It’s a cold, windy night as thunder strikes the ground, lightning clapping in the distance. Rain pounds on the windows of the abandoned bar, filling it with a boisterous echo. Cobwebs occupy every corner of the dilapidated building. I crash through the front doors, desperate to escape the relentless downpour. Once through the doors, my eyes struggle to adjust to the dark setting. Yet even with the struggle, they bolt to the shadow occupying a seat at the bar, multiple bottles in front of it.

“Come in for a drink as well?” It asks me. My throat closes up, refusing to let out any sound. My brain is yelling to get out immediately, yet my legs refuse to comply. They force my body closer to the figure, relentlessly marching forward. “What, cat got your tongue? It's rude to ignore someone when they ask you a question, surely your parents taught you basic manners.” The shadow takes off its hood and rises out of its seat, revealing its features to the world. The woman contains a dangerously beautiful face. Her skin has a smooth exterior, no bump bruise or blemish. Her eyes hold galaxies, surely making anyone brave enough to gaze into them become lost, her lips red and full, all resting on a melanated shade. Her short, gold tinted kinky hair falls to her lips, framing her face perfectly. As she rises, her body comes into full view, proudly sporting her curvy figure. “Every person I encounter has this same reaction, I was hoping you’d be different.” Her sultry voice encapsulates my ears, refusing to hear anything else. The woman's gloved hand caresses my face, my eyes disobeying my every command as they fall into the gaze of this vixen. She smiles with her entire face as my cheek rests in her palm, forcing my mind into submission. Her entire existence floods every fold of my brain, causing me to obsess over her every breath. “Would you like to know why they call me The Genie?”

“B-Because you grant any wish,” I stammer out.

“That’s correct. You are such a smart girl. Would you like your wish granted?” The Genie asks me. “It can be anything your heart desires, I will give to you.” The thought of her complying with any wish I want seduces my mind into a slavish obedience. “Of course you would. In order to grant your wishes, you must find something for me. Without it, I cannot grant any of your desires.” She pulls me close, her scent invading my senses as she whispers in my ear what I must find. Her voice erases any other thought or goal I have, and fills my being with this one goal. To find her bottle.

___________________________________________________

“Watch out for that guy right there, he’s bad news, they say his temper is shorter than his height” One man warns.

“Isn’t that The Wanderer? What’s he doing here?” Another whispers. Murmurs continue to fill the streets as I pass through, retelling the legend of my travels with repugnant incorrection. From bar fights to demon contracts to a cult, they somehow trade stories of everything but the truth. As much as I want to, faulting them is impossible for me, as those stories are as old as the codename itself. The Wanderer, the man who walks the lands when the stars light up the sky. The man with no eyes, a black eye covering hiding his empty sockets. A lost soldier, using an eye covering as well as a mask to hide his battle scars. All the stories about me, one person. One singular being. Their minds would probably break if they ever learned of my age, the image of shocked faces after learning I’m not even twenty yet lights up my face with amusement, my mask covering the unholy sight. The townsfolk continue to gossip as I make my way to the local inn, looking for a place to lay my head when the sun comes up. My devotion to the role of The Wanderer is tested as a piercing screech invades my ears before becoming a muffled struggle. My head turns, my eyes scanning for any possible culprit. They finally lock onto a target, four soldiers hauling a young girl into the woods, tears forming in her eyes. Only one thought crosses my mind as I try to continue my walk to the inn. Don’t play hero Don’t play hero Don’t play hero Don’t play hero. My legs blatantly disobeys my brain's commands, dashing towards the soldiers without hesitation. Rushing through bushes and around trees, my body enters a clearing, the four soldiers glaring at me with murderous intent, weapons drawn.

“Looks like it’s our lucky day, Kane,” One soldier states.

“Looks like we’re about to get paid, a promotion, and the general’s sister,” Another exclaims. The girl in question is restrained and pressed against a tree, her gaze erasing any previous thought of mine.

“King Philip told us we could enjoy the general’s sister, boy. You came to play hero against knights with royalty on their side,” A third soldier boasts. The fourth begins to talk before his mouth gets filled with my hand, tired of the conversation.

“You all talk too much,” I murmur to myself. My actions are rewarded with the other three soldiers taking the offensive. One begins to withdraw a gun, aiming to end my life with ease. My instinct is to run, and my legs do just that, tackling the soldier to the ground. We both scramble for the gun, knowing whoever grabs it first is the one who lives another day. The second soldier kicks me in the head, making it impossible to get the firearm. I roll back onto my feet, preparing to retreat. My momentum is killed by the third soldier grabbing me from behind, preventing me from making my escape. The first soldier aligns his sights with my chest, aiming to send lead through my heart. I pivot forward in a last stitch effort, hearing a soldier's scream melt with the bang from the gun. For a moment everybody freezes, the gunshot stopping time itself. The smell of blood rises from my right hand as I gaze at the lifeless body of the soldier that was holding me, his blood staining my hoodie. I waste no time, immediately dashing for the girl and disappearing into the trees. My progress is once again stifled as the sound of a dragon’s wings flap in the air, a telltale sign of royalty. I dive into nearby bushes with the girl in my arms, accidentally hitting her head on the ground.

“What are you imbeciles doing?!” King Philip yells in anger. The soldiers struggle to force out an explanation, eventually succeeding.

“The Wanderer followed us, shot Willy and kidnapped the general’s sister!” One blurts out.

“And you let him get away?!” King Philip shouts, infuriated at the men.

“We were trying to save Willy and Amelia, your highness,” The soldier replies, bowing his head. The king puts his foot on top of the soldier's head and slams it into the ground, the response seeming to fire him up even more.

“God, you fucking idiots! The whole point of having the general’s sister was to lure The Wanderer out and capture him, not get knocked out and killed! You useless meatheads can’t even do simple fucking grunt work! And now, you three will not only explain how you let The Wanderer kill Willy and kidnap Amelia to not only Willy’s family, not only the general, not only the city, but the whole royal family!,” King Philip hollers. My attention is drawn away from the temper tantrum as the girl relentlessly taps my chest, signaling to free her of her constraints. I sneak away further, sinking deeper into the forest before removing the ropes holding the girl together.

“How much longer did you plan on watching royalty throwing a fit?” She asks, visibly irritated with how long she was tied up for. “You left me tied up like a dumbass”

“I can’t even get a thank you first?” I reply

“”Thank you for saving me from those bums. Now come on, we have places to be,” The girl says, beginning to walk away from the town. “Hurry up, we need to go before my brother gets here.”

“What do you mean we?”

“You and I, Amelia and The Wanderer, the boy and the girl, whatever you want to say.”

“Why would I follow you if I have a 500 kel bounty on my head?”

“Because I don’t want The Wanderer’s head or the money on it. I want him, now stop arguing and come on.” Amelia digs through her bag and pulls out a small marble, assembling sticks into a circle to place it in. I look at her with confusion, her maroon eyes too relaxed for the situation that just passed, not an ounce of stress or worry on her dark face, her afro bouncing with every energetic movement. Hey eyes meet my gaze, making me quickly look away. “Stop checking me out you old perv,” She scolds, looking at me with disgust.

“I’m seventeen, and I’m not checking you out,” I retort, taking a defensive tone with the short girl.

“Whatever you say boss. If you’re shocked at what just happened, you need to shake it off. If you’re not at least a little relaxed this process will be hell for the both of us,” Amelia demands. Before I could even think of a rebuttal, a loud crash can be heard from above, causing both me and Amelia to duck out of instinct. Our attention turns to the sky, an unimaginable horror scorning our retinas. A large fracture slithers throughout the sky, a purple smoke seeping through the cracks. Amelia refuses to hesitate, grabbing my arm with a steadfast demeanor, and summoning a portal from the marble, hurling us both inside. I can feel my bones forcefully being shifted and rearranged, a pain unlike any other, comes and goes in a moment. Before my brain could register the feeling, my eyes are attacked with an environment completely different from the forest. My irises are harassed by the scenery, a green bedroom with a window wall overlooking a completely teal and chrome city thousands of feet below, the people all walking in unison, almost like a flowing river. A spacelike void lay just outside of the reflective city, making the place I find myself in feel even more foreign.

“C'mon, we need to get you to Bruno NOW,” Amelia commands, the sarcastic, whimsical tone in her voice completely replaced with an urgent, borderline terrified one. We both exit the room, my mind too overwhelmed to argue with Amelia. We speed down a hall and what feels like thousands of flights of stairs before reaching our destination, a large table sitting in the middle of a meeting room, all but four chairs filled. The attendants signal us to join them, the blood on my hand smearing the chair as I sit down.

“Now that you two are here, do either of you know what the fuck just happened?” A woman asks.

“I was preparing the transfer, so I only saw the immediate aftermath,” Amelia informs. All the attention falls on me, everyone desperate for any type of answer. My throat closes as my mouth opens, preventing any sound from escaping. They all sigh in disappointment as my head falls, too overwhelmed by everything to process the current events.

“What if it’s Amani?” A man proposes. The room stays completely still for a moment, even air hesitating to move.

“No, that's impossible. I watched her fall into the abyss,” The first woman responds, shutting down even the possibility. A long silence consumes the room before a boy sprints into the room, terror in his eyes.

“Now Aku, what did I say about barging into the meeting room like this,” The first woman scolds.

“Sorry Olympia, but it's about Michael, he’s shattering,” The boy says, his voice trembling. Everybody races out of their seats and into the hallway, Amelia telling me to do the same. I follow them down the stairs and out two doors into a courtyard, where hundreds of eyes observe one man, screaming and clawing at his face.

“Mikey, take a deep breath here, ok? I need you to calm down so we can help you,” A man says softly, slowly approaching who I can only assume to be Michael.

“Stay away Bruno, you’ve lied to me too many times,” Michael growls, anger pulsing off of his body.

“Cmon, you know I’d never lie to you pal, I need you to trust me here. I’ll get you through this if you can do that,” The man consoles, inching closer and closer to Michael.

“This is your last warning, Bruno. Don’t move any closer! From Operation Cyber to the power plant incident to Amani, you’ve done nothing but lie, and I refuse to be tricked once again,” Michael warns. Bruno glances back at us, giving Michael an opportunity to attack. He tackles Bruno to the ground and pounds on his chest, wrestling to keep him on the ground. Bruno overpowers the crazed man, tossing him off before rising to his feet and withdrawing a dagger. Michael immediately rushes back, mindlessly swinging his arms at his target. Bruno takes advantage of the deteriorated mental state Michael is in, taunting him to dive. Michael takes the bait, landing on his chest when lunging for Bruno, who dodges back before kicking Michael in the side of the head, knocking him out.

“Restrain him and take him to Sophia. Tell her I’ll come down when I finish with the council,” Bruno directs two men dressed in identical uniforms before addressing everyone who witnessed the event. “I apologize for this outburst, Michael began to shatter, but he’ll recover fine. Now go back to your activities, everything is resolved.” He walks up with us back to the meeting room, pouring himself a drink as we all sit back down. “So, you’re the mystical figure Amelia’s been telling me about. So tell me, ‘The Wanderer’, what’s your actual name?”

“Before I tell anybody anything, I need answers first,” I say, my throat finally allowing me to talk.

“Amelia didn’t fill you in on the way here,” Bruno asks.

“Sorry, I was a little overwhelmed with the sky cracking and all,” Amelia retorts.

“Alright, shoot kid, I’ve got every answer you could possibly want,” Bruno says, laughing at Amelia’s response.

“Well first off, where the fuck am I,” I ask, finally coming to my senses.

“You’re currently in a place outside time and space, a pocket dimension. It’s called The Mesa. Here, we train the youth to be Reflectors so they can brave the horrors of wherever they decide to go and bring hope to the hopeless. I’m Bruno, the head honcho of The Mesa as well as the head of the Berserker sector. Olympia is the second in command, leading the Summoner sector. Sophie is the head of the Cleric sector. Michael has the Medieval sector, Rafael is the leader of the Gunslingers, and Petra teaches the Blacksmith sector. Amelia is a gunslinger prodigy as well as our informant for King Philip’s rule. Without her we wouldn’t know much of anything that goes on outside of The Mesa, and you wouldn’t be here,” Bruno explains.

“Which is a beautiful segway into my next question, why the fuck am I here?” I inquire.

“The Five kings and queens are preparing to launch an invasion on each other, and the end result will most likely be self destruction and an amount of casualties exceeding the highest number I can name, and we need your help. Olympia has had her eye on you for years now, and with proper training, you could be exactly what we need to stop not only the destruction of the continent of Sipha, but the reign of The Genie,” Bruno answers.

“So you guys think I’m the chosen one who will save the world single handedly?” I mock.

“No, more like the last puzzle piece we need to begin expanding. Amelia and Aku need a third, and your skillset is everything they need plus more. A Summoner, Berserker, and Gunslinger is one hell of a trio millions of people need, and you have the potential of containing more than one sector” Bruno responds.

“Sir, you are fantastic at setting my questions up, because what the fuck is a sector, o-or a ‘Reflector’, or any of the bullshit you just said to me?” I ask.

“Man, Ame really told you nothing, huh. You’ll learn about all that tomorrow, now can you answer my questions,” Bruno dismisses. I reluctantly agree to the interrogation, seeing it's only right he put up with mine, “What’s your name?”

“Mofu,” I reply.

“Where are you from?” Bruno questions.

“Nowhere.”

“Very cute, but you can answer the question now,” Petra comments.

“I’m serious, I was born and raised in a void, a black abyss. The first time I saw the sun was when I was fourteen,” I inform.

“Speaking of age, what’s yours now?” Bruno interjects.

“Seventeen,” I answer.

“The youngest of the three I see. Watch out for Amelia, she has a little brother fetish,” Bruno jokes, receiving a punch in the shoulder for his efforts.

“What’s with the eye covering?” Olympia asks.

“Everytime I look at my reflection, a demon possesses me,” I respond.

“So if you can’t see, how have you been able to wander?” Rafael wonders.

“Good hearing,” I state.

“Alright, that's good for today. As of now, Mofu is officially part of the council due to the depth of his knowledge of Sipha, he’s also the official third member of Yin and Olympia’s student. We’ll continue the meeting in five days so Michael and Sophie will be able to attend, and Mofu can settle in,” Bruno declares. “Mofu, you’ll be sleeping with Amelia in Olympia’s apartment for the foreseeable future, so I wish you the best of luck.”

“Come, I’ll show you around tomorrow,” Olympia commands. Amelia immediately jumps from her seat at Olympia’s call, contrasting my slow rise. We walk through the halls and up another eight flights of stairs before stopping at apartment number 34. Olympia unlocks the door and walks inside, Amelia and I following close after. “Amelia you must be tired, take Mofu to bed with you and I’ll handle your chores tonight.”

“Yes ma’am,” Amelia responds, grabbing me by my wrist and dragging me into her familiar green room. “Crazy first day, huh.”

“That’s an understatement,” I joke. My attention is directed towards the windows, the view of The Mesa’s nights taking my breath away. The stars reflect off the futuristic buildings, multiplying the small white specks. Amelia joins me, sitting on a nearby stool as she wraps her hair up for the night.

“I don’t have a little brother fetish, just for the record,” She says.

“Yeah, I figured. Even if you did, I fear a one year difference wouldn’t scratch that itch for you,” I say, a laugh escaping my lips.

“How did you know how old I was?” Amelia asks, confused.

“I know everything about General Williams, your general information is no exception,” I respond. Amelia swallows her comment, choosing to leave that sentence floating into the air as she crawls into her bed, drifting away. I stay standing at the window, admiring the way the lights flicker in the moonlight, preparing for the days to come.