Firestorm:
The portal fractured my bones into a million pieces, keeping only my spine intact. I had no mouth left to scream with as I morphed into some distant version of my former self.
I awoke inside Zayne’s body on Bennu Island; young, strong, and sick to my stomach from the abrupt transformation.
I threw up the Bennu eggs and berries Zayne ate for lunch as a new reality formed around me. Colors bloomed out of the void, stretching into solid rocks, trees, and foliage. Time felt like syrup, each second waiting for me to acknowledge it before ticking forward.
I sat on the riverbank, stunned.
The brook trickled over smooth stones, its water clear and sparkling in the Grid-covered sunlight that cast a pale glow over the world.
Why is the Grid blue in this probability?
It was as if dawn scrubbed the red Grid away and left only its core behind. The blue Grid deepened as my eyes climbed, a slow gradient from pale sapphire near the horizon to a deep cobalt overhead.
The blue Grid was a stark contrast to the red I was familiar with. Its cool, luminous presence was easier on the eyes. Even the air felt different beneath it; lighter, quieter.
I took a slow breath, letting the newness of this timeline sink in.
The grass under me tickled Zayne’s thin, soft skin.
I’m human again.
I wiggled his fingers like a baby discovering them for the first time.
Laughing, I stood and jumped on Zayne’s nimble legs. The ground pressed back, solid under his feet.
I took a few steps forward as if for the first time, testing Zayne’s body and marveling at the simple miracle of walking.
I caressed the back of his muscular arms.
No wings.
I rubbed his eyes, becoming hyper aware of my surroundings. The lush forest was teeming with life; frogs jumping across ferns, birds chirping from hidden perches, leaves blowing in the humid air thick with salt and eucalyptus.
I sucked the fragrant breeze into Zayne’s nostrils and almost choked on its intensity.
Oh, to live on Bennu again, healthy and full of life.
Falling to his knees, I bent over the stream and gazed into Zayne’s reflection. Splashing water on his face, the rush of cold slapped me with a stark realization.
This is my face. My body. I am Zayne.
I stood and turned around with arms outstretched, breathing in Bennu Island.
Where should I go first? Swimming in the stream or hunting with Jappa at the summit?
Vague ideas surfaced about Sumi, a young woman I was courting in this lifetime; her freckled nose, dark hair, and supple body…but only Grace could have my whole heart.
After splashing my arms with crisp water from the stream, I stumbled down the well-trodden path toward the village. My knees wobbled with every step. It was weird and wonderful having legs again.
I’m home…
Tears came to my eyes as I entered the village where I grew up. I paused on the threshold, letting the warmth of the place wash over me.
Inside the humble community, kids played Bird Tag, the elderly practiced Ni Cree, and a group of men harvested a pile of Bennu eggs for their vital nutrients. It was like stepping into a memory that had been waiting for me to return, patient and unchanged.
My chest tightened. I was both a stranger and someone who belonged.
Will anyone suspect that I have stepped into Zayne’s body?
Scratching my head, I stumbled forward, faltering.
Nannu walked past, hunched over her cane. “What happened, Zayne? You look pale.”
“I…uh…” I wanted to hide, unsure how to act in my new form.
She kept walking. “Don’t just stand there. Set the table for dinner.”
I smiled at her unremarkable greeting, an unbearable lightness spreading through my human form.
“Nannu, give me a hug.” I scooped my grandmother into my arms, lifting her feet from the ground. Her Merkaba necklace made from Bennu teeth hit my face. “I’ve missed you, Nannu.”
She swatted me. “Missed me? We spoke this morning. What’s gotten into you? Let me down before you break my back.”
“Let me help you to the table,” I offered, setting her down gently.
She shooed me away. “No need. There’s plenty of life in these old bones. Shall we dance our way to dinner?”
We laughed and waltzed toward the shaded outdoor kitchen, the heart of the village. I joined the other men preparing the evening feast as if I’d never left.
Sumi sauntered over wearing a leather dress made from Bennu skin. It hugged her curves in all the right places. Perhaps there was time for one romantic evening with her…
She wrapped her arms around my tan, muscular shoulders and whispered, “Night walk after dinner?” Her sweet breath tickled my ear.
I nodded, smiling at her beauty; dark hair, almond eyes, and heart-shaped face.
Could I be happy in this lifetime without Grace?
The world tilted for a fraction of a second, and I gripped the table to steady myself. A hollow twist coiled in my gut.
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Sumi moved away as I rubbed the back of my neck, shaking that unsettling thought away.
The mission is all that matters; nothing else can claim my attention.
I grabbed an empty pot, looking for something to do to blend in.
Nannu nudged me. “What’s wrong, my boy? You don't seem yourself.”
I blushed.
Can she tell that I, Firestorm, took over Zayne’s body? Does Nannu know I don’t belong here?
“All is well, Nannu. Forgot my machete.” My heart pounded. My people were intuitive and wise.
She examined me, clutching her Merkaba necklace.
“I’ll go get it.” My lame excuse lured me back into the forest, where my disturbed thoughts could wander unseen.
My knees bent as I jumped and grasped onto a low-hanging tree branch. Muscles flexing, I lifted my chin above the branch before dropping to the ground. A chuckle escaped my lips.
Ah, to be human again.
I walked onward, humming, caressing the rough bark of every tree I passed.
Can I explore this new path as Zayne? Don’t I deserve a second chance at life and love? Sumi is lovely, but am I capable of loving anyone besides Grace?
I kicked a stone down the path, lingering on the choice I had yet to make. Stopping at a fork in the road, the fresh Bennu air made me lightheaded as the possibilities swirled in my mind.
A twig snapped.
I spun around. “Who’s there?”
Sumi stepped out from her hiding place behind a nearby tree. “Taking a night walk without me? How dare you.” Raising an eyebrow, she joined my side.
My cheeks flushed. “I lost my machete.”
“I’ll craft you another.” She nudged my shoulder with hers. “Dinner’s ready.”
I wrapped my arm around her, and we walked in step toward the village. Her warm, velvety skin sent my hormones into overdrive.
“Dinner can wait.” I stopped and pulled her close.
She smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief.
I leaned in, leaving no space between our bodies. Heat rushed through me as our lips met. The kiss deepened, slow at first, then hungry, like we’d both been holding back for far too long. My fingers ran through her silky hair as a breathless sigh slipped between us. Every brush of her tongue ignited a fire between my legs.
Weak knees gave way, and we sank to the ground, the forest floor cushioning our fall. Our lips met again, soft at first, then fierce, each kiss claiming more of me until I felt utterly undone.
Leaves crunched beneath us, but I barely noticed, lost in the spark between us. The scent of damp earth and pine mingled with the warmth of our bodies, igniting every inch of me.
Sumi pulled away, leaving me quivering for more. “Everyone will notice we’re missing. Let’s continue this after dinner.”
She stood, adjusting her dress, leaving me alone in the foliage.
The sun began its slow descent, spilling molten gold across the treetops and painting long shadows on the ground. The blue Grid deepened into a bruised, restless expanse overhead. The warmth slipped away with the light, leaving a crisp chill that gave me goosebumps.
“Are you coming?” Sumi reached out, and I took her hand, springing to my feet.
My arms slid around her waist, and I pressed my lips to her neck.
Her soft moan made my body ache.
A scavenger screeched in the distance, causing up both to flinch.
Sumi cowered from the unseen Bennu bird. “Let’s hurry home.” She scurried onward, but I hung back.
The predator called out again, hungry and tortured, reminding me of the atrocities Life Rite inflicted on countless timelines. In this timeline, Beatrice released me from my cage before she died, but many others were not so lucky.
Temptation nearly dragged me under. Beatrice warned me not to get stuck in this new life. Jackie needs my help on our dangerous mission to eliminate Alpha.
I clenched my jaw, pushing the fantasy of staying away. I couldn’t live in this reality. No way. Not when the threat of Alpha loomed heavily.
“I’m too far gone. I am Firestorm, protector of the Slipstream. Being Zayne is only a silly daydream,” I mumbled.
Sumi paused, turning back. “Huh?”
Every fiber of my being screamed to be released from this fleshy cage before I changed my mind again. I scratched my arms until they bled. “Get me out of this tight skin suit.”
“Zayne?” Fear flickered in Sumi’s dark eyes.
“Ahhhhhh!” Zayne screamed as I, Firestorm, tried to escape his body. His skin bulged as my wings stretched inside him. He fell to the mossy ground on his hands and knees; neck strained, teeth exposed, eyes bloodshot.
Trapped in a shell that wasn’t mine, Zayne’s skin clung to me like wet leather. I pressed against his flesh which clung desperately, tendons sticking to me as if they didn’t want to let go. It warped outward, spread taut, then split with a sickening tear.
His back ripped open at the spine, exposing blood, muscle, and bone. My massive wings ripped out of him.
Zayne struggled to breath, tormented by his dark side, while I breathed for the first time since arriving without tasting his lungs.
The skin suit collapsed, empty like a shed cocoon, as I wriggled free.
I emerged as Firestorm; a rebirthing phoenix, who I really am.
Zayne lay bleeding on a pile of leaves, reeling from the split, sagging like a butchered carcass.
I spread my wings, catching the reflection of my mutated phoenix body in Sumi’s glossy, tear-soaked eyes.
I shook blood from my skin like a wet dog, accidentally splattering it on her shocked face.
“Zayne?” She went to his side, cupping his pale cheek in her hands, covered in radioactive blood.
“Finem maluma,” he whispered before passing out from shock.
I let out a guttural groan, wanting to help but not knowing how.
Sumi shrank at the sight of my powerful wings expanding to their full potential. She bowed to pay her respects to the almighty Bennu, but I’m not one to be worshipped.
Instead, I silently prayed she could mend what I had broken in Zayne.
“Jackie, are you in the timeline? Did you make it? Can you hear me?” I mentally called her, but received no answer.
Jackie’s safety was my number one concern. She was a Slipstream natural, but this was advanced, even for me.
Will Jackie take her role too literally and end up inside Grace’s body? Or can she take a leap of faith to move freely through this probability on her own two feet?
Either way, I had to get close enough to guide her.
I let out a battle cry, ready to tackle this probability.
Sumi watched as I flapped my wings, leaving Zayne to be nursed to health in her trembling, blood soaked hands. Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks as she screamed. Her hoarse call for help tore through the stillness, reaching toward the village.
He’s better off without me.
As the air lifted my outspread wings, my heart beat wild in my chest, hoping Zayne might live to find health and happiness without me.
Weightless, I drifted on the unseen tide, gliding smooth and effortless above the island I once called home. A sharp twist of hunger knotted in my gut.
“I’m coming, Beatrice, focused and ready to fight.” Feeling drawn to the volcano, I flew toward the complex, the blood coating my scaly skin drying in the wind.
The icy blue Grid kissed the evening sky. The island wasn’t littered with countless hungry scavengers like previous timelines, a sign that Mark’s genetic experiments stopped when Beatrice refused the immortality serum, just as she said.
“Beatrice, are you here?” I called out as I soared above the volcano, the connected industrial complex looking worse for wear.
“Welcome back, Firestorm. Well done separating yourself from Zayne. I’m sure that was not easy.” Beatrice’s soft voice played in my mind. “Go back to the city. Your intuition will guide you once you reach Twin Flames. Find Jackie and uncover the truths of this timeline.”
“Are you okay here?” I asked.
The volcano gurgled. “I’m right where I’m needed. We will meet again before this is over.”
“Understood. See you on the other side of tomorrow.” I nodded and sailed over the sacred lands of my people. Banking left, I turned my back on Bennu before getting drawn into its beauty, never to leave this heaven on earth.
Jackie was my home now, and she needed help to survive the reckoning fate had already set in motion.
If you were Firestorm, would you have stayed in Zayne's life longer?
