The Children of the Apocalypse

I. The fifth child

YiXing sighed and closed his book. It had been hours since he was immersed in dozens of books of all kinds on these famous Thaumaturges and Children of the Apocalypse. As he was fascinated by these supernatural beings - much more fascinated than frightened unlike the vast majority of people he knew - he had decided to do his thesis on these living legends, to make a synthesis of everything which was listed on these extraordinary beings. To do this, he spent all his time in libraries, rummaging through the archives, browsing all day long in dusty books as thick as he was, examining every piece in museums about the Children of the Apocalypse. He had seen stones pass by, supposedly created by a Master of super-strength and earth, he had seen relics from all the eras that belonged to these Masters, trinkets of all kinds to appease their anger or on the contrary to venerate them, what to hurt them, to capture them, and so on.

But it was enough for today. To tell the truth, it's been a long time since YiXing had taken a break. He was working on his thesis and hadn't taken a real break for months. He wanted to finish his job as soon as possible to graduate and finally be able to embark on his research career. Come on, a break! A few days away from it all will do him some good. Therefore, he put the book back in the archive room, then exited the library after greeting the owner, who knew him almost as well as his own mother and considered him as her son after seeing him every day for several hours and this for a good pair of years.

He put on his coat, put all his things in his bag and left the building. Outside, black clouds covered the city and the wind was blowing hard. It was going to rain. YiXing started to hurry, wanting to go back before the rain started to fall and soaked his documents. Sadly, as soon as he started walking faster, the first drops fell on his face. He started to trot to reach his house faster, like many other people on the street. As the downpour hit the city and YiXing ran as fast as he could, slaloming among the other people fleeing the rain, but he slowed down when he noticed blood on the ground. Well, he assumed it was blood because he did not have time to bend down to make sure it was really hemoglobin, the red spots being washed out by the pouring rain. He continued his way before coming across other red spots. So he made up his mind to follow them, not minding if he was soaked, he just hoped that his research would not be soaked; but maybe someone's life depended on it!

YiXing continued to follow the path of blood before turning into an alley where he saw someone leaning against a wall, struggling not to fall. He approached slowly so as not to frighten this person. It was a young woman, her hand pressed against her arm to prevent blood from flowing from a gaping wound.

- Miss, is everything all right? he asked in a soft voice as he reached her.

- Help me! Have pity! I will pay you if necessary but hide me! Please! She exclaimed between two heartbreaking sobs. This young girl was very pretty, but the multiple cuts that dotted her face and her neck tarnished her beauty.

- Oh yes I will help you but no need for money don't worry! YiXing replied, shaking his head. I don't live very far, come with me, I'll take care of you. He took off his coat and wrapped the girl in it before taking her hand and driving her home.

He pointed her the couch and she sat down, still shaking. She looked terrorized. What could have happened to this young woman? Who could have hurt her and why? Especially also wildly! Her arm was gashed on its full length and a lot of blood leaked out. And for the multiple cuts she had on the visible skin of hers, YiXing assumed that there was some more everywhere on her body. One would have imagined that she had jumped through a window ... So many questions were jostling in the young man's head, but he did not want to rush the injured woman. While he was treating her, he put his thumb over one of the micro cuts on her collarbone and the wound disappeared as if by magic in a flash of green light. YiXing stared at the point where the wound had disappeared. Had he hallucinated? He couldn't think long about what happened, the girl fainting in his arms.