The Fae life of Benson McKee

Chapter 1: Shadows of the Future

Benson's POV

The dream started like they always did—dark, pulsing with shadows that flickered like half-forgotten memories. Then came the whispers, weaving through the shadows like threads of silk, calling my name, promising power, and something else… something buried in the darkness. I could almost feel Raylee beside me, her warmth a stark contrast to the cold, creeping shadows. But as I turned to her, the shadows twisted, swallowing her whole.

I jolted awake, heart pounding, the last trace of her fading in the dim light of my room. For a moment, I tried to shake off the feeling, but the words lingered, pulling at me even as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “King of Kings,” they had said, the sound as clear as if someone had whispered it in my ear. The dream left a strange emptiness in my chest, a quiet reminder of something I couldn’t name.

But that was nothing new.

The academy halls were buzzing with anticipation that morning. The golden arches gleamed, their spires stretching toward the sky, and every corner of Finley High felt thick with magic and whispers. I brushed past a group of highborns, their golden wings catching the light as they laughed and traded secrets. No one even looked my way, as if my silver hair and icy blue eyes were invisible. A glance in the glass reflection confirmed what I’d already known—I didn’t belong here.

“Hey! Wait up!” A familiar voice called, pulling me from my thoughts. Josh, my one constant friend, jogged over, his face lit with that easygoing smile he always wore. He clapped a hand on my shoulder, giving me a once-over.

“Rough night?” he asked, a hint of concern slipping into his tone.

I shrugged. “Something like that. Just… more of the same.”

Josh nodded, understanding in his eyes. He didn’t pry; he never did. But I could tell he knew, probably better than anyone, what these dreams were doing to me. He’d been there through everything—the fights, the whispers, even the painful silences at family gatherings where my father barely acknowledged my presence. Josh, like always, just accepted me for who I was, without questions or judgment.

As we made our way through the courtyard, a hush settled over the crowd. And then I saw her—Raylee. She stood by the edge of the crowd, her golden hair catching the morning sun, a bright spot of light amidst the dark uniforms and whispers. For a split second, our eyes met, and something tugged inside me, a quiet longing that I’d learned to bury. She used to be mine, back before everything changed. Now, she was Rainer’s.

I was about to look away when Rainer himself appeared, striding toward us with that confident, smug grin plastered on his face. He stopped, folding his arms as his gaze fixed on me, disdain written in every line of his posture.

“Well, well,” Rainer sneered, his eyes glinting with malicious delight. “Look who finally dragged himself out of the shadows.”

I ignored him, focusing on keeping my expression blank. The last thing I wanted was to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. But that didn’t stop him. He took a step closer, crowding into my space, his smile growing as he looked me over.

“Really? Because it looks like you’re all alone,” he continued, his voice dripping with feigned pity. “Even Raylee—” He threw a pointed glance her way. “Even she’s realized where she belongs.”

I clenched my fists, biting down the anger that threatened to boil over. Rainer’s taunt echoed in my ears, the insinuation sharp as a knife. But instead of giving in, I forced myself to breathe, feeling the tension drain away as I let his words roll off me.

“Not everyone has to follow the crowd, Rainer,” I said, my voice steady, even though my insides churned. “Some of us know who we are.”

The smirk on Rainer’s face faltered for just a moment, and I saw a flicker of something in his eyes—doubt, maybe. But before he could respond, he took a step forward, his fist c****d back. I saw it coming, somehow, as if the moment had already played out in my mind. Instinctively, I stepped aside, and his fist swung past, barely grazing me.

He froze, a flash of confusion on his face. “How did you—”

“Did you see that?” someone whispered in the crowd. But I stayed silent, shaken by the certainty that I’d known his move before he even made it. How had I known?

Rainer’s face twisted with anger as he tried to brush off the moment. “Lucky shot, freak,” he muttered, his gaze narrowing. He glanced at Raylee, as if to gauge her reaction, but she only looked away, avoiding his stare.

“Let’s go,” I said to Josh, and we turned away, ignoring Rainer’s muttered threats as we walked off. Josh glanced at me, curiosity sparking in his eyes, but he said nothing, giving me the space I needed to figure out what had just happened.

As we left the courtyard, I felt the weight of Raylee’s gaze on my back, and for a brief moment, I wondered if she, too, had felt the strange pull between us. But that was a hope I knew better than to hold onto.

---

Later that afternoon, I found myself back at the quiet bench behind the school, the one place where I could be alone with my thoughts. The dream from last night, Rainer’s taunts, and the way I’d anticipated his punch all churned through my mind in a restless loop. The more I thought about it, the less any of it made sense.

The prophecy, the whispers in my dreams, the image of Raylee at my side—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle that refused to fit together. I knew there was something more, something just beyond my reach, but I didn’t know how to find it.

Josh joined me not long after, sinking onto the bench with a sigh. “You want to talk about what happened back there?” he asked, his tone carefully neutral.

I shook my head, still unsure how to put it into words. “Honestly, I don’t know,” I said. “It’s like… I knew what he was going to do before he even did it. Like I’d seen it happen already.”

Josh raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the bench. “You mean, like… a vision?”

“Maybe,” I murmured, not even sure if I believed it myself. “It’s been happening more lately. Little things, flashes of moments that haven’t happened yet.”

He was silent for a moment, his gaze thoughtful. “Do you think it has something to do with…?” He trailed off, but I knew what he meant. The coming-of-age ceremony. The day I would, theoretically, receive my wings and embrace whatever destiny awaited me. Except that felt like a distant dream, one that didn’t belong to someone like me.

“Maybe,” I admitted, though doubt gnawed at me. “If there’s anything waiting for me, it’s buried under a pile of expectations I’ll never live up to.”

Josh glanced away, understanding etched in his face. He knew better than anyone the weight I carried, the expectations that pressed down on me like a constant shadow.

“Just don’t count yourself out yet, alright?” he said, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll surprise everyone.”

I forced a smile, but the weight in my chest remained, a stubborn reminder of everything I lacked. Power, purpose… even belonging. But as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the courtyard in shadows, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was shifting, that a change was coming.

And as much as I feared it, a part of me welcomed it. Because deep down, I knew that if I didn’t embrace whatever was coming, I’d be lost to the shadows for good.