Blue lights that shimmered like fireflies in the night began to form in the air above us, slowly materializing into our cards. Once they formed from the blue lights they slowly descended to our open palms. There was a shimmering light coming from the back of the card, I turned it over and the words "weapon equipped" were written under vision.

"What the heck does that mean?" I mumbled.

Suddenly the whole card shimmered turning into a blinding light. I guarded my eyes and waited for it to die down. I could feel a cold sensation in my hand as the feeling of the small card soon turned into something much rougher and heavy. Once the light began to fade It revealed an old looking book left in my cards place. The book had an old and worn look to it, like something you find in a fantasy game from an old wizard. There was a fully armored knight printed on the front with his sword pointed down to the ground below him in the art frame.

"Hey, you got a book too?" Zack asked.

But just as fast as the books appeared, they vanished from our hands.

"This day can't possibly get any weirder." I sighed.

"I saw you out there Stryder! You're finally loosening up!" Zack cheered hopping over to me, smacking my back repeatedly with excitement.

"What are you on about now?"

"Your whole Justice is served thing." He was saluting me now and I just shook my head.

"Yeah, I got a little carried away I suppose." My face got a little red as he put his arm around me.

"We both just got an upgrade and took down a gang leader! Were bad a-." Zack started but I interrupted him.

"Don't finish that sentence. You know I don't like cursing."

"Oh great! That stick found its way back up your butt. Great."

"Let's figure out where we are and start walking" I moved his arm off me and started to take the lead through the woods.

"Oooooor I can just burn the forest do- ".

"No. Just stop talking..."

As we continued to walk I started to recognize the trail we were on.

"Hey, Zack. Remember when we took Annual out on these trails?" I asked him, now drowning in the nostalgia.

"Oh yeah, I remember! I got one hell of a beating for sneaking her out. But she was so happy to see the spring flowers." I turned to see a familiar smile on his face. The kind of smile that just made you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside."I remember bringing her to the lake. She was so surprised to see the fish." Zack said chuckling some to himself.

"Yeah, it was a day of first for her," I added as we became quiet for a bit.

I hadn't seen her in what felt like forever now. Memories flooded my mind of her. Then I felt a twinge in my chest. Just like that, I was brought out of the happy nostalgic mood, and back to reality, the reality of my sins.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Hey, do you think I can see her today?" I choked a bit getting the words out, and for some reason, my heart began to race.

Zack, unannounced to me lit up like a Christmas tree as I asked that.

"Yeah of course! She's pretty weak now, so we can't take her out. But all she does is talk about you! She's totally in love." Zack seemed to be super enthusiastic.

I began to pick up some flowers as we walked. Remembering how much Annual liked them.

"I'm nothing special." I hadn't intended on it but my words came out more bitter than I expected

"Dude how can you even say that! You are the world to her! When I was too scared of my dad to take her out you were the brave one."

"Like you weren't brave. You started pick-pocketing people to get money for her, which I still don't approve of." I spoke in my disapproving parent voice.

"Hey, it's how we met though." He chimed, seemingly trying to justify it.

"Yeah clocking you in the face is such a great memory."

"Yeah, I even had a knife and you still clocked me. Even gave me a lecture after..."

He went quiet for a moment. Seemingly getting lost in his past now. Then he looked at me with a sincere smile on his face.

"That's where I met your mom too! She was such an awesome person. She bought me food and gave me money for Annual."

"She helped start the blossoming of our friendship."

"Which changed the course of my life forever." He stopped walking now and looked over a small pond.

I stopped as well and looked up at the sky. I stared at the clouds as if they were the pearly gates themselves, thinking if I stared long enough I could hear her voice again. However, that idea terrified me. What would she say if she could see me now?

"I wonder, I wonder If she's proud of what I've become," I muttered softly to the empty skies.

"Stryder. You're a Hero. You were chosen by some entity to gain powers, I'm sure you've exceeded her expectations."Zack chimed in.

He had this bewildered look on his face. But, I couldn't hear him. My body was right there near him but my mind was miles away. His words were nothing more than white noise to me. I was remembering all the time’s mom and I walked these trails with Lux. I remembered the bedtime stories she used to read to me at night...

My heart began to ache remembering her death. The scene replayed in my head on a loop. Then I remembered last night, I remembered when Lux punched dad. I caused that, that was my fault. I tried shutting my mind off from remembering it but I couldn't help it. I leaned against a tree and I realized I had tears running down my face. I felt like someone had just punched me in my gut, I tried to get a hold of myself but the tears kept coming. I completely forgot where I was. My head started spinning and it felt like the world was crashing in on me. Then everything became still again, I felt a warm embrace holding onto me. I focused myself and saw Zack holding me.

"Your mom died protecting you, she made that choice didn't she!"

"If I could've just controlled myself she be alive right now!"

"Stryder, that girl was going to die if you didn't do something! If I know your mom as well as I think I do she'd want you to make that decision all over again!"

"And how do you know that!"

"Because that's where you got your heart from dude! When I failed at trying to rob her she bought me food! When me and annual ran away she gave us a roof over our heads! When I was kicked out of school she fought for me to get back in! So yeah I think I know a thing or two." His voice cracked some , It was odd seeing Zack like this. It made me start thinking clearly again.

I relaxed and hugged him back. I felt a lot better now, the dreaded record in my mind had finally become silent. Zack was right. If I was going to make mom proud, I needed to get my head in the game. Once I became more relaxed I felt Zack let go and step back.

"Zack, I know it took a lot for you to say that. Plus give me a hug, but I really needed that. Thank you"

"Right. Now don't ever mention that hug. Ever! Got it?" Zack threatened as I whipped my face clean of tears.

"Right, gotcha" I sniffled.

"I mean it; I'll cut you."

"You have fire powers yet you resort to threatening me with a weapon you failed to cut me with before?" His hand suddenly burst into his unholy flames with a wicked grin on his face.

"Ooh, Thanks for the reminder"

"Ok, ok lips sealed bro." I held out my fist to him and I gave him a smile. He returned my smile with one of his own. Then we fist-bumped.