CHAPTER 3

Amelia looked around at her surroundings, she was in a spaciously sized house - the walls were lined with old bookshelves, and a warm, dim light filtered in through the curtains. Lex sat in a corner, his arms folded, staring out of the window, while Zack paced back and forth with his hands buried in his hair. "What is this place?" Amelia muttered, rubbing her eyes.

"It's a safe house," Lex said without turning around. "For now, it's the safest place we have."

Amelia looked at him, then at Zack, who had stopped pacing and was now glaring at the floor, his fists clenched tightly. She knew something was off.

“You know what? Lex, you’ve been oddly calm even in such a situation… No. You’ve always been calm! How are you even like that? It seems like you're ready for anything that could possibly happen. Damn. Happen.” Zack spat angrily. "How long are we even going to stay here? With someone we just met at that!"

Amelia gasped, she hadn’t even noticed that Vey was in the room.

“Hey, watch your mouth, she saved us.” Lex said as he stared back. "And we’ll stay here as long as we need to," he said, his tone low, almost calculating. "We need to be ready."

Zack gave him a sideways glance. "Ready for what? You don’t even know what’s going on."

"Does anyone?" Lex replied. He stepped away from the window and walked over to the large table in the center of the room, his fingers tracing the edge thoughtfully.

Zack, still frustrated, paced around the room thinking of a rude remark to make. But before he could, a sudden wave of tension swept over the room.

It was subtle at first. Lex froze. He didn’t flinch, but the look on his face told Amelia that something had shifted. Zack didn’t notice, still pacing. But then Lex’s eyes glinted, a flash of something darker than before.

"Get down!" Lex shouted, and before Amelia could react, he pulled her to the ground, his body shielding hers as a burst of powerful energy rippled through the house. It wasn’t an explosion—just a pressure, like the air itself was being compressed.

Zack froze. "What the hell?" he muttered, his head snapping in Lex’s direction.

Lex remained on his knees for a moment, breathing heavily. His hand hovered above his forehead, and a symbol, one resembling an eye surrounded by fire, flickered faintly under his skin. It was gone almost as quickly as it appeared.

Amelia gasped, looking up at him. "What was that? What just happened?"

Lex stood up slowly, his face grim. He didn’t meet her eyes immediately. "I—I have something… something that helps me sense danger. It’s a strand. A demi-strand. But I’ve been keeping it hidden. I wasn’t ready to show it yet." He paused, glancing at Zack, who was still processing. "But it seems we don’t have much choice now."

Zack shook his head, frustration now mixing with confusion. "You’ve had this ability this whole time, and you didn’t tell us?"

Lex’s expression hardened. "I didn’t trust it. I didn’t trust myself with it." He glanced at the floor, lost in thought. "And I wasn’t sure what to make of it. It doesn’t make me stronger. It just lets me see the danger before it happens. It only helps me avoid it."

Zack scoffed. "Sounds lame. How does it work anyways?"

"Does it?" Lex’s eyes sharpened. "Well, since it’s a demi-strand it’s still quite weak right now, but I get a kind of gut feeling for what’s going to happen if it isn’t that big of a problem, and if it is, my third eye starts glowing and I get a really strong feeling of what’s going to happen."

Amelia, still recovering from the shock, glanced between the two. She felt a tug in her chest—a feeling she couldn’t explain, as if the air itself had shifted, as if something in her life was missing. But she didn’t know what. She clenched her fists in frustration, though she wasn’t sure what she was frustrated about.

"So," Zack said after a long pause, "What now? We wait for whatever's coming next?"

“The child of Prometheus probably already knows this, but right now, you three are being highly targeted by an organization.” Vey interrupted. She was leaning against a dark corner of the room, causing Amelia gasp, as she hadn’t even noticed her presence. “I’ve led you to one of my hideouts - which is also highly warded and as far away as I could get you - but it won’t be long before they find you again, so you’ll need to be ready this time.”

Lex nodded his head slowly, finally locking eyes with Amelia. "We must move forward. We don’t have a choice anymore." He said, glancing at Amelia who was still shocked.

Amelia’s eyes widened even further as the weight of Lex’s words settled in. “Alright…but, how are we gonna do tha-”

But before she could finish, the world seemed to shift again, a subtle shift in the air that both of them noticed. Lex stood up straighter, his eyes narrowing. “There’s someone coming,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

“Do not fret, child of Prometheus,” said Vey, “I’m sure they’re coming, they just won't be able to come here that quickly. I’ve made the necessary precautions when I approached you.”

Amelia, still seated on the floor, bit her lip. "Wait," she interjected, her voice trembling slightly. "You keep calling Lex the child of Prometheus. What does that even mean?"

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Vey’s lips curved into a faint smile. " Prometheus - the god of foresight and fire. The Pearce family has a long history with Prometheus, accomplishing many great feats. So in turn, Prometheus made the exception that every child of the Pearce family will be given a demi-strand at birth - but not just any demi-strand, it’s a special kind that gives a deeper connection - a child. That is why I call him the child of Prometheus."

Zack looked at Lex in shock. "Wait, you’re the child of Prometheus? And you didn’t think to mention that earlier?"

Lex sighed. “Well, I never thought I had to mention that part.” He turned to Vey. “How’d you even get that much information on my family anyways?”

“Let’s just say that all information will eventually be leaked, and something like that isn’t much of a secret either. Anyways, what I was trying to say earlier is that you are not safe no matter where you are - but I know someone who can help you kids train and become strong enough to stand your ground.”

“Wh-why are you doing all this for us?” Amelia asked.

Vey looked out the window. “Let’s just say that I see… potential. I’m not too clear myself either, but I have this gut feeling that you guys are gonna be the key to stopping them…” Her voice got quieter with each word.

“Wait wait wait… So you’re telling me that us three - completely innocent students at Joint Judgement’s Bayshore Academy, are getting targeted by this big, scary organization - and you want us to defeat them?” Zack yelled.

Vey looked away. “...”

Zack paced around the room as his outburst settled. “I don’t get it, couldn’t you have done that yourself somehow? You’re way stronger than all of us combined, I’m sure.”

“I… I couldn’t do it. I’m an outsider - to both the organization and the government. I couldn’t get many people to join me in stopping them…” Vey trailed off.

“So you’re just dumping those responsibilities on us now, huh?” Zack remarked. “Did you also somehow manage to get us targeted? Hmm?”

Lex interrupted. “Zack, that's enough. It isn’t doing us any good staying here and being sour.” He turned to Vey. “Vey, didn’t you say earlier you knew someone who could help? Who are they, and how can they help?”

“...Ah. Right. His name’s Dray. He and I used to be… partners back then. He’s also actively working against the organization, and has way better connections than I do - including the government. He’s started a school program that can act for a cover for your training. I’ll schedule a meeting with him for you guys.”

“Alright, that sounds good. You’re sure he’ll accept us though?” Lex responded.

“He just started the school recently, and he still needs more people to join in order for the cover to be more convincing, so it’ll be all good.” Vey said as she walked over to a dark corner in the room. A few minutes of silence later, she spoke again. “... The meeting’s going to be tomorrow at 7 am sharp. I’ll bring you there.”

“Then… what should we do in the meantime?” Amelia asked.

“You three weren’t the only ones attacked, many other students were. The organization must’ve found a way to target anyone who has potential.”

***

Amelia couldn’t sleep. She kept on tossing and turning all night, thinking about how her little box full of friends, songs, and STB that she called life was ripped apart. Vey had given her a room on the entirely opposite side of both Lex and Zack’s rooms, claiming that boys, “cannot be trusted.” Causing her to be completely alone. Usually she would’ve hated having people make noises during her sleep, but having some then would’ve been quite nice actually.

Amelia sighed, staring at the shadows dancing on the ceiling, her thoughts swirling endlessly. Morning felt like it would never come, yet somehow, it arrived too soon. The soft creak of the door pulled her from her restless haze. "Get up, sweetie, it’s time for us to go," Vey said, poking her head into the room with an encouraging smile.

Amelia groaned, burying her face in the pillow. "Ugh… I barely got any sleep…"

***

“We’re going to walk there,” Vey said, tightening the straps of a small satchel across her chest.

“Walk?” Zack groaned, rubbing his temples. “Why walk when teleportation exists?”

“Because,” Vey replied curtly, her expression unreadable. “Teleporting would make it easier for us to be tracked.”

“Tracked? How does that even work?” Amelia asked, tilting her head as she struggled to stifle a yawn.

Vey sighed and leaned against the doorframe. “Teleportation works by cutting two holes in space, one here, and another at the wanted location, and weaving it together, effectively bypassing the in-between. The problem is that it leaves behind something like a scar—an imprint in the fabric of space. The further you teleport, the bigger and harder it is for that scar to heal. Anyone with the right tools, magic, or… other abilities can trace it. Walking leaves no such trail. It’s slower, yes, but far safer. Plus, Dray has teleportation wards installed anyways.”

Lex, standing quietly in the corner, nodded in understanding. “Makes sense. Moving on foot might take longer, but it’s a low-profile approach.”

“It’s not far,” Vey added, addressing the group. “A couple of miles, at most. And I’ve already planned a route through paths they’d never think to look for. Trust me.”

Zack crossed his arms, still unconvinced. “So what? We’re just going to casually stroll through the woods while some big, scary organization hunts us down?”

“Think of it as your first test,” Vey replied. “A test of patience.”

“Great,” Zack muttered. “Just great.”

Amelia tugged her coat tighter around her shoulders and stepped toward the door. “Fine, let’s get it over with. The sooner we start, the sooner we can get to this Dray person and figure out how to fight back.”

Vey smiled faintly. “That’s the spirit. Now, stay close and keep your voices low.”

***

The old school campus looked abandoned from the outside—its brick walls cracked, windows smudged with grime, and a faint scent of mildew clinging to the air. Yet, as the group stepped through the gates, the atmosphere shifted. The hum of activity filled the air: students sparred in makeshift arenas, their movements fluid and precise; dummies glowed with scorch marks and gouges; the clang of metal echoed in the distance.

“This is a school?” Zack muttered, dodging a stray fireball that zipped past his head.

“Focus,” Vey snapped. “Dray’s not a patient man.”

The man in question approached, a scarred figure with a presence that silenced the cacophony around them. Dray had a rugged, no-nonsense demeanor, his dark red eyes scanning the group with practiced precision. “So these are the recruits you’ve brought me?” he asked, voice dripping with skepticism.

Vey nodded. “Meet Zack, Lex, and Amelia.”

Dray snorted, crossing his arms. “If they can’t survive the first week, don’t blame me.” With a bombacious side eye, he turned away. “Follow me.”