"Namjoo, are you alright? Wake up..."

 

A voice echoed in my head which woke me up. Gradually, I opened the lids of my eyes in which I saw Yixing's face in front me.

 

"Yi...xing..."

"Thank goodness you woke up! I was..." He held my head and helped me sat up. "So worried..."

 

"Where...where are we?" I rolled my eyes around. It looks like another different world. The skies were glowing of violet neon lights and there's nothing around except portal like holes arranged to form a cross symbol, surrounding us. The one on the North's blazing with fire. On the east, there are pieces of rocks floating around it. On the west is a portal thing that's being enclosed in a strong gust and the last one's being covered by a spout of water.

 

There seem to be no other ways out. Except those.

 

"This is strange... something 's not right here."

"I know. We're not in the world of Inter Vita et Mortem. This is totally different." He tilted his head and did an instrospection for each of those things. "These are portals..."

"That's what I was thinking too...how do we get out of here?"

"I don't know." Yixing turned his head to me. "You're the one who brought us here, right?"

 

A sudden flashback of memory filled my mind.

That's true. I did some weird, magical thing earlier. Was it... because of this ring?

 

"Nevertheless, we should get out of here." I stood up and brushed the dirt off my skirt. "We have to defeat those guardians of whatsoever. My family and baekhyun needs me—"

"Defeat the Guardians of life?" A deep voice resonated from nowhere. Perplexed from where it came, we looked around. Yet we saw nothing.

"Who are you?!" I asked in loud way.

"Let's say...I'm the leader of those people you want to have a duel with."

"What's your name?" I turned my body around and around, still trying to identify who said that.

"I'm Yubin. The master of all elements. You can't fight with me but I provided you the ways to those four people who you can have a fight with and hold the pendant of life which serves as the key to the world of the humans. And now, since the two of you had known where the world of the Guardians is, choose... your first path."

 

All those portal-like things illuminated with a very vibrant light. I don't know what's happening. But now that we're here, now that I found the place I was searching, I guess I should do this. No matter what it takes.

 

"Where should we go?" I held unto Yixing's clothing as I doubtly gazed at each portal.

"We should go back now. This place isn't safe! It was written in some books that they're stronger than we can imagine!" He looked up on the empty, magical sky. "Yubin, please take us back to the world of Inter Vita et Mortem!"

"No!" I exclaimed in rejection. "Go back alone to that place. I'll stay here and fight with those guardians of life. I already have powers anyway."

 

I was about to step in the portal on the east when he grabbed my hand and spoke with a kind of trembling voice. "You can't go. If you die from fighting, you'll die permanently!"

 

"I don't care. I'd rather die than do nothing."

"But..."

"What?" I angrily asked. "Do you even care about me?"

"No...uh...I'll feel guilty if something bad happens to you..."

"Just forget me and go back to where you came from."

"What about you? Didn't you ask for my help? You told me you need me."

"I do. But if you don't want to, I won't force you." I tried pulling myself from his grip on my arms. But he was strong. "Let go of me!"

"You still don't know how to control your powers! It could harm you!"

"I'm sure It would just appear in whatever I do as long as I want it to appear."

"That's not how you use powers! You have to let the energy flow on your body!"

"Okay. I'll remember that." And then I forcibly tried to step in. And though he held me tightly, something had us in and we fell that I was shocked and could only close my eyes. Fortunately, when I opened my eyes, he was hugging me and we're floating...and the gravity seemed to have slowed down.

"I told you let's go back!" He whined and looked up. "No..."

"Why?" I raised my head up and looked at where the portal was earlier.

 

It's...gone.

 

"This is bad..."  He bit his lips. "What should we do..."

"Fight." I took some steps off. However, I remembered something that it stopped me from walking.

 

He was forcing me to go back. But where should we go back?!

 

"Anyway, didn't that castle get attacked?!"

"Ah...that's right... I forgot." Yixing scratched his head. "So I have no place to go back to at all...then I have no choice." He hovered near me. "I have to go and help you."

"You would?!" My eyes shimmered as I looked at him.

"What else can I do? There are only two options here: Fight or Surrender and let yourself be killed. And it's chaotic in the castle."

"Then teach me how to control my powers."

"Alright.'' He sighed. "There surely is an enemy around—"

 

Out of the blue, the ground shook as if there's a magnitude 8 earthquake. The surroundings became dark. And then the rocks lifted and formed a monster that's as huge as ever.

 

It's like a reverse of us and the sand.

 

"What's...that..." I uttered with fright.

"A monster!" He went in front of me and hid me behind his back. "Stay here and I'll fight against him!"

"I-I'll fight too!"

"You still don't know how to use your powers. It's dangerous. Just stay away from here! "

 

He opened his arms, with a 45 degree gap from his waists. He unraveled his closed fingers and two swords—with glowing swirls of fire around it— have formed. "Hide!"

 

In a speed of a wildfire, he flew up high. I saw his bright silhouette going round and round that rock thing's head. He looked like a comet. The conflict is that monster doesn't seem to be hurt by his attacks.

 

And surprisingly, Yixing was thrown back to the ground.

 

"Yixing!" I called.

"Namjoo! Watch out!"

 

Everything happened like a thunder.  That thing walked closer to me and was about to smash me with his hand.

 

I was totally stunned. I can't properly think.

 

Yet when I raised my arms and molded my hand into a stop symbol, a ball of light gradually formed on my palms. The rocks were being tugged until it became a huge ball of light and rocks and finally, it the monster.

 

Eventually, it vanished along that beam of light.

 

"Yixing!" I hastened to him, who was lying on the ground. "Are you hurt?"

 

"Obviously. But it's fine." He stood up and closed his eyes. Glitters whirled around him and his wounds guttered out. Then he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. "I could heal myself."

 

"Good thing then." I expelled my breath in a whose. "I thought our lives will end already that moment."

 

"Me too. But it seems like you're powers were strong. I never thought I had that for years... Well, I didn't fight with anyone, anyway. I just picked souls up so I wasn't able to discover the strength of that ring's energy."

 

"I think we'll win the battle with those guardians now!"

"Don't be too sure. You still don't even know the limits of your power."

 

I was about to voice out my complaint.

However, my body suddenly felt weak and his voice started rippling on my ears.

 

"I feel...weak." My body diagonally fell on his body in which my head was over his shoulder. I feel paralyzed. I don't know why but...I can't move.

"Hey? What happened to you?" Yixing caressed my back.

"I...can't move." I lethargically uttered.

"I told you." He hauled a sigh and lifted me up on his arms,

 

 Like a bride.

 

"You don't know the limits of your powers."

"Or maybe, my body's not just used with it." I drawled.

 

So then, we walked under the sky of that unknown world that's full of dusts and rocks. He carried me, to a path and we don't even know what's waiting on the end.

 

But this is for everyone who's waiting for my earthly body to wake up. For mom, dad, little bro and Baekhyun.
The battlefield is the only way out. And I must learn how to control my powers in no time.