Van rolled down the car window for the third time, taking in a deep breath of morning fresh air. He allowed the pang of wind to come in to prevent him from sleeping back. He wasn’t sure if he had to open for a moment as the passenger nearby shivered. Van closed up a little the window and leaned forward again to watch the sky turn orange as the sun peeked over the horizon. The clouds were painted with shades of orange, creating a mesmerizing view.

As the breeze snapped him out of his reverie, the car made a sharp turn, and the tires screeched. Van’s heart pounded as the car jerked, tumbled on the rumble strips, and he bumped his head against the ceiling. Mick, his stepdad, was at the wheel, grinning mischievously. Van couldn’t help but feel like Mick was punishing him because he knew very well what he had done back then. Nevertheless, what he did was wrong. He deserve every punishment he could receive. Although, he couldn’t help feeling like they were running away from something. Mick was acting odd, strange, as if he were on deep thought when he uttered that he should move in with his brother.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t ya?” Van asked, stifling a yawn. He brushed his head back, but useless as the wind made a mess of it again.

Mick glanced at him through the rear-view mirror. “Why would I?”

Timothy, Van’s brother, chimed in, “Dad, if you’re looking to blow off some steam, punish Van, not me. I wasn’t the one with the bad reputation.”

“Thanks for the support, Timothy.”

“Anytime,” Timothy returned with a smirk.

Mick’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he spoke to Van, “We’ve been over this. Van’s previous school was full of troublemakers who wouldn’t leave him alone. I’ve told you many times to stay away from trouble.” Mick briefly paused and sighed. “We have to do what is best for Van. That is why I’m sending him to live with you in Dally’s apartment.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she’s thrilled to have us around. Even you, Van. She’ll love to have you as her assistant.” Timothy snorted, pulling a blanket around himself.

“I wouldn’t mind being her assistant. I’ve always been her favorite, which is obviously why I will personally ask her to pass the heavy work on to you,” Van said sardonically.

“Hey!” Timothy retorted.

“Why are you so against your brother moving with you, Tim?” Mick asked.

“Because he can’t be trusted in the kitchen.” Timothy said, almost a yell.

“Is it about that stupid chicken again?” Van raised his voice.

“It’s about what you did to that thing.”

“Oh, come on.” Van threw up his hands.

“I told you to kill it before you boil it in the water.”

“It’s just one time.”

“I was putting all the spices and everything when that thing began to kick back to life.”

“I did in fact make sure it’s dead.”

“Until it’s not.” Timothy said. “You boiled that thing when it's still alive. That thing can still reproduce man. That’s the day I decided to ban you from the kitchen.”

“That’s enough.” Mick said.

Before looking away, Van and Timothy raised their hand, then flicked their middle finger in a split second and laid it down before their father could’ve seen it. They look away from each other. Van chuckled at his comeback, and Timothy no longer bothered him.

Van’s curly black hair was beginning to irritate his eyes, so he brushed it aside.

“Why didn’t Mom come last night?” Timothy asked out of nowhere.

“Because she’s a doctor, Timothy, not just any kind of doctor,” Mick replied, almost with no energy as if they already had this conversation before.

“Part of Doctors without Borders,” Timothy added the missing words.

Mick turned his eyes to the rear mirror. “I know you miss her, but do you know what’s up with her job, right?”

“Yeah, I know.” Timothy replied.

As they crossed another wide turn, they saw the “Welcome to Maryvale” sign outside the city’s vicinity.

“Finally!” Timothy jumped on his seat.

Van noticed the tall buildings and said, “I thought it was a small city.”

“I’m also surprised. It’s been 17 years since I last visited this place, but I promise you’ll like it here,” Mick assured them.

Timothy whispered to Van, “I promise you, this is the worst place on earth.”

Van muttered, “Uh-huh, sure,” but quickly averted his gaze as he saw a gang vandalizing a wall with their spray cans in an alleyway. He didn’t want to attract their attention.

“Can we stop and eat something, Dad?” Timothy’s stomach grumbled.

“Sure, after that, we’ll drop somewhere else,” Mick replied.

They walked into a café called La Volonida and were seated in a corner near the window. The aroma of vanilla creamy latte filled the air as the waitress served them black coffee and handed them menus offering breakfast, meals, and sweets as snacks. Mick was the first one to order.

Mick noticed Timothy and Van staring at the waitresses. “Boys, stop staring. You’re embarrassing yourselves,” Mick scolded.

It was too late, and one of her co-workers whispered to her and glanced at them. They flinched and began to mutter, stuttering as they read the menu. The blonde in the maid’s suit sat down in the empty chair in front of them. Her short dress above her knees tempted Van’s eyes, but Timothy interrupted, “Dude, did you check out the new video game? Oh, shoot, I’m so sorry,” his shaky shoulder hit the cup and the plate.

Van volunteered to pick it up, but the blonde lady hurriedly ran with a dustpan and broom. He accidentally bumped into the table, and the lady glared at him. Van avoided her gaze, ashamed, knowing she would remember him.

***

Leaving the cafe, they walked towards their apartment, and Dally curiously glanced up to greet them outside the building. The playful teasing and compliments flowed easily between them, but Dally's attendance at a seminar at school cut their conversation short.

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Van wrinkled his nose upon entering the apartment, noticing the piles of dirty dishes and clothes. He was prepared for a bit of a mess, but the scene before him was utter mayhem. The room took hours to clean, and they were so exhausted that they slept the entire rest of the day.

The following day, Mick left and Van was left with nothing to do, resulting in him sleeping for the entire day. They have the luxury of three more days until the class officially starts.

***

The bright morning sunlight burned through Van’s closed eyelids, waking him up. Looking out, he noticed that the terrain in front of him was vast and unfamiliar, stretching out far and wide. In the middle of grassland, where only birds could be seen passing by, Van was revolted by the sudden transition of events.

His head hung low as he tried to piece together why he was there, and his head throbbed again. A series of images flash in his mind. Unknown, yet it seemed familiar to him. The images weren’t painful, but he still couldn’t resist them, until they were abruptly replaced by an ear-splitting noise that numbed his other senses. Until he heard a distant explosion the ringing stopped.

Van lifted his gaze as he heard the distant rumble. The ground trembled and split beneath him. Without hesitation, Van jumped out of harm’s way and struggled to find his footing amidst the quake. His boots barely touched the ground as he made another leap. At that brief moment, the ground held steady.

This new vision was immersive, vivid, and clear. The storm hung in the sky, with thunderous strikes and flashes of lightning. The scent of the coming rain trickled to Van’s nostrils. A breeze came, carrying an uneasy message. Van felt unreasonably terrified.

A sharp shiver ran down his spine as lightning struck the ground, revealing two figures locked in a fight as the storm roared on. The first sign of rain trickled down on his forehead, but he was oblivious to it. His attention was on the two. Yet the trembling ground distracted his attention once more and the moment he looked up, they moved away. Van sprinted up to the hillside. A momentary shudder passed through the runner as there was a force that shook the wind blowing in every direction that dulled his senses. His breathing was labored heavily by the headlong dash.

Casting his eyes below the surface, Van decided to remain still in response to a violent call of shockwave. The two men were locked into a ferocious battle. Unflinching with their bout of strength that even the land was attested with every exchange of punch, they shook the very fabric of reality. Van braced himself for another shockwave, and boomed. The sky was thundering out loudly and a brief flash exploded as their fists met. Beneath him, he could feel the ground gradually steadying. Clouds of dust and rocks eased and settled.

Van felt unreasonably familiar with one of the contenders. He slid off the hill and got closer with a certain safe distance away from them. The one who he felt familiar with, blocked a left hook from his enemy. Countered by a powerful uppercut, the enemy was sent in a relatively far distance. Though he seemed to have knocked out the enemy, he paid no celebration to his victory. He still held with his unflinching and calm demeanor.

“Hey!” Van barked and strode towards him. He understood that this was just a dream sequence, but it has to be more. It has to be. Those images that flickered in his mind, felt real, as if there was an unknown force that was sending him messages.

As soon as the man sensed Van’s presence, he stopped moving.

“You know where I am?” Van boots planted on the ground, he hesitated to move further.

It was a complete bet whether this man has a mind of his own or just a vision. However, the man stood silently without turning back and didn’t acknowledge his question with a reply. He was looking out towards nothing, the words seemed floating ahead when breathing, unsure of what to say.

“Hello?” Van asked the man quietly, his voice laden with dread as he stepped closer. The hair, the posture, and the body appealed to him. His life drained with color when he grabbed to confirm his suspicion; the man has the same face as his.

His twin removed his hand and held his shoulders, preventing him from moving, as if all his strength was drained from his body.

It spoke in an inhuman voice. “Seven days of trial. Seven days of denial. Seven days of dread. Seven Days of the Dead. A life for one another. A lie for the sake of his brother. A mistake made by the wooer. And a consequence sired to the lover. The Herald’s raven will bid thee an ultimatum. What will it be? Would thy relinquish what you are or would thee surrender everything you have? Time is new. Time will bid on due. Hurry now, the darkness is starting to spread. The time has come, but do not fret. When darkness overruns, don’t be afraid and embrace it because there is no point in being afraid of the inevitable. Be brave. Have courage. And don’t lose faith in the light.”

The man loosened his grip on Van. He looked back at the place where his enemy crashed and the enemy wasn’t there anymore, but his other self’s eyes knew where exactly his enemy was, floating up to the sky. The enemy’s eyes dropped on him with crimson hate.

In a split second, they jumped onto one another, their fists met and light scattered from the explosion of their fist. The wind erupted in his ears, the ground trembled as the sky trembled.

Van shielded his eyes with his arm from the burning bright. He lowered his arm as everything settled, but there was only darkness spreading. His eyes pressed ahead, but no one was there.