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Gift
Chapter 1: Dreams and Encounters

Chapter 1: Dreams and Encounters

Centuries ago, the first Gift appeared; Physical items that give the wielder supernatural powers. These Gifts are given on the person's 18th birthday. Because of the importance of Gifts, the 18th birthday became the most important event of someone's life. Most people will travel great distances to be there for this day in their friends' or family members' lives. And because it is such a special occasion, it seems like the entire world comes together and celebrates like no other time.

The celebration began with the first Gift appearing centuries ago when hundreds gathered at the home of the person who had received the gift. It is a tremendous honor to host the event and all those attending bring food, drink, music, games, and anything else they could think of that would make the day memorable. Even with all this excitement surrounding getting your Gift, my family's line of Gifts has never been what you would call exciting. At least it was until I received mine.

✴✴✴

Ding... Dong... Dong... Ding

The sound of the last school bell rang loud throughout the academy. I looked up from my desk and watched as students rushed out of the classrooms to escape the last day filled with tedious tests. As I rose from my seat and slipped past the other students, I made sure not to let anyone see me. I rushed towards the classrooms where my friends were, and just before entering the door, I paused.

"Are you really going to do this?"

I turned to see Anya standing behind me, smiling. She wore her usual white blouse and black skirt, but now she also wore her dark glasses.

"Yup!" I said cheerfully. "It's finally here."

Anya smiled back. "So excited," she said. "But you know it's not right, don't you?"

"What? We will not be here anymore. This is our final signature to our high school."

Anya shrugged and let out a little sigh, "If you say so."

We opened the door to the classroom. There sat the other two members of our friend's group; Richt and Mordred. The three of us had been inseparable since we started our freshman year. I couldn't imagine being separated from any of them for even one day.

Richt was a short guy, maybe five-seven, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes.

Mordred was on the taller side, almost 6-2, with curly black hair that went down to just below his shoulders. He was a handsome young man with piercing gray eyes.

Mordred, seeing Anya and I enter the room, let out an enormous smile, "Anya and Ajal, the two people I wanted to see the most." he got up from his seat and walked over to us. He leaned forward enough for us to be the only ones able to hear him talk.

"You ready?" He asked in anticipation.

"Absolutely." I responded, "Let's get operation 'greatest goodbye prank of Little Rock high school ever' underway."

"We really should work on that name," Richt said, who had finally made his way over to us, "It's too long and is not catchy at all, plus, it doesn't specify what it is we are doing."

"Well, how about the greatest farewell prank of the century?" Mordred suggested.

"No, it's too long. How about the greatest goodbye prank of our lifetime?" I offered.

"Okay, okay. No more names. But seriously, let's recap the plan." Mordred said.

"Remember, the goal is to make today an unforgettable experience," I began, "And if it ends up being one of the best days of our lives, well then, that's even better. So, we begin on the rooftop..."

"Get everyone's attention...," Anya continued.

Mordred started, "Set off the fireworks..."

"And steal the principal's toupee!" Richt shouted.

We all immediately shushed him.

"Are you an idiot?" I angrily asked.

I look around the mostly empty room to see if anyone heard him. The coast seems to be clear.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Don't worry about it. Now, let's proceed with the plan."

Anya shakes her head in disapproval. "This so so dumb. Can't you guys just go home like normal people."

Mordred spoke up. "Hey, don't forget we are doing this partly for you as well."

"Yeah yeah, let's just get this over with."

Mordred grinned. "Glad to hear it. Let's move."

We quickly shuffled into the hallway. Mordred was clenching his backpack, which was filled with the aforementioned fireworks. We walked down the halls and up the stairs, all in an odd formation. A formation that allowed us to hide Mordred and his backpack as best as possible.

Finally, when we reached the roof, Mordred pulled open the door, and we all rushed outside. Once again, we formed a circle and waited for the perfect moment. Mordred was sitting with his knees bent and his hands on his lap while staring out into the city skyline. I heard him whisper to himself however, I couldn't make out what he said.

"Did you say something, Mordred?"

"Nah, just thinking that our city is pretty."

The rest of us looked at each other, confused, but we just shrugged it off.

Anya took a deep breath and ran over to the railing on the edge of the rooftop. She looked down to see a sea of students leaving the school, excited for the year to finally be over.

She took another deep breath, preparing to yell for everyone to hear, "Hey everybod- ".

Her voice halted. It was not a natural cutoff, though. It sounded similar to what happens when you click the mute button on the television. She turned around to face us. Her eyes were wide and forming tears. But what we saw was a sight that was all too familiar. Glowing, spirit-like stitches are sewed into her lips, holding her mouth shut. This was the doing of a Gift, the one that belongs to our guidance counselor, Mr. Consuo.

Mr. Consuo was a rather tall man, probably around six-two. He had grey hair that went down to his ears. His skin was very pale, almost translucent white.

His clothes were quite ostentatious. He wore a tan suit with thin gold chains hanging from his neck, earrings dangling from both ears, and a pair of gold, winged wings printed on the back of his jacket.

"Hello there." He greeted us with a smug look on his face.

My first thought was that he must have seen us whispering about the plan. But why would he care? Although I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Is there something you want?" I asked.

Consuo smiled, "Oh, yes. Yes, there certainly is something I would like. I believe you three understand what I am talking about."

I felt bad for Anya. Here we were trying to do her a favor by helping her overcome her fear of attention with this prank, but because of it, she was stuck in the middle of this mess.

"You're crazy," I told Consuo. "She did nothing wrong. And besides, you have nothing on us."

Consuo chuckled and pointed to all of us. "Actually, I do." He repositioned his pointing finger to be aiming right above the door that we came from. He was pointing at a camera. I can sense the tension from everyone around me.

Consuo snapped his fingers, and the stitches attached to Anya's mouth faded away. Anya began gasping for air. Having her mouth sewed shut made it hard to breathe.

Consuo had one hand in his pocket and the other out and relaxed on the side. "Don't worry, I'm not exactly the snitching type. Just give up this prank and I'll let you all go without punishment."

The four of us remained silent.

"I am serious," he said. "Give it up, or I will tell the principal. Having your futures ruined over a mediocre prank is hardly a pleasant path."

"Mediocre?" I spat back angrily, "This prank was going to be the greatest of all time. I hope you are happy with yourself Consuo, you just prevented history."

Mordred put the bridge of his nose in between his index finger and thumb. "Ajal, you are worried about the wrong thing here. That aside, Consuo, we'll stop the prank." He walked up to Consuo and held out his fist, waiting for Consuo to respond with one of his own. "No reason for our last interaction ever to be over something like this. Let's go out with at least a little respect."

Mordred has always been like this. Honorable to a fault, he does his utmost to respect others, almost to a fault, as he practically demands you show it back.

Consuo then raise his fist and connected it to Mordred's, "MR. Consuo. But I agree, I have nothing but respect and admiration for you students and know you'll do great from here on out." He turned his head to me and smiled. "I know it might be scary to not have a full plan for your life, but just take your time and it'll come to you."

He turned around and walked towards the door. Consuo then held the door opened open and motioned his free arm into it, signaling to us we should head down. Once we left the roof, we headed straight to the front doors and stepped outside.

Consuo stopped at the entrance to the school. "I may have not been here long, but it was still an enjoyable experience. Good luck with everything!" he waved his hand goodbye.

We said our goodbyes and continued walking onward to the entrance of the school, or rather, the exit for us.

The sun was bright today. In fact, it was blazing hot. Anya looked like she was about to pass out, but I knew that wasn't the case.

With a few more steps, we arrived at the bus stop at the corner of the school.

"I think we are here," I said. "You guys ready?"

Mordred nodded, "Yup."

Anya said, "Sure."

Richt replied, "You betcha."

"Great," I said, "Now we wait."

For what felt like forever, we waited for the school bus to arrive. All of us sat quietly, looking ahead of us, down the road, and anywhere else to avoid eye contact with one another.

Anya was the first to speak. "So with what all of us have planned for our future, it might be the last time we see each other for a while. You know that, right?"

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"Yeah, I've kind of realized that," I responded, "But don't worry, we'll keep in touch. We're friends."

"Just normal ol' friends, huh?" Anya asked. "Seems like we've known each other long enough to be at least best friends."

"Maybe," I said, "But either way, we'll stay in touch. You have my word on it."

She stepped closer to me and had a huge grin on her face, "I'll keep you to that Ajal."

Mordred broke his silence. "Well, my plan hasn't changed. I'm still returning to Camelot."

"To do what?" Richt asked.

"To King Arthur's castle," Mordred replied, "Only the strongest warriors get selected as knights, so I will train hard until I become the strongest one."

Richt added, "Well first you'll need to see if your Gift is even good enough to warrant you even being able to fight the Sálarkistas, even after that King Arthur is still a student at one of the Gift academies so it might be awhile until you can apply...." He stopped for a second and began whispering to himself, "... Do you apply for being a knight?"

"I know, but I'll get there eventually," Mordred assured him.

"Sounds like a fun little adventure." Anya chuckled, "My plans also haven't changed, traveling the world and seeing what it offers. Silly, naïve, and maybe even a little romantic, but it's what I want." She gave me a wink.

I meekly smiled back, "Yeah..."

"What about you, Richt?" Anya asked.

"Normal run-of-the-mill college." He sat down at the bench and began rummaging through his backpack. After a few seconds, he brought out a letter. "Got into one of the top schools in the country. The plan is to graduate early and get a well-paying job in the science division of the Grand Church."

"It's nice to know you can pursue whatever you wish," Anya complimented him.

"Whatever all your plans might be, I'm sure they'll all work out fine." I responded.

"So I'm assuming you are still just gonna work for your dad?" Anya responded.

"That's the idea. I don't have any special talents that allow me to fight, nor do I have the brains for college. So, my only option is working on the farm."

Anya began talking quickly. "Are you sure? I mean, you can always join me..." she let out a tiny, awkward laugh.

"I appreciate the offer, but I would just slow you down."

"But- "

Before Anya could finish her sentence, the bus arrived. We stood up and hurriedly made our way inside.

After the doors closed, Anya grabbed my hand. "Thanks for sticking by my side. You've been a great friend to me."

I squeezed her hand back. "Same here. I'm glad we got to spend some time together."

There was a pause, then Mordred spoke up, "And I would like to thank you too, Ajal. I never thought I'd find a friend like you. Thanks for everything."

"Likewise," I answered. "It was fun hanging with all of you."

Richt laughed, "Don't worry my comrade, once I make it big, I'll come back to save you all from your boring lives."

All of us burst out laughing. We couldn't help ourselves. There was no sad or sorrowful tone in our laughter. It was just a release of tension; we needed to feel normal.

Once the bus reached its destination, I said my goodbyes. After saying goodbye to Richt, Mordred, and Anya, I turned to leave. The bus drove off, carrying my friends with it. I watched it until it left my field of view. Once gone, I turned back around to wait. The bus stop for me is at the train station. I live in the Village of Crater, away from the school, so a train ride is necessary.

The train came about ten minutes later. I boarded the train and found myself in a seat. Before long, the train started moving. The scenery began changing, and the city faded into the distance. Everything became green, the buildings became replaced by trees and grass, and birds and squirrels replaced the people.

I sighed, "I missed it."

After around 30 minutes, the train arrived at my stop. I exited the train with my bag slung over my shoulder and walked toward the main road. As soon as I stepped foot onto the dirt path, the feeling of familiarity washed over me. The village was about a 5-minute walk from the station, so I began my brief journey there.

As I walked along the road, the sounds of nature surrounded me. Birds chirping, bees buzzing, and the wind blowing. It was a peaceful setting, but a unique scent takes over my senses. It is a strange scent that I can't quite describe. I can smell something, but it was almost like it smelt like nothing, similar to how water tastes like nothing. There are plenty of strange animals in these woods, so I shake my head and continued walking.

When I finally reached the outskirts of town, I slowed down and looked up at the sign that read: Village of Crater. At the very edge of the village; the forest opens up, leaving a small clearing where a few houses lined up. The first house in the row belongs to the village chief. My house is the largest one in Crater at the very end of the village, connected to all the fields. My father owns the farm that feeds the village. His Gift is a bag of soil that allows him to grow whatever plant, vegetable, fruit he wishes no matter the season. Because of this Gift, he's able to give products to anybody, and thus is a business partner that is sought after by many big corporations. Of course, being able to grow anything means that there is a lot of work for my siblings and me to keep up with. After another few minutes of walking, I reached the entrance to my home. A small wooden gate with an old rusty iron padlock secured it.

I stepped up to the gate, lifted my right leg to step onto the bar, and climb over the gate, but instead of stepping over it, I swung my leg forward, bending it slightly. With my foot planted firmly on the ground, I release the pressure on my boot and kicked the bottom of the gate as hard as possible. The gate flies upward and lands with a thud on the ground.

As I entered the gate, I notice the yard was clean, which meant my brother and sister did their jobs well while I was away. I let out a sigh of relief and began making my way to the house.

"Welcome home," Mother called out as soon as I stepped through the door. "How was your last day?"

"Good thanks," I replied. "Some tests, but nothing too crazy."

My mother let out a small giggle. "I'm excited for you. It's strange to think, by this time tomorrow, you'll have your Gift."

With the commotion from earlier today, it completely slipped my mind that my 18th birthday is tomorrow. I had thought little about it since I'll be simply working with dad for the foreseeable future.

"Just so you know, I'm proud of you," Mother said.

I smiled at her and started walking to my room, ready to lie down for the rest of the day.

✴✴✴

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock ringing. I stumbled out of bed and fell to the floor and groaned, "Ugh... I hate mornings."

I ran to the bathroom to wash up and dress. While washing my hands, I heard a knock on the front door. I shut off the faucet and turned around to face the door. "Hello?"

the voice of a young girl comes through the door, "Hurry!"

It's my sister. No doubt about it. She was pretty loud for being so small, probably around five feet tall. I opened the door and saw her standing there with a frown. "What do you want, Katria?"

"I want you to hurry. We don't have all day. Your party is later."

Katria is a year younger than me and has the same pale skin as me, but hers is paler. She has long, beautiful black hair, which hangs halfway down her shoulders, and blue eyes that shine like the sun.

She continues, "I'm excited to see what you get."

"Really? You and I both know it's just gonna be some plain Gift, like an oil lamp that never runs out of oil or a pen that never runs out of ink."

Katria looks disappointed. "You can't be serious? What kind of Gift is that?"

"A useless one that will get me nowhere in life," I answer bluntly.

Katria lets out a breath. "I will not argue with you if that's what you want, but I'm still excited. Just try to enjoy yourself."

"Fine, I'll try."

Katria smiles and gives me a quick hug. "Thank you for agreeing. It looks like you are finally growing up!" She let go and walks into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

But... I'm the older one.

I walk downstairs into the living room where I see both of my parents and my brother, Theodann, or Theo, for short.

Theo, despite being the oldest sibling, does the least amount of work, understandably so, as he lost his left arm in an accident. Despite this, I still hold a deep amount of respect for my older brother.

I say good morning and sit down on the couch.

My mother responds with a nod, "Morning, dear. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yeah, it was fine." I yawn, "Why do you ask?"

She hesitates for a second. "It's...nothing."

Theo interjects, "She's talking about your hair."

My hair? I didn't check it when in the bathroom, as a certain someone was rushing me.

I rush over to the long mirror in the living room corner. I look into the mirror and honestly am honestly more confused than surprised by what I see. Strands of hair on my normally black bangs have turned pure white. And if that wasn't bad enough, the strand, on the top of my head, is now not only white but hard as steel as well. I pull on it and it doesn't budge. It's like trying to tug on a brick. I touch the other side of my head and feel my normal hair. Why just this strand?

I turn back around to my family, who have gained one more member, Katria.

"Well, I don't know what to say. I didn't do this, so either it's a very elaborate prank or it has something to do with my Gift."

Katria looks at me curiously. "Or it could just be a random coincidence."

"Your right," I say. "Hair just turns white and becomes damn near a strand of metal. How could I be so foolish?" I sit down on the couch next to my brother. "Honestly, I don't care anymore."

My brother looks over at me, "Don't get too comfortable now, birthday or not, it's still your day to go hunt."

I give him a look of annoyance and stand up to get ready. Katria also stands with me.

"I'm coming with... cause I'm bored."

I simply nod my head and walk to the door. Once outside, Katria follows and together we walk toward the shed behind our house. The sun is bright, and the breeze is cool and refreshing. It feels good to stretch my legs again. I open the shed and enter. Before we leave, I need a hunting rifle. I quickly grab the old and worn weapon and head back outside, where Katria was waiting. We enter the thick foliage and begin walking along the path leading deeper into the woods.

After about an hour, a strange feeling takes over me. I feel like something is watching me. It's hard to explain, but I can sense something out there. I glance at Katria. She seems calm and unaffected by the feeling.

We continue walking until suddenly, out of nowhere, Katria stops dead in her tracks. I stop beside her with a questioning look, but she shakes her head, saying nothing.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask quietly.

"I-I can't move," she says, "Something is holding me in place."

I take a step closer, trying to hear something, but there's nothing. Out of nowhere, that scent that I smelled when I was coming home from school washed over the area. I look up, but there's nothing.

Katria struggles against the invisible force but cannot move a muscle. "Help me!" She yells.

I try to yell back, but my voice doesn't come out. In my panic, I look around everywhere, trying to find something, anything, that can help us. I try to calm myself and look back at my sister, who is looking up into one of the tall trees; her face full of fear with tears down her face. I look up at the tree. My body becomes paralyzed with fear. I feel my heart pound furiously as I stare at the Sálarkista that hangs upside down from the tree. But how? They block Sálarkistas from entering the village because of the barrier. Is there a crack? Did someone let it in? Questions are racing through my mind. The monster had a similar build to a bat, but was as big as a small building, not unlike our shed. It has three enormous eyes, two of which were focused on me, and one on Katria. Each of its teeth looked like sharp knives. In its mouth was the carcass of a large Lightdeer, its blood dripping from the monster's mouth onto the forest floor.

"Katria, can you move?! We need to go!" I shout. Katria, still visibly shaking in fear, takes a tiny step back.

The Sálarkista's response is to drop the carcass and fly straight toward me. I scramble backward into the trees as it approaches. A cry escapes from my lips as it gets close. The beast flies directly above me, aiming for my head. The monster swoops down, but I brace myself before it lands its attack. Despite my efforts, I'm sent flying backward some feet and land back first into a tree. I scramble to get back and run toward Katria, who still has barely moved an inch. I grab her arm and start dragging her away from the creature. It lands on its feet and stares at us, drool dribbling from its mouth. I keep running deeper into the forest and throw ourselves into the shade of a gigantic oak tree. I can hear the stomping and rumbling of the monster getting closer. The bat lets out a monstrous roar.

"Shit! It's coming!"

I look up and see the creature flying in for another pass.

"Run!" I scream to Katria.

Without hesitation, Katria moves with me.

We can't keep running forever. I'm running out of options. Out of desperation, I pull the rifle out and aim at the beast that is flying toward us. I squeeze the trigger and fire a single shot. The bullet hits the monster square in the chest and the beast stops midair and lands on the ground, staring at us. It was unfazed by the bullet. The Sálarkista tilts its head and gives an evil grin. I look over at Katria. "Can you move?"

She nods. I point the rifle at the beast and squeeze the trigger. Again, nothing happens. I try again, and yet again. As before, nothing. The monster keeps walking slowly towards us but suddenly stops in its track. Its smug face turns to fear as it stares at something behind us. I turn my head to see a person in a black cloak. I can't make out a face but can see their smile under the hood. They hold their arm out, palm facing the monster. The monster lets out another roar, this time it was a roar of pain. After a few seconds of agony of the Sálarkista, it fell over silent. It was dead.

There's silence for a moment, except for the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves. Then, the stranger steps forward to reveal himself. He is tall and thin, with dark eyes and black hair. There are scars on his arms, like burns from a fire. His clothes are black and completely covered in silver runes and symbols. I've seen him before, but from where?

"Who are you?" Katria asks.

He replies while pointing at me, "I am the one who will show you the way."

I look at him, confused, and shrug. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, but thanks for saving us."

As if reading my mind, he answers, "It is my duty, Ajal. You have been chosen."

"Chosen for what?" I ask, "And what's your name, anyway?"

The figure laughs and his serious demeanor completely flipped to a joking one, "Ok, enough of that, I can't take myself seriously." He continues his laughing. He finally calms down, "My name is... well, my real name is classified, but you can call me Kaito."

"Kaito?" I say curiously, "What does that mean?"

"It means strength. I chose it because I'm the strongest in the world. You should consider yourself lucky, the strongest is going to train you."

"Train me for what?" I reply, "You're making no sense."

Kaito points to his head, "Your Gift."

He must be talking about my white hair, but how is my hair, my gift?

He let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to make this quick. You are the inheritor of death. Your white hair, that weird smell, that feeling of being watched, all of those are results of your inheritance."

"But... what does that even mean? How is my hair a gift? I can't even do anything with it."

Kaito laughs uncontrollably again, "Man. you sure ask a lot of questions. Anyway, let's go back to your house."

Kaito snapped his fingers and within the blink of an eye, we were at the front of my house. I look over at Katria. She is still silent and stunned, presumably because of everything that just happened.

The inheritor of death? I do not know what that even means, but I'm assuming that's my gift?

Kaito noticed my puzzled face, "Don't worry kid, I'll explain everything later. Just understand that your role in this world has become that of great importance... I also need to talk to your parents."

"Uh...ok..."

"Ok!" He yells excitedly, "This is gonna be fun."

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