The Last Awakening

Authors Note: Hello everyone, this is my first time completing a story and putting it out there. I hope you enjoy it.

I don’t belong here, at least that’s what I’ve heard people say about me. I put up an unbothered façade to mask how I really feel, but I can’t say that I don’t agree with them. They fear me and they have every right to after the destruction and turmoil I’ve caused this city. 

For years I feared there would be retaliation against me, but it never came. I guess that’s the benefit of being the High Emperor’s one and only son. People plot against you but aren’t foolish enough to act on it. Especially when you are under the protection of the highest military force in the land. Oddly enough, even with that protection, I have a feeling that my time here will not be much longer. 

Because of me, thousands of people died and thousands more are still affected by my “Awakening”, as my dad likes to call it. My friends call it a blessing, but I call it a curse. 

As the story goes, my mother belonged to a race of celestial beings known as “The Seers”. This group was said to have been around since the formation of life and time itself and have abilities beyond anyone’s comprehension. Over time, humans stopped believing in them causing a rift between the two groups. My mother however believed that the relationship could be mended. She left her people to find a solution and ended up falling in love with a young man, my dad. 

At that time, my dad was just beginning his reign as the High Emperor. They were very much in love and decided to get married in hopes that their union would mend the rift between The Seers and man. For some time, my parents had convinced the two groups to live in harmony, bringing prosperity to not just our world, but worlds in galaxies beyond our own as well. 

That perfect harmony came to an end once my mother became pregnant with me. It was thought to be impossible for The Seers to have any children with humans. The Seers feared that my birth was an omen for the end of life and time. Even with their godly abilities, they were not able to foresee my birth and what it would bring. 

On the eve of my birth, The Seers appeared to prevent it from happening. My father dispatched his elite militia to prevent them from harming me and my mother. Needless to say, the militia was no match for The Seers and were turned into dust in seconds. As a last-second effort to save me, my mother sacrificed herself and transferred her essence to me just as I was born, causing a massive explosion. The Seers were said to have been destroyed in the explosion, but no one seems to be able to confirm it. 

Today marks the 18^th anniversary of that day. My 18^th birthday to be exact. As one could imagine, I’m not feeling very festive. 

As I looked out onto the busy streets of NightStar City from my bedroom window, an eerie feeling rushed over my body as the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand. It was as if there was someone or something out there watching me while being behind me at the same time. 

“Se’vn, it is time.” I could hear a voice quietly say to me. It was a voice that I have never heard before but it felt familiar. 

“Time for what?” I asked hesitantly. 

“Who are you?” 

“You know who I am Se’vn, look inside you for the answers” 

Look inside me? I thought. What the hell does that even mean? 

“You are more powerful than you can imagine.” The voice said as it became distant. “Let go and complete your destiny.”

“My Destiny? What Destiny?”  

Silence. 

“Hello?” 

Silence. 

Okay, I have officially lost my mind. I thought as I sat down on my bed. 

I could still feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing as if the mysterious presence was still around me. 

I closed my eyes and began a breathing exercise my dad taught me whenever I felt myself losing control. Once I was calm, I begin to see an image vaguely come into view.  

A woman. 

As the image became clear, I was filled with a powerful warm embrace as if the Three Suns of Tricartha began to pull me in. 

The woman was in full view to reveal someone I had thought was long gone. 

“Mom?” 

At that moment there was a knock at my door that brought me out of meditation. 

“Se’vn, are you okay in there?” I heard a concerned voice cut through my concentration. 

“Uh yeah!” I replied as I rushed to the door. “I was just getting ready for the party.” 

I opened the door to see the stoned chiseled face of Vex, my personal guard who I have known for as long as I can remember. He was like a big brother to me and my closest friend. 

“I heard you in here talking to someone,” he said as he scanned the room. “Just wanted to make sure you were alright.” 

“I am good, but look at you getting all worried about me, you are getting soft Vex.” I teased as I punched his arm. 

“I find it funny that you really think I care about you more than keeping my job,” Vex said. “Are you ready to head out?” 

I wrapped my locs into a bun and threw on my jacket. “Yeah let’s go.” 

As I walked behind Vex, I couldn’t help but smile to see that his locs were braided into a fishtail. Because of our close relationship, Vex was given more leeway than the other elite guards in my dad’s militia. 

When I was younger, I wanted to grow locs to be like my father and his father before him. When the kids at school started teasing me because of how silly my locs looked starting off, Vex decide to grow his hair out and start locs as well. From that moment on, I was not the butt of everyone’s jokes anymore. 

While in the shuttle headed towards the grand hotel, I could not get the image of my mother out of my head. Was she alive? If so, why would she reveal herself to me now after all this time? 

I contemplated telling Vex what I saw. I wanted to confide in my friend but I did not want him to be alarmed and get my father involved. 

“So, Sev, who were you talking to in your room tonight?” Vex asked as if he was reading my mind. 

I hesitated. “No one, someone contacted me on my communicator so I was just replying back.” 

That was a dumbass answer. I thought. Vex knew me too well. 

“Interesting, considering you hate talking on the communicator,” Vex laughed. “And, I didn’t even hear anyone talking to you, I just heard your weird-ass talking to yourself.” 

I stared out of the window as the Grand Hotel came into view.  

“I saw her Vex,” I said not averting my eyes from the traffic we were slowly heading towards. 

“Saw who?” He asked as the shuttle began to slow down. 

“My mom, she appeared to me somehow and spoke to me.” I looked just in time to see Vex’s face change from being tense to calm. He knows something. I thought. 

“What did she say to you?” He asked. 

“Nothing really, a lot of it didn’t make sense…”

“Sev’n!, this is no time to be coy, tell me what she said.” 

I sensed something I have never heard in his voice in all the years I have known him, fear. 

“Bro, relax. There’s nothing to be alarmed about,” I said trying to alleviate the tension. “She just told me to open my mind and let everything be revealed or some shit like that.” 

“Sev, listen to me. Whatever you do, do not…” 

He was interrupted by the holo-projection of an older elite guard appearing on the shuttle’s communicator. 

“Vex, you should have been here 15 mins ago with Prince Se’vn. What is the holdup?” The guard asked. 

“I’m sorry sir, there was more traffic than I expected. I…” 

“It’s my fault Captain Wolfe, I wanted to visit my mother’s monument before heading to the party. Vex was just doing what I asked.” I said.

“Forgive me, my prince. I’ll tell air control to allow the shuttle to fly you in the rest of the way.” Captain Wolfe replied as he ended the call. 

The shuttle ascended into the air and slowly made its way to the Grand Hotel. 

“Thanks,” Vex said. 

“No problem,” I replied as I released my safety belt. “Look, I don’t want you worrying about anything. I will be fine.” 

“Sev, you know I have to report what you told me to your dad.” 

“No you don’t, please keep this to yourself Vex.” I thought about the stress that my father had been through over the years and how much that stress had taken a toll on him. “Do it for me, please.” 

“Fine,” Vex replied hesitantly. “But as soon as you start talking to yourself again, I’m reporting to your dad.”

The shuttle finally landed as we were ushered from the shuttle bay to the entrance of the Grand Hotel. I greeted people along the way as everyone cheered. A part of me hated having to smile and hug people who despised me. For years people treated me like I was a walking plague, yet tonight they all love me. 

As we neared the great hall of the Grand Hotel, we were welcomed by my father and a host of family members I have not seen in years. 

“There he is, my baby boy.” My dad said as pulled me in for an embrace. “Well you are a grown man now my son, I am so proud of you.” 

“Thanks dad, another year older for me just means you are getting old.” I joke as my dad gives a big chuckle. 

“ Vex my boy, He didn’t give you any trouble did he?” My dad asks Vex as he pulls him in for an embrace as well. 

“No your grace, nothing I can’t handle,” Vex says with a smile. 

“Oh enough with calling me your grace, I practically raised you as my own son.” He says to Vex as he takes a look at us. “Time truly does fly doesn’t it?” 

He embraces us once more as we wait to be introduced. 

“Please rise and welcome our Emperor, Han NightStar!” The announcer says as music and thunderous applause erupts in the great hall. 

My dad enters the hall as if he was everyone's friend than an emperor. 

“Now, for the man of the hour. Please welcome, the birthday boy, our beloved prince, Se’vn Zultan NightStar!” 

“Damn bro they called you by your full name.” Vex laughs as we begin to walk in. “Zultan never gets old.” 

“How about you shut the hell up,” I reply. 

As we walk in the same eerie feeling from before rushes my body, making the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I look discreetly look around the room to see if I can see anyone odd. This was not the same feeling before when my mother appeared to me. Or was it? 

We reached the table at the front of the grand hall where we were to all sit. 

“Sev, are you good?” Vex asked as he nudged me. He must have noticed that my jovial demeanor had changed. 

“Yeah I’m good, I just didn’t expect this many people to be here,” I said while continuing to briefly glance around the hall. 

I let out a sigh of relief as the eerie feeling went away and proceeded to enjoy my birthday celebration. However, I could not shake the feeling that something was going to happen. 

As the night started to come to an end, my father opened the floor for anyone to come up to say a few words about me. A few people told funny memories that they had of me and others gave me words of wisdom as I would now enter the world as a grown man. 

Maybe I was wrong about everyone. I thought. 

Here I was feeling animosity towards people who clearly loved me. In my years of self-pity and anger, I have forgotten a lot of the fond memories I had while growing up here. There was a time when I vowed to leave this town and never look back. However, I have felt nothing but genuine love. Tonight more than ever, this city feels like home. 

Before closing remarks from my father were made, a man I did not recognize stood up to say a few words. There were many people here I did not know, but they looked like they belong to NightStar city, not this man. 

“The time has come!” He proclaimed as he slit both of his wrists with a knife “The Seers have returned to claim Prince Se’vn.” 

At that moment I felt the eerie feeling rush over me as The Seers begin to appear around the great hall. 

Without hesitation, the elite guards started to shoot their blasters while the party guests rush to the exits. 

My father and I were rushed towards a secret exit by Vex and the elite guards who protect my father. 

“Se’vn, now’s the time.” I heard that familiar voice say. “It’s time to let go.” 

“I don’t want to hurt anyone again!” I cried out. “I can’t do it, mom!” 

“Don’t do it!” Vex yelled out as all hell breaks loose in the great hall. “That is not your mother Se’vn.” 

The presence begins to get stronger as I fight to control whatever lurks inside of me. 

“Son!” My dad called out. “Listen to Vex, whatever speaks to you is not your mother.” 

“But I saw her dad!” I yelled as tears began to fill my eyes. “It was her! I know it was!” 

We reached the secret exit as Vex and the other guards opened the hatch that was hidden beneath the floor. 

“Se’vn, please come with me. Let me explain everything.” My father yelled as he holds his hand out for me. “I was too naive in thinking they would not return for you!” 

“But I can save everyone father, I think that’s what mom is trying to get me to see.” I cried out. 

“Our mother is dead Se’vn!” Vex yelled. “I saw her die!” 

Our mother? I thought.

“I too am a Seer Se’vn.” Vex said. “Mom and I figured out a way to remove the essence of the Seer from ourselves in order to live a normal life!” 

I dropped to my knees as the revelation was too much to handle. 

“That night of the explosion, we were in the process of doing the same to you before The Seers attacked. Vex continued. “They want to use you as a weapon, so she sacrificed herself to keep us protected until now. Without her, I had to wait until you were strong enough to remove the essence from you tonight.”

“Se’vn, just come with us and we can tell you everything we should have told you before.” My father said. 

The room suddenly went quiet as if time itself stood still. I looked around to see that the elite guard was no more and the Seers were standing around looking at us. They all bowed as a Seer with long hair stepped forward. Before I could even blink, my father and Ves disappeared in a flash of light. 

“It is time for you to come home Se’vn.” The Seer said. 

I stared at the spot where my dad and Vex stood, nothing left but piles of dust at my feet. 

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath as my father taught me before, and I let go. There was a flash of light that was released from my body. I stood and watched as everything around me began to turn into dust. The Seers tried to escape but could not get away in time. 

I was now alone in some type of purgatory. There was no palace, no world. Just empty white space all around me. 

“You have completed your destiny as the Seer of destruction Se’vn. The Seers of that lifetime were corrupt and were not what they were created to be. You were born to bring balance and to remove them and their creations from existence.” The familiar voice said. “Now you have a new destiny. it’s time to start anew and rebuild life and time, as the Seer of creation.