them. Dye sat on the couch with his arms folded and paid them no attention as he watched the television. On the other hand, Sam and Jason were stuck in a conversation with their father.

"Alright boys say goodbye to your brother," said their mother. Sam and Jason waved and said goodbye to their brother, however, Dye remained silent and continued to watch TV. Both of his parents saw that he didn't say anything.

"Dye!" Mr. Haven said with a deep, intimidating voice, "Say bye to your brother." He let out a deep breath and turned around.

"Have a good night," he said with absolutely no feeling and a fake smile.

"Say it like you mean it!" Mrs. Haven demanded. Mack's friends waited with an awardness building up. The room fell silent.

"Why should I?" Dye said.

"Because he's your brother," Mrs. Haven said.

"Yeah, whatever," Dye replied. He jumped off the couch, ran between Mack's friends and up the stairs.

"Theodore Jay Haven, you get back down here!" Yelled Mr. Haven. They heard the stomping of Dye's steps from upstairs and the slamming of his door.

"I think you boys should get going. You still need to pick up your dates and prom starts in an hour," Mrs. Haven said.

The boys headed out of the house, and Mack's parents stood on the porch to watch them load up the limousine and drive off. They headed back into the house, and the two of them raced upstairs. They busted into Dye's room to find him lying on his bed, staring up the ceiling.

"You have some explaining to do," Mrs. Haven said.

"I don't think I need to explain anything," Dye replied.

"Watch how you speak to your mother!" demanded his father, "Apologize!"

Dye quickly apologized.

"What has gotten into you?" Mr. Haven said.

"He's what's gotten into me," Dye sat up on his bed. "He thinks he's so better than everyone else."

"What makes you say that?" Mr. Haven said.

"He's been acting like all the rest of us are below him, and I don't like it," he replied.

"That's all that's bothering you?" Asked Mrs. Haven, who sat down on his bed.

"Mack is getting ready to go off to college. It's only natural that he starts to see the big picture. He's not thinking he is better than you he's just preparing himself for his future."

"Yeah, right," said Dye, falling back onto his bed.

"One day you will have to understand that this life here, all around you will not last forever, son," Mr. Haven said.

"One day you will have to decide what kind of life you want to lead and that means having to sacrifice something and that's what Mack is doing."

"He doesn't want to, but he has to," Mrs. Haven added on, "and soon Jason will be gone and not long after Sam too."

Dye sat up on his bed.

"But why?" He said. "Why doesn't anything ever stay the same?"

"As much as we may want it to, things never stay the same," Mr. Haven said, "Things change which calls for us to change as a person and one day you will go through the same thing."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," Mrs. Haven said, "They will always be your brothers." She placed her hand on his leg, and his two parents left him alone in his room. He was in complete solitude to think about his parents' philosophy. His future was uncertain. The future of the entire world was uncertain. Everything all depended on that night. Would the three boys walk victoriously?

Time disappeared quickly, and before they knew it, the clock read fifteen minutes past eleven. Sam and Jason woke up Dye, who had fallen asleep in his room.

"It's time to go," said Sam. Dye stretched and got up from his bed.

"Should we transform?" Asked Jason.

"No!" Sam replied. "We have the element of surprise on our side. As long as we keep that, then we will have the upper hand."

"So let's go," said Jason. The three of them opened the window to the room and gradually climbed down from the rooftop of their house. One by one they jumped from the roof and rolled onto the ground to break their fall. Quickly, they left the lawn and ran down the street. Dye stopped, he looked back at his house and initiated thoughts about if he would return. Thoughts reminded him about his parents worrying about where their sons were. If they died tonight, how would he let his parents know?

"Come on, Dye," Jason said, pulling him by the arm. Together the three boys darted down the street heading for downtown. They could see the skyscraper from a distance and the full moon that shone brightly above it.

"This is it," Dye said, "just want to let you guys know that if anything happens tonight that-"

"Don't get all emotional on us, Dye," Jason said, "we'll be back home before you know it."

"How do you know?"

"A feeling, I guess," Jason responded. They had finally entered the city; the skyscraper wasn't too far away. The city didn't seem too busy at all; in fact, it was the complete opposite for the exception of public transportation and a few cars that drove down its streets. As they came closer to the sky-high building, they noticed a small dot at the top of it. They stopped at the foot of the building and saw a wavy cape blow in the wind. They looked closer and saw the dot was, in fact, a figure standing in the moonlight. The individual had his back turned and was looking up at the moon. In his hand was the red shimmer of the Jenshia Star.

"Looks like your predictions were right, Dye," said Sam.

"Yeah," Dye replied.

"So let's do this," Jason said with determination, "stick to the plan."

Sam and Jason went their separate ways. Dye remained at the foot of the huge building while his brothers assumed their positions. Dye's heart sped up, and beads of sweat started to race down his face until his breathing was forced.

"Don't be afraid," he said to himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His heart rate slowed down, and he looked up at the possessed body of his friend, Arayan.

# Chapter 24: Eleven Fifty-Nine

It was eleven forty-five in the evening. The shadow from the eclipse started its way across the moon. As time went by, the moon slowly began to darken.

"It's almost time," Dye said with as much calmness as he could find.

He cupped his hand around his mouth and yelled Griflore's name. After shouting his name three times, the despicable, body-snatching demon turned around with Arayan's body to view the little speck that he grown to hate. In his hand was none other than the Jenshia Star. Within a moment's blink, Griflore was face to face with Dye. The bright yellow eyes looked directly through him; the horrible veins ran up Arayan's face with his sharp teeth.

"So you've finally figured out my plan," said Griflore, "but it's too late, boy." The eclipse was beginning. Dye could see a shadow consuming the moon. "You cannot stop me," he said, clutching the star in his hand.

Dye resisted the urge to take it from him. Instead, he knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

"I don't intend to." Dye replied.

"Hmm?" questioned Griflore.

"Show me the dark power you said I had," Dye said desperately. Griflore remained silent.

"What are you trying to pull?" Griflore asked.

"When this is all over I want to be on the winning side. Please, teach me," he said.

"Is that so? Then prove yourself to me. I know those other two Xenton are here. Keep them occupied."

"Understood," Dye ascended to his feet, "but I am curious. Why wait until now to use the star on this specific full moon when you had three other full moons to initiate your plan?"

"Simple," said Griflore. "By using the Jenshia Star for this specific full moon, the power of the eclipse will amplify the power of the Jenshia Star allowing my wish to reach through the entire planet. Nothing can interfer. Do you understand?"

Dye nodded.

Griflore leaped back to the top of the skyscraper. He held the star above his head, and it commenced with a red glow. Dye could see the sparkle of the red light from the ground. From a distance he saw the unarmored body of Sam flying in from the side with his arm extended, reaching for the star. Dye ignited his hand and threw a fireball at his brother. Sam quickly halted and let the fireball pass, letting the heat blow by him. He looked down and saw Dye with his flaming hand, standing on the ground, looking up at him with a mad look.

"What is he doing?" Sam said to himself.

Sam resumed with trying to acquire the star when another fireball raced in front of him. Griflore saw Sam out of his peripheral and shot a purple beam at him. It was a direct hit and Sam fell towards the ground. Before he made contact with the street, he recovered his body and resumed his flight. He flew straight towards Dye, who continued throwing fireballs at him. Sam maneuvered through each attack and pinned Dye to the ground.

"Dye, what the hell are you doing?" He said.

"I'm doing what's best," said Dye, struggling to break free. He ignited his whole body, and a wave of fire exploded from his body. Sam was thrown away and fell to the ground. His shirt was partially burnt exposing his right breast and his abdominal area. His glasses barely stayed on his face.

"What's your problem?" Asked Sam, getting stressed.

"Nothing," Dye replied, "I just finally understand what I have to do."

He increased the flames on his body and a wave of fire rushed through Sam, burning holes through his clothes. His glasses fell to the ground, and his hair fell over his face.

"I don't know what has finally come to your attention, but I won't let you completely destroy what we work so hard to obtain."

A mighty wind surrounded his entire body as he sent gusts in Dye's direction. Dye countered by waving his ignited hands in a circular formation. He blasted some more fireballs at Sam. Sam bounced into the air and sent gusts forward to his younger brother. Each fireball was extinguished by the mighty gales. Dye evaded the remainder of his brother's attack and hurled himself into the air and unleashed a powerful flame attack that sent Sam clashing into the ground.

Dye yelled as the flames along his arms grew larger.

He shot fire straight at his brother, but before it collided with Sam, a wave of water shot out of the ground. The fire made contact with the water and caused steam to rise into the air. Behind the wall of water, Jason pulled the liquid back and threw at Dye. Dye countered by revolving his body at high speeds, turning his body into a fiery inferno which evaporated the cold liquid. He stopped his rotation and descended to the ground. His body was completely covered in fire. His hair billowed in the warm air the fire created around him.

"What's he doing?" Jason asked, who was feeling annoyed. "He's ruining the plan." The two of the boys looked up and saw the moon halfway engulfed in shadows.

"The eclipse is almost complete," said Jason, "we have to get that rock." The two lone brothers looked upon the red light that shined above Griflore's head. "We have to take him out now."

"No! Wait," said Sam, "I think I know what he's doing? Dye, he's buying time for the eclipse."

"We know that. The eclipse will be completely full soon."

"Look!" Sam pointed at Griflore. "He's completely forgotten about us. His primary focus is the eclipse right now."

"What's your point?"

"Dye has been one step ahead of us from the beginning. He is planning to keep us busy right before the eclipse is finished."

"And that's good how?" Said Jason, sounding just as mystified as ever.

"If we take the star now then Griflore will no doubt get it back, which will put him on his guard, preventing us from taking it again."

"So what is Dye doing?"

"He's using Griflore as a pawn. He's convinced Griflore that he has enough power to keep us busy, giving Griflore full attention to his plan. But at the last moment, Dye is going to swipe the star and destroy it which won't give Griflore enough time to retrieve it before the eclipse is full."

"My God, that's brilliant," Jason replied.

"He knows we know his plan," said Sam, "just follow through with it. Don't hold back."

Instantaneously, the star shot off a red beam into the moon's shadow. The moon's shadowed part started to be consumed by the red light, and as the shadow moved across the moon; the red light began to spread across it like a disease.

"It's starting," said Sam, "we don't have much time."

The two watched as their brother's fire consumed his body. The young boy held up his flaming fist and sent a whirlwind of fire towards his brothers. The two brothers evaded quickly and moved to the left and right sides of their brother. From there, Jason created water in his hands and disengaged it at his brother while Sam created a great hurricane wind and unleashed it upon him as well. The two elements circulated around Dye until combining to cause ice to form. The two brothers pushed even more to output their element and soon Dye was encased in a frozen dome. The light of his fire twinkled from behind the glass-like ice wall like a candle. The light grew brighter and stronger, and at once the ice started to melt rapidly until Dye came exploding out of the ice dome. His burning body flew into the air, and he set his sights on Sam. He prepared his fist to make contact with his brother's face. However, Sam caused a powerful updraft to blow Dye away. At the sight of the oncoming draft, Dye released his fist and broke through the powerful wind. Sam jumped out of the way and avoided the flame attack of his brother. Jason unleashed another powerful geyser of water that splashed Dye and temporally extinguished the flames on his body. Dye's body quickly returned to its heated state, and it wasn't long before he reignited his body and dried the water that was wetting his clothes. Steam rose from his body as he turned his flaming head, his hair waving in his face, his eyes looking at Jason. Sam backed up further and prepared himself, summoning another wind around his body.

Dye balled up both his fists while the two boys waited for their brother's next move. Seconds later, Dye extended both of his arms and vented out a powerful discharge of fire aimed for his two brothers. The two wrapped themselves within their element to protect themselves from Dye's blazing fury.

The moon was three-quarters full. The eclipse was almost done. The red light almost had the entire moon completely covered. The evil light rested on the buildings within the city, casting a red glow everywhere. Dye resumed his attack; the flames got bigger and hotter. The two boys were holding their own until Dye increased the intensity of the blaze to another level. He let out an agonizing cry as his flames increased dramatically. Suddenly, Jason grabbed Dye's left arm, and his side of the flames were stopped. Sam jumped on Dye's other arm, and the other flames were quickly extinguished.

Dye smirked at his brothers.

"Way to play along," he said smartly.

He looked up at the blood red light of the moon that fed his eyes. There were seconds left before the moon was to be completely full of the red eclipse. His heart pounded down to zero hour as the moon was slowly becoming an evil red shade.

"We have to hurry," said Dye, "Sam."

Sam looked at Dye and Dye gave him a look of trust. Dye spun around as fast as he could and threw Sam into the sky towards Griflore. Sam's body was concealed in his white gold armor, and his wings sprouted from his back. He accelerated himself, making his body slice through the air. Seconds drew by as the moon was nearing its completion.

"Oh great Jenshia Star," started Griflore, "Grant my wish and consume every life form on this planet into what I desire. Make them my-" Interrupted, Griflore turned around and exposed the star to Sam's reach. Suddenly, Sam snatched the star from Griflore's grasp as quickly as he could and threw it at Jason. The rosy light dissipated across the moon and the eclipse returned to normal. An angry Arayan looked at Sam throw the shiny rock down to the city. A bright, blue character with a metal body caught the star.

"It worked," said Jason as he caught the star and threw it at Dye.

"Damn it!" Said Griflore with an angry tone, the veins on Arayan's face pumping more fluid. "I've waited four thousand years for this and nobody is going to stop me."

Dye caught the star with his golden, armored hand.

"Got it," he said. Griflore roared with disdain and took off quickly from the top of the skyscraper, blowing away the top portion of the building. The debris crumbled to the ground.

"Dye, hurry!" Yelled Sam from above. Dye summoned his gold and red blade and threw the star onto the ground. Immediately he drilled through the lustrous ruby rock with his sword. The star broke into pieces and scattered across the asphalt.

"No!" Shouted Griflore, "I'll kill you."

Before Griflore had the chance to grab Dye, Jason sprayed him with a powerful stream of water, pushing him into a nearby building.

The three heroes stood in the midst of the destroyed skyscraper, waiting for the dark demon to make his comeback. The moon was completely covered by shadows. The sky was immersed in complete darkness for the exception of stars and city lights that bounced into the air. Griflore came stumbling out of the building completely soaked with water. Arayan's wet, blue hair hung over his frightening yellow eyes.

"You think you've beaten me?" Griflore said, panting, "Well guess again."

He walked towards the three brothers who were patiently awaiting his next move.

"You may have foiled my plans," he continued, "but this beast isn't ready to croak just yet. You've stood in my way for the last time! Now, look into the face of your destroyer!"

Gigantic brown wings sprouted from Arayan's back. The three boys were aghast. They watched as Griflore finally took complete control over his new body. Arayan's clothes were torn, and his arms turned into talons while his legs transformed into the hind legs of a lion. He grew the torso of a great beast covered in hair, and his head was changed into a face with the combining characteristics of an eagle and a lion. It consisted of a beak of an eagle and the head and fur of a lion. The beast grew to a massive height. As it neared the complete stages of its transformation, the creature opened its eyes, and a chilling yellow gaze stared down at the three brothers. The beast opened its mouth with a loud cry, and the distorted sounds of an eagle and lion destroyed windows and glass all throughout the area. Incredible fear flowed through the boys' body as they stood there looking at the massive beast.

"Griflore? Griffin?" Dye said as he sighed, trying to make the atmosphere a bit more comfortable. "That makes perfect sense. I mean, who would have guessed that he would turn into a griffin. After all this time-"

"Dye, stay focused!" Stressed Sam.

"Behold," said Griflore, "my true form," He flapped his enormous wings and the boys were blown away in different directions. Arayan's naked body grew out at the top of the beast's forehead, with red, bodily tubes connecting the two. Griflore was standing at an incredible height that the armored trio looked like ants. The brothers got up from their resting place and stood in the wake of the behemoth beast.

"This has got to end tonight," said Dye. "I won't let you hurt any more people!" He shouted at the creature.

"Your mouth speaks louder than your actions, boy," said Griflore, "Let's see you try and stop me."

Dye balled up his golden fist and pressed on towards the giant creature. He was joined by his two brothers and together they attacked the huge monster. One by one, they summoned their elements with as much power as they could and unleashed it upon the creature. Griflore stood there and showed no signs of weakness. He retaliated by stomping the ground, allowing the trio to lose their balance. He balled up his talon like a fist and slammed them into the ground, doing whatever he could to crush the three boys. Dye cartwheeled and evaded each attack as best as he could. Jason used his powerful water pressure to repel the fist from above while Sam took flight into the air. The three battled the creature the best way they knew how, but so much was still unclear about their powers. They knew they had so much untapped power to be displayed, but didn't know how to access it. The only person who knew its secrets was being held hostage by the behemoth monster.

The moon was still overshadowed by the eclipse. With each passing minute, the boys were growing tired and exhausted. However, the creature wasn't showing any signs of fatigue. It continued to thrash about, destroying anything that stood in its way.

"Tired?" Asked Griflore in a sarcastic tone.

The boys didn't respond. They stood in front of the creature with their scratched armor, panting.

"Can't you two do that Spirit Life-Force thing or something?" Dye asked in a pant.

"We've been trying this whole time," Jason replied, "The fatigue is too much for us to handle in trying to achieve that level of power."

"Face it," said Griflore, "I've won this war. You cannot win."

He took his fist and slammed them into the ground. The three heroes moved away swiftly and started to fend for themselves against the beast. Dye's emotion of anger increased dramatically. Enormous flames surrounded his body. As he proceeded to push further, his bright red flames turned gold. He channeled as much of it as he could to his hands and unleashed it at Griflore. The creature cried in pain as it was brought down to the ground. Dye continued to give as much of the golden flames as he could, but it wasn't enough. The creature waved its oversized hand, and the fire was brought to a halt.

Griflore lifted his gargantuan body from the ground and stood on his hind legs. He extended his wings and flapped them vigorously. The wind blew Dye's golden fire right back at him. The backfire of his attack blew Dye into the wall of a nearby building, and he fell to the ground like a puppet with no strings. His head was down, and his limbs were lifeless.

Griflore stomped his oversized feet as he walked over to the fallen hero, gathering a purple energy in his opened mouth. Dye looked up and saw the creature preparing for a devastating attack. The power grew brighter and larger until it became unstable. The beast tilted his head back, ready to unleash its fury.

Immediately following Griflore's actions, missiles flew from the sky and struck the titan beast, causing the energy to dissipate. Griflore fell to the ground, and a mixture of lion and eagle cries echoed through the streets. Dye and the other boys looked from where the missiles came from and saw a dozen of military helicopters coming to aid them. The sound of cutting air from the propellers swooped above them. The smoke cleared, and Griflore got up off the ground, swinging his huge arms. He let out another lion and eagle cry and thrashed against the choppers. The military crafts opened fire once again and used evasive maneuvers to avoid getting hit.

The ammunition had no effect on the creature's body. However, the vessels continued to fire. The aircrafts flew incredibly fast to avoid Griflore's talons. The three boys watched as the military attempted to do their job for them. It was futile. One by one the heavy aircraft were beginning to crash. Griflore thrashed his arms and hit as many crafts as he could. The helicopters flew into buildings, some into the ground. The boys watched as the group of aircrafts were reduced to only one. Griflore gathered the purple energy in his mouth once again and fired it at the lone craft. The attack tore right through the chopper causing it to explode. The beam stretched out into the ocean and crashed into the water, causing a tower of seawater to shoot up into the air.

"How pathetic these humans are," said Griflore as he stopped his attack, "It's time for this futile resistance to come to an end."

"That's it!" Said Dye, slamming his golden fist into the ground.

Sam grabbed his younger brother by the arm, and the two rocketed into the sky. Sam threw his brother into the air and after reaching his zenith, Dye came falling down just above Griflore. Dye ignited both of his fists and delivered a powerful attack that drilled Griflore into the ground. The magnitude of the impact caused an explosion and earthquakes of great levels. Dye continued his assault on the creature, punching as hard as he could. With each powerful blow, Griflore was thrashed deeper into the ground.

"Dye!" Yelled Sam from above.

Dye delivered one last punch before leaping out of the way. Griflore's yellow eyes looked upon the angel-like Xenton in the sky gathering storm clouds. With the wave of his hand, Jason caused a tidal wave to arise from the ocean. The water fell upon Griflore and soaked his entire body which attracted a gigantic bolt of lightning to shoot down from the clouds that Sam had gathered. With no time to move, Griflore was struck by the massive bolt. He body angled in every way as the lightning flowed through his body. His joints and bones bent in every direction in response to the surging electricity through his beast body.

The clouds faded, showing the eclipse was half way over. Griflore's body gave off a thick cloud of smoke that covered half of the sky. Exhausted, the boys could barely stand up. The eye sockets of the beast flew open and cries of eagles and lions flew in through their ears once again.

"You've got to be kidding me," Dye said as the creature picked itself up from the ground.

"This is impossible," said an outraged Sam, "he's taken everything we've given to him. I don't know what to do!"

The creature took an earth quaking step forward and gathered more energy into its mouth. The purple light gazed over their shiny armor as it got bigger. The energy grew unstable, and with the flick of his head, Griflore unleashed another devastating attack that blew the three boys away. Sam was sent flying through the windows of a nearby building. Jason was thrown back through structures and landed far away from the beast. Dye was thrown into the air; his metal helmet detached itself from its binding and was ripped from his face. His golden body crashed into the hard ground like a damaged aircraft, leaving his metal body imprinted into the ground. The creature laughed joyously, his earthshaking footsteps fading away.

Dye's golden body and his bare head lay in the street, his eyes barely staying open. He saw the yellow eyed demon beast walking towards him and soon after his green eyes were sealed shut.

"Dye!" He heard the whispers of a soothing voice calling to him in the darkness. "Dye," said the voice once again. He opened his eyes and found himself falling through a dark void. He crashed into the ground of another place. Once again, the place was dark and cold. He looked around and saw nothing but a bright, silvery light far ahead of him. The light was warm and welcoming. He took his golden, armored legs and pursued it. The light grew bigger and brighter until he was standing in its warm presence. The light took the form of a transparent person whom the presence of became familiar to him. They turned around, and he saw the face of his sister, Corrine. She had her healthy young body once again.

"I'm sorry," said Dye, with tears gathering in his eyes, "I'm sorry that I let this happen to you. You didn't deserve this."

"You didn't do anything," she said.

"I don't know what to do," he asked as though she was going to give him an answer.

Corrine smiled at him and said, "You have a destiny, now fulfill it."

Dye had no idea what she meant, but coming from his sister, he knew that she was right. In fact, it was the answer he was looking for.

She smiled and held out her hand. Dye smiled back and took her hand, and the light consumed the both of them.

Dye gasped for air and coughed vigorously, waking up in the street at the sight of the creature's destructive rampage. Griflore had not halted his path of destruction. The city was slowly falling apart. The beast unleashed its devastating attack on the citizens of Beach Shores City and Dye could hear the screaming cries of people nearby. However, something was different; feeling a very familiar presence. The picture of his sister flashed in his head, and it was almost like she was with him, standing by his side. He rolled over to get up and saw the shine of polished shoes belonging to somebody standing before him. The person was holding his golden helmet under their face, making it hard for Dye to identify the person. Dye slowly got up from the ground and saw the face of his older brother.

"Mack?" questioned Dye, "What are you doing here?"

Mack smiled.

"Our prom was evacuated because a State Of Emergency was declared," he replied. "And I can see why," he said, looking at the colossal beast, "that thing is huge. Is that a Griffin?" He said in amazement, pointing at Griflore. "So this is why you asked for my help?" He said. "You knew this was coming."

"I told you it was coming," Dye replied.

"Where are Sam and Jason?" Mack asked.

"I don't know!" Dye replied, trying to pick his beaten body up from off the ground. "That thing's last attack threw us all in different directions."

"Here," said Mack, giving Dye back the helmet with his Quailocian face. "Wow, being in that armor really makes you a little bit taller than me, doesn't it?" Dye didn't respond. Instead, he looked at his brother with anger and then turned his back

"Dye, I'm sorry for what I said before. The truth is I was afraid, afraid that some innocent person was going to get hurt because of me." He said sincerely.

Dye turned his head a fraction and looked at him. He was convinced he wanted to hear what his brother had to say.

"You're my brother, and I shouldn't have turned my back on you. I was more worried about you getting hurt as well," Dye remained stone-faced. "It's about time I played the big brother card."

Before Dye's eyes, Mack's arms tore through his white tuxedo sleeves. His bicep and triceps muscles grew to three times their original size. His chest exploded through his shirt with ripping abs. His muscles tore through his pants revealing tight, bulging, muscular legs; his entire body grew to three times his original size. Dye's eyes flared at his towering brother. Mack jumped into the air and soared towards the beast. He leaped from building to building, crumbling the walls as he got closer to Griflore. His powerful legs propelled him into the air above the creature.

"Hey!" He yelled, getting the beast's attention.

Griflore turned around and looked up at the sight of the oversized human falling towards him.

"Take this!" Mack delivered a punch to the creature's head, forcing its humongous body to the ground and causing a tower of rubble to shoot into the sky.

"Whoa!" Said Dye, impressed with his brother's display of power.

He took his helmet and put it back on his head, allowing the armor to fuse back together its missing piece. Mack's pounding hits caused earthquakes throughout the city. With each hit, the creature cried. Mack paused his beating and picked the beast up by its tail and swung it into a building.

"I haven't felt this good in months!" Mack exclaimed. "I feel great!"

Dye saw his brother leap from the ground and violently land on the creature's stomach, causing it to cry out with pain. The beast swung its talon, but Mack caught it and flipped the creature onto its back and began wrestling with it. He jumped back a little bit while the creature took to its feet. Dye stood at the side of his brother's bulging body and stared with amazement. Mack took his rock, hard fist and struck the ground, causing a crack to rupture towards the great creature, allowing it to fall on its back.

"That's right," said Mack with a vengeance.

"Wow! Where did you learn to do that?" Asked Dye.

"Thought I'd try something new," Mack replied.

At that moment, a yellow swirling energy made its way around Mack's enlarged body. The light grew stronger and brighter, and soon his whole body was encased in the strange aura. The yellow light attracted the fallen beast while its light replaced the moon and glared all through the city. The brightness of the light bounced off of Dye's armor causing its glare to temporally blind Griflore. The yellow light started to fade away, and Mack's body was covered in black, polished armor. On his face was the Quailocian symbol for earth. He clapped his black metal knuckles together and prepared himself for battle in his new prized armor. Sam fell from the sky along with Jason in hand and looked about their new ally.

"Mack?" Asked Sam.

"Is that you under there?" Asked Jason.

Mack responded by nodding his head.

"Let's do this," he said, tightening his fist. The four brothers were together at last. The battle for the fate of the world was about to begin.

# Chapter 25: Brothers in Arms

"The City of Beach Shores is in a state of pandemonium tonight. A state of emergency was initiated not too long ago. Military personnel are evacuating the city as quickly as possible," A live television report was being broadcast all across the United States. Citizens all over the country were witnessing the crisis from their homes. "Reports of a bizarre, gigantic creature that has been spotted in downtown Beach Shores has been flooding in since about midnight. Witnesses have confirmed it to be a giant griffin. No word yet on why the creature has appeared," The people of America sat in their houses and watched the news in fear. "This just in, we have just received exclusive footage of the attack taking place in the City of Beach Shores. We strongly advise that our younger audience is accompanied by an adult while viewing this. What you're about to see may shock you," The screen was flipped to the sight of a giant, griffin-like creature destroying everything around it. The sight of the creature shocked many; the beast's incredible, oversized body with its broad wings spread across the sky along with its bright, yellow eyes. The creature cried fiercely until the footage caught an image of miniature brute thrashing the beast to the ground. A great cloud of smoke shot into the air, and the camera's tape went out. "As you can see, the massive creature has destroyed most of what was once Downtown Beach Shores City. The military is doing all that they can to keep the beast contained. No word yet on how long the monster decides to stay there or the precautions the military is trying to take. Stay tuned, and we will bring you more updates.

The four brothers battled Griflore non-stop. They knew that soon only one of the opposing forces would walk away alive. The elements of fire, air, water and earth were being sprouted out everywhere. Raging flames were unleashed from Dye's golden body, powerful hurricane winds, and surging lightning bolts were thrown at the creature. Towering tsunamis were arising from the ocean, and devastating earthquakes caused the beast to topple over. The power of nature was keeping Griflore contained. He could barely keep up with the four brothers' attacks. Whenever he was successful on one of them, the other three would arise and unleash powerful attacks that sent Griflore plowing into the ground.

The four brothers were holding their own against the creature. Both forces were equally matched. Dye blew up like a volcano with a siege of powerful fire attacks followed by Sam, who summoned hurricane winds and lightning bolts. Jason came splashing out of the ocean and sent three large water spouts aimed at Griflore. Mack burst out of the ground, tossing rocks at the humungous beast, boulders of every size and weight. It seemed the creature had finally met its match within the great four brothers.

"I'm going to tear you all to pieces!" Said Griflore angrily. "Limb by limb!"

Mack catapulted from beneath the ground and up in front of the beast.

"We would love to see you try," he said, inflicting a mighty blow with his rock, solid fist into Griflore's face.

The beast was thrown back through a couple of buildings, toppling them to the ground. Sam came swirling out of the sky, picking up two tornados and fusing them into one giant twister. It lifted Griflore's gargantuan body into the air, swirling it around within the tornado. A stream of fire started to swirl around the twister that Griflore was trapped in. Dye was seen on the ground running at high speeds with a trail of fire leaving his feet, and soon the twister became devoured in flames. The light of the blazing tornado lit up the city monstrously. The agonizing cry of Griflore pierced through the twister as Mack lifted up as many boulders as possible, throwing them into the twister; each rock making contact with the creature, causing them to crumble and break. Jason fell from the sky and flew into the eye of the twister. The metal fins on his arms extended into sharp blades while he passed through the blazing vortex, slashing and cutting his way through the massive beast until finally landing on the ground.

Dye stopped running, and the flames were extinguished. The twister dissipated and the massive beast had crashed into the ground. Its body was horribly burnt. Bruises and deep cuts were seen all over its enormous body. The boys had finally done the impossible. The entity that had plagued them this past year was finally on the brink of its own destruction. It breathed heavily. The boys were standing around the creature, surrounding it, preparing themselves for whatever the creature might do next.

The tubes running through Arayan's body began to pump faster into the animal's head. Soon the cuts on Griflore's body started to heal rapidly. The boys watched as all of their efforts were wasted. Moments later, the cuts, burns and bruises were gone, as if nothing was there to begin with. The giant beast dug its claws into the ground and brought its body up to its hind legs. It let out another loud cry while a purple light started to form in its mouth.

"Everybody get out of the way!" Yelled Dye.

The brothers scattered.

Griflore threw his head forward, and the powerful, purple beam sprung forth from his mouth. He dragged the powerful beam all around the city in hopes of hitting one of the boys, but the four brothers easily evaded the attack as they ran throughout avenues. The four continued to battle with the creature while the town was still being evacuated.

Meanwhile, the doctors and nurses at the hospital were being evacuated along with the rest of the city. Dozens of ambulances were called to pick up the patients that were being kept there. Corrine was still in her coma. The nurses quickly rolled her bed down the white corridor and through the glass sliding doors. They moved her bed onto one of the ambulances and drove off. The rumbling from the nearby battle shook the hospital. The military soldiers and authorities swept through the hospital, trying to help the nurses evacuate the place. The ambulances that were already full were being escorted out of the city by military vehicles and police squad cars. The nurses in the back were tending to their patient, making sure that everything was alright with the systems. The ambulances raced behind their escorts with their lights flashing and sirens aloud.

The battle raged on deep within the city. The four heroes didn't have a problem keeping the huge beast contained. They kicked, punched and summoned their elemental powers as much as they could. Griflore was growing tired. His fatigue and wounds were getting to him.

"You humans are like cockroaches," he said. "Whenever you squash one, another comes crawling out of the wall."

Dye sprung up and gave the beast a fistful of fire straight to the jaw.

"Shut up!" Cried Dye as he toppled the beast once more. He landed on the ground with the feeling of achievement curving through him. He pursued the fallen creature when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He looked around and saw his three brothers still fighting the monster, but on the inside he received an eerie feeling. He felt that something, somewhere, was going horribly wrong. He started to feel sick to his stomach. He fell to his knees and held his gut.

"What's wrong with me?" he said. A vivid memory of Corrine shook him. "Something is wrong with Corrine." He said to himself.

Mack noticed him and came rushing over. Dye saw his black armored brother running towards him.

"Dye, what's the matter?" Mack asked hastily.

"Corrine," he replied, "something is wrong with her."

Meanwhile, back in the ambulance, Corrine's heartbeat had elevated. The nurses tending to her gave her treatment for her racing heart, but nothing seemed to work. Her heart rate continued to climb while Dye could feel her pain. He heard the screaming of his sister all around him. "Dye!" Yelled Mack, "Dye, snap out of it!"

Suddenly, Corrine's heart stopped, and Dye collapsed onto the ground.

"Dye?" shouted Mack as he picked up the golden body of his little brother and held him in his arms. "Dye!" He shouted once more.

Dye didn't respond. Sam and Jason were still fighting the creature. They noticed Dye's body hanging in the arms of Mack. They tried to help but the menacning monster kept them occupied.

The nurses in the ambulance pulled out a defibrillator and pressed the pads against Corrine's chest. Her body gave a spasm just as Dye's did that very moment. The vital sign monitor continued to display a flat line, along with a very low tone. They used the defibrillator once more, and Dye's body gave a spasm once again in his brother's arms. The monitor still showed no signs of vitals. They tried it once more, and both of the sibling's bodies gave a spasm at the corrected time. Still, nothing but a flat line ran across the monitor.

Dye was in the dark and cold place again, holding onto his sister's hand.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but it's time for me to go."

She smiled as her hand slipped away from his.

"No!" Said the begging voice of her baby brother. "Please stay. You have to."

"I have to move on to better things," she said. "You'll see."

Her warm light drifted away into nothing, but before she left him, he heard the whisper of his name.

"Corrine," whispered the lifeless body of Dye.

Mack looked down at him and waited for him to move, but nothing happened. Dye watched as his sister's essence slowly evaporated, leaving him alone in the dark, cold place.

"Time of death," said one of the nurses, "Twelve forty-five A.M."

Corrine's old and dead body sat in the back of the ambulance.

At that very second, the creature came crashing down again, causing the earth to shake. The escorts evaded quickly, but the shaking ground caused rubble to fall in their path. The ambulance driver found himself and the ambulance crashing into a tree.

Dye woke up in his brother's arms. Feeling a little light headed, he stood up from his brother's hold and kind of wobbled a bit. Mack caught him.

"Whoa, easy there little brother," Mack said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm all right," he replied. "But..."

"But what?" Asked Mack.

"Corrine," said Dye. "She didn't make it."

Mack's heart sank. He felt Dye's empathy.

"How do you know?"

"I don't know." He replied, "It was like I was there. I saw her spirit leave and just a little while ago I wasn't able to feel her presence anymore. She's gone."

The two brothers began to mourn the death of their sister. Slowly that sorrow turned into anger.

"That's it," Dye said furiously, "I've had it with this thing. I'm going to tear it apart with my bare hands if I have to."

Mack and Dye rejoined their brothers in battle and continued to fight the fearsome beast.

The nurses and the driver began to regain consciousness from their accident. The lights were out. The thundering thumping of the beast could be heard not too far away.

"Is everyone alright?" Asked the driver. The nurses responded with a yes and started to move, trying to get out of the totaled vehicle. One of the nurses placed their hands on the bed to assist them in getting up and noticed the bed felt empty. The nurse finally realized there wasn't anybody in the bed. The other nurse saw the bed was completely vacant. The two quickly began searching for the body outside of the crashed ambulance but had no luck in finding the girl's old and dead body.

The cataclysmic battle had not slowed down one bit. The people around the country waited for more updates on the condition of Beach Shores City. The people of the city were still being evacuated, and the boys were doing their best to hold down the creature. With every strike, the creature was recovering rapidly. Dye was more furious than he had been before. The sudden death of his sister sparked an everlasting fire within him. Millions of flames outlined his body. They were responding to Dye's sadness and anger for the loss of his sister. His golden armor shined with the light of many flames. He slapped his hands on the ground and fire surged all throughout the ruined avenues. The flames raced around Dye and under Griflore's feet.

Griflore threw out his wide, colossal wings and took flight into the sky. Griflore prepared himself for the same attack once more and began to conjure as much energy as he could into the pit of his mouth. The purple light lit up the city, and with a swift flick of his head, the powerful beam was sent forth towards Dye, whose hands were glued to the ground. The beam tore through the air and caused the sound waves around the area to ripple. Dye felt the rippling effect in his ears and quickly looked up to see the jaw-dropping attack coming straight towards him. The flames on his body increased and caused a great wall of heat to surround his body. With his hands still placed on the ground, it was only a matter of time before the beam was to destroy his body.

Sam came swooping down and created a wall of pressurized air. The beam drew closer, and the light from the bright ray started to grow brighter as it descended down on the two heroes. Mack came bursting out of the ground along with Jason, and together the two of them created a wall with their elemental powers. A giant wall of rock sprung forth from the ground and reinforced Sam's wall of air. Jason summoned the water that was flowing beneath the city and created a barrier of water that surrounded the four heroes.

The beam started to beat against the thick and heavy rock wall until it completely tore through it. Griflore added more power to his attack. Sam braced himself as the beam beat against his wall of pure and pressurized air. The air wall was indented with Griflore's energy as it tried to break through Sam's defenses. He conjured up more air and reinforced his barrier.

Griflore gave more power to his attack, and the beam tore through the wall of air. Sam and Mack were blown away. With his hands still on the ground, Dye watched as the beam headed straight for Jason's set of defenses. Jason stood his ground, and the pure energy attack rammed itself against the impenetrable wall of now frozen water. Dye, with his hands still glued to the ruined asphalt, sat behind his brother and watched as the beam continued to try and break its way through.

"GOT IT!" cried Dye.

Dye suddenly lifted his hands, and the earth started to rumble. Sam and Mack got up from the ground and acknowledged the terrible rumbling. Griflore, who was still in the air putting more effort into his attack, didn't feel the disturbance. The ground beneath him started to crack, and a red fiery substance squirted up from beneath the earth and smothered Griflore, bringing him crashing to the ground, discontinuing his attack.

"Lava?" Asked Jason as he let down his barrier, "Did you do that?"

Dye nodded. A geyser of fiery magma shot into the sky and created a fountain of fire. Griflore cried in pain as the lava burned through his skin. Jason summoned another tidal wave and sent it towards the great beast. The water made contact with the wild liquid fire and quickly cooled it off, turning the boiling magma into rock that encased itself around Griflore's body.

Griflore stood there frozen in time as the molten rock dressed his body like a set of rock armor. The Xenton brothers stood at the foot of the hardened creature they worked so hard to imprison. They felt accomplished. Dye fell down and began to laugh with reprieve. The rest of the brothers felt at ease, and they too started to join their brother in joyous laughter.

The sound of a helicopter could be heard flying in from a distance. The boys looked to the east and saw a news chopper with a cameraman staring down at them. A television camera was propped up to his eye. People all over the country saw the four brothers in the wake of the battle with their bodies dressed in armor and their faces concealed by their metal heads.

# Chapter 26: The Silver Wolf

"As you can see, the mysterious beast that has appeared in the city of Beach Shores just an hour ago as been reduced to nothing more than a statue." People all over the country glued their eyes to their television screen to view the immobile, molten rock beast. The helicopter moved a spotlight over the towering statue as the cameraman looked up and down at the motionless monster. "No word yet on the four unknown heroes responsible for the discontinuation of the creature's destruction."

"It's over," said Dye, "It's finally over."

He picked up his golden body and looked around the city that had been completely trampled by the mighty beast. All that stood were only a few dozen buildings.

"Well, at least he didn't get to the rest of the city," said Mack.

The four brothers looked up and saw the helicopter shine its light down on them. Dye, acting like a complete child, waved with both hands and jumped up and down while his older brothers waved respectively with one. The people of the country looked upon their televisions and waved back at the heroic four. Families laughed and hugged each other while others released a breath of relief.

"Looks like that's that," said Jason, "I think we should get back home before Mom discovers that we're not there."

They turned their backs to the beast when a cracking sound filled the air. The four stopped, and their hearts pounded against their metal bodies.

"Mack," asked Dye.

"Yeah?"

"Please tell me that was you," he asked.

"I sure hope it was me," he responded.

The cracking noise got louder, and the sound of crumbling rock filled their ears. They turned around and saw the molten rock statue of the beast beginning to break apart. The rock suit of the beast started to crack faster, and chunks of it fell from its body. The rock covering its eye shattered and exposed a bright, yellow, slit pupil eye. A growling noise echoed through the streets.

The crumbling rocks continued to fall, and soon, Griflore's arm along with his talon-like fists were completely exposed. He waved his wings and stone flew in all directions. The beast tore the rock from its torso and unleashed a wave of energy that crumbled the rest of the rock away. It sounded with a loud cry of eagle and lion and stomped its lion-like feet on the ground.

The people watching the news felt a great dread. They sat and witnessed the horrible rebirth of the frightening creature. Its cry filled their eyes and fueled their fear.

"If you are just now tuning into this catastrophic event, the beast responsible for the destruction of Beach Shores city has awakened from its molten rock slumber."

Dye shook his head in denial. "What are we going to do?" He asked.

"We are going to keep on fighting," Mack responded, "The whole country is watching us now, probably the world."

"We can do this," Jason added.

"So let's take this freak down," said Sam, throwing his metal fist into his other hand.

The cameraman looked down at the clan of armored heroes and watched as the four of them resumed their aggressive attack against the monstrous beast. The news chopper monitored the battle as the people sat at home, waiting for the fight's outcome.

Above the clouds in the sky, Corrine's body ascended into the heavens, her youth had returned to her body. All the negative feelings she felt in her life had suddenly left her soul. She was at peace with herself. Her brown eyes watched the sky as her body was sucked deeper into the peaceful heavens. The sounds of destruction faded away from her as she began to leave this world. The bright full moon gazed over her body as her essence began to sparkle away.

The light crash of thunder filled her ears. She slowly started to open her eyes. A flash of lightning made her jump, and her eyes were widely opened.

"Where am I?" She asked. She looked around and saw herself in an unpredictable position, in a familiar place, however.

"I remember this place, this day, this very second," She found herself in midair, hovering over a road in the middle of the night. There was a storm; torrential rains fell, and thunder and lightning raged in the gray heavens above. The highway was on a cliff side, and the edge was blocked off by a railing. The pounding rain thrashed against her body while the thunder and lightning shook her soul. She watched from above as a car was coming down the highway; its headlights highlighting the raindrops that fell in front of the vehicle. She watched mindlessly as the car was quickly approaching another. Just then, the tires of another vehicle skid and maneuvered from in front of the other, breaking through the railing and flying off the cliff. The car soared from the road and landed in a nearby tree.

The people inside struggled to get out. The crying of a child stabbed the constant sound of the thundering rain. A woman got out of the car holding a baby boy and held on to a nearby branch. A man came squeezing through the window of the car holding a young girl who was trapped in her baby seat, unconscious. The car shifted in the tree and soon fell to its destruction. The man fell from the tree and grabbed a nearby branch with his daughter in the other hand. He was caught between a battle for his life and his daughter's. The sound of the exploding car startled Corrine. She watched as a fire erupted beneath the struggling family. The rain caused the man's grip to slip along the tree branch causing the grip he had on his daughter to slip as well. The sound of the boy's crying could be heard along with the voice of the woman who cried out for her husband.

Corrine watched as her past taught her a new fact. A feeling of guilt and sorrow conquered her. She watched as her younger self slipped from her father's hold and began her journey downward towards the pit of death.

"No!" She yelled.

A streak of silver light swooped by her and flew down to the little girl. The light expanded and blinded Corrine. It consumed everything within range and tore through the horrible sight before her eyes. She shielded her face and the sounds of rain and crying ceased.

Everything was silent. The sound of nothingness was heard passing through her ears. She slowly opened her eyes and a picture of black space, and stars filled her vision. She began to look around and in front of her she found one of the rarest sights she would ever see. Filling her eyes was a star growing massively. The star was full to the brim, and without warning it exploded, causing a supernova to wave past her. Suddenly, she was thrown through space at high speeds. Planets and distant stars shot past her. She felt a warm sense of relief pass through her body as she soared through the wonders of space. She let the feeling overtake her as her eyes were closed more than a standard blink to experience the peaceful wonders of this strange place. When she opened them, she saw numerous galaxies, dozens of stars and hundreds of planets. The sight was magnificent. The beauty of space and the wonders of the universe sparked curiosity and marvel within her. A smile lit up her face as she perceived the brilliant sights of the universe.

"Young one, who has suffered a great loss," said the voice of a woman that bounced through the vast deepness of space. Corrine looked around to find the source of the sound.

"Your time of redemption has come," said the voice again.

Corrine continued to look around the vast, dark space for a woman. She looked hard, but no life form of that description seem to be visible.

"Who are you?" She asked, completely frightened.

She turned to the front of her, and a bright silver light started to poke its way through the fabric of space. The rays of the light got brighter and enlarged itself until a door of pure and endless light was wide open before her. She listened carefully as steps of an unknown entity were approaching her. However, they didn't sound like human footsteps. The footsteps sounded like those of a dog, or any other four-legged creature.

Silver and white fur caught the young girl's eyes. A long brush tail waved into the air, and shiny blue eyes caught her gaze. The door of light sealed itself. Corrine's heart started to beat at the sight of the beautiful wolf standing before her.

"Stella?" She said as tears began to form in the pit of her eyes.

"Do not be afraid, child," said the female voice of the wolf. "But yes, it is I."

Corrine stared aimlessly upon the wolf as it began to sit down; tears gushing from her eyes.

"I know you," started the wolf, "I know your entire life's story. You were born with everything, and now you have nothing." Corrine's head dropped.

"Pick your head up," said Stella

Corrine obeyed, staring into the eyes of her friend.

"I have been watching you. It was I who saved you that night, sixteen years ago. That night, He chose you to be the bearer of great power. However, I could not give it to you at the young age you were. I needed to wait for you grow older and now that time has come."

"You saved me?" Corrine murmured, "why me of all people?"

"You have a pure heart. I do not blame you for the pain and suffering you have caused for it was not your doing."

"I don't understand," Corrine shook her head.

"Your destiny was put into motion the day that you were brought into this world, and so were your brothers. The Creator of the universe has told me to fuse my spirit with yours. You are the rightful owner of my power."

"But I'm dead, aren't I?" Asked Corrine.

"Yes, but through Him all things are possible. With my power, you will be restored to life."

"I still don't understand," said Corrine. "I have nothing but hate and anger inside of me. Why do you want me?"

"Because He has commanded it so," said the wolf. "Your brothers are in desperate need of your help."

"My brothers?" Asked Corrine.

"Observe," said the beast.

The floor beneath her tore open and the sight of four people dressed in various styles of armor were fighting a colossal beast with the body of a griffin. The brothers of the girl were receiving a merciless beating as Griflore didn't give them any pity.

"Those are my brothers?" She asked, "That can't be."

"It is the truth. The one possessing the spirit of the fox has shown great valor in this time of need, and now he is desperately in need of your help."

The floor resealed itself, and Corrine looked up at the wolf.

"You five are destined to do great things, and this is only the beginning. Defeat this monster."

"What do I have to do?" Asked Corrine, with perseverance in her voice.

The stars around her vanished along with the planets and galaxies.

Everything was swallowed up by the darkness. It was only Corrine and Stella standing in complete blackness. Her brown eyes met the blue eyes of the magnificent beast sitting before her.

"We shall become one," said Stella.

The beast started to shine with a beautiful light, and its body became like a spirit, transparent, and stretched its way over to Corrine. The wolf's body swirled around Corrine and entered the girl's body through her mouth and eye's. The light expanded, and Corrine's body vanished.

The military was nearly done with the evacuation of the city. The final part of the city that needed to be cleared was none other than the brothers' neighborhood. A platoon of soldiers swept through the streets, knocking on the doors of houses and evacuating anybody that might have still occupied them. One of the soldiers came to the Haven house and pounded on the door. Mr. and Mrs. Haven jumped out of bed, put on their robes and rushed downstairs to see who could be at their door this late at night. Flashing lights were peering through their window.

"I hope this isn't the police," said Mrs. Haven.

They unlocked and opened their door. Standing on their porch was a military officer dressed in an armed uniform carrying a rifle.

"Excuse me, ma'am," said the soldier, "sorry to wake you, but the city is on high alert. You are to be evacuated immediately. Wake your family and take nothing. We have a shuttle waiting to take you to the nearest city exit."

Mr. and Mrs. Haven looked outside and saw their neighbors being evacuated by other soldiers. One of which was Mrs. Simmons and her dog who were being escorted to a shuttle by other soldiers. Dozens of shuttles were driving off, filled with people whose eyes were glued downtown. Mr. and Mrs. Haven stuck their heads out of their door and saw their city in ruin and completely engulfed in flames. Their eyes lit up, and the sight of complete destruction filled their sights. Rising from the destruction was a titan with giant wings. It tore through the city, thrashing its body and flapping its wings.

"What in the world?" Gasped Mrs. Haven, her mouth dropped wide. The cry of the creature could be heard as it was not far away from them.

"Ma'am, we haven't got much time," said the soldier, "please, get whoever may still be in the house and get out immediately."

Mrs. Haven ran upstairs yelling the names of her three sons. She got to Mack and Jason's room, and when she swung open the door, her sight was on empty quarters. She began to panic.

"Jason?" She said with her heart pounding away. She quickly ran to the next room and swung open the door to see Dye and Sam were nowhere to be found. She ran downstairs in a panic.

"What's the matter?" Asked Mr. Haven.

"The boys," said Mrs. Haven panicking, "They're not in their rooms."

"What?!" flared Mr. Haven. "They must have got bored and snuck out. Those boys are in for a serious talk."

"Excuse me, sir!" Said Mrs. Haven. Nobody answered her. "Hey!" She said with a more demanding tone. One of the soldiers turned around with a flabbergasted look on his face to see Mrs. Haven waltzing up to him. "My boys aren't in their rooms. They must have snuck out. Is there a chance they may still be in the city?" She asked.

"That's a negative, ma'am," replied the soldier, "the entire city has already been evacuated."

"My eldest son is at his prom."

"Like I said, ma'am, the city has already been evacuated. If anything your boys have already been moved out with the rest of the city."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent positive."

Still in a panic, the two parents jumped aboard one of the shuttles and watched as their beloved city was being destroyed. The giant griffin had nearly toppled everything around it. Flames raged below it and lightning ruled above it. Soon Mr. and Mrs. Haven were being escorted out of the city while hearing the thumping footsteps of the enormous creature. They heard one last cry of the monster as the beast faded away into the horizon. Feelings of panic still rushed through the husband and wife, as so did the hope of seeing their four boys again.

The battle between Griflore and the four brothers was growing more intense by the second. With scratches all over their armor, the four boys gave it their all. Rocks flew, the razor sharp wind blew, powerful waves were summoned, and raging fire attacked the creature. With each attack, Griflore continued to recover more rapidly, angrier than ever. The only thought the monster had was finally ridding itself of the four brothers. The brothers knew Griflore's intentions, but no type of fear overcame them. They continued to fight for their people, for their planet, and most of all, for the death of their sister. Powerful punches and extremely swift kicks struck the creature over and over again, but Griflore continued to get up. He thrashed about the city, firing powerful beams at the boys, which were easily missed as they continued to try and rid the city of the forsaken beast.

"I don't know how much more of this we can take," said Dye. "Everything we give that thing, he just gets right back up."

"Keep with the hope, Dye," said Mack.

"There has to be a weak spot or something," said Sam.

"That's it!" Yelled Dye. "We've been going about this all wrong. Instead of wasting our energy we should be looking for a weak spot."

"Yeah, but where?" Asked Jason.

"There," said Dye pointing at Griflore's head.

The rest of the boys looked up and saw Arayan's body attached to tubes, resting on Griflore's head.

"We haven't been fighting Griflore," said Dye. "We've been fighting Arayan this whole time."

"Of course," said Sam. "He's doing the same thing to Arayan that he did to Corrine."

"Wait, what?" Said Mack. "Can somebody fill me in?"

"Basically, he's using Arayan's life force to recover," replied Sam. "That's why he won't stay down."

"So why don't we just detach the tubes and take Arayan's body?" Asked Mack.

Griflore's talon came crashing down, causing the boys to scatter. They rebounded off of buildings and circled around the creature until they regrouped behind it.

"Because we don't know what kind of effect it will have on Arayan," Dye replied. "We want to save him, not kill him."

Griflore's massive body turned around and resumed his attack. They boys ducked and evaded the assaults, being careful not to get hit.

"So what do we do?" Asked Jason, "He's running off of batteries, we're not. It's only a matter of time before our bodies give up."

"Jason's right," said Mack. "We need to do something."

Griflore continued to attack.

"We don't know what's going to happen to Arayan if we cut the tubes," said Dye. "But right now it's our only shot."

"What are you saying?" Asked Sam.

"I'm saying Arayan wouldn't want his life force fueling this thing. He would want us to stop it even if that meant him dying."

"I hate to agree, but we have no choice," Sam replied, "count me in."

"Same here," said Jason and Mack.

The four brothers broke formation and pressed on against the creature. Sam took flight into the sky, hoping to get to Griflore's head. He was quickly swatted and sent crashing into the ground. Jason attempted a distraction but was quickly foiled by Griflore raging talons. Dye and Mack were the last two. Mack hurled boulders at the creature while Dye jumped aboard one. Griflore smashed the rock, allowing Dye to jump into the air. He summoned his blade and started falling in an attack against his foe until the young hero was suddenly hit by his wings. Dye fell to the ground when his brother Mack broke his fall. Sam got up from the ground, and so did Jason.

"This is impossible," said Jason, "We can't get near him."

"We need more power," said Dye, holding a hurt arm.

"We're so close," said Sam, "Where are we going to get more power?"

"Your end is near, Xenton," said Griflore as he waved his wings, "you cannot win. Your hour of death is here."

The news chopper was still in the presence of the battle. The camera locked onto the four heroes and then looked at the great beast. The people at home couldn't help but watch the incredible fight unfold between the four armored warriors and the massive, griffin creature.

The four boys watched as the towering Griflore stood above them. Mack's heart was beating like a drum. Sam and Jason's nerves strapped their feet to the ground. The three brothers were afraid, but Dye didn't let any type of negative emotion get to him. The only thought he had lingering in his head was the avenging of his sister. He dropped his wounded arm and found that it was completely healed. He balled up his fist and was ready to continue fighting. His brothers looked at him, and their confidence skyrocketed. Griflore prepared his attack, gathering the purple energy in his mouth. Dye summoned the golden flames once again and at the same time Griflore fired his attack, Dye unleashed his golden flames causing the attacks to battle against each other.

The cameraman was filming every action taking place. The live taping of the clashing attacks was broadcasted to people all across the nation. They watched as the golden armored hero stood up against the giant beast with his golden flames.

The tubes going through Arayan's body pumped greatly and gave power to

Griflore's assault. Dye's golden flames were being pushed back towards him. Griflore's attack was getting more intense by the second. Sam gathered a strong wind in his palms and released it to join Dye's fire. The combination of the two's energy increased the attack's overall power. Griflore's attack was being pushed back into his face. He caused the tubes to pump again, and the purple light increased dramatically, which reflected the two brother's attack back at them. Just before contact, a yellow energy had joined the duo's attack along with blue energy. The combined powers of Dye, Sam, Jason and Mack fueled their counter. It gave them the boost that they needed and Griflore's attack was deflected into his face. The impact of the brothers' attack collided with Griflore's body and tossed the creature a few feet back. The loud crashing of the beast's body shook the entire city.

Weakened, the four boys fell to the ground, their bodies too heavy for them to pick up. They felt their bodies give up. The people watched silently from their homes for any sign of the humungous beast. They sat on the edge of their seats in hopes that the beast was finally silenced. Giant movements started to occur from the rubble nearby. The cameraman turned his camera to witness the constant rumbling of the giant creature. The four boys lifted their heads to view the titan lifting his body from the ground. Its thundering footsteps stomped the ground to announce its superiority he had over the boys.

"Come on," said Dye, trying to get up, panting, "We have to keep on fighting. He's not going to stop."

The brothers did their best to recover as fast as they could, but they didn't have enough time to do so. Soon, the colossal beast was standing over them.

"Now I will crush you like the insects you are," Griflore said, lifting his foot.

He moved it directly over the four brothers and was beginning to lower it. Dye and the others watched at the oversized foot blocked out the moonlight, casting a dark shadow over them. Griflore began to descend his foot rapidly until he heard a very distinct howl. The boys heard the sound as well and began looking around for the source. The people who continuously watched the news heard the howl through their TV. The intensity of the battle was fueling their anxiety.

Griflore stopped his foot and looked around also.

"What was that?" He asked himself with his deep, mighty voice. The boys' curiosity started to ask them the same question. Another howl was set through the city, but this one was louder than the first. Just then, a silver streak of light appeared out of nowhere and struck the giant creature. The foot being held over the boys was taken away, giving them back the light of the moon. Griflore was once again on the ground. The boys were clueless as to what had just happened and so were the people at home. They heard the howling of a wolf again, and the silver light beamed down from the moon. Dye, Sam, Jason, and Mack picked themselves up and saw the light fall down and strike Griflore directly in his abdomen. The creature cried in pain as the silver light dug deeper through its stomach until a hole was torn through it. Finished with its attack, the light retreated into the sky and fell down towards the brothers.

The silver, warm light gave off a peaceful essence and sparkled against the boys' agleam bodies. The light settled in front of them, and it began to reshape itself into a humanoid figure. They watched the arms and legs materialized and finally the head on top of the torso appeared. The silver body stopped glowing, revealing an entity wearing silver, agile armor who stood with a female posture.

"That symbol," said Sam with a puzzled tone, looking at the stranger's face. "I've seen it before! In the Sky Sanctuary. The symbol of the-"

"The Moon," Dye finished.

"But who is it?" Asked Jason.

The figure changed its posture and at that moment Dye felt a very familiar presence; a presence that had left him not too long ago.

"Dye," said the figure, "Thank you."

The boys were perplexed and turned their attention towards their little brother who was standing behind them.

"Dye, what's going on?" Asked Sam. "Who is this?"

Dye walked to the front of his brothers and faced the figure. The symbol on his golden helmet met the symbol of the unknown being standing before him.

"Corrine?" He asked.

Sam, Jason, and Mack were shocked. Dye's helmet opened up and sprung itself backward and melted away into his armored back. The young boy's face was visible, revealing scars and bruises that were still healing. His brothers followed his actions and their faces were seen as well.

"Corrine?" Asked Mack with his healing, beaten face, "Is that you?"

The symbol on her face opened up, allowing the rest of her helmet to open further. The mask sprung back and melted away into her back. Her long, black hair waved in the light wind.

"My brothers," she said, "my family at long last."

Dye began to smile as he laid his eyes on the dark haired, brown eyed girl standing in front of him. He jumped at her and hugged her tightly; she hugged him back. He began to weep in the arms of his older sister. His tears ran down the silver, metal surface of her body.

"You're here. You're alive," Dye said as tears of happiness ran down his face. He looked up at her. "Your body is back to normal."

The other three brothers surrounded her and gave her a hug with Dye being crushed in the middle. Their metal bodies scraped against one another.

A thunderous movement occurred from behind them. The enormous beast exploded from the ground in a roar that shook the earth. The brothers released their sister and quickly turned around to face the great titan. Griflore looked down at what seemed to be five Xenton with their bare faces, standing before him. The five of them stood and witnessed the hole in his body heal; the tubes on Arayan's body pumping rapidly.

"What's this?" Griflore asked, "Another one?"

Corrine stared up at the creature that was once in control of her and feelings of disdain filled her body.

"Well, well," said Griflore, "If it isn't my old puppet."

Corrine got even angrier; she ground her teeth together.

"I am nobody's puppet," she replied, "What you did to me was cruel and evil. You're going to pay for what you did!"

The creature laughed.

"I don't understand why you aren't dead yet, but I will make sure that you don't walk away from this," said Griflore, "you should be thanking me. This could have been your fate." He pointed at Arayan, who was strapped to his head. Dye, Sam, Jason and Mack stood alongside their resurrected sister.

"I've said it once, and I'll say it again," said Dye, "this ends tonight."

All five of the siblings' metal helmets sprung out, covered their heads and encased their faces behind their Quailocian elemental symbol.

"Bring it on," said Griflore, crashing his feet into the ground of the city.

# Chapter 27: The Power of Love

The five Haven siblings were together at last, each of them standing ready to rid the city of the horrible beast. The five of them stood in their great armor with their spirit's power flowing within them. The spirits of the fox, eagle, shark, bear and wolf stood to wait along with their host, ready to rid the world of Griflore, their most despised enemy.

"You should be thanking me, girl," said Griflore, "These humans wanted nothing to do with you. They left you to die. Yet, here you are, standing before me, defending them."

"I know what happened that night, sixteen years ago. You fed off of my negative feelings, and now, blood is thicker than water."

"Then let it be yours that flows in the river of death."

Griflore initiated the first attack. He swung his colossal arms down at the five siblings who scattered like birds. Each of them struck the great beast one by one. Corrine summoned her power and a powerful bright beam of energy shot forth from her hand, throwing the monster to the ground. While the beast was left recovering, the five siblings retreated to each other and filled Corrine in on the plan to get Arayan back.

"So we have to cut the tubes on the boy that's on his head?" She asked, "That's what's going to stop him?"

"Yeah." replied the four brothers.

"We hope so," said Dye.

"Fine, then I'll do it," she said, turning her back to her brothers.

The enormous creature retreated from the ground once more, spreading its wings and unleashing a loud cry upon the city.

"No way!" Said Dye, grabbing her arm, "We do this together."

Corrine turned around but didn't respond to her brother's objection. She took a quick glance at each of them and snatched her arm back. She transformed her body into a jet of light and took off towards the creature.

"What is she doing?" Asked Dye angrily.

"She's your sister," replied Mack, "apparently more stubborn than you."

"She's going to get herself killed again!" Dye barked.

"Hey, that didn't stop you," said Jason as he passed his baby brother to resume the battle.

"That was different," announced Dye as he followed his brother.

The news helicopter was still lingering around the battlefield, sending footage of the silver armored newcomer to its viewers.

"There's five of them now," the cameraman said.

The four brothers took off against the creature to assist their sister. With each blow given to it, the creature fell the ground and moments later retreated itself to its upright position. It thrashed its talons and feet with high hopes of striking one of its opponents.

Seconds later, many missiles soared through the sky and hit the creature. The siblings saw a second team of military helicopters heading their way. They opened fire on the beast and flew through the air firing missiles at will. Their mighty propellers tore through the air, causing a rippling sound to be heard. The cameraman aboard the news chopper pointed his camera at the dozens of helicopters heading towards the battle. The people all across the nation could see what was happening.

The military teamed up with the Xenton and began assisting with attacks. Sam flew into the air and caused a lightning bolt to strike the beast. Immediately following the lightning strike, a dozen of the choppers fired missiles at Griflore that detonated upon impact. The creature tore through buildings and recovered quickly. He ripped through the smoke and tried to destroy as many helicopters as possible. The pilots used evasive maneuvers and successfully escaped from the out of control beast. As Griflore pursued one of the choppers, Mack came bursting up from the ground and punched Griflore directly into his face. Mack fell to the floor and slammed his metal fist into the asphalt, causing rocks to explode into the air. One by one, Mack struck each boulder with his fist and sent them flying towards Griflore. Each of the boulders slapped Griflore in his face, stomach, arms, and legs, causing the mighty beast to fall to his knees.

Jason surrounded his body in a cyclone of water and raced towards Griflore at an intense speed. The water ripped and tore its way through the enormous beast, cutting Griflore severely.

Dye and Corrine raced towards the monster side by side. Dye summoned his blade again while Corrine summoned a bright, silver shield. Dye gave power to his sword and allowed it to glow with a golden light. Next, he threw it at Griflore while Corrine shot a powerful beam at the beast which accelerated Dye's sword. The sword sliced through one of the tubes that were keeping Arayan's body tied down on Griflore's head, and the beam struck the beast in the abdomen, causing the monster fall to the ground. Dye's sword went flying back to him like a boomerang until he caught it in his hand. The five siblings and the military halted their assault and waited for Griflore to rise and tear through the smoke, but nothing happened.

As the smoke began to lift, they saw the yellow eyes of the beast, its body struggling to get up.

"We hurt him?" Said Dye.

The other siblings retreated to their younger brother and older sister's side.

"Great," said Jason, "let's kick him!"

"I'll do it," said Corrine, walking away from her brothers. Dye seized her hand, stopping her.

"No," he said. "We do this together."

"He's my problem. I brought him here. I'll deal with him."

"He's our problem. He's their problem too," he pointed up at the military choppers, "we do this together."

She snatched her hand back.

"Don't you see? It's my fault he's here. If it wasn't for me, then all of this wouldn't have happened. He has caused too much pain and suffering and forced me to do things I didn't want to do."

"But it wasn't your fault," said Sam, "You were under his control."

"Besides, if he hadn't taken over your body, you probably wouldn't be here with us, your family." Said Dye. "Look at us. We're as beaten as you are and we're not going to let you do this by yourself."

"Why?" She asked.

"Because we're a family," replied Mack, emerging from behind her.

"And family protects its members," added Sam.

"No matter the danger of the situation," Jason added also.

"We're siblings," said Dye, "and love is what keeps us together."

"Love?" She said. She stared into the symbol that led to Dye's eyes.

She watched as all around Dye a light began to shine. Not just any light, however. A never ending and uncontrollable crimson aura gave his body a bright outline. The T on Dye's face was filled with the red glow and sent dozens of red, glowing lines surging through his body. He looked at his body, and a strange energy started to fill his soul. He heard the howling of a fox as his energy began to increase. From behind him, he could feel the warmness of other auras creeping up. He turned around and looked over at Mack and saw a brilliant yellow light shine through the symbol on his face and throughout his body. Sam and Jason's armor showed similar signs with their blue and white radiance.

"What is this?" Asked Dye, looking at his body.

"It's the Spirit Life-Force," replied Sam, looking at his body too, "It must be responding to our love."

"Huh? I thought this only happens when we get furious or something," said Dye.

"You said Griflore told you that this only happens when intense emotions occur. Why should love be any different?" replied Sam.

"Apparently we're all sharing the same feeling here," Mack said

Corrine stared at the bright, glowing bodies of her brothers.

"So this is the power of love," she said to herself.

The rumbling of the beast shook her. She let go of all the negative emotions she had and looked for the love in her. She stepped deep inside herself, but all she found was a dark void. Shadowy and filled with loneliness, the girl searched for the true meaning of what it meant to be loved. The unknown feeling she had never felt before. As she continued to walk, she came to a halt and standing there in the darkness was a little girl who shared a striking resemblance to her. Corrine stood in front of her, and the both of them stared into each other's brown eyes.

"Why can't I find this?" Asked Corrine.

"Why do you have to look?" Said the little girl in a sweet and innocent voice.

"Because I don't know what I'm looking for."

"You know what you're looking for. You just don't know where to find it." Corrine sighed. "You've been loved before," continued the girl, "and love never actually dies, it just gets replaced." Corrine looked up at her. "If you have no love in you, then you're evil. And you're not evil, just lost."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Asked Corrine, allowing her eyes to water.

"Just let it happen," said the young girl as she took a step forward.

Slowly the two girls approached each other and the moment their bodies crossed, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Suddenly, a warm feeling came over her, and a silver light exploded throughout her soul; the feeling of everlasting love traveling through her body. She opened her eyes and saw her body radiating a bright silver glow. Dye took his glowing hand from off her shoulder and smiled behind his helmet.

The bright, shining light of many colors rushed into the sky. The cameraman caught the entire footage of the five unknown heroes and their strange light. As the love flowed through their bodies, the light got stronger and brighter. The audience watching the news observed the bright lights through their television, and as it got stronger, a glare filled their screen. The military helicopters saw the mixture of bright illuminations from down below and fell back, allowing Dye and his siblings to finish their job.

"Are you ready to do this?" Said Dye to his sister.

She made an affirming gesture with her glowing head and turned to face the fallen beast. Griflore saw the blinding glares fill his eyes; he slowly got up from the ground and crashed his fist into the beaten street. The five siblings tore through the street at supercharged speeds and struck the creature one by one. Another one of the tubes penetrating Arayan's body was cut and a glowing clear liquid squirted from it. From above, the helicopters and the cameraman saw five tiny lines of red, white, blue, yellow and silver dart through the city streets below.

Griflore couldn't keep up with their miraculous speed. The beast was struck from its left, its right, from above and from beneath. The siblings continued their sprints against the creatures and were quickly cutting the tubes that were holding Arayan's body. Mack tore through one. Jason tore through another. Sam flew from above and tore through one also. Corrine jumped into the air and fired a beam from her shield that tore through one more. Griflore fell to his knees with fatigue, the air around him getting thin, making it hard for him to fill his lungs. Lastly, Dye sped towards the towering beast with his blade in hand. He took a leap and used his sword to slash his way through the last tube that imprisoned the young Quailocian. Arayan's body fell, but just before colliding with the ground, Dye grabbed his body and sped it away from the battlefield.

Miles away, Dye laid Arayan's naked body on the ground; his body displaying dozens of holes from the tubes that punctured his body. Dye's glowing, red face watched as the holes on his body were healing slowly. He saw movement in Arayan's eyes and quickly sped to get a cover of some sort. He came rushing back with an old newspaper, covered Arayan's body with it and sped off back to the fight.

Griflore was still on his knees. The tubes on his head were ejecting the bright, clear liquid as he was growing weaker by the minute. Dye returned and stood next to his siblings with his luminous red body. The five stood and stared into the eyes of their greatest foe, finally brought down by their love for each other.

"This isn't over yet, Xenton!" He yelled as he picked his weakened body up to stand. The mighty beast stood over them once more and stomped its feet down at them. The five warriors sprung up into the airspace above the beast. Griflore threw his head and yellow eyes up and saw them falling back down towards him. The energy of the five siblings grew out and around their bodies and gave them a coat of the animal spirits that possessed their bodies.

Mack came falling down against Griflore with a yellow coat of the bear that inhabited his body; his fist tightened. Griflore could hear the deep roaring of the bear that surrounded Mack as it drew closer. The eldest brother pulled back his fist and delivered a demolishing punch, causing one of Griflore's arms to fall off.

Sam came falling down with a white coat of an eagle surrounding his body. The eagle let out a cry as Sam drew closer. Lightning encased his fist, and he struck Griflore with everything he had, dispensing out his other arm. Griflore yelled in pain just as Jason came soaring down with a blue coat of a shark surrounding his body. With both fists, Jason fell into the beast and caused one of the wings to detach from his back and fall to the ground. Griflore yelled in agony again.

Corrine quickly descended upon the beast with one of her fist holding the other. The bright silver light of the wolf that coated her body filled her enemy's eyes. Without any hesitation, she slammed her joined fist against the creature, causing its other wing to fall to the ground.

Dye followed behind her with his glowing red body and his gold and red blade in hand. He lifted his sword above his head, ready to strike. The beast's yellow eyes were filled with the red light of the fox that coated the young hero's body. Dye fell closer, and as he was inches away from the head of the beast, he swung his sword and slashed the beast down the middle of its entire body. He slid down the beast with his sword, cutting his way through all of the creature's organs and skin. Griflore fell to his knees and cried aloud into the sky. Dye landed on the ground and jumped back up. His glowing, free hand grabbed some of the fur on Griflore's chest. He hung on the left side of beast's breast grasping his sword.

"Let's see how you fare with a blade through your heart." Said Dye, quoting the last words Griflore said to him just before he struck him down.

Dye drew his blade back and plunged it into the titan's chest, puncturing the monster's heart. The creature cried in pain and fell back. Dye jumped from off the creature and rejoined his siblings as they watched the armless monster fall back and crash into the ground.

Dye, Sam, Jason, Mack, and Corrine stood in the half-ruined city, their bodies still glowing with their respective colors. They observed Griflore's body beginning to maneuver through the rubble. It struggled to turn its body so that its head was facing the five siblings. The armored heroes saw the yellow, piercing eyes of their most hated foe.

"It's not over!" He yelled, opening his mouth and allowing a purple energy to gather inside it one last time; it grew bigger than before.

"He's going to destroy us all along with the entire city," said Sam.

"Then let's finish this," Dye replied.

He joined his hands together and started to gather his own energy. A red ball of light began forming in the palm of his hands.

"I'M TIRED OF LOOKING AT THOSE UGLY ASS EYES!" he said, extending one of his arms with the red energy resting in the center of his hand. "I'M GONNA BLAST THEM RIGHT OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS!"

Sam extended his white lit hand to join Dye's energy with his own.

"I'm going to enjoy this!" He said.

"Get out of our city!" Yelled Jason, holding his hand out, grasping a ball of blue energy.

"And leave us alone!" Shouted Mack, with his hand joining his brothers', holding a ball of raw, yellow power.

"And don't come back!" Yelled Corrine as her hand joined the rest of her brothers', holding a silver orb of power.

Together, the Haven siblings unleashed an almighty attack that ripped through Griflore's body. A beam of multiple colors whirled through the city and consumed Griflore. The evacuated people watched as multicolored lights rose from the horizon.

The siblings continued to advance their attack as they watched Griflore's entire body become entirely obliterated. His torso was torn away into nothing; his legs were completely eradicated, and his head along with his bright, yellow, slit pupil eyes were annihilated. A wave of energy was sent out into the sky and blew some of the choppers off course. The cameraman held on to one of the safety bars and continued to shoot the amazing display of power being performed by the five heroes.

The glare from their final attack faded. The capacity of the power they accumulated was finally depleted. Dye and Corrine fell to their hands and knees, the glow on all of them fading away. They looked around for any signs of the tyrant's body, but they saw nothing except for most of their city nearly destroyed. Thus, the greatest threat known as Griflore was, at long last, abolished from this world.

# Chapter 28: The Dawn of a New Day

"Not too long ago, the creature that appeared in Beach Shores City just hours ago was destroyed," Footage shot by the cameraman was flipped onto the screen. Five armored individuals were seen from above unleashing a great shimmer of light that completely disintegrated the horrible beast. "No information has yet to be discovered regarding the identities of these five brave individual's. Whoever they are, the country greatly appreciates your bravery and valor in this time of great need."

The people of the Nation applauded with joy and happiness. The sight of the five unknown heroes sparked celebration all across the Nation.

"We have yet to be informed if this event is linked to the past events that have plagued the city of Beach Shores this past year; mainly, the unexplained attack that took place in the city streets just months prior to this attack. Officials say that the worst is over and the people of the city can go back to living their lives."

"Now, can we relax?" Asked Dye, as his golden body fell to the ground.

Exhausted, the rest of the four siblings plummeted to the ground as well. Dye started snickering and soon burst out with relieved laughter. His brothers joined in, and soon Corrine's voice of laughter could be heard.

"We did it," she said, "he's gone. He's finally gone."

The moon was beginning to set across the ocean as the sky of dusk started to give birth to a new day. The sunlight peeked over the eastern horizon, and its light began to blanket the destructed city. The siblings felt the light of the sun reach their armor as they picked their bodies up from the ground. Dye stretched, and the ongoing propeller of the news chopper sounded from above. Dye waved again at the helicopter as did the rest of the siblings.

"You are such guys," said Corrine, laughing at them. Mack bear-hugged her from behind.

"Get used to it," he said, "You're part of the family again."

From the corner of his eye, Dye saw the glimmering of a shiny object. Mesmerized by the sparkling item, Dye stopped his waving and glared over at the unknown object. He dropped his golden arm and started to hike over all of the rubble to get to the lustrous element. He came closer to whatever it was and lifted a plate of concrete from on top of it. Under the debris was a red, gleaming rock.

The other siblings realized their younger brother was missing. They looked over to their side and saw him crouching down, picking up something. They came walking over to him and saw him holding another Jenshia Star.

"Dye, where did you get that?" Asked Sam.

"I just found it right here," he replied, "under all this rubble."

"Should we save it?" Asked Jason, "just in case we may need it one day."

"I think we should use it now," said Mack, looking around at the city, "the city could use a pick-me up."

"Good idea," Dye replied.

Dye held the beautiful star above his head.

"I wish the city was back to the way it was before Griflore's attack," he spoke carefully within his mind.

The red rock let off a red glow and millions of tiny red jets of light sprung forth and flew throughout the fallen city. The jets of light picked up the fallen pieces of rubble and attached them to their respective pieces, sealing the cracks that secured them together. The five siblings watched as the city started to rebuild itself. Tall buildings were being put back together, the street was repaired, damaged cars were put back into their original state, and the skyscraper behind them was restored. Soon the city looked as though it was back to normal, and the star in Dye's hand slowly disappeared into thin air.

"Well, our work here is done," he said, "We saved the world and rebuilt our city all in a single night."

The sun started to carry itself across the blue sky. Its warm rays gave life to the once fallen city yet again.

"Let's get out of here," said Jason, "bet Mom and Dad have already blown a gasket."

"Good idea," said Dye, "but not before doing one last thing."

"Come on, Dye," said Sam, with a tired tone, "We don't have time for games."

"Just a second," he replied.

He raced down the street at an incredible speed, leaving behind him a trail of fire. The cameraman followed him with his camera and watched as Dye's fire had begun to spell words.

"What is he doing?" Asked Corrine.

"Beats me," replied Mack, "Being his old, usual self, I suppose."

The cameraman watched as Dye sped through the streets, spelling words with his fire. He ran back to siblings, ready to go home.

"Was that really necessary?" Asked Jason.

"Yeah, it was," Dye responded.

The five Haven siblings left the scene. The cameraman watched as Dye launched his body down the street at an unbelievable speed. Sam and Corrine took off into the air with Jason on Sam's back, and Mack burrowed underground.

"Whoa!" Said the Cameraman, "Now that's cool."

The cameraman pointed his camera at the blazing words Dye left behind which read "The Xenton were here." Everybody around the country read the words on their television and found that the phrase had no meaning to them whatsoever.

"Thanks to these Xenton" continued the newsreader. "The city of Beach Shores, perhaps even the world, has been saved from disaster. Mysteriously, the downtown portion of Beach Shores has completely been restored. Information on how the city magically rebuilt itself is still an ongoing investigation. The military has reopened the city's exits and has allowed its citizens to return to their homes. Still no word on why the creature suddenly attacked the city or what its motives were. The military has yet to reveal any information regarding the incident. Until then, let's hope that the town remains guarded by these mysterious heroes."

Footage of the strange incident swept across the television. Scenes of the now-dead beast were shown, and then the screen flipped to a scene where the boys' faces were exposed. Their helmets quickly flew across their faces, concealing their identity. Luckily for them, the shot was extremely blurry, and nobody was able to make out the actual nature of their identities.

Mr. Haven turned off the television and blew out a deep breath. Mrs. Haven paced around the living room, biting her fingernails.

"Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?" She said compulsively as she paced around her living room. "They should be back by now?"

"Calm down, Jessica," said Mr. Haven.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Russell," snapped Mrs. Haven, "My sons are still not home, and only God knows what that creature was we saw earlier. For all we know that thing could have gobbled them up," She continued to pace around the room.

"Don't you think you're being overdramatic?"

"I have every right to be overdramatic!" She barked. "The evacuation has been called off for an hour already, and my boys are yet to be in this house."

"Calm down," said Mr. Haven walking over and comforting her.

"Stop trying to calm me down!" She shouted, breaking away from her husband's hold. She continued to pace back and forth through her living room. Mr. Haven chuckled a bit and sat down on the couch and unfolded his newspaper.

The sound of their front gate was heard opening. Mrs. Haven stopped pacing and took her finger from her mouth.

"Did you hear that?" She asked.

"Hear what?" replied Mr. Haven, reading his paper. The sound of voices and footsteps got louder as they grew closer to the front door.

"That!" She replied.

Mr. and Mrs. Haven darted for the front door, unlocked it and threw it open to find the faces of their four boys and a girl standing on their porch. Dye's hand was up in the air as if he was about to knock on the door.

"Thank goodness!" Said Mrs. Haven, "Thank God you're safe." She said as she hugged each of her four boys. The four boys walked inside their house. Corrine remained on the porch, nervous about entering a home that wasn't hers.

"Come on," said Dye, welcoming her into his home.

"Alright, you three," said Mr. Haven referring to Dye, Sam, and Jason. "I want to know where you three snuck out to last night."

"Did you know that the city was evacuated?" Asked Mrs. Haven.

"Yes," replied Dye nervously.

"Of course you didn't because you were off gallivanting somewhere else when you were supposed to be in your rooms, sleeping," she replied angrily.

A baffled look wiped over all the faces inside the household.

"Honey!" Said Mr. Haven, sitting his wife down on the couch. "I'll take it from here."

"Just exactly where did you three disappear to last night anyways?" Asked Mr. Haven, looking at his three youngest sons.

"Dye, Jason and I got bored last night and decided to go see a movie," Sam replied, with his torn and burned clothes.

"Ah, I see," replied Mr. Haven, staring at his third son's attire. "And this would have been difficult to inform us, why? And what happened to your clothes?"

"Uh, I had to save Dye from a fire," replied Sam, unsure, completely lying. "Crazy evacuation." He beamed a smile

Mrs. Haven set her eyes on her eldest son and saw that his tuxedo was completely missing sleeves and pant legs.

"Mack, what happened to you?" She asked.

"Um, crazy evacuation?" He replied, smiling, unsure like his brother.

"Right?" Replied Mrs. Haven as she played along. "Well, get upstairs and get cleaned up. All of you."

They broke away and started to make their way upstairs, leaving Corrine all by herself with their clueless parents.

"Wait!" Commanded Mr. Haven. "Who's this?" He asked, pointing at the girl. Corrine dropped her head and rubbed her torn shoes into their carpet.

"Looks like she can use a good cleaning too," suggested Mrs. Haven.

"Again!" He demanded again. "Who is this?"

Dye came walking down the stairs slowly.

"She's-" replied Dye, until being stopped by his sister.

"I can handle this," she replied. Corrine looked up into her father's eyes and flashes of that horrible night scanned through her head. Mr. Haven looked down at her.  "You look familiar," said Mr. Haven. "Have we met you before? Are you friends with one of our boys?"

She shook her head, her black hair waving across her face.

"No, we're actually closer than that." She said under her breath, smiling. "Dad," Mr. Haven was aghast. His left eyebrow raised, he looked over at his wife, who unfolded her arms at the swift response of the mysterious girl.

"Dad?" Asked Mr. Haven.

"I-I'm," stuttered Corrine, as her nerves choked her words. Both Mr. and Mrs. Haven waited for her answer. The boys stood on the staircase and waited for her to break the ice with the startling fact she was keeping from their parents.

"Your daughter," she finally blurted out.

Both of their parents were stunned. Mrs. Haven gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"What did you say?" Asked Mr. Haven.

"I'm your daughter," she repeated, "I'm Corrine."

"That can't be," said Mr. Haven sadly, his mind recalling horrible memories. "She - the accident - I saw her-"

"Fall?" Answered Corrine. "I did, but I survived," Both Mr. and Mrs. Haven didn't respond.

"Mom, Dad," she said. "It's me."

"Turn around and move your hair," commanded Mr. Haven.

She turned around and swept aside her hair to show them her paw print shaped birthmark on the back of her neck. Mrs. Haven gasped again. Mr. Haven was speechless. The four boys watched from the stairs as their mother started to shed tears.

"Corrine?" Her mother asked, walking up to her. Corrine turned around and fell deep into her mother's eyes.

"Yes, it's me," she replied. Mrs. Haven seized her daughter at once and hugged her joyously. Tears ran down her face and soaked themselves within Corrine's deep black hair. Mr. Haven looked at his four boys who were looking through the wooden rails of the staircase.

"How did you find her?" He asked. The boys knew they couldn't tell him the real story. They looked at each other and returned the glare to their father and smiled.

"She found us actually," Dye replied.

The crying of their mother sounded all throughout the living room. Mr. Haven walked over to his daughter and held both her and his wife in his arms, shedding tears as well.

Mrs. Haven pulled back to view her daughter's face. She looked into her soft brown eyes and smiled.

"Where have you been?" She asked. "How did you survive? What have you been doing all these years?"

Corrine smiled and started to explain her life's story, excluding certain facts. The four boys raced upstairs and began cleaning up.

Dye took a shower while an agitated Sam banged against the door of their bathroom, ordering the young boy to hurry up. Jason and Mack were washing up also and were quickly finished.

The morning turned into noon, and the city was slowly bringing itself back to life. The people of Beach Shores City were happy to be returning to their homes. Time went by, and little by little life returned to normal. Most people took the day off of work due to the events of last night. Others watched the news, looking for more information regarding the incident. Unfortunately, the news was on repeat, continually showing the same footage over and over again. The military finally left the city; its military vehicles and aircraft exiting the city in an orderly fashion while the people watched and waved goodbye.

Three hours had passed. The four brothers found themselves upstairs with an anxious atmosphere filling Sam and Dye's room.

"You think she gave us away?" Asked Jason.

"I hope she didn't," replied Mack.

"What could they be talking about for so long?" Asked Dye.

"Gee, I don't know? The girl has only been missing for sixteen years," replied Sam mockingly. "They may need a little more than five minutes."

"I guess," replied Dye, "So now that Griflore is gone, what do we do now?"

"Go back to living our lives," Mack replied.

The four brothers sighed, and the room was soundless. A faint pop filled the room and a gleam of light shined in their faces. The four brothers yelled in anguish as the light blinded them for a quick second. As they regained their vision, a blurry human design was standing in front of them. Dye rubbed his eyes and tried to focus his vision in an attempt to see who the person was.

"Arayan?" He asked.

His vision recovered a human body with blue hair, and strange clothes standing in front of them.

"Damn it, Arayan!" Said Jason, rubbing his eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you, you can't just randomly appear out of nowhere."

"Yeah, someone is going to see you one day," said Dye.

"Our parents are home too," said Sam.

Arayan smiled and took a bow.

"My apologies," he replied.

"Looks like you're doing better," said Dye. "You looked worse than when I left you in the middle of nowhere. Well, I guess that nowhere is probably a neighborhood again, but you get my point."

"I am forever grateful to you for your deed," Arayan replied. "I am completely in your debt."

"Do you remember anything?" Asked Sam.

"Bits and pieces," he replied. "I remember the moon, and I felt my body tearing apart. The pain was unbearable." Arayan looked at the four boys with a question about to leave his lips. "What happened to me?"

"Griflore took control over your body," said Jason. "We stopped him from using the star and then he turned into some giant griffin thing."

"And you four defeated him?" Arayan asked.

"Five," Dye corrected, throwing up five fingers.

"Pardon me?" Said Arayan, "Five?"

"We got help," replied Jason.

"By whom?"

"Our sister," replied Dye.

"Wait a second," Arayan said, "the girl from the graveyard. The one who was hosting Griflore before? She became a Xenton as well?"

"Uh huh," Dye nodded happily. "You should have seen her, Arayan. She came out of nowhere." Dye jumped up from his seat and started displaying fighting moves. "From left to right, she blocked all of Griflore's attacks."

"Yeah," said Sam, "You should have seen her. Dye, sit down."

Dye obeyed.

"I may not have seen her, but I sure felt her power," said Arayan.

"She was fantastic. She must be the strongest of us all," said Jason

"Really now?" Said Arayan, "And her spirit?"

"The wolf I think?" Questioned Dye. "Was it a wolf?"

"Yeah, I think it was the moon Xenton or whatever," replied Mack.

"So she has the Great Spirit of the Moon," said Arayan. "This is good. And now Griflore has been destroyed?"

"Completely," replied Mack, "there are no pieces of him left whatsoever."

"Well, I am impressed," replied Arayan, "honestly, I didn't think you four, er, five could do it. Apparently I have been proven wrong. Thanks to you, the greatest evil ever known to man has been destroyed."

"Still upset about what Griflore said to you?" Asked Jason.

"About my people?" Asked Arayan. "No, I'm over that. The whole idea that my people were wiped out by their own creation still interests me, though."

"Well, those other experiments are no threat now," said Dye throwing his hands behind his head and laying back on the bed, "Griflore is gone. There's no way they can escape now."

"Maybe not," said Arayan, "but we still need to locate the Prince."

"What? Why?" Asked Sam.

"I need to know what really happened on the day of the war," said Arayan. "Only he knows."

"But Griflore told you," said Jason.

"But not everything he said could be true. I need to know what really happened on that day."

The four boys heard their names from downstairs. The four of them jumped from their seats and exited the room, saying bye to Arayan as they left. Dye was the last that remained.

"Arayan?" Said Dye. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Yes, anything," replied Arayan.

"When I was fighting Griflore I found that I wasn't performing up to my full potential. Like all of my power was being repressed somehow. Is there a chance that you can take me for the summer and teach me?"

"Of course," replied Arayan with a smile, "We shall go to the Fire Sanctuary located in the volcanoes to the far west. I warn you the training will not be easy, though."

"I don't care; I'm ready," he replied. Arayan's medallion around his neck started to glow.

"Contact me when you're ready," his body started to fade away and with a bright flash Arayan's body immediately vanished.

"Dye!" Yelled Mack from downstairs.

Dye rushed out of the room and raced downstairs. There, he saw his brothers gathered around Mr. and Mrs. Haven with Corrine sitting in the middle.

"Good news everyone," said Mrs. Haven, "Corrine is going to stay with us." Voices of joy flooded through the living room and at the bottom of the staircase a grinning smile wiped across Dye's face.

"Dye, take your sister upstairs and get her cleaned up," said Mr. Haven.

Corrine smiled at her little brother and proceeded to follow him upstairs.

Life for the Haven brothers quickly went back to normal. Schools were opened back up, and the students of Beach Shores High quickly returned to their studies. Constant talks about the mysterious incident were still lingering all around the city. However, due to the wish of the Jenshia Star that Dye found, all of the evidence that was linked to the cataclysmic battle was gone. The people were still amazed of the mysterious Xenton that saved their city just a few nights ago. However, they hadn't been seen since the incident. Corrine spent most of her time at the boys' house getting to learn about her family's history. While the boys and their parents went to work and school, she stayed at home looking at old photos of family members and herself, getting used to the idea that she had a family to call her own. On occasion, she would go out and about the city, looking at landmarks and the beautiful wonders of the ocean.

She found herself at the park where she first met her little brother, Dye. She continued to play in her head his act of compassion for her over and over again while she sat on the swing slightly moving back and forth. Tears filled her eyes, tears of joy, tears of happiness and love and the love for her long lost family.

"Hey," said a young voice.

The young woman looked over to find Dye with the biggest smile on his face. She wiped the tears from her face and copied the smile her brother had.

"Hi," she said.

"No more wearing rags, huh?" Said Dye.

Corrine looked at the clothes she was wearing. Her jeans and yellow shirt gave her a new found look, something she wasn't used to yet. Her hair was tied back instead of the wild look she usually wore.

"Yeah," she replied, "Mom took me shopping yesterday. Who would have known that shopping would be so much fun?"

Dye dropped his book bag and sat next to her on the swing set, smiling.

"This is where we first met, isn't it?" Said Dye.

"Yeah, it is," she replied, "of course back then I had no idea that you were my brother."

"Yeah, I know. Kind of funny how things turned out between us. At first, you were our biggest enemy and we came to find out you're our older sister."

"Life has its ways of throwing those weird things at you. So how was school?"

"Okay, I guess?"

"You guess?" She asked with the essence of a big sister in her tone.

"Well, finals are coming up, and of course I'm not ready for those. Everyone is still talking about Griflore and his rampage through the city and of course us, who stopped him. It's hard keeping a secret that everyone is constantly talking about when I wanna brag about it."

"Why do you wanna keep it a secret? Just go ahead and brag about it," Dye looked over at her with a confused look. "Nobody said you have to keep the whole Xenton thing a secret," she said.

"Yeah, I know, but what if everyone finds out. There will be the media and all of these reporters always bothering us and ruining our lives." He replied.

"And that's why it's a good idea to keep it a secret," she answered, "this whole experience has taught me that no one or nothing can make you do anything. Your life is how you make it and if you decide to keep your identities a secret, then who's standing in your way?"

"But then there is the whole idea of everyone knowing and me being liked by everyone. Even a little bit more by a certain person."

"Wait! Does this have anything to do with a girl?" She asked hastily, raising an eyebrow.

"No! Yes! I mean No!" Dye blushed.

"Jenny is her name right?"

"How did you know?"

"I listen even when I'm in a coma. You came to visit me in the hospital every day and told me 'bout your day. Couldn't help but hear that name."

"Really, huh?" Dye said with a sense of embarrassment

"You're friends with her already, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then there's no need for you to try harder. I'm sure it will happen."

"But how do you know?"

"I don't. That's just how life works."

Dye and his sister continued to swing back and forth, keeping their feet positioned in the sand.

"So what are you going to do now?" Dye asked.

Corrine sighed.

"I don't know at this point," she replied. "I want to stay here, but there are still a lot of things that I need to do."

"But I thought you were staying with us."

"I am, but only for a short time," she replied. "There are some things I need to figure out on my own."

"Like what?"

"I need to retrace my steps. I want to know how I came to be here."

"Why? That's the past. There's no need in going to find more questions that will send you on a search for more answers. Stay with us."

"I can't," she replied.

"Why don't you come with me this summer then?"

"Huh? Where?"

"With Arayan, he's taking me to learn more about this Xenton stuff, to hone in on my abilities. You should come too."

"Ummm, I don't know? What are we going to tell Mom and Dad?"

"They think that I'm going to camp for the summer. I can tell them you're coming along to be a counselor or something," he said enthusiastically.

Corrine sat in her swing and thought about the possibilities and the benefits of going away with her brother for the summer.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun," he said, "just me, you, and Arayan traveling the world. We can learn how to use our abilities just in case something like Griflore shows up again. What do you say?"

"I say," she started, "it sounds like fun."

"Yes!" Dye smiled even bigger than before. "We're gonna have so much fun."

The two siblings sat on the swing set and watched the sun move across the sky. Sailboats and glittering ocean water lit up their eyes.

Everything was back to normal, with the minor exceptions of a few new things. Dye was the most excited of the siblings. Not only did he have everything he ever wanted, but a new sister as well. Everything was going the right way for everybody and in just a few days school would be over, and Corrine and Dye would be free to travel about with Arayan to finish learning about their long lost heritage.

Night came and the morning awoke, bringing about the final day of school. Ready for his last final of the year, Dye walked into the classroom headstrong and completed his History final with ease. The bell rang and at last his first year of high school was finally over. With his two best friends' right by his side, the three of them walked and enjoyed each other's company. They talked and laughed, and the subject of the incident easily came up in the discussion. Remembering what his sister said, he thought about his choice to reveal his secret. Luckily, he resisted his urge to finally tell his friends.

"Maybe one day I can tell them, but not today," he thought to himself behind an expression of laughter.

"So what are you doing over the summer, Dye?" Asked Jenny.

"Traveling," he said, "visiting some family. Yeah," he lied, "my aunt and uncle."

"When do you leave?" Asked Jenny.

"First thing tomorrow," he replied.

"So soon," said Joss.

"When will you be back?" Asked Jenny.

"Like the beginning of August, I think?" Dye replied. "Don't worry you guys. I'll be back, and we'll be able to hang out before school starts up again."

"If you say so," said Jenny.

Dye felt a sense of guilt come over him. He gave her a hug, and she hugged back. Joss and Dye shook hands, and the three of them went their separate ways. As the three friends were leaving each other's presence, Dye began to remember the kiss Jenny had given him. Something heavy began crushing down on him. He needed to know something from her, but he was afraid to ask her anything regarding the goodbye kiss they experienced. As he walked, Dye turned his head slightly and at the sight of the girl walking away from him, he saw the glimmer of her hazel eyes glance at him over her shoulder. From then on, he knew that everything between them would be okay.

Dye took his usual route home and started to think back to the times where the events of that year took place. The final battle between Griflore and his family was the freshest of all. Their last attack obliterated Griflore to pieces, the shining colors, the bright lights, the feeling of not seeing those terrible, yellow eyes anymore. The feeling was that of joy and relief. He was flushed back to the time where he and his brothers saw the four spirits in the sky that suddenly sprung at them. He recalled the fear he felt while he was racing through the dark woods. He passed by the street where he saved the little boy from the oncoming truck; a smile wiped across his face and the feelings of desire and happiness ran through his body once again. Then he came to the street where he finally met his match. He saw an image of himself being held upside down by the power of Griflore's grip. Griflore raised his blade and lodged it through his heart, shortly ending his brief life.

He looked behind him and saw the train he and his brothers had rescued was in a functional state. He saw the night where he, Sam and Jason single-handedly saved the out of control commuter train.

"So much has happened this past year," he said.

Dye turned the corner and found himself at the gate of his house. He walked through the front opening, up the porch, and through his front door to find his entire house full of family members. Mr. and Mrs. Haven were sitting on the couch, watching the television. He saw Sam and Jason sitting in the room, whose voices were overly loud about something, and then he saw Mack and Corrine come rushing down the stairs, smiling at him and giving him a signal to come upstairs.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!" He said as he darted up the stairs.

He followed his two older siblings up the stairs into his room and a little bit after him Sam and Jason came bursting in.

"So I hear you're going off with Arayan," said Sam.

"Yeah," replied Dye, "I wanna be ready just in case some other lunatic decides to try and destroy the world again."

"Hey, Dye," said Mack. Dye felt a feeling of worry come over him. "Do what you gotta do."

Dye smiled at the acceptance of his older brother.

"Just in case I don't see you when you get back, you're an okay little brother."

Dye smiled. The rest of his siblings smiled back.

"Thanks."

"Just don't get too strong," said Jason.

"Yeah! You're still the youngest of us all," said Sam giving him a noogy, "we have a reputation to protect."

The four brothers continued the afternoon telling Corrine the funny stories of their lives. Soon the dusk sky took over the afternoon light and the morning brought about a new archway for Dye and Corrine. It wasn't until it was noon that the two siblings said their goodbyes to their family.

"Have fun at camp, dear," said Mrs. Haven.

"Keep an eye on him, Corrine," said Mr. Haven.

The two parents hugged their children and together they went on their way, carrying a suitcase full of clothes each. They walked down towards the pier, laughing and telling jokes to each other. When they finally made it to the wharf, Corrine transformed into her Xentonian form and flew both her and her brother up the Sky Sanctuary where they met Arayan, who was waiting for them.

"You won't need those," he said

Corrine and Dye exchanged looks.

"Your luggage is of no use," he said, "Leave them here. They will be safe."

Corrine and Dye placed their luggage on the crystal floor and were ready for their departure.

"Shall we," he said, smiling at the two of them.

"Let's do this," said the two of them simultaneously.

The medallion around Arayan's neck started to glow and instantaneously the three were gone, leaving their once again peaceful city behind.

End of Book I

# Book II: The Invasion of The Coalts

A team of ten explorers found themselves in the vast plains of Africa in the presence of an endangered, but familiar species.

"Well would you look at that," said the voice of a man. "This creature is what is known as the Square-lipped Rhinoceros or better known as the White Rhinoceros."

The cameraman took out his camera and started to film the wild creature immediately.

"This species is one of the most endangered species on the planet," The man spoke into the camera as he crouched down into the tall grass along with the crew, concealing themselves from the beast. "The northern subspecies may have as few as thirteen left in the world. Aside from the elephants, it is known as the next largest animal ever known to man."

The team of explorers started to move in closer towards the creature, creeping up quietly and slowly, being very careful not to startle the animal. They continued to creep slowly towards the creature when a stampede of various animals came charging towards the group. The rhinoceros fled and joined the stampede. Fearing it's out of control rampage, the team of explorers stayed hidden within the tall grasses as the loud, thundering rushes of the animals passed by. The loud sounds of elephants, antelopes, zebra and other species were as loud as can be.

"What could have startled them?" Asked one of the team members.

"I don't know?" replied the leader of the group, "Maybe they're being hunted."

The leader looked toward the end of the thundering herd and saw a pack of lionesses chasing them, but something wasn't right. The lioness weren't hunting the zebras or the antelopes; instead, they were joining the stampede. The herd of the mixed animals raced through the fields of the savannah, causing a loud uproar of panic to erupt within other species of the animal kingdom.

"This is quite remarkable!" Said the leader of the group into the camera.

"It seems that the animals are terribly upset about something and are fleeing from whatever it may be together. Maybe there are poachers in the area. We should get a closer loo-"

The man was cut off by a loud popping noise that went off in the sky. The team immediately turned their attention to the atmosphere and saw a cut in the heavens tear open, almost like somebody took a knife and stabbed through the fabric of space. The cameraman pointed his camera upward to film the unexplained phenomenon that was happening with the thunderous sound of the stampeding animals fading off into a distance. The team watched as an object with a tail of red and black fire emerged from the hole and fell towards the earth. The cut resealed itself, and the unidentified object crashed into the plain, throwing dirt and rocks into the air and causing black flames to erupt all around the impacted area.

"Come on," said the leader, "Let's get a close-up of this."

The team quickly raced out of the tall grass and ran towards to the crash site. The cameraman ran as fast as he could, trying to keep up with the group, and at the same time seeking to maintain a steady camera image. As they drew closer, the sight of the black flames caught their attention along with the large crater that sat in the ground before them. The smoke was too thick to see if anything had crashed within the mysterious hole. The cameraman held up his camera to see if anything was visible. Suddenly, the leader of the group jumped in front of the footage.

"We have just experienced a fabulous phenomenon just now," said the man, "apparently, some mysterious object has just fallen out of the sky, leaving behind these incredible black flames. We don't know what is lurking behind this black curtain of smoke but we will-" the sound of growling halted the reporter.

The smoke began to fade, and the rays of the hot sun pierced through the crash site, revealing and dark, thin, shadowy figure standing in the center of the crater. The thin, shadow-like exteriors of the unknown being waved about in the air as the body of the creature exposed itself as nothing more than a three-dimensional shadow. The team dropped in fear of the frightening being as the red eyes of the creature turned around to view them. The team grew more frightened by the second as the unknown being revealed its blood red eyes and red teeth. The phantom growled and flew towards the team with its shadow-like appearance, slicing and dicing through each member one by one with its sharp, shadow claws.

The team members tried to run, but escape was inevitable. The painful screams of the explorers took to the air as so did their blood. The cameraman tried to flee, still capturing what was happening to his fellow explorers. One by one he saw them fall with bloody scratch marks on their bodies and a dead look on their faces. The breathing of the cameraman increased dramatically as the shadow creature appeared directly in front of his camera.

"Where is the incarnate?" Said the creature with a dark, cold voice.

The frightened cameraman dropped his camera with the film still rolling. The creature lifted the individual using an unknown force to drag the victim closer. It took its sharp, shadow hands and reached inside the poor soul's mind, trying to find the answer regarding its question. The cameraman yelled in pain as the strange affliction guided its way through his brain. Disappointed, the creature released his grip, and the cameraman fell to the ground.

"Pathetic," said the creature. The cameraman quickly got up from the ground and ran as fast as he could away from the phantom-like creature, barely escaping and leaving his camera and equipment behind.

"It's only a matter of time," said the shadow being. The shadow took its red eyes and looked into the beautiful, blue sky.

"Disgusting," it said.

Wasting no time, the mysterious being took off into the sky, swinging its shadow-like limbs and vanishing within seconds, leaving its calling card in the form of nine dead explorers with the camera still rolling.

To Be Continued

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Chapter 1

It was a week before Halloween. The city was slowly cleaning up what was left of the destruction left by Griflore and the two Xenton, Sam and Jason. The City of Beach Shores was grateful to have the two heroes stand against such power. The brothers, including Dye, whose powers were returned by Arayan, were on edge as the purple armored fiend had not been seen for weeks. The trio had no clue what the villain was up to, so they had no choice but to return to their everyday lives and hope that Griflore gave up his crusade.

Dye was less than thirty minutes away from school being out for the weekend. His anxiety was causing his leg to bounce. That weekend was the kick-off of the annual Harvest Festival that took place down by the pier. For the past week, Dye looked forward to the festival; he took detours home just so he could pass the pier to see it being decorated in harvest decor. He looked up at the clock and waited for the minute hand to move thirty minutes past the top of the hour, but the more he looked the more frozen in time he felt. History class was, in his opinion, his most boring class. Why did it have to be at the end of the day on a Friday? Not to mention the teacher and his monotone voice had put half the class asleep. Dye did his best to stay awake, letting the left side of his face rest in the palm of his left hand while his elbow grew tired of supporting his cranium.

Looking down at the floor, Dye saw a loose piece of newspaper. On the side that was facing up there was a headline that read "Superheroes in Beach Shores?" Dye bent over his desk and picked up the loose article, making certain the teacher didn't see his move; Dye proceeded to read the article.

Are there superheroes living among us in Beach Shore's City? For the past two months there have been sightings of armor clad warriors all over the city. Who are these heroes and where did they come from? The speculations range from a group of armored crime fighters to aliens who have arrived here from another planet have taken the social media world by storm. These heroes first appeared at the beginning of September when an apartment complex suddenly erupted in flames. A golden hero emerged from nowhere with incredible speed and rescued two children who were trapped in the building." Dye grinned. "Later on, an off shore oil tanker exploded, leaving workers to perish. That is until a blue armored hero hauled the oversized boat to safety, putting out the fire and saving everyone on board. Moments afterwards, a commercial airline was saved by a white armored, angelic hero after the plane began experiencing engine problems. Both the plane and the passengers were safely landed at the nearest airport and just like the rest that hero vanished as well.

Now just recently, a devastating attack on the city has left Beach Shore's wondering if these heroes are friend or foe. Eyewitnesses say that the one responsible for the mayhem just weeks ago was a purple armored being similar to the ones who have been spotted all over the city. We have yet to confirm if the trio has any relations to this being, but witnesses do say that the trio of heroes responsible for the heroic acts was seen fighting the enemy. Since that attack weeks ago, neither the purple armored foe nor the three heroes have been seen. Have they left our city to resume their conflict elsewhere? Or are they waiting to reveal themselves to us when the time is right?

Dye folded the paper and placed his oversized history book on top of it. He looked towards the window and saw the construction cranes in Downtown Beach Shores. "Where are you?" he thought to himself, thinking about the purple fiend who impaled him with a sword, briefly ending his life. Dye rubbed the spot over his heart where the weapon penetrated him, almost feeling that lost pain again. Suddenly, Dye's wandering mind was interrupted by the sudden mention of the word project by his teacher.

"Project?" Dye questioned while the rest of the class moaned.

"You will be in pairs and will write a three to five page paper on the Salem Witch Trials and what prompted the movement. This is something that should make this Halloween fun."

Dye looked at his nerdy professor with his bowtie, overlapping mustache, belly high pants and tucked in shirt and thought "This is his idea of fun?"

"This paper will be due a week from today."

"On Halloween?" Dye said as the class moaned some more.

"Yes, Theodore, on Halloween. I seem to find that fitting, don't you?"

"But Mr. Dawson, nobody is going to have time to do that paper; the Harvest Festival is this weekend." The class protested in agreement with Dye.

"That's why you will be working in pairs, cutting the workload in half." The class groaned, making Dye feel defeated. "And I have the list right here." this time Dye moaned with the rest of class as hopes of pairing with his best friend Joss shattered like a mirror.

"Maria Johnson and Seth Widely, you are partners." said Mr. Dawson, already pairing up the class. Once again, Dye began tuning out his annoying teacher and started to hypothesize explanations as to where Griflore was hiding. What was he planning? Surely it wasn't that easy to run him out of town, especially if he was looking for the Jenshia Star. But now that the star was with Arayan it was safe, no one but Arayan knew exactly where it was. Who knows, maybe Griflore went to go look for another star somewhere else. For a moment, Dye believed that was the answer, but then he thought there would be reports all over news about Griflore attacking various cities of the world and the world has been pretty quiet lately.

"Theodore Haven and Jasen Rath," Dye perked up at the sound of his name. Unfortunately though, Dye didn't recognize the name of the boy he was paired with. Dye looked around the classroom and in the furthest corner opposite him he saw a boy slouching in a desk wearing a black hoodie with the hood on, not appearing to care about the class. The hooded boy turned and saw Dye looking at him. Dye quickly turned away for fear that he might've made an unwanted friend. The bell rang.

"DON'T FORGET TO READ CHAPTERS NINE AND TEN THIS WEEKEND. THERE WILL BE A POP QUIZ ON MONDAY!" the class moaned one last time as they fought for the salvation that was right outside the classroom.

Dye made it out of the classroom and proceeded to his locker. The school's hallways were decorated in a fall fashion. Paper ghouls and ghosts were hanging everywhere and cut outs of jack-o-lanterns were plastered on the walls.

"Man, Jasen Rath is your partner? Good luck, dude." said Joss, slapping Dye's shoulder.

"I don't even know who that kid is. I've never seen him before."

"You wouldn't know who he is. Nobody does. All I know is that he transferred here like three weeks after the semester started. He's a quiet kid, keeps to himself. Nobody ever really sees him come and go. He's here one second then gone the next. Creepy if you ask me." Dye took Joss' words to heart as he was approaching his locker. "Good luck ma man. You're gonna need it if you're gonna do well on this assignment."

"Why is it always me?" Dye mumbled. Before Joss could walk off, Dye caught him with a question. "Hey wait! Who are you paired with?"

Joss turned around with sly a smirk on his face and said "Cynthia Mortez!" he said, rubbing his hands together as though he was about to feast.

"Lucky ass!"

"Don't hate!"

"Oh, shut up!" Joss laughed one last time and then proceeded down the hallway. Dye opened up his locker and placed his anvil of a history book where it belonged, out of sight. In fact, he threw all of his books in the locker with intentions of doing absolutely no school work that weekend in light of the Harvest Festival. When he closed his locker and turned around he saw his black hooded partner rummaging through his locker. Dye believed himself to be a pretty loveable guy; maybe Jasen just didn't know Dye. It couldn't hurt to introduce himself. Dye strolled over, waiting on other students to pass by to approach him.

"Hey," said Dye, "look's like we're gonna be working together. I'm Theodore, but you can call me Dye."

Jasen turned around, slamming his locker and slinging his backpack over his left shoulder. "That's nice." he replied with no feeling.

Dye became puzzled at the honey-eyed boy staring at him from under his dark hood. From Dye's perspective, Jasen didn't really need a hood. His hair, that was difficult to tell the color of, was swooshed across his forehead long enough to cover both of his eyes. Dye wasn't sure what to say. "Um, just thought I'd come introduce myself. Maybe come up with a time we can get together and get to work." Jasen rolled his eyes as Dye spoke.

"Look, Theodore, Dye, or whatever the hell your name is. I'm just doing this project for a grade, okay? I'm not here to make friends or have study groups or whatever. Let's just do the damn paper, get it done so that way we never have to as much as look at each other ever again. Sound good?"

"Um, yeah but -"

"And another thing, let's keep the talking to a minimal. I'll do my own research and write my half and pass it to you Monday."

"That works, I guess." replied Dye, who didn't have much to say.

"Terrific," Jasen replied with a fake smile. "See you Monday, kid."

Before Dye could process what had just happened, Jasen was already out the school doors.

"Geesh, what's that guy's problem? He's such a douche!"

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