Rise of Xavia

by Tara Chau

  “Does it hurt?” I ask as I pull away.

  Gabe puts his hand back down and turns his body to face me completely. “Yes.”

  “Okay,” I say shakily.

  “I have never heard of your last name before, neither has anyone else that I’ve asked. That means we have to do something risky.”

  “Okay,” I repeat.

  The elevator stops, and the door chimes as it opens. I gasp. The whole place is huge. To my right, I see that the entire wall is a screen, showing different spots of the city. Rows of chairs and inbuilt desks are lined up in front of it. They also have screens of their own. Protectors rushing around the base trying to get to places, the beeping of monitors. It is all too much.

  There is another island in the middle of the room of smaller screens, each one showing a different side of the building. It also includes a whiteboard where a group of people are drawing blueprints and plans across it. To the back of the room are a set of stairs, the railing is glass, and it leads to more hallways. To the left is a window, looking into another room, a questioning room. The scent of takeaway Chinese food consumes me. White lights fill the room and add to the washed-out, old-fashioned vibe. Four pillars on either side of the hall hold up the roof. Placed near the window are tables of food and couches in a circle with a coffee table in the centre. A few people lounge around talking in hushed voices. The whole thing is a wondrous sight. I feel a hand on my back and realise that Gabe is trying to push me out of the elevator. I walk with Gabe trailing slowly behind me while I try my best not to combust with excitement and joy.

  “Di.” Anne’s high-pitched voice comes ringing from the island in the middle. She comes rushing over and gives me a tight hug.

  “So, what do you think?” she raises her hand and swings it in a wide motion. “Welcome, to the Sanctuary.” She says with a smile.

  “It’s amazing.” I stare in wonder at the beautiful architecture of the underground building.

  “Anne, we would love to stay and chat, but we have things to do, which includes finding out who is guarding Omar right now. Do you know? We need a moment with him.” Gabe says from behind me, crossing his arms across his torse.

  “Well, you’re in luck. Because that would be me. My shift starts in five minutes. May I ask why?”

  “We need to find out what Dianna’s real last name is. She needs her Tattoo, and we can’t do that until we know what her Protector name is.” He explains.

  “Oh, well…I guess that’s true. Follow me, guys.”

  Anne leads us down a hallway, turns left, right, left and left again, then stops at a cell door. More signums are carved into the metal. A small slit just big enough to slide food into spans across the bottom of the door.

  “Be careful,” Anne says quietly as she unlocks the door. The last guard walks away with a suspicious glance.

  “We will,” Gabe assures.

  Inside is a table and a chair, one lamp and a few books. Sitting on the chair looking at us is a man. He looks about sixty, long white beard and silvery eyes. His clothes hang limp across his weak frame. Though he looks ill, I see the determination in his gaze.

  “Good evening.” He has a raspy voice that sounds wise but warning. “To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting our saviour?”

  What? How does he know? As if he could sense my question, he answers.

  “I am a Seer darling, that means I can see the future as well as the past and present.” He says with a smile.

  “Okay, let’s cut to the chase.” He steps forward, hiding me from the man’s sight, “We need you to look and see who she really is. We have no idea what her last name is and how she has gone undetected this whole time. We need you to find out, not any less or any more.” Gabe’s voice drips with authority. Not a hint of uneasiness can be heard.

  “Ah, nice to see you too, Gabriel. What will I get in return?”

  “There is always a price,” Gabe sighs, “One year off your seventy-year sentence.” He says reluctantly.

  “Agreed. Always good doing business with you, Gabe. Your parents did well with you.”

  “You do not speak of my parents. You are a traitor.” Anger is starting to emerge, I can tell.

  “One day, my boy, you will understand that things aren’t always black or white.”

  “Let’s just get this done,” Gabe says quietly, his eyes flaming.

  “Very well, now let the girl come forth. I warn you; she will need time after to regain her energy. I draw on my patient’s energy. Some are too weak to survive. Are you sure?” He asks with narrowed eyes.

  Gabe looks at me with a worried expression, but I smile and nod. Assuring him that I want to know too.

  “We are sure. She is strong. It would be a mistake for us to underestimate her.” But his voice shakes.

  “Alright, come here, my sweet. Give me your hand.” I walk forward, hesitating before resting my hand into his palm. Gabe comes forward and rests his hand on my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze of reassurance.

  “Brace yourself.” Omar places his other hand over mine and chants something softly.

  His eyes begin to glow like small moons, and a shudder runs up my spine. I close my eyes, feeling my energy slowly chipping away, like a pull on my very essence.

  “This girl is the true last Iysador.”

  “Impossible,” Gabe whispers. “They all died with the last war.”

  “A young maiden gave birth to a small infant. She knew that war was threatening and gave her to an orphanage in another place, now known as America. She then went to fight and died soon after. Years later, that infant grew up and had a family of her own. A daughter of her own. That girl is this one. This is the last of the Iysador bloodline.” I take in Omar’s sharp intake of breath. “Wait…”

  “What?” Gabe asks.

  My eyes are still closed, but I can sense that he is anxious.

  “The last of the Iysador bloodline and a re-incarnation of Dyla.”

  “I-I…don’t understand.” He stutters.

  All this information is going in one ear and out the other. I’m too tired to process any of this.

  “Dyla knew that she would die in battle along with her warriors and friends. She prepared for when the time would come. Waiting, she watched us and swore that she would return when we needed her. This is the time. She re-incarnated into the last Iysador because they had stood by her throughout the entire war and were exterminated with her as well. No memories to guide her. The only thing remaining from her original self are her fading powers. Dyla’s conscience visits this girl in dreams, testing her. Dianna has unusual powers; she must unlock herself. Do not let her stray from her path. Help and guide her. Train and teach her, or she will become worse than our greatest rival.”

  A harsh cry escapes my lips, and I wince as it tears at my throat. The last of my energy seeps from my body. With no more strength to hold me up, I crash to the floor.

  * * *

  I wake up and find myself back in my own bedroom. The clock reads five am. I can sense that there is someone else in the room without turning around.

  “Dianna Iysador, pretty name.”

  Gabe. I slowly turn around, trying to untangle myself from my quilt. He is sitting on a chair at the bottom of my bed, hand behind his head, a stern expression on his face.

  “If my dad walks in, your dead,” I say weakly.

  What is he doing in my room? All the events from the previous night start spilling into my head. What I couldn’t process then comes back in thundering waves, crashing down in my mind.

  “Damnit,” I mumble, my head spinning with sudden movement.

  I try sitting up further, but Gabe is by my side in a flash. Pushing me back down, I didn’t even see him move.

  “Stay down. He drained more energy than I bargained for. You’ll be alright in another hour or so.”

  His expression still hadn’t changed, and his voice was stiff and showed no emotion. He
must have a lot of practice at this.

  “I am not an Iysador. I am a Reeds. I don’t care what Omar says. I have grown up being Reeds. Just because some old guy says that I have a different last name, it doesn’t change me.” I say stubbornly.

  “Of course, you’re still the same, but I don’t think you understand. The Iysador’s were powerful Protectors. They were highly respected and very wealthy. They also died protecting The Book. The demons killed them off because they were very powerful and were greatly inspirational. They convinced hundreds of Protectors to rally. That’s when we started to win. That was also the time that the demons decided to kill all of you. So, the fact that you’re an Iysador… it’s amazing. It should be impossible, but it’s also dangerous. For you and for us.”

  “I-I…”

  “You know what Omar said to me before we left? He said that you’re a miracle that should have never been. Personally, I do not agree. I think that this was meant to happen. Dyla chose you for a reason. Not because of your blood, but because she knew that you were the one. Even before you were born.” His voice is soft as he speaks.

  “Even Angels can be wrong,” I whisper.

  “True. But not this time.” He says confidently, his posture straightening as he seems to relax. “Sorry, we didn’t get to fight. Next time, okay?”

  “Alright, but are you sure you want to fight an Angel?” I ask slyly, doing my best to add some looseness back into the air.

  “Correction, an Angel with fading powers.” He replies with ease.

  “My powers are dormant, but that doesn’t mean I can’t kick your ass.”

  “We’ll see.” Gabe walks across the room.

  “What are you doing?” I ask.

  “You sometimes see things in slow motion, don’t you?” I think back to the time that where I saw Anne falling.

  “Yeah.”

  “Focus.” He says.

  “On what?”

  “Me.” He says simply.

  “Now, when you say that, you sound like a weirdo,” I say honestly.

  “Just focus.” He repeats.

  So, I do. I focus on him as a whole, head to foot. I can see the creases of concentration emerge onto his face and a flush coming into his cheeks as he prepares. For what I have no idea.

  Then unexpectedly, he disappears. I glance around the room to find him a metre or so from where he was originally. It was the same as when I saw Anne falling. Everything becomes slow-motion. All the sounds from the early morning cars and the singing birds subside, leaving me completely focused on Gabe. Cautiously I sit upright and lift the sheets off me, walking over to where he is, in the middle of a slow step. My head lightly throbs, and the air pressure increases on my body like walking through syrup, but I remain focused.

  I reach him in the time it takes him to start his new step, his back foot only a fraction off the floor. I circle Gabe peering at him from all angles, taking in how his jaw clenches when he focuses and how light on his feet he is. I walk back to the bed and sit on the edge.

  Looking out the door, I see if the same thing is happening outside, releasing my focus from him momentarily. All at once, the sounds from outside comes crashing through my window, and Gabe is standing in front of me. Holy cow, he is really fast.

  “You can slow down every living thing except yourself. You can move when others can’t.” Gabe guesses.

  “How did you know?” I say wearily.

  “When I started, you were in bed, under the covers. Now that I’m here, you’re out of bed and sitting and the edge. I believe, Miss Iysador, that we have found one of your hidden gifts.”

  “I-”

  “Di, I am the fastest Protector that The Counsel has seen since the last war, that was nearly one-hundred years ago. Even my running couldn’t escape your time warp.” He states. Did he really just name my uncontrollable superpower?

  “Timewarp?” I repeat.

  “Yep, it’s what I named the ability.” He states proudly.

  “Since when?” I ask.

  “Since now.”

  I sigh deeply, nodding in defeat. Then a thought occurs to me.

  “Hey, Gabe, what is my family symbol?” I question.

  Gabe gets his phone out of his pocket and flicks through a few things before handing it to me silently. Peering into the screen, I narrow my eyes to the symbol in the centre. It’s a circle of vines. Coming from the circle are more vines twisting and turning to meet in the middle. They are all connected to create a beautiful fox head side-on. The whole thing is gorgeous. I unexpectedly want the tattoo. It isn’t just a tattoo, though. It represents a lost family, found. It shows strength and a strong alliance with the Angels.

  I can sense Gabe watching me, so I turn my head to face him. He’s smiling, a smile that makes me shiver. I remember that we are in my room, alone. I shift, feeling slightly exposed as I look down at myself. Confusion laces my expression as I take in my clothing.

  “Gabriel?” I say with a stern voice, though the slightest hint of amusement shines through my tone.

  Gabe pales, “I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” His voice is dripping with sarcasm. “Yes, Dianna?”

  “When I left last night, I was in jeans and a hoody. Now, I wake up in my room hours later with a boy who has powers, and I’m no longer in my jeans but my pyjamas. Would I make things awkward if I asked how this transition happened?” I ask like I’m reading out facts. That’s the only way I can hide the embarrassment.

  Gabe’s face goes two shades darker. I can tell that he is as shocked and embarrassed as I am.

  “D-Di, I promise that I didn’t do it.” He stutters, looking completely mortified. “Anne came back with me and shoved me out the door while she… tended to you. She had to go after, but she wouldn’t leave till she was sure you were alright. I told her I would watch you.” His last words about Anne made me smile. She really is a true friend.

  I look up to study Gabe, his face still red and his pupils blown wide. It makes me laugh to see this boy so uncomfortable with the idea of seeing me undressed.

  “Why are you laughing?” He demands defensively.

  I am about to blurt out something when I reconsider. Gabe obviously notices.

  “Spit it out.” He glares.

  Alright, he asked for it. I give him a dirty smile as I straighten to sit right up close to him. He stiffens momentarily, then rests his head on mine. I stifle a laugh at what I’m going to say next.

  “You haven’t lost your virginity yet, have you?”

  Gabe practically jumps a metre in the air, then appears on the other side of the room. I double over with laughter, trying so hard to focus.

  “That is none of your business. I bet you haven’t either.” He accuses.

  “No, I haven’t. But I’m not even nearly as obvious as you.” My laughter is slowly subsiding.

  “It is not obvious!” he counters.

  “Oh, Chip. You have no idea.”

  Gabe slowly walks over to my bed, his eyes fluttering open and shut. He looks tired, like someone who was running purely on caffeine.

  “You should go home, get some sleep,” I say before I remember that he should be in Maline, his home city. “Gabe, how are you getting home?” I ask worriedly.

  “I asked Ty if I could crash at his house this weekend,” Gabe says tiredly. “Are you sure you’re okay? I am exhausted; I was watching you all night.”

  “Go, get some rest. We can talk later.” I smile sweetly.

  I don’t want him to leave, but it’s probably best for both of us. I watch him make his way to the glass door, and he opens it just enough for him to slip through. I recall the happenings of last night and make a last-minute decision.

  “Gabe?” he looks at me with a small smile playing on his lips. “I hate to ask now, but could I have your number? Just in case.” He nods and points behind me.

  I look to see a bright yellow sticky note with his number already written ne
atly onto it. I pick it up and glance back to say goodbye. But he’s gone. The only proof of him ever being in my room is the slightly open door and my blushing face.

  It didn’t matter that I had been here just last night. I was still amazed at it all. Gabe had texted me and told me that he was still tired but would meet me at The Sanctuary in two hours. That was eight hours after he left, which means that by the time we were entering the Sanctuary, it was three-thirty. Special clearance was needed for me again. Luckily it wasn’t Dante this time, so we got through within three minutes. Our first stop was to Gabe’s room.

  Gabe had organised to sleep at Ty’s house very last minute, so he didn’t have time to get his stuff. As we walked down the hallway, I remember that Anne had told me Gabe sleeps at the school. So why does Gabe have a room in The Sanctuary?

  “I thought that you lived in the dorms at school.” I wonder.

  “No, Anne told you that I lived in the dorms because she didn’t know if we could trust you yet. I have my own room here. There are about one hundred and sixty rooms here. My room is on the top level. Most are on the second down below us. There are three levels in total.” He explains.

  “Woah, why are there so many rooms?” I ask.

  “Because, if a Protector family’s housing is exposed, they take refuge here. Or they’re like me and can’t go home too often. Sometimes there are Protectors that are passing through the city and need the rest. Mainly it’s just for emergencies.”

  “Okay.”

  From the entrance, it’s about a three-minute walk to Gabe’s room. Left, then left again, right and then walk for another minute. All the doors are the same, wooden with a white door-nob. The only way to determine the difference is to read the numbers painted in gold on the top of the door. Gabe’s number is 26. Mum’s lucky number.

  The thought of her reignites a pain in my stomach that I thought I had outgrown. Obviously not. I wince at the memory of her and my life before we came to England, how normal it was. My breathing becomes ragged as her phantom touch strokes my hair, attempting to comfort me. Gabe notices my despairing expression and my silver-lined eyes as he takes his key from his pocket.