The hidden stones : soul of gods

The fire within

Ryan sat on the edge of his bunk, staring out the small, grime-covered window of the orphanage dormitory. At fourteen, he had grown used to the cold, unwelcoming environment. The grey walls and the smell of dampness were constant reminders of how different he felt. The other children at the orphanage, except for Aaran, his only friend, never let him forget that he was different.

From the moment he could form coherent thoughts, Ryan knew he didn't belong. He couldn't explain it, but he felt it in his bones. The world seemed to move around him in ways that didn't make sense. There were whispers in the wind, shadows that seemed to shift when he looked away, and the sky-always the sky-seemed to be hiding something sinister beneath its calm facade. He often confided these feelings to Aaran, the only person who never mocked him for his strange notions. He sometimes wonder why don't he live somewhere a far away place with Aaran only and no one else maybe than he will be happy .

"Ryan, why do you always talk about the sky like that?" Aaran asked one evening, the two of them huddled in their shared bunk. "What do you think is happening up there?"

Ryan shook his head. "I don't know, Aaran. But I can feel it. Something dangerous is out there, something that could destroy everything. It's like the calm before a storm."

Aaran's eyes widened, but he didn't laugh. Instead, he nodded, accepting Ryan's words with the same gravity he always did. Aaran had arrived at the orphanage the day after Ryan, and since then, they had been inseparable. Aaran's unwavering support was the only thing that kept Ryan from feeling completely alone.

One dreary afternoon, as Aaran went to fetch some food for them, Ryan found himself cornered by a group of older boys. Aaran is not with him today to protect him so they all were very smug, they had tormented him before not that much maybe because of aaran because he was the same as of them and easily fought with them , but today their cruelty reached a new level. They shoved him against the wall, taunting him with words that cut deeper than any physical blow.

"Freak! Why don't you go back to whatever planet you came from?" sneered Marcus, the ringleader. The others laughed, echoing his words like a twisted chorus.

Ryan's heart pounded in his chest. Fear and anger mingled within him, creating a storm of emotions he couldn't control. His vision blurred, and he felt a strange heat building inside him. The world around him seemed to slow down, and all he could hear was the rush of blood in his ears.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, his voice echoing unnaturally in the narrow hallway.

The boys paused, their laughter dying in their throats as they saw the look in Ryan's eyes. Suddenly, flames erupted from Ryan's hands, licking the air with a fierce intensity. The fire spread quickly, catching onto the boys' clothes and the walls of the orphanage. Screams filled the air as the bullies tried to extinguish the flames, but the fire seemed to have a life of its own, relentless and consuming.

Ryan stared in horror at the destruction he had caused. The heat that had built inside him was now a raging inferno, and he couldn't control it. Fear gripped him, and without thinking, he turned and ran. He didn't stop to gather his things or to see if Aaran was safe. He just ran, the sound of sirens beginning to wail in the distance as the fire alarm blared through the orphanage.

The cool evening air hit his face as he burst through the front door and into the streets. He didn't know where he was going; he only knew he had to get as far away from the orphanage as possible. Tears streamed down his face, the weight of what he had done crushing him with every step.

As he ran, memories of his life at the orphanage flashed through his mind. The loneliness, the bullying, the constant feeling of being out of place. And then, Aaran's kind face, his unwavering friendship. The thought of Aaran brought a fresh wave of tears. What had he done? What if Aaran had been hurt in the fire?

Ryan finally stopped, his lungs burning from the effort. He found himself in a small park on the outskirts of the city, hidden by the cover of trees. He collapsed onto a bench, his body shaking with sobs. He had always known he was different, but this-this was beyond anything he could have imagined. He had hurt people, and the guilt was unbearable.

The park was quiet, the sounds of the city a distant murmur. As he sat there, trying to calm his racing heart, he felt a strange sense of detachment. The fire, the fear, the destruction-it all seemed like a terrible dream. But the scorch marks on his hands told him it was real.

He needed to understand what was happening to him. He needed answers. The feeling that something was wrong with the world, that something dangerous was out there, had always haunted him. And now, he realized that danger wasn't just out there-it was inside him.

Ryan wiped his tears and stood up, determination replacing the fear in his heart. He couldn't go back to the orphanage. He couldn't risk hurting anyone else. But he couldn't run forever. He had to find out who he was, why he had these powers, and what he was meant to do with them.

He took a deep breath and started walking, the weight of his past still heavy on his shoulders, but a newfound resolve driving him forward. Somewhere out there were the answers he sought, and he would find them, no matter what it took. The world was dangerous, yes, but perhaps, he thought, he was meant to face that danger head-on.

As the sun set, casting long shadows across the park, Ryan disappeared into the night, a boy on a quest for answers, a boy who had discovered the fire within.