“It’s getting worse.”

“But how bad is it really? Is there not some way we can live around it? How about we relocate them?”

“You always were the soft one, Joanne,” A deep voice rumbled in the far corner.

“Yes, how can you suggest we possibly live beside these...miscreants?” Another woman frowned noticeably and gave a fearful glance in the direction of the other voice. The first woman shrank back in her chair, clearly embarrassed. The other in the corner remained silent as the intense discussion continued.

“Perhaps if you allowed the rest of this council to speak, we could come up with a solution,” a young man with wings suggested.

“Please,” the second woman sneered, “You're the reason we're having this discussion!”

“Silence!” the man in the corner stood up, his features hidden in shadows.

The members of the council shifted uneasily, some looking fearfully at the man. He started to pace, swirling his long galactic patterned cloak around him.

“It’s obvious we have an issue here, so pull yourselves together and let us figure this out once and for all!”

“Yes Master X…” The council bowed their heads in shame of their distracting frustration with one another, yet they still cast dubious looks at one another. The ominous man swung his capes around once again, stirring the stars in the room.

“The war with the rebel supernaturals has gone on for far too long,” he stopped pacing and stared the council down, “Terra can no longer be a home to them.”

“What will you do to supernaturals who won't follow this rule?” A smaller woman with large, round glasses looks at her clipboard, worry etched into her aging face.

“We’ll kill them,” Master X declared.

A humanoid being that swirled with the colors of the galaxy snorted. “Good luck with that, mortal!” she folded her arms in disapproval.

Another woman, tall and lean, stood and leaned over the large table,

“No, I agree with the Master.” She tossed her curls and looked at Master X with a smitten expression. The winged man rolled his sunset orange eyes,

“Of course you would, Teresa.” Teresa turned her nose up at the man and sat back down in a huff. The galactic humanoid laughed,

“Come on people! They’re supernaturals. They are not so easily killed.” She hovered above her chair as if she were relaxing on a recliner, with her hands behind her head and a smug expression painted on her small face, “Some of us are even immortal!”

Master X rose and stepped up to her, towering high above. His features were hard and the left side of his face was gone, replaced by a nasty scar. A cold, creepy smile donned his face and he looked down at the humanoid,

“Shall we test that theory?...”

“Careful, X,” her voice had a slight tinge of fear, “You're messing with the universe here.” X simply continued to smile and stare at her.

“It’s not good when he gets like this…” The winged man whispered, shivering. Teresa fiddled with her starry dress hem, biting her lip in concern for the humanoid.

“The law has been made, Galaxy,” X determined in a chilling voice that sent fear spiralling through most of council. “You supernaturals can either accept it or die. It's your choice.”

“And what of the council?” the lady with the clipboard asked. “For we are also somewhat of the supernatural bloodline, sir.”

“There is no more need for the council,” Master X replied coolly, “I don't see any reason to continue it; the only thing we need now is...a strong, dedicated militia.” He added with another terrifying grin.

“That being said, the council is disbanded. We will give you three days to evacuate the supernaturals,” Master X finished.

Galaxy was the first to rise, “Fine, I never saw need of these meetings anyway.” she sneered and floated away, shifting into a fluid, undefined shape.

Slowly, the other council members stood up and left, until just Master X and Teresa remained.

“What are we going to do now, X?” Teresa fiddled with her hair sadly at the thought she might never see her beloved again.

“Destroy the portals,” he instructed in an ice cold voice as he turned away, catching her by surprise. “And it's Master X, Teresa Starr.” he finished, his back turned to her.

A single tear trailed down her face as she went to do as Master X commanded. She could only hope her sister would make it out of this horror alive.

When the room was empty, a young woman stepped out out of the shadows. “This isn't good at all,” she murmured, looking in the general direction Teresa had walked. “I'll make this better sister, I promise!”

Pulling up the hood to her black cape, the woman jumped out a window and disappeared into the suffocating blackness of space.

 

2: Chapter One- Trace

It was a typical morning. Everything went normally, the same monotonous routine of waking up early, getting ready and waiting hours for a typical sister. Ok, maybe not hours… but still! When she finally did come out of the bathroom, not a hair out of place, we stepped out into the crisp, yet frigid, morning air and began the mile long walk to school together. Typical morning, typical sister, typical day. But it turns out...my mind had different plans today. Typical hormones. Stupid emotions...beautiful boy.

“Would you look at that!” Shyla was scrolling through her phone, “New students!” As she looked up excitedly, she noticed my expression. “What’s wrong, sis?” she asked, waving a hand in my face. I blinked, just realizing she was speaking to me.

“O-oh, um, nothing, yes… I noticed the new students, quite a few all of a sudden don’t you think?” I fiddled with my green jacket strings.

“Yes,” she responded, looking at me suspiciously.

I looked away and had my long neon green bangs cover my face show she wouldn’t see me blushing. I looked at the new class roster all right, that’s how I knew it was him. I thought I would never see him again. But it seems I was wrong again...ugh, I’ll never be a fortune teller. Shyla had shrugged and held up her phone, snapping a few selfies before going back to wildly tapping the screen. I tried to lighten the mood I’d created.

“Geez, how many times must you update your TerraConnect every minute, Shyla?” I chuckled nervously and she simply gave me a weird stare.

“There is definitely something wrong with you, Trace,” Shyla began frantically looking around, “I know the signs of having a crush!” I felt my face explode with heat,

“W-what?! N-n-no, I-I don’t, heh...I’m not...no.” I shook my head rapidly, trying to calm down my burning cheeks. Shyla just smirked; with her as the older sister she claims to have every right to tease me. She raised an eyebrow,

“Aw, come on Tracy,” She smiled sweetly, using my least favorite nickname, “Who is the unlucky guy.” She let out her soft laugh as I looked at her with scorn.

“Ugh, if anyone gets you I’d feel horrible for their future more than yours.” I blew air into my right cheek as a sign of anger. This only amused Shyla more.

“I’m only kidding sis, who is it? I won’t tell a soul.” She drew an x over her heart.

I tipped my head, “Riiiiiight, yeah, no. I don’t even know if he remembers me.” Shyla’s eyes widened and right then I knew I’d said too much,

“Is it--mphf!?” I didn’t let her finish the sentence. Frowning I glanced behind us to see a trio of girls I didn’t recognize. One of them caught my glance with cold, hazel-green, cat-like pupils. She had long golden blonde hair that was tied back in a loose ponytail that cascaded around her shoulders. Her eyes glowed golden for a moment and her skin appeared a bluish white and black, but when I blinked, she was simply talking to her friends, her features normal; it was as if she hadn’t noticed me at all. Shyla pinched my cheek,

“Hey, ok I get the message but is it Blue-eyes?” She whispered the stupidly obvious nickname she had given him back in third grade. I nodded, not wanting to say anymore. The school was in sight anyway. But I knew my thoughts wouldn’t be on books, it would be on the boy with the beautiful, long, blonde hair.