Fractured Light Read Free

triplets, and beneath the bulge were exceptionally small legs. This odd combination must’ve made wearing pants extremely difficult.
    Mr. Wilcox opened his mouth to speak again, but a sound to his left distracted him. On the far end of the bleachers, two boys argued, their voices growing louder with each passing second. A few teachers hurried over to break it up, but before they could, the taller of the two boys shoved the other into a group of nearby students.
    Suddenly the entire area became like a mosh pit at a Linkin Park concert. Teachers swarmed the area, trying to take control of the situation, but because of all the students, they couldn’t get up the bleachers. All they could do was yell, which was as effective as a soccer coach for three-year-olds.
    Everyone, including myself, stood to watch the mayhem slowly spread across the bleachers. Fights broke out everywhere. I watched in horror as a girl who looked like a sophomore, accidentally got punched in the face. Blood spurted from her nose.
    I glanced at the wide, circular florescent lights hanging from the ceiling. I could end this fight, but should I? A teacher fell to the ground and screamed.
    There was only one way to end this brawl quickly. I stared at the lights and thought hard. It was a lot to manipulate, but I felt confident I could do it. Turning lights on and off was the only part of my abilities I could reliably control.
    I concentrated on the bright lights until I felt Light’s energy surge through me, turning my insides hot. Sweat broke on my forehead and my knees went weak. Suddenly a burst of energy exploded from me like juice squeezed from a lemon. Then there was darkness.

W HEN I WAS A CHILD, MY MOTHER WOULD TELL ME A BEDTIME story. At first I loved the dramatic tale, but after hearing it night after night, I grew bored. I often asked for a different one, a book even, like other children, but she always insisted on telling our Auran history. Sometimes she would introduce new characters or change the scenery, but the plot remained the same:
    “Once upon a time, thousands of years ago, Light lived among man as intelligent beings. Their presence brought equality and harmony to the humans, and the world was at peace. There was no sadness, pity, or pride; it seemed the righteousness of the people had banned evil from the earth. But when an older prince became jealous of his father’s love for his younger brother, he murdered the young prince in cold blood.
    “This deliberate evil brought the once-forbidden darkness to the prince’s heart where he allowed it to remain. There he entertained it, fed it, until the darkness overtook his thoughts and mind. Eager to corrupt others, he spread the darkness to those whose minds were open to greed, power, and lust. These new dark ones, Vykens as they were called, were unable to stand in Light’s presence without feeling unbearable pain. Hidden within the shadows of night, the Vykens hunted and attacked the Light-filled beings at their weakest moments, almost to the point of extinction.
    “To preserve themselves and maintain balance between good and evil, Light hid within the DNA of human females. These women passed Light on to their female offspring and became known as Auras. Auras protected their identity for many years, and even learned to use Light’s power to fight against the Vykens. But then the Vykens made a terrible discovery. They found that if they drank the blood of an Aura, they were no longer bound to the night. Not only did the sun no longer pose a threat, but the Vykens learned they could manipulate the Auras’ power, and they used it to grow stronger than ever before.
    “For this reason, Auras gathered from all over the earth to learn how to protect their human form. They created a council to oversee their safety, and to ensure Auras appeared no different than others.”
    I’d heard this story so many times that when my mother reached this point, I was usually asleep. I never knew why