The Matters of Power

Prologue- Greatness from Small Beginnings

Now that it's been a week since my last year of middle school is done and now I'm in summer break, I can finally go treasure a peaceful life among my home and the wonders of modern living. I had planned to slack off for most of my free time with video games and maybe working with my neighbor on their business, but Mother just had to pull the classic parent move of forcing me outside and "enjoy the wonders of nature". I doubt that she knows much of past events with nature being such a pain like Tuberculosis and the untamed civilizations, but I don't want to take her time with me when she constantly worries about work. So now I'm wandering around the outskirts of my small town, my small world that we had to move to during my last year of middle school. Nobody comes this far out since they would rather be in the good parts of town, so I have plenty of time to think and experiment with relative peace and quiet.

I sit on a log and ponder about my situation and life progress. My parents have struggled to make ends meet back in the big city of Austin, I have often been socially distant from others because of my intimidating face and otherwise chubby body, yet I am quite intelligent for my age with plenty of praise for my ability if they didn't immediately judge me by my looks. It was really fortunate that my dad got a job immediately after moving here from a well-respected company even though they employed him at the bottom of the company chain, with mother doing odd jobs that sometimes can afford us luxury. But me? I've been grateful for all they do, but I doubt my ability to support them with what they do, for the struggles they had to endure while appeasing me that "everything is going fine, don't worry about us" speech.

I can't help but cry a little for my shameful inabilities and body that I have to endure and almost can't change without extreme measures. Why do I need to bear the emotional shame of our troubles? What do I need to achieve in life to be able to give a better life to those around me? I need to walk this off, I rise up and walk along the pond to clear my head that is giving me troubles. It's calm and peaceful here, nothing but the natural to distract this painful mind of mine. The winds start to pick up a little and assume that it gets chilly, but nothing happens and I don't feel any colder but feel the strong gusts picking up. A bright light appears suddenly through the thicker part of the trees and disappears just as quickly as it shows up, then the wind almost stops abruptly. Curious, I slowly approach the area leaving the pond behind me to find out what crazy sorts is going on.

I'm nervous on what I will find that can endanger me, but nothing out of the ordinary appears around. I am convinced that I was going mad with the light that showed and should probably turn back towards the pond. My leg trips over an object on the ground and I stumble forward, looking at a small gap between the ground that I fall hard on. Good thing my back doesn't hurt as much with all the labor I'm used to. I slowly get up from the fall and look behind me to find a doorway (without a door) buried about the dirt I just tripped over. How is this here? When was this built and how long was it here not discovered? My first thought was to scatter away and call someone that can figure out what this is, but looking at my worn phone I find that I have no service here even though I'm clearly within cell tower range. Inconvenient. Yet my curiosity gets the better of me being attracted to this "tomb" that I have yet to look inside. I doubt that anything in there could be dangerous and it seems exciting to find something new. I pass the entrance to find the interior dimly lit and aging, but I can still see well enough to view in front of me.

I find nothing that is inside the walls, shelves, or on the ground that shows any historical value. In fact, there is nothing anywhere stored of any sorts, just emptiness. I doubt that there would be any good to this place and think that it could be an ideal place to make a hideout or shelter. I spot a glowing object at the end of the room that is placed on a pedestal and cautiously approach it. Upon closer inspection, it's looks nothing more than a shiny crystal shaped like a diamond that looks almost untouched by the time passed. I want to grab it, but I retract my left arm before doing so. If the few movies I've watched taught me anything, it's that nothing good happens with touching random objects that is suspiciously placed and out of nowhere. Yeah, maybe this wasn't such a good idea to wander in this tomb.

I want to turn away and leave this place, but my body won't budge on instinct and seem to be fixated on the crystal. It starts to hum with intensity and my arm starts to move and grab it against my will, with me trying against all my might and (less-than-average) strength to not touch it. I almost grab hold of my arm to yank it away, but I feel the force that the crystal gives off and wonder if this is how I'm gonna die. My finger touches the tip and... nothing happens. I sigh in relief that something didn-

*WHOOSH*, I feel pain everywhere suddenly, my arm feeling amputated violently and my head burning up inside that I can't think straight. I struggle to look at the crystal that is lighting up and killing me off with its unknown power. Then light consumes my eyes and I see many blurred images: a man lifting objects with ease, another viewing other's minds and sensing their presence, one having almost unnatural reflex and agility, and two bodies almost completely different yet similar. Too many more images appear in my face and I start to feel weak...

Light fades from my eyes and the overwhelming pain is dying down, stuck to close my eyelids from whatever has happened to me...