LU HAN

Today was the reading of the prophecy. I was at my hometown, Elatus, when I was told about it. Well, I have been anticipating it for months now, but in that length of time trying to condition myself to get used to it, I just couldn’t. I actually forgot about it. It hadn’t been long since I’ve arrived to the Meropian capital to attend the gathering. I just travelled by the Nephylus and I was glad to have arrived on time or the Oracle Minister would give me the longest litany. He expected too much from everyone. It’s tiring to even think about it, but our duty to Elyxo starts after we hear the prophecy. I was still wondering what it was. It was the last one and the other heirs before us were able to succeed. I just wonder how it would turn out for us.

As the heir of the Telepathy Nobles, I had been given the task to live up to the reputation of my family and ancestors the moment I was born. It applies to all the other five Element Noble heirs of Meropia as well as to the others in the West Kingdom, Korinthia. I couldn’t help but wonder how they are handling the situation. I haven’t met them and I wish that someday I could. It’s up to us to fulfill the prophecy for that to happen. I just hope we have the same vision – unity. Otherwise, it would be chaotic. 

I wonder how they understood the prophecy. It’s supposed to be daytime in Korinthia right now and if I wasn’t mistaken, the prophecy would be read at the same time. The complexities of the Elyxian traditions never cease to fascinate me. I wonder what would happen the moment the two lands are finally united. I hope it would be for the better. It’s too early to say anything anyway.

I waited for nightfall before finally deciding to go to the assembly hall. Yi Fan and Lay should be there by now. They’ve gone ahead of me while I rested. It was really tedious to travel for long distances. My body still felt sore all over, but I had no choice but to attend the gathering. 

I was walking on the path through the forest, about to head towards the hall when I saw lightning coming from the east. The light it produced was so bright that it was as if I’m seeing the surroundings during daytime in a span of seconds. That could only mean one thing. Instead of going to the hall, I headed towards the direction of the lightning, moving trees to the side with my telekinetic abilities. I wonder what was going on. It was almost time for the gathering, but Chen, the Lightning Noble, was still in the middle of the forest, playing with his bolts.

I’ve reached the clearing and saw him sitting on one of the fallen trees, looking up at the sky. Light flashed before my eyes and I had to look away. It was much brighter than when I was still on the path.

“Chen?” I called out, but the noise of the thunder that came along with the lightning drowned my voice so I decided to approach him instead. “Chen!”

That very instant, the lightning ceased from lighting up the indigo sky and he turned around to face me. He stared thoughtfully at me then smiled.

“I didn’t know you were in the capital. Welcome back.”

I nodded. “Yes. I’ve just arrived anyway. So, what’s going on? I thought you would be at the hall by now.”

He looked up at the sky again. “Tao will stop the time if it needs be.”

“And by that, you mean?”

He chuckled. “We’re already late, but no one is looking for us. Maybe he actually stopped it.”

“Are we?” I frowned. “Should we get going then?”

“We probably should.”

I sighed. There he was again, speaking in his usual cryptic manner. He scares me sometimes. “Let’s go.”

As we were walking through the trail I’ve taken earlier, he said, “How are things in Elatus?”

“Everything’s going smoothly.” He has a habit of asking things about our cities, but he didn’t have any wishes to go back home to Electrius, the land of the Lightning Nobles, his land. “Did you visit your city?” I asked.

He grinned at me then. “They wish I would.”

I tapped him on the shoulder. “You should visit your mother, you know. She’s worried.”

His face fell. “Worried?” He scoffed. “She’s the one who insisted that I should stay here.”

“I’ve talked to her just a week ago. She visited my mother.”

“Did she ask you to tell me that?”

I nodded.

“Lu Han, you shouldn’t have.” Sorrow crossed his eyes as he spoke. “They’re not worried.”

 “I can read minds, remember?” I chuckled. “Forget about that. We should –” I wasn’t able to say what I wanted as the place lit up again. 

“There you are!” a familiar voice said f