She was not amused.

I was having a grand time laughing as I watched her shreking back race to go tattle. Her maids went with her to no doubt help undo the damage and collerbate on her tale.

I watched her go with a smirk. The next time my father tried to tell me I needed to be around peers like me, I’d start to act like that little shit right there.

I didn’t care that our little interaction had garnered the focus of the other kids. I’d been unapproachable until the rather ballsy lady came up to me.

“Victoria isn’t going to forget you did that.” A mousy voice spoke up and I turned around to see the other kids were watching. Some were seated at the tables enjoying the treats and a few others like me had their hands in the sand.

“It's well deserved considering how much of a chore it is to listen to her prattle about her father.” A snooty girl said with a gleam in her eye. “I really enjoyed how you used her dress as a hand towel.” This girl’s voice was accented and it was nice to listen to. How old was she? She looked to be my age but was far more mature than me! Her purple dress was impeccable as she sat at the table. Her long black glossy hair swayed in the slight breeze. “I’m Clara Dupont.” She said, “Of Dupont Investments.” She started pointing at all the other kids and I immediately forgot their names. None of them were memorable and I wasn’t going to see them again.

Clara on the other hand was undeniably the true leader of this group. The girls listened and the boys acquiesced to her.

I opened my mouth to be rude again but was cut off by the arrival of a boy.

I was ready to make no note on him or what he was about but then he opened his mouth and spoke.

My heart froze at the sound of it and I nearly fainted.

“Sorry I’m late, we flew in and still didn’t make it on time.” The boy said with a sheepish smile. The other kids greeted him as a friend so obviously they knew him already. He turned to me and held out a hand. “I’m Graham Patterson.”

His words were only special in that he didn’t bring up his rich parents that made him special or powerful as every other kid had.

What made him truly unique from the rest was his voice. It was a voice I never thought I would hear again. Before I could stop myself I attempted to flee into my locket. I had already used up my allotted daily time though and grew teary at the fact that I couldn’t run.

“Hey are you okay?” That boy with the most perfect voice said as he stepped closer to me. “You don’t look so good.”

I opened my mouth and found it dry and unable to produce any noise. Yet one name wanted to rip itself into existence from my mouth.

Adam. That’s Adam’s voice. The name I couldn’t fathom thinking of broke through in my thoughts and that shield that I had crafted in front of my heart for almost a decade disintegrated to assault me with memories.

I’d like to say that I handled the desire to flee with dignity befitting my status but I can’t. I hiked up my dress and ran for all I was worth as something resembling a seagull's squall ripped from my throat. I had no clear direction just anywhere but there would suffice. Tears blurred my eyes and the sand limited my speed but I gave it all I had to get as far from him as possible.

He looked nothing like Adam but he had the same voice as him when we were kids. A sob broke free of my lips as I tried to numb the pain that swept through me. Adam. I ran for the trees with glee. These were the first real live plants outside of my locket that I had come across. Energy, thoughts and more came off them and into me.

I still had plant manipulation. If this had been any other moment I might have over indulged that discovery until I ran out of ways to dissect it. Right now I needed that power though to hide me from the world. I embraced that primal energy as it rolled off the trees and dived into their warm embrace.

It was Graham who found me of all people. I could hear everyone shouting on the beach but I hid up in the tree unwilling to come down. I was a bit rusty clearly because no one was supposed to be able to find me.

I glared at the boy as he climbed up the tree to reach me.

“You’re just going to fall and break your neck.” I said scornfully, tucking my face into Mr. Brutus who I snuck out of my space.

“What about you?” He said and his voice tugged at my heart strings.

Fresh tears welled up and I blinked them away furiously, “What’s it to you? I’d be fine but you wouldn’t.”

“You’re a girl! I have to help you.” He said, sounding rather chivalrously, if not completely foolish.

To my dismay he finally joined me and parked his butt next to me on the big branch.

I attempted to scoot further away but soon ran out of room.

“Everyone's looking for you, you know.” He said.

I turned to look at him. He was just a foot away now and it was startling how the differences between him and Adam were smacking me in the face. He had platinum blonde hair that contrasted against his light brown skin. My brain hesitated to fill in how Adam looked and yet I couldn’t look away.

“Your eyes.” I said dazed at the red pink hues to them.

“Oh shoot.” He said, covering them with an embarrassed face. “Did my contacts fall out while I ran after you?” He blinked and when he met my eyes again they were brown instead.

“I’ll put in my spare pair later.” He said with a small smile.

“They're not in now?” I said rudely, reaching over to grab his face to peer closer. How did his eyes go from red to brown? My fingers cupped his cheeks as I inspected his eyes. He really is a handsome kid. The trust in his gaze spoke volumes as he looked up at me without his guard up.

I dropped my fingers as if they touched a hot skillet. Graham remained unperturbed by my actions yet shame filled me.

“My eyes with my hair make me look a little strange so I wear contacts to make them brown.” He said and only with these words did a hint of emotion flash in his eyes.

“I saw red eyes before they became brown.” I blurted, pulling away to mull. Could this be my powers of sight growing?

“Is that why you ran from me?” He said and I watched guilty as his expression became crestfallen.

“No.” I said putting my hands up in defense right away. “Your voice…”

“My voice?” There was doubt laced in his words.

“It reminds me of someone I lost.” I said unable to look him in the eye. “I’ll never see him again and hearing it…I just wanted to run away.”

“I’m sorry.” Graham said.

“Don’t be.” I said with a bit more bite then needed. Afterall I was the ass, not him. There was an awkward lull of silence between us, broken up only by the people shouting my name below.

“Red is pretty.” I said with a small smile. “You shouldn’t hide your eyes. It's my favorite color.”

I watched with amusement as his face heated up. I think he mumbled a thanks but I couldn’t quite make out the words. There was a lull between us but this time it wasn’t uncomfortable. As long as he didn’t say anything I could find myself relaxing in his presence.

I still hadn’t processed the fact that Adam’s name was rattling in my head. I spent almost a decade doing what I could to forget he existed. His name was banned from existence and yet this strange coincidence opened the floodgates.

Wait coincidence? What if it wasn’t? I turned my head to narrow my gaze with speculation at Graham. It was a little too convenient that he had Adam’s voice. Mordecai said my job in this world was to heal and have fun. Was this his idea?

Graham felt my strange gaze and turned his head to look at me with a puzzled expression. He’s incredibly handsome. I thought inappropriately but I wasn’t going to be tempted. Whatever Mordecai had planned was going to fail.

“Dolyn?” Graham said but his voice sounded strangely hoarse. Was he trying to change his voice?

A silly stupid part of me softened at that gesture of kindness. I had been nothing but horrific to this boy but he was generous.

“I’m sorry. I’ll do my best to see you for you and not…the one I lost.” I said with a smile. I could think Adam’s name but there was no way in hell I was going to ever say it again. For now I shouldn’t punish this boy for something beyond his control. The Gods were clearly playing with the both of us.

“Thanks.” He said with a sheepish smile.

Needless to say we couldn’t hide in the tree forever. The search party had wandered off our scent and once I could no longer hear them I decided I was ready to get down.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I nimbly scurried down the tree savoring the bark on my fingers. The pulse of the tree was right there on my finger tips. I was too distracted before to really give it the time of day. For some reason Wendy’s abilities were a strong part of me in this world. Could this be because Mordecai piggybacked off Gus’ spell?

I couldn’t stop myself from sticking my ear against the bark to listen to the comforting thumping.

“Dolyn?” Graham’s voice drew my attention and I looked up to see him peering down at my curiosily.

I could feel my cheeks color as I stared back at him mutely.

“I can help you.” Graham said as he started to scramble down the tree.

“Dolyn.” An all too familiar timbre made me hiccup in surprise. I turned my head slowly to look behind me to see that my father was standing there.

His hair was ruffled and his clothing looked out of shape. I could tell from a bead of sweat that he had joined the hunt in looking for me. The intense concern in his eyes burned into me and before I could stop myself I flung my body into his arms.

His arms captured me and his familiar scent of safety enveloped me and stole the tension out of my shoulders. “Daddy.”

I didn’t realize I had said that until the word was already past my lips.

My father kept me in his arms as he walked Graham and I back to where everyone had gathered. I watched amused at the theartics as Victoria, who had stopped her bawling, but upon seeing me immediately started to skillfully cry.

A man attempted to soothe her tears, her father I presumed, but all it did was make her cry harder.

Victoria shot me a triumphant look between her fingers. I gave my own sly smile and opened my mouth, “Is that man your father, the one you told me about Victoria? You know my dad’s boss and the one that my dad needs in order to make his business run properly?”

The silence was deafening.

I watched with immense pleasure as Victoria’s crafty eyes became blank. Her father stiffened and turned to mine with a horrified expression.

I looked up at my own father to see what he thought about this but he was looking down at me with a masked expression. There was a glimmer of humor in his eyes but I watched him smooth it over when he faced the duo.

“Kids…you know these kinds of arguments happen.” Victoria’s father stammered as he held his hands out in a gesture of peace.

“Dolyn.” My father said as he set me down on the sand.

I gave him my full attention, “Yes father?”

“Apologize.” His words were firm and emotionless.

“But I’m not sorry.” I said with a similar tone. “She started it by coming up to me and claiming that I had to follow her because of how her father was the boss of you.”

The silence was just as damning but shorter this time.

My father knelt down on his haunches until we were eye level. His voice was so soft it was barely above the crashing waves. “Apologize. Both of you are in the wrong. You shouldn’t have put your hands on her.”

I could feel my cheeks puff as I could feel this command burning in my gut. I didn’t want to apologize to that shitty girl. I turned on my heel and eyed Victoria.

She jumped and took a defensive stance.

“I’m sorry for using your dress as a hand towel.” I said monotonically. The words burned on their way out of my mouth. My eyes narrowed at the sheer injustice of having to apologize for my actions. Victoria deserved a good hand wiping.

“See kids will be kids. Now Victoria apologize to Dolyn.” Victoria’s father, patroning tried to run the show.

“No.” The bratty girl said with an impatient stamp of her foot.

I could see her father falter at this and he attempted to mimic the way my father got down eye to eye. Unfortunately for him his voice was too boisterous and we all heard him bribe her with some toy she wanted if she complied.

“Father, do you really need to work with that man?” I said my voice moderately loud. “If he runs a company like he does his house he can’t be very good at it.” I looked up to see my father fighting back a smile. I could tell we were on the same wavelength because he shushed me with a shake of his head. Adults like my father preferred to deal with these things like civilized members of society. As a child I had no such compunction to care for societal norms of carefully veiled words.

“How dare you!” Victoria shouted. My smirk at her outburst was wiped clean away when I saw her throw a flame ball at me. Yup, just casual as can be she shot fire at me. I reached for that ball of energy within me but I was in the sand and several feet away from any plant that could aid me. And even if I managed with this weakness, anything I pulled up would burn to a crisp!

I could barely register a proper response because two things happened simultaneously. The first thing is my father had me in his arms and turned around while embracing me. He had his back to the attack. I managed to look over his shoulder in time to see a shiny figure jump in front of us. A pale red wall was erected. I gasped as the flames hit the wall with an audible smack before they dissipated. The heat of the blast set off a mini wave of energy that rocked everyone standing nearby.

What the heck.

Graham pulled up a barrier to protect my father and myself. His eyes were sparkling red as the energy disappeared from his fingertips. I quickly turned my attention to my father to catch his reaction to this.

I could feel the rage rolling off my father as the temperature dropped around him. I looked up and I could see the fury in his eyes. He set me on the ground and without looking at Victoria, who had turned a pale white, or her father who already looked like a dead man walking, commanded the service workers to take all the kids, minus Victoria to the yacht.

I pulled out Mr. Brutus as I joined the group of kids walking to the yacht. Me pulling out a stuffy was the least of everyone’s concerns after what we just saw.

I looked at the kids to get their reaction but most were relaxed as if this was a daily occurrence. Maybe they were like me. Created by their rich families to be ‘specially gifted in powers.’

I sidled up to Graham who looked slightly pale from using his ability. “Thank you for protecting my father and me.” I said with a more open smile. I was way too harsh on this guy and he’d been nothing but kind. I’m going to make it up to you. I swore mentally as our eyes met.

“I’m just glad you’re fine.” Graham said sheepishly as if to brush off what he did.

“So I’m guessing more of us kids have powers.” I said as if to prompt some kind of diaglouge. They were so casual about it as we walked up the dock to the damn boat.

“It's not a guess.” Graham said. “We’ve been training together for years.”

“There was a bet about you being gifted and it being part of why you ran off screaming when you saw Graham.” Clara, the obvious ringleader from before, spoke up as she joined our conversation.

I made a sour expression at the word bet. Why was everyone so keen on betting and gambling?

“Your power is to portal things right?” Clara said with beaming eyes at Mr. Brutus.

I suppose it was too much to assume no one had noticed the bear that came and went with my moods. “Kinda.” I hedged with a slight smile. I have too many abilities right now it was hard to pin it on just one. Technically I was ‘portaling’ things to me but only because of my spacial ring that granted me my own dimension to put things in and out of. It wasn’t an ability that was innately mine, just one that I lived vicariously off of.

“Are you going to be joining us when we train?” Graham said as he looked at me.

I had no idea this group was even happening so I couldn’t make any promises. It was clear to me that my father was part of some elite fuckery that intended on creating super powered children. Almost as if he and his cohorts knew that the end of the world was going to come and people would turn into powered freaks.

If the world’s elite had their heirs ready to fight, then they’d have an advantage wouldn’t they?

I didn’t have much time to dwell or consider that because when we came back from the ordeal I came down with a cold.

I woke up the next day with a stuffy head, a sore throat and a foul mood. I attempted to slip into my locket world to feel better but laying in the fields did nothing to help. I also had to leave it because the timer didn’t care that I was sick.

I stared at my blank ceiling as my head screamed at me. I was too dizzy to stand and too irritated to sleep. It was a no win situation. Mr. Brutus had failed in his duty of comfort and tried as I might I couldn’t calm down.

There was a strange desire to run which was contrary to my just as strong a need to lay down. Leave it to my body and mind to be at war and complete opposites at a time such as this.

I suppose time passed in this fashion until I was no longer able to take it anymore. I staggered out of the bed and toward the bathroom to splash some cold water in my face. Instead as I entered the bathroom I slipped into a strange vision.

A young Adam was in front of me. Luckily it was the back of him because I don’t think my heart could have handled seeing his face at that moment. There was also a younger version of myself laying on the asphalt.

Instantly I recognized this moment for what it was. This was the first time I ever met Adam. His car ran me over because I was in the middle of the road picking on a worm. The spilled juice of the strawberries made the aftermath look far worse than it actually was.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. You said…” Adam’s words were spilling out of his lips and were laced with the manic pain of Rex. My past body was still and looking rather dead while Adam was crouched near me with shaking shoulders. I guess I sort of took it for granted that what happened was meant to be. It never crossed my mind how he felt searching for me another time around only to have it end up like this. This and many other reasons are why I forgave him though. I can’t fully comprehend what he went through when his whole life was splashed on paper and controlled by Gavin.

To my horror my limp body was starting to disappear before my eyes. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I was able to come right back after I cleaned out the Acquisition room.

A strange whooshing sound set off a gust of wind from Adam’s hands. It wasn’t wind but it was clear and almost invisible to the naked eye. It spread out from his tight fists and like leeches grabbed onto me. What felt like an eternity was mere moments as the younger me opened her eyes. It was eerily and downright strange to watch life come back to me. My cheeks grew in color and my eyes became a blazing green as I inhaled my first breath.

I had to look away and ignored the younger me who had almost died and focused solely on Adam. All of the strain, exhaustion and madness was wiped clean from his face as if it had never existed. He greeted me smoothly as in my memory and played the part of a passerby who had no idea who I was.

I wanted to touch him and prove that this was a memory. Why would a vision from a past life come to haunt me now?

Words spilled from my lips in a cacophony of several languages. I could feel some part of my soul warm and heat as each one tumbled from my lips. In my feverish delirium I was weaving together a spell to find a lost love.

I should stop it. I knew better. I should know better that what was done was done. Adam and I could never be reunited. My familial magic wiped all traces of me and reset the world. He would never know a world that included me…

And yet instead of slowing down the speed at which the words broke loose sped up. Waves of hope, love, energy and pain rose with no sign of crashing. Clearly my family’s magic had failed before. I should have already been erased from him yet memory had been restored based on that memory he kept me from slipping away forever. Nothing was impossible when your ancestor was the Goddess of Destiny.

I wanted with every fiber in my being to find him and for some reason every inch of my soul was screaming that this was the moment to do so.

I shut my eyes as the room began to spin and the next moment I opened them I was in an entirely new room.

I’d clearly gotten far too used to the high class duds of my father’s because the sight that greeted me stole the color from my cheeks.

I wasn’t sure if what I was in was a room or the entire floor plan of some kind of home. Furniture, boxes and trash were packed so tightly it was difficult to discern.

A boy was in the middle of whatever this place was looking over everything. The back of his head was to me and for one heartbreaking moment I thought it was Adam. Their heads overlapped and I hiccuped hard.

This couldn’t be real. How could it be real? I couldn’t imagine Adam in a place like this. The air around me began to shimmer and I looked down to see my body start to disappear. As if finally noticing me the boy in front of me stiffened. He started to turn his head and I fell backwards as a pair of shining light eyes blinded me.

I woke up some time later in my bed. My fever had broken some time ago and yet I still feel dizzy. I tried repeating the words I said before but nothing happened. It was just a dream right? There was no way that that boy was Adam…I repeated it over and over again in my head until I buried the memory even deeper than the memory of what Adam looked like.