Chapter One

The soft chime of a clock resonated through the two-story house at a steady rhythm. A moment of silence ensued, only to be broken by the sharp clack of running footsteps as they pounded down the stairwell. Veronica Elifer tilted her head up just in time to see her son dart past the kitchen doorway. Her eyes caught brunet hair and a lithe frame as he moved toward the front door.

“Maxwell,” she called after her son.

“Sorry, Ma, but I’m going to be late!” her son replied as he threw on a pair of sneakers without even untying the laces.

Veronica crossed her hands over her chest. “Be home by dinner, all right?” she demanded which got a sharp nod from her son, along with a cheeky grin. She rolled her eyes at her son’s antics.

“Of course,” he replied before he darted out the door.

The door swung shut.

“That boy.”

She glanced at a single picture set near the sink. The glass frame glistened as she picked it up. She gripped the picture tightly.

“Felix,” she whispered.

The picture showed two people who stood side by side in obvious joy. A tall man with sea-green eyes and a small goatee stood with one arm around a young woman. The woman held one hand to her bulging stomach as she leaned against the man. Both smiled broadly toward the camera.

“You know…he’s growing up to be just like you,” she said, as she gazed solemnly at the picture. “I can’t believe they’re already fourteen, almost fifteen. Time does fly, doesn’t it?” She paused before she continued, a little softer.

“Has it really been four years since then? Since that incident? You saved them then, but…” She tried to rid herself of unwanted thoughts before she looked out the kitchen window. “I just hope neither of them has to go through the same things you did.”

She stopped before she gazed up toward the crystal-clear sky. She felt her expression shift to one of determination and fierce defiance as she stared up, as if in a prayer to the heavens. “I can’t let it happen again.”

Never again.

She heard a soft knock and jerked up. She turned warily toward the doorway, gently placing the photo down. She walked over and slowly opened the door.

There was no one there. She looked around then peered toward the ground. A white letter lay on the pavement. She squatted down and picked it up. She flipped over the paper and froze as her free hand moved up to her mouth. Her eyes widened as her fingers trembled.

“Felix!”

~ * ~

Maxwell gritted his teeth in annoyance as he ran down the street. He couldn’t believe he was actually going to be late for school. He was usually never late! He frowned as he berated himself for his screw-up. Oh, his twin was going to have such a riot when she saw this. He skimmed over cracked pavement and brown sidewalks. He could see pristine hedges on either side of the long street, hiding brilliant white but squat houses. Windows were flung open to the fresh autumn morning air as people milled about, watering plants, lounging outside on plastic chairs or lying on the bright and fluffy green grass. Flowers swayed in the early morning breeze.

Maxwell took in the quaint village landscape. It’s such a beautiful day out, he thought.

Long bangs draped into his eyes on either side of his face. In slight annoyance, he brushed them behind his ear as he moved his pace to a walk. He got his breath back as he looked at the clothes he had hastily thrown on in his panic, a gray sweatshirt with blue jeans. He had a black bag draped over his shoulder which he knew from memory had his name sewn into the smallest flap.

“Maxwell.”

He peered up at the sudden shout. To his right, heading toward him, was a middle-aged woman. She wore a summer dress and had a bright smile on her face.

“Hello, Maxwell, running late to school? I saw your sister a while ago. I was surprised to see you weren’t with her.”

“Yeah, guess she didn’t want to wake me. So, what’s going on?” he asked as he finally took notice of a line of people behind her.

The woman glanced back and chuckled, a sheepish expression on her face. “I’m taking a quick break. I need it, considering how busy it’s been, what with winter coming in a few months and the harvest festival a little before that, everyone’s doing last minute preparations, just the usual.”

“Ah, I see…must be pretty hard,” he replied.

“You’re right, it is a real strain sometimes, but at the same time, it’s quite nice. That reminds me, are you available this week? I need some help with the store and it seems like everyone else just wants to enjoy the last bits of summer,” she stated with a frown.

Maxwell, hesitating for only the briefest of moments, nodded.

She beamed. “Great. I know with school having only started a few weeks ago you’re still getting in the swing of things, but I’m glad you’re willing to help.” She glanced at the watch on her wrist. “Oh boy, I have to get back, my break is almost over. Actually, shouldn’t you already be…”

Maxwell blinked in confusion before he squinted at the watch the woman held out to him. He stared uncomprehendingly, before he yelped. Crap! he thought as he felt his eyes widen. “I’m sorry! Thank you for reminding me. I’ll see you later. I’m going to be late,” he exclaimed and with a quick wave, dashed down the road.

He noticed the woman return to her post outside her home to take care of the crowd gathered there.

The town had a population of around three thousand people and most residents had their own shop right outside their home, just like that woman. Each specialized in specific things, such as carpentry, clothing or food.

It isn’t really odd though, Maxwell thought, as he ran down another street. He skimmed around a corner, just in time to avoid an elderly woman heading rather briskly in the other direction.

“Sorry,” he shouted toward the woman, who only held a look of bemusement.

He let his thoughts continue where they left off. Considering the town was completely surrounded by trees, trees and more trees, each tree, according to scientific calculation, was easily over ninety feet tall. They cast long shadows over the houses and roads, even in the morning sun. Many people thought it was peaceful and quaint.

Of course, there were always exceptions.

He thought of his sister right off the bat.

Maxwell passed more houses and heard people call out enthusiastically from stands and windows alike. He waved before he continued on. His breath came in shorter and shorter gasps. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take another break, considering how late it was getting. He gripped his backpack tightly so it wouldn’t fall off, annoyed that his home was so far away from where he needed to go.

It was only a few minutes later that he reached the heart of town. A cobblestone plaza lay in the middle, surrounded by pavement. Right in the center of the plaza was a fountain with an eagle spreading its wings wide. Water spouted out of its beak, which was pointed upward toward the sky. On one side of the plaza was a church. Its steeple soared over the plaza. Granite steps led up to double doors made of oak.

The bell rang. It chimed over the town in a sweet melody. He peered at the steeple as he waited for the final chime. The final note rang out beautifully for a moment, before silence took over. Maxwell stared solemnly toward the bell tower before he let out a resigned groan. He turned to examine the rest of the plaza. On the other side, parallel with the church, was a school. It was a small one-story-tall building that filled up half the square by itself. He could just barely see people dart in the doors. Next to it was the convenience store. It was the go-to for anything that couldn’t be made by hand.

Maxwell took in the crowded streets before he spotted a familiar figure. He hurried over to the figure.

Standing by the school was a girl about the same height as Maxwell. She leaned her back against the brick wall of the school in a nonchalant, and slightly annoyed posture. Her raven-black hair curved around her face, and fell just a little past her chin on either side. The rest of her hair was pulled back sharply and tied up in a high ponytail.

She wore a blue halter top with short tan shorts. Her arms and fingers were clad in black fingerless gloves that reached comfortably to her elbows. Worn but well-used hiking boots covered her feet. Long black socks surged up to just below her knees, finishing the ensemble. She also had a backpack draped off one shoulder.

Her face expressed boredom as Maxwell stepped in front of her. His sister seemed to sense his presence. Sky blue eyes opened to acknowledge him as he leaned against the wall beside her to catch his breath.

“Took you long enough,” she stated.

He felt her gaze on him before a grin crossed her face.

“I was starting to wonder whether you were going to skip. Of course, personally, I would be happy to do that.”

Maxwell huffed in annoyance before he pushed off the wall. “You could have at least woken me up, Karina,” he stated with a shake of his head. “School only just started and we’re going to be late for the second time.”

Karina raised her eyebrow.

“Don’t say the first time wasn’t your fault. You thought it would be funny to steal my alarm clock and replace it with a freaking spider! Who does that?”

Karina pushed off the wall. “It was only plastic.”

Maxwell’s shoulders drooped. “Anyway, let’s get inside.”

“Yeah, because you are oh so excited for math, right?”

Maxwell groaned. He never was going to live that one down, was he? “Oh, shut up,” he muttered as they walked quickly down the wooden hallway to reach the first door on the right.

Of course, he didn’t have to worry too much. Math, thankfully, wasn’t till the end of the day, but still. They knocked and stepped in, just as Karina’s name was called.

Karina waved. “Here,” she shouted as she took her seat.

Maxwell groaned audibly at his sister’s antics.

The room was a normal classroom with blackboards and rows of desks set up neatly in aisles. The teacher, a balding man in his thirties, glanced up with an unsurprised look. “Maxwell Elifer? Can you try to make sure you and your sister actually get here on time?”

Maxwell took his seat, but didn’t comment. I’m just lucky that we both even get to class, he thought in annoyance as the teacher finished his roll call. If it wasn’t for the stupid alarm clock, I would have gotten here on time, along with Kari… He mentally sighed once more and slumped in his seat.

Only to perk up as the teacher said, “Okay, class, pop quiz time.”

Maxwell glanced around as a groan vibrated around the room, filled with about twenty students around his age. He dug into his bag and pulled out a pencil. He tapped it onto the desk as he waited. He could see Karina. Her eyes were closed and she was leaned back against the chair. An unenthused look sat on her face.

“Kari,” Maxwell hissed under his breath, soft enough for only her to hear.

Why couldn’t his sister at least try to look like she was paying attention?

Karina opened her eyes before she sent him a glare and let the chair fall back into place.

It was then that he received his quiz.

He quickly wrote down the answers and passed it forward. After another five to ten minutes, the teacher collected all the quizzes.

“All right, let’s see how you did. Question one, what was the second name of The Great War and what followed?”

A kid near Karina raised his hand and spoke. “After the conclusion of the Great War, they renamed it World War I and shortly after came World War II, promptly followed by the Eternal War Era.”

“Good. Now, question two, what caused the name changes to occur?”

This time, another kid spoke up. “The name of the Great War was originally changed because it was easier to distinguish, after the second ‘great war’ started, which was which. The name of the time following World War II was changed because they noticed a connection between each successive war after the fact regarding certain superpowers, including the United States.”

“That’s correct, because of U.S. involvement in most wars post World War II, they deemed to call the entire period between that war and the Vietnam War the Eternal War Era, in order to more easily group them together. Now, final question, what was the consequence of that time?”

Maxwell raised his hand. “There was a depletion of goods, and as a result, they wanted to find more efficient ways to preserve society. As such, they created this place, so that people could learn about nature and grow in it. After the movement, the U.S. closed all borders officially and turned in on itself. It focused on recovering its own problems and, as a result, ended up booming in private businesses…” he trailed off as the teacher gestured to him proudly.

“That is correct. As a result, they didn’t need this town, so now we just learn and live in peace.”

Karina tched. Maxwell smirked toward his sister who had her arms crossed over her chest. He could see one leg jitter against the table.

“I hope everyone did well. Now, turn to page two hundred and fifty-four of our textbook and we’ll get started on the Industrial Revolution…”

~ * ~

Maxwell sighed as he stepped out the door of the school. He saw Karina beam with joy as she ran down the steps in the direction of the forest right past the convenience store. “Come on, Max, I want to show you something. We can go home after, ‘kay?”

Maxwell’s eyes narrowed as he walked down the steps as well. The afternoon sun shone down over them as the school doors opened to the rush of students leaving classes. “Kari, I’m tired. Why don’t we just go home and you can show me this weekend?”

“Max, come on, it won’t take that long.” She frowned as she faced Maxwell with sharp blue eyes, as if to dare him to argue.

His sister could be…interesting at times, but she did mean well. “Fine, what is it?” he asked as he hefted his backpack more comfortably on his shoulder.

“You’ll see,” she said, sounding relieved, as she went to walk away.

“Kari…it better not be something stupid, like trying to find wild animals, or racing through the trees again…didn’t you almost break your ankle last time you decided to try to swing between the trees?”

Karina shrugged. A nervous grin sat on her face, which betrayed her nonchalant posture.

“Come on, Maxwell, it won’t be THAT bad…please?” she begged.

Maxwell had to mentally reiterate to himself that his sister did mean well, even if she was a bit on the hyperactive side.

Karina started to usher Maxwell forward.

Great. I don’t even know HOW she finds half the things she does. I always end up caught up in them…and usually not for the best. He let his thoughts trail off with a shiver. He remembered one too many times running for dear life while his sister would grin widely, even as she muttered apologies.

He could see Karina smirk and stick her tongue out playfully before she spun away. She seemed to pause before reaching an arm backward. She grabbed Maxwell’s wrist and darted toward the surrounding forest. Maxwell yelped as he followed after the energetic girl. Karina was fast, much to Maxwell’s consternation, as she ran down the road without a care, plunging right into the tree line. Maxwell stumbled behind her and yelped in frustration as he tripped over another root.

“Hey!” he shouted as his backpack slammed into his back.

Karina ignored him as they darted into the trees.

“Kari. Will you slow down?” Maxwell gasped out between wheezes, as he struggled to keep up with Karina’s harsh pace. Where the heck does she get all this energy? he thought in exasperation.

“Heck no, come on, little brother, you should be able to do this much,” she called back as she swerved around another tree. Maxwell barely managed to avoid it as he let a curse slip through his lips and under his breath the whole time.

“Karina, this is ridiculous! You’re running way too fast. How do you have so much energy after a full day of school?” He yelped as he managed to scramble over a fallen tree limb that his sister practically jumped over. It didn’t help that she gave him no warning she was jumping anyway which made him stumble over it.

He saw Karina frown as she tilted her head to look back at him. He felt her glare even as she faced toward the deep woods. “Stupid little brothers,” she muttered under her breath as she leaped over another small fallen sapling.

“You’re only about two minutes older than me,” Maxwell replied curtly as he followed up her leap. This one he could actually make, even as his breath caught in his throat.

The two ran through the forest with rapid speed. Occasionally, they slowed to give Maxwell a break before Karina dragged him off again. The afternoon sun shone down brilliantly, as branches shifted in a light breeze. Fallen leaves coated the ground and crunched under their feet. Maxwell followed, somewhat unwillingly.

Finally, Karina slowed her pace down to a walk. Maxwell felt his lungs gasp for air as he forced himself not to lean forward and rest his hands on his knees like he wanted to. Why did his sister have to be so athletic compared to himself?

He heard wind whisper through the trees as he felt his sister’s gaze on him. He tilted his head up enough from its drooped state to see her sheepish expression.

Sorry, she mouthed as he glared at her. Really? His sister was too hyperactive for her own good.

“So…um…how was your day?” she asked tentatively after he caught his breath and they moved on, thankfully much more slowly.

Maxwell put a hand to his face before he dropped it and spoke. “Just…great…I really just need a break,” he muttered as his sister dropped her pace enough to walk beside him instead of in front of him. Her gaze was even, if a little confused.

“Break? From school? From the run?” she asked.

“Well, yes, that too…” he trailed off as he suddenly remembered why he woke up so late. To be more precise, why he hadn’t gotten enough sleep to actually hear his alarm properly.

He noticed Karina’s eyes on him and once more looked toward his sister. It only took a moment for understanding to flit across her face. “Dad…”

“It was four years ago today after all,” Maxwell responded vaguely.

He felt Karina bump into his shoulder. “Come on. If we go at this pace, it’ll take all day,” she said, as she gently grabbed his hand once more. Maxwell nodded, grateful for the distraction as he followed after her at a faster pace that was still much slower than before.

It was only a couple minutes later, however, when he once more thought of it.

Maxwell’s lips tightened into a thin line before he forced himself to relax. He looked to see his sister and cringed. The smile on her face was weak. He instantly recognized it as a fake, one only used when she didn’t want to worry others.

Sorry, Kari, he thought as he noticed the grip on his wrist tighten. You’re still trying to forget as well.

A long low sigh slipped through his lips before he found himself jerked to a halt.

He peered up to see a rocky cliff edge surrounded by trees. the rock wall seemed a lot more intimidating up close. Maxwell saw it from a distance through the trees for a while, but since his mind was preoccupied, he hadn’t really thought about it. Not until it was in his face. He tilted his head up to take in the fact that a tree lay against the rock face precariously, looking ready to fall to the ground at any moment.

He saw his sister’s smile widen as she let go of his wrist. He rubbed his wrist gingerly. “So, was there a reason why you dragged me out here? This is a nice rock wall and all, but that’s about it.”

“Geez. THIS isn’t the spot. It’s just on the way. Now come on. I can’t wait to show Mom as well, if I can ever convince her to come with us.”

Maxwell noticed his sister’s eyes glimmer as she stared up at the rock face, her expression shining with the prospect. He peered down at the ground and felt his bangs fall into his face once more. He brushed his bangs back, looked up and said, “You do realize she wouldn’t have the time, right? She’s the only doctor and scientist in town. This morning was one of the few times she actually had off.”

He saw his sister’s expression falter for a moment before she seemed to steady herself. A glimmer like determination flashed through her eyes as she looked at Maxwell.

“It’s worth a shot. She’s been working hard ever since…” She paused before she sighed and continued, “I think it would be a good chance for her to take a break so that we can be like a family again. As you said, she rarely has time lately, so it would be nice.”

Maxwell eyed his sister. He breathed in and slowly exhaled before he looked up at the rock face with a glare. He really wasn’t looking forward to this. “I hope you don’t expect me to climb that, because, you know, there’s no way I’m going up that thing,” he said.

He saw Karina shake her head as he continued to stare at the rock face. A cloud slid over the sky to dapple it in steely grey. “One day you’ll be glad to have a chance. Anyway…” He finally pulled his eyes away from the treacherous, in his opinion, rock face to look at her. He noticed her eyes gleaming with an unidentifiable emotion. She flung her hands out to either side as she exclaimed toward Maxwell enthusiastically. “Don’t you want to see what’s beyond these trees? Beyond this place? In the past fourteen years, we have never been away from home, ever. Mom has, and so did Dad, when he was around. Don’t you want to go into that world outside and see what else is out there?”

“No,” Maxwell replied with a deadpan look. “I’m quite content with staying home. This town has everything we need. I don’t see the point. Plus, what about Ma? We can’t just leave her.”

Karina closed her eyes and seemed to debate with herself for a moment before she opened them, and said, “We’ll all just go together, I think that would be more fun anyway.”

Maxwell stayed silent as Karina turned to face the rock face. She reached both arms forward to give them a good stretch. “We get to the top of our rock and you won’t even have to worry about it anymore. Come on, it’s easy.”

Maxwell gave her a deadpan look as he felt his eye twitch. Karina noticed his expression and huffed. “Fine, I’ll show you,” she stated.

Maxwell scrutinized her. He tilted his head up as he noticed that everything seemed a shade darker. What was once a beautifully clear late-afternoon sky was now gradually being filled with dark, foreboding clouds. He frowned as an uneasy feeling settled in his gut. His sister seemed to sense it as well. Karina looked around once before she shook her head, as if to rid it of thoughts, and stepped toward the rock face. She pushed herself up with quick and efficient movements as her hands flew up the rocks with ease.

She reached the top and dangled her legs over it to look down. “You coming?”

“No way,” he called as he tried desperately to hide the nervousness that seemed to want to slip into his voice. Heights…why heights? He blinked and glanced up once more as a low rumble sounded in the distance. “Um…how about we go back home? Ma is probably waiting for us.” Maxwell said.

Karina tilted her head up to the sky. He heard a small, noncommittal noise from her before she frowned. “It does look like it’s going to rain, doesn’t it?”

Maxwell nodded. Karina slid over the edge and began to climb down. She took slow steps even as Maxwell felt something fall onto his cheek. He jumped as a yelp came from the rock face. He turned just in time to see Karina skid down the side. His eyes widened as he stumbled forward. Karina stopped only a foot or two below where she lost her footing.

His sister leaned against the rock face, still having a way to go. Her expression was a mix between stunned and slightly scared. Her clothes were ruffled. Her knees, elbows and hands were scratched up from trying to stay close to the rock face. A light stream of blood slipped from her fingers as a tremble racked up her spine. His sister let out a shaky breath as she took stock of any injuries. Both teens stayed in silence before Maxwell cautiously called up to her.

“You okay?”

“What do you think,” Karina snapped back, her voice harsh.

Maxwell cringed as Karina stared at the wall face. Was she nervous?

Maxwell saw her grip the stone more tightly before she finished her descent, jumped to the ground and brushed herself off.

Maxwell muttered a quiet, “Show off,” even as he let himself smile, relieved.

She gave him an annoyed look before she coldly walked past him. “Hurry up, slowpoke. We’re going to be late.”

Maxwell raised an eyebrow as he followed after her. Wasn’t that my line? he thought in bemusement.

Karina ignored him as she walked determinedly onward.

Maxwell pursed his lips. Shadows fell over the tree canopies, as the sun’s rays struggled to shine through the now completely darkened sky. “It looks like a big storm,” he muttered as he eyed the horizon, feeling the apprehension well up more as he watched the fast-moving clouds.

The two continued back in an awkward silence. They kept their slow pace through the trees even as Maxwell tried to bring up a conversation. Sometimes, he made comments on the impending storm silently urging her to go a little faster, other times, he talked about how lazy the math teacher was, which was making learning the subject even harder, since it was also the last class of the day. Yet other times, he would bring up their mom.

He could see his sister glance at him, conflicted between her want to stay moody, and her wish to chat with her brother.

Moodiness won out even as a low rumble sounded once more in the distance.

“Well, this is more peaceful than I thought,” Maxwell said as they slipped around another tree. The times I don’t want to talk, she annoys me to no end, the times I want to talk, she’s as silent as the freaking trees… He put a hand to his face as he quietly chuckled.

He never could understand the way his sister acted most of the time, even though they were practically inseparable since birth.

The clouds steadily grew darker as they walked. In the distance, they could hear the chime of the church bell, which signaled that it was around six, even though the dark clouds made it look like it was closer to midnight.

“Well… It looks like we’re going to be late again,” Maxwell muttered under his breath as he glanced at his sister’s back. Karina gazed ahead steadily as she kept up with a firm pace.

They made it into the village center about five minutes later. Maxwell’s legs shook from exhaustion as he stumbled tiredly after Karina. His stomach growled and his throat felt dry.

He noted how dark everything was. He could see windows that were previously wide open to the sun, shut tight, only a hint of light seeping through the panes. Plastic coverings sat over some of the plants and most of the stands, prepared for the storm. The streets were empty, to the point of it being almost eerie for both teens.

With each step, they picked up their pace as they passed house after house with barely any light peeking through. Occasionally they caught a flicker, the flutter of a curtain or the gleam of a back-porch light. Shadows weaved through the dwindling sunlight and cast tables, sheds and buildings in ominous textures. Trees and branches began to sway back and forth in the wind that started to pick up around the town. A low whistle could be heard as it swept through the houses, trees and vegetation. A groaning rumble sounded a distance away. With each moment and sound, the twins’ steps grew faster until they ran, full speed, down the street. There was another low rumble in the distance that grew longer and louder. Street lamps flickered disconcertingly on either side of the road.

Soft pants could be heard over the incoming storm. An uneasy pressure filled the air as the smell of salt and water wafted toward their noses. A low rumbling boom sounded once more, suddenly a lot closer, which startled them.

Karina’s eyes were narrowed in concentration as they sped around the final corner. Their house stood ahead, three down on the left. Its windows were opened with not a single light seen.

“Something’s not right,” Karina said as she slowed down to a cautious walk.

“You don’t say,” Maxwell replied, as he slowed himself down, his own thoughts in turmoil as he scrutinized the empty streets.

The storm’s pressure seemed to grow, as if it begged to be let loose and break over their heads as another, longer, rumbling sound vibrated around the town. Wind blew stronger. It pulled at their hair and clothes. Maxwell breathed out. He hadn’t even realized he held his breath to begin with.

Karina ignored him. She put a finger to her lips as she walked up the front steps. Her eyes seemed to zero in on the front door as she moved.

Maxwell eyed her in a mixture of annoyance and confusion as Karina purposefully held up a hand toward him before she stepped to the doorway alone. She hesitated before she thrust the door out of the way with a jarring bang.