Reflection From The Past

Lee, a social worker, had been in charge of Zeyn's matters since he was young. To Zeyn, she was a mother figure. Growing up at the orphanage, Zeyn was treated differently. They used to run tests on him every week and inject medical substances into his body, all in the name of "preventing him from flu."

He was young and believed that doctors were saviors who kept people from sickness. But for him, it wasn't that way. Zeyn had a distinct bloodstream. Unlike humans, Zeyn's blood could heal any type of disease. They used to extract it every week until Zeyn turned thirteen. Then they stopped because they noticed he was growing and might become suspicious if they continued.

Not only that, but the orphanage experienced earthquakes sometimes. This happened most often when Zeyn was angry or sad. The professors at the orphanage tried hard to convince him he had a disease, but Madam Williams was overly protective of Zeyn. She wasn't always at the orphanage, but she ensured Zeyn wasn't fed with lies or abused emotionally and mentally. The fact that the orphanage took his only pendant did not sit well with her. They claimed to want to understand what it was made of, but the reality was they wanted to link it to where Zeyn came from, as they did not truly know who his mother was, and the circumstances of his arrival at the orphanage were strange.

Madam Williams was the one who saved Zeyn when he was drowning in the ocean. At that time, Zeyn was a few months old and had a pendant on. She lived with him for a few months and later took him to the orphanage. This was because Zeyn was a special child, and she feared keeping him because she did not know what he was. As years went by, she noticed Zeyn was different, but he was not a threat to the community. From then, she opened up to him and tried to bond with him again.

One day, Zeyn was in his house, sipping hot chocolate, when Madam Williams arrived.

Smiling, she said, "You have grown tall."

"My problems mimic my growth then, for the two are competing," Zeyn replied.

"Poor child. I am tired of being a bad person," Madam Williams confessed.

Zeyn grew uncomfortable, sensing something was up. Without saying a word, he waited for her to continue.

"Zeyn, you are not originally from Earth."

It was as if the walls had ears. Her words seemed to anchor through the ozone layer of the earth, as if everyone around the universe could hear her.

"Tell me something new!" Zeyn exclaimed.

"I got you from the Roin River. You were young, and light was surrounding you. When I picked you up, a voice said, 'Long live the King,'" she revealed.

"The king of what?" Zeyn asked.

"No further words were spoken thereafter."

"And after that, what happened?"

"I stayed with you for a while, then took you to the orphanage."

"I guess you have personal reasons why you did not keep me in your house!"

"Your eye turned red sometimes, and that would frighten me. I'd leave you for hours, not fed, because I was afraid of touching you. I got depressed, and the orphanage was the only place I thought of. When you were with other kids, you were normal, but once I was alone with you, your eye turned red."

"I understand. It is final; I am not a human. What am I then, an alien? Vampire?"

"Shh, don't say that. Zeyn, you are human. You breathe the same air as us."

"Console, console!" Zeyn responded.

"Oh, and your blood can heal people!" she added.

"In shock, Zeyn asked, "How? How did you know?"

"If I told you, little one, you'd cry in despair, and I hate to see you angry or sad."

"My pendant?"

"You are grown now; go collect it at the orphanage. Step in with power; do not let them see the sweat on your face. They know you are powerful, and in reality, they fear you."

The conversation between Williams and Zeyn continued smoothly from there, as they reflected on the past. Day by day, Zeyn was approaching the truth.

"I don't know how to take this, but since I have met this weirdo Layla, my life has been better. Not that she does much, but the fact that with her presence I managed to collect so much information in weeks—something I have failed to do in years! There must be something about her."

After saying this, Zeyn decided to shut out the inside world by falling asleep. In space, Akira appeared.

"I see you have collected so much information. I heard you speak with Layla about me, and the thing is, I am not that powerful. Being here now is pure luck, and I cannot breathe in this world for long. The reason why the Andrews could communicate with you is because they are from Earth. They are not from our world. The Andrews are the presidents of Beliz City. Take heed, they are old souls. They know our original language; hence, she used it to see if you'd understand her. It looks like you have lost your memory! I know you wish you could ask a few questions. Just keep thinking of me, like Layla said, maybe I could take some of your questions telepathically. Oh, and get your pendant. With it, you are powerful. It holds your power, the power to the unknown."