Chapter 5: Light and Darkness

Murky slime rapidly spread further into Mayari's arm almost reaching her neck. When a hand suddenly press itself to the slime and set fire to the obscure mire.

The slime burned and Evan immediately pulled Mayari away. While Helen and Ashley immediately freeze the crystal sphere to trap the unknown magic inside.

"Is Mayari alright?" Helen asked as she glance towards Evan and Mayari.

"I'm fine." Mayari replied.

When they thought that the coast was clear, the ice freezing the dark crystal ball suddenly shattered into pieces, releasing two entities. Mayari couldn't tell what figure they form but it is very clear that one is light and one is darkness.

The light is as bright as a white sun and its radiant gleam spread to its surrounding, captivating the viewers gaze with its golden eyes.

While the darkness is as black as the night, stretching its shadows of oblivion to its terrain, setting fear immediately in one's heart with his bloody red eyes.

The light and darkness started to fight, empowering each other with their essence. The light entity showered the room with luminosity while the darkness cast shadow towards the light.

They clash like swords, trying their hardest to beat each other but no matter what they do their strengths are equal.

"What is happening!?" Ashley exclaimed throughout the loud banging. "Could someone please tell me, I am utterly confused."

"Neither do we know." Helen replied, "But one thing is obvious, these entities are the elements of light and darkness."

The room started to shake due to the intense battle between the light and the darkness. Crumbles of cements started to fell from the ceiling, the glass windows are being shattered and cracks are unfolding to each side of the wall.

"This room is collapsing!" Evan yelled.

"We need to get out." Ashley said the obvious.

With just the stroke of their voices the two opposing entities halted and shifted their gaze at them. Then, they locked eyes with Mayari, her deep brown irises staring right through their golden and red eyes.

Their was a moment of silence, then the entities launch towards Mayari. Evan tried to block their path but he was immediately thrown away by an invisible force.

The entities race each other and together buried Mayari whole with their existence, surrounding her with both light and darkness.

Mayari blink and everything turned white. She wasn't in the room with Helen and the others anymore, she's in a open space dimension painted with pure white.

She also notice her clothes fading its carrot orange color to obsidian black. Everything is eerily quite and the white world she's standing seems to endlessly extend throughout the ground and the horizon.

The only thing that is out of color in the presence of the light is she herself with her black dress and her shadow lingering behind her.

She started to walk aiming to a random direction but after the echo of her first footstep a heavy presence suddenly surge to the air making Mayari halt, feeling the uneasiness.

"Who are you?" Two cold feminine voices asked out of the blue in unison.

Mayari turned her head to see who it is but no one is there. She scanned the whole area and every corners but still no one was there.

"Who are you?" Came the voices again, but it doesn't come from someone.

"I should be asking the same." Mayari replied.

"We asked the question first." the voices reasoned.

"Then I won't answer." Mayari stubbornly told.

"We will repeat again. Who are you?"

Mayari didn't answer...

There was a minute of silence, then the voices spoke again.

"Very well." They said.

A red velvet string suddenly appeared in Mayari's hand, tied in her ring finger, and it seems to be leading somewhere.

"Follow the string and accept your judgement." The voices instructed.

Mayari don't know what to do so she obliged and followed the string. As she walk further into the colorless realm, murky black slimes started to rain down the horizon covering the angelic white into dusky black down to the ground.

But not minding it all, Mayari didn't stop and remained traveling the path of oblivion.

After minutes of walking, Mayari finally reach a pedestal, decorated with dark gems. Placed on top of the frame is a withered rose still tied on the red string.

Mayari pick up the rose and watched as its candy red tint started to paint the petals, blossoming back the dead wild rose to its beautiful fresh beauty.

"You can't define yourself," the voices spoke, "you are stuck in confusion and anxiety of your existence. Therefore, you are still not a worthy master for us to serve."

Mayari blink and the rose started to bleed, she intended to drop it but she couldn't move and her gaze couldn't leave the rose's view like it was drawing her near to a hypnotizing daze of rosy red blood.

The cherry red liquid then drip down from Mayari's soaked hand to the pitch black floor beneath her. It continued to flow, staining Mayari's heels.

"Come back again when you have finally found yourself."

Then the crimson blood arise and devoured her in an instant. Her vision turned dark and unconsciousness anchored her to sleep...

Fireworks exploded brightly at the dark night sky, it is very colorful and attractive. Little Mayari happily watch the fireworks with a very big cheeky smile.

"Mommy! Daddy! Look! the color of that one is pink!" She exclaimed happily, looking and pointing at the pink firework.

"It is sweety, isn't it pretty?" Lisa asked her daughter, with a happy smile.

"Yes! It's very pretty!" Mayari answered screaming gleefully.

"Now, now, lower your voice, Mayari. We don't wanna disturb others that are also watching the fireworks." Adolf also spoke happily.

Mayari look around, and saw the other people who are also enjoying the fireworks. She grinned wide and exclaimed loudly.

"I love fireworks!!!"

Her parents was surprised by her very roaring scream but instead of scolding her for doing so, even though they have just told her not to, they just smiled at her. Seeing her happy also makes them happy.

When the fireworks show ended, Adolf asked, with a smile, to her daughter; "Did you have fun?"

"Of course I have! Tonight was very fun!" Mayari answered, jumping up and down happily, holding both her parents hands.

"Where very happy to see you happy, sweetie." Lisa said gently smiling at her daughter.

Mayari hugged them both, Lisa and Adolf also hugged back their daughter.

"I love you, mommy. I love you, daddy." she said gleefully, hugging both of her parents tightly.

"We love you too, sweety." Lisa replied.

"Very much." Adolf added, then kissed her daughter's forehead.

"I love both of you more."

"No, we love you most" her parents said in unison with words full of love.

"Mayari, wake up!" A familiar voice shouted.

Mayari's eyes fluttered open, and as the blurriness finally subsided, she finally make out Helen, Ashley and Evan's face, staring worriedly at her.

"Good." Ashley gave a sigh of relief as she retracted her glowing hand from Mayari's head. 

Mayari sat up holding her head as she remember the confusing encounter to the strange realm of light and darkness, while ignoring the dream she just had.

"Does your head hurt?" Helen asked.

"No." Mayari replied as she shifted her gaze to her surrounding.

They are still in the room, the crystal sphere is broken into bits, debris are everywhere, and cracked are scattered on the damaged walls. Their are patients and visitors lingering at the door trying to view what is the commotion, while the clinic staffs are blocking the door and assuring them that everything is fine.

"How long am I out?" Mayari asked as she stood up.

"Your out for 5 minutes." Evan answered.

It is only 5 minutes but to Mayari it felt like hours dwelling in a strange black and white realm, added by a dream from her past.

"After you faint, the two entities abruptly vanished." Ashley told. "I already scanned your body and there is no harm done, you just fell unconscious."

"Thank you, Ashley." Helen spoke.

"The pleasures all mine." Ashley smiled. "Well, you should get going now because I have a lot of report to write." She stared at Mayari then to the disarrayed surrounding.

"Sorry about this, Ashley."

"Don't worry about it, I'll just send you the bill for the damage later."

"Alright." Helen nodded, "We'll go now."

"Wait." Mayari made everyone halt. "Tell me, the test result."

"Oh, thank you for reminding me." Ashley walk over to Mayari. "You're one interesting lady, Mayari."

She then clasp Mayari's hand and hold it upfront with a huge grin.

"You have five elements in you, that's mind-blowing!" She exclaimed. "I am very honored to be your personal doctor." Crazy sparkles are twinkling in her eyes.

"What about the light and darkness?"

"Well," she pause for a second, "I'm not quite sure about that. The phenomena is pretty much confusing, I have to conduct more test in this matter."

"Is there a high possibility that she also have those elements?" Evan asked.

"I don't know... Maybe." Ashley lifted her shoulders portraying a shrug. "I haven't encounter anything like this."

"Jus take your time to conduct those test, Ashley. There is no rush." Helen spoke.

"I will but before that, I will just record the five elements that I am certain she had." Ashley informed, "Are you alright with that, Mayari?"

"Yes." Mayari simply replied.

"Work hard for now on but also, don't ignore your health." She advised, "I wish you luck."

After a moment of farewells, Mayari, Helen, and Evan finally left the clinic. Paul is already waiting for them outside so Mayari and Helen immediately hopped in the carriage.

"Do you need a ride, Evan?" Helen asked, "we could ride you back to the palace."

"No thanks, aunt Helen." Evan refused, "The royal carriage is almost here, and it will be rude to keep them hanging."

"Polite as ever, you never change." Helen giggled.

"By the way, are you coming to the ball tonight?"

"That ball is the celebration of my sister's birthday, why would I not attend." Helen stated, "Does she know that I have already arrived from my travel?"

Evan shook his head.

"Mother will be delighted to see you." He smiled, "I hope your apprentice will come along, they will be surprise that you finally got yourself a student."

Mayari just stared at him in silence.

"Oh, she will." Helen replied in her place.

"Then I'll meet both of you there." He wave as the carriage started to move.

"Are we going back to the mansion now, Miss Helen?" Paul asked.

"No," Helen shook her head, "Let's go to my favorite dress shop."

"Right away." Paul nodded.

"We will be having a shopping spree, aren't you excited, dear?" Helen grinned.

At that very moment Mayari knew that the upcoming event will be a dragged. And she couldn't help but sigh in defeat.