Lay.

I remember when life was very simple. I could just live day to day without worrying about anything.

But no not one single day is simple, and I like it like that.

---

“Lay! Come quick!”

My friend had fallen over and twisted his ankle, again.

People always call me when they get hurt. Ever since that boy fell off the rock climbing wall and was saved by the harness. His back went through a lot, and I walked him to the nurse’s office. While he was waiting in there, I offered to rub his back. He said he felt almost completely better after that.

I made a small fortune in the lunch breaks massaging people. I liked to help them feel better, I enjoyed doing it. But back then I didn’t know.

One day, I was just casually eating at my favourite café, when I saw an old friend from my primary school. He sat down with me, and I ordered him some food.

“Hi! It’s been too long Lay.”

“It has been way too long. How are you Tao?”

“Honestly, things are pretty weird right now…”

“Why?”

“I feel like there is something, well something special about me.”

“You aren’t trying to make it sound like a good idea to break into another bank are you?”

“No, nothing like that. Plus I only broke in because I was in debt. I didn’t take any more than I needed.”

“Then what is it?”

He looked around and lowered his voice.

“I feel like I have some special ability. Something completely different and unusual…”

“I know that feeling. I sometimes feel like that when people say they feel fully better after I give them a massage. Even I don’t believe I’m that good…”

A strange man sat next to me as I said that, and it startled me very much. Tao pinned his arm to the table, but the man wasn’t surprised. It was like he was expecting it. He looked up and smiled at us.

“Who the hell are you!?”

“My name is Kai. Nice to meet you too.”

“Why are you here? Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“No. I’ve been meaning to talk to you two, and with you both together now is the perfect time.”

“What? Who paid you to mess with us?”

“Tao calm down. Let’s at least hear what he has to say.”

Tao let go of Kai’s arm, and he started talking.

“Well, I also have something different and unusual. All three of us here have that in common.”

“Why do we have it then?”

“Well, a long time ago, there were twelve men sent to planet Earth from EXOPLANET.”

“EXOPLANET? Sounds pretty fake to me Lay.”

“What do we have to do with any of this?”

“There is a legend from our planet. We are from it, and I’m on a mission to find all twelve of us. We have to save the tree of life, our ancestors, from the evil out to destroy it.”

“I don’t know if you know this Kai, but I’m a bad guy. I’m not out to save magic trees and fight evil. I rob banks and steal food to stay alive.”

“I know Tao. I’ve been watching you.”

“What!? You are very creepy, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know…”

“What is this so called ‘legend’ then?”

“When the skies and grounds were one, the legends, through their twelve forces, nurtured the tree of life. An eye of red force created the evil which coveted the heart of the tree of life, and the heart slowly grew dry. To tend and embrace the tree of life, the legends hereby divide the tree in half and hide each side. Hence, time is over-turned and space turns askew. The twelve forces divide into two and create two suns that look alike in two worlds that seem alike. The legends travel apart. The legends shall now see the same sky but shall stand on different grounds, shall stand on the same ground but shall see different skies. Then day the grounds be kept a single file before one sky in two worlds that seem alike, the legends will greet each other. The day the red force is purified, the twelve forces will reunite into one perfect root, a new world shall open up. I think that’s right. Believe me now?”

“Lay, I don’t think he could’ve just made that up on the spot.”

“Yeah, but how do we fit into all of this?”

“Well, all twelve of us have special powers. Lay, your power is healing. Tao, you can control time.”

“That explains a lot…”

“Hey, if I can control time, shouldn’t I be able to move fast while everyone else is slow?”

“Yes, but you haven’t fully unleashed your power. See, we are split into two groups. We each have a partner from the other group that helps to unlock our full potential.”

“Where is my partner then?”

“Unfortunately, he is trapped in time. As soon as the other 11 of us are together, we can help you get him out.”

“Ok… what’s your power then?”

“I can teleport, but with this I must leave you guys. I still need to find some more of us. I’ll come by again when I’ve found some more.”

Kai stood up and started to walk away.

“Hey! Don’t leave!”

“Keep it a secret ok?”

He smiled at us, clicked his fingers, then disappeared.

Tao looked at me confused.

“What the hell just happened?”

“I don’t know, but it sure is going to be interesting!”