The wind howled through the trees, carrying with it the scent of earth and pine, as the sun dipped low behind the Appalachian mountains. On the edge of the quiet village of Stone Ridge, sixteen-year-old Daniel Cooper stood on a weathered stone outcrop, his eyes narrowed in concentration. In his hand, a jagged rock gleamed in the fading light, its rough surface worn smooth from years of practice.
With a deep breath, Daniel shifted his weight, eyes fixed on a distant target—a rusted tin can hanging from a branch. He had done this a thousand times before, hurling stones with uncanny accuracy. It was a game, a simple part of life in the mountains, where survival and entertainment often came from the same skills. But this was no ordinary throw.
He raised his arm, his muscles coiling like a spring, and then—whip-fast—he released the stone into the air. It curved mid-flight, slicing through the breeze with a precision that seemed impossible. The can flew from its perch, clanging to the ground below, as the rock hit its mark. Daniel stood still for a moment, watching the debris settle, before a small smile tugged at his lips.
It was his gift. A gift he didn't fully understand, but one that had earned him a reputation among the locals. A gift that was as much a part of him as the mountains themselves.
But that night, as he made his way down the mountain path toward his family's cabin, Daniel had no idea that his life was about to change.
In the distance, the faint sound of an engine rumbled through the evening air—distant, yet growing louder. It wasn't the rumbling of a passing truck. No, this was something different. The roar of an engine out of control. A plane.
Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion, his instincts kicking in. Something was wrong. The engine sputtered, followed by a brief silence before a thunderous crash echoed through the valley.
Without thinking, Daniel sprinted toward the sound, his heart racing. He had no idea who, or what, he would find in the wreckage. But what he didn't know was that this was the moment where his gift, his quiet mountain life, and his future would collide.
James Larkin, once known as the King of the Mound, lay unconscious in the wreckage of his plane. But when he awoke, he would discover something he hadn't expected in the hills of Appalachia. A raw, untamed talent that would soon lead him to a decision that would change the course of two lives.
And so, Daniel's journey began. Not as a boy playing a game, but as a young man standing on the precipice of an extraordinary future. A future that would challenge him in ways he never imagined, teaching him that even the most unconventional talent, when honed and guided, could be the thing that changed everything.