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dis·be·liefˌ
disbəˈlēf/
noun
inability or refusal to accept that something is true or real.
"Laura shook her head in disbelief"
synonyms: incredulity, astonishment, amazement, surprise, incredulousness;
lack of faith in something.
"I'll burn in hell for disbelief"
synonyms: atheism, nonbelief, unbelief, godlessness, irreligion, agnosticism, nihilism
"in the film religious faith and disbelief are interwoven"

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"I was heartbroken and in disbelief at the same time. To be honest, I still can't believe it."

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"Impossible." Ayden said, shaking his head at Nathan. "There are only four Elements. You can't be one of them."

"Exactly." Wesley said, his eyes narrowing. "Not only is it impossible in that regard, but you're a peasant as well. Everyone knows only Nobles are gifted with such an honor."

"Not only that," Lela started, putting a finger up "but such an evil power isn't worthy of being called an Element."

"Good point, but you're forgetting one thing!" Ashlee said, looking at him. "Even if all of that were true, there has never been any documentation with someone with a power such as yours! It's both physically, mentally, and, quite honestly, universally impossible."

Nathan sighed, closing his eyes. How can I get them to believe me? It's very important that they do, seeing as I already know about the Evil. I can be very useful.

Sam shook his head, looking down at the ground. "You all suck, you know that, right? Believe me when I tell you that Nate here is an Element."

Wesley scoffed. "How can you be so sure he isn't the Evil?"

Nathan felt his heart beat faster as the Evil surfaced in his mind. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought. "We just know, that's all." Sam said, casting a worried glance at his best friend.

Lela groaned. "That won't save you when we report you to the Royalty, Nathan."

Nathan shook his head. "Please, don't. It's not as if I hurt you on purpose. You don't know what we've been through in this small town. Don't go judging us. We know that I am not the Evil. Go ask anyone else in town. They'll all say the same thing."

"Fine, then." Wesley said, narrowing his eyes. "Let's get the mayor in here."

As soon as he said that, the door opened and the mayor walked in. "I sincerely hope you aren't bullying the Elements, Sam."

Sam's jaw dropped. "What about Nathan?" He cried, gesturing to his friend.

"Nathan is more trustworthy than you, boy."

Nathan cleared his throat. "Sir, am I the Evil?"

The mayor turned to him, a confused expression on his face. "The Evil? Nathan, you very well know who the Evil is! He is, after all, your-" the mayor stopped as he eyed the elements. He closed his mouth.

"His what?" Ayden asked, furrowing his brow.

The mayor shook his head. "The point is he isn't the Evil, Elements. Everyone in this town knows that. If the isn't the Evil, what else can he be besides an Element?"

The Elements said nothing for a while. Eventually, Ashlee nodded. "That is true, actually. What can he be if not the Evil? It's not as if anything else exists out there."

Nathan felt something twitch in the back of his mind, but he ignored it.

"Lela, we don't know that for sure." Ayden said, eyeing her.

Lela shrugged. "We'd have found it by now if there was anything."

Nathan's right eye twitched.

Sam eyed him as the Elements continued arguing. Nathan felt his middle finger on his left hand twitch suddenly. Sam frowned. "Nate, you alright?"

Everyone stopped as they stared at him. Nathan frowned. "Yes, but I keep getting this feeling...I don't know..."

"What kind of feeling?" The mayor asked, worry clear on his face.

Nathan shrugged. "Like...I don't know, it's hard to explain."

Sam patted his friend's back. "It'll be okay, alright?"

Wesley frowned. "What's wrong with him?"

"Sometimes he gets like this, especially when the Evil is mentioned. It isn't exactly something so easy to get over, mind you. He, uh, was close to him."

Ashlee nodded. "Yes, we were told."

Ayden frowned. "So you're an Element?"

"Yes, I am, Ayden."

Lela sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That shouldn't be possible, though."

Nathan shrugged. "I don't quite get it either, but we know I am not the Evil, so what else can I be?"

Ayden nodded. "Now, let's get off that topic, and get into a very important one. What did you do to us, exactly?"

"Well, I am able to look through people's memories and choose one for them to reexperience along with me. The more powerful the memory, the more I get hurt. I was angry with you, and my emotions got the better of me while I was searching through your memories, so I unknowingly chose your worst ones. I experienced it all woth you, and I almost died in there. I won't say what I saw in there, as I figure you all want it to be private." Nathan said, closing his eyes as he finished.

The Elements stared at him, their eyes wide. Ashlee took in a shaky breath. "Y-you saw all that?"

Nathan nodded, closing his eyes as a shot of pain ran through him. Sam wrapped an arm around him gently to support him when he almost fell over. "Okay, okay, let's calm down here, yeah? Nate, let's get you to go lie down. You look like you're about to pass out."

"Sam, I'll be alright. Just- just let me be, alri-" Nathan was cut off by his head becoming extremely light headed and his body lurching forward.

Sam caught Nathan and brought him out of the room, and as soon as Sam lied him on a bed, he passed out.

♤•♤•♤

Ayden put a hand on his face as he tried to process what had just happened. "So, Nathan is an Element, and he saw some of our darkest secrets." Wesley said, nodding firmly.

Lela cursed under her breath. "I don't know what we are going to do anymore." She said, looking at them.

Wesley scoffed as he looked at the others in the room. "Obviously we are going to leave them behind."

"W-what?" Ayden asked, eyeing the teen.

"Yes, we should leave. Honestly? I don't trust Nathan, or Sam. They are holding stuff back." Lela said, nodding.

Ashlee shrugged. "I'm down. Ayden?"

Ayden opened his mouth to reply, but the door opened, revealing Sam. He had a bit of blood on his clothes, but otherwise he looked the same as they had seen him. Well, he looked more worried and nervous, but that was probably because of Nathan's state.

Lela eyed the blood. "Where'd that come from?"

"Nathan. One of his wounds reopened while he was up and being put to bed. He's in a fragile state right now."

Ayden frowned. "One of his wounds opened up?"

Sam nodded. "It's pretty bad, but he'll survive."

Wesley rolled his eyes. "Now, explain to us what you're hoping to accomplish between us and Nathan. It's clearly something."

Sam frowned. "Well, seeing as myself and Nathan both have information on the Evil, we thought we'd be essential to your quest. All we ask is you take us along for the ride. We aren't powerless, you know."

Ashlee chuckled. "We know Nathan is, but you are, Sam."

"It's just an expression. Besides, no me, no Nathan. No Nathan, no Evil. Take your pick."

Lela sigjed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We'll think about it."

Sam nodded, smiling lightly. "I'm sure Nathan would appreciate at least that, so thank you."

The teenager walked out, and then shut the door. The Elements looked to one another, knowing they had a lot to discuss.

♧•♧•♧

The teenager waved the butcher knife above his head, completely and utterly lacking in any emotion as he looked down at him.

The little boys heat beat erratically in his chest as he looked up at one of the few people he trusted holding a knife above his head.

"You're an abomination. A sickness. You don't realize what you are, or rather, who you were, do you? Only Azazel can save you. You must die so the world can stay safe."

Something in the boy ticked with annoyance, but his fear pushed it away. "Please. Don't hurt me." He sobbed, fat tears rolling down his round face.

The teenager wavered slightly, but then frowned, anger seeping into his face. "You don't realize what stain you're leaving on history. You're ruining it, and everything will end because of you."

"Please!" He cried, clasping his hands together as the young child begged. "Please, brother!"

His brother grinned. It was psychotic. Malicious. It sent chills through the young boys body, and he couldn't move as that smile radiated through him, becoming the very reason he began to build walls.

Before his brother could bring the knife down on his head, the knife shattered. The teenager looked at his hand in shock as crimson blood began to drip from the wounds. "Y- you did this..." he said, clutching his hand.

The boy could only sob as he ran away from his brother.

Nathan shot up in bed, sweat dripping down his body. He panted as he tried to calm his beating heart. He put a hand to it and exhaled slowly.

My brother, he thought, closing his eyes as he began to calma why is he popping up in my dreams now of all times?

Before Nathan's brother had attempted to kill him, they had lived with their parents. However, when Nathan was seven, his parents caught a terrible sickness and passed away. They left him and his older brother Daniel alone.

The siblings looked nothing alike. Daniel had chocolate brown hair and ordinary brown eyes, while Nathan had white hair and violet eyes. Daniel was outgoing and kind, while Nathan preferred to keep to himself and Sam. Daniel worked in the fields and market while Nathan learned how to cook and clean the house.

Daniel was always Nathan's favorite person. He loved his older brother and was told he followed him around once he could walk on his own. Daniel told him he would have heart stacks qhen he turned a corner and saw Nathan grinning up at him.

But then things changed.

When Nathan was nine, Daniel vanished. He was gone for a week, and when he came back, he acted differently.

He wouldn't speak to Nathan, and kept to himself. He became reclusive, choosing to spend time sitting in his room rather than out with eveyone else.

A few days later, Daniel tried to murder his little brother.

Once Nathan reached the town, he had been found by the mayor, sitting by the fountain as he sobbed, saying his brother had tried to kill him.

Daniel jad been apprehended and admitted to trying to kill the abomination, and when asked why he called his brother thay, Daniel only replied with 'That thing isn't my brother, and I never had one to begin with!'

Before his trial, Daniel escaped and hasn't been seen since. It was soon after that Nathan's powers got out to everyone else. They, however, accepted him and allowed him to wander the streets. Sometimes he'd be allowed to sleep in a house, and Sam would join him. Most of them time they slept somewhere in the town, and would enjoy just being with someone else.

Nathan sighed as he touch the gash on his side. It had been bandaged up, and want bleeding anymore. At first it seemed fine, but after his constant movement, it opened up. Nathan groaned as he stood up.

The teenager shuffled to the Elements room and found them sitting with the mayor, Arianna, and Sam. Everyone looked up at him, though Sam looked the most worried. "Nate, go back to bed!"

Nathan shook his head. "I'm fine, Sam. Don't worry about me."

His friend frowned, but said nothing. Ayden gestured for Nathan to sit at the end of his bed. Nathan gladly abliged and when he sat down, had to hold back a wince of pain.

"So, should we tell him?" Ashlee asked, looking at Nathan.

"Tell me what?"

"We're going on an adventure!" Sam shouted, pumping his fist into the air.

◇•◇•◇

Hello!

Sorry about the long wait, I had major writing block until Ceramics, where I typed everything after the second change in POVs.

Anyways, what do you think about this chapter? I think we addressed addressed pretty big topic in this chapter, which is what happened to Nathan's family.

So yeah, I'll see you all in chapter five!

--Paige