Adakon

Chapter 4

I woke with a start. Another nightmare. I had been having them for the past five years that I had been staying with Klevata and her daughter, Nova. I am now eighteen years old. Yesterday was my birthday, which means today is the five year anniversary of Erebus taking the kingdom.

Erebus, with his newfound political power, implemented new laws. He also created new guards, humanlike versions of his monsters he called the Chul, except, unlike the Chul, they have the ability to become invisible. The new guards were called the Kuzen. They had been stationed all across the country, enforcing the laws with little respect for the people. They take anyone who breaks the law, no matter how big or small, and turns them into Internecines. When an Internecine are originally taken in, their tongues are cut out, for Erebus feels they are no longer needed.

As for me, I had to find a job. I couldn't hide forever. I had already tried that. It lasted about a week before I had to get out and do something. Our country is similar to the ancient country of The United States of America concerning the workforce. We have laws against underage employees. You have to at least be fifteen for some jobs, but sixteen for the rest. I was out of a job for a couple years so I worked around the house for a while.

After I turned sixteen, I got a job downtown, as a janitor for the elementary school. It was fun. I got to see new experiences that I never encountered at the palace. Unlike me, these children had classmates and could have fun in school, where as I had no other classmates and a really boring teacher. I enjoyed passing by the science lab to catch the occasional lab presentation that the science teachers put on. My favorite one to watch is the one they called elephant toothpaste.

Everything was perfect. Well, on the outside it was. On the inside, my thoughts stewed and turned over, hatred growing for Erebus, and his enslavement of my people, the torture he has caused them. And at night, dreams are a luxury. Usually, I have nightmares. Every night is a new horror, worse than the last. I usually am woken by Nova or Klevata because I was screaming and thrashing so much in my sleep.

When I wasn't being haunted by my past, and was off work, I worked on my power, controlling time. It was rough at first, draining me to the point where I had to pass out wherever I was, waking up not much later due to my chronic nightmares. Now I have gotten to the point where I can slow time down as long as I want without tiring, and able to stop time for an hour without a hitch, and another half hour if I really strain myself. I have really come a long way from where I began.

I never really had a big enough reason to try and take back the palace and my kingdom, usually out of fear to meet the same fate as my late parents. I have always known that I have to, but I second guess myself, thinking things like "What if you fail? If you do, then the kingdom is lost, will have no hope, and my people will suffer more than ever," or "Even if you do get to Erebus, then what? What will you do? What if you freeze and he takes you out on the spot? What if you aren't strong enough?" etc. I never really thought about the day that I would have to act, seeming to be a ways away. That is until about 48 hours earlier.

I was at the school, finishing my day cleaning up the science lab the third graders did, using string and flavored sugar water. Some kid had spilled all over the carpet and I now had to clean it up. I looked out the lab window and saw smoke rising from the south, the direction of Klevata's house. I quickly left, running hoping it was not our house. I was less than a mile away when I saw the house. The entire thing engulfed in flames, rising higher and higher. I ran faster, hoping that Klevata and Nova had gotten out.

When I got to the house, I saw Nova sitting outside, a guy next to her with a mask that Nova was breathing from. Nova saw me and cried out at me.

"Chronos, my mom is inside! She was asleep when the fire started! I didn't have time to get her out!"

Without thinking, I stopped time and rushed inside, most likely blowing any cover I had left from Nova using my actual name. I rushed around, the fire completely motionless, but the heat was still present. I finally found Klevata's room, the door still closed. I tried the handle, but drew back as soon as I touched it, for it was hot from the fire. I raised my leg and slammed it down on the door, breaking the handle off, the door swinging open. Klevata was lying in the middle of the room, passed out from the smoke.

I kneeled beside her, picked her up and walked down and out of the house, letting time flow normally now. Nova turned, saw her mom and ran to her. Klevata's eyes opened up, and almost immediately, she cringed in pain. We looked down at her legs and abdomen, seeing that she was covered in second and third degree burns.

I turned to her and posed the question we had all been wondering, "Who did this?"

"The Kuzen," she grunted, "The Kuzen came, looking for you, having gotten a tip from someone that you were here. When you weren't at the house, they created the fire, knowing that you would come. They are on their way now. My door was locked with a special lock that when broken, it alert them. They knew you would save me. You and Nova have to go, now. They will be here any minute now."

As if, the Kuzen were listening, they all appeared out of nowhere. Klevata turned to me and Nova. I was about to pick her up, when she grabbed my hand, looked into my eyes and said "Forget me. Take Nova, and run."

When I didn't do anything, she looked at me again, her eyes seeming to say, 'I will not take no for an answer.' I left her, grabbed Nova's hand and stopped time. Because I was touching Nova when I used my powers, she was free to move while time was at a halt. We turned, and ran, not looking back, knowing that whatever life we led before, was now over.