Chapter I - The Force Awakens

This is a description of the day whose events led mankind, as far as they could remember, to give it the name Day D. Even if I didn't want to admit it for a long time, this day was to be decisive for my further life. My memories of him are now blurred, as I would have loved to forget him forever.

6:00 Time to get up. The first thing I noticed was that something was missing. Something that could not be imagined without was missing. Funny, where's that annoying jumping in the morning, I thought. I stayed in bed for a while. "If Tetra isn't here, I can just sleep a few more seconds, right?" I grinned into my blanket. However, the thought didn't feel right. Convinced of my conscience, I put on my slippers and went to her room.

I found her in her bed, shivering and pale. "Tetra, are you okay?" I put my hand on her forehead. She didn't seem to have a fever. "Alex, I have a really bad feeling." I knew the shaking wasn't a normal chill. She was scared, terrified of someone or something.

I wondered if we should stay home. Both our parents were at work and wouldn't be back until this afternoon. Tetra couldn't really afford to stay at home. Mother would get furious if it wasn't serious.

"Oh, you're just imagining things, and if they are, I'll protect you." I promised her. "Really?" she sobbed hopefully. "You can bet on it! Now come on, get dressed. Or do you want to be late? " She smiled.

I couldn't bring down a spoonful of cereal at breakfast. Today it tasted awful somehow. Tetra, however, ate for her life. She was done with her bowl within a minute. Her behaviour worried me, so I couldn't really concentrate on eating either.

I'd never seen her like that before. Either she's reached puberty or something much bigger is at work here, I thought. After the meal she felt really sick. No wonder, with her spooning so fast. Nevertheless, we made our way to school.

6:50 I met Alex again in the stairwell. Everything seemed fine with him. That calmed me down a little. Alex realized that I was worried. "All good?" he asked. "Yes, everything's fine. Only Tetra is not doing very well, that's why I'm worried." I replied. "But it isn't anything serious, is it?" he asked reassuringly. "I hope not." I replied uncertain. "If something should happen anyway, you can count on my help." he replied confidently. "Thank you!" I said relieved.

7:00 Also with Markus everything seemed to be normal. He greeted us like every morning and we greeted him back like every morning. Only Tetra was acting strangely. On the bus, I watched her looking around wildly every few seconds as if she was being followed. Usually she talks to one of her friends or something, but today she was staring concentrated out of the window the whole time. I thought she was dreamy again in her own world, but somehow it felt different.

7:50 Class starts

1st lesson: Psychology

The idea behind psychology, to describe and explain human experience and behaviour, has always fascinated me. Therefore I made it my hobby to observe the people around me and to study their lives. I called it analyzing people.

I've always had very strange interests. In elementary school, I was headlong in love with cartography. I memorized all kinds of maps, capitals and mountains. Only Noah could rival me when it came to geographic knowledge. Even though I haven't touched an atlas for a long time, I still know the strangest things today. Like the capital of Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur.

Anyway, I wanted to see how far I could take the whole analysis of people. My goal was to know people so well that I could predict their next move. I started with my family and later continued with my friends.

Within two years I noticed a few things. First, the closer I know the person, the better I can judge what they are able to do willingly. They say people are capable of anything. Even if I agree with, people are reluctant to take risks that might take them out of their comfort zone. This also means that they fall into a certain pattern that I can recognize and use to my advantage.

Once I have got a feeling for the pattern, nothing can really surprise me anymore in theory. If I perfect my sense for the pattern, I can even read feelings and thoughts, which may sound a bit creepy, but is nothing supernatural.

Only a few problems got in the way. For one, some people are a lot easier to read than others. While time spent with a person can put this into perspective, the amount of time spent reading seems to be individual.

On the other hand, some people give less information to read than others. But information is the key to recognizing any pattern. Information can be anything from posture, facial expressions, tone of voice to outward appearance. Without information, analysis is not possible.

In any case, I trained myself to use analyzing to free myself from difficult situations and conversations, which sometimes proved more and sometimes less successful.

Despite everything, the whole thing didn't help me at all on Day D. In the middle of psychology class, an alarm went off out of nowhere. The horror of every school was alerted from the secretariat. "Attention! This is not an exercise! Warning of a rampage! Keep doors and windows closed! Lock the classrooms and keep calm! Help is on the way!"

Of course, the news still drove everyone crazy. Even I, who would have loved to use this precarious situation to analyze my classmates, couldn't keep my head calm.

A few years ago there was a rampage at a school near here, in which many people died. Again and again you heard about the events on the radio or on television. Even today the whole state mourns about the deceased.

That something like this was happening at my school had been unimaginable to me, but now it was reality. The mere thought that something would happen to someone I cared about made me feel cold.

For a long time nothing happened. We all waited and listened. No one dared to say anything. Suddenly two policemen rushed into our classroom. After that everything happened very quickly. After the two gentlemen had spoken briefly with our teacher, they led us into the playground. There was a huge hustle and bustle. About a thousand students were gathered in a heap.

It seemed like we'd all been sent here, but something was wrong. Even though the danger seemed to have been averted, we were told to stay in class groups. Still, I could see Alex and Markus, which made me feel easier. They both seemed fine.

But why were we sent to the playground, I wondered. I If there is still danger, this is not really a safe place against an armed lunatic. Not only I thought that way and it quickly became restless.

The school principal stood in front of the crowd and spoke to a policeman who seemed important to me. Probably the chief of police. The headmaster had his serious face on, but I could tell he was very nervous. What does that mean? Is there any reason to be concerned? What if this ends in a huge tragedy?

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

At first I didn't worry anymore. You don't worry about that kind of thing. Everything's gonna be fine, am I right? But the moment I stopped worrying, I started to panic. I felt my pulse soar. I tried to calm myself down by sitting down. Something terrible is about to happen. I could feel it.

But then I was touched from the side. "Hey Alex, you should know this. I overheard the principal and the cop. Your sister's class is still in the building." Noah whispered to me.

At that moment it hit me like a blow. But not just a simple single blow. No, it felt like a series of thousands of rod strokes spanking my butt until it turned so completely blue that I couldn't feel it anymore and then still wouldn't stop spanking me until I was completely knocked down. The pain was so unbearable that I felt it down to the last nerve. He just didn't stop. I no longer felt my body, my limbs, my self. As if something was parting from me.

The thoughts from before shot through my head again. Tetra is still in the building. How can that be? Is she with the attacker? Has she been killed yet? I saw hallucinations as she was shot in front of me. How she screamed for help. How she fell into my arms. How she took her last breaths. I wondered if this will happen immediately. I wondered if this is irreversible. I wondered if I had failed already.

No, I could still feel her pleading. There's still time to change everything. I just need to figure out what's happening. Is there any chance she's being taken hostage? Probably the whole thing here is much bigger than a mindless bloodbath.

Suddenly I heard voices from the past. "How can you call yourself brother when you can't even take care of yourself! I tell you, if anything ever happens to your sister that you could have prevented, you'll remain a nobody forever." Was this my destiny? Was it my fate to lose Tetra, just as I lose everything I once learned to love.

No, I don't want that. I don't want to lose anything anymore. Why is life so unfair to me that it takes everything away from me? Do I really deserve this? Do I have no right to be free?

Then I heard a voice unknown to me. "Do you want to prevent your destiny from being what you saw before you?" "Of course!" I replied instantly. "Then it is in your hands to rise up and do so." said the stranger to me. "And how shall I do that? You cannot escape fate. " I threw to the voice. "Yes you can. I did it too. But the path will not be one you will like. " I hesitated for a moment. "I don't care, I'll do anything to protect you."

That reminded me of this morning.

"Oh, you're just imagining things, and if they are, I'll protect you." I promised her. "Really?" she sobbed hopefully. "You can bet on it! Now come on, get dressed. Or do you want to be late?" She smiled.

"I promised her that I would protect her! So I'll will do just that!" I blurted out. "Then this shall not be the end of your story!" said the voice and disappeared from my head.

Tetra had a premonition that something would happen. I've always had the feeling she knew more than she thought she did. Why didn't I listen to her? We should have stayed at home. I could have prevented all of this. It's all ... it's all ...

IT'S ALL MY FAULT!

I screamed like never before in my life. No tuner in the world could have identified that sound. It came straight from my soul. Of course it had gotten me attention from the people around me.

Noel: "Noah, what have you done?"

Noah: "I don't know."

Noel: "His eyes... are like back then."

Marcus: "Just different. More intense "

Jakob: "Hmm ..."

Noah: "I'm not sure... Could it be that I woke a sleeping monster? ... Ha! Let's see what it will do."

My body moved on its own. I had no more control over myself. I ran wildly through the crowd. Something in me searched and searched, but whatever it was looking for, it did not find it. I felt myself getting faster and faster. I could no longer follow where it was going anymore. I was slowly reaching speeds that created whole winds.

Markus: "What was that just now? It was so fast that I couldn't even see it. "

Alex: "Uff... Why do I have the feeling that Alex has to do with it?"

My outburst ended in front of the school entrance. Two policemen were guarding it. They looked at me in surprise, not realizing how I could appear so suddenly. "What do you want, kid? You're supposed to stay with your class!" hissed one of the two.

"Let me through!" I protested. He stared stupidly back, giving me the impression that he was questioning my sanity. To be honest, I can't blame him for that. Any normal-thinking person would have called my condition ripe for a nutcase.

As soon as I realized that words would get me nowhere, I pulled the young man towards me in seconds with one hand and grabbed his pistol with the other. Although I've never held a gun in hand before, I was able to load the pistol and point it at the person in front of me in a wink.

"Let ... me ... through!" I screamed with a look on my face that could have killed. "Hey, hey now, calm down, boy." said the no longer so cocky policeman and raised his hands. His colleague had taken a few steps back and had also drawn his weapon.

I fired into the air. Suddenly there was a huge commotion. All the students started screaming and running all over the place. The surrounding police officers had now got wind of my action and turned their guns on me. The arrogant policeman from before slowly approached me to remove his pistol from me.

The chief of police, who had just spoken to the director, was finally there and called out to me: "Boy, drop the gun, or you'll get into much bigger trouble than you're already are. You don't have to try playing the hero of justice." Normally I would have listened to my mind and given up by now, but I was not myself. I had no control over myself and what I was doing.

"I'm no hero or anything like that! But I know what I have to do and that won't change. Even if it may not be the right thing!" I shouted. "Then you leave us no choice, lad! At five we'll start shooting. 5! ..."

Thanks to the teachers, the turba had calmed down, but for me the tense situation was still in full swing. "4!" I couldn't stop thinking about Tetra. "3!" "Hey, then you don't give me a choice either." "2!" "If you mess with me, then I'm gonna have to get physical!" I announced. "1!"

With a little push I pushed the stupid policeman through a closed glass door 10 meters against a wall. It knocked him out. The police started shooting, but I was long gone.

For the following moments, dear reader, let's change the perspective from the boy to his sister.

My name is Tetra and I remember that day as if it was the only day in my life. Actually, it should have been a normal day at school, one like any other. One that I actually didn't feel like doing at all. But somehow fate didn't want it the way I did.

Already in the morning I was plagued by this terrible feeling that something cruel will happen any moment. It feels a bit like déjà vu, but just a lot more intense. Like it's really about to happen. I've had this feeling a few times in the past, but never as pronounced as on Day D. It's really difficult for me to describe this phenomenon to anyone. Most of the time I believed myself that it was just my imagination. Nothing really bad has ever happened. But Alex believed me that there is something, something that even fate cannot control.

In the classroom my pain had become unbearable. I was about to report to my teacher and go to the secretary's office, when suddenly this masked man came into the room and threatened us all with his gun. He wanted all the children and Mrs. Spieß to lie down on the floor. Then he locked the room and ordered Mrs. Spieß to hand over her cell phone. She gave it to him and he dialed a number.

I couldn't pay attention to the call, I felt too sick for that. My head was pounding and I was shaking and sweating all over my body. I was afraid for my friends, afraid for myself, but then all I was afraid was for him.

The classroom door was kicked open. It just fell out of the wall. The door slammed on the floor and broke in two. Then it was quiet for a moment.

HOW DARE YOU THREATEN MY SISTER!

Peng!

The masked man shot him. Just like that. I couldn't do anything about it. I could only watch it. I could only let it get to me. I hated that I was so helpless.

I looked at him. He was happy. He smiled with all his heart. He looked so full of life. How could he be happy? Didn't he realize he was going to die now? But probably... Probably he was just happy to see me.

The boy's eyes began to glow. They hadn't been so bright green since he was born. The boy's nose began to gasp for air. It seemed like the air just wanted to be sucked in. The boy's lips were blood-red and moist. You could have mistaken it for lipstick. The boy's ears were wiggling. They never usually wiggled, but right now they did. The boy's aura was tremendous. The boy, drenched in power, lusted only one. Revenge.

The boy's sister began to cry. But they weren't tears of sorrow. There were tears of relief. The bullet from the gun fired by the masked man tore in two. And not just the bullet, but also the perpetrator himself.