by Harlon Banks
"Easy to say sorry when you aren't the one who has to look like a monster for the rest of their life. You did this to me. You're a horrible person and an even worse friend. Bye." The kid's harsh words made Delaren sob even louder as he fell out on the ground crying his heart out in the woods. Why was he cursed with such a tragic title? From the day he activated his powers and found out he were a Nightborn, things only would get worse.
Four years ago...
"The fuck you say to me!?" Delaren barked as he punched the bark of a tree splintering it with his unnatural strength. Eyes glaring with fury at the man before him who had said some disgusting comment as he walked by. Having assumed Delaren wouldn't have heard it. "Say it again you bastard! Don't be a fucking pussy I said repeat what you fucking said to my face!" He barked grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt and hoisting him in the air effortlessly with one hand. He'd grown tired of being belittled by these weak bastards around him. Enough was enough.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry please don't kill me!" The man pleaded trying to pry himself free to no avail. Delaren raising his other hand up, palm open and heat emanating from it as amber eyes honed in on the man's fearful expression. The air around the both of them got warmer and warmer, smoke could be seen fuming up from the Nightborn's palm as he growled.
"Talk shit behind my back and then plead for your fucking life when I call you out on it!? Do you fucking hear yourself!? I didn't do shit to your dumbass yet I walked past and heard you outright say I should go away and off myself!? How about I fucking off you!" He barked closing his hand into a fist about to slam it into the man's jaw! Six years had passed ever since he burned his friend as a child. Six years of the word getting out that he was a Nightborn and how he was a threat to society. Six years of verbal and mental abuse born of fear and hatred towards him for something he had no control over. Delaren had enough. He had enough of all this bullshit.
A few weeks earlier...
"We can't have him around anymore. The village is terrified of him going on a rampage and burning everything down. It's as if his anger problems get worse and worse by the day. He's already burned down the orphanage he grew up in after a fight broken out!" A random bystander commented to Yuno as she and Dast stood outside of a detainment center for problem youth. Having been looking for new Nightborn to take into Blackwater, they'd heard stories of one with violent tendencies and destructive nature. The golden-eyed woman humming to herself in thought. Yeah, this Delaren kid sounded like the type she could accept.
...
"These idiots don't even know me. Yet they have the nerve to act like I'm some type of monster. I'm not about to roll over and let these idiots talk to me any way they want to. It isn't like I asked to be like this..." Delaren barked slamming in the bars of his detainment cell towards a scared officer who hurriedly passed him. The young man gripping the steel bars in frustration yet not daring to try melting them with his powers. Nor did he try breaking them through sheer strength even though he could. He knew that if he did the people all around him would only find more reason to antagonize him. It was a lose lose situation. He hated it.
...
"Blackwater? The hell is that?" He asked in a low and weary, yet still aggressively annoyed tone as he sat in the back of his cell in the dark. Tattered black prison outfit charred and burned from him being unable to control his powers somewhat. His eyes looking tiredly up at the officer who had told him about this Blackwater place for the past ten minutes, before looking back at the cold stone floor again. He didn't much care about going anywhere anymore. He'd already decided his life was going to consist of people being afraid of him. Why would going to some dumbass rehabilitation center change that fact?
His eyes seemed to gain a bit of life in them when he heard there would be others like him there. His widened amber hues looking up at the officer once again, expression taken aback. It was in that moment, he couldn't explain what he were feeling. He'd been the only Nightborn in his village for as long as he could remember... Yet he'd be around more like him?
Looking into the palm of his hands a moment in thought, he scoffed.
"Better than rotting away in here. Get me away from this place before I do wound up blowing a fuse and ..."
...
Delaren snapped out of his daydreaming as he wandered around the city. Glancing around at the dark-colored stone buildings and shops all around him. How long was he spacing out? Where even was he at the moment? Growling annoyed to himself he'd reach in his pocket and pull out his phone. Looking down at the red and silver smart phone and checking the time. A bit stunned he'd been wandering almost thirty minutes now. He needed to find something to do that wasn't such a waste of his free day.
He started to look around for a place of interest be it a cafe to get something to eat or a lounge. However soon as he looked away the phone in his hand was snatched away by some random punk. Blinking a moment in surprise and turning to see the backside of the kid who took it right as they dipped around a corner. A murderous glare overtaking the red head's face. No this fucking bastard didn't just...
Delaren promptly burst forward with a speed beyond what most could do. Pushing and shoving random bystanders out of his way as he veered around the corner after the little brat. His voice ripe with aggression and overwhelming anger!
"I'm going to kill you when I get my hands on you!" He barked! The people around him turning their attention on him as he darted through the crowds after the kid. Given how Delaren was a Nightborn and the kid wasn't, catching said kid didn't take as long as one would think. In fact it was less than thirty seconds before the fire haired young man snatched the adolescent by the back of his shirt. The boy screaming in shock as he were slammed against a stone wall, lifted clean off the ground. Delaren had him grabbed by the collar of his shirt now, hoisted up and back against the wall with one hand effortlessly. A ferocious glare in the man's eyes as he looked into the onyx hues of a now frightened child probably no older than fifteen.
Delaren couldn't believe it; why couldn't it be some jackass adult or something? His eyes relaxing a bit in their glare yet still holding their annoyed rage while he glanced about at the group of people watching him manhandle a child. The kid trying to futilely pull Delaren's fingers from his neck. Dressed in rather decent looking attire and looking rather well-kept and clean; no way this kid was anything less than a pampered kid. Why the hell was he stealing phones when he looked like he could buy Delaren's phone several times over!?
Turning his eyes back to his target, Delaren snatched the phone from the kid's possession with his free hand and simply released his grip on the boy. He wasn't about to beat up on some dumbass kid. Not in public, at the least. He'd mellowed out quite a bit compared to how he used to be. Had this kid tried that little stunt six years ago Delaren would have at the least, bloodied up the brat's nose. Nowadays he didn't feel like dealing with unnecessary charges being filed against him. So he just decided to do the next best thing.
"If I ever see you stealing phones again I'll kill you. Now get lost kid." The Nightborn threatened and jerked a thumb behind him, watching the kid nod and simply take off in fear and vanish among the crowd. A simple glancing stare at the rest of the people watching and the nosey bystanders quickly went on with their business. Delaren sighing to himself, putting phone in pocket and walking off again with an agitated temperament now. First day in the city and already there were fucking idiots going around snatching stuff. Thieves were always something he couldn't stand.
At any rate, ignoring that little inconvenience, Delaren reminded himself of the real problem at hand; finding something to do on his free day. Taking out his phone again, he'd walk with it in hand while searching up nearby locations to hangout at or something. Anything at this point beat wandering about like a moron. Stopping at a cross walk and waiting for it to give the signal, Delaren found a coffee shop not too far away that had a lounge area. Maybe he'd go there and spend some of the allowance Blackwater gave him to grab a bi
te or something.
He briefly wondered what the others he came with were doing. Last he remembered that Kayda girl went off with the Astral Twins while that icy guy and Melissa went off by themselves like he did too. He briefly remembered Kelgard got off the bus and went off somewhere too but really didn't give a damn about that enough to care. Actually, thinking about Melissa for that split second made Delaren wonder about where Jonath was. That guy took the bus that came before the one Delaren got on. After that scrap with Melissa and the two of them being in the city the red-haired punk momentarily wondered if that Ylrah girl would try to murder Jonath again?
Snorting to himself as he walked across the street upon the light changing, Delaren just decided to forget about it. Not like he could do anything about it anyway. Still, he wondered why he came that day to save Jonath's ass with Lee. Grunting a bit at the thought he might actually be a bit of a nice guy underneath his anger problems, Delaren shook his head and forgot about it. Writing it off as he just didn't like Melissa.
A few minutes later the young man found himself inside the small coffee shop he had his eye on at long last. It was dim-lit and sparse with people. Only about eight of the twenty something tables occupied by maybe two or three people at the most. Some were reading by themselves, others were quietly conversing and the rest were either on a laptop, doing paperwork with coffee or just killing time on their phone. Casting his gaze back towards the order line directly across from where he entered, Delaren eyed the menu. Things looked pretty cheap and affordable, yeah he could waste his day here he guessed.
Hands in pockets while he nonchalant walked up to the register, he was soundly greeted by a young man about the same age range as himself. Delaren could tell at a glance from the guys uniform and general appearance (clean-shaven brown hair, fair skin and blue eyes)and demeanor that he lived a pretty chill existence. The hello given by the cashier was genuine and upbeat, kind of made Delaren feel weird about it all.
"Welcome to Sleepy Eyed Coffee Shop! What can I get you?" The cashier greeted with a smile. Delaren staring at him slightly put on the spot, looking up at the menu again. This guy already was treating him better than the people he grew up around.
"I'll have a bagel and some orange juice. That will be it, I guess." The Nightborn shrugged looking back at the worker.
"Sure thing! We'll get that right out to ya sir." The cashier responded ringing it all up and telling Delaren the price. Delaren nodding quietly and handing over some loose money in his pocket before being told to go have a seat, it'll be delivered to him shortly. Yeah, this place was different from where he grew up alright. The larger number of Nightborn that lived in this city probably nulled the disdain for them a bit by the masses. Then again, it could also just be the fact this city had towers that suppressed supernatural powers. Where he grew up they didn't have such a luxury. If that were true then all of this hospitality seemed that much more fake to him. Oh well.
Taking a seat at a booth so he could gaze out the window at the night and city streets, Delaren reached in his pocket and pulled out some headphones to place in his ears. Sifting through his music app for a few seconds trying to pick a song to listen to while waiting on his food, the young man gazed out indiscriminately into the night. He didn't know how he felt about this city so far. He knew he was still an outsider to the public just because he was a Nightborn yet... Something felt different about it all here compared to when he was at that orphanage outside the city walls. Change of locations and the perks this capital city had over the small town he grew up in...
"If we had grown up here... Would we still be friends?"
Delaren spent his entire day in that coffee shop mulling over that question...
Kayda & The Astral Twins
The Challenger Chapter Fifty-One: Kayda and the Astral Twins
12 years ago...
"Kayda!" An old man's voice echoed out into the dark halls of a large house. Flashlight in hand while bare feet creaked against wood flooring and raspy voice continued to call out for the girl. Lightning flashes illuminating his features when he passed by a nearby window while rolling thunder boomed behind afterwards. He was an old male probably around his early seventies with milky, wrinkled skin and frail physiology. His legs shaking slightly with every step through the long hallways as soft stone colored eyes squinted ahead. His grey hair cleanly cut and trimmed on his head with no beard to accentuate rustic and aged features. Wearing a simple blue overalls over a white shirt, he moved through the house searching for his granddaughter.
"Kayda where are ya sweetheart? It's okay I'm here. Don't be scared of the storm outside; all it did was fry the power lines with one of its lightning strikes." He explained with a gentle and old tone while turning a corner. The rays of the flashlight showing a closet at the other side of a dead-end. He was about to turn and continue on his way searching when he heard a vague whimper. So vague he almost missed it entirely with the heavy rain pounding outside. Staring at the closed white wooden door with tranquil eyes, the old man sighed to himself.
"Kayda... Come out of the closet. It's alright baby girl you aren't in trouble. I thought my little fib there would make you feel better. Guess not though haha, sorry." He assured with gentle words. At this point it was clear to him the girl didn't believe his story of the storm knocking the power out for a second. She knew she was the one who had done it; she knew that he knew it as well and thus were hiding and crying for fear of getting punished. Lowering the flashlight slightly so it wouldn't blind the girl when she opened the door, if she opened the door, the man took a step forward. The heavy rain and thunder outside filling in the silence between his light footsteps as he approached the door.
"I have to admit, I do find lightning storms beautiful if we're being honest." He chuckled as he walked at a slow pace down the long hallway. Such a big house for a frail old man like him to own out on the outskirts of town. No way in hell he'd have bought this house if it wasn't for her. As he got closer and closer with the best speed he could muster for his age, he would hear her whimper and crying again for only a moment. Stopping once he got near a chair that sat by a door on the right that was closed. Grunting as he sat down in the dark with only his flashlight allowing him to see.
Sighing content once he was seated, he closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair to just take in the ambient noises of the rain outside. Listening to this in the dark was a lot more soothing than with the lights on he came to realize. It was a lot more peaceful.
"It's fine, child. You can come out when you want. Know however that I'm not mad at ya for what happened haha." He chuckled warmly in reference to her powers. Turning the flashlight off and putting it in his lap before resting arms across the arm rests. "That's the reason I bought this house. So ya don't have to worry about harming anyone or anything when you... ya know haha." He joked glancing in the dark at the closet door. Another boom of thunder rumbling off in the heavens above afterwards. When he still didn't hear the door open he'd exhale quietly and close his eyes. Sitting in the darkness and just letting the noises of the storm take over.
"Well when you do decide to come out, wake me up will ya? I've got some of those cookies you like still in a jar somewhere in the kitchen. I'll give ya one." He offered in a soothing tone before he just drifted off into sleep. It was best not to force the girl to come out when she didn't want to. Either way, he wanted to make sure she knew that he had no anger towards her accidentally frying the power to the house. He'll get it fixed sometime later; she didn't deserve to be chastised for something she had no control over at such a young age. The fact that she possessed such destructive abilities as a Nightborn that showed up while she was so young in itself, was heartbreaking to him. Kayda had such a sweet personality and heart; why would the gods curse her with such chaotic abilities?
Some time after he'd dozed off, the closet door creaked open... A little girl with stormy colored hair and eyes unable to be seen in the darkness, stepped out with small stature and starte
d walking slowly up to her grandfather. Her small hand reaching out to touch his arm only to hesitate centimeters before contact. She didn't want touch him and accidentally...
...
"Kayda?" Orath's voice stood out among the chatter and noises of the city around them.
Storm grey eyes blinked after having zoned out for a moment, Kayda glancing ahead to Lee and Orath. The latter having called her name while peering over the shoulder, walking side by side with her twin whom were still looking ahead as they moved through the city streets. Fuchsia colored hues staring into her own eyes, Kayda shook her head momentarily to disperse the daydreaming she had and picked up the pace to catch up. Orath staring with casualness in her eyes, before looking ahead as well, long white hair that reached her legs swaying with every step. Kayda admiring the slightly shorter woman's hair and how long and silken it looked compared to her own mess of disheveled and spiky hair that draped over her shoulders. Even Lee's spiky white hair looked better kept than hers. Reaching up momentarily to twirl a lock of her own hair in slight envy, Kayda had to say something.
