Wonder Boy

By Brena Osja

Posted on March 1, 2025

Cover Image Title: Raven Visitor

Cover Image by: Phuong

Classification: Digital Artwork

Specifications: 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels

Year: 2025

Location of Creation: California, U.S.A.

The World’s future wonder slept peacefully, the wonder being a boy no older than 15, Damion Kingston. The poor boy rested, unaware of the night ahead of him. Ravens surrounded his window, buried by the pine trees. Then, a sharp knock against the glass shattered the silence. Damion got up and sluggishly walked toward the window, peering through the curtains. Oh, there’s nothing. It’s most likely my imagination, thought the boy. As he turned to go back to bed, another knock hit the window. Then, he saw a beautiful raven with the most bottomless black eyes he’d ever seen, almost like the bird had no soul behind them. “AHHHHH!” he hollered from fright upon jumping away and landing on the floor. The Raven continued to hit the glass, begging to be let in. Damion scrambled to get up from the floor and close his curtains. What’s going on? Maybe it’s a dream or… a nightmare? Alice would’ve heard the sound if it was real. She would’ve come in asking about it. Dad would’ve come, too. I’m just dreaming. But the raven looked so real. Is it real? Its eyes were so grim. Damion shivered as he headed back to bed, only to hear the window being hit harder and harder every second. He put  the pillow over his head, hoping and begging that it’s just a horrible dream. All of a sudden,  the banging stopped. Curious, Damion, again, went to go  check behind the curtain, only to see two more faces staring at him. One had eyes the color of rubies, and the other had beautiful purple eyes. At this point, the boy was  shocked beyond words. Between the boy and the majestic ravens was a thin glass window, which began forming cracks. Every second, the clock ticked, and with each tick the glass cracked. Then came the last crack, and the boy was stunned, unable to move from his position. One. Two. Three. The glass shattered. The ravens swarmed the room. I’m just dreaming. It’s all a dream. I’ll head to bed and ignore them… Yeah, I‘ll do just that. Damion walks backward to his bed, facing the birds at all times. 

             “Squawk! Kid, what’s your name?” The boy fell back, looking dead at the ruby-eyed raven.

             “D-did you just talk?” Damion shrieked, his voice quivered with panic.

             “Yeah, so what? Also, I asked a question, so I will need you to answer it.”

             “Damion Kingston, why do you need my name?” Damion answers defensively, his mind filled with fear, unable to determine whether this is reality or fiction. 

             The birds turn to each other, non-stop squawking as they communicate without the boy's understanding. The birds let out an eerie laugh. This is creeping me out! Where’s Dad? He should’ve heard the glass break. I’ll make a run for it, but I could be dreaming. Damion rushed to the door, trying his hardest to twist the doorknob. However, it would not budge even the slightest. Hopeless, he turneburying his head in his knees, rocking back and forth. Having sensed the boy’s fear and helplessness,  the purple-eyed bird approached him. 

             With a soft, whimsical voice, it asked, “Do you know the tale of the Boy Wonder?” Damion responds, his voice trembling, “No.”. “Well then, let me tell you, Damion. Every 100 years before the new year, a boy is chosen to become the next Boy Wonder. The universe itself chooses a boy. A boy that will protect this world at all costs. You have been chosen. You will come with us to the heart of the forest. . You will meet the council. They will teach you everything you need to know.”

             A pause of a long and dark silence fell over the room.             

             “What do you mean by go with you? This is just a dream!” He kicks at the bird, hoping it will leave him alone. The bird flies up and back to its original spot next to Damion.

             “Do not be worried, Damion. We won’t hurt you, and it’s a gift to be chosen; you will bring hope to this world.” The fear Damion once had was replaced by confusion beyond any he’d felt before. “What? I’m convinced that I’m dreaming.”

             The bird rolled its eyes in annoyance. The ruby-eyed bird chimed in. “It’s not that confusing. It’s not rocket science. What don’t you understand?” The boy barked back with displeasure, “What I don’t understand is how there are two talking birds-"

             “Three.” one of the birds interrupted sternly. “Well, whatever, three birds. I don’t want to be chosen. I have a wonderful life with my sister and father. I don’t want to leave them.” 

             “Well, that’s an easy fix. We will make them forget about you!” The purple-eyed raven exclaimed. Damion’s face turned with disgust. “There’s something wrong with you birds! You’re birds. You shouldn’t be able to talk!” He snarled.

             “Well, you can always talk to the one who chose you and settle this with her, but you’d be wasting our time and yours. You complain a lot and question too much; it’s annoying.” Said the one with purple eyes. “You know what, fine. Bring me to her, and this will be over with!” One of the ravens came up and banged its head against Damion’s head, causing him to black out.  When he awoke, he found himself in a dim-lighted room with vines crawling up the walls made of darkened stone. 

             The room stretched for miles behind him, but in front of him were four beautiful thrones, one made of gold at the top, diamonds on the side, silver on the other, and the bottom one with gems. He sees the three crows enter and transform. The one with purple eyes transformed into an extraordinarily tall and thin male with shooting stars tattooed on him with white ink. He sat down on the diamond throne. His purple eyes looked like the galaxy was stored within them, and his hair was as white as snow. He wore an outfit that looked like a gift from the moon. He wore a  pair of pants which looked like they came from a genie which shone golden when the light hit it exactly right, along with a gorgeous, white shawl which reflected a full moon covering most of his upper body. The one with ruby eyes turned into a girl just as tall but a bit shorter.  She had long golden hair going down to her feet. She wore a cream, silk dress that dragged on the floor, with golden jewelry wrapping up her arms and legs. She headed toward the gem-covered throne, and once she sat, her head lifted to reveal that instead of plain old white around her eyes, they were black,  which made her seem like an alien princess from another universe. As for the last one, the raven became a girl shorter than before. With dark curly hair resembling a lion’s mane, her once emotionless eyes contained a sparkle within. . She had constellations marked all over her body. She wore a dress fit for a princess that came from the stars themselves. It reflected an array of colors that shined brighter than the light itself. She sat at the silver throne, giving Damion a quick nod. The room was silent for a while until footsteps came in. The sound of thunder came from a woman who towered over everyone in the room. Her skin sparkled like the stars, her hair flowing, reflecting the galaxy within it. Her eyes were completely white with no emotions behind them. Her dress was made out of a beautiful silk and a perfect grey with a train dragging along the floor. She wore a crown containing each material  used to create the thrones. As she made her way to the gold throne, the rest of the mystic creatures kneeled before her. After seeing that, Damion hurried up and did the same.

             A booming voice spoke, “I’m aware you don’t understand your place in this world. What’s so confusing about it?”

             “I’m not confused about anything, though. I just want to stay with my family. I have to take care of them.” Damion replied.

             “I don’t think you understand. You can’t go back. The World needs you-“ The voice began.

             “No, my family needs me.” The boy protested. 

             A silence took over the room with disappointed looks from the ‘ravens.’ 

             “Do you know their names?” said the woman sitting on the golden throne. Damion shook his head. I don’t get why their names matter in this situation. “The boy here is Azrael. You know, he was just like you. He was chosen before; I believe he was selected four hundred years ago. Now, look at him. He rules the beautiful moon that you see at night. Our princess here is Nalcarya. And, lastly, our Little Ruby, Osyth.” Okay? I really want to go home now, Damion thought to himself. “Can you just tell me about my family?” He didn’t want to have this conversation pushed away for any longer. A sign came from the grand woman as she looked toward Azrael, asking him to speak just by the little eye contact they had. Azrael straightens up from his slouchy  position, and remarks “Kid, I get it. I truly do. You see Nalcarya over there. She’s my little sister. I was just like you. I was fighting them and wanting to go home so I can go take care of my parents, grandparents, and her. But there’s a way you can see your sister again. Although, it’s going to take some time. .” A flash of joy came across Damion’s face as he yelled, “REALLY? So, you’re saying she can be here with me?!” A small smile came from Nalcarya as she gave him a slight nod. “But that’s on her end if she makes it here, not you. You can do whatever you can for the world but that doesn’t mean she will make it in.” Azrael stated.  

             “What does she have to do?” The worst thoughts started to fill Damion’s mind. “She just has to do something remarkable, showing bravery and self-sacrifice. It really has to capture our attention. But you know, it’s whatever she wants to do.” A slight glance filled with cheer went back and forth between Azrael and Nalcarya. Osyth finally spoke, “We can give you a typewriter. You can send your family a message. You can do two or one, so each gets one,  since you belong here now. You can technically go back but won’t be able to stay for long periods.” 

             “Okay, thank you,” Damion spoke softly and quietly. He had hope in his sister but didn’t know how to express it. 

             “Azrael, Osyth, you’re dismissed. Nalcarya, go fetch the boy the typewriter. I have to go check up on other issues.” The booming voice returned, reminding Damion she was still in the room. As soon as he wanted to look up at her. She was gone along with the other two. He heard a snap coming from across the room. Then, an antique typewriter with golden keys fell into Nalcarya’s hands. She stood and waltzed over to Damion, gracefully sitting beside him and placing the typewriter before him. The typewriter looked so much larger now; it was before him. Before, it looked like he would barely be able to use it. 

             “Thank you so much,” Damion whispered. 

             “It’s my pleasure,” Nalcarya says as she smiles at him. 

             “You look like my younger sister. She has our mom’s hair, which is dark and curly. But she has really blue eyes. My dad and I would always compare them to the sky or the water whenever we were out. Do you think I’ll ever see her again?” The only response from the mystic being was  a nod and, finally, a soft and genuine smile. The first one he’s seen in a long time. He wrote a note to his father first. He couldn’t say much about the situation other than why he won’t return home for a while. He told his father who he was with. He left his sister with a separate note: 

“Dear Alice,

I just wanted you to know that this is the last you will hear from me. I have been taken to a castle in a forest untouched by mankind. But many before me have been here in my exact place. I’m the only human here for the time being. These beings took me and told me  I was the new Boy Wonder. Whatever he is. But please continue to shine like gold. I know stuff will be rougher without me helping, but if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be happy. You gave light to people in the darkest days, and you can still do it even without me there to help. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you by my side. But I heard there’s a way we could see each other again. In short, they said you have to do something grand, almost like what superheroes do in movies and books. 

  Love, your favorite and only brother,

  Damion, aka Boy Wonder.”

[ Writing Editor: Anonymous. ]