Seed of Despair: Guardians of the Seeds, #1

By M.A. Olesen

Whoever controls the seeds, controls the people…

While the privileged sleep soundly in their beds, the pain in the outskirts birthed its own monsters. 

 

The Mahres, creators of nightmares and immortal guardians of the heirloom seeds, are sworn to free the destitute from hunger and destroy the hold the genetically engineered plants have over humanity's food source. 

Alistair, the most gifted of the Mahres, is wasting his powers away. He can control people's minds, but to take his place in the fight, he needs to control himself first and prove his wisdom as a mentor.

Abandoned by his family on the steps of the Eram when he changed into a Mahre, Godfrey is a brave and kind six-year-old. Trouble finds him as he struggles to embrace his new gift and let go of the family that gave him away. 

When the child is forced into his care, Alistair must find out if he can save him from the terrible world that poverty created and how far he would go to protect him.

 

What the readers are saying:

"Maybe it's because I'm a dad, but I found myself with tears in my eyes more than once."

"... the world felt so big and interesting and I'm dying to discover more of it."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shrike Press
• Release date: Mar 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9788797294918

M.A. Olesen

Hi! I write dystopian books. My goal is to always create a world on the page that is more terrifying than the real world, with characters as flawed as the worst of us and as heroic as the best of us. I'm inspired by current politics, twisted anime series, and the worst articles in the news. My writing is a strange experiment in what would happen if the worst was to come. All that with a hint of paranormal abilities to give the world a chance to survive and for the heroes to give their best shot at making a difference.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Alistair

THE SILENCE IN THE room was startling. The oppressive flowery tapestry felt like it was moving, dancing to an unheard tune. Alistair was sitting over the bed, transfixed, guiding her dream. She was completely gone from this world. He held her hand gently, his black eyes pinned on her, looking beyond her physical being. The connection felt deep and permanent. He could hold on and never let go. Something from within her fed him. Soon, they were gone together into a world he was the master of.  

Sylvia was in her room, sitting on her neatly made bed, looking at Alistair. She remembered him from many nights before, but this time he looked different. He was tall and had black hair. His eyes were so dark that she could get lost in them. She already felt lost in the dream.  

Why are you here again? she asked.  

You know why I’m here... For the same reason I come here every night. To see you, spend time with you, talk to you. 

But why? Why do you come here? Every night you torment me. You tell me you love me, and then you leave...  

What more do you want? You asked me to come as I am! And here I stand in front of you exactly as I look every day. This is who I am, Alistair replied.  

I cannot live my life in a dream. I need to feel your touch. I need you to hold me in the real world. This can never be more than it is right now.  

But isn’t love true wherever it exists? Aren’t all the hours we’ve spent together real? Don’t they mean anything to you? I have changed myself for you. I made you see me beautiful. I made you see me like a blond Adonis, tried to be the man of your dreams... But nothing is enough for you, Alistair said. He looked unmoved, apart, like a statue from another dimension a few beats away from the world around him.  

I see you here, I hear you here, but you are not here with me. You will never be here with me. You are a dream, an illusion! she said, tears starting to run down her face. You are not a real man if you can only come to me in a dream. 

Alistair turned his face away. He was creating her nightmare, yet he was the one suffering. Why? Why can’t this be enough? We can be young in here forever, we can go on adventures together. A pure love, untainted by the outside world. 

An untested love, you mean? A whole life of playing pretend. Long days of loneliness, longing for sleep? I have lived this way for months and I can’t anymore. Promise me you will be by my side when I wake up—that tonight you won’t leave me in tears, running away like a thief in the night. 

He didn’t dare look at her. She was even more magnificent in her dream than in real life. Her beautiful amber eyes looked like aged whiskey that he could get drunk on in a moment of weakness. Her lips were red, like she had just kissed a berry—they begged to be tasted. Her hair, the color of chestnuts was cut just above her collarbone, teasing him, revealing a slither of naked neck. Her whole being was magical. And her soul... It was her soul that Alistair had fallen in love with. 

He had come to the city one night to feed. Alistair was the only Mahre who could feed alone since he could both guide the dreams and listen out for stray thoughts from any other humans who may be approaching. This was still forbidden of course. But, since his private thoughts and dreams served as his inspiration, it felt intrusive for others to see the nightmares he created and it made him feel exposed.  

Sylvia was the only daughter of a rich family of the inner circle. She should have been spoiled and rotten to the core. But he saw nothing inside her out of which he could build a nightmare. Not an evil thought or ill feeling for anyone. So gentle and so pure and filled with love. 

She wanted to be a mother and a wife—the best mother and wife she could be. To pour all the love she had and bless her lucky, undeserving family with it. She loved everybody around her, so she was kind and gentle even with the unusual stranger that showed up in her dreams. Alistair was in love from the first moment they connected. 

They had talked for weeks and each time Alistair tried to change himself to look more like what she wanted in a man. He could feel her love for him growing as they went together on adventures, shared kisses, made plans. He tried to make her happy. But every time he refused to remain with her, he felt her trepidation at the veil thinning. Every time the dream was about to end, she begged him to stay and her pure heart would break and crumble at his refusal. But that was one wish he could not make come true.  

His world was one of dreams when he was with her, but a nightmare as soon as he left. 

I can’t, Alistair said. We can never be happy together in the real world. This is the world for us, and I will make it happy for you every night if you let me. He walked toward her, taking her hands, his touch gentle and immaterial. 

You know who I am, she told him. I need to love someone. I need to hold someone, have a family, have a child. I could never be truly happy in here, even if you are with me.  

We can have a child in this world. The perfect child and the perfect family. I can give you everything here. 

This world is not real! The child will not be real, not part of my flesh and yours. For all I know, you are not real. This would never be enough. Please. Please stay. Stay today on the other side of the dream, or leave forever.  

She was crying, but not like the other nights when she knew the goodbye was temporary. The permanence of this goodbye hung heavy in the air between them before he spoke. 

This is goodbye forever then, he said, embracing her for the last time. Their tears mixed and flowed into a salty, lingering final kiss. 

Alistair watched her as she lay in bed, her eyes closed, just as beautiful as in the dream. She was still asleep.