All eyes were now on her. She didn’t like it one bit. She didn’t like the looks she got from the people she’d known most of her life. As if she was an alien species. At least the twins looked at her as if she was still the same Tev she had always been. Not the monster she is.
Tev looked at Kalani, but she was focused on the ground. She tried Neven, but he looked like he was being tormented inside. She looked at the twins, who each gave her small smiles. She warmed up a little inside. Like a small light was turned on inside the darkness.
“She’s still the same Tev she’s always been. She just has all elements instead of the one that you all have.” Her father pointed out. Before anyone said anything else, there were three knocks on their door. “I’ll get it.” Lyra stood up tentatively.
Her mother walked out of the room and to the door. Everyone watched her as a figure handed her something. She shut the door and walked back towards the family. She was carrying what Tev recognized as a scroll. The bits of the sleek paper she could see were shiny gold. As if when you touched it, it would feel like sandpaper, and yet, silk at the same time. The rods were a smooth brown wood that glinted with pride in the light.
“Tev,” Lyra addressed her. Tev nervously met her mother’s gaze. “Take this to your room and read it. Then come back down when you’re done. Don’t touch anything that was burned.” Tev hesitantly took the scroll from Lyra’s clutch and stood up. She walked to the staircase and could feel everyone looking at her. It was an eerie feeling, so she hurried up the stairs.
She walked into what was left of her room. The beds were ash, the floor dark, and the walls dead. A dresser had fallen onto one side, and one of the drawers was partly open. Tev looked at the ceiling, the fire had creeped up the top of the wall like vines, turning the once white ceiling to black. But Tev could see some parts of it that weren’t black, that the fire hadn’t touched.
Tev then remembered why she had come up here in the first place. She touched the scroll, it was completely smooth, more than the rocks her father had once bought her from one of the stores. It was a nice feeling. A silver ribbon was wrapped around it with a stamp pushing it into the scroll. It was a circle divided into four, each section dedicated to a different element.
Tev peeled the stamp off just enough to unravel the scroll. She twisted the ribbon around her fingers subconsciously as she read the unfamiliar writing.
Dear Tevolia Nightingale,
Despite my earlier protests and uncertainty of this, I will get straight to the point to leave you with as much time as possible.
As you know, you are special. You have all four elements. And having this gift has made it clear that you are the one that is needed for an incredibly important task.
If you do not already know, there is a great evil force called, The Black Abyss. It is an organization focused on gaining control of all elements and the people who hold them.
They are after you and do not care how many people they would have to imprison or harm to get to you.
I wanted to wait until you were older and more advanced in all your elements, but The Black Abyss is growing stronger day by day and we’re losing time.
You are the only one with the ability to stop them. But do not worry, you will not be alone. We have learned and see it fit for one of each element to see you on your journey.
One Air, one Earth, one Fire, one Water human may go with you. We have decided you will visit each element city to find someone who is fit for this task. Ms. Arcelia should explain your responsibilities more in depth and answer the questions you have.
But, to clarify for you, you are the only person who stands a chance to destroy the growing power of The Black Abyss. You will have some time to train all four of your powers before the night you will have the highest rate of success in destroying TBA.
We wish you and your allies the best of luck and hope you can save us.
- The High Counsel
Tev reread it a few times, turning it over in her hands. Was she missing something? Was this a joke? Was Zeru messing with her or something?
Tev didn’t understand. Was she supposed to save everyone? How was she supposed to defeat some almighty organization? She was a fourteen-year-old who could barely control the other three elements she had.
They must have the wrong person. And how come no one else has been informed of these people? Can’t they send the authorities?
If they could then they wouldn’t be asking a child to do it. Ms. Arcelia’s visit was starting to make sense. Tev didn’t do anything wrong, someone else had because of her. Her stomach tied into a nervous knot. She felt sick.
After a few moments of confused thoughts and holding her tears back, Tev went downstairs. Everyone was still there but they were now all standing, and Lyra had a travel bag in her hand. What was happening? Was she already leaving for a journey she still wasn’t sure was real?
“What. . .what’s happening?” Tev asked, her voice small. Lyra breathed in as if to say something, but nothing came out. Rabi put his hand on his wife’s shoulder.
“We packed everything you will need. Ms. Arcelia said she will answer whatever questions you have. It’s time for you to leave so we’re here to say goodbye. We’ll walk you out.” Rabi explained to Tev.
Tev couldn’t believe it. Her eyes started to tear up. “But. . .but I don’t want to go.” Tev saw tears running down her mothers’ face. “You. . .you can’t make me.” But even as she was saying that the feeling that they probably could was present.
“We’re running out of time. Say goodbye so we can leave.” Ms. Arcelia said, stepping closer to Tev. “No!” Tev raised her hands up for a second. Ms. Arcelia stiffened, and she saw her family twitch a little.
Were they scared of her? Tev’s breath started to become short and choppy. She couldn’t believe it. Her own family feared her and trying to make her go on a dangerous. . .adventure? No. Adventures were fun and happy. This seemed horrible.
“Tev, calm down. Come here. It’ll be okay-” Rabi reached his arms out to hug her, but Tev moved backwards. She didn’t feel safe anymore. Her mind was racing. Were they really her family? Family wouldn’t make her leave.
It wasn’t her fault she was the way she is. She shouldn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to.
“Enough. You’ve wasted enough time. Let’s go.” Ms. Arcelia moved closer, and Tev’s heart raced even harder. Suddenly she ran out the door, ignoring the shouts of her family and Ms. Arcelia.
Tev ran down the hill her house was on. Soon she was in the market. It wasn’t a very big town, but the market was busy enough for her to hide long enough to calm down. She pushed through people, until there were too many and she flew up to soar over them.
When she landed, she looked around quickly, trying to find somewhere to hide. She looked behind her and saw her family and the two men, but no Ms. Arcelia.
Tev chose a random direction and started to run. She looked behind her to see how far she had gotten. The number of houses had started to thin. When she was turning her head back around, she crashed into someone.
Ms. Arcelia? She was a little dizzy and felt more nauseous than before. A gasp hit her ears. “Tev! Oh no, come quickly.” The voice was familiar and soon she was being tugged along. Her eyesight cleared up after a few moments and many steps. She looked at the women pulling her, it was Amaya.
Tev felt like she should pull away. Amaya was probably taking her back to her family. But she didn’t have the energy to. She still hadn’t fully recovered from the fire and then she ran and hit her head. Tev didn’t really care where she was going at the moment.
She did manage to keep pace with Amaya until they reached Amaya’s house. Tev’s eyes widened. “I-I’m not going in there.” Tev said, pulling her hand away from Amaya’s grasp.
But Amaya just turned, the same smell from before swirled the two of them. She smiled softly, her yellow eyes were sweet and safe. Did she know Tev’s secret yet? “Don’t worry. We’ll go through the gate.” Amaya led her around the house to a yard. It had a shed in it. It was bigger than the one used at the meetings, it could hold a few people in it.
They went through the gate and to the shed. It felt weird being back. Tev remembered the shed. She had never been in it; she was told it was off limits and she had been fine with it. But now she realized she was glad to find out what was inside.
It was white with a yellow roof and Amaya pulled the door open. Inside was a small table and several maps, paintings, drawings, news clippings and bottles with different mixtures in them. It was lit with small fairy lights to add to its mystical presence.
Other trinkets littered the wooden floor and shelves. Amaya motioned her in and to a seat at the table. Tev sat and looked around more. She saw herself in a mirror and almost cringed.
Her face was tear stained and her cheeks were red. Her hair was sticking up at places. She wiped her face and under her eyes, then finger-brushed her hair until she looked decent enough. Then she looked at all the things on the walls as Amaya moved around.
Paintings of families, places, and other people she didn’t recognize were pinned on a board. Along with the maps, drawings, and clippings. In her Air town it was small enough that they didn’t need newspapers to know what was happening, but they did sometimes get them when there was drama in other cities.
21 More People and Counting Have Disappeared
21 more people have been reported missing. . .
One heading read, the rest of the text covered up or cut off. Some of the other ones were similar.
Where Is Everyone Going?
People are disappearing left and. . .
Authorities Cannot Explain Disappearances
Authorities Claim to Have Found Criminal
Rumors of Child with All Elements
The last one caught her eye. She squinted to read the writing under it.
An inside source tells of rumors among the Counsels of a child with the abilities of all four elements.
The Counsels won’t answer questions as of right now.
We interviewed several civilians to get their opinions on the possible child.
“I don’t believe it one bit. Someone wants to start a riot right after the war ended.” 59-year-old Fire man, Inigo Bozz says.
Another person says, “If it’s true, and there is a child with that much power, it’s the end. No one can manage all that power. Not without being a monster.”
Several people agree on the possible dangers that could come with a human with that much power.
Tev stopped reading. She already knew she was a monster; she didn’t need to hear it from people she didn’t know too.
She then remembered she was still with Amaya and turned to focus on her. Amaya was waiting patiently for Tev on the other side of the table. Tev tried to meet her eyes but found it harder than she thought.
“How are you feeling?” Amaya’s voice was soft like always. “F-fine.” Tev didn’t understand why it was easier to talk to her than it was to talk to her own family. “Does your head hurt?” Tev took a moment to trace a mark in the wood of the table before answering with, “A little.”
“Wanna tell me why you were running from your family?” Tev traced another mark and shook her head. She had a feeling Amaya already knew.
“Did you see me?” Tev looked up at her for a moment before looking back at the wooden table. “When?” Tev peered back up at her and said, “In front of my house when it was on fire. . .and when my hair was blue.” Tev waited a few seconds for an answer.
“Yes. I saw. I’m sorry about your house.” Tev nodded and looked at the floorboards instead. “Are you going to call my parents?” Tev looked straight at Amaya this time. “No, you’ll go by yourself soon.” Amaya leaned back in her chair, causing Tev to straighten.
“Why would I do that? You don’t know why I left.” But Tev had the odd sensation that she did, indeed know why she was here. “I do. Ms. Arcelia didn’t seem to care about keeping the information secret when Zeru was asking why they were looking for you.
Something changed. There was a shift in the air. Amaya seemed different. Secretive. Tev stood up, she felt like she was suffocating. “I-I have to go.” Amaya stood too, grabbing Tev’s shoulders. “Tev. There’s something you need to know before you leave.” Tev started to pant a little. She felt hot and dizzy.
“Your parents are alive. They’re being held captive by The Black Abyss. You need to defeat their head leader to rescue your parents.” Tev searched Amaya’s eyes for a hint of her lying, but she only found urgency.
“Take Zeru with you. Please. Make sure he stays safe. I have a feeling we’re next. You need to leave as soon as possible. Know your allies and enemies. Learn your capabilities and weaknesses and use both to your advantages.” Amaya rushed all of this into Tev’s already cramped brain.
She felt more confused and worried. “Promise you’ll keep my Ze safe?” Amaya asked, almost begging Tev. “Y-yeah. I will.” Tev whispered. Amaya broke into a teary smile. “I knew you loved each other.” Before Tev could argue with her, there was a loud bang on the door.
Ms. Arcelias voice pierced Tev’s ears. “Tevolia Nightingale! Get out this instant!” Amaya turned and opened the door, pushing Tev out quickly and shutting the door behind the two of them. Ms. Arcelia had a highly annoyed look on her face.
Tev noticed her family behind Ms. Arcelia. Separated from them was Moe with a confused Zeru in front of him. Another crowd was forming a way off from them.
“Are you done running away?” Ms. Arcelia asked but it seemed like more a statement. “Y-yes.” Tev couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. She was able to breathe properly now but there was still a gut-wrenching feeling in her. It felt like there was a rope squeezing her heart as she tried to remember everything Amaya said.
Protect Zeru. Take Zeru with her. Defeat The Black Abyss. Know her enemies. Learn her weaknesses and strengths. And most important of all, her parents were alive.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo11Z8aeyim
---(AUTHORS NOTE)---
Hello! I hope this was an interesting chapter!57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUMGDYlGLT
I'm going to try and meet my writing deadline for the next chapter (Friday) but I haven't started it yet (oops) and with school starting in less than two weeks, and me still being a student, things may get a little hectic for me.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCM0SvkqzhD
If I don't get it out by the deadline, I'll make sure to post two and make sure it's long!
Thanks for reading, and I hope I see you in the next chapter! Have an amazing day/night/endless abyss!
---(AUTHORS NOTE)---
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