The Energy Room (The Elementum Trilogy) by Styna Lane Page A

until that point, I thought the other kids in my dreams were just that—dreams. One day, William had asked me if I thought there was anyone else like me in the world. Even at seven years old, I had been able to tell that there was an underlying intention in William’s words. Gears had turned and grinded in my mind, until I understood why there were five other apartments on my floor. He wasn’t interested in whether or not I thought I was alone; he knew there were others like me, and he wanted to know who they were. He wanted to find them. That was the night everyone promised me they would not use their powers, for fear of being caught and put into The Facility. Most of them still manipulated an element now and then, Lyla more often than the rest, but Lakin hadn’t used his abilities since the day he made his promise. I adored him for that.
    I tapped the free arm of my chair, willing it to expand to the size of a sofa. The Room allowed the chair to creep out in a sideways direction, giving enough space for Lakin to take a seat next to me. Nobody was taken aback; that kind of thing was a normal occurrence. No one had really been surprised by anything in the Room since Nadia willed an entire pirate ship into existence.
    “ So tell me about your new psychologist,” Lakin said in a cutesy tone, playfully nudging me in the side with his elbow.
    I snorted a bit in laughter, shaking my head. He questioningly took my hand.
    “Go on,” I permitted, watching nervously as his eyes fogged over.
    I scanned the room, as Lakin relived my day. Lyla, a slight girl, was sitting in the red chair, her pixie-like hair matching the cushions beneath her. She was the most eccentric of our lot, and was notorious for using her abilities as often as she could. She grew up in a foster home, and was sent to a juvenile detention center at fourteen years old for hacking into the government database, unsuccessfully attempting to find information on The Facility. Her captivating, almond eyes flashed brilliantly as she rolled a set of dice onto the small table that was separating her from a muscular boy, who had scooted his green chair across from hers.
    Joseph, a striking fellow, could have easily been confused with a body-builder, as well as with Nadia’s brother. He shared the same flawless skin and coppery eyes, but his upper arms were about the size of bowling balls. He was raised in a normal, loving home, and lived a pretty ideal life. He was captain of his football team, and both of his dads were lawyers. His strong hands cradled his face, as Lyla danced victoriously in her seat.
    Nadia rested her legs across the lap of a slender, fair-haired boy, both of their faces buried in books as they lounged on her extended, yellow sofa. Bryant, like Nadia, was a genius when it came to most things. I had never seen him in the Room without a book in his hand. His sandy hair was short and unkempt, matching the shabby facial hair he seemed to think was appealing. He grew up in a home not so different from Lakin’s. Though his foster parents had never physically abused him, he considered himself lucky if they even remembered that he was alive. Aside from Lakin, I felt a stronger connection to Bryant than the rest. It was completely different from what I shared with Lakin, but if I had believed in reincarnation, I would have thought we had known each other in a previous life.
    I directed my attention back to Lakin as he overzealously retrieved his hand. I was surprised to see a very upset look spread across his face, pupils narrowing with anger. Confusion overtook me for a brief moment, but my eyes widened as I remembered that Al had not been the only significant part of my day.
    “ Eric?” Lakin whispered fiercely, ensuring the others couldn’t hear his discontent.
    “ You felt what I felt. You know it’s not like that,” I said in a pleading tone.
    “ I have a feeling he would disagree,” Lakin huffed, crossing his arms.
    “ I’m sure he probably