Zayla

“Hun, you have five minutes to get down here and get some breakfast, or I’m coming up there,” my mom shouted up the stairs angrily. “I am coming, “

I called. The last year at school is not something I am looking forward to. I just wanted to fast-forward to the end of the year. Most girls would look forward to their senior year and the dances, homecoming, and prom, but not me; I just wanted to be done. The kids at school were rude. I mean, except for my two best friends in the world, Jenifer and Amanda. I met them in elementary school; we have been so close ever since.

I rolled over, picked up my phone, and shot off a group text to Jenifer and Amanda that I was running late and would meet them after 1st period. So, I jumped out of bed and headed to the closet to pick out my first-day outfit; I must admit that back-to-school shopping was the only thing I looked forward to picking out the first outfit for school. I felt it was the most essential part.

I picked a baby blue blouse, a jean skirt, and cute white lace wedges. They looked so good together. My dream was to develop my clothing line and be a fashion designer; it was my passion. I went to the bathroom, turned on the shower, quickly got in and out, wrapped a towel around me, and started doing my hair. I looked at my olive-brown skin and dark black hair and put on lotion, perfume, and some makeup; I braided my hair, put on my clothes, took one last look, and smiled. “I looked great,” I said to myself.

As I descended downstairs, I heard laughter and singing from the dining room. It was my two twin sisters. It made me smile because, finally, they were getting along. They were different, like day and night. “Well, well, look who joined us,” said my dad annoyingly. Sorry, Dad, I had a hard night and could not sleep; my mind instantly replayed the dream.

I had so many questions about it; I felt myself blushing, and I pushed the dream and my questions back to the back of my brain. “Ewe, Zayla’s got a boyfriend!” said my sister Jessica teasingly. “NO, I don’t,” I said, looking at my dad. Dad pushed his eyes down angrily.” You better not, “he said. Jamie, my other sister, looked at me, confused. “Are you sure?” she asked.

" I’m not allowed to date until I’m 18. I know that, so mind your business, " I told my sister.

“Dad, Mom, I am leaving,” I said, stomping to the door. I hated it when they teased me. After getting my stuff, I opened the door and slammed it. My mom ran to the door, yelling at me to remember to eat breakfast at school and come straight home.

“We need to chat," my mom screamed. Great, what now?” I thought.

It was Monday, the first day of senior year. I was utterly dreading it; I was not one of the popular kids; in fact, everyone knew me as (the freak)

I was not like the prissy princesses or snobby rich bitches who were about money, clothes, and makeup. I hated shopping. I mean, I made everything.

I owned and was popular among the kids who were lame and poor people because if you did not have a designer label bought in a store, you were a loser... I stood waiting outside my school, finally arriving late, praying I would stay invisible so I could make it throughout the year unscathed. Maybe someone was looking out for me, and my prayers would be answered. Someone was watching me. I felt it. I looked around and saw nothing. I just hurried inside, trying to shake off this weird feeling.

So, I ran to my homeroom, tried to open the door quietly, and slipped into my seat. Still, the door slammed with so much force behind me; everyone, including the teacher, Mr. Davis, jumped. “Guess you finally joined us, Miss William,” Mr. Davis said sarcastically. “I’m sorry it won’t happen again,” I said as I hurried to my seat.

As I went to sit down, I heard snickering and whispering coming from two of the most popular girls in the school:

Mariah and Holli were so beautiful. They were Super modal types, tall, slender, with long, bouncy, curly blond hair and blue eyes.

These girls had all the boys going wild over them and had the school staff wrapped around their fingers, so they got away with anything they wanted to ...

“Look, if it isn’t a thrifty store, Judy,” she said mockingly. Maybe you would be here on time if you bought your clothes instead of trying to sew like an old lady. "

She was throwing something at me and laughing,” SHHH!!!!” Mr. Davis said, turning back to the board. I went completely red with the anger I had sunk into my seat, trying to become so small. It was no use saying anything now, I fumed to myself, but I would eventually give them a piece of my mind.

Thirty-five boring minutes later, the bell rang. I grabbed my things and ran to my locker to meet Jenifer and Amanda; they were standing there. I sighed with relief. “Girls, I am so happy to see you hug them both. We were beautiful girls in our own way, natural beauty,

Jenifer has tall, long, wavey brown hair and ivory skin; Amanda has brown and mocha skin. She was as tall as Jenifer. “What happened now?” Jenifer said warily. “Just the usual crap from Mariah and Holli, nothing new,” I said. Mariah and I were friends in elementary school until she learned I did not come from money. She made it her life's mission to treat me like the scum I am, anyway... We chatted a little more, but I could not get over how mad I was; something seemed off.

I usually get angry, which was it; I brush it off, but today, I wanted revenge. I couldn’t shake off this weird feeling” Well, screw those bitches”’ Jenifer chirped. Pulling me from my thoughts”. Let us plan a hang out this weekend, spa day, and all that to forget about all the stress of senior year; it was feeling like this was going to be a long year, and it was just beginning; little did I know.

We walked to class after making plans for the weekend; the rest of the day became uneventful until after school. As I was walking home, I felt like someone was following me, but I turned around and saw nothing, so I continued walking, and out of nowhere, the next thing

I knew I was on the ground, feeling my head smack on the pavement and then feeling a sharp, pulsing pain. I tried to roll over, trying to sit up, and tried to focus my vision; I felt a kick and a slap to my face...” You think you could go around bad-mouthing me with your friends?” Someone said something to me.

I looked up and realized it was Mariah. “We said nothing about you,” I said, trying to catch my breath. My head was throbbing in pain, and blood was dripping down my face and neck. “Do you think I’m fucking stupid?” she shouted, “Well, you said it. I didn’t,” I said sarcastically. Suddenly, she went to hit me again.

I cringe, waiting for impact, and nothing... I grabbed her hand, and after the shock wore off, I pushed her back, sending her flying a couple of feet. I looked in amazement. What the hell just happened? How did I do that? It just came out of nowhere. I just took off running in the opposite direction.

I knew you were a freak, and you will pay for that.

I heard her yelling as I ran towards the field behind some houses and into the woods. I needed to separate myself from her because I wanted to hurt her so badly that I could feel the rage building, and I wanted blood, HER blood. What was wrong with me...

I ran as fast and as far as I could into the woods behind a couple of houses nearby, my eyes burning, my head hurt, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I slowed down as I came to a clearing; it was a riverbank. I walked over under a large tree, sat down, and cleaned up before I went home. I can't go home like this, I thought; I do not understand why Mariah attacked me. We did not say or do anything to her. It was just like her inventing crazy stuff in her head to justify attacking me; I do not know why she hated me so severely. As I was cleaning the gash on the side of my head, I heard a faint voice say, “Zayla, darling, things are not what they seem. You must be careful to trust no one. You are in danger”. The whisper said faintly. What the heck was that!! I looked around and did not see anyone. I was losing it with this gash; it was making me crazy. I hit my head hard. I thought to myself.

After cleaning the gash as best I could, I sat back down and watched the river,, losing myself in its calming current. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, I woke to a strange man standing over me.

Liam pov

I came out for a run, just got to town, and did not want to be here. I was on a mission, and I had to start school at the local high school to be closer to the target ... it would be the first time I was around normal kids. Most kids have the same upbringing, but I didn't. I didn’t have friends or play sports; I was a warrior, a Dragon Slayer.

Yes, you heard that right. The medieval fire-breathing beast was absolute, but before I get ahead of myself, let me take you back to the beginning.....

The early 1400s

There were four kingdoms: water, air, fire, and Earth. They were all ruled over by a group of dragons that would shift into human forms, and some humans lived amongst them with no powers. Each element had powers of incredible strength and healing abilities. Only the Royal families could read minds and teleport stuff like that. The four kingdoms lived in harmony for many years until King Aries from the Fire Kingdom became king. He was an evil man. He preyed on the weak and thought that anyone below him needed to serve him or die. We wanted to be the only king. He thought he was the superior element. Aries wanted all the elements that no one in their history had ever done. A prophecy said that someone of great power would harness all the elements. King Aries thought he was that person.

He started a war amongst the Dragons, killing anyone that opposed him; he was powerful, the other kingdoms fell under his rule, and he then assassinated the other royal families... so that they could not go against him, while the wars lasted for many years amongst the human there was a group that consisted human and the dragon shifters as the council called them to help maintain order and take back the kingdoms. They killed many in their path to bring peace back to the realms.

They felt like they did what was necessary to help. King Aries lost most of his followers and support over the years due to fear of losing their lives to the Dragon Slayers or the king's madness. King Aries had no choice but to retreat, but he still had some control over his kingdom. He realizes that he isn’t the person of prophecy and that Aries waits and waits for that person so he can kill them and take their powers.

******

Eight decades later, the legendary history of dragons had all but vanished, swallowed by time and overshadowed by humanity's relentless expansion. The tales of their epic battles and majestic reigns faded into whispers, reduced to a mere collection of two ancient tomes, fragile scrolls, and enchanting folklore Amidst this dwindling legacy, the mighty King Aries succumbed to a mysterious illness, departing from the realm without a trace of where his body now rests, leaving behind a kingdom teetering on the brink of uncertainty and intrigue. What secrets lie hidden in the past, waiting to be uncovered?

Keeping the existence of the dragons a secret is what the Dragon Slayer Council wanted; they were very uneasy about it. Furthermore, they felt that they needed to keep it contained at all costs, and that meant keeping

All the dragons were either controlled or eradicated.

The humans forced the dragon shifters off the council, and they wanted nothing but pure-breed humans. An ancient sorcerer taught the humans how to keep them strong and made antique weapons to kill dragons. The only thing that could kill a dragon was pure gold .... They were afraid that someone like King Aries would rise to try again. There were reports that some dragons remained living but were in hiding. They dared not be seen or shifted because we could sense their magic.

I bring us back to the present. I was born into the family of one of the Founding Council families. I was the chosen one, the one who would kill the person of prophecy if they ever appeared.

I trained when I was three; some children were picked and became warriors.

We trained alongside each other and were not allowed to play or run or anything like that; if we did, they would place us in a dungeon of an old abandoned castle from the Air Kingdom.

They only let us out to train; they wanted us to eat and sleep the life of a warrior, a dragon slayer.

All I wanted was to be a regular kid; I didn’t ask to be born into this life; I never heard the words I love you or even a single hug from my parents. We had a caretaker, Ms. Lopez, who would give us food. She was so caring and sweet; she would bring us treats and give us toys in secret so we could at least have some serenity in that dark place.

But after a while, the Scout leaders who oversaw training us somehow found out what she was doing and killed her; a horrible person who would beat us and starve us for fun replaced her.

As I grew up, I felt a deep desire to work hard and become strong, driven by my wish to make Ms. Lopez proud. She often reminded us of the importance of being good people, urging us not to let the challenges around us turn us into something we're not. To me, she was more than just a teacher; she was my family. I never wanted to let her kindness and guidance go to waste.

As I came of age, the council sent me to Twin Peaks because they got word that they sensed powerful magic, so they put me with people the council chose to live while I was there.

While I attended the local high school, old tutors taught us, so being in a public school would be my first. I will not lie. A brief part of me was excited to be going. The rules were that I could not have friends or a girlfriend, do things that a typical high school boy my age would do, and my mission was to find the target and end them.

They promised to release me to live my days as I saw fit.

I was determined to give my all to this mission; nothing would distract me. When I arrived at a small two-bedroom house, it was blue with white siding and had a small yard. I climbed out of the cab that had dropped me off. As I walked up the stairs, I felt a strange sensation calling out to me, "Liam, she will need you to protect her; all that you have learned will not be in vain."

“What the hell?!” I exclaimed. I realized I was losing too much time on the airplane and not getting enough sleep. I shook off the unsettling feeling and turned to knock on the door.

A few seconds later, a woman and a man opened it. “Hello, Liam. My name is Cassie, and this is Ron. We will be your temporary guardians until further notice,” she said sweetly. Cassie was short and petite, with long brown hair neatly pulled up into a bun, while Ron was tall and muscular, looking like he worked out regularly.

“Hi,” I replied nervously as I followed them into the house..

“Go sit down on the sofa. I know you probably have many questions, and we will answer as best we can, “she said, quickly shutting the door behind her. I investigated a small room that was quite comfortable and had little, but it had two armchairs and a sofa; I went and sat down, and set my bag next to me.

"Is that all you have?" Ron asked, his face questionable. “ Yes, that is all that we could have, "I said sharply. "Ooo dear, no, that will not do," Cassie said. We will make sure you have all you need. She finished speaking and looked at Ron, who nodded in agreement.

"We have a few rules; the first rule does not bring any trouble here. Second, we want you to enjoy the last year of senior year,

We also want you to make friends, he continued. We know you did not have a good childhood and were raised to do the dirty work of others.

Still, we refuse to be a part of that. " Ron finished saying as he stood to take my hand. "Welcome home," he said. Cassie looked at me like she wanted to cry.

"Um, but the council has the rules," I stuttered. "Do not worry; we will take care of those old goats," Cassie said, giggling and rolling her eyes. "We want you to relax and realize that you are in a safe place. Oh, and last rule, do not tell anyone who you are, "Ron said sternly. Giving me a severe look. Okay, Son, head upstairs to the room on the right. That is your room.

I stood there for what felt like hours, shocked and feeling somewhat emotional. "Ummm hun, are you okay?" asked Cassie, a worried look on her face. "Oh yeah, I'm okay," I said, grabbing my bag and heading upstairs. As I walked up the stairs and into what was now my room, it was pretty cozy, had blue and dark gray paint on the walls, a twin bed, and my bathroom.

I sat on the bed and put my head in my hands. What do I do now?? I thought I would train right now if I was back at the castle, so I decided I go for a run.

I opened my bag, found some gym shorts and tank tops, put my bag in the closet, and went to the bathroom to get dressed. After that, I head downstairs to the kitchen.

Cassie was cooking, and Ron was at the table reading a newspaper." Hey, I'm going to go on a run if that's okay?" I said hesitantly. "Okay, enjoy. Just remember the rules and call us if you get lost coming back,” Cassie said. Call you?!? I asked, confused. "Oh yeah, I forgot, silly me," she said, giggling. "Here is what I programmed a new cellphone with our numbers in it." I took the phone, stunned." WOW, thank you so much!" I said, "Don't be out too late. Dinner is in 30 minutes."

I turned around and headed towards the front door, and I descended the stairs. Realization hit me. I have no clue where I would go. It was my first time here, so I went right

I started running, thinking about today's events and what tomorrow would bring. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize how far I ran I was in a neighborhood behind some houses that looked like a forest so I decided I wanted to have a heavier trail to run on I like a challenge pushing myself to make myself better.

I ran for a few more miles. My legs were begging for me to take a break, so I rested near a lake; I had seen it in a clearing as I approached the river. I noticed a sleeping figure underneath a tree. I walked over quietly, as I didn’t want to wake the person, and it surprised me to see that it was a girl about my age.

What the heck!! Was she doing something outside alone? I thought to myself.

Weird, doesn't she know it was dangerous to be out alone? As I approached her even closer, I noticed she had a massive gash on her head. I stopped. I was looking at her as she woke up.