Radar [The Maad Series #1.5]

5| The Debt.

[Before]

"What is this place?" Radar asked while staring at the sky. Different colors swirled in it, creating a heavenly atmosphere. He had never seen such a thing back home. And around him, men, women, and children played and danced without a care in the world. They wore white uniforms with gold horizontal stripes and silver vertical ones. "Is this Heaven?" Radar smiled.

Constance chuckled. "No, but it is a place where people like you and I can live in peace and learn how to use our powers."

Before the events of that day, Radar never knew he had powers. He had lived a normal adolescent life until things turned for the worse.

"Did your father not tell you of this place?" Constance asked.

"No." Radar shook his head. "Father and I don't... didn't talk with each other much. He was always working. And when he returned home, he was either drunk and beating Mom, or asleep on the couch." Radar looked at Constance with tears in his eyes. "I never meant to kill them. I swear."

"I know." Constance hugged him.

Radar had discovered he had powers accidentally. He was trying to get his shoes out of his dog's mouth when he opened a portal above an erupting volcano. His dog fell into it, and lava streamed into his home and burned it down.

His parents couldn't escape—they were upstairs. His Mom was unconscious in her bedroom after his father beat her. And in retaliation, Radar locked his father in the bathroom. He tried to save them, but the fire had destroyed the stairs.

Before he died in the burning house, a portal opened beside him and Constance came out of it. She introduced herself and then asked him to follow her. Without another option, Radar did.

"What matters is you are alive, and you can continue your family's legacy," Constance said.

"My parents could open portals?" Radar asked.

"Only your father. He was one of the best. He had mastered more than portal magic." Constance sighed. "But he got too greedy and lost his powers."

"What did he do?" Radar never knew much about his father. The man never spoke about his past life. Even when they ate dinner, his mother would reminisce about her childhood. Then, out of nowhere, his father would get angry and beat his mother.

"He intentionally killed one of us. And once you do that, you lose your powers," Constance said.

"Wow," Radar said. It now made sense why his father was always angry and drinking himself to sleep. Still, it didn't give him the right to abuse his mother. "So everyone here can open portals?"

"Yes. And more. You will have to study hard if you want to catch up to the others."

Radar smiled and nodded. "I will."

Constance patted his head. "Good boy. Now let's go meet The Elders."

[Now]

Radar opened his eyes and found himself in Dr. Willow's apartment. He sat up on the couch and a sharp pain coursed through his left arm. He winced, then looked at his left arm and found a sling holding it in place.

"I feel like shit," he said.

"You look like it too," Dr. Willow said.

Radar turned to her, and she waved at him. But she wasn't alone. Beside her stood Luna and the four dragon riders. "Great." He sighed.

Dr. Willow sat on the sofa opposite him. "If Luna had brought you any second longer, you would have died."

"Los shot me with a paralysis gun. No need to be dramatic," Radar said.