Elyna was sitting on a bench at a remoted area in her school compound. A place where she preferred the most when she needed peace. The place was quiet, rarely people walked around there because the place was rumored to be ‘hard’. But the scenery was nice actually. Trees branches were like waving at her when the wind blew. The air was fresh, and what most important is that the nature never looked at her the way people always do. She felt safe and calm there.

            She sighed when she suddenly remembered about that night. The night that changed her entire life. She took the chance to take off her gloves. She stared at her hands. She still remembered clearly what happened that night, as if it happened only yesterday.

            Elyna ran through the forest. She did not care anymore. She must get it. She must get the sacred touch. While running, her feet got caught by a tree root and she fell down. Her arms were hurt and her knees were bleeding. But she did not stop. She got back on her feet and ran again. Her determination was above everything.

            Finally she arrived at the so-called Sacred Waterfall. The view was beautiful, but somehow the atmosphere gave you the creeps. As if it bears something powerful that any living things cannot bear to live near it. The place was too quiet. Only the sound of the waterfall could be heard.

            Elyna stepped forward slowly. Her hands were trembling and her legs were shaking. That place was too intense for an 10-year-old girl to bear. Elyna kept walking until she reached right in front of the waterfall.

            “What do you want, Elyna?” she heard someone whispered to her. She looked around but nobody was present. The voice spoke again, in a soft yet husky voice in her head. “Tell me your wish.”

            “I wish for the Healing Touch...” she stuttered. Suddenly the ground was shaking. The waterfall in front of her split into two, creating a space like a door. She saw someone walked out of the cave behind the waterfall. A familiar face to her.

            A handsome young man walked out. His skin was the fairest that a human being can be, especially when he was in a black robe. His eyes were changing colours, from blue to green to purple and back to blue.

            It was Eric, her supposed-to-be neighbor, or to be precise, the Guardian of the waterfall. They were very close with each other. Eric was the one who always helped her when she was in trouble. He was like her big brother.

            One day, Eric revealed his true identity to Elyna when Elyna was committing suicide by jumping from the top of a building. It was having the worst time of her life; her father died, her mother was forced to get married with her monstrous stepfather because of her grandfather’s debt and her brother was confirmed to have asthma at the critical stage. Fate was playing with her life.

            “So, you’re here to ask for the Healing touch curse?” Eric asked.

            “Yes...” Elyna replied slowly.

            “By saying ‘curse’, you should know the price you will have to pay, right?”

            “Yes, I knew it. I will have to bear the pain in that person stead...” Elyna replied.

            “Elyna, the price is not as simple as that...” his expressions turned dull. "Healing Touch has an expensive price. Once you asked for it, you’ll have no way to turn back. The more you use the power, it will backfire you slowly from the inside. You’ll be weaker and weaker, and worse, fatality...” he paused and turned to Elyna.

            Elyna just stayed quiet.

            “You’re only 10, Elyna. I know that you’re a matured girl, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to make this harsh decision. You have a bright future waiting for you...” Eric crouched in front of her and patted her head.

            “But I.. I have too...” Elyna insisted. “I don’t care about my future. I just can’t bear to see mom suffered being beaten by that monster, and Elan in pain when his asthma attacked!” she said. Her eyes went teary.

            “Elyna, remember that Healing Touch may heal people completely, but that was only temporary. It can’t cure a terminal disease. It can’t resist death. You can’t change the fate...”

            “I don’t care.” Elyna said firmly. “I-I know that fact. I know that I can’t change anything. But at least, let me bear the pain! Let them to lessen their burden! Let me be the one who suffered!” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

            Eric sighed. “Fine, as the Guardian, I can’t stop someone when they asked for this curse. But I’m talking as someone who is close to you, who loves you. I don’t want my little sister to get hurt...”

            “It’s alright, Eric oppa. This is my choice.” Elyna replied calmly. But inside, she was totally scared of it.

            “If you say so. But I warned you, to bind yourself with this curse is a nasty business. So, be ready.” He warned her. Elyna bit her lips.

            Eric raised his hand and a big silver bowl came onto the hand. He read some spell before ater appeared inside the bowl. Once the water filled the bowl, it turned bright blue before it turned clear again. Eric held the bowl in front of Elyna. “Put your hand in it, up until the wrist. Never get it out no matter what do you feel,” he said.

            Elyna slowly put her hand into the bowls. As soon as her hands touched the water, she felt like her whole energy was out. She almost fell onto the floor but she held it in. She tried her best to make sure that her hands were still in the bowl. Then the water suddenly turned hot like boiling water, before it turned cold like freezing ice water. Elyna bit her lips to make sure that she still gained her composure.

            “Now you can take it out,” Eric said.

            Elyna took out her hand. Right after she did that, a sudden surge of pain attacked her whole body starting from the tip of her finger. Elyna fell onto the ground. She could not help it but to cried out loud. The pain was excruciating. The pain was unexplainable. It was like every blood vessel in her body burst and her bones were crashed into pieces. The only word that came from was her mother. she kept calling her name. 

            After a few moments, the pain stopped. Elyna breathed heavily. She could hardly stand up. Her face was bloodless and she was lying on the floor like a lifeless doll. She caught a glimpse of the marks that appeared at the back of her hands. Eric kneeled down and hugged her tight. “I warned you before, I warned you...” He said softly, almost like on the verge of crying.

            Elyna was snapped back into reality when the wind blew away her gloves. She quickly chased it when it fell right beside someone’s feet. The person picked it up. “Is this yours?” he asked.

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Chapter 2 finished!!!kikiki>.<

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