It was a week before his sixteenth birthday when the pain kicked in. He was in his room, working on his homework when it started. It felt like hot lava had been poured right down his back and for the first time in his life he wanted to scream out and cry. Kai attempted to continue what he was doing but the pain was beginning to become more unbearable by the second.

He knew what it meant. It was time. His wings were ready, and he had to see Queen Seraphim. The only problem he faced was speaking to his parents. They weren't the best people and they never believed him when he spoke. He had always been a liar, but his brother was always the perfect angel. Kai figured he'd go there himself if they put up their usual speech. 

Slowly, he walked out of his room and down the long, winded staircase. He knew what his father was going to say but he didn't care at that point. The pain was too much for him to handle.

As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, a familiar deep masculine voice sounded from the living room. "Go back to your room, Kai. There is no emergency that requires you out and about."

Kai winced as his father spoke. He knew this was coming but he didn't quite care, he had to speak his mind. "My wings are com—"

"No, they aren't," his father interrupted loudly. "Go back upstairs."

Kai bit his tongue and ignored the pain in both his chest and back. He did not need this, not today, not again. "Fine. If you both won't take me, I'll go myself."

He didn't bother waiting for a response from either his mother or father. It wasn't like he was purposely defying his father, but he knew what he needed to do, and, in that moment, he decided to walk out the door.

The cold winter air didn't do his pain any favours, in fact it made it worse, but he kept walking. His father's orders were drowned out the faster he walked. If he hung back to listen, he probably would swing a punch his father's way. He reached an open grassy field after a while and sighed in relief. Tears managed to fall and stain his cheeks as he realised he didn't know how to open the portal. He dropped down onto his knees as his heart sank. Why didn't he think ahead? Why did he have to walk out? No one was going to help him now. He'd have to suffer in pain now.

His father's voice was yelling his name from afar. Kai was feeling hotter by the second, the tears burnt his cheeks. He ripped his shirt off and took deep breaths in. He would survive this. He had to.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and Kai immediately jumped. He didn't know who it was, but he didn't want them touching him. Nope. He didn't need it.

"Kai," his father's voice bellowed from behind him. "Your back... It's..."

"So now you care? You didn't seem to care at home, father!" Kai said through a waterfall of tears. "Why do you care now?"

"Your back is red. It is not meant to be this red, son. Two red lines are meant to form where the wings grow, not your whole back," his father said, concern lacing his voice.

Kai knew it was an act. It had to be. The man didn't care about him or his wellbeing. He cared more about his youngest son than Kai. Kai wasn't jealous by any means, but he would love to just move out when he got the chance to.

He was so wrapped up in his own pain that he hadn't realised his father opened the portal to see the queen. The pain was getting more unbearable by the second. It was as if he was on fire and having rocks thrown at him. He was lifted off the ground in one fowl swoop. He was in his father's arms, the world around them in a blur, the trees became faint lines and black dots invaded his vision.

"Stay with my Kai," his fathers voice said silently.

Kai tried to stay conscious, but it barely worked. Next thing he knew he was in a grand room; gold decorated the ceiling and the walls. Red curtains took over the large windows around the room. Each pillar had a different design on them which Kai was guessing was of fallen Angels who had died in the war long ago. A pool was at the other end of the room, and it was at the point he realised he wasn't paying attention to anything anyone was saying. Not the Queen and certainly not his father.

He took a deep breath in and tried to focus on the conversation at hand. "I'm fine to stand father," he managed to say.

His father nodded a little and slowly set him down. Kai looked up at the queen and bowed. She was a stunning lady, didn't look a day over thirty if he did say so himself. She had spent the next ten minutes telling him what to do next. It didn't faze him, and he quite enjoyed the water. He hoped it would be refreshing and ease the damn pain he was feeling.

When it was time, he slowly walked towards the water. He had to count to ten while under the water. That was easy. He took a deep breath in and slowly walked down the steps. First step. Second step. Third. Until he was completely under the water. His trousers stuck to his skin like glue did to two pieces of paper. He began to count.

One hundred.

Two Hundred.

Three hundred.

He felt a tight tingle along his back although the pain was still there.

Four hundred.

Five hundred.

Six hundred.

He suddenly felt hungry. He wished he had eaten when he woke up.

Seven hundred.

Eight Hundred.

Nine Hundred.

The pain was easing, and he no longer felt like he was on fire.

Ten. It was time.

The water parted before he even took a step forward. He didn't know if it was intentional or not, but he made his way out the water. No one said a word. Everyone's eyes were wide with shock. Kai's heart sank further into his chest when no one said anything. Why was everyone so shocked? Why wasn't anyone talking? Did something happen? Even his parents didn't say a word, his father stood there, tight lipped, his eyebrow twitching.

"What's going on?" Kai asked, fear etched across his features.

Silence. No one said a single thing. It pissed him off, so he walked over to a window that had the curtains draped over it and forced it back. If no one was going to speak, he was going to see for himself.

He gasped once he caught sight of his wings. They were red. Blood red. His eyes.... They were red too. His heart felt like it had stopped beating for what felt like an eternity. A tattoo-like fire mark was left on his chest. He didn't know what to do. He stood there. Stunned.

"My child," Queen Seraphim said and bend down to his eye level. Her smile could warm up even the darkest of hearts. "You are no ordinary angel. You are the Angel of Fire."

Kai blinked at her and said nothing. Was he meant to know what Angel of Fire meant? Was he somehow meant to magically guess what he was meant to do?

The queen sighed and kept speaking. "You control fire my child. You are able to wield fire. You are everything fire. With great power, comes great responsibility."

Kai nodded and let it stew in his brain for a few seconds. Anyone would be honoured with such a high role, but he didn't feel important enough for it. He didn't understand how fate worked but he wasn't going to mess with it.

Queen Seraphim spent the next hour explaining to Kai his duties. At one point she had told him the last Angel of Fire had died just the day before and it did not make him feel any better. In fact, it made him feel so much worse. His head was already spinning with all the new information that he was being fed.

"Are there others like me?" he asked, for the first time in that hour.

"There is one of each elemental angel. You are fire. There is a nature angel, an earth angel and lastly a water angel. Each elemental angel has coloured wings," she explained, her smile never leaving her face.

He nodded. "What colour are their wings?"

She ruffled his hair. "You are an inquisitive child. Let your mind rest for now. You will know the answer to that question with your coming lessons." She stood upright again and curtsied.

*

The entire walk home was an uncomfortable silence. Kai didn't know if was meant to say something or not, but he was definitely scared of his dad. The wind was strong and almost blew Kai away. They reached the house and walked inside.

As soon as the door closed, his mother had walked out the kitchen and her eyes almost rolled from her head.

"What the hell? This can't be right," his mother said, a flash of anger apparent on her features. "Who is this demon child?" Her hands balled into fists.

Kai already knew where this was going, and he hated it. Another day and another argument would arise where his brother gets the highchair and he would be made to stay in his room out of their sight.

"The child you birthed, Linda." His father sighed and rubbed his temples. "He's the new Angel of Fire. There is no hope anymore."

Kai tried so hard to conceal his anger like he always did. He hated the way his parents treated him, and he could not wait to escape the hell he called his home. He had to remind himself that they were his parents, he was their blood, his mother birthed him and weather he liked them or not, they were always going to be his parents. That did not comfort him from wanting to burn them to ash.

Kai no longer cried. He no longer gave a damn about his parents nowadays and let them say whatever they wanted. He always snuck out of the window to his room if he ever needed to go to a friend's place and such, his parents never noticed anyway. They cared way too much about his younger brother to care about him, even if he were ever killed, he bet they would hold a party to celebrate.

He realised he hadn't been paying attention to his parents and his father was now trying to tell him something. He forced the biggest smile he could muster. "Yes, father?"

He could have sworn his father was about to slap the living hell out of him but stopping himself. The way his father's hand shook, and his eyebrows pulled together was soothing to Kai's eyes.

"You were not meant to be born. You were a mistake," his father had said through gritted teeth.

A pain tinged in Kai's chest, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Today was meant to be a good day yet somehow today seemed like the worst day possible. No one was happy for him except one. Queen Seraphim seemed like the only person on the planet who was genuinely happy for him.

"I never wanted you," his father said, grabbing Kai by the throat.

Without warning a flame shot out of Kai's hand, barely missing his father's arm but immediately burnt the table behind his father. His father's hand released from his neck and Kai took a deep breath in.

"You little—" his father began but before he could finish, Kai rushed out the front door, tears streaming down his face.

The sky was lit in orange and pink hues, the sun setting and almost all the angels were either walking about or in their homes resting from their busy days. Kai did not know where he was going but all he knew was he was going as far as his legs could carry him.