The old metal scraped against its hinges as Lux gave the door a hard shove. He cringed at the way the noise echoed throughout the dark room in front of him. He took a step inside and allowed the door to close behind him. Being in the dark had always unsettled him, but he didn't want to make his presence known to anyone in the warehouse. After blinking a few times, the room around him became visible.
Find Rei. Just find Rei.
Lux knew he was here. The anonymous note left outside the house had confirmed that.
Now he was here, alone, wandering in a pitch-black warehouse, looking for his baby brother.
He surveyed his surroundings as he made his way further into the room. In front of him was a wide-open space with a raised walkway around the outer edge. The muted colors of the room made him feel as if he was inside a black-and-white T.V, but after blinking a few times, he realized the room was void of color. The walls had no windows, which explained the pitch-black room despite the sun outside. His footsteps were silent against the concrete floor and he thanked his past self for choosing these shoes. The room was surprisingly empty, with no sign of Rei or the people that took him anywhere. Lux noticed a series of doors along the back wall and figured it was as good a place to start as any.
“Right on time, Lux. I have to say it’s good to see you again.”
The voice caught him by surprise and he stopped in his tracks. He swept across the area, trying to locate the source of the voice.
“Who is it?”
“I know my voice has changed since the last time we spoke, but I thought you’d remember me.”
Lux was taken aback by the voice in the shadows. Did he know them? How? Why? Before he could ask these questions, however, the voice spoke again.
“Why don’t you turn the lights on for me?”
The voice sounded as though the source was right next to Lux, but when he turned to look in that direction, there was no one in sight.
“Where’s the switch?”
If he was someone else, someone normal, the question would seem logical. He had no idea if this person knew what he was capable of. But if they had Rei…
Stop it. Just do what they want.
“We both know you don’t need a switch.”
There it was. The thing Lux had been dreading most. With that phrase, the shadow confirmed the worst possible motive for Rei’s kidnapping:
They knew about their powers.
Realizing he couldn’t keep up the facade any longer, Lux held out his hand. Conjuring light was as simple as breathing to him, but in this circumstance, it felt wrong. The beam of light shot to the ceiling and hung there like a bulb, illuminating the warehouse in a soft glow.
As his eyes quickly adjusted to his surroundings, he discovered the source of the voice. On the ledge in front of him stood a young woman he didn't recognize. She had long flowing black hair that framed her face, and wore a black tight-fitting shirt, along with black pants. A cape-like shawl hung off her shoulders. Lux noted that she couldn't have been much older than him if at all.
“Ah, much better now.”
The woman leaned against the railing of the catwalk, looking down at him. Her voice had less bite than it did before, and her face was stoic, as was her body language. She seemed
The Forgotten Cosmos by Ashley Torbic