30 minutes later

As sweat dripped from my palms and my muscles ached, I was just barely able to keep pulling the cart forward to it’s destination through the seemingly infinite forest.

Just when I was about to give up, I reached a clearing between two sides of the forest, with a small river flowing in between it into a waterfall.

I spotted two small rocks in front of me, and I let go of the cart, causing one of the wheels to get lodged perfectly between the rocks, keeping the cart from moving.

I then brought my gaze to the right, where the river dropped into a waterfall. Beyond it was a massive area of land and forest surrounded by the formation of a bay, except it had no water.

The entrance of the area were two twin mountains, crossed together to form an x shape.

I sighed, opened the back door to the cart, and took out a metal bucket. I will admit, I was fairly stronger than the average 6 year old… but only because I wanted to be strong to impress my father. But Issac says I should keep myself strong if I want to protect myself, which I understood.

I lugged the bucket all the way to the river, then set it on the rocks acting as a shore for the river. I took a deep breath, then grabbed a small grey metal disk out of my belt, and attached it to the inside of the bucket.

After a second, a hose shot out of the disk, so I grabbed the hose, unwound it, and put the other end into the river, the first end staying attached to the disk.

I then pressed a button on the disk that was above the hose, causing water to flow from the river, get filtered halfway through, and get dropped into the bucket.

I turned my head back to the bay-like formation, and the land inside it. I spotted our camp, right next to the waterfall. Then I looked right in front of the mountains, and saw a town. The one we used to all live at before… Robert happened.

I then looked in between the camp and the town, and spotted a forest. Deep into the forest, I could spot a deer sleeping with a fawn… it’s baby.

I shed a single tear, but immediately wiped it away.

No. I can’t be weak. I have to be strong… I have to.

I continued staring at the deer for several minutes, until I heard a beeping sound from the disk, indicating that the water in the bucket had reached the disk.

In response, I disconnected the disk from the bucket, and carried the bucket over to the wagon before getting a new bucket, bringing it back to the river, and hooking it up.

Once the second bucket was ready, I activated the disk, and looked up, only to see a white kid, my age, with very short brown hair, green eyes, and a yellow rose birthmark on their neck.

But what concerned me wasn’t any of those descriptions. No. It was when I saw the burn mark on the other side of their neck, that I reached for my Smith and Wesson revolver.

Earlier

Pulling the wagon filled with buckets was surprisingly easy. Sure, I’d always been supernaturally strong… but still. I expected at least a little struggle.

I eventually reached a clearing in the forest, with a river before another forest, which dropped into a waterfall down into a large opening of land surrounded by a higher level of land.

I sighed, and set the wagon next to some trees before seeing that there was a boy that was my age across the water. They had white skin, short smooth brown hair, ocean blue eyes, and a white gardenia flower birthmark on their neck, which symbolizes purity and gentleness.

They seemed to be staring at something off in the distance. Curious, I looked to where they were looking, and, just barely, I could spot a deer and it’s fawn in the forest below.

At least, that’s what it looked like to me. Even with the fact that I was squinting, I could barely tell.

When I looked back at the kid, they were staring at me. Trying to be calm, I took a small step forward, and they pulled out a revolver out of their belt and quickly aimed it at me.

“Who are you?! What are you doing here,” they yelled.

Whimpering, I replied “R-Rowan Griggs. M-my mother s-sent me to g-get water.”

“W-why,” he stuttered.

I looked at his hands, and they were shaking. A lot.

“I-I don’t k-know. My m-mom just told m-me to do t-this.”

The kid was silent for a moment, then lowered his gun. I think he waited to see if I’d do something, and when I didn’t, he holstered his gun.

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As he grabbed a bucket in front of him, disconnected it from a hose, and brought it to a wagon of his own, I went to my wagon, grabbed a bucket, and shoveled water from the river into the bucket.

I looked up, and the kid was in front of me with a new bucket.

“So… you already told me your name. So I think it’s only fair that I tell you mine. I’m Steve. Steve Berkan.”

Weird that he’s already telling me his name…

“N-nice… you have a-a cute n-name.”

Wait, why did I say that?!

Steve turned his head to hide his blushing, as my stomach started to twist.

…

“So… does your mom send you to do stuff often?”

“N-no. T-to be honest,” I said with a laugh, “I rarely even get out of the house unless I need to.”

“Heh, same. I spend most of my days studying.”

“O-oh… are your parents b-big on learning?”

“Not exactly…”

He looked at me for a minute, studying me… but eventually he said “I have this ability that lets me learn things instantly. So I’m using it to the best of my ability.”

“C-cool.”

…

“So… what are your parents like?”

“E-eh. My mom’s pretty n-nice, but m-my dad… w-well, he’s trying h-his best… how a-about yours?”

“Well, my dad’s never able to give me attention. Especially because of how busy he is. He has to plan attacks and defenses, organize everybody, give advice, he’s busy practically every day.”

“Y-yeah, my d-dad’s busy a l-lot as well. S-sometimes… he has a-some of his soldiers t-teach me when h-he’s busy. T-that is, when m-my brother i-isn’t able to e-educate me.”

I felt my chest instinctually.

Jeezus… my heart’s racing. But I don’t seem to be having a panic attack at the moment… but yet, it’s beating faster than ever before.

Steve grasped his pants intensely, so, to break the tension, I asked “I-is that why you w-were looking at the deer?”

“You saw that?”

“I-I think. I-it was hard to t- tell..”

Steve looked up at the sky and thought, then returned his gaze to me and said “Yeah, that’s another weird thing with me. All my senses are stronger than a dog’s!”

“Well, except for touch. The other senses I was born with them being extra powerful, but I had to work for my strength.”

“S-sounds like you haven’t f-figured it all out yet.”

“Yeah… anyways, I noticed you have a birthmark, just like mine.”

Once he said this, I began thinking about my other birthmark, covered by the animal burn.

“Y-yeah… you think we’re connected i-in some w-way?”

“Perhaps,” Steve said, switching his final bucket, “You know Rob Freeman?”

I nodded, replying “O-of course. My f-father’s entire army is a-afraid of him… why do you ask?”

“Well, he has a flower birthmark as well. A white… lotus flower?”

“Oh. That symbolizes rebirth.”

“Wow. A bit of a flower boy, huh,” Steve quipped, smirking.

I blushed, and he sank down.

“Sorry. Bad joke.”

A hair fell hanging in front of my forehead, so I weirdly brushed it aside. It wasn’t blocking my vision at all, so I didn’t know why I did it… at the time at least.

By this point, we were both about three fourths done filling our buckets, so I decided to start making small talk.

“W-What are you i-into?”

Hopefully I’m one of them… wait, what?

“Eh, I don’t really have the time for hobbies… but, aside from learning… I like reading. I know, kind of obvious.”

“W-well, not everybody is into r-reading.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

We spent the next 10 minutes talking, occasionally getting up to switch buckets, with my stomach getting more and more twisted.

By the time we were both done, it was hard to swallow, and my palms were sweating.

“Alright. That looks like all of them,” Steve said, wiping sweat off his forehead.

“Y-yeah…”

“And… sorry, for threatening to shoot you. To be honest… not even sure if I could. I’ve never killed anyone before.”

…

“T-thanks.”

Silence. Nothing followed but awkward silence. We just stood there, barely aware of anything around us.

But, eventually, Steve announced abruptly “Alright, I should head back before my parents start getting scared. Talk to you later?”

Rubbing my arm, I replied “Y-yeah, s-sure.”

I turned around and walked to my cart, before hearing a small “plop” sound. I turned to the sound, and saw Steve had fell trying to push his cart.

Frowning a little, I walked over to him, hopped over the river, and reached Steve just as he tried pushing the wagon again, only to fall face-first to the ground.

I quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him up.

“I don’t need your help.” Steve brushed himself, and looked back at the wagon.

“Doesn’t l-look like it,” I quipped.

“I mean it. I don’t need any help.”

He tried to push the cart again, but couldn’t move it an inch. Sighing, I pushed it with the palm of one hand, and it broke free from the rocks and rolled up the slope.

Steve looked at me and frowned, thought for a moment, then, with a groan, said “Fine. You can help… but about 5 minutes before we get to my camp, you’re gonna have to go back home.”

“O-of course!”

30 minutes later

As we neared the end of the forest, I started occasionally glancing over at Rowan, and blushing so hard I had to immediately look away.

What is with me lately? I haven’t been this nervous around anyone!… Could it be?

No. I’m straight. I have to be. If I’m not… my lineage won’t be able to continue, and I don’t know yet if the Swords only work with people with our family’s DNA.

“Alright, that’s enough,” I said, stepping back with heavy breath.

“A-alright.”

“Jeez, you’re strong!”

“Y-you’ll probably g-get stronger than me someday. J-just you wait.” My new and first friend elbowed my shoulder.

Then, Rowan started to walk away, but I yelled “Wait,” and before he could even finish turning around, I grabbed him in the tightest hug I’ve ever given.

Hesitantly, Rowan returned the hug, and we stood there, embracing each other for several minutes.

The entire world seemed to collapse during that moment. It felt so… amazing. And bubbly. I’d never been this happy before. I was… at peace.

Unfortunately, Rowan pulled back from the hug after a while, saying “S-sorry… b-but I-I n-need to get b-back before my d-dad notices I’m gone.”

“Alright. Bye,” I cheered, noticing he seemed to be taller.

Was he slouching before now?

Sighing joyfully, I skipped over to the cart, and began pulling it with ease.

Love is like a drug. A lot of people don’t know how to use it, it can be addicting, and it makes you a hell of a lot stronger.