Light!

Brilliant unadulterated light!

It shattered the darkness, flooding Musa’s mind with images he recognized but never witnessed. Mysterious faces of those familiar sped past him as he ran. Merchants, farmers, and neighbors—Musa knew them all. He did not understand how. But he did. His dreams were always like this—vivid, real, and full of detail. How did his mind know what his eyes had never seen?

Maybe it was Shade Sight filling in the blanks that his subconscious knew were missing. Or maybe it was simply his other four senses painting a more complete picture of the world around him as he slept. He figured he would never know. But one thing was for sure. Musa was dreaming. And not just any dream, but a memory.

Eight-year-old Musa raced through the marketplace. His face was red with exhaustion as he ran, dodging and weaving between the various food stands, merchants, and hovercarts that occupied the bustling street.

He felt around with his Guiding Threads. They told him how to navigate the chaotic avenue. Thousands of strains spread out in all directions, cutting through even his darkened sight. They illuminated and outlined the hidden world that surrounded him. Without them, he would have been lost, consumed by the darkness years ago. But with them, he moved with a confidence and grace that few at his age possessed.

He reached behind him with those threads. He had to know if they were still following him.

“They’re… still… there,” the fatigued boy whispered between breaths. He had really done it this time. They would not stop. This time, they would catch him, and they would hurt him.

“There he is!” a voice cried out.

Musa picked up the pace. He had to focus on his Guiding Threads if he were to get away. Trying hard not to cause too much of a commotion, the small-framed boy squeezed and spun around each obstacle in the marketplace. The perfection and precision of Musa’s every move was a telltale sign that this was not his first time being chased. But this was different. Usually, his advisories would grow tired and lose interest, but not today…

“You won’t get away, Ajar!” The sounds of his pursuers grow closer by the second. Unlike Musa, who was careful and cautious with his advancements through the congested market, his pursuers did not show the same courtesies. They rammed, pushed, and shoved their way through the mass of merchants and customers. Musa gritted his teeth and raced harder. His Guiding Threads searched for the avenue of escape he knew was there.

“I… have… to… find… it.” Musa was on the verge of exhaustion. “There… There it is!” The tired young boy slipped between two hovercarts that occupied the street and twisted down a side alley. Musa had used this route before, and he knew freedom was close at hand. All he would have to do now was squeeze through the gap in the damaged fence, and he would be in the clear.

“Almost there!” A smile of victory formed under the hood that hid his head. Musa knew the hole was only big enough to fit him. The older boys could not follow him past the fence. He stretched out his Guiding Threads to feel for the gap.

Musa abruptly stopped.

“Cursed… be… the third star!” The old Tri-star expression slipped from the lips of the young child. “It’s been patched!”

In a panic, Musa felt the fence for any potential flaws but found none. With the gap fixed, and the structure too tall for the eight-year-old to climb or jump, the only answer was to go back the way he came.

“There! There he is!”

Musa turned at the sounds of his pursuers entering the alley behind him.

“Too late.” Musa knew there was no escaping this time. He was caught.

“Hey, Ajar!” said the largest of the five boys. “What’s wrong? Nowhere left to run?” Musa noticed that his advisory had stopped bleeding. The dried blood caked above the boy’s upper lip almost matched his dark red hair and fiery temper. “You couldn’t leave things alone, now could you, Ajar? You could have just walked away. But no. You had to play the hero!” As the older boy spouted his words of intimidation, the whole group slowly closed the distance. With every step they took, Musa’s heart raced faster and faster.

What should I do? Where can I go? Musa was stumped. This was a new situation for him. In the past, he had always managed to escape. That was his gift! He was not big and strong like some of the other kids. Nor did he think himself smart or charming. No, he was… well… he was small—small and fast. And when you are small, fast, and have no friends, you become accustomed to running from trouble. And running he could do. Musa was good at running.

Until now.

Musa’s thoughts came to a halt when his Guiding Threads sensed the large boy reaching down to pick up a rock from the alley floor.

“So, Ajar, do you have any last words before we pummel you into the dirt?” Like a violent game of follow the leader, the other boys also reached down and picked up stones of their own.

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Musa’s mind scrambled to think of something to say. Maybe he should try to calm them down and defuse the situation before it got even more out of hand. Or, maybe, simply try to talk his way out of it. But in the end, only one thing came to him.

“Hey Samuel,” Musa addressed the larger boy, “your nose looks better broken!”

Musa’s regret was instant.

“You think that’s funny? I’ll show you funny!” Samuel cocked his arm back and threw the stone with his whole body behind it.

Musa did not know why he closed his eyes. Even with them open, he would not have seen it coming. Besides, his Guiding Threads tracked the projectile for him. He knew it was going to hit him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Too fast! I can’t move! It’s going to hit!

…

But it did not.

A second passed by, and then another! With eyes still closed, Musa’s thoughts went wild. It should have hit me by now…. What happen…? Did he miss it? The boy felt with his threads, seeking the stone… and he found it.

“Ahh! No way! No way! That’s not right!” Samuel sounded disturbed, even afraid. “That can’t be… He—He’s a User! Quick! Run! Run! He’s a User!”

Musa ignored the ramblings of the fleeing bully. His thoughts were elsewhere. What his Guiding Threads told him made no sense. There, in front of him, was the stone. But it was not moving. It was just there, hovering a foot from his face!

Still not believing what his threads were telling him, Musa reached out with a timid hand to touch the suspended stone. As soon as his fingers made contact, the motionless stone jerked backward! Like a rocket, it traced its exacted path back to its source. Samuel was about to exit the alley when the speeding projectile struck him! The blow sent the screaming bully hurling to the ground just outside the main street.

“Ahh! He got me! He got me!” Samuel cried out, but no one ran to his aid. He tried to get to his feet, but tripped a second time in his rush. “Help me! Please, help me!” He said to anyone who would listen.

A firm hand grabbed Samuel by the shoulder and pulled him to his feet.

“My, my,” said a gentle voice. “What seems to be the problem, young master?”

Sensing the compassion of the stranger, Samuel fabricated a story on the spot. “I was playing with my friends in the alley when a crazy kid started throwing rocks at us! And now he is after me!”

“Oh really? A crazy kid, you say?” The stranger’s tone changed from friendly to stern. “You can’t be referring to the small, hooded boy I saw you chase into the alley, could you?”

“Uh… Uhm…” Samuel stuttered. This was not the response the manipulator had intended. “Yeah, but… b-but that’s because… he started it!”

“Oh, really? So that allows you to attack him five-on-one? Not only five-on-one, but you are all much older than him, and that doesn’t seem right now, does it?”

“Yeah, but— but—” Samuel swallowed hard. “he’s a User!”

“My, my… A User, you say?”

Samuel nodded vigorously.

“Now, that’s a very serious accusation. Do you know what happens to Users on Tri-star?”

“They’re cast out!” Samuel said with conviction.

“That’s right,” said the stranger. “And is that what you want? You want to have that little boy cast out from his home and exiled from the planet?” The man did not wait for Samuel to reply. Instead, he leaned down and put his lips to the bully’s ear. “But, before you answer, I should tell you a secret—I’m also a User.”

Samuel felt his whole body go weightless! The man grabbed him by the collar with one hand and pulled him off his feet!

Samuel wanted to call out for help, but for the first time since the rock struck him, he noticed something bizarre. Everything was quiet. Not just quiet—but completely and utterly silent! Merchants and customers that filled the marketplace were all frozen in place like statues. None moved. Above him, birds were not flying but suspended in midair. Even the wind had stopped! It was as if time itself stood still! Well, all expect him and the stranger… Samuel felt all the color drain from his face as horror replaced it.

“Now that I have your complete attention, let me explain something to you.” The man’s tone was cold, but emotionless. “Listen carefully, because I will not repeat this. Do you know why older boys exist?”

Samuel dared not reply. Even if he wanted to, he could not; for fear had robbed him of any ability to speak.

“I’ll tell you why,” continued the man. “The purpose of older boys is to protect the younger ones. It is that simple. The bigger and older protect the smaller and younger. That’s it!”

Like a river bursting through a weakened dam, emotion flooded the stranger’s words!

“This—Is—your—purpose!” he declared. “But if you chose to ignore this purpose, then you have no reason to live! And if you have no reason to live, then perhaps I should just end your existence now!” With these words, the man’s face lit up, the earth shook, and an unseen force rose from the ground, lifting the man’s white hair upwards toward the sky!

“No, please… please don’t kill me!” said Samuel. “Please, I promise… I promise not to hurt anyone ever again!”

“That right—you won’t! After today, no one will have to worry about you ever again!” The enraged man lifted his hand above his head and clenched a glowing fist.

“No, please don’t!” yelled the boy, pleading for his life. However, it was too late. In a scream of power, the mighty fist raced toward the helpless bully. Samuel tightened his entire body in anticipation of the death strike… and it happened!

Samuel found himself back on the ground in the same spot where the rock struck him. The sounds of the marketplace once again filled his ears. The Merchants and customers were about their business, birds flew on flowing currents of air, and the panicked shouts of his friends called out behind him.

“Run! Run! He’s after us!” said the boys as they fled the alley.

“What? What happen?” Where am I? Samuel crawled up on his hands and knees as he tried to regain his composure. “Was it all a dream?

“Young master, are you all right?” said a familiar tone.

“No, I was just hit by a ro—” Samuel recognized the face of the strange man. “Ahh, No! Y-Yes! I mean, yes! I’m fine! Thank you! I got to go!” No sooner had Samuel gotten on his feet; than he was gone. He ran. He ran, and he never looked back.

The stranger said nothing. He just stood there and smiled at the sight of the fleeing boy.

“How did you do that?” said a small voice from the alley.

The man turned towards the hooded child that had just entered the street.

“How did I do what?” The stranger replied. His tone was once again gentle and kind.

“You know?” Musa reached around him with his Guiding Threads, searching for eavesdroppers. Then, in a whisper, he said, “You stopped everything from moving.”