AT PRESENT TIMES
Melenōs Fortress
Helengrein, Deirdre
THE wind howled as the trees danced wildly. The fortress located at the west end of Deirdre, one of the three great lands of Demetrius, stood a hundred feet tall and extended from the northern to southern fortresses. It served as the defense borders of the Kingdom of Demetrius and faced the sea that leads to the neutral and mysterious kingdom, Sarania.
The fortress was silent. There were no soldiers roaming around to guard the western section of Deirdre.
The wind howled once again, harsher than before. Two figures clashed together at the top of the fortress. The smaller figure waved its arms wildly across the air in a seemingly dancing pattern, and the wind followed its movements. It produced a bluish-green aura that attacked at the other figure who defended itself with a staff.
As the dance of the smaller figure gets wilder, the wind became stronger. The one holding the staff took a step back and suddenly tripped. Its body fell from the top and into a hundred feet below.
The smaller figure ran towards the edge of the fortress and looked down. There's no trace of the hooded figure anymore.
"You are still alive," a woman's voice came from under the hood, speaking in her own language. Her accent was that of a sulky drawl.
She scanned the whole land from the top of the fortress then she looked behind her. There was a small spot behind the clouds, the only sight of the land of Sarania across the sea. "My brethren... I must apologize that I have to leave," she continued to mumble before she looked back at the land of Deirdre. "I must redeem myself from the chaos I've caused upon the Kingdom of Demetrius."
She raised her hands and stretched her fingers out in front of her. The wind formed into a platform.
~O~O~O~
LIU RESIDENCE
Helengrein, Vestia
"CHLOE, come on! You're going to be late for the train!" a loud voice coming from the 1st floor of their wooden house shouted.
"Coming!" she shouted back. She tossed her personal things inside her bag and hurried out of her bedroom, dragging her large suitcase with her. Her shoulder-length brown hair was disheveled, along with her baggy pants and simple olive shirt. Her dark gray eyes glowed in excitement as she bounded down the stairs.
Standing near the door was a young man with blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. He was wearing a green-collared polo and white khaki pants. There's a cloth covering his ears tightly. He's talking to their parents as she walks down the stairs.
"Let's go!" She went straight to their parents and kissed them on their cheeks. "Æsch, Mē, Zē."
Her mother smiled warmly, her skin was as radiant as Chloe's with her eyes as blue as the sky. Chloe saw her as an angel, she was too reserved and laid-back. "Please stay safe on your travel, Chloe. And don't forget to write to us."
Her older brother went out of the house with their luggage and put it on the carriage.
"I will not, Mē."
Their father, standing much taller than the two of them, took off a gold necklace with a pendant shaped in a teardrop and looked at her. "Promise me you'll take care of this, Chloe," he said and put it on her neck.
The girl looked down at the pendant, fingered it, and looked up at her father with wide eyes. "Really?" Her father nodded with his infectious smile and she squealed as she jumped to hug and pecked him with kisses. "Thank you, Zē!!"
Her father chuckled and petted her head gently. "You're welcome. Now go on. Beware of the bad guys out there, Chlo'."
She nodded and ran out of the house where her brother was already waiting for her. "Let's go, Lulu-chi."
Lucian and Chloe Liu, residents of the west end of Deirdre, the town of Helengrein.
Every year, the Krystalline Academy of Vestia - the mainland of Demetrius Kingdom - opens to all Demetri who wanted to become Krysts. The slots were limited for first-year scholars and luckily, Chloe was able to join because her brother was already a student of the academy for 3 years. He is graduating this year.
Krysts are Demetri that can wield magic. They varied from the basic elements like Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind to the deadly elements like Lightning, Time and Metal, and those considered harmless elements like Healing, Telekinesis, and Teleportation. The scholars are trained to become warriors that protect the whole kingdom. Once they graduated, they are assigned to the Krystalline Palace and deployed to many cities and provinces of the kingdom.
KRYSTALLINE Academy was located at the capital city of Vestia, the city of Galenus. The west end of Deirdre was far and the only means to reach the capital city was the bullet train made by the smiths of Markus, the militaristic land and home of the weapon-makers.
Lucian groaned in protest when he felt that someone was shaking him.
Stop it... I want to sleep, he mumbled in his head. He swatted the hand that was shaking him and was ready to sleep again.
A voice suddenly shouted in his mind, WAKE UP!!
Lucian jolted up and looked around, trying to process what happened and where he was. He looked at his side where his sister was and saw her frowning at him. People were buzzing around and some were even holding their luggage as they walked in the aisle.
"We're here," Chloe said as she looked around with wonder in her gray eyes.
Lucian's mouth dropped before he closed it. "Oh."
True enough, they had arrived at the train station in the city, Galenus. Lucian fixed the cloth around his head. "How long have I slept?" He asked Chloe as they gathered their things.
"An hour or so," she answered before dragging smaller luggage out. "You had the most wonderful sleep I have ever seen." She grinned at him and it was his turn to frown at her. He could literally see his face while he was asleep in her mind - open-mouthed, eyes slightly ajar, and snoring. Not manly at all.
"Shut up," he grumbled. They finally exited the train.
"Whoa..." Chloe gasped. Lucian smiled. It was not his first time coming to Vestia so this sight isn't new to him anymore.
Vestia was smaller compared to Deirdre and Markus. Unlike Deirdre which was surrounded with trees and nature, Vestia was surrounded with market, people, and business. From the train, they could see the palace of Demetrius. Its glow from its crystal structure was eye-catching and mesmerizing.
"Is that the palace of the Hwā?" Chloe asked with sparkling eyes of curiosity.
Lucian nodded but his expression was indifferent. "Yep. That is," he clipped.
"Lucian!" A voice coming from their side shouted amidst the crowd. They looked around and saw a petite lady making her way to them. She avoided a hooded figure that was in a hurry. Chloe saw the petite lady glancing at the figure before reaching them.
She's wearing a plain pink hoodie and pants. Her short mahogany brown hair was cut in jags at the back and long tentacles of yellow and light brown highlights on either side. Her eyes were the lightest brown with specks of gold and it stands out than Lucian's blue eyes. "You monster! I thought you're---" She stopped when she saw Chloe with him before she perked up. "Hi! I'm sorry but Lucian is already taken--"
"Barbie!"
"--and he's so loyal to her. Her name's Chloe."
Lucian covered his face with his palm. Chloe glanced at him, amused by his reaction but didn't want to prolong his misery. She smiled at the girl and bowed her head as a greeting. "I'm his younger sister, Chloe. I didn't know he had a girlfriend, much more a name Chloe, too."
At first, the petite woman was staring at the girl, before the information sunk in. "Seriously?" All she could say.
Chloe laughed while Lucian ran a hand across his already disheveled hair. "This is Barbie Lewelyn, one of my best friends. She loved to protect my honor from so-called admirers that she so-called say who wanted to become my girlfriends." Chloe smiled at Barbie while the latter made a peace sign at her. "Barbie, she's my sister Chloe. And please keep your voice down. You're giving me a headache."
Barbie laughed. "Oh, well." She gestured towards the carriage that was visible from where they were standing. "The carriage is waiting." Then she turned to Chloe. "I intend to wait for Lucian and the others every break, and you're the only people we're waiting for."
"They're already here?" Lucian asked. He made sure Chloe was beside him.
"Yup. They're in the dorm probably." Then she lowered her voice and whispered at Lucian. "She looks nothing like you, bro."
Lucian glared at his friend but Barbie already looked at the girl beside him. "Are you here for this school year, Chloe?" She asked as they made their way to the carriage.
Chloe just nodded her head. She couldn't talk as she gawked at the place.
"Great! I'm sure my brother and his friend would love to know you. You're the same age, I would guess." Barbie went ahead to the carriage.
Chloe looked at Lucian questioningly. "Barbie's a resident of Galenus. So she knew this place more than anyone in Vestia did. She and her brother lived here with businesses in the market."
"Oh.." Chloe could only say. She looked around and saw that there were young men and women trying to bargain for a stack of cloth. She turned to Lucian who was busy at the back of the carriage before her gray eyes roamed around once again.
Vestia... I do hope this will make a wonderful journey.
The clouds covered the sun and the whole place darkened for a while. Chloe looked up and when the rays of the sun shone upon her, her gray eyes seemed to turn to gold.
KRYSTALLINE PALACE
Galenus, Vestia
THE palace stood in its glory at the very center of the city of Galenus. It was surrounded with crystals, shining brightly against the light of the sun.
Several warriors wearing gray armor are roaming around, some staying put at each entrance of the palace. Inside the throne room, a woman in a regal white empress gown was sitting on the red throne.
The queen looked young in her old age. Her gray hair was neatly tucked into a bun where her crown sat atop her head. She had those small wrinkles around her dark eyes which emphasized that she hadn't been able to sleep for years.
She was looking at the huge window of the throne room when the sky darkened a little bit.
"Mother.." A man whispered from the dark curtain.
Her feeble hand reached for the red pendant, a crest of an eagle, dangling on her neck as a tear dropped on her face.
She closed her eyes and gave out a small smile. "It is time."
"THE Capital city of Vestia, Galenus, was named after the son of Demetrius' first King. Galenus died at a very young age," her mother once told her when she was still a child."But why did he die?" she remembered asking.Her mother smiled. Faline Liu was always glowing in radiance like the sun in the morning. "He was compassionate about his fellow children. He was the very first of the Royal Children to bring them to safety each time war broke out."Chloe's memories about the story their mother would always tell them came like a flood. She loved those stories. Stories about heroes of every generation, and warriors from different lands of Demetrius, with the land of Markus as the greatest.But she hasn't been informed that the city of Galenus was this actively engaged in all sorts of business. As she looked around while Lucian and Barbie are looking for things needed, Chloe saw children and adults scattered in the streets, either buying or selling differen
DINNER was served at their common hall, the ground floor of the west wing. This was the only hall where both males and females of the dorm get to talk to each other. There were roughly a hundred girls and boys chatting in the common hall.The food was superb and delicious but the serving crew was composed of Nursing Eries, helpers that are usually assigned within the house. Chloe saw some of those in Deirdre, helpers of rich Deirdre peasants. Their eyes were bulging out, their noses were large, and their lips were pouting. Their skin was blue, and they were full of wrinkles. Not a good sight while getting your food."Where's Lucian?" Chloe asked Barbie as they carried their trays to the vacant table at the center of the hall. Jucel tagged along, keeping her head down most of the time."They're going somewhere with our friends," Barbie answered. She put down her tray of food on the table and sat at the wooden chair. "Probably to check out some houses where we can
THE academy was full of chaotic students. There are some who had wings and they were chasing each other in the hallway, not caring if they crashed into the property of the academy.Chloe noticed that land origins are what distinguished every student, not by their elemental powers. They wore white robes with color and design at the back.There are three land origins that were classified in the Krystalline Academy: Deirdre with its inhabitants are called peasants, Markus with its denizens, and Vestia with its residents.Deirdre peasants are wearing a white robe with green and yellow linings that looked like vines with a circling one at the back of their robes and a parakeet bird at the center. Chloe knew that the parakeet bird was a common bird in Deirdre and it symbolizes stealth. Deirdre has been the only land associated with pure nature. No wonder it was designed like vines.Markus denizens had their robes designed with metallic gray. Two swords were cro
CHLOE went out of the Eshmirald Tower with her academic supplies. She was greeted by the blinding light of the sun as she stepped out of the shadows. Chloe had to cover her eyes with the back of her hand.She wondered who that man could be. He was acting mysterious when he saved her from that bully, Kirsten, and her friends but when they were gone, he was flustered."Chloe!" The said girl jolted from her thoughts and turned to that familiar energetic voice.Barbie was waving her hand from the distance while dragging the dazed Jucel with her other hand. Lucian and some guys were following the two girls. She could even see Zabdiel and Jared with them.Chloe noticed that one of them was a man with a white cloth covering his eyes. But the amazing thing was that this man was able to walk steadier without guidance.Barbie stopped at Chloe's side and quickly draped her free arm around the younger woman's waist. Chloe was taller than Barbie which made the
AT THE CENTER of the city of Galenus, the Krystalline Palace was glinting under the sunlight, flaunting the royal symbol of the main Capital of Demetrius. The walls that surround the palace were painted with silver and it was eight feet tall. Several Defense Krysts were stationed at each entrance with few Cimēræ accompanying them.Inside the palace, a man in his 20's was sitting on the stairs of the palace, putting on his black combat boots when the queen and her personal servants descended. The queen smiled as she made her way to her son."Ciaran, it's still early in the morning. Are you going back to the city of Markus?"The man was the 2nd prince of Demetrius, Prince Ciaran, but he was the 1st heir to the throne for several reasons. He stood up, fixing his belt on his white and gold suit before he faced his mother. He smiled softly at her, his emerald green eyes seemed twinkling. Some of his auburn locks are covering his eyes."I want to check on the progress my men made in Helengre
"HAVE you identified what caused his death?" Prince Ciaran asked Tara who checked on the dead Kryst they saw at the border of the forest. Drake and Theo went to bury the dead.The three Krysts were his direct subordinates and close friends. They were with the royal siblings since their younger years. This is why Prince Ciaran was more comfortable with them than anyone else in the palace, other than his siblings.Tara shook her head. For once her sleep-deprived eyes seemed alert this time. "The mist around the memories of the Defense Kryst was thicker than usual, Your Highness. But it seemed that the soldier was on the run. We can assume that he was attacked.""But by whom?" Ciaran asked, more likely to himself rather than Tara.Drake and Theo went back to them and they all set forth towards the gate of the fortress. As Theo and Drake opened the gate, Ciaran could already sense something was wrong. There was a faint smell of rotten things, and the fort seemed deserted.Ciaran unsheathed
CHLOE let out a loud gasp and closed her eyes tightly; a sharp scream escaped her throat.She waited for her body to smash against the rocky ground when a pair of strong arms caught her from mid-air. She instinctively clutched her savior's shirt. They landed with a soft thud. "Are you okay?" a concerned voice asked. She blinked her eyes open and looked up before her jaw dropped. He was looking at her with his thick eyebrows scrunched in obvious worry. He has that strong perfect jaws, and the perfect curved eyes... and those thin pinkish lips... "J-Jared..." she stuttered. She realized that she was still in Jared's arms. She scrambled off him and steadied her balance. "Y-Yeah... Thanks for helping me." His lips curled in a lopsided smile. For once, Chloe was mesmerized. His face lightened up when he smiles... even a little. His eyes gazed upon the branch then back at her. "What are you doing up the tree?" he asked. He still had that emotionless tone of voice that she knew would erup
SHE'S absolutely not going inside without Lucian. That was Chloe's decision. She knew that Lucian's room will be in the Opall tower so she tried to find him.With more than fifty rooms in the Opall tower, Chloe knew she will not be able to find him before the said interrogation ended. Nobody knows what will happen if she's late.Goodness! Where, in the name of Demetrius, are you, Lulu-chi? she nearly screamed in her mind.Chloe started to wring her fingers together at her back as she stood at the stairs inside the tower. If Lucian was indeed inside, he must know that she didn't arrive yet. He will come to find her."Hey," a smooth, manly voice called out from the entrance of the tower.Chloe turned to him, recognizing her brother's voice immediately. She instantly saw him because of his blonde hair, blue eyes, and the white cloth that was covering his ears."Lulu-chi! Where have you been?" she exclaimed.Lucian jerked his thumb at his back. "We had some errands. Barbie and the others w