A Hero In The Dark

Chapter 1: A Story Come True

It is a night of silence. My window is open – as it usually is. The crickets chirp outside and the distant sound of my city at night is present in my ears.

My laptop sits on my lap while I sit on my bed in my pyjamas and robe. Everyone has already gone to bed; I can hear my father snoring in the master bedroom opposite to mine even though the door is closed.

I have a browser open to Google Chrome, the link leading to YouTube. I haven't checked what videos are trending in a while.

After clicking the Trending option, I see something I never thought I'd see: a video, live right now in America, of John Smith jumping out of a burning building. Mark's house. Mark James.

As soon as the live stream ends, I shut the laptop closed and glance at the books on my shelf in utter disbelief. The books written by Pittacus Lore. My favourite series of all time. I thought it wasn't real; that it was all just a story. I always assumed the author was under the pseudonym Pittacus Lore and that the true author was James Frey.

I was wrong. It's real. The Loric are on Earth. Lorien is destroyed. The Mogadorians are real; and their hunting the garde. I have no idea how much of the story is true or false. If it was written by Pittacus Lore, an Elder on the planet Lorien, it must be accurate.

I need to help them. I've read all the books. I know where all of the Garde are. I know what happens. I can change the outcome. Prevent the bad. Embrace the good. Number Eight's death. Number Five losing an eye. Henri's death. It doesn't have to happen. I can help them. I know my role is to play my part in this war.

According to the news, there have been many disappearances of countless young adults around the world. Some haven't been heard from for a long time – for years in fact. They must've been readers of the Lorien Legacies series as well. They knew just as much as I do about the Loric, Mogadorians, and fate of Earth. The mogs must have killed them. It's the only explanation. Which means the mogs might hunt me down and kill me as well. I've posted stuff related to this on social media as well. They're probably hunting for me right now.

I have to go. I don't have a choice. Whether I stay here or not, the Mogadorians will still come for me. I have to find John Smith and try to help them win this war.

So, I start packing my bag.

I don't carry too much. Leaving my laptop, books, and anything I won't need. I simply pack a few clothes to take on my journey, my iPhone – to look at news – and my iPhone's charger.

Once I finish packing a bag, I look at the books on my shelf. As I touch each of the ten books in the main series, I quickly recap what happens in each book.

Once finished, it's been nearly an hour.

Before I'm out the door, I write a quick note to my family, that reads:

Going to help John Smith. I'll be back soon. Don't worry about me. I love you. Stay safe.

It's 1:23 am when I leave the house.

I'm not sure if taking a plane to America is the smartest thing to do. After all, I don't want to be stuck thousands of feet in the air with Mogadorians. If they're looking for me, that's a very dangerous move. It's probably safer to travel by other means. I'll take a bus and head south to Ohio that way.