When transfer students D'kala and Kia arrive in the whimsical world of Safe Haven, they are quickly integrated into the vast interspecies society. However, the city has much more in store for them than some new friends. As D'kala and Kia try to make...
The gym was filled with students, faculty, and alumni alike on September 13th, as everyone had gathered to celebrate what was both a "Back-to-School Celebration" and a celebration of "the Rising".
"Fancy seeing you here, Addison," D'kala told Addison, slapping his smartly-dressed friend on the shoulder. "Feels like just yesterday we were gracing these halls with our presence, eh?"
"No kidding," Addison replied, grimacing and rubbing his arm. "But you know what they say: time flies when you're having fun."
"And our summer was very fun," MacKenzie added before downing a whole cup of cherry soda. "Dang it!" she muttered as she spilled some on her dress.
"Really?" Kia flashed MacKenzie a mischievous grin. "Do tell. I'd love to hear all the juicy details about your special summer, Kenzie." "Maybe some other time, Kia," Addison said quickly as MacKenzie blushed beside him. He looked around, trying to find something to help him change the subject. Then he frowned and remarked, "Weird. It's almost nine and Sarah Sahara's not here."
"She said she wanted to hang out with Damian," MacKenzie said, frowning as she refilled her cup with more soda. "You know, keep him company, since he's too sick to come."
"Probably didn't want you to feel snubbed," Kia suggested.
"Yeah, maybe."
Kia sighed and examined her claws nonchalantly. "So when do you think the Rising's actually gonna happen?"
"What do you mean?" MacKenzie inquired, emptying her cup into her mouth again.
"Well, you know... the phoenix. Legend says that every five hundred years, phoenixes rise from their ashes. So shouldn't something like that happen tonight?"
"I think that was merely legend," D'kala told her, smiling as he remembered the story Guardian had told him and Kia. "What are the chances a phoenix would literally rise from the dead?" Suddenly, the speakers let out a long, loud squeal.
Everyone in the room winced and covered their ears... except for Addison. He screamed and doubled over, grabbing his head in sheer agony.
Before any of his friends could react to that, every light in Safe Haven went out.
"PerhapsI was mistaken," D'kala muttered under his breath as screams of terror filledthe assembly hall.
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Guardian lifted his head to the night sky as the lights in Safe Haven went out. "It seems the story's just begun," he said softly.
"You said it, brother," Defender agreed, flapping his wings to stay aloft. "Can't wait to see how it ends," he added with a grin.
