Chapter 24: Different

The sun barely peaked through the thick clouds overhead. A cool breeze ruffled through Alex's hair as he stood on the rooftop of an old storefront. It was next to the dilapidated hotel that they had decided to stop at the night before. He needed some perspective and this was the closest he was going to get at the moment. Although it was overcast, it was still bright outside and Alex had to squint as he stood facing towards the road. They kept getting closer to Vega, and yet he felt further and further away from what he once was.

That young soldier was long gone. Something had changed inside of him. Noma, who noticed everything, kept her mouth shut, but he could tell that she was itching to ask him what had happened. She had been giving him time to sort himself out after the last time he woke up and nearly crashed their truck and leveled the road they were on. The look in her eyes wasn't fear necessarily, but close to it. The dream he had had was so realistic that he couldn't understand where he was. It took a few hours to calm down again; for Noma to bring him back to reality.

Something was definitely different.

Alex's jaw clenched as he stared off into the distance. He stood rigid and then moved slowly, changing his posture to fall back into a soldier's resting stance. Closing his eyes, he felt the tattoos suddenly move and flow over his body. It had been occurring more and more often, and it felt as if he knew what they were trying to tell him. That it was there, just out of reach. As if it were on the tip of his tongue.

It was frustrating.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at his forearms and saw the words flowing by, symbols filtering through and rippling along his skin. With a viciousness he thought he had quelled, he yanked off his shirt and looked down at his bare chest. The entire tattoo was moving, making his skin look like it was flickering in the daylight. That had never occurred before and he wasn't sure if he should be frightened or hopeful. A strange tickling feeling began at the base of his neck and then rippled outward and down his body as the tattoos began to move faster.

He held his hands out with his palms up and wondered if the light he was seeing was actually coming from him. Or was it coming from the sun that had finally pierced through from above? He felt as if…as if he were glowing.

Wings pulsated above him. Alex was too distracted to notice until suddenly Noma dropped down, landing in front him with a look of pure shock. "Alex?"

"I don't know what's happening," he said, with a bit of panic creeping into his voice.

"You're…disappearing!" she exclaimed, dropping the two bags of supplies that she had been carrying. Not knowing what to do, Noma kept her distance.

Alex abruptly felt a rush of energy cascading through his body, a euphoric feeling overwhelming his senses. A violent wind picked up around him as the sensation made him lean back his head and close his eyes. His tattoos shimmered and the whole building began to tremble.

Noma immediately lunged at him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Alex!"

His eyelids flew open and he stared back at her with blazing silver eyes. The blue of his irises transformed into a piercing brilliance. It was as if he was staring right through her. Alex looked alien and disconnected to everything. He pulled out of her grip and the building shook harder, causing the roof beneath them to crumble around the edges.

Noma's wings immediately kept her alight as she quickly moved away from him. The shaking didn't seem to affect him at all and she realized it was because he wasn't touching the building itself. He was hanging in mid air, just a foot off the rooftop, standing as if he were on solid ground. She blinked, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

The clouds above roiled and moved, as the whole sky got darker and darker. Alex continued to stare at her, through her, unblinking, unflinching. It was as if he was seeing something that she could not. His entire demeanor was foreign to her all of a sudden, as if he were otherworldly and not the Alex that she knew and loved.

And then a pained scowl crossed his face as he blinked and exclaimed, "Noma!"

The wind suddenly stopped and the sky felt instantly brighter. Alex stumbled forward and then collapsed onto his knees, blinking in confusion. The glow had disappeared, leaving him dull and ashen. The tattoos had stopped moving too and the sensation of euphoria was gone. It was replaced by a heaviness, as if the weight of the world had crashed down onto Alex's shoulders. He could barely stay upright on his knees as he tried to regain control over his trembling body.

Cracks had formed throughout the rooftop and Noma stayed hovering just above it, wondering what to do with the Chosen One who looked just as confused about what had happened as she was.

Michael had not prepared her for this. She was just as clueless about what he was supposed to learn from those markings as he was. What had Father bestowed on him? Were the rumors true about his bloodline? Was this normal? She had asked Michael of what he knew, and as true to form, he had been vague about his own notions. Often telling her to keep her focus on the man himself. On Alex as a human.

But these powers… they were something different. They were tearing him apart. Or were they strengthening him for what was to come?

Still on his knees, Alex looked up at her as he leaned back. His blue eyes had watered and appeared strained and blood-shot. "What is happening to me, Nomes?" he said, hoarsely.

She didn't know how to answer him. What was the Chosen One supposed to do that would unite them all and bring Father back? What kind of abilities did those markings give him? Noma tilted her head as she stared at him, thoughts cascading through her mind at a clipped pace. Raguel had warned her that things were coming to a head. That the humans weren't going to wait around till the Chosen One grew into his powers. Her quick trip to the Camp had been needed, but Raguel's words had echoed through her as she flew back to the hotel.

Only to find the Chosen One in the throws of another ability growth spurt.

What exactly was Alex?

Noma carefully landed next to him. His tortured blue eyes drank her in as he reached up to grab her hand. Gently, she ran her fingers down the side of his face as she looked down at him.

Not ordinary. Definitely different.