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Chapter Two

Xenovix stumbled across the rough dirty road. Losing his footing, he fell onto the uneven, dry mud. He was unfortunate enough to land in an extra muddy part of the road, staining and getting his only clothes dirty. The boy moaned in pain, as he turned back, searching and expecting for his mother's delicate figure.

The guards walked away, not paying any mind to the small boy who slowly got up. 'Monster?' He thought sadly. He glanced down at his two hands which were now smudged with dirt and sighed.

Does having supernatural powers necessarily mean that he was a monster? Sure, even Xenovix didn't quite believe that he had supernatural powers and so didn't the villagers.

Xenovix looked up at the sun and scowled. It was getting dark and he really needed to find a shelter. When Xenovix was about to start walking towards the forest, he heard a whisper behind him.

"Xenovix!" He turned around, surprised to see his mother holding out her arms at him.

He could barely see tears rested at the corner of her eyes.

"Mother!" Xenovix crashed into his mother's embrace and even though it had only been a few minutes, he missed his mother's warm scent, with the smell of home.

"Quickly, come." she said softly, her voice nearly into a whisper, while taking his hand and leading him into the forest.

"Where are we going?" Xenovix asked, as he followed his mother.

"Your father built a small cottage in the forest long ago," she explained, "I will make sure to bring you food every day, you will have to go into hiding so you will not hurt others...or so they cannot hurt you..."

Her voice trailed away, but Xenovix nodded his head silently as they walked deeper into the forest.

"When will I be let back in?"

His mother didn't reply, because she knew that he wasn't going to be.

"Xenovix, please do not leave the cottage, you might hurt some-"

Xenovix interrupted her. "Am I a monster to you?"

His mother was silent and brought up her pace. Xenovix stumbled a bit as he struggled to keep up with his mother.

The rest of the trip was silent. Xenovix didn't dare to look back at his hometown. He couldn't.

The trees blocked his path as the twists and turns of the path slowly vanished.

Soon, night fell upon the sky. A small silhouette was seen in the distance and a small cottage just like how his mother had mentioned appeared.

As they neared, Xenovix's mother finally spoke.

"This is where you will stay. I will send you two meals a day."

Xenovix's lips felt dry. He couldn't say anything. When words finally formed, he stuttered, "I-" but instead, he was cut off.

"Listen, you must not ever leave this place, should you get caught, the consequences would be dire."

Xenovix didn't even want to think about his life living in a cottage all by himself without any freedom, any rights.

"But-"

"No." Her voice was stern. "I have to go."

She turned away without even taking another look at her own son.

Xenovix couldn't help but grasped onto her arm.

"I'm sorry." His voice wavered, signalling tears. "You do not need to go, they will hate you. Actually they hate us, especially me." He managed to cough out.