The Awakening

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow over the campsite. Malach, Reggie, and Lila sat around the crackling campfire, sharing stories and laughter. For a moment, Malach felt like a regular teenager, his worries about vitiligo and the garage incident all melting away in the warmth of friendship.

As the evening wore on, they decided to take a short hike to a nearby cliff that offered a breathtaking view of the surrounding wilderness. The moonlight illuminated their path, casting long shadows that danced along with their footsteps.

When they reached the cliff, they stood in awe of the panoramic view. The vast forest stretched out below them, a sea of dark green punctuated by the occasional clearing. The moon hung low in the sky, bathing the landscape in a silvery glow.

"This is incredible," Lila whispered.

"Yeah, it really is," Malach agreed.

"You ever been to that observatory up on the hill?" Lila asked.

Malach turned to her, surprised. "You know about that place?"

"Of course," she replied. "My dad and I used to come up here and stargaze, really good spot."

"My dad and I used to come here too, it once belonged to my dad. He said it was a great place to see the stars without all the light pollution."

"What happened to it?" Lila asked.

"It got shut down by the government for some reason," Malach said, a hint of bitterness creeping into his tone. "And that crater nearby? My dad says it was from an asteroid."

Lila looked at him thoughtfully. "That's a pretty big crater for an asteroid."

"Yeah, I always thought it was weird," Malach admitted.

Before they could continue, Reggie called out from the campfire. "Hey! We're playing a game! You two shouldn't wander off too far. There are bears around!"

Lila laughed, rolling her eyes. "Alright, Reggie! We're coming back."

As they made their way back to the campfire, Malach couldn't shake the strange feeling that the observatory and the crater held secrets he wasn't aware of. His thoughts drifted back to the conversation he had overheard between his father and the federal agents. "Project Inferno" and Malach's supposed extraterrestrial origins swirled in his mind, creating a knot of unease in his stomach.

Later that night, as the campfire died down and the others drifted off to sleep, Malach lay awake, staring up at the stars. The conversation with Lila had stirred memories and questions he couldn't ignore. He decided to take a walk to clear his mind.

The forest was quiet, the only sounds being the rustling of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. Malach found himself drawn toward the old observatory. He needed to see it again, to feel connected to his father and their shared memories.

As he approached the observatory, the moonlight cast eerie shadows on the abandoned structure. The door creaked as he pushed it open, revealing the dusty remnants of a once-active place of learning and discovery. Malach wandered through the halls, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

He reached the observation deck and gazed up at the sky through the shattered dome. The stars seemed closer here, almost within reach. Malach closed his eyes, trying to remember the nights he and his father spent here, mapping constellations and dreaming of the future.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound behind him. He turned, expecting to see a curious animal, but instead, he found Trent standing in the doorway, a cruel smile on his face.

"Fancy meeting you here, Malach," Trent said, his voice dripping with malice.

Malach's heart raced. "What do you want, Trent?"

Trent took a step closer, his eyes glinting with menace. "You think you can just hide out here and escape who you really are? You're nothing but a freak, Malach. A spotted freak. Out here confusing the rest of us, are you black or white make up your mind!!"

Malach felt a familiar pang of humiliation and anger. He tried to keep his composure, but Trent's words cut deep. "Just leave me alone, Trent. I'm not bothering you, if it's the thing about the pottery incident then I'm sorry."

Trent' laughed almost maniacally. "who gives a fuck about that, what am I some sort of cry baby? You make me sick Malach, you and your new found dumb bitch" He stepped closer, his voice lowering to a menacing whisper. "I bet you don't even belong here. You're just a waste of space."

Before Malach could react, Trent shoved him hard. The force of the push sent Malach stumbling backward toward the edge of the observation deck. He tried to regain his balance, but his foot slipped on the loose gravel, and he plummeted over the edge.

The world became a blur of pain and confusion as Malach tumbled down the rocky slope. His body collided with jagged stones and twisted branches, each impact sending waves of agony through him. He finally came to a stop at the bottom, his body broken and bleeding.

Gasping for breath, Malach tried to move, but the pain was overwhelming. He screamed for help, his voice echoing through the forest, but there was no response. Tears streamed down his face as he lay there, helpless and alone.

Rage began to bubble up inside him, mingling with the pain. The memories of Trent's taunts, the humiliation, and the injustice of it all fueled his anger.

As he lay there, the agony of his broken bones and torn flesh consumed him. His screams of pain echoed through the forest, but no one came to his aid. The darkness seemed to close in on him, his vision blurring as he struggled to remain conscious.

"What the hell am I?" he screamed to the empty forest, his voice filled with rage and despair.

Then, his heart stopped. The silence was deafening, a void that swallowed all hope. For what felt like an eternity, Malach hovered on the brink of death, his life slipping away.

But then, a single heartbeat. It was like a thunderclap, reverberating through his body and sending a shockwave of heat across the forest. The ground trembled, and the trees nearest to him ignited, their leaves and bark frying instantly.

Another heartbeat. The shockwave of pure energy surged outward, scorching everything in its path. Trent, who had been fleeing the scene, was thrown to the ground, his back seared by the intense heat only to be crushed by a knocked down tree.

At the campsite, Reggie and Lila felt the tremors and saw the forest light up with an unnatural glow. "What the hell is happening?" Reggie shouted, panic evident in his voice.

Lila's face was pale with fear. "We have to find Malach. He could be in danger."

They grabbed what they could and rushed toward the source of the disturbance, dodging falling branches and leaping over burning logs. The heat was intense, the air thick with smoke, making it difficult to breathe.

When they reached the bottom of the cliff, they found Malach lying amidst the flames, his body surrounded by a ring of fire. The heat was so intense that it was almost unbearable to approach. Malach's eyes were glowing a fiery red, his ragged body floating off the ground, bones visibly healing and realigning.

Reggie and Lila hesitated, unsure how to approach him without getting burned.

"Malach!" Reggie called out, his voice choked with smoke. "Malach, can you hear me?"

Malach's eyes slowly turned towards them, a tear rolling down his cheek only to vaporize instantly in the heat. His voice, weak and desperate, whispered, "Help me…"

Lila, driven by a mixture of fear and determination, took a step forward. "Malach, hang on! We're here to help you!"

Ignoring the intense heat, she rushed towards Malach. The moment she got too close, a searing wave of energy erupted from Malach, disintegrating Lila instantly. Her scream was cut short, leaving only a cloud of ash in her place.

Reggie froze in horror, unable to comprehend what had just happened. His legs felt weak, and he stumbled backward, trying to flee. The sound of another heartbeat echoed through the forest, and a shockwave of fire surged outward, consuming everything in its path. Reggie was caught in the blast, his body burning to a crisp as he collapsed to the ground.

The heartbeat shockwaves came faster and faster, each one more powerful than the last. The entire forest was set ablaze, flames roaring and trees toppling in the inferno. The sky glowed a hellish red as the fire spread, unstoppable and merciless.

Malach's body continued to hover, suspended in the air by the sheer force of his powers. His eyes blazed with an otherworldly light, his broken bones knitting together in an agonizing process of regeneration. He screamed, a sound of pure agony and rage, as his body was consumed by the flames.

The fire department arrived hours later, too late to save the forest or those trapped within it. They found Malach at the center of the devastation, naked and unscathed, lying amidst the smoldering ruins of what was once a lush forest. His body was covered in ash, the only sign of life in a scene of complete annihilation.

The firefighters stared in disbelief. The largest wildfire the United States had ever seen had left nothing but charred remnants in its wake, and yet this boy, seemingly untouched by the inferno, lay at its heart.

As they approached him cautiously, Malach slowly opened his eyes. The fiery red glow had subsided, replaced by a look of profound exhaustion and sorrow. He struggled to sit up, his body still trembling from the aftershocks of his powers.

"Kid, are you okay?" one of the firefighters asked, his voice a mixture of concern and awe.

Malach didn't respond. He looked around at the devastation, his heart heavy with guilt and horror at what he had unwittingly unleashed. The memories of Reggie and Lila's last moments flashed in his mind, their faces contorted in pain and fear. The image of Lila disintegrating and Reggie burning alive haunted him, searing into his consciousness with unbearable clarity.

Another firefighter tried to coax him. "Can you hear me? Are you hurt?"

Still, Malach said nothing. He remained silent, his eyes hollow, as if the very essence of his being had been scorched away by the flames he had created. The truth was too strange, too terrifying to comprehend fully. As the firefighters helped him to his feet and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, he couldn't help but wonder what his future held. He had discovered his powers in the most horrific way possible, and now he was faced with the knowledge that he was capable of unimaginable destruction.

The firefighter holding him felt the boy's trembling, his silence more unsettling than any scream. "We need to get you to a hospital. You're in shock."

Malach's head turned slowly towards the firefighter, his eyes dark with despair. His lips parted, and he whispered with a voice drenched in agony, "Kill me."

The firefighter recoiled, his face pale. "Jesus…"

Malach's plea hung in the air, a chilling testament to the depth of his torment. He had seen the devastation, felt the lives snuffed out by his uncontrollable power. The path ahead was uncertain and fraught with danger, but he knew one thing for sure: his life would never be the same.

Later, news reports filled the airwaves, describing the catastrophic wildfire that had ravaged the forest. A grim-faced reporter stood at the edge of the scorched earth, the blackened landscape stretching behind her.

"In what has been declared the largest wildfire in United States history, hundreds of acres have been reduced to ash. Authorities have confirmed multiple casualties, both human and wildlife. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but sources indicate that an unprecedented and unexplained heatwave might have been a factor."

The camera panned across the charred remains of trees and the smoldering ground, capturing the sheer scale of the disaster.

"In the aftermath of this tragedy, questions remain. How did one young boy, found miraculously unscathed at the center of the blaze, survive? Authorities are still piecing together the details of this horrific event."

In a dimly lit room, a phone rang. A man in a suit picked it up, his face hidden in shadows. He listened for a moment, then spoke with urgency. "Put Dr. Andrew on the phone."

The voice on the other end was stern. "Sir, we have a situation. It's about Malach."

The man in the shadows sighed, his hand tightening around the receiver. "I feared this day would come. I'll handle it."

The line went dead, and the man stared into the darkness, his mind racing with the implications of what had transpired. The fires had ignited more than just a forest—they had sparked a chain of events that would change everything.

And so, in the ashes of the forest, the true story of Malach began to unfold, setting the stage for a battle between destiny and the darkest depths of his own humanity.