CHAPTER FIVE

We're seated at the coffee table by the window, and the world outside is coloured a dark grey, the unrelenting clouds showering us with fine rain. I sit patiently across from Katherine, hugging my arms to my chest. Somehow, a draft has found its way into the room, and it brushes up against my skin every now and then, triggering an assembly of goose bumps.

"I believe you may already know of what I'm about to tell you," Katherine says. "You may not know what it means, but you've probably heard it."

I nod, and as I wait for her to continue, questions I want answered manifest in my mind, each one throwing itself to the front in order to gain my attention. I'm not sure what she's about to tell me, but I'm hoping it'll answer at least some of the things that have been nagging me over the past two-and-a-bit weeks.

"Do you remember what Patrick said on That Day?" she asks.

It shouldn't even be a question – of course I remember what he said. Instantly, his voice returns to me, his words spinning around and around inside my brain: Have you told her about the Limit? The Origins? The Avexyr and the Anarkk? How well do you know these people, Melissa? How can you trust people you barely know?

His words spin out of control, magnifying in my mind until they're unbearable, and I shake them free. I've been trying hard not to think of them recently, unable to deal with all the secondary questions they give rise to. If there are things I don't know, things I haven't been told, then how can I make judgements about anything? How will I know if I'm fighting for the right side?

I take a deep breath and try to relax myself. These questions can wait.

"Yes," I say finally. "The Origins, the Limit, the Avexyr and Anarkk." The words sound funny in my mouth and leave a strange taste as they depart onto the air.

Katherine nods. "These are the things I need to explain. Really, you should have been told as soon as you realised you were a part of all this, but things got busy, as you probably know, and some of us felt it best not to say anything about it."

"What would have been so bad with just telling me?"

"This information changes things, Maya. We didn't want to add any extra pressure, especially when you had to worry about swapping back. It would have been too much if we piled it all on you at once. Plus, we weren't entirely sure you'd live long enough for there to be any point."

I try not to think about the last part. "Who do you mean by 'we'?"

"Ethel, Rand, Scott and I."

"Scott?" I ask.

She waves a hand, as if shooing my question away. "Caden's dad. He left before you met any of us, but he knew of you and helped plan out how to bring you up to speed."

"Caden's dad," I repeat softly. "Where is he again?"

"On official business."

I roll my eyes. "Right."

Katherine looks at me, her face revealing that she's not pleased. "I need you to be serious about all this, Maya. No eye-rolling, no attitude, no sarcasm – in fact, just scrap everything 'teenage'. You can't afford to be like that, not now or in the future."

I sigh, annoyed at how mother-y she's being. "I know."

There's a few seconds of silence and then she says, "I suppose I'll start then?"

I nod, and she begins.

"A long time ago – and don't ask me when, it's so far back that no one really knows – twelve original spirits escaped the otherworld, which is where our souls go after death. Original spirits are the spirits of people who have never lived – who are, in a way, born straight into the spirit world. And twelve of them somehow managed to come here – to the realm of the living. We call these twelve the Originals, or the Original Twelve, and we are their descendants."

I stare at her. "You're kidding," I say before she can continue, but her expression remains serious. "So...what? We're all part spirit?"

"In theory, yes. But over the generations, as we've married and had children with humans, that part of us has diminished significantly."

"We're not really human?" I ask, feeling a strange sort of sick.

"We are human – more human being than spirit – we just have otherworldly talents encoded into our DNA. Even in the human world, the twelve Originals were connected to the otherworld, and this allowed them to do extraordinary things, which they then passed on to their offspring. This is the Origins. However, there's a little more to it.

"Everyone who has powers, has them because of an event we call the Awakening. The gene that was passed down by the Originals wasn't, and isn't, immediately obvious. It lies dormant inside a person until death, where it is triggered, and this is the Awakening. Somehow, their genes bring us back from the dead, offering us a second chance at life after death.

"The only catch is, when you're brought back to life, you aren't brought back all the way. For the rest of your life, you stand with one foot in the spirit world, so to speak, and the other here in the realm of the living. And your close connection with the otherworld allows you to see things others can't, like spirits or ghosts. It also allows you to tap into some supernatural elements of nature, usually only possible in the otherworld, hence our abilities. We can do things normal people can't because we can access the unseen parts of life."

"What do you mean? That everyone who has powers has died first?"

Katherine shakes her head. "This is where it gets a little more complicated. Say your mother died and came back with powers before you were born. When she gives birth to you, you already possess her awakened powers, or variations on her powers, meaning if she has pyrokinesis you automatically have it too, no awakening required. But you technically still haven't gone through the Awakening, which means when you die, you still get that second chance at life. This is what we call the Second Awakening. No one goes through the Awakening anymore because all of us automatically receive powers, but we still have our unused second chance, and this brings you even closer to the otherworld. Afterwards you can receive anything from strengthened powers to completely new powers."

My head's spinning and I let out a breath. "So if I die tomorrow, I'll come back?"

"Well, that would have been true a month ago, but not anymore. You've already used your second chance."

"I have?" And then I remember what Caden told me after I swapped back: You stopped breathing...you came back from the dead. My eyes widen. "Oh my god, I have."

Katherine nods. "Sarah's body was too weak, so weak that even swapping couldn't stop it from dying. If it wasn't for your Second Awakening, you wouldn't be here right now. This is probably another reason why your abilities are so much stronger and so much harder to control now than they were before you swapped."

"Does this mean I might have another power? One I haven't realised yet?"

"It's possible, but don't get your hopes up." She pauses, and then moves on. "Anyway, as I was saying before, there were twelve Original Spirits. They created twelve bloodlines and as time has progressed, these bloodlines have moved away from each other, and their beliefs have changed.

"Six of the bloodlines hold the belief that we are not human, but the next step in human evolution. They believe we cannot co-exist with the humans, and that in order for to us to progress and live freely, all humans have to die. These people are called Anarkks, which means 'end' in the language of the otherworld.

"The other five bloodlines believe that we are still human and only possess extraordinary traits, which were given to the descendants of the original twelve. They do not believe that we are separate from humans, and therefore want to see the continuation of human life. They are called Avexyrs, meaning 'life'.

"The twelfth and final bloodline died out many years ago, before our beliefs started evolving. No one really knows what happened to them, only that they started dying, one by one, and now they're gone."

I sit in silence for a moment, sifting through all the new information. "Which group are we?" I ask, even though I can already guess the answer.

"Avexyrs," she says. "Our family in particular is of the fourth bloodline. And technically, we're the rebellious ones in all this. The Originals came to earth in the first place because they wanted and still want to create a new era, one where ordinary humans no longer exist. This way, the line between the otherworld and this one is weakened, and they can walk the earth freely – even rule it, if they want. The otherworld is not a friendly place, Maya. It is corrupted and filled to the brim with untold evils."

I frown. "Why do they want to live on earth so bad?"

"Because, being an original spirit, they were never granted the chance to actually live. Watching the lives of humans has soured them because it's something they can't have. When they managed to find a way to earth before, it was only temporary, and it used a lot of their strength."

I tilt my head slightly to one side. "How do you know all this again?"

"This knowledge has been passed down for generations to ensure we stay on the correct path. Evidently, we haven't, and thank goodness for that."

I take a deep breath. "This is a lot to take in."

Katherine nods. "I know, and I'm sorry to dump it all on you at once. But you need to know what's going on here."

All I can think is why Sarah or Caden didn't tell me these things. Were they told not to? Did they agree with Katherine's and Ethel's and whoever else's reason for keeping this from me?

"I still don't understand why I wasn't told sooner. Sure, this is crazy stuff, but I don't see how knowing it could affect me at all."

My mother sighs. "Before you swapped, you knew of the prophecy. But this information heightens the importance of what's coming, and that can be a lot to handle when you already have more pressing issues, like swapping back. We wanted to make sure you were ready – and that you wouldn't freak out and run off when we finally told you. What's coming is not just some small town drama – this has been in the making for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years. The second the Originals came to earth, a series of events were set in motion that would eventually lead to an immense battle between the bloodlines, which would decide the fate of all humanity. And this is the event you are destined to either stop, or triumph over."

I laugh softly. "No pressure."

"Sarcasm, Maya," she says, sending me a look of disapproval.

"Gosh, stop being such a mum." I laugh again, but in all honestly, I'm only laughing in order to avoid the alternative: taking things seriously. Because I know the moment I really start to think about everything she's said and what it means for me, I'll freak out. You don't just casually throw around phrases like, 'the fate of humanity' and 'immense battle'. When they're spoken, it means some serious shit is about to hit the fan, and I'm not sure I'm ready to take part in all that.

Eventually, I step away from my slowly growing anxiety and work up the courage to ask another question, even though my mind is already reeling from trying to comprehend all the new information.

"So what about the rest of what Patrick said? The Limit?"

Katherine nods. "Right, I almost forgot. The Limit is the result of a curse that was placed on the Anarkks only very recently – around a decade ago. This curse targets anyone who shares the Anarkk beliefs, regardless of what bloodline they come from, and it draws from their life-force every time they use their powers, condemning them to a fear of using their abilities. If they use their powers too much, they grow weak and eventually suffer an early death. If they pour too much strength into one action, they could weaken dramatically, fall unconscious, or in extreme cases, they could die. It also strips them of their second chance at life. It is a heavy price to pay for their beliefs, and this is why they tend to steer clear of using their abilities. That curse may very well be the only thing that is keeping us alive. Without it, the Anarkks would have already attacked us and our kind."

"Why didn't they before? Before the curse?"

"Things were calmer back them. It's only recently that tensions between us have increased exponentially, and that's because of the prophecy. The time spoken of in the Seer's vision a half-decade ago is nearing, and that frightens them. If not for the curse, they would have killed us all."

I swallow, and my nightmare from last night flashes in my mind. "What if – what if there was another vision?" I ask. "Another prophecy, revealed earlier than the one we know of?"

Katherine shakes her head. "There isn't."

"But what if there is? Maybe one that shows a different future?"

Her eyebrows knit together. "I don't know. I can't imagine it would be good for us."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the current prophecy works in our favour – it details who you are, states your role in stopping the Anarkks plans, and hints that you will ultimately be successful. If there was another, then all of that would mean nothing, especially if we don't know what the other foretells. For all we know, it could talk of a different person overcoming the Anarkks, or it could suggest that we're not successful in defeating them at all. And who's to know which future will come to pass?" Katherine pauses. "Why are you asking this?

"Because I believe that there might have been another Seer, a century ago, who foretold of a different future."

Katherine looks confused and more than a little alarmed. "Who told you this?"

"I saw it," I say. "In a nightmare."

She relaxes, her shoulders visibly dropping. "Then there is nothing to worry about. It was probably just your subconscious, exploring your deeper fears. There is only one vision, Maya – only one outcome. And you will bring that about."

But what if there isn't? my mind sings. What if there is another – an opposing side to the story? What if my fate isn't as solid as Katherine makes it out to be?

I look out the window again. The rain has passed, but heavy dark clouds still hang ominously over the city, and I find comfort in them. Even if I may not understand why they cling to me like wet clothing, at least they are familiar. And now that I've found myself caught up in a jungle of new truths, I need familiar more than ever.

"I hope you're right," I say, looking back at my mother.

"I am," she says, even as a frown appears between her eyebrows.

And then, as my own worry seems to manifest on her face, she speaks again in a whisper, not to reassure me, but to reassure herself. "I have to be."