"ELDWIN BREAKFAST IS READY." A woman's voice wafted through his ears. Eldwin moaned and rubbed his eyes. He didn't want to get up, not yet. "Eldwin!" She called once more, "Get up!" With a sigh, he grabbed his top sheet and pushed it downward. The sun shone through his windows, causing him to blink and adjust. Stretching his arms, he forced himself to a sitting position and placed his feet onto the cold hardwood floor. Chills shot up his spine as his mother yelled from the first floor of the house once more. "Eldwin!" He bolted upright and rushed to the door. He knew if his mother didn't hear him up and about, the next step would be coming up the stairs.

Taking extra care to be noisy, Eldwin stumbled around and threw on a pair of jeans with a short-sleeved shirt, followed by a long-sleeved plaid shirt to serve as a light jacket. He rubbed the sleep out of his eye and wandered into the hallway before turning right into the stairwell. Standing at the top, he stared down at the bottom and let out a sigh before descending. A cold shiver raced up his spine as he went to place his foot down. His foot twisted, sending pain up his arch and into his leg. Losing feeling in his leg, he stumbled forward and fell headfirst down the stairs. Moaning, his body came to a stop as it slammed into a floorboard on the first level of the house.

The world swam around Eldwin as footsteps echoed around him. He heard his mother calling to him, yet he couldn't make out the words. His mother's strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes appeared over his face. He stared at her, trying to focus his vision. "Eldwin," she spoke with concern in her voice, "are you okay?" Eldwin moved his lips trying to form words, but he found his brain was too addled to make anything audible. His vision returned as his mother flashed a bright light into his eyes. "Your pupils aren't constructed, so you don't have a concussion." Eldwin moaned and forced himself to a sitting position with his Mom's hand pressed against his back for support.

"I just had the wind knock me out." He offered a weak smile. He watched as his mother's ponytail bobbed as she began looking over her son's body. "I just missed a step. You know how much of a klutz I am." His mother sighed and rose to her feet.

"I'm a mother and a nurse..."

"I know you are looking out for me. All I need is breakfast and I'll be fine."

Eldwin watched as she nodded before walking away to the small hallway leading toward the kitchen. Sighing, he rose to his feet and followed her closely. He wandered toward the bar as she returned to her place at the stove and quickly faced him with a pan, spatula, and placed scrambled eggs and bacon on the plate before him. Eldwin poked the eggs with a fork as he eyed them closely. It was darker than usual. "Sorry, Eldwin. I would make you a new batch if there were time." Her face had taken on a sad hue as she glanced toward the analog clock that hung up to her right on a wall beside the refrigerator. Eldwin shoveled the food into his mouth and chewed swiftly as his eyes glanced over as well. The clock read seven thirty, causing excitement to grow through his body.

Today was the long-awaited trip to the museum to see an Egyptian exhibit that people thought had been lost from times past. He smiled as images of pottery, sarcophagus, and temples raced through his mind. He had hopes of being an archeologist someday and traveling the world like his father had before his life was taken in an accident. He dared not speak his dreams to his mother, though. She tried avoiding the subject. It was very touchy for some reason.

As if on queue, the sound of tires screeching to a stop before his house resounded from outside, causing Eldwin and his mother to turn toward the window. "El," his mother cooed, "it's not too late for me to tell the teacher you can't attend if you're feeling unwell."

"I am fine." He assured her as he rose from the stool and headed into the central part of the house to grab his backpack. "I know, you're a nurse, and it's your job to worry about me, but unlike other kids, I hate missing school." He came to a stop in front of the front door and paused as he took down his bag from a hook and threw it over his shoulders. His mother stood before him as a horn honked from outside, signaling to him that it was going to leave if he didn't come out.

"Can't leave Mr. Del Mastro waiting." His mother smiled as she opened the main door. Eldwin smiled, kissed his mom on the cheek, and walked out the door. He jumped down the stairs two at a time and raced down the driveway to the bus that idled at the apron with its doors open. With a clipboard in hand, his teacher appeared in the door frame, smiling down at him as he bounced up the two steps to jump inside the vehicle. He turned and smiled at his teacher.

"Good morning, Mr. Carmichael."

"Good Morning, Professor Del Mastro."

A smile appeared on the teacher's face as he pointed down the aisle with his pen. "Everyone is accounted for except one, so please have your seat so that we can visit the Damien estate, and then we can head out on our way." Eldwin shivered at the name as he passed by the teacher. He couldn't explain it, but there was just something he didn't like about Ash. He felt the teacher's eyes remain on him as he progressed down the aisle until he found Charles sitting next to a window with his head against the wall and his eyes partly closed.

Loud laughter came from behind them as he dropped his back and plopped beside his friend. He leaned over and secured his backpack between his legs so it wouldn't go anywhere during the drive, as a hand came between the two boys. Eldwin felt the bus jerk forward as it pulled away from the curve, followed by the hand smacking his friend in the face before disappearing behind them once more. Charles let out a startled cry as he jerked his head upwards and covered his nose. Eldwin turned and glanced at Kirk behind him, who had doubled over laughing. Sighing, he turned back to his friend and watched as blood oozed between his fingers and ran down the back of his hand.

Eldwin reached into his book bag and pulled out a tissue, then handed it to Charles. 'Are you okay?' he asked, exasperated. All his friends could do was nod. Eldwin felt anger surge through his veins. He wished for nothing more than to put their bully in his place, but all the teacher would see at this point would be Eldwin doing something bad to the guy behind his seat. Eldwin sucked in a deep breath and hung his head. It appeared like nothing could be done about the current situation.

"Mr. Anderson," the teacher spoke from nearby. All three boys jumped as they glanced towards the aisle and noticed the teacher standing super close to their seats with a scowl on his face. "Did I see you smack Mr. Gunderson?" Eldwin turned and watched as a smirk appeared on Kirk's face as he leaned back and placed both hands behind his head.

"No, sir." Kirk spat. "He fell asleep, and it happened while we were traveling. The bus rocked, and his head just slammed against the window."

Letting off a sigh, Eldwin shook his head. Kirk had lied about everything. He figured he shouldn't be surprised since this is a daily occurrence, and if the teacher didn't see it, he couldn't remedy the issue. Eldwin's back straightened as he felt someone stare at him. He turned his eyes and watched as the teacher's eyes flashed golden before he turned back toward Kirk. "Somehow I doubt that, but have it your way." With those last words, he watched as the teacher turned on his heels and progressed down the aisle. Charles had opened his mouth to bark at Kirk when he was stopped by the sudden stop of the bus, sending the boys into the seats before them.

Moans erupted around the cabin as the doors squealed open. Eldwin rubbed his head and glanced outside. He watched as Ash disappeared up the stairwell, only to reappear minutes later within the vehicle. Silence filled the air as Ash stood at the head of the gas guzzler with the teacher standing before him. "Hello, Mr. and Mr. Damein." A shudder ran through Eldwin's spine. He was more than sure the teacher was speaking to Jacob.

"Greetings to you, professor," a high-pitched voice spoke, breaking the silence. "I see we have everyone here today. I assume we are the last ones to be picked up."

"Indeed, you are, Jacob. Now, please take a seat. The only one left available is the one beside Mr. Anderson."

"Th-thank yo-you s-sir." a lower-pitched voice stammered as the boy moved past the teacher. All eyes were facing forward as the boy moved past them. He was wearing a grey hoodie with a stain on the front, jeans, and a backpack.

Eldwin watched as the boy and his puppet made their way down the aisle."Who are you looking at?" The puppet sneered. Eldwin swallowed a lump in his throat as they made eye contact. He turned away but couldn't help watching as Ash took a seat beside Kirk, who promptly pulled closer to the window, took out his knife, and began flipping it in the air.

Turning back toward the front of the bus, Eldwin watched as the teacher stood at the bus with a microphone in hand. Most likely, he was trying to fit in a lesson on the way to the museum. Eldwin let his mind wander and let the words bounce off him. What did concern him, however, was how scared Ash Kirk was of not wanting to be around him.

After what felt like hours, the bus pulled into a garden with bushes planted neatly in rows. Every other one was covered in flowers, while the remainder were dark green with white flowers and other sorts of greenery planted around them in a mosaic pattern. All the kids had migrated towards his side of the bus and glanced out the window as a pure white building, carved from marble, stood before them. White pillars shot out of the ground and toward the roof, spiraling with steps, perhaps ten or so, leading from the entryway down to the bus.

Happiness swelled within his chest. It wouldn't be long until he could get inside and look at the poetry and relics saved from a world that had been long forgotten. "Now, students," his teacher called from the front of the bus, "This particular selection had been donated by an archaeologist by the name of Abraxas. Let's show some respect to his hard work and behavior."

The bus rolled to a stop, and the children jumped out onto the walkway, glancing at the building that towered above them. Rumer had it that this used to be a government building, while others say that Abraxas found it in the pantheon and had it brought over brick by brick to preserve it. However, it got here or whatever made it appear overnight, the city put it to good use. A hard shoulder came into contact with Eldwin, causing his body to jerk forward. Crying out in pain, he rubbed the joint as Kirk stalked past him.

Chewing on his bottom lip, Eldwin stormed past Kirk. As Eldwin drew closer to the door, he felt something tug on the back of his shirt and pull him backwards. Eldwin tripped over his own feet and rolled down several flights of stairs before coming to a stop. Moaning, he forced himself upwards and glanced at Kirk's face. His bully's eyes were narrowed as a dark shadow clouded over them, and his lips disappeared in a thin line. Fear gripped Eldwin's heart, keeping him from breathing. In all the years they had known each other, Kirk had never done anything this horrendous. Something had to be terribly wrong.

"What's wrong with you?" Charles called from somewhere higher up.

Kirk made a 'tsk' sound with his mouth before shoving his hands in his pockets and turning around. "That moron got ahead of me. He needs to learn his place."

Mr Del Mastro arrived by Eldwin's side and helped him to his feet. "Where do you think you're going, Mr. Anderson?" The teacher snapped as Kirk continued up the steps. His bully stopped moving and straightened his back at their teacher's voice. The teacher took no time to cover the distance and stand beside him, gripping his arm. Eldwin progressed toward them and noticed Kirk kept his eyes away from the teacher, but more than that, Kirk had a tear streaming down his face. "I assure you we will take care of your issue later. You have a job to do, now do it." Eldwin heard the teacher snap.

Eldwin whirled his head around and watched as Kirk whipped his eyes before shoving what appeared to be a dagger into a bracelet that glowed yellow on his right wrist. Kirk wriggled free of the teacher's grasp before continuing on his way. "Did you hear that?" Eldwin whispered to Charles.

"See what?"

"Never mind." Eldwin sighed. Once they made it up the stairs and entered the building, he noticed that the walls were painted white, with rock trim beginning halfway down and paintings at the very top, featuring drawings of historical battles. He saw that in the middle of the room, a desk was set up where the teacher stood talking to a woman sitting behind a computer.

After a few minutes, the teacher walked back over, holding papers in his hand, smiling, "Okay, class. I have our tickets for today." Kirk grumbled something under his breath as he received his ticket. The teacher glared at him, which Kirk must have caught, for he quickly turned his head away.

"Here you go, Mr. Carmichael," the teacher said with a smile as he handed the paper over to him. Eldwin glanced down at the paper and took it from him. Kirk continued grumbling as he glanced at his own. He looked in his direction and noticed the teacher doing the same. "Is everything alright, Mr. Anderson?"

Eldwin watched as Kirk pushed his ticket into his pocket before wandering off to the bathroom. "Between the two of us, Eldwin. Whatever he says or does today, please don't hold it against him. He's having some family issues." He glanced up at the teacher and watched as he walked away, and shrugged. Except for beating him to death, there's nothing new Kirk could do to him anyway, so he had no reason to worry.

After the teacher finished passing out the tickets, he gathered everyone at a couple of lunch tables in the central area to make sure everyone was in the vicinity. Once the teacher averted his gaze from where he stood, he heard Kirk grumble in his ear, "Terrence wasn't pleased that you didn't bring anything to him last time. Up your game, or I'll have to take care of the situation." Eldwin jumped, unaware of Kirk being behind him.

The teen whirled around and glared at him. Eldwin noticed there was a gleam in Kirk's eye he had never seen before. It was cold and harsh, as if he wished to do Eldwin harm. It sent a shiver up his spine. The teacher clapped his hands together, gathering everyone's attention. "Now, students. It's time to check out the exhibit. Please stay together, and as a gentle reminder, refrain from touching anything. We don't want a repeat of last time now, do we, Mr. Fabian?"

Eldwin, along with the rest of the class, laughed as a boy with blonde hair went pale. The teacher approached the section of the museum that had a sign in front of the door that read, "Egyptian exhibit. The Era of King Tut." Everyone smiled as the teacher held the door open to make sure each individual had made it into the exhibit. Eldwin entered with eyes wide and full of wonder. The ceiling was as he imagined it. Painted a dark blue with stars outlining the constellations that made up the gods of the time, with pottery sitting around enclosed in glass cases, and in the middle of the room rested a sarcophagus.

On the wall, behind the sarcophagus, rested a golem. It stood about ten times Eldwin's height, with a bare chest and a schenti, and its hair was pulled into a ponytail off to the side of his head. On its neck rested an amulet with a blue gem resting within. The golem's mouth stood open as it stared blankly at the children. Eldwin felt a warm breath graze his neck. He turned and watched Kirk push past him.

Eldwin bit his bottom lip and walked inside. The teacher began lecturing about everything they were seeing, but he couldn't help but wander off from the group, trying to ensure he took everything in. After traveling around the room, he finally reached the golem. He smiled at it as he took in the intriguing clay workmanship that went into making it. Kirk stepped up behind him, laughing. "This is what they call a golem? Doesn't look so mystical to me." Eldwin began to retort when movement pulled him back to the statue.

Eldwin's eyes grew wide as the amulet began glowing, then the golem's eyes. It pulled its foot away from the wall and stepped before the teens. Fear wrapped itself around Eldwin as it reached down. Closing his eyes, he awaited the tight grip of death. "Move!" He heard a man shout. Fingers wrapped themselves around his wrist and tugged on him backwards. Opening his eyes, he noticed Kirk had grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the monster's way mere seconds before it slammed its fists into the flooring.

Tiles flew up around them as Kirk continued his advance, not even slowing down. Eldwin lifts off the ground from the force. Arriving at the door, Eldwin noticed that the teacher had already ushered the other teens out of the room and into the main hall. Kirk slid to a stop, and Eldwin felt Kirk wrench his arm; it didn't hurt, yet Kirk slid to a stop once he reached the door and flung Eldwin out. The teacher slammed the door shut from the inside, and a golden brown color illuminated the window before the sound of metal against clay met his ears. The sound carried on for several minutes before the glow reappeared, and the teacher walked out of the room with dust spilling out at his feet, with Kirk trailing behind him, covering his nose and coughing hard.