“WHY THE HELL ARE YOU TWO SLEEPING ON THE TABLE?!?”

Silvian and I were awakened with a start by the entire kitchen staff glowering down at us from around the table. The nimnim gloop must have worn off letting them easily get inside.

Silvian and I quickly shot up, practically flinging ourselves from the table and bowing our heads before the head chef.

“I’m sorry ma’am!” I said. “We popped in here for a sec last night and the door jammed.”

The head cook’s gaze raked over how disheveled our clothes currently looked from...well...obviously sleeping on a table all night.

“You two better not have been doing something nasty in here,” she said, her beady eyes narrowing, “especially on the table.”

Realizing what she was implying my face turned bright red and Silvian’s cheeks even gained a small flush which was saying a lot for him.

“Nonononono!” I stammered. “We would never! I swear we’re telling the truth.”

The head chief sighed heavily. “I would punish ya nitwits but we’re too busy preparing the feast today to deal with you so I’ll let you go with just a warning.”

“Thank you ma’am!” Silvian and I said in unison before dashing out of the great hall as quickly as possible.

-----

The school’s Halloween party was professor run and since they were so busy with it we had the day off from classes which was a mini miracle in of itself because (go figure) sleeping all night on a table makes you feel like absolute shit in the morning.

That evening I decided to do some studying in the library. It appeared completely empty when I walked inside but for some reason I could have sworn I heard a faint sniffling sound. Ignoring it I made my way over to a table, opening up a textbook.

Suddenly a book shot off the shelf and nearly slogged me in the face.

I immediately jumped to my feet, looking frantically around as I tried to figure out what the actual fuck had just happened. Then suddenly another book shot off the shelf and then another. I ducked under the first and then just narrowly dodged the second.

Avoiding the onslaught of books I did my best to make my way over to the shelf they seemed to be being flung from. Carefully I peaked my head behind the shelf and my eyes immediately grew wide.

Owen was sitting there, his back leaned up against the shelf with his face in his hands. Dozens of books were floating and circulating around him as if they were caught up in a whirlwind and Owen was its center.

“Hey,” I said nervously, “are you okay?”

Owen looked up startled at the sound of my voice. His eyes and nose were red and his cheeks were tear stained.

“Oh my god. I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize someone else was here,” Owen stammered, quickly wiping his eyes on his sleeve. His voice was raspy from the crying. “I’m sorry you have to see this. This...happens sometimes when I get over emotional…” one of the books suddenly burst into flame. “Shit,” he mumbled. “I’m...I’m probably going to have to pay for that won’t I?” I wanted to get closer to him but I had a feeling it would be too risky to try and make it through the tornado of books.

I noticed Owen’s shoulders were shaking and he looked like he was having trouble breathing. “Y-You should probably go,” Owen said, struggling to even get through the sentence. “It’s too dangerous...I’m too dangerous. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Owen, what happened? What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t you hear what I said? You’re not safe around me right now. You need to go!” Another book burst into flames.

“I’m not going to leave you. What happened?”

Owen wouldn’t look at me and I thought he would refuse to answer my question or remain silent but then suddenly he spoke.

“I’m not human,” he said softly. “I’m not human and it’s all my fault they’re dead.”

My breath caught.

I knew what he was talking about but there was no way he could know that…not yet.

“What?” I said slowly. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been shaped to be the savior of humankind from the Dark One but I’m...I’m not even really human. My father was but my mother...she was…” he struggled to say it, “she was an elf.” He let out a low shaky breath. “That’s why the Human Resistance kept the identity of my real family a secret. They wanted to make sure no one ever found out so I would grow up to fit their narrative of the perfect human hero. Because let’s fucking face it, humans hate elves as much as elves hate humans. They wanted a powerful human on their side to make the elves feel inferior.” He punched the bookcase causing a few books to tumble out and join the whirlwind spinning around him. “My entire life has just been a huge fucking facade for the Human Resistance to use me as their figure head.” The flying books were spinning faster around him, another bursting into flames. “It’s not even supposed to be possible for a human and an elf to have a child together but it’s said that if it ever happened the child would be born with unimaginable power. I always thought I got my power when the Dark One failed to kill me and I became the chosen one but that’s not it. I was fucking born with it. That’s what brought the Dark One to our house in the first place. Because the Dark One could sense my power and wanted to destroy me before I could grow up. If I had never been born he wouldn’t have killed them. I’m responsible...I’m responsible for my parents deaths.”

I just stood there, stunned. Everything Owen had said was true but he wasn’t supposed to know that yet.

Owen was supposed to finally find out at the end of the book.

That’s when the Human Resistance would tell him the truth.

When Owen found out in the books he was upset by this, obviously, but he had already had the full book to grow and develop as a character. That moment in the book was when he made the decision to risk his life to fight the Dark One so he could help create a world where humans and elves lived in peace, united by the sacrifice of a boy who belonged to both races.

Owen wasn’t supposed to find out now. Not while he was still a scared kid just coming to terms with the fact that he would probably die before the year was over.

Who the fuck had told him?

How the hell had he found out?

“H-How do you know all of that?” I stammered.

Owen’s shoulder’s were shaking violently now and he had stopped responding, he was breathing so fast he looked like he was about to hyperventilate.

I had to do something.

I took a deep breath. I had trained mercilessly for the last two months to become at least slightly capable of spell casting. It was time to finally put it to the test.

I removed my wand and whispered, “əˈvərt” before I charged forward through the whirlwind of books. The spell I had cast created a glow around me, acting as a shield causing the books to bounce off of it.

Finally I made it to Owen and immediately wrapped my arms around him, hugging him to me tightly.

I could feel his heartbeat and frantic breathing against my chest but I didn’t let go, the books still swirling around us. His power was so strong that I could feel it in the air, heavy and electric, suffocating and overwhelming.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, “everything is going to be okay. I promise.”

Owen didn’t say anything but I just kept holding him tightly and after a few minutes his breathing began to slow along with the book tornado. Slowly one by one they began to fall to the floor with a thud.

And finally the air was still.

Owen slumped against me, burying his face against the nook of my shoulder “I’m so sorry,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’m so sorry you had to see that part of me.” He laughed dryly. “I bet you really realize I’m not a hero now, huh? I’m actually pretty pathetic.”

I shook my head. “You’re not pathetic Owen. I promise you’re not.”

“It’s nice to be called Owen,” he said softly. “People always call me Owen Thorn, or sometimes just my last name but...almost no one ever calls me just Owen.” Owen shut his eyes. “I know you’re probably busy with getting ready for the party tonight but...do you mind if we stay like this for just a bit longer? Just for a moment?”

“Of course not,” I said.

Honestly I would have stayed there all night if he had asked me to.