07-11-2025, 03:57 PM
Part 1
Will it ever be the way it was before
I don't know, that depends on the boy alone.
Aren't we asking too much of him
Why are you so hesitant all of a sudden, besides, he has help from his brother.
I have an uneasy feeling about the whole thing.
Xeraf looked Lepina in the eye.
It's too late to worry about it, Lepina. We need the boy, otherwise everything in the universe is doomed!? * *
Another math lesson and finally the weekend was here, but Lambrikasa didn't let on, he tortured us with equations as best he could. A note came flying over to my desk, from Jochen, typically.
“Well Schwuli, what's on this weekend?” Ever since some of the guys in class had found out that I was gay, Jochen always thought he had to make fun of me about it. But I was above it. So I took the note.
I quickly scribbled an answer on it: “Nothing yet, sweetheart, want a date with me?” and threw it back. Jochen grimaced and sent me a pained smile in reply.
Finally the bell rang and I packed up my things.
“Kevin, are you waiting for me?” Susanne asked behind me.
“Of course,“ I replied.
Susanne and I lived in the same house. That's why we knew each other from an early age. She had always been a good friend to me and I owed it to her that I had no problems with being gay, no matter where I was.
We left the school building together.
“I couldn't have lasted another hour,” Susanne said.
Me neither, I'm glad we finally have the weekend off, I replied.
Still on the stairs to the schoolyard, I suddenly realized that something was wrong. I suddenly saw the street in front of the school, where me and Susanne had crossed it. I saw the approaching car too late.
I only saw the horrified looks on their faces as Susanne was flung through the air.
Kevin, are you all right?
I started. I was still standing on the stairs with Susanne next to me.
“I'm sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment,” I replied.
We reached the school gate and Susanne was the first to step onto the street. I remembered what I had just seen and pulled Susanne back. Then I only heard tires screeching.
“Wow, I didn't even see him coming,“ said Susanne, who was lying on top of me from the impact.
The driver got out.
“Can't you pay more attention?” he shouted.
I scrambled to my feet.
“If she had been driving at 30, as is prescribed here, nothing would have happened,“ I snapped back venomously.
“Bloody idiot,” he said, got in and drove off.
Susanne had also gotten up by now.
“Was that an asshole?”
“Did anything happen to you?”
Florian from our class was standing behind us.
“No, Florian, everything's fine, my hero saved me,” Susanne said, smiling at me.
I made a grimace so loud that even Florian started laughing. But deep inside of me, a feeling of unease spread. What was that just now, I had clearly foreseen what was happening and changed it.
* *
I woke up, bathed in sweat and screaming. The door opened and Simon, my brother, rushed in.
“Are you okay?“ he asked me.
“Yes, it was just a bad dream.”
“Bad? That was pure horror, I'm still shaking,” Simon replied.
I looked at him questioningly.
“Trees?Avenue?Blue people?“ he continued.
“You dreamt the same dream?” I asked in astonishment.
“It seems so, and above all, it was all so real, my hands still hurt from the shackles.”
Simon was my twin brother, four minutes older than me. We had often noticed that we felt each other's feelings. Because we often heard on TV that this often happened with twins, we had never thought about it.
He rubbed his wrists.
“I know what you mean, I'm no different,” I said and sat up.
“Kevin, can I ask you something?”
“What is it, big brother?”
“I know it's a bit far-fetched, but when you kissed that blue boy so passionately in your dream, are you gay?”
Suddenly I felt terribly sick. I jumped up, ran to the bathroom and threw up. He had hit me at my weakest point. Joshua stood behind me and supported me, because my legs felt like rubber.
“I'm sorry Kevin, I didn't mean to.”
“It's not a problem, but the dream must have been very upsetting for me.”
“I actually meant something else?”
“Yes.”
What yes?
I'm gay?
Cool.
I looked at him in amazement.
What's cool about me being gay?
I just think it's great that you still trust your brother so much. Does anyone else know?
Yes, a few of my friends and some from class.
And already a boyfriend in sight?
I started to laugh out loud.
“Who would want me?”
“Well, I think you look good, Kevin.”
“Self-praise stinks,” I replied, grinning.
Simon looked like my mirror image. We both had short, light brown hair and green-grey eyes. We were also both slim and 184 cm tall. If you're wondering why our parents aren't mentioned in this story, it's because they preferred to spend the vacation without us.
We had a storm-free house and our parents didn't have to take any consideration for us. I ran back to my room.
“Kevin?”
“Yes?”
“Can I sleep with you?”
I had to grin.
“Come on, big guy, I have plenty of room,” I answered Simon.
I quickly fell asleep again, close to my brother, in a deep, dreamless sleep.
* *
“Sure Susanne, Simon is taking a shower, then we want to have breakfast? Yes, just come over... you really think Florian is already awake at this time? Well, you can try it, okay, see you in a minute. Ciao Susanne.”
I put the cordless phone back in its cradle. In the kitchen, I prepared the pot for the hot water and started setting the table when Simon came in.
“And did you sleep well?“ he asked.
“The rest of the night, yes, thank you.”
“You're setting the table for four?”
“Yes. Susanne called and said she's bringing Florian for breakfast.”
“Then I'll just go upstairs and get dressed,” said Simon, who was only standing there in shorts.
Alone again, I just put the glasses on the table when a jolt went through my body. I didn't know what had happened, but I was definitely not in our kitchen. In front of me appeared a large screen.
I saw stars, planets, in front of me was the universe. A kind of spaceship, a very large one, approached in my direction and began to fire.
And suddenly I found myself on the floor of our kitchen.
“Kevin??“, I heard shouting from the hallway.
Simon came running in.
“What was that just now??” he asked me.
“I don't know, did you see it too??”
“No, I didn't see anything, I just felt that you were in danger.”
The doorbell rang and as I was still kneeling on the kitchen floor, Simon went to open it.
“Hi Simon, everything okay?“ Susanne greeted Simon.
“Please come in. Hello Florian,” I heard Simon say.
“Is something wrong?“ Florian asked.
“I don't know yet,” I replied.
The three of them came into the kitchen, where I was still sitting on the floor.
* *
“Xeraf, stop it!” Lepina said loudly.
“It's not me, the boy is choosing in my brain, how is that possible?”
“That confirms that he must have telepathic powers, otherwise he couldn't see into you.”
“Stop it, Lepina, you're scaring me. Until now, I believed that I was sufficiently protected against such attacks.”
“Apparently, the boy has more potential than we thought.”
“If you're right, it's time we finally brought him to us.”
* *
“What happened?” Susanne asked.
Simon helped me up and I sat down on a chair.
Hello Florian and Susanne... please sit down, I have to tell you something, I said quietly.
The two of them sat down on the corner bench, with Simon next to me.
I know that what I'm going to say will sound strange and far-fetched to you, but please let me tell it before you say anything.
Both nodded and so I began to tell. Susanne's mouth was agape when I told her about the almost accident and how I had saved her life, as well as the dream in which Simon had joined in.
When I had told about the spaceship, I had to pause for a while. The two of them looked at me, rigid and horrified.
“I don't know what to say?“ Florian said first.
“I can only agree with Florian, just the fact that you foresaw the accident... I'm just flabbergasted,” Susanne said.
“Am I going crazy?” I said, feeling tears well up in my eyes.
Simon put his arm around me.
No, dear brother, otherwise I wouldn't have seen all of this either.”
Florian took a roll and cut it open.
“How can you eat at a time like this?“ Susanne snapped at him.
“I'm hungry,” he said.
“That's what we came together for, to have breakfast,” my brother said.
So we started to have breakfast. Nevertheless, everyone remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
A strange smell reached my nostrils.
“Do you smell that too?“ I broke the silence.
“What?” Susanne asked.
“It smells kind of burnt here,” I replied.
“We're not running any electrical appliances, are we?“ Simon interjected.
And then something happened that stopped everyone from eating. The kitchen around us seemed to dissolve. The contours blurred until everything was just white.
“What is it now?” Florian asked, startled.
He didn't get an answer, because the white disappeared and dissolved like a fog. What remained, none of us could really define. We stood in a dimly lit room with many consoles.
A sea of light sources and monitors created the weak light.
“Did Scotty beam us onto the Enterprise?“ Simon asked, and inevitably we all started laughing, but quickly fell silent when someone entered the room.
“I apologize for bringing you here without warning,” we heard a female voice say.
“Lights!” came from the other side, and we spun around.
The light slowly increased and in front of us stood a man. Well, he could be roughly described as a man; he looked like a human, only a tiny difference made us hold our breath.
His skin was blue.
* *
“Are you sure it was good to bring all four of them here?“ the woman asked.
“I don't know yet, they are friends and that's what we were looking for,” the man replied.
“Can someone please tell me what just happened, I think I'm in the wrong movie,” Susanne said.
The man stepped in front of Susanne, who backed up a little.
“Excuse me again, I'm Xeraf and this is Lepina. We're both from Keron,“ the man said. ‘We brought you to us because we need your help.”
“Is this a spaceship?’ Florian asked quietly.
Xeraf and Lepina looked at each other.
“This is a Firewap, one of the fastest fighters in its class,” said Xeraf.
We were still standing rigidly in the same place.
“Could you please sit down so that we can begin the preparations for take-off?“ Lepina asked.
“Isn't this a kidnapping now?” Susanne objected.
“As I said, we urgently need your help, especially from Kevin here,” Xeraf said.
I winced when my name was mentioned.
* *
It was all a bit much for me now. I sat down on my assigned seat and watched the two closely to see what they were doing. This glider began to move, barely noticeable, past the moon and the rest of the planets.
If I didn't know better I could have thought I was watching an episode of Star Trek on the big screen TV. Still I had a funny feeling in my stomach, knowing that we were moving away from Earth very fast.
Suddenly the stars stretched out in front of us, turning into a kind of tube. Xeraf got up and sat down with us.
“If you're wondering about the confusion here and the strange smell... we were attacked on our way to you,” Xeraf said.
“From one of those black ships that looks like a giant toaster?“ I asked.
Florian couldn't help grinning.
“I know what images you've seen,” Xeraf said. “And I also know that you can read my mind.”
I jumped because Xeraf's voice, the second sentence, was not spoken with his mouth, but I only heard it in my head.
“Yes, you don't need to be afraid, we can talk like this too.”
I stared into his eyes.
“I'm a little unsettled now, this is the first time I've experienced something like this.”
He began to smile.
“Don't worry, soon it'll be normal for you.”
I looked more closely at Xeraf and noticed that he was very good-looking.
Oh thanks Kevin, I'm honored.
I was now competing with every red control light in the room, so my head glowed.
“Why are you two staring at each other like that, talk to each other?“ Said Susanne.
“Aren't they?” Came from Lepina.
Susanne got up and joined Lepina.
“How? They're talking?”
? Yes, with their thoughts? What do you call it on your planet?
Telepathy, Simon said.
Your brother can read minds? Florian asked.
Apparently, Simon replied.
I turned away from Xeraf and looked at Florian, who also blushed. A grin spread across my face.
“Why didn't you ever say anything?“ I asked Florian.
“Um... I...” Florian stammered.
“Guys, this is mean. Speak normally, I want to know what's going on, too,“ said Susanne.
“I feel the same way, Susanne,” agreed Simon.
Xeraf stood up and went to a console. He returned with three cup-like containers.
“Drink this and soon you will be able to hear each other's thoughts just as easily.”
Simon looked sceptically into the cup. A neon-yellow, glowing liquid beamed at him.
“You can drink that?“ asked Susanne.
“Go on, try it, it tastes quite sweet,” said Lepina.
Susanne sipped at it gently. Florian and Simon waited anxiously for her verdict. She looked up and looked at Florian and Simon. Suddenly she started to laugh out loud.
“What's the matter?” I asked her.
“We have two heroes here, they're almost shitting themselves because of this drink.”
Susanne emptied the cup in one go and put it down on the console. A little sheepishly, Florian and Simon also emptied their cups.
“And why didn't Kevin get a cup?“ Susanne asked.
“Because he already has his gifts, even without this drink,” Lepina replied.
“What gifts?” I asked in astonishment.
Xeraf sat down with me.
“As you have already noticed, you can read the thoughts of others, like your brother, and he can tap into you and see, hear, feel, smell everything you experience, whether real or in a dream. And we have found that you can see into the future, but you have great potential, so we'll let ourselves be surprised.”
Look into the future? Like with the accident, with Susanne?
Yes, that's what I meant.
Do Susanne and Florian also have gifts? I asked further.
That remains to be seen. Both of them can read thoughts, but we don't know what other powers they have, Xeraf said.
* *
Xeraf and Lepina had simply given us a little time. Simon and Florian sat with Xeraf and watched him during his flight maneuvers. Susanne let Lepina show her the ship. Only I remained sitting in my corner and observed everything.
Somehow I became sleepy and closed my eyes. It didn't take long before I once again didn't know where I was.
I was standing on some kind of rock and could see far into the distance. It seemed to be getting dark, because I could already see the faint outlines of two moons.
Below me stretched a wide valley with, well, I couldn't really call it trees, at least not like I knew them from home.
“This is our home planet Keron.”
I turned around, Xeraf was standing next to me.
“You're doing it again,“ he said quietly.
“What am I doing?” I asked.
“You're going through my memories again.”
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.”
“I know.”
Again I looked at him closely. His wild black hair hung down over his face. But it didn't hide his large green eyes.
“I seem to appeal to you,“ Xeraf continued.
I looked at the ground, blushing.
“You'll have to excuse me, but you really are good-looking,” I said quietly.
“There's no need to be embarrassed about that. Where I come from, it's quite normal for a boy to fall in love with another boy.”
Really?, I asked, looking into those sparkling eyes again.
Yes.
Not where I come from, that's considered a sickness.
What's sick about loving another person?
I sensed that Xeraf didn't understand.
Where I come from it's normal for a girl and a boy to be together, I said.
“But that's boring,“ said Xeraf, stepping a little closer to me.
I felt somehow different, I felt a warmth that I didn't know.
“Why so shy?” Xeraf asked.
His head slowly approached mine, and at some point our lips met.
I opened my eyes and was still sitting on my seat. I looked at Xeraf, who smiled at me. Did I dream it or did it really happen? A little confused, I stood up.
“Xeraf, I have a question. You mean that everyone on Earth has an ability?” Florian asked.
Seen like that, yes, but they always remain hidden in most people, only in a few do they come to the fore, as they do in Kevin,? Xeraf replied.
And why can't I read Kevin's thoughts now? Florian asked.
Because he has several gifts, he can defend himself against external influences,? Xeraf said.
I was becoming more and more confused by this conversation, and also by what Florian had thought earlier, when I had entered his thoughts for the first time. He was in love with me and I hadn't noticed. Why were my talents only now coming to the fore?
Xeraf stood up and indicated his place to me. I followed his instruction and sat down on his chair.
“And what do I do now?” I asked.
“Trust your feelings, you will realize it works by itself,” Lepina said, who had joined us with Simon and Susanne.
I stared at the monitor, I wanted to press a button, but when I had the thought in my head, the button already pressed itself. Everyone stared at me. Xeraf smiled gently.
“I told you, Lepina, isn't he?“ Xeraf said.
“You're sure about that?” Lepina asked.
“Well, Xeraf, calling me the King's son isn't a bit exaggerated?“ I asked, drawing everyone's astonishment.
“You're what?” Simon asked in amazement.
He is the spiritual son of our late king Thelas,? Lepina said,?when he died, he transferred all his knowledge to another, and we were sent to find that someone.?
?Excuse me for asking a stupid question, but why didn't he choose one of your people???, Simon asked.
It is not for us to question the decision of our king,? Xeraf said.
He merely told us to find the one who, with three friends, will bring the country back on the right path, because since Thela's death, order has been broken and the fight for the throne reignited,? Lepina added.
I couldn't help it and started to laugh hysterically. But then something changed, time around me stopped, my laughter was abruptly still. My friends disappeared from my field of vision, Lepina and Xeraf as well.
In front of me appeared a kind of throne room, in which many people were present. All stared at me. This silence around me made me nervous. I turned around on my own axis to get everything in my view.
At the end of the hall stood strange figures, like none I had ever seen before. They were apparently arguing, but, strangely, it remained quiet; I could only hear the sounds of my own movement.
Suddenly I was sitting back in the chair, the others gathered around me, except for Simon, who was kneeling on the floor.
“What did you see?“ Xeraf asked me.
“Why, couldn't you see it?” I asked in astonishment, worried about my brother, who stood up somewhat dazed.
“No, you closed yourself off completely,” Xeraf replied.
“And what about Simon, then?”
Lepina led him to the chair next to me.
“Simon, Kevin, is your biological brother, your twin, in fact. You have a special bond with each other. Everything you feel and see, he sees and feels too.”
Could that not be dangerous for us?, I asked, I mean, I don't know what's going to happen to us, but this connection to me could be dangerous if something happens.
Xeraf looked at the ground and remained silent.
Yes, that can be a disadvantage,?
Xeraf look at me?
An unknown strength began to flow in me, I was completely calm, free of negative thoughts. I stood up and took Xeraf in my arms.
“You set out and looked for me. And now that you've found me, I'll help you no matter what. I don't know what role it plays that I'm gay and about to fall in love with you, but one thing is for sure, I'll stand by you.
Xeraf looked up and saw me, his eyes took on a warm golden hue.
“I thank you, my lord.”
Xeraf bowed deeply before me.
“Well guys, I don't like this brain-waffle, you don't get anything,” Susanne said.
Lepina smiled.
* *
I was lying in a chamber on a kind of bed. Slowly but surely I found my way through the tangle of thoughts. What King Thelas had taught me was immense. I was now also aware of my strengths.
“May I enter?”
I was startled because I hadn't noticed that Xeraf was standing in front of my door. With the strength of my thoughts alone, I opened the door.
'Thank you,' said Xeraf, and entered.
He looked around, but I already knew what he wanted.
'Will you sit with me?' I asked.
He smiled.
Xeraf, I have a question.
Yes?
Am I now something like a split personality? I mean, now that the knowledge of King Thela is fully affecting me?
No, Kevin, you have only inherited his knowledge, not his personality.
But I feel so powerful, free.
That is your knowledge of life that gives you all this.
I looked into Xeraf's eyes. They were no longer shimmering gold, they had now turned a deep red.
“What are you thinking?” Xeraf asked.
I had to grin. It really was not possible for Xeraf to read my thoughts if I did not want it. I leaned back on my pillow and opened my mind.
“So you want to know what I think, then look into my eyes Xeraf?”
“Your affection for me has increased?”
“What should I do, something about you captivates me?
I raised my arm and gently stroked Xeraf's cheek. It felt velvety soft. Xeraf closed his eyes and started to glow in a strange way.
“What is that?”
“When Keron men are stimulated, they give off energy, they start to glow.”
“All of them?”
“Yes, all of them. And what about you?”
I blushed. Xeraf opened his eyes and looked at me intensely.
“What is it?“ he asked.
He put his hand on my stomach and immediately I felt the energy he gave off.
“Are you built the same as us?” I asked quietly.
“Actually, yes, except for a few internal organs, there is no difference between us.”
Well, we have an organ that changes when we're aroused.”
“And which one might that be? May I see it?”
I had to swallow hard.
* * *
“I'm worried about my brother,“ Simon said.
“Why?” Lepina asked.
“He's been more of a loner until now because he?”
Simon broke off mid-sentence.
“Is it so bad to have different feelings than everyone else around you?“ Lepina asked.
“I don't think it's bad, but many can't handle it.”
Suddenly the Firewap was shaken.
“What was that?” Simon asked anxiously.
Lepina looked at one of the monitors.
“We're being attacked?”
Will it ever be the way it was before
I don't know, that depends on the boy alone.
Aren't we asking too much of him
Why are you so hesitant all of a sudden, besides, he has help from his brother.
I have an uneasy feeling about the whole thing.
Xeraf looked Lepina in the eye.
It's too late to worry about it, Lepina. We need the boy, otherwise everything in the universe is doomed!? * *
Another math lesson and finally the weekend was here, but Lambrikasa didn't let on, he tortured us with equations as best he could. A note came flying over to my desk, from Jochen, typically.
“Well Schwuli, what's on this weekend?” Ever since some of the guys in class had found out that I was gay, Jochen always thought he had to make fun of me about it. But I was above it. So I took the note.
I quickly scribbled an answer on it: “Nothing yet, sweetheart, want a date with me?” and threw it back. Jochen grimaced and sent me a pained smile in reply.
Finally the bell rang and I packed up my things.
“Kevin, are you waiting for me?” Susanne asked behind me.
“Of course,“ I replied.
Susanne and I lived in the same house. That's why we knew each other from an early age. She had always been a good friend to me and I owed it to her that I had no problems with being gay, no matter where I was.
We left the school building together.
“I couldn't have lasted another hour,” Susanne said.
Me neither, I'm glad we finally have the weekend off, I replied.
Still on the stairs to the schoolyard, I suddenly realized that something was wrong. I suddenly saw the street in front of the school, where me and Susanne had crossed it. I saw the approaching car too late.
I only saw the horrified looks on their faces as Susanne was flung through the air.
Kevin, are you all right?
I started. I was still standing on the stairs with Susanne next to me.
“I'm sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment,” I replied.
We reached the school gate and Susanne was the first to step onto the street. I remembered what I had just seen and pulled Susanne back. Then I only heard tires screeching.
“Wow, I didn't even see him coming,“ said Susanne, who was lying on top of me from the impact.
The driver got out.
“Can't you pay more attention?” he shouted.
I scrambled to my feet.
“If she had been driving at 30, as is prescribed here, nothing would have happened,“ I snapped back venomously.
“Bloody idiot,” he said, got in and drove off.
Susanne had also gotten up by now.
“Was that an asshole?”
“Did anything happen to you?”
Florian from our class was standing behind us.
“No, Florian, everything's fine, my hero saved me,” Susanne said, smiling at me.
I made a grimace so loud that even Florian started laughing. But deep inside of me, a feeling of unease spread. What was that just now, I had clearly foreseen what was happening and changed it.
* *
I woke up, bathed in sweat and screaming. The door opened and Simon, my brother, rushed in.
“Are you okay?“ he asked me.
“Yes, it was just a bad dream.”
“Bad? That was pure horror, I'm still shaking,” Simon replied.
I looked at him questioningly.
“Trees?Avenue?Blue people?“ he continued.
“You dreamt the same dream?” I asked in astonishment.
“It seems so, and above all, it was all so real, my hands still hurt from the shackles.”
Simon was my twin brother, four minutes older than me. We had often noticed that we felt each other's feelings. Because we often heard on TV that this often happened with twins, we had never thought about it.
He rubbed his wrists.
“I know what you mean, I'm no different,” I said and sat up.
“Kevin, can I ask you something?”
“What is it, big brother?”
“I know it's a bit far-fetched, but when you kissed that blue boy so passionately in your dream, are you gay?”
Suddenly I felt terribly sick. I jumped up, ran to the bathroom and threw up. He had hit me at my weakest point. Joshua stood behind me and supported me, because my legs felt like rubber.
“I'm sorry Kevin, I didn't mean to.”
“It's not a problem, but the dream must have been very upsetting for me.”
“I actually meant something else?”
“Yes.”
What yes?
I'm gay?
Cool.
I looked at him in amazement.
What's cool about me being gay?
I just think it's great that you still trust your brother so much. Does anyone else know?
Yes, a few of my friends and some from class.
And already a boyfriend in sight?
I started to laugh out loud.
“Who would want me?”
“Well, I think you look good, Kevin.”
“Self-praise stinks,” I replied, grinning.
Simon looked like my mirror image. We both had short, light brown hair and green-grey eyes. We were also both slim and 184 cm tall. If you're wondering why our parents aren't mentioned in this story, it's because they preferred to spend the vacation without us.
We had a storm-free house and our parents didn't have to take any consideration for us. I ran back to my room.
“Kevin?”
“Yes?”
“Can I sleep with you?”
I had to grin.
“Come on, big guy, I have plenty of room,” I answered Simon.
I quickly fell asleep again, close to my brother, in a deep, dreamless sleep.
* *
“Sure Susanne, Simon is taking a shower, then we want to have breakfast? Yes, just come over... you really think Florian is already awake at this time? Well, you can try it, okay, see you in a minute. Ciao Susanne.”
I put the cordless phone back in its cradle. In the kitchen, I prepared the pot for the hot water and started setting the table when Simon came in.
“And did you sleep well?“ he asked.
“The rest of the night, yes, thank you.”
“You're setting the table for four?”
“Yes. Susanne called and said she's bringing Florian for breakfast.”
“Then I'll just go upstairs and get dressed,” said Simon, who was only standing there in shorts.
Alone again, I just put the glasses on the table when a jolt went through my body. I didn't know what had happened, but I was definitely not in our kitchen. In front of me appeared a large screen.
I saw stars, planets, in front of me was the universe. A kind of spaceship, a very large one, approached in my direction and began to fire.
And suddenly I found myself on the floor of our kitchen.
“Kevin??“, I heard shouting from the hallway.
Simon came running in.
“What was that just now??” he asked me.
“I don't know, did you see it too??”
“No, I didn't see anything, I just felt that you were in danger.”
The doorbell rang and as I was still kneeling on the kitchen floor, Simon went to open it.
“Hi Simon, everything okay?“ Susanne greeted Simon.
“Please come in. Hello Florian,” I heard Simon say.
“Is something wrong?“ Florian asked.
“I don't know yet,” I replied.
The three of them came into the kitchen, where I was still sitting on the floor.
* *
“Xeraf, stop it!” Lepina said loudly.
“It's not me, the boy is choosing in my brain, how is that possible?”
“That confirms that he must have telepathic powers, otherwise he couldn't see into you.”
“Stop it, Lepina, you're scaring me. Until now, I believed that I was sufficiently protected against such attacks.”
“Apparently, the boy has more potential than we thought.”
“If you're right, it's time we finally brought him to us.”
* *
“What happened?” Susanne asked.
Simon helped me up and I sat down on a chair.
Hello Florian and Susanne... please sit down, I have to tell you something, I said quietly.
The two of them sat down on the corner bench, with Simon next to me.
I know that what I'm going to say will sound strange and far-fetched to you, but please let me tell it before you say anything.
Both nodded and so I began to tell. Susanne's mouth was agape when I told her about the almost accident and how I had saved her life, as well as the dream in which Simon had joined in.
When I had told about the spaceship, I had to pause for a while. The two of them looked at me, rigid and horrified.
“I don't know what to say?“ Florian said first.
“I can only agree with Florian, just the fact that you foresaw the accident... I'm just flabbergasted,” Susanne said.
“Am I going crazy?” I said, feeling tears well up in my eyes.
Simon put his arm around me.
No, dear brother, otherwise I wouldn't have seen all of this either.”
Florian took a roll and cut it open.
“How can you eat at a time like this?“ Susanne snapped at him.
“I'm hungry,” he said.
“That's what we came together for, to have breakfast,” my brother said.
So we started to have breakfast. Nevertheless, everyone remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
A strange smell reached my nostrils.
“Do you smell that too?“ I broke the silence.
“What?” Susanne asked.
“It smells kind of burnt here,” I replied.
“We're not running any electrical appliances, are we?“ Simon interjected.
And then something happened that stopped everyone from eating. The kitchen around us seemed to dissolve. The contours blurred until everything was just white.
“What is it now?” Florian asked, startled.
He didn't get an answer, because the white disappeared and dissolved like a fog. What remained, none of us could really define. We stood in a dimly lit room with many consoles.
A sea of light sources and monitors created the weak light.
“Did Scotty beam us onto the Enterprise?“ Simon asked, and inevitably we all started laughing, but quickly fell silent when someone entered the room.
“I apologize for bringing you here without warning,” we heard a female voice say.
“Lights!” came from the other side, and we spun around.
The light slowly increased and in front of us stood a man. Well, he could be roughly described as a man; he looked like a human, only a tiny difference made us hold our breath.
His skin was blue.
* *
“Are you sure it was good to bring all four of them here?“ the woman asked.
“I don't know yet, they are friends and that's what we were looking for,” the man replied.
“Can someone please tell me what just happened, I think I'm in the wrong movie,” Susanne said.
The man stepped in front of Susanne, who backed up a little.
“Excuse me again, I'm Xeraf and this is Lepina. We're both from Keron,“ the man said. ‘We brought you to us because we need your help.”
“Is this a spaceship?’ Florian asked quietly.
Xeraf and Lepina looked at each other.
“This is a Firewap, one of the fastest fighters in its class,” said Xeraf.
We were still standing rigidly in the same place.
“Could you please sit down so that we can begin the preparations for take-off?“ Lepina asked.
“Isn't this a kidnapping now?” Susanne objected.
“As I said, we urgently need your help, especially from Kevin here,” Xeraf said.
I winced when my name was mentioned.
* *
It was all a bit much for me now. I sat down on my assigned seat and watched the two closely to see what they were doing. This glider began to move, barely noticeable, past the moon and the rest of the planets.
If I didn't know better I could have thought I was watching an episode of Star Trek on the big screen TV. Still I had a funny feeling in my stomach, knowing that we were moving away from Earth very fast.
Suddenly the stars stretched out in front of us, turning into a kind of tube. Xeraf got up and sat down with us.
“If you're wondering about the confusion here and the strange smell... we were attacked on our way to you,” Xeraf said.
“From one of those black ships that looks like a giant toaster?“ I asked.
Florian couldn't help grinning.
“I know what images you've seen,” Xeraf said. “And I also know that you can read my mind.”
I jumped because Xeraf's voice, the second sentence, was not spoken with his mouth, but I only heard it in my head.
“Yes, you don't need to be afraid, we can talk like this too.”
I stared into his eyes.
“I'm a little unsettled now, this is the first time I've experienced something like this.”
He began to smile.
“Don't worry, soon it'll be normal for you.”
I looked more closely at Xeraf and noticed that he was very good-looking.
Oh thanks Kevin, I'm honored.
I was now competing with every red control light in the room, so my head glowed.
“Why are you two staring at each other like that, talk to each other?“ Said Susanne.
“Aren't they?” Came from Lepina.
Susanne got up and joined Lepina.
“How? They're talking?”
? Yes, with their thoughts? What do you call it on your planet?
Telepathy, Simon said.
Your brother can read minds? Florian asked.
Apparently, Simon replied.
I turned away from Xeraf and looked at Florian, who also blushed. A grin spread across my face.
“Why didn't you ever say anything?“ I asked Florian.
“Um... I...” Florian stammered.
“Guys, this is mean. Speak normally, I want to know what's going on, too,“ said Susanne.
“I feel the same way, Susanne,” agreed Simon.
Xeraf stood up and went to a console. He returned with three cup-like containers.
“Drink this and soon you will be able to hear each other's thoughts just as easily.”
Simon looked sceptically into the cup. A neon-yellow, glowing liquid beamed at him.
“You can drink that?“ asked Susanne.
“Go on, try it, it tastes quite sweet,” said Lepina.
Susanne sipped at it gently. Florian and Simon waited anxiously for her verdict. She looked up and looked at Florian and Simon. Suddenly she started to laugh out loud.
“What's the matter?” I asked her.
“We have two heroes here, they're almost shitting themselves because of this drink.”
Susanne emptied the cup in one go and put it down on the console. A little sheepishly, Florian and Simon also emptied their cups.
“And why didn't Kevin get a cup?“ Susanne asked.
“Because he already has his gifts, even without this drink,” Lepina replied.
“What gifts?” I asked in astonishment.
Xeraf sat down with me.
“As you have already noticed, you can read the thoughts of others, like your brother, and he can tap into you and see, hear, feel, smell everything you experience, whether real or in a dream. And we have found that you can see into the future, but you have great potential, so we'll let ourselves be surprised.”
Look into the future? Like with the accident, with Susanne?
Yes, that's what I meant.
Do Susanne and Florian also have gifts? I asked further.
That remains to be seen. Both of them can read thoughts, but we don't know what other powers they have, Xeraf said.
* *
Xeraf and Lepina had simply given us a little time. Simon and Florian sat with Xeraf and watched him during his flight maneuvers. Susanne let Lepina show her the ship. Only I remained sitting in my corner and observed everything.
Somehow I became sleepy and closed my eyes. It didn't take long before I once again didn't know where I was.
I was standing on some kind of rock and could see far into the distance. It seemed to be getting dark, because I could already see the faint outlines of two moons.
Below me stretched a wide valley with, well, I couldn't really call it trees, at least not like I knew them from home.
“This is our home planet Keron.”
I turned around, Xeraf was standing next to me.
“You're doing it again,“ he said quietly.
“What am I doing?” I asked.
“You're going through my memories again.”
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.”
“I know.”
Again I looked at him closely. His wild black hair hung down over his face. But it didn't hide his large green eyes.
“I seem to appeal to you,“ Xeraf continued.
I looked at the ground, blushing.
“You'll have to excuse me, but you really are good-looking,” I said quietly.
“There's no need to be embarrassed about that. Where I come from, it's quite normal for a boy to fall in love with another boy.”
Really?, I asked, looking into those sparkling eyes again.
Yes.
Not where I come from, that's considered a sickness.
What's sick about loving another person?
I sensed that Xeraf didn't understand.
Where I come from it's normal for a girl and a boy to be together, I said.
“But that's boring,“ said Xeraf, stepping a little closer to me.
I felt somehow different, I felt a warmth that I didn't know.
“Why so shy?” Xeraf asked.
His head slowly approached mine, and at some point our lips met.
I opened my eyes and was still sitting on my seat. I looked at Xeraf, who smiled at me. Did I dream it or did it really happen? A little confused, I stood up.
“Xeraf, I have a question. You mean that everyone on Earth has an ability?” Florian asked.
Seen like that, yes, but they always remain hidden in most people, only in a few do they come to the fore, as they do in Kevin,? Xeraf replied.
And why can't I read Kevin's thoughts now? Florian asked.
Because he has several gifts, he can defend himself against external influences,? Xeraf said.
I was becoming more and more confused by this conversation, and also by what Florian had thought earlier, when I had entered his thoughts for the first time. He was in love with me and I hadn't noticed. Why were my talents only now coming to the fore?
Xeraf stood up and indicated his place to me. I followed his instruction and sat down on his chair.
“And what do I do now?” I asked.
“Trust your feelings, you will realize it works by itself,” Lepina said, who had joined us with Simon and Susanne.
I stared at the monitor, I wanted to press a button, but when I had the thought in my head, the button already pressed itself. Everyone stared at me. Xeraf smiled gently.
“I told you, Lepina, isn't he?“ Xeraf said.
“You're sure about that?” Lepina asked.
“Well, Xeraf, calling me the King's son isn't a bit exaggerated?“ I asked, drawing everyone's astonishment.
“You're what?” Simon asked in amazement.
He is the spiritual son of our late king Thelas,? Lepina said,?when he died, he transferred all his knowledge to another, and we were sent to find that someone.?
?Excuse me for asking a stupid question, but why didn't he choose one of your people???, Simon asked.
It is not for us to question the decision of our king,? Xeraf said.
He merely told us to find the one who, with three friends, will bring the country back on the right path, because since Thela's death, order has been broken and the fight for the throne reignited,? Lepina added.
I couldn't help it and started to laugh hysterically. But then something changed, time around me stopped, my laughter was abruptly still. My friends disappeared from my field of vision, Lepina and Xeraf as well.
In front of me appeared a kind of throne room, in which many people were present. All stared at me. This silence around me made me nervous. I turned around on my own axis to get everything in my view.
At the end of the hall stood strange figures, like none I had ever seen before. They were apparently arguing, but, strangely, it remained quiet; I could only hear the sounds of my own movement.
Suddenly I was sitting back in the chair, the others gathered around me, except for Simon, who was kneeling on the floor.
“What did you see?“ Xeraf asked me.
“Why, couldn't you see it?” I asked in astonishment, worried about my brother, who stood up somewhat dazed.
“No, you closed yourself off completely,” Xeraf replied.
“And what about Simon, then?”
Lepina led him to the chair next to me.
“Simon, Kevin, is your biological brother, your twin, in fact. You have a special bond with each other. Everything you feel and see, he sees and feels too.”
Could that not be dangerous for us?, I asked, I mean, I don't know what's going to happen to us, but this connection to me could be dangerous if something happens.
Xeraf looked at the ground and remained silent.
Yes, that can be a disadvantage,?
Xeraf look at me?
An unknown strength began to flow in me, I was completely calm, free of negative thoughts. I stood up and took Xeraf in my arms.
“You set out and looked for me. And now that you've found me, I'll help you no matter what. I don't know what role it plays that I'm gay and about to fall in love with you, but one thing is for sure, I'll stand by you.
Xeraf looked up and saw me, his eyes took on a warm golden hue.
“I thank you, my lord.”
Xeraf bowed deeply before me.
“Well guys, I don't like this brain-waffle, you don't get anything,” Susanne said.
Lepina smiled.
* *
I was lying in a chamber on a kind of bed. Slowly but surely I found my way through the tangle of thoughts. What King Thelas had taught me was immense. I was now also aware of my strengths.
“May I enter?”
I was startled because I hadn't noticed that Xeraf was standing in front of my door. With the strength of my thoughts alone, I opened the door.
'Thank you,' said Xeraf, and entered.
He looked around, but I already knew what he wanted.
'Will you sit with me?' I asked.
He smiled.
Xeraf, I have a question.
Yes?
Am I now something like a split personality? I mean, now that the knowledge of King Thela is fully affecting me?
No, Kevin, you have only inherited his knowledge, not his personality.
But I feel so powerful, free.
That is your knowledge of life that gives you all this.
I looked into Xeraf's eyes. They were no longer shimmering gold, they had now turned a deep red.
“What are you thinking?” Xeraf asked.
I had to grin. It really was not possible for Xeraf to read my thoughts if I did not want it. I leaned back on my pillow and opened my mind.
“So you want to know what I think, then look into my eyes Xeraf?”
“Your affection for me has increased?”
“What should I do, something about you captivates me?
I raised my arm and gently stroked Xeraf's cheek. It felt velvety soft. Xeraf closed his eyes and started to glow in a strange way.
“What is that?”
“When Keron men are stimulated, they give off energy, they start to glow.”
“All of them?”
“Yes, all of them. And what about you?”
I blushed. Xeraf opened his eyes and looked at me intensely.
“What is it?“ he asked.
He put his hand on my stomach and immediately I felt the energy he gave off.
“Are you built the same as us?” I asked quietly.
“Actually, yes, except for a few internal organs, there is no difference between us.”
Well, we have an organ that changes when we're aroused.”
“And which one might that be? May I see it?”
I had to swallow hard.
* * *
“I'm worried about my brother,“ Simon said.
“Why?” Lepina asked.
“He's been more of a loner until now because he?”
Simon broke off mid-sentence.
“Is it so bad to have different feelings than everyone else around you?“ Lepina asked.
“I don't think it's bad, but many can't handle it.”
Suddenly the Firewap was shaken.
“What was that?” Simon asked anxiously.
Lepina looked at one of the monitors.
“We're being attacked?”