1

  The room was filled with a looming darkness. If one could see in the dark, they would see onyx walls and a place that resembled a cathedral. Inside, hundreds of people in cloaks spoke in unison, akin to a chant. Their faces hidden behind black masks. In the middle of the room, there lay a large orb, and smoke surrounded it. If only the people there weren't wearing masks, it would be clear that they were facing the orb.

  A tall figure emerged from the darkness; they wore the same cape as the other people in the room. The person moved like a ghost, floating through the room. They went in the direction of the orb, a skeletal hand came from the cape, and they touched the orb gently. The voice was almost a whisper, and yet, everyone stopped to listen.

  "It seems I'm closer than ever. I can almost see it, in the orb - the promise will be fulfilled."

  The crowd started whispering to each other. The happiness could be heard in their voices, while they spoke in different tongues.

  They noticed it was a man as he lifted the mask, only enough to reveal his lips, and he kissed the orb. He walked past it and took a cup that stood on a stone in front of him. He drank all of its contents, and when he positioned the mask back, the crowd turned in his direction.

  "Come forward, the most loyal of my servants, come to me as I call you."

  From the middle of the people, ten different men and women came forward and knelt in front of the man. He walked past them and caressed their masks, touched their heads.

  "Yes, you've been my most loyal and, may I say, friends. And you, better than anyone, should know how close I am to my goals. Everything I dreamed of. The world is to be created and molded in the light that we'll shine. Now it's time I share with you the knowledge, and you'll have part of my power."

  The man picked up the same cup he had drunk from before. He took it to a font behind the stone and filled it with a black liquid. He went to each of the people who knelt before him. Each person exposed their lips behind the mask while the man poured a small dose of the liquid into their mouths.

  "Thank you, master." Each of them said, and if the darkness could glow, their auras would certainly be glowing.

  "Now I opened your eyes, now you share with me my blessings, now you are part of the same destiny as me."

  The crowd erupted in screaming and cheering. Their happiness was too big and violent, to the point they started punching each other. They screamed in a mix of pain and joy. The floor of the room was filled with blood, and before the carnage was over, bodies also lay there.

  "My children, my children. Your happiness is contagious. You are so true to your nature. The world shall share in your bliss, too, when the time comes."

  The man spoke to the ten men and women in front of him again:

  "There are people coming. I saw in the orb. I'm not able to see who they are or what they're like. But I can feel they're coming. You must stay vigilant, you must protect our plan until it's done."

  The servants murmured in agreement. One by one, they stood and walked back to where they had come, as they disappeared in the darkness. Soon, the room was empty again, but there was silence and something more...

  2

  The heat of the summer made the boys eager for some ice cream. They got out of the classes, as people buzzed in and out of the school buildings.

  "Hey, let me ask you something, I just thought."

  "Shoot it."

  "Do you plan to vote in the next elections? I mean, since we're able to vote now."

  "Hum, I didn't give that much thought. Why do you ask?"

  "Just curiosity... I mean, I heard about that candidate, it's impossible not knowing him right now."

  "Oh, man, you're talking about the Preacher? I hate that guy; my parents listen to him all the time."

  "Yeah, mine too. But don't you think he's at least interesting? If he does half the shit he's promising, I don't know..."

  "You want my opinion? That guy is all talking and no doing. I bet he will be just like all the others."

  A girl from another class appeared behind them.

  "Hey, so you're talking about politics. Talking about the Preacher and everything."

  "Yeah, right. Are you a fan of the guy?"

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  "Me? Never! Ugh." The girl replied as she squeezed her face and put her tongue out. "I despise everything that he represents. Neo Victoria City doesn't need anyone like him as a mayor..."

  "Not to be the bad guy, but you know he's winning, right?"

  The girl looked down.

  "I know, but I won't lose hope. Not yet, you know what they say, every vote counts."

  "I'm afraid that at the state of the elections, it won't make much difference."

  As they got out of the school, they noticed a crowd outside. People wore shirts stamped with the Preacher's face and sang jingles about him.

  "Do you think they heard us?"

  "I hope not, because they wouldn't give us peace."

  People in the crowd started talking to them. They told things like how important it was for the young generation to vote and to choose the right leaders. They agreed, so they could go home without a discussion...

  3

  When Wren woke up, he didn't recognize where he was. It was a room he had never seen before. He reached for the door, and he found himself in a long corridor. He tried other doors, and all of them led to a similar room to the one he woke up in. His head hurt, and he didn't remember anything prior.

  "What was I doing? I feel like I was doing something important."

  He searched for his phone or his wallet in his pocket, but he couldn't find them.

  "Was I robbed? Shit, man."

  The strangest thing was that the rooms had no windows, and the more he walked through the corridor, the more he was sure...

  "No, it's better not to think of stuff like that. Let's see what I can find."

  He found a different room, one that had a bathroom. Inside the bathroom, everything looked normal. The water was running, and the lights could be turned on and off. He decided to stay in this room for a moment.

  "Okay, let's see, what can I remember? My name is Wren. That's one thing. And I..."

  It was just one thought on his mind, a strange thought.

  "And I... I'm able to use magic?"

  He wasn't sure, taking everything into account, maybe he was going insane. But nobody was watching, would it be that bad trying it?

  He extended both of his hands and let it flow through him. He felt lighter and lighter. Then, with a thud, everything in the room went to the ceiling. Wren himself was almost knocked back by the force of the pull. He tried it again, and this time, he was ready for the effect. Everything fell back to the ground, and some of the stuff broke in the process.

  "I think I'm getting it now. Even though I don't remember what I used to do with it..."

  Wren decided to go back to the corridor, and he shivered a little.

  "Let's try something."

  Once again, he put his hands forward and moved them in a swift motion. He jumped against the wall, and somehow he knew what he should do. He used his hand to push and pull the air around him, and he glided at full speed against the walls. He screamed, not out of fear, but excitement and freedom. Yes, this is definitely something he does.

  Even though he moved a lot faster than before, he still didn't find the end of the corridor. Worse than this, he noticed that the place breached off in different directions and that they all looked the same.

  "Where the hell am I?"

  He started to sweat and feel weak, so he stopped to catch his breath. A thought crossed his head.

  "What if I explode one of the walls or the ground?"

  But there was also a funny thought in his mind that he should be careful with magic. So as not to expose it to other people. He wasn't sure why he thought that, but it was a certainty in his mind.

  "But if I don't try anything, I'm going to be stuck here for a moment. I should do it while I have the energy."

  He touched the ground and concentrated the energy in his palms. It was similar to everything he did. It exploded, and he fell to the floor below. To his dismay, the place looked exactly like the one he was in.

  "Oh shit, there's something very wrong here."

  But then he thought, if he was using magic, maybe he was also trapped with magic. But how would he get out of there? Something in his mind told him that he wasn't strong enough to do it.

  "Guess I'm trapped here for a while. I should look for a place to stay." His belly growled. "And I wish I could do something about this, but there's no sign of food here."

  He found a room with a bed, where he decided to lie and think about everything. Deep down, Wren knew that if he let desperation take control, he wouldn't be able to do anything. No, he needed to clear his mind. Trying to think about his memories and the last thing he remembered. He forced himself to put the pieces together. He was able to use magic; he was a young man. Something or someone trapped him using magic.

  "I was doing something. I guess it was important, and then I got caught. But what was it? If only I could remember where I was, maybe it would be of some help."

  He remembered something, so he sent a message. Or at least he tried. He remembered doing that. The thing was, he didn't remember what he had written.

  "I hope there's someone coming to rescue me. Maybe that's what I wrote."

  And he thought that it meant that he had friends or at least people he could trust. And that made it easier. If he was going to be stuck in a mysterious place, hope would help ease his mind.

  "I hope they're strong enough to get me out of here. I feel like I'm going crazy," He whispered to himself.

  4

  "The election date is coming, and the race is starting to be defined by the charismatic figure of the Preacher. With a surge of popularity, the man is heading strong for the mayor's chair. Is he the right one to take Neo Victoria City to a glorious future? I believe we're about to discover it. People appear to be eager to trust in something new for the city, even though he appeals to the traditional values.

  When asked about what they hoped for in the elections, most people answered that they wanted someone to solve problems related to violence, transportation, and inflation. Whoever wins the election must be prepared to deal with the struggles of an ever-growing city.

  Is the Preacher the right person to deal with it all? He doesn't seem very prone to discussing economics and all its aspects. Does he have a plan for everything? His speech is certainly inflammatory, but to be a good politician, it takes more than that.

  In the end, the only thing we have now is hope. Hope for the results of the elections. And that the people choose someone capable of leading us. Emily Abbot from the News Channel. Good night, everyone."