Four Hearts

Chapter 1: Zain

Zain's eyes opened slowly as if he was about to awaken to morning light coming from his window. He wasn't. It was dark, maybe not as dark as when his eyes were closed but still his room was filled with nothing but shades of black and gray. Next to his bed is a table with a lamp. Zain waves his hand in front of the base of the lamp and waits for it to illuminate that corner of the bedroom. It was the only light he would get. The only light he has ever known.

At night he would dream of what it would be like to wake up and have sunlight coming through a window. He dreamt about what it would be like to be in a room where the entire area was bright. He dreamt about a world filled with color and life. Waking up to his dark reality always put a damper on those dreams.

There wasn't much in Zain'a room. In one corner was the bed he was still laying on, with a small end table next to it. In another corner was closet that had almost all of his personal belongings. Some clothes, a picture of his mother before she died, an old spinning top, a cube game where he was supposed to match the different colors together so each side matched, and a puzzle that Zain had solved ten thousand times. Against the other wall was wooden desk with two sets of shelves that were filled with books that Zain had read hundreds of times each. Then there was one door that could only be opened from the outside.

On his desk was a tray with sweet bun, some milk, and some sort of fruit that Zain had never seen before. His breakfast.  He slowly sits up in his bed and rubs his eyes before getting up to eat his breakfast, even the unknown fruit. As he eats, Zain looks at the books on the shelves to decide which one he is going to read today.

He pushes the empty tray to the side of his desk before going to get dressed. Before he grabs any clothes to cover himself with, Zain holds the picture of his mother. She looked so happy in the photograph. Her long, dark hair was pulled up in a pony tail. Her blue eyes were so full of life. Her olive skin glowed in the sunlight. I wonder if I look like her, Zain thinks to himself. He slowly puts the picture down, staring at it as he takes out his clothes for the day.

He goes to his shelves again after getting dressed, grabbing his copy of Ultimate Fairytale Collection. A thick volume that would take him at least a day and a half to get through. It was one of his favorites. Whenever Zain read it he could picture his mother reading the stories to him before bed. Her warm voice that he had never heard was still as clear as day in his mind.

About halfway through a story about a girl who gets captured by a greedy dragon, Zain hears the heavy door of his room scrap across the floor. He jumps off his bed, expecting his lunch tray to be delivered. Instead, it was his uncle. Standing there in his black dress pants and red suit jacket with thin frame glasses in all of his regal glory. To Zain, he looked like the wise man in his stories. The ones with large libraries and rooms dedicated to artifacts found on dangerous adventures. He was smiling warmly at Zain with the same blue eyes as his mother. His salt and pepper hair had been combed neatly; not a single strand was out of place. His uncle was most certainly someone that Zain wished he could be like.

"Uncle Alex," Zain says with surprise, "You've been gone forever."

"Yes well, what kind of uncle would I be if I missed my nephew's birthday?" Uncle Alex replies.

"That's today?"

"Yes my boy, today you are sixteen. A big milestone for any child."

"Is it really?"

"Indeed it is. And for this special occasion, I have a special gift."

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything. I highly doubt I'll get much use of it. After all I'm still trying to solve that cube puzzle you gave me, after the last time you missed up the colors."

Uncle Alex chuckles, "Now this is much bigger than some silly game, my boy. But if you wish for something like that I'm sure I can go and get something instead."

"Oh no, I'm sure that whatever you got me will be absolutely wonderful."

"Well, I've been wanting to do this for a while now but I always feared that you weren't ready..."

"I'm ready for anything," Zain interrupts.

His uncle just laughs him off, "To be young and naive. Well, I believe that you are finally ready to be let out into the world. To gain some real life experience."

Zain's eyes go wide, "Do you mean it?"

"Yes I do, so today I went into my office and had you registered to go to my school this next year."

"The one you always tell me about when you visit? The one that teaches magic and raises warriors?"

"The very same. You shall be one of the school's newest students. You will study about the world around you. See everything outside these walls.  And most importantly you will train to help defend our country's borders from the evil demons that wish to destroy us."

"I can't believe this, I'm really going to see the world! This is the best present I could ever ask for!"

Zain goes to embrace his uncle. Uncle Alex stiffens at the touch but soon relaxes to hug Zain back.

"Now, I have already got somebody to do the shopping for your school things, but you are free to bring anything from here that you want with you. I will have a bag you can pack them in sent with your dinner tray. I will be back in one week to bring you to the school."

"Oh, thank you so much, I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Don't worry about it, my boy, it's a gift."

His uncle leaves the room with one final smile before the door is slammed behind him. Zain couldn't sit still the rest of the day.  This week will never go by fast enough, Zain thinks.