Dylan Zenith doesn’t quite fit in with the Keepers of Justice. After arriving from the future, he’s trying to find his place. To top it all off, his ability to time travel seems to be causing more harm than good and he’s not sure he even wants it.
But when an unknown enemy threatens the Keepers and the world, Dylan’s power is the key to saving them. Together with his twin brother Kale and the rest of the gang, Dylan seeks answers in the past and future before Earth is completely destroyed.
Excerpt:
The sunlight seeping in through the window nearly blinds me. Opening one eye, I glance around, not sure where I am.
My other eye opens as I sit up, taking in the white walls, the TV, the closet, and many other items in the room. This is…not my time era.
Right. Of course. How long will it take me to remember I’m not in the future anymore? That I’ve decided to stay with my parents and twin brother, to get to know them? That’s all I’ve ever wanted since I was a little kid.
My gaze slips to the right side of the room, and I notice Kale lying on his stomach, one foot sticking out of his blanket, his face buried in his pillow. It was Mom’s idea to room us together, so we could bond. So far it’s been going well. Kale’s pretty much how I expected him to be, though I can’t ignore the look he sometimes gets in his eyes whenever our parents talk to me. He’s never been rude to me, so I’m not really sure what that’s about. We’re still figuring out the whole twin brothers thing.
Kale whips onto his back, and something on the right side of the room makes a crinkling noise. When I look there, I see one of his KOJ action figures disintegrate into a small pile of dust. That sometimes happens when he’s sleeping, since he’s learning to control the new side to his telepathy. Mom and Dad aren’t worried about my being in danger. As long as Kale’s asleep and not in full control of his power, he can’t harm me, only small objects in our room.
The alarm blares from the end table between our beds and Kale shoots up, disintegrating his blanket. “Man,” he mutters, running his hand through his blond hair. It’s the same shade as mine. We’re identical, except for our eyes. His are blue and mine are green.
Kale turns to me, frowning. “I hate waking up so early for training.” He flips back down on his bed. “Mom kept me in the Sim Room for hours trying to get my telepathic blow under control. It’s so hard.” Groaning, he rolls onto his stomach. “Dylan, how about you turn back time and give me like five more hours of sleep?”
“I’m under strict orders not to do that,” I remind him. Two days ago, Kale convinced me to turn back time. I’m not sure how our parents found out, but according to Kale, they know everything.
Kale slams his face into his pillow. “Not fair,” he mumbles. “I get a brother and he turns out to be a goody goody.” His head lifts. “I mean, if you only knew all the trouble I’ve gotten into over the years. I’m pretty sure Mom and Dad have gray strands because of me. Too bad you’re so desperate for their attention that you obey their every command.”
I slide off my bed and reach for my uniform. “They’re our parents. Of course we have to obey them.”
He watches me as I rummage in my closet for my mask. Our uniforms are similar, just different shades of yellow.
“I guess,” Kale says. “If you really wanna be a goody goody. What’s the point of your power if you’re not gonna have fun with it?”
I shrug, reaching for my mask and heading toward the door. He doesn’t get it. I’m not desperate for our parents’ attention. Okay, I am. But he hasn’t lived his life not knowing them. He takes them for granted. Only a week has passed since they were taken into the Void. What would have happened if Kale, his friends, and I hadn’t arrived in time? I don’t really want to think about it. Maybe Kale doesn’t want to, either, and that’s why he’s joking around.
I get ready, then return to my room. Kale is still sprawled on the bed. “Didn’t you say Accelerator takes off points for tardiness?” I ask.
He forces himself to sit up. “Are you sure you don’t want to help your twin bro out?” he asks. “Rewind time a teensy weensy? Just an hour. It’s all I’m asking.”
I shake my head.
He throws his hands up. “It’s not like I was up all night doing nothing. Mom really worked me to the bone. If I don’t catch up on my sleep, I won’t make it through the day. Please, Dyl. Just an hour.”
“Sorry. You can always get permission from Accelerator to skip this simulation.”
He frowns. “Yeah, but I’m still trying to prove to Mom and Dad I could be responsible.” He looks at me. “You think I could be responsible, don’t you?”
“Sure. The question is: do you want to?”
He frowns again. “Sure, it’s just hard.” He stands and drags himself to gather his uniform and mask into his arms. “Why is it that you’re so…responsible? I mean, we’re twins. Shouldn’t we, like, have fun?”
“Yeah, but there’s a time and place for that. The KOJ has a responsibility to protect the world. We need to train to be in the best possible shape we can be. There’s time for fun later.” I glance at the time on my phone. “Twenty minutes until training starts.”
“Fine, you’re right, older, wiser bother. See ya soon.” He sulks to the bathroom.
I lower myself to my bed and look around. This room has been mine for a week, but I still haven’t gotten used to it. I don’t remember a lot about my former life, since Mom erased most of my memories. I have feelings, though, a sense of how things were. The memories of my childhood are clear, but also a little hazy. I remember my grandparents, but I don’t remember school or my friends. Did I even have friends? I guess it doesn’t matter now. The people here are my new friends and family now.
Dee J. Stone 