JINHAE

It all made perfect sense to me now.

Two weeks flew by. In that short period of time, I stumbled upon pieces of facts that I never knew existed before I got to Meropia. There were just too many things to learn and I was overwhelmed by it. Well, I wasn’t really the smart one to understand these kinds of things. I’m sure, wherever she was, Shinhye was handling things better. It’s the most important thing I’ve come to know so far – she was alive. I couldn’t be happier, but it would have been better if she actually communicated with me more. The day I’ve desperately called on her was also the last time I’ve heard her voice which was over a week ago. She uttered two words that I cherished the most at the moment. ‘I’m here.’ I wonder if she was really alright and just getting accustomed to the telepathy which seemed to have gotten stronger since I got here or if she’s not alright at all. I’ve thought of the former possibility since she tried to ignore it, thus remaining dormant for years. I was also thinking if she had it all. I shrugged the thought off and thought about the past days that led to this day.

First of all, I wasn’t in the same world I’ve come to know. Just looking at the surroundings spoke volumes to me. It was one strange place, Elyxo, but it was even stranger why I felt that I belonged. It was as if some missing pieces of me were coming together from the moment I found myself in the badlands, lost and aimlessly walking with no sense of time and direction. The people here I’ve spent time with attested to this fact as well. They all took care of me and all I could see was sincerity. They’ve been very patient, dealing with my ignorance. Well, I just couldn’t stop asking as for every answer they’ve provided, five more questions popped out in my mind. It was fun learning about them and it was even more to my liking when they ask about the human world. Watching their fascinated expressions was really funny.

Second, I was the prophesied maiden they were looking for. They’ve explained the prophecy to me, but not in detail. Lu Han told me that it was the Oracle Minister’s job to do that so I would fully understand. They’ve figured out a lot about me just by understanding how I got into their world in the first place. Apparently, the carriage that brought me and my sister to Elyxo was called the kali. It was a scared vessel that came to a chosen few and I was one of them. It was an honor, of course. I seemed insignificant in the human world, although Shin made sure that I didn’t feel that way, and now, I have one task – unite the lands. Of course, I agreed to help them. They didn’t have to ask me twice since they’ve all been really kind.

Lastly, I have every reason to believe that I and my sister weren’t humans to begin with. Ahn Han Seul, our father, was the Lake Guardian of Elyxo. It was why he never spoke of our mother and insisted that we weren’t part foreigners despite of our features. We were half-bloods, born from an Elyxian mother and a Guardian. Our kind was rare as it was forbidden, but it was fated for us to be born and fulfill the prophecy that would defeat the great river to the west. He lied to us and I was wondering if his failure to keep us away from the world where we belonged to served us justice for me and Shinhye. She must be raging mad.

So, there I was, seated in the den, waiting for the Oracle Minister to arrive. It was that day. I was fidgeting on my seat, trying to keep my equanimity. Why did it have to be me anyway? I’m not used to meeting important people like Shinhye was. She should be the one in my place. I didn’t even know how I would help the Element Nobles much less defeat a raging river which was alive in every sense of the word. Kris showed it to me once. He could fly. How cool was that! It shocked me to the core when I saw it. The river wasn’t your ordinary river. Its waters formed a wall that went infinitely vertically and horizontally. It was virtually impossible to cross it. It’s monstrous, shrouded in darkness despite of the bright sun shining over it. Talk about unnerving.

“Jinhae?” someone suddenly said. I followed the direction of the voice which was by the door. I didn’t even hear it opening and yet there stood Lay.

I smiled at him awkwardly. “Hi, Lay!” I greeted him and he chuckled. He still hasn’t gotten used to the way I spoke.

“You’re nervous,” he said flatly, tilting his head to the side. Oh yeah. I forgot that he could feel people’s auras. No point in lying so I just nodded. “Don’t be.”

“Who wouldn’t be?” I asked him.

He smiled then. “You don’t have to be. The minister is very amiable.”

“Yes, I was told, except that his position in Meropia makes him scary.”

“You really are funny.”

“I’m not trying to be,” I muttered.

He looked at me thoughtfully