Children of the fallen

Chapter four

  Vaxen found himself in a dark, shifting space. The air was thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe. He could barely make out six shadowy figures standing in a loose circle, their forms wavering like smoke. The atmosphere was tense, the kind that clings to the skin and makes every breath feel like swallowing sand. He tried to move closer, but his feet felt anchored, as if he was meant to only watch, not intervene.

  The shadows moved, flickering in and out of focus. Two of them stood out, facing each other, locked in a silent, intense standoff. One—a tall figure with an imposing presence—raised an arm, releasing something dark and heavy that sliced through the air like a blade. It struck another shadow, a smaller one that stumbled, hurt but not defeated. The smaller figure rose shakily, defiant but unsteady, its edges fraying as though barely holding together.

  Then, chaos erupted. The shadows, once still, burst into violent movement, clashing in a destructive dance. The tall shadow lashed out wildly, while the others scrambled—some defending, others caught in the crossfire. Vaxen watched helplessly as the scene descended into a swirling nightmare of aggression and panic.

  The darkness grew, consuming the shadows one by one. Their forms distorted and vanished, snuffed out like they'd never existed. In the end, only two remained—the tall shadow and the smaller one, standing amid the ruins of what had been a senseless, bloody struggle.

  Vaxen jolted awake, his heart racing. The vision lingered, its cryptic images burned into his mind. He knew better than to dismiss it; his visions always came true. This one would be no different.

  His mom rushed in, as usual, offering a warm cup of tea to help him settle back to sleep.

  ---

  **Lunch 12:00 PM**

  After a long, monotonous morning of classes, Vaxen made his way to his locker. He rummaged through his books when something caught his eye—a note folded neatly, wedged between his things. He unfolded it, reading the words: "Meet me in the locker room." Vaxen frowned, crumpling the note before heading to the locker room.

  As he entered, he spotted Romeo sitting on a bench. He wore a dark green bomber jacket, a snug white t-shirt, and distressed black jeans. The silver cross around his neck glinted under the harsh fluorescent lights. Romeo glanced up from his phone as Vaxen approached.

  "What is it?" Vaxen asked, crossing his arms.

  "Jeez, you get a strange note saying 'meet me in the locker room,' and you're not worried it might be a serial killer?" Romeo joked with a smirk.

  "I knew that messy handwriting had to belong to you. Besides, you'd need four of you to take me down," Vaxen replied, earning a laugh from Romeo.

  Romeo stood up, slipping his phone into his pocket. "So why are we here?" Vaxen asked, taking a seat beside him.

  "I just felt like talking to you. I know I could've texted, but I'm a terrible texter. So... how are you? Are you okay? We haven't really talked since that incident," Romeo said, his voice tinged with nervousness.

  "I'm fine, no need to panic. I've got class in like 15 minutes, so I guess we can talk until then," Vaxen said.

  Romeo nodded, sitting back down beside him. "Let's do 20 questions."

  Vaxen raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Sure, why not? You go first."

  "Alright... favorite movie?"