It starts getting really frustrating really soon. Not finding anything that might help me after an hour and Etan not showing up, I'm completely ready to smash something against the wall.

Etan shows up around noon and after seeing my murderous look he explains that he had to train before he came here. He also said he heard I have a chance to get on the Rostra and that I should start training too. I nod, forgiving him and get back to look through websites that don't know anything about the mark.

Etan vanishes behind the shelves, where he went last night, again and comes back with a big book. Not one of those ones that we use these days. Nope. This one is made out of paper and everything in it is written with ink. It's big and heavy and looks really old, maybe a few centuries old.

I look at it in awe. I've never seen anything like it in real life. I've seen many pictures but nothing this close up.

I stare at, mouth and eyes wide-open, while Etan searches through it. He finally finds what he's looking for after a while and pushes the book in front of me.

I see the drawing of the exact same mark I saw on Elon's arm and start reading the information about it. It's not much but it's something.

The mark of Time Travellers

The mark of Time Travellers is a mark that the God of Time gives to every one of his followers as a way to distinguish them from the rest. This mark, although the harmless look, if given to someone by force can be really dangerous. The mark should be accepted by the host; if not it will burn and the host will experience headaches and will have no control over the power given to them which comes with the mark. Although, if accepted by the host, it will make him or her very powerful as they will have a direct connection to the God of Time himself.

And that's all that's written. At least now we know what the mark is.

Etan is prepared though. By the time I've finished reading he comes back with a different book, similar looking to the one in front of me and sets on the desk, showing me another page to read. The page is half torn out but there is still something readable left on it.

Time Travellers

Time Travellers are people chosen by the God of Time who can use the power of their God to travel back and forth in time. They are extremely powerful and have the ability to manipulate time, changing it as they will. There aren't many Time Travellers present in the world as no one believes in the God of Time anymore but the ones who do are cherished a lot by their god and are almost always given more than just the power to travel in Time. The Time Travellers are personally chosen by the God of Time and are usually strong believers and worshippers of Time.

There aren't many weaknesses shown from these species but some of them could be dirt mixed with v-

And the rest is torn out, the edge of the torn paper painted red as if the person who tore it out had paint on their hands. It's like they don't want us to know the weaknesses of the Time Travellers. I know it's a stupid thing to think but it's just a feeling I have.

"Maybe we should search about the God of Time?" I suggest and Etan nods before going back to the old part of the library. I think about going with him but I'm afraid to touch these books. They just seem so fragile and delicate that I just can't.

Instead I turn back to my computer and start searching and it's not a shock that I come up with nothing.

After another hour of searching we finally decide to take a break and eat something. I haven't had breakfast this morning and now, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, I still haven't had lunch and yes I'm starving.

We go to a nearby diner and order something.

"I've really wanted to ask you about something." I think this is the best time to feed my curiosity.

"Sure, go ahead." My brother smiles at me.

"Why did your eyes change color?"

"After I "died", which my Phoenix genes kept from happening – they came out of being dormant and my power started coming to me. I was in a coma for a few weeks and I think you remember that. I was in the hospital and Mom and Dad would come and visit me from time to time. When I got up my eyes were already like this. I didn't remember anything at first, not even my own name. That alarmed Mom and Dad. After a few months my name came to me but everything else remained a mystery. A few days later they saw me using my powers and they were terrified. They sent me away to live with Granny.

By the time I was able to go back to Mora and visit the house we used to live in, you were already gone. It was many years later when I had finally learned to control my powers. I found the house empty after using my powers to get in. There were still stuff lying around, like everyone had left in a rush but that's it. There was no sign of where you had gone to or if you were still alive or not.

I went back to Granny and lived with her for a few more months before the Consurrexi found me. I was 19 back then. I accepted to come here to work and left Granny's. It was a few months later that I got the news that she was dead. Well at least everyone says so. No one knows where she is." His eyes take a faraway look as he thinks of her. I don't remember much of Granny. I used to visit her with Etan and Elon when we were kids but I haven't seen her for a very long time.

"So how exactly did you get your powers?" I decide to change the subject.

"That day I had gone for a walk in the woods when I suddenly tripped and fell into a ditch. My Phoenix genes kicked in and I got myself out of there before passing out. I went into coma after that so I don't know what happened. All I know is that if I didn't have the need to remain alive I wouldn't have got my powers back then."

I think about it for a bit as our food arrives and we dig in. So Phoenix genes are dormant until they're forced to come out? Wow.

"What powers do you have now?" I ask around a mouthful.

"Well, I can manipulate fire and read minds but that's all I've had the possibility to discover at the moment."

I suddenly remember the necklace Doc gave me this morning. I put it on after he left hoping I would feel my powers kick in but nothing happened. Maybe I can use it when I train to see what I can do.

"Is Elon a Phoenix too?" Etan asks.

"I guess he is. I mean if you are and I am too then he should be too right?"

"But we don't know if Mom and Dad are yet, though."

"I know but still."

He shrugs. "He's still a Time Traveller; which, speaking of, how did he become one?"

I think about it for a bit. "I don't know. Lately he had become really short tempered and had started acting different. He seemed tired every day he woke up and I don't think he did really get much sleep. The last night I saw him was when I woke up to him moving around groaning in pain. I don't know anything else."

"Did he worship the God of Time?"

"I don't think he did. He was always saying it was stupid to worship someone who has done nothing. He was referring to Sekuum but still. I don't think he believed."

Etan nods before resuming eating again. I do the same and soon we both finish our food and start walking back to the library to do more research.

We don't get there though. Etan gets called in for training and tells me to do some research on my own until he returns.

I, being me, decide to do some research on something else.

I turn on the computer and type in Phoenix.

The only thing I get is pictures of birds on fire. Nothing about a Supernatural species named Phoenix.

But the curiosity eats at me and I decide to search in the area of the library that has old books like the ones Etan found.

I walk up to that area and see a sign reading "Restricted area, do not enter without permission." I enter anyway.

I walk through different rows of shelves full of books. Some books are eating dust while the others seem relatively newer. I walk up to the section saying "Supernaturals" and search through the books. I see one that might have the answers I need. I drag my hand across the spine before picking it up.

It's somewhat smaller than the last two Etan found but is of the same weight. I put it on a small wooden table in the same restricted area and open it. The smell of moss and dust fills my senses and I sneeze. I hear footsteps coming closer to the area I am in and my eyes widen. I hurriedly jump behind a shelf and crouch down.

The footsteps grow closer. "Who's there?" A deep voice asks. Problem is, I feel like he knows exactly where I am. It's like he's taunting me. I don't move, holding my breath I try my best to calm my heart down because it seems to be beating so loudly right now, I'm afraid the he would hear it.

The footsteps come closer and closer and I know he sees the book. The footsteps stop and instead I hear the stranger going through the pages. Suddenly I hear a ripping sound before a bam, as the books is shut and slowly the footsteps go away. After a while I hear them fading. I wait a few minutes before ducking around the corner to see if anyone's still there. When I find no one I slowly walk to the book and search through the pages.

Where is it? Where is it? Where is... Ah! Here it is.

Phoenix is written in bold letters across the whole page. I turn the page and look at the picture on it. It's a detailed one of a burning village with people on fire, seemingly screaming to their death. There's only one person who seems to be remaining calm. They stand in the corner watching the events unfold.

I shiver at the picture and turn to the other page to read what is written about the species. I don't get to do that though because the next page is completely ripped out and there's not even a word remaining. That's when I'm sure the stranger from earlier ripped it out.

The only thing that captures my eye, however, is the bloody red mark on the side where it was ripped out which, if I remember correctly, is the same as the one I saw on the page where the weaknesses about Time Travellers was torn out.

It's the same goddamn mark.