Young Writers Society

Elias followed Aerik and Jerica to, well, wherever the they planned on taking him, but his head was in a daze. What was even happening?

These people truly acted like they were not from Earth, and they certainly didn't dress like it, either. It was an insane thought, but with each passing second going down the stairs, he was more and more convinced that this was the truth: he found a portal into another world, and it was this.

That sounded... absolutely insane.

Aerik opened a door at the end of the stairs and gestured him inside to sit around a table, which Elias did wordlessly.

What was he supposed to say? He barely even know how he got here. His mind was buzzing with so many questions.

"If I'm supposed to be here, then I don't know why," he said, glancing at Jerica and sighing. "I didn't even know there were other... worlds."

A part of him was convinced other worlds still didn't exist, and this was all one strange dream.

Jerica plopped down in the chair next to Elias, still looking at him curiously. She was growing progressively more convinced that he really was a sad, lost boy instead of some secret enemy or spy. She almost felt bad for him.

"Well, that's okay," Aerik said, settling down in the chair on the other side of him. "We'll get there. But, to start that process, I'm going to need you to tell me more about you. Who are you? What's your role in the war?"

"What war?" Jerica interrupted.

Aerik gave her a warning look, then glanced back towards Elias. "Tell me everything you can think of that might possibly be relevant, and I'll see if I can make any connections to what I know."

"The war is over now," Elias began, not sure what exactly Aerik knew. They knew of Earth, but how much did Aerik know about Earth?

He hesitated and glanced at the two of them sitting next to him with curious eyes as the kettle started to hiss with boiling water.

"But I'm still in the military," he decided to add, hoping this bit of information would answer whether they were involved in the military or not. He still didn't quite know.

And it wasn't like he wanted to stay in the military, or be in it at all. He had no say in the manner.

And his mind was racing to entertain the thought if he even had to go back to Earth, because he could confident say that he didn't want to.

"Jer," Aerik said, nodding towards the stove.

Jerica pushed herself to her feet and started across the room, listening intently to the conversation. Aerik had a tendency to ask better questions than she could, to draw information out of people. Even though Elias seemed like he was going to be a tough one to crack.

"I mean, of course, it's over," Aerik said thoughtfully. "But wars are never over, just because the shooting stops."

Jerica plopped some tea leaves in three mugs and poured the steaming water over them. She grabbed all three and walked back to the table, placing one mug in front of each of them.

"Tell me your orders, soldier," Aerik said.

Elias stared at the steaming tea cup in front of him, breathing in the herbal aromas.

They were truly not from the military. They were not aggressive.

He let this thought soak in as he groggily thought through his words.

Aerik seemed to know Earth's situation, but not his situation. He must have figured that he didn't have a choice to be in the military. The war was over, and although only one of three demands of the rebellion were granted—the option to choose your occupation—the exception was with the military.

Those with certain powers were still bred and born into it. Elias was no exception. He just didn't know it until later in his life, and that was what made him an outcast to everyone else in the military.

"I..." he began, still staring at the steam wafting out of the cup, trying not to look sad or disturbed. What was he supposed to say? Kill?

"I'm a soldier," he finally said, slowly. "We're told to eradicate any dissent."

Aerik nodded thoughtfully for a moment, taking his time as he took a sip of his tea. Jerica took a deep breath, trying to be patient. She just wanted to slam Elias up against a wall and press a blade to his throat until he finally started actually answering questions instead of giving stupid half-answers.

Aerik's strategy was probably better.

"Of course," Aerik answered gently. "And were you given a specific target? One who might happen to be in this realm?"

Elias hesitated before gingerly wrapping his fingers around the tea cup, acting like it was so fragile, it might crumble in his hands. It had been so long since he had hospitality like this, and even longer since he had tea. He had to stop himself from wanting to take a giant sip of it despite it being hot.

"In this realm," he said slowly again, scrunching his brows in thought, "no."

He glanced at Jerica and couldn't help but notice her daggering glare.

If that was supposed to intimidate him to say more, it certainly worked.

"I don't know why I'm here," he blurted out, meeting Aerik's gentle eyes for the first time. "I was stumbling in the dark, and now I'm here. That's it."

But do I have to go back..?

"Okay," Aerik answered, nodding again.

He was silent for a long moment. Jerica wanted to cut in with questions of her own, but it was clear Aerik was considering what he wanted to ask next, and she doubted he'd appreciate her trying to help him.

"So. If you didn't mean to come here, do you want me to get you back?" Aerik asked. "Or do you want to try to figure out why you're here? I can't help you if you don't tell me what you need help with."

Elias stared into the half-empty tea cup like it contained all the answers. Aerik was asking him what he needed help with, but Elias didn't even know.

Why was he here? That was a good question, and one he didn't know the answer to. Was there even an answer? He wasn't sure, but Aerik seemed to think there was one.

He could go back, but why? Why rush, or why go back at all? Earth was misery.

It had always been misery, but these last few months had been exacerbated. Elias was losing hope and purpose. It wasn't as bad as the days of the war, but just because he wasn't feeling maximized pain, didn't mean he felt no pain at all. It chipped away at him bit-by-bit every single day. Now that he no longer had loose ends or liabilities, what was the point anymore?

What was the point of anything anymore?

He had no point, no purpose, and no direction. At least, not anything he had a say in.

He took a deep breath and finally decided on an answer.

"I'd like to know why I'm here," he said softly.

"Okay!" Aerik said brightly. "We can work on that."

"Be a lot easier if you'd actually give us information," Jerica grumbled. "'I'm a soldier, I kill people' -- well, no shit. That's what we do. Say something useful."

"Jer, be nice," Aerik scolded gently, then turned back to Elias. "But, she's also right. Can you think of anything you can tell me that would be helpful? I can't figure this out on my own, we need to do this together."

Elias glanced over at Jerica with shock written all over his face. For a kid, she was amazingly brash and rude. But he noticed that she said 'we', like she was a soldier who killed people too. Was she in a similar situation he was in?

He didn't know. He knew nothing of this world.

The gears in his mind slowly started turning as he began to make the comparisons.

"Well..." he began, scratching the back of his neck. "Does everyone here have powers too? Maybe it has something to do with that."

Jerica nearly smirked at the way he gaped at her. He apparently seemed to think he was the only warrior here -- and boy, oh boy, did he have another thing coming. She calmly met his gaze, waiting for his next stupid question.

Is he going to think I'm too young or too female to be a soldier? She mused as she watched his brain trying to think up what he wanted to say. Just wait until he finds out I'm a General. Hah!

She blinked at him as she processed what he'd said. Then she grinned, pride flooding into her as she thought about all her training all at once. A few weeks ago she wouldn't have been able to say 'yes' to that question. But now.

She looked over at Aerik, and then deflated. He wasn't scowling -- but, then, he wasn't not scowling either. She grabbed her mug and took a drink before she would be tempted to say something she wasn't supposed to.

Aerik turned his gaze towards Elias. "What powers do you mean?"

Well, that answered that. They didn't have powers.

But if Aerik knew Earth's history, he'd have to know about powers. Maybe he was wanting him to clarify, or maybe elaborate... about his power? But they weren't military. Knowing that, Elias wasn't sure he wanted to share.

"Powers," he repeated, sounding unsure himself. "Controlling matter and such with our... our DNA. Could be molecules, or energy, or particles, cells..."

Elias trailed off, watching for Aerik's reaction.

"You mean the R'hyk?" Jerica cut in. "Of course we have that."

Elias looked at Jerica blankly. "The what?"