CHAPTER FORTY FOUR

League City, Texas

Philip wanted the end of the world to be here already.

Jacob looked like he was throwing firecrackers down on the sidewalk. But that is not at all what he was doing. Over and over again, he triggered the ignition. The spark lit up as a flame briefly blew out. Jacob was getting the hang of it. He sat down on the stoop and threw another tiny fireball at the hard ground, creating a loud snap.

Philip walked over to the kid as a stranger in ordinary clothes. He left his DarkFlood outfit back in New York with the rest of his team. Philip wanted to consider this a personal call. He sat down next to the kid. Jacob looked over at Philip, slightly caught off-guard, but showing no signs of fear. He flicked another fireball at the floor, this time in front of Philip. Philip slowly lowered his hand and touched the concrete. A crack split the concrete and frosty ice filled it as the crack tracked the fireball like a lightning bolt and extinguished it.

"You're like me." Jacob said.

"More than you know."

"Are you here to take me away?"

"I am here to tell you to be strong, Jacob. Be strong in the days to come, for you will be the one who inherits the future. You are the only child I will come to before the first wave."

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"What wave?"

"They will call it an epidemic. But one tenth of the world's population will become like us. After that the scales will tip and there will be no more delaying it."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Philip Dresden, people will come to know me as DarkFlood. Jacob, you will survive the apocalypse with your father, but a day will come when you’ll be separated from him. I am not saying that to scare you. I am giving you a secret from the future to… give you a fighting chance. Don’t screw it up, because after that I will return again for your help."

“Help with what?”

“Saving the world.”

Jacob was now standing, along with Philip. It was a clear sunny Texas summer day. The sun beat down heavily. Philip was sweating. It was too hot for him. But Jacob was the essence of the heat, and he felt it all around him as he chose to believe Philip's words without any doubt, bracing himself for his life to come. Jacob was just a boy. Now he was a boy with the most dangerous of weapons, the notion of rising to greatness on his father's fallen back.

Powerful stuff, prophecies are. Philip was careful about handing them out.

But this had to be done. Jacob will be great. Jacob will be the conscience of the group of apprentice heroes that DarkFlood's legacy leaves behind. Philip got down on one knee before he left and reassured Jacob, "You're father is a great man, and will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. And don’t worry. The day you fear is a long way away. You will be fully grown by then. More of a man than most others.”

Jacob flicked another spark at the ground. He stared at it unenthused. Something had changed. He no longer saw the fun in it.