Union

prologue

OCTOBER 31

0906 EST

Silence cast over the forest alongside the mystical fog, silent and stealthy, capturing everything in its eerie grasp. It was unbreakable, impermeable to anyone without the abilities to forge through it. To the outside world, to the ones without the gene, this fog was a natural wonder, a mysterious happening that even the best of scientists couldn't unravel. To the locals of Brightside Bay, this fog was an old legend, said to lure the children of Massachusetts and the rest of New England towards whatever colonial myths apparently haunted the area.

To the ones who knew the truth, to those who had the abilities, it was a shield to protect those whose hearts were good from those that were evil. It was a sacred mist, one that could identify and permit entrance if their intentions were for good. If their intentions were made purely of darkness, the fog would emit poison and other horrors to defend the secret of what hid within it.

To Bristol, it was a lot of baloney.

Bristol made her way to the foot of the forest, gazing up at the silhouettes of the trees in the dark night surrounding them. A full moon hung in the sky like a beacon, daring everyone to turn back, it wasn't safe here at night. The mist had already begun to spread through the bases of the trees, smoky tendrils flicking and swerving away where the meadow ended and the forest began.

Taking a deep breath, Bristol stepped inside the forest, shin-deep in the mystical fog. She had done this a million times before, yet part of her still feared the powers of the mist turning on her, deciding that her heart was evil instead of good. She waited...and nothing happened. Exhaling in relief, Bristol forged on.

As she wove deeper through the forest, finding her way back to Headquarters, her heart began to pound. Something told her that she wasn't alone on her journey. All of her senses sharpened, the way they always did before a battle. Something wasn't right. A snap of a branch above confused her, but the glimpse of a shadowed figure among the branches was enough to verify her suspicions.

Someone was following her. And it was up to her to steer them off her path.

With a contrasting mix of alarm and frustration, Bristol continued on her path, faster this time. She removed a hand from her pockets and threw it backwards, focusing her energy down her arm and through her palm as the nonexistent breeze grew into a monstrous gale at her will. The amount of energy it took weakened her tenfold, but the grunt of her pursuer was enough to distract Bristol from the pain. She took off through the trees, attempting not to run into them as her vision began to blur.

Finally, Bristol reached the opening in the forest where the surging river cleaved through the trees. Flat, slippery stones made up the shores, but they also served as the pathway for those heroic enough to cross it.

The dark-haired girl took a ragged breath and stood atop the flattest of the haphazard rocks. Then, the flat gray surface of the rock slab shimmered in the night with an ethereal light.

"Recognized. Vandeviere, Bristol."

Instantly, the rock shimmered again with the symbol of headquarters, and a portal of light burst into existence. Bristol stepped through, and didn't relax until she had collapsed onto the metallic foyer of Headquarters and the light faded behind her.

Bristol coughed, curling up into a ball on the floor. Her insides burned; why had she summoned air? Water was safest for her to summon, a cruel curse from that fateful day. Why couldn't she have used the water vapor in the mist to manipulate against her pursuer? She wasn't trained enough to control air, or fire, or earth, without feeling sick to her stomach.

But no. She had to have chosen air.

The lights in the cortex suddenly sparked to life atop the massive ceiling. Standing in the hallway leading to the dormitories of the heroes, was a boy. Bristol's least favorite boy at the moment, to be exact. She set her face into a scowl as she sat up.

"Can I help you?" She croaked.

Tristan arched a dark eyebrow, running a hand through his disheveled brown hair. "Are you insane? What are you doing out at this time of night? You know you could have been caught!" He accused, venom in his voice.

Bristol glared at him. "But I wasn't. So that's what matters," She grumbled. "Go back to bed, Tristan. Before you get us both in trouble."

She tried to stand, pushing herself up on her hands, but her knees wobbled and she fell back to to the ground.

"Bristol!" Tristan exclaimed, worry in his voice. He rushed forward to help her. As infuriating as Tristan was, he knew when to drop the icy act and help someone in need. It's what made him a hero in the first place.

Bristol took a deep breath. "I'm okay."

Tristan gave her a suspicious look. "Did you summon a different element?"

Bristol bit her lip, avoiding his gaze. "Possibly..." She met his concerned line of sight. "I was being--"

"Followed?" Tristan questioned, his sapphire eyes inquisitive.

Bristol didn't get to answer, because at that moment, the familiar hum of the portal bursting into existence echoed through the cortex. She and Tristan looked at one another in confusion. Aside from Bristol, no one had left headquarters. So who was this?

Tristan helped Bristol to her feet before they both fled down the hall. The lights flicked off with their departure, and they hid behind a corner as someone padded into the cortex, booming footsteps as loud as their hammering heartbeats.