Ael Woke up to the dizzying sounds of everyday life in Broomfurrugh. People talking, walking, working, and working. They were going on as if nothing had happened. The ongoing metropolitan activity made Ael's head swim. "Where am I?" He thought to himself

  Looking around, Ael got his answer. He was in an old alleyway. "Must've run away again," he mused. That was nothing new. Ael had a free spirit that nobody could contain. The real surprise came when he looked at himself.

  Odd, he though. Last night's still a blurr for the most part, but I could've sworn I've never seen this jacket before in my life. He was wearing a white no-hood jacket with black outlines, elbows, and shoulder areas. Ael examined the tag attached and found that it read: "To: Ael Norinth. When: Time of Passing. From: Nina Norinth"

  "Nina..." Ael said. He wondered silently how it was possible. Nina, Ael's younger sister, had died just after her second birthday. "She's been dead for years. If this is Ben's revenge for running out, then he's worse than I thought." He refused to call his step-father 'dad.' His real dad had fallen victim to a terminal illness just a year after Nina passed away. "Time of Passing," Ael read out loud. "What the heck is that supposed to mean."

  Shrugging, Ael decided to head back. "Got nowhere else to go....," he said. "Besides, Mom'll get worried." When he got up, he forgot all notion of heading home. He saw a pool of blood, and felt a sharp pain near his stomach. Kneeling down, Ael touched the red puddle. "Is this... Mine?" Ael asked. He got beat up a number of times, so he knew his blood when he saw it. By the time he let out his sentence, the pain near his stomach had grown immensely.

  Ael lifted his shirt slightly and saw a bright red scar. Putting the information together, Ael realized a horrible truth. The blood, the scar, 'time of passing,' they all pointed to the same statement. Ael Norinth had died.

  "I... Died?" Ael said with disbelief heavy in his voice.

  "Yes you did," an echoed voice chimed in. "But I revived you."

  "Who said that?," Ael asked frantically.

  A small white light floated around him. It stopped at his eye level and said: "My name is Halo. And I'm an elemental Star."

  Ael had heard of Stars before. They supposedly recycle and aid the growth of element crystals, but he never met one before.

  Ael's head swam with questions. I just... Died? When? How long was I dead? Who killed me, and furthermoer, Why? Ael spent a full minute in debate with himself. He finally settled on the two most important questions.

  "How..." Ael wanted to ask but couldn't get the words out.

  Halo let out a sigh and said: "I specialize in Light energy."

  Ael then asked the question that gnawed at his heart. "Why me? Why should I get a second chance but not my sister or my father? What makes me so special? Why me?" Ael repeated the question over and over in his head.

  Halo simply replied, "Your death was unnatural, your killer came straight from the After-World. There are more revived people out there. We have to meet them."

  Ael thought it over and answered "Okay, But I expect answers along the way."

  With that the Star and human merged. Never before, had Ael experienced such a power. He wasn't filled with light, he was light. Using his newfound powers he sprouted angel-like wings and flew off, into the the world he was determined to rediscover.