I stared up at the ceiling while laying on my bed. Usually at this time in the early morning, birds could be heard singing. I loved they’re happiness singing to me every morning. But ever since this whole pointless war happened, I woke up later than usual. Heck, I wouldn't even call this a “war”. It was more like...a purge or something. My stupid step-father started this whole nonsense and inhumane killing. If I had a choice, I’d get away from him.

“Chen-ssi, are you awake? Your father wants to speak with you,” said a maid from outside.

“I’ll meet him later,” I said promptly, not bothering to get up.

I’ve made it a habit to lock my room before I go to sleep because every morning the maids would come into my room and stare at me while I sleep. Believe me, I’ve experienced this more than enough times already. After all, I was blessed with my mother’s beautiful genes. I sat up, hearing the copies of the keys to my room clink beside me. Yawning loudly, I got up and went to my wardrobe and picked out a simple casual outfit; a black hoodie and khaki pants. Sure my stepfather was a very important person to most people but to me, he was the worst trash on earth. That’s why I never bother nor feel the need to tidy myself up just to see him.

Before I could finish putting on my deep dyed maroon sneakers, the door flew open in one go. Startled, I shouted and turned around, seeing my stepfather and two soldiers standing behind him.

“Did you not receive my summons? Or were you simply taking your sweet time on purpose?” he asked, eying me suspiciously.

“No good morning?”

“Put on...better clothes. I’m appointing you as one of my commanders and we are going to accept you into our special empire only made up of True Humans. Like I’ve clearly stated before, once recognized as one, you’ll be safe and not targeted by your own kind. You will work directly under my command in the army and you will be taught to fight. Any objections will be overlooked.”

I stared up at him in fury. Who in the ing world would even want to be a part of this lame and stupid ‘True Humans’ army? I couldn’t help it but make an annoyed sound with my mouth.

“Then you might as well just ignore my whole existence because I’m never going to follow anything you say,” I said defiantly.

He raised his eyebrows, but his expression never really changed. His glasses tinted grey from the clouds in the early morning.

“Defiance and struggle will only make things more difficult. I’m giving you a spot as a high commander yet you refuse. What power do you have if not for me?”

“I have a different power than you. I don’t need what you have. I only need what I have. Unlike you, I’m not striving to be the one with the most power or the best. I’m only gaining as much as I need,” I said, grabbing my shoe and putting it on.

“”But tell me, what is this power of yours?”

I looked up at him and in a dead serious tone I said, “My determination.”

He laughed.

He mocked me.

I watched as his composed face earlier became destroyed by the ugly breathless laugh. I could feel my nose twitch in annoyance.

A crack of lightning was heard in the distance.

“What’re you going to do with your determination?! Sing and play your little ukelele to warm people’s hearts?! You’re a joke!”

My blood was boiling. I was ready to punch him and make him bleed to death. I never understood what it was that my mother had ever seen in this damn bastard. Not only did he treat her like when she was still alive, he didn’t even twitch a muscle when he heard that she had died. A loud crackling and earth shaking lightning slashed through the dark sky. The room shook violently, making my father and the two soldiers behind him stagger and fall.

I stood there watching as they struggled to compose themselves.

“So...WHAT if I DO have to sing to warm people’s hearts?! SO WHAT if I play a ukulele along. What about you? I can say the same. You’re killing those who are ‘stronger’ or ‘smarter’ than you only because you’re afraid they’ll take you down. What huh?! What’re you doing by killing them all? Scared?! You’re the pathetic joke!” I shouted.

The thunder and lighting was so loud, it seemed to be killing their heads. But I was fine. The rain could be heard wacking loudly into the cement outside. I saw my stepfather stand up, shouting something to the two soldiers and they pointed their guns at me. His face was red with rage and embarrassment.

“I’ll hope you know this. The only reason why you’re still alive today is because I need your damn filthy lips to tell me the passcode to the damn money chamber. If not for that, you’d been dead alongside the road with millions of other people out there!”

He punched me and I brought my hands up to touch my lips that were bleeding already from the impact.

“Humans like you are despicable beings...I hate you all with my heart,” I said, backing away from him.

A flash of light exploded in between us and then I closed my eyes.

“Chen-ah, don’t be afraid of the lightning.”

I opened my eyes. I was not in my room anymore. My Stepfather and his two soldiers weren’t there either. I was on a roof, out in the night. Looking up at the dark sky, iced with stars, I gasped. It was beautiful.

“Chen-ah, you see those stars? One day we’ll be able to go back to the galaxy where we belong.”

I looked at the figure that was pointing to the stars and the white figure nodded at me.

“Who are you all,” I said, finally noticing many more figures.

“You’ll see…”

I closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes, the scene change shocked me. I was in my room again, facing my stepfather who was looking at me with arrogance. That most hateful look. I looked at my hand that was clutching my abdomen. There was blood. A lot of blood. The pain finally reached me and I could feel my stomach churn. Looking back up to my stepfather who was glaring at me coldly, I smiled.

Then I began to sing.

I was scared. I knew I was going to die. I could hear other voices singing along with me. My voice melded into one with theirs, creating a perfect harmony. I didn’t care that more bullets were shot at me nor did I bother to block and dodge them. I didn’t stop singing until I got to the end. It was a weird song that I had heard in my dream the night my mother passed away.

Heartless…

“SHUTUP!”

I opened my eyes and looked at my father.

“You can kill me now, but you’ll never be able to conquer me. I don’t care whether or not you get to my mother’s treasures. The only one to benefit from it is you.”

He glared furiously at me before turning around.

“Shoot him…”

Then he walked out the room and the two soldiers brought up their guns. Right when they were going to shoot me, who was already shaking and getting dizzy from the earlier gun shots a loud crash of lightning split the room in half. The light was blindingly bright and I had to shield my eyes away from the scene. It became quiet again but then I heard the soldiers grunt and once the violent shaking stopped, I looked up immediately. Broken glass was everywhere on the carpet floor and rain water was gushing in from the roof. My blood had pooled around my feet, dying my maroon sneakers a dark wine. It trailed to the cracks in the ground from what I’m sure was a bolt of lightning. My eyes glued onto the unfamiliar pair of feet in the room, standing opposite from me. Someone was standing there, looking at me.

“Wow...you’re powerful.”

I studied him clearly. As he smiled, it revealed a dimple on his cheek. I couldn’t even speak or keep my balance anymore. I fell to the cracked floor, but the impact didn’t hurt as much as the gun wounds.

That damn fake bastard...I’ll make sure he lives through even worse pain when I see him next time.