The sun will rise, and we will try again.
-

Calum opened his eyes slowly but quickly closing them right after as a bright light was filling his eye.

He rolled onto his stomach and covered his eyes with his arms. It had turned daylight and Calum started to freak out. He pulled his hood over his head and checked his surroundings.

He was sat under a giant oak tree which covered him in the shadow. Calum had to squeeze his eyes a bit closed since the normal sun was still too bright for him. He then noticed a paper which was laying next to him along with a couple of strawberries and berries. He saw a magnificent handwriting in black ink and immidiately started reading.

Dear Calum,

Sorry about the fact that i left you. Sorry about the fact you hate me, since i'm a fireling. Sorry for the cut on your cheek and sorry your uncle abused you.

Indeed i want you to come with me at night. I'll show you my place and i will make it up to you. I'll give you a place to stay and i'll give you everything you desire. I'll let my people pick flowers for you, i know you wanted to see those for a long time. Or we could go together.

Please forgive me and stay here untill i'm there at night. Do not let the sunlight hit your skin yet! You'll get burned really badly.

I want to show you the world.

-Ashton Fletcher Irwin

Calum felt a tear fall down his cheek and he didn't know why. He wiped the tear away with the sleeves of his sweater. He felt overwhelmed in a way. No one had ever written a letter to him like that. No one would ever let him leave the castle. Calum rolled up the letter and putted it inside of his cape pocket. He breathed out before slowly picking up a strawberry.

He took of the green plant part of the red fruit before putting it in his mouth.

It tasted sweet..

Calum thought it was a very pleasant fruit and continued to eat the rest of his fruits. He heard water falling behind him and it suprised him that he didn't noticed it any sooner.

There was a very little waterfall that was behind the tree. Calum dropped to his knees and leaned on his arms while looking over the water. He saw these weird creatures swimming in the water. He had never seen such things before. They were a colour Calum described as the colour of a carrot. Calum also wasn't good with the colours. The only colours he knew about were: Black, grey, brown and blue. Blue because he had read it in his father's book. The sky is blue and Calum loved seeing the colour blue. Tho he couldn't really see it now.

He then saw his reflection in the water. He looked at the bruised eye and cut on his cheek. He made a bowl with his hands and filled it with water before washing his face. Calum didn't come too close to the water since he didn't know how to swim. Yeah, he didn't know how to swim and he was the only one in the valley. This is why Calum didn't really wanna be around water 24/7. His uncle hadn't really taught him anything which left him unexperienced and curious.

"You're disguisting" Calum told his reflection, what he know he's heard before. He held his hand trough the water making his reflection go blurry. He didn't wanna see his face anymore. He scooted away from the water and sat against the big oak tree. He watched as the water went by.

He relaxed a little when laying back against the tree and covering himself in his cape. He closed his eyes for a bit and just wandered of listening to the water flooding by. He went deeper into a sleep by the second untill his whole body relaxed and he completely fell asleep in the middle of the nature. Something he would never thought he would do

•

"Hey! Hey!" Calum heard as he got woken up by a group of guys that were surrounding him. They were all wearing red capes. They were firelings.

"What are you doing here? In the middle of the woods? Alll by yourself..." a guy with blonde hair asked and rested his arm above Calum's head.

Calum didn't say anything and stared at the three guys. "Lost your tongue?" The blonde guy then spat and grabbed Calum by his throat.

"Non of your business!" Calum said back at the blonde and spit in his face. The blonde let go of Calum's throat and wipped his cheeks.

Calum knew he was in trouble so he pushed the guy onto the two guys that were behind him. Calum then turned around and started running to the other side of the tree. "You ignorant pig!" The blonde yelled before him and his friends came running after Calum.

Calum was very fast, but not fast enough to re-think the fact that he couldn't run away. He couldn't let the sunlight hit his skin. He was supposed to stay in the shadow of the tree. Ashton had told him not to. Calum wanted to listen and stopped in his tracks.

He was in deep shit...

Calum was facing his back towards the firelings and didn't say anything. The blonde one stepped in front of Calum with a confused look.

"Have you seen a ghost or something?" The blonde asked and then smirked as he pushed Calum to the ground. "No Jack, he is a ghost!" One of the blonde guy, Jack, his friend's said. They all started laughing at Calum. "You're not from here now...are you pale boy?" The blonde boy said as he hovered Calum and sat down on his stomach. "Your skin, it's too bright for my eyes, your hair is dark and you're weak...you're a death, aren't you?" The blonde stated and smirked as he saw Calum gulp.

"Don't worry pale boy, i'll give you a nice tan" the blonde guy said as he placed his hand on Calum's neck. Calum didn't know what he meant by that, he was starting the freak out.

It didn't take long for Calum to notice that the blonde's touch was hotter than hell. Calum started yelling out in pain. Firelings had the ability to touch things and to burn things. That was one of their many powers. Not everyone had it but most of the firelings had it.

Calum didn't have any deathling powers. He couldn't make anything from the earth beneath him to defend himself in battle. That's why everything he did was useless.

He was useless.

He was hurt.