Shadowfire Book Two: Ice Cold

Chapter 1

I wasn't stunned as my mother told me this prophecy. But I was when she told me that I was the Child of Prophecy. Everyone at the monastery had heard it. It was said to be the destiny of the person who would destroy Kurohomura. But I never thought I'd ever be that man. Sure, I was powerful, but I never knew my father. And I'm far too much of a rebel against the Shadowfire Regime for its leader to be my father.

But looking at my mother, I could tell she wasn't lying. She wouldn't be as worried as she was if she was lying to me. She was rubbing the scar on her neck, deep in thought. Part of me wished this was all a dream, and that my best friend Jaxon would take me out a telepathically induced coma. But that never happened. And I knew it wouldn't.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke. "I know this may seem strange but you can't deny it. It's our destiny."

"According to who? Some Oracle who just managed to manifest inside of your Mind powers after you supposedly died!?"

"Calm down Kaizen-"

"NO! I'M NOT CALMING DOWN. You've KNOWN this was my Prophecy. The Oracle spirit or some shit didn't overcome you like this was new. But you chose not to tell anyone it was about me, now I'm going to have to learn how to become powerful enough to kill a man whose destroyed entire nations with a single thought." My rage slowly turned into a cold anger as I turned away from her.

Leaving the so-called Prophet's room, I walked down to the dorm Shinimari lived in. Although we weren't blood, he raised me just as much as my biological mother did, despite only being 3 years older than me at 22.

He opened the door before I had a chance to knock, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "You should start learning to argue quieter."

I entered his room and, as usual, left my shoes at the door. I followed him to the center of the room, where a traditional Japanese tea table sat. Sitting and kneeling down into the correct position, I picked up the small porcelain teacup that steam was already rising from.

Shinimari had always seemed obsessed with traditional Japanese culture. Katanas, sai, and kusarigama were hung everywhere in his room, and he even had sets of samurai armor. In fact, he had named me Kaizen Yamamato, my first name meaning "good change." I guess that made more sense now.

After sipping some of the delicious tea, I asked him what he already knew I was thinking. "Did you know the prophecy was about me?"

"Yes, I did." Although this felt like a stab to the back, in hindsight, I am grateful for the honesty.

"How? And why didn't you tell me?"

"I was reading the Prophet's mind when she received the Prophecy about you. She didn't know I knew, but it wasn't my place to tell you what wasn't my secret."

I stared at him over the tea, trying to decide whether I was angry at him or Mother. Soon Shinimari stood up and asked me to come with him.

"You need to blow off some steam. Let's find a jock to pound into the ground."

I smiled as I followed my brother out of the room.