Chapter One:
Discovery
Kabe Garenth was an ordinary man. He had an excellent job an inventor, a loving wife, two beautiful daughters, a wonderful son, and a secret. A secret no one, not even him (yet) knew. It was a secret that would change his life forever. It all started one day…
Kabe loved to chat every day with his old college buddies. They lived in all sorts of places: some moved to all over Texas, some to many places in Alaska, others to Chicago, and more. He, on the other hand, lived about an hour away from Central Park in New York City, and missed them all. So, he chatted with them on the computer, via MSN Messenger, every day.
One day, when chatting with his best friend, Beck Turner, another window popped up on Kabe's computer. It was another MSN Messenger box, but the name and e-mail address were completely unknown to him. There was a message from this person whom Kabe obviously did not know. The name read Mysterious Person, the address reading The message simply read, in a beautiful teal cursive: "Hello, Kabe."
How does this guy know my name, if we most likely never met? Kabe thought to himself. As if this person knew what Kabe was thinking, he responded, saying: "We never have met, but I've known you longer than you yourself have."
Yeah, right, Kabe thought, and closed the window. He started to chat with Beck once again, when the box reappeared.
What is this guy's deal? he thought. Mysterious Person simply wrote: "You cannot escape me, Kabe. I will keep haunting you until you talk."
Again, Kabe closed the box, ignoring what was just said, and continued to talk to Beck. Mid-way through an excellent conversation, Mysterious Person returned. He again typed a simple message, but with more aggravation this time (and in normal writing): "KNOCK IT OFF, 'KABEY'! YOU NEED TO STOP SHUTTING ME OUT!"
Kabe couldn't believe what he was seeing. Only he and his first best friend (who died of lung cancer when the two of them were 12) knew that name. His friend, James Naple, called him that, as they were kids. Yet, here was this person calling him by a name Kabe knew this guy could not have known.
"Who the fuck are you?" Kabe typed as his message. He sent it immediately.
"I'm someone who will change your life," the message replied. "That's all you need to know, for now. However, if you wish to know more, meet me at the 'Red-Leaf Tree of Doom' in Central Park in one hour."
Kabe was struck dumb yet again. This stranger had said another name in his message that only Kabe and James could know. Who the fuck is this guy? Kabe thought to himself.
He sat there, thinking, for a couple of minutes (though it seemed, to him, like hours), before he saw that above the conversation between him and Mysterious Person, in the same box, there sat the words "This person may not reply to any further messages, for this person appears to be offline." (This was highlighted by a yellow strip, and before/after the message was an exclamation point inside a triangle) he didn't realize that this had happened, that this Mysterious Person had been offline for any time at all. He told Beck that he had to go take care of something, and immediately signed off before Beck could send a reply.
He pulled a coat off the coat rack next to the front door, threw it on, and ran out the door. As soon as he touched the sidewalk, he slowed to a walk, thinking that he would make it on time.
Apparently, he was late, for when he got there, a voice said (with much sarcasm), "You're late, 'Kabey'."
Without even turning around, Kabe knew that this was the guy he talked to in the chat room.
"Who are you, really? And how do you know what could not possibly be known?" he said. He turned around, and almost vomited in disgust. This man looked to be about 41, three years older than Kabe, yet had pale white hair. His eyes were a piercing aqua, which repeatedly looked as if ice and fire passed through them. His skin was a pale gray, mixed with a vomiting green, as if he were petrified and sick at the same time. He wore simply an open, long, black trench coat, and a pair of black, gothic pants, with many linked chains connected everywhere along his pants. But the most disgusting part about this man was the facts that he had hundreds of deep gashes and scars all over his chest. Seeing this was what brought the taste of vomit into Kabe's mouth.
"Like I said before," the gray-skinned man said to Kabe, "I am someone who has always known you. I have watched you since birth, waiting until you were ready.
"Ready for what?" Kabe asked. The more he looked at this man, the more frighteningly familiar he looked. Kabe tried hard to see if he could remember whom this man was, and why he seemed familiar.
"You have only seen me once before, a very long time ago," the man replied, as if, one again, he could read Kabe's mind. "My name is Gregory Porinté. And the reason I am calling you here is to tell you who you really are. You are Kabe Garenth, born April 24th, 1997. You have a scar on the right side of the back of your neck. You lost your virginity at the age of 14 to a 17-year old girl named Kathryn Byrnes, who still thinks that you are two years older than her. Your first best friend, and greatest friend, James Naple, died at the age of 12, from an unknown source of lung cancer. And last, but not least, you are a Gifted."
"Hey, I am not mentally retarded, you asshole! And how the hell do you know all this?" Kabe thought that this was what he meant, and it obviously made him angry.
"Not a gifted person, you idiot. A Gifted. A being who is different from all others. To give you an example, have you ever heard of a movie called "The One", starring Jet Li?"
"Yes…" Now, Kabe was starting to lose interest.
"Well, they talk about multiple universes. And, the truth is, there are…"
"Let me guess, there actually are multiple universes? And if you say that, then I know that you're lying, because there is only one universe, consisting of all galaxies (and all in them). Sorry, but science is never wrong!" Kabe was a straight-A student, and was in college-level science classes in middle school. He knew what he was talking about, or so he thought.
"Sorry to ruin your 'moment of triumph', but science is wrong. Science says that man cannot fly on their own, that man cannot create fire from their very bodies, and that man cannot bend the elements to his will. Well, guess what: I can do all those things I just said. And yes, there are multiple universes. However, there are only about eight of them. At least, that I know of.
"Each universe has one of each person. There is one copy of your mother, one copy of your father, one copy of your best friends, in each universe, except for us. There is only one copy of each Gifted descendant, period. You will never find yourself in another universe, so long as you are alive.
"Now, stop all your fucking cockiness, because it's really starting to piss me off. Let's go, now. We have to get back to the Gifted Universe, where all Gifted originated from. Quickly, before it is destroyed." Kabe was starting to notice that Gregory was, in fact, becoming irritated. He was beginning to believe him, but science wasn't letting him.
"Why do I have to go with you? With that, why are you telling me all this?" Kabe also was starting to become irritated with this whole situation.
"Because," Gregory said, "a Gifted is only told about their destiny when the Gifted Universe is to be attacked by an enemy that is weakened by at least one of that Gifted's power. Yours is needed now, Kabe Garenth. You have the ability to use all forms of teleportation, including one your enemy can use: the Demon Teleportation. It allows the user to enter a dimension, similar to ours, but that shows only what the user wishes to see (in a non-moving transparent way). They can do nearly anything they want, while in that dimension. So, they could stick their hand through someone's chest (while in that dimension), and then reappear in our dimension, with the hand still in that person's chest, killing them.
"You can go into that dimension, where your enemy is most vulnerable. They normally wear very protective shields, but their armor cannot pass into the dimension. Their skin is very weak, an advantage you must not take lightly. Even though they are weakened without their armor, they are still very powerful, so be very careful.
"Look, Kabe. I realize how this all seems like nonsense, but it unfortunately is not. This is the terrifying truth. Trust me, it takes a while to accept. It took me 13 years to accept my fate. An absence of a decision that I have regretted to this day. Don't make the same mistake of taking too long to accept your fate."
"Just one more thing. If what you're saying is true, and I do have supernatural powers, why haven't I been able to use these powers?" Kabe was beginning to understand, but he still lingered onto his stubborn side.
"Because," Gregory continued, "before a Gifted is shipped off to another universe, a mental device is attached to the back of their skull. Only those Gifted who can use any form of technology can plant it on or remove it. There's only one alive today that I know of. Jakote Carpeto. Now, let's go. Cante can only create one portal a day. And, seeing as to the fact that his portals can travel only one person per portal, you're going to need to help.
Aha! he just trapped himself, Kabe thought. If this "Cante" dude can transport only one, then there's no way we can get through it together. I'll make him go through, then, if he's even telling the truth, I'll be free of having to do anything.
"Wrong again, Kabe," Gregory said. "I've got all the psychic powers, so that means I can read your mind. All I need to do is open your mind a bit, and you can increase the strength of the portal to carry us both. Telepaths can do that, even if the Gifted still has the device on their head. Now, hold still."
