Starheart

Leaving

The creature sprung forward. I threw the blue energy forward which transformed into a spear hitting the creature square in the chest. Both the creature and the grass burst into blue flames. It screamed at me in hate and burnt up leaving a husk and wisps of shadow mixing with the smoke. I grabbed both my friend's arms and ran back through the trail to the campsite. I don't think any of us actually managed to convince my aunt and uncle of cryptids no matter how scared and messed up we looked but one phrase they understood was "forest fire." We were immediately driven back to town and the fire brigade was called. 

On the way back Henry spent most of the trip looking down apart from an occasional anxious glance at either Pyrrha or Juniper. He didn't look my way once as if he knew the creature hadn't effected me the same way as the others, perhaps even what I'd done to save them and maybe he even had a suspicion brewing about why. Pyrrha had been looking straight forward as if she was doing her level best to pretend nothing had happened and Juniper had been rapidly typing something on their phone. 

Henry had ran home as soon as the van doors opened. Pyrrha stayed, thanked me for saving her even though she seemed a little hazy about how I'd managed it. She had apologized even though none of this was in any way her fault and gotten back to the shop. Juniper finished typing and hit send. I looked up curiously and saw the logo of the site. Nebula. I gasped and they looked up suddenly. "You're that Juniper?" I exclaimed. "Wait you're Alya?" They said. "That's right. Changed my name for real." I grinned. "I moved here a couple of months back." Juniper explained.

After the supernatural community had started to die down 6 of us had formed our own group. Nebula. We had wanted to experiment how far witchcraft and psychic abilities could be taken. Whether those abilities could eventually be strong enough to save the world. We had gotten pretty powerful. Adam could set fire to paper with his mind, Jasper could create storms, Neptune could heal wounds with just water, Helena could create light from her hands, Juniper could create smoke and was naturally psychic and me? I could create psi spears, constructs that were a mix of ideas, emotions and belief. I'd seen their effects first hand and they were powerful but I'd never managed to make them visible before or instant as the spell usually took at least 3 days. Until I'd looked that monster in the eyes I had doubted the power, my power. Even though I wanted to trust the Nebula I always had a doubt that we were all lying somehow. Now I had absolute belief in the supernatural and I didn't quite know what to think about all that. 

At least I had found one of my friends out of all this. The Nebula would return now and things would be very different when I got back home. I was a mythical again and now I'd never stop being one. 

It was only when I was back on the train that the fear returned. Yes the mythical community had been one of the best things to ever happen to me but there was a pretty big reason why I'd stepped back from it all. Something about my powers could sap away emotions that weren't "useful" to the situation and speaking of that creature in the forest... I cringed thinking about it and immediately wished the terror would vanish again. What happened if there was more like it? The thing that was bothering me the most though? Those firefighters ether had or were about to encounter the burnt husk of a cryptid along with a fire that refused to act like fire should. That kind of stuff usually brought on the attention of serious people in suits, lab coats and places that don't have the Geneva convention. 

At least I would be the other side of the country in a few hours and evidence suggested I certainly could defend myself now. That's right. I'd feel better at home when I've had a nap and Juniper had already recalled the Nebula so I could talk to them. However it was clear at this point that my family's plan to give me a new start had worked too well. My new life had begun.