Ignite

Chapter Five - The Reihn

           

'I – I don't understand.' I said.

'It looks like you have the ability to control and conjure fire.' Olly answered. 'I haven't seen that kind of power since, well, ever.'

'Wait, have you seen other Premians before?' I asked, trying to contain myself.

'Well, yeah.' Olly said. 'I would be worried if I hadn't, I am a Premian.'

I felt my way down the wall and put my hand to my face. I felt that my scars had faded from when I cried.

'This – this is too much.' I said.

'It's a lot to take in.' Leyton said. He put his hand on my shoulder.

'Don't tell me you're one too.'

'I'm not, I wish I was, though.' He replied.

'No, you don't.' Olly argued. 'The training is so hard and...'

'Stop, please.' I said.

'I think I might leave you two.' Leyton mentioned.

I heard footsteps leave the room and the door close. I didn't see anything, though, I refused to look up.

I choked back tears, not wanting more tear-scars and pain.

'So,' I asked, trying to pull myself together, 'what can you do, Olly?'

I looked up. Concern was painted over all of the features on Olly's face. But he immediately lit up by from hearing the chance to show off.

He puffed out his chest. 'I, my friend, have telekinesis.'

'What on Earth is that?'

'I can move things with my mind.' He boasted. 'I'm still training. I can only move small things. How do you think those paper planes flew directly where they were supposed to? But, I'm still pretty awesome.'

I chuckled. Trust Olly to lighten up the mood. 'Where do you train?' I asked.

'Over at PRIMA.' He said casually. 'Or "Powers and Rare Intelligence Major Association". We have a bunch of people over there.'

'" Rare Intelligence."' I mumbled. 'So, you just have some people who really smart?'

'Yeah,' Olly said. 'Jamie counts them as Premians.'

'Who's Jamie?'

'The boss.' Olly sighed. 'She is so nice. She sent me to keep an eye on you.'

'So, does that mean I never actually knew you?' I asked.

'No, you did. We were about 10 when I had to leave to train at PRIMA. I haven't seen you in 5 years, but you are still as serious as ever.'

'Is there anyone at PRIMA with telekinesis?'

'Yeah,' Olly said, 'but apparently, I am the most powerful!' Olly puffed out his chest again.

'Prove it.' I said. 'Show me what you can do.'

'Okay.' Olly smirked and did a quick stretch routine to raise tension. He stood and pushed out his right hand forcefully. A clear substance flew from his hand. It reminded me of clear jelly stretched into ribbons. It sailed towards the desk in the middle of the table and picked it up off of the ground. Olly did the corresponding movements with his hand. He twisted his hand and the desk span in circles. He dropped his hand and the desk fell to the floor, the jelly-like streams faded.

'Damn, that was amazing.' I said.

'I know.' Olly chuckled. 'I can do better, but there isn't anything to do it on in here.'

'Right.'

'Now, enough about me – '

'I never thought I would hear you say that.' I said.

'Ha, ha, ha. Funny.' Olly smiled. 'Anyway, tell me about that thing with the television in your hospital room.'

'I forgot about that.'

I summarised the entire experience in extreme detail. Including the bloody pages, the masked man and the scars left behind from me crying. The man's words echoed in my head: Enjoy this dream you're caught in. It seems it is the safest you will ever be.

I shuddered.

'Okay, so,' Olly muttered. Somehow, he managed to find an energy bar in his jumper and he was munching on it with content. 'That is probably the Reihn...'

'The who?'

'R. E. I. H. N.' He spelt. 'They've caused us nothing but trouble for ages.'

'Do they have powers too?' I asked.

'Some do, the majority are just dreamers. Every now and then they break inconspicuously into our facility and slip pieces of paper to people they want to recruit.' Olly took another bite from his energy bar. 'Some people go. The others just report. It's nothing really bad. The only people that go are the people that can't handle their powers. They think that going with the Reihn means they can get rid of their powers, but that's not how it works.'

'Have the Reihn ever done anything bad?'

'Nothing that we couldn't handle. But these threats seem a bit more serious than I've heard them doing. They seem to think that you're, important.'

'Wow. My self-esteem just escalated.' I joked. 'Thanks for the advice.'

He chuckled. He seemed to like me being back to normal.

I couldn't help feeling like this was just a dream. A story from one of those fantasy novels. I just wanted to wake up. To be left alone to cry out these horrid feelings in a cosy, isolated corner. Jeez, how dramatic.

'Ages ago,' Olly started, knocking me out of my thoughts, 'humans thought of us as a threat. People would find us and kill us, kind of like the medieval times when people burnt witches. We went into hiding. We have stayed that way for as long as I can remember. But, we always knew that that would change one day.

'You see, there was a deeply respected Premian named Evor. He had the power to read into the future. Being the old person that he was, he only told people what he saw in a "prophecy", he didn't want to freak anyone out, I guess.'

'What was the prophecy?'

'If I recall correctly:

A battle will start from a valiant four,

A new Premian will stand against the war,

Hope will take a new turn,

As the child watches their world burn.'

'So much for not wanting anyone to freak out.' I said.

'We think that the Reihn are gathering up four of their most powerful Premians to start a war. So that basically confirms that the war is going to be pretty soon, and you're the only Premian we've had in ages. So, I think the prophecy might be talking about you.'

'But, I don't want to watch my world burn! What if I cause that?' I plead.

'Harper, we don't know if it is you, yet. I haven't even told Jamie.'

'Oh, great.'

'Speaking of which, I should probably tell her to find us.' Olly said, standing and patting down his jumper and jeans for what I guessed to be a transmitter.

As if on cue, an alarm bell rings through the hospital's basement.