Chapter Five:

       Three raps on Sian’s bedroom door pulled Sian and Chanyeol away from their thoughts.

       “Lady Sian, your father requests your presence in his office,” a butler spoke through the door.

       Sian frowned.

       “What does that old fart want now?” she muttered under her breath.

       Chanyeol chuckled, earning a sharp glare from Sian. Chanyeol immediately went stoic. It would had been a humorous move, but the fear Chanyeol felt being the object of the glare was very real. Chanyeol feared his master. It was evident, but Sian took it as Chanyeol just being a loyal subject.

       “I apologize, Master Sian,” Chanyeol lowered his head.

       Sian rolled her eyes and gestured for Chanyeol to follow her.

       “Come,” she demanded.

       “Aren’t you going to command me back to my card? This seems like a private occasion,” Chanyeol followed Sian like a soldier going to war. Gone was the cheerful voice the warrior bore and out came the voice of a man that seemed to have fought through several brutal wars.

       “No,” Sian flatly stated, a signal to Chanyeol to get him to stop speaking.

       Chanyeol indeed shut his mouth as he followed Sian down the halls and stairs until they came to a stop before a set of large wooden double doors. Sian took in a deep breath and exhaled heavily. Sian’s father’s office was the very last place she wanted to be on the planet. Her respect for her father had quickly turned into hatred. The thought of being near him or in his space made her blood boil.

       Sian gave the butler standing beside the double doors a look identical to one of a corpse and nodded once.

       The butler nodded back and knocked thrice on the door closest to him.

       “Master Lee, Lady Sian has arrived with,” the butler paused, looking at Chanyeol then Sian—unsure of how to address the warrior.

       “Fire boy,” Sian smirked.

       The butler cleared his throat, seemingly uncomfortable, and nodded once again.

       “Ah-hem, Lady Sian has arrived with Fire Boy,” the butler waited for a few moments of silence to pass before he turned the golden door knob and pushed the door open with a small creak.

       Into the large office, Sian and Chanyeol walked. It was considerably bigger than Sian’s room. Maybe three times as big. Sian’s father stood in front of his desk with his hands held together. The curtains behind him were drawn, allowing the light of the full moon to join them on the conversation Sian’s father was dreading to have. His gaze fell on Chanyeol first. Fear took over his manner, but he forced himself to look at his daughter with the widest grin he could manage. The door behind Chanyeol and Sian shut with an echoed thump.

       “Dear daughter,” Sian’s father opened his welcoming arms wide as he walked towards Sian.

       Sian scowled at the man, causing him to quickly put his arms down with a nervous and embarrassed chuckle.

       “A-Are the bedsheets to your liking? I just had them replaced. You should have mentioned to me of the poor condition of your room. I’ll have you reinstated to the guestroom on the second floor—”

       So, that’s where they came from. How idiotic of him.

       “First, give me my old sheets back, or I’ll burn your damned silk sheets faster than you can even blink,” Sian cut her father off. “And, before you continue to try to win my favor after being a ty father, get to the point,” Sian deadpanned with crossed arms.

       Chanyeol took no participation in the conversation. He just continued to keep his blank gaze forwards.

       Sian’s father cleared his throat and nodded, occasionally throwing nervous gazes to the warrior.

       “Let’s take a seat before we continue then,” he was visibly trembling as he gestured to the set of couches surrounding the coffee table sitting in the middle of the office.

       Sian sat in her father’s seat before he could—a sign of disrespect. Sian didn’t miss the look of dislike towards her from her father. She couldn’t help but smile. Sian’s father sat on a seat meant for his guests with reluctance. Anyone could tell he was pondering on the thought of saying something to Sian, but he decided against it.

       “Why did you call me here for?” Sian crossed her legs.

       Sian’s father cleared his throat once more and sat up tall.

       “The Council wishes for your presence on the 25^th. There is an important matter that we must discuss.”

       “What important matter?”

       “I am not at liberty to discuss this without the presence of the other Council members.”

       Sian rolled her eyes.

       “You sure had no issues acting like the whole Council when you banned Inanes from the Vivliothíki for a month,” Sian was becoming more and more difficult to speak to.

       Sian’s father looked away from his daughter and sighed to himself.

       “I apologize for that, my daughter.”

       Sian called bull.

       “Don’t call me that,” Sian hissed at the man, the fire in her eyes seemingly more threatening than the presence of the actual fire warrior.

       “I’m sorry,” Sian’s father couldn’t meet her eyes.

       Sian scoffed.

       “If the Council wants to talk, they can come to me. If not, then well, there goes whatever discussion they wanted to have with me,” Sian stood up to take her leave.

       “Please, Sian!” her father stood with desperation laced in his voice.

       “Master Sian, listen to—"

       Chanyeol was cut off by the glare of hatred and anger given to him by Sian. It was as though she was holding his tongue, not allowing him to speak.

       “You answer to me. You do not interfere in my affairs,” a low growl accompanied the deeply spoken statement.

       Chanyeol immediately went back to looking forwards, seemingly minding his own business, but this didn’t satisfy Sian.

       “Icarus,” she hissed.

       A small blue fame diminishing into a puff of smoke was the only reminder that the warrior was ever in the room.

       Sian her heels to glare at her father.

       “If it is that important, you’ll tell me now because I don’t have time for you and your shenanigans,” Sian scowled.

       Sian’s father cleared his throat and gulped with a small nod.

       “Do you know of Cel Rău?” he asked.

       Sian frowned. Of course, she did. He was in the first chapter of every mythology class she had taken. He was common knowledge—an ancient evil deity that was cast away in a long forgotten cave. It was a story. A myth.

       “Why?” Sian asked, taking a seat again.

       Her father sighed lightly in relief that his daughter was deciding to listen.

       “Well, Cel Rău… he is not a myth like many believe, Sian. He is real.”

       Sian looked at her father for a long time, expecting him to burst out into laughter that he had successfully wasted her time. But, when the look of seriousness did not leave his eyes, a dark cloud of danger began to cast over her.

       Her father wasn’t lying.

       If Cel Rău was real and was truly cast away over a thousand years ago like it was stated in textbooks, that meant that he was still sealed away because he had not created havoc since.

       So, why was Sian’s father bringing it up now?

       “Why are you telling me this?” Sian did not let her fear show.

       Cel Rău was nightmare come true to all. Even the bravest of warriors were frightened of the deity, and now if they were to know of his existence, chaos would ensue.

       “As you know from the myth, the seal is only supposed to seal away Cel Rău for thirteen hundred years. No one truly knows when he was put away. No one but the generations of the Council. It’s been our duty to keep this a secret.”

       Sian’s jaw dropped.

       “What?” she whispered. “The Council is there to protect us and yet you keep such a secret from the world?” Sian was horrid.

       “You don’t understand. If anyone outside the Council knew of this, the world would be in constant chaos. There would be a worldwide epidemic of panic, Sian!”

       Sian scoffed.

       “Then why the hell are you telling me?” Sian asked with a raised brow, hoping her cold demeanor would hide her fear.

       “Because,” Sian’s father’s face went white. “Because the seal is due to be broken in three months.”

       It seemed as though the entire world had gone quiet. As though everyone was listening in on this conversation and was being told that they would be dead in three months.

       Sian held her breath, trying to process her father’s words. She had just finally obtained a card—finally became an Elite like she had secretly longed to become for years, and now she was being told that the world was going to in three months.

       “Why are you telling me this?” Sian asked again, but her cold front had backed down, showing a fear stricken Sian.

       “Because, Sian. You are the only one that can kill him.”

       The EXO cards.

       Sian in a sharp breath.

       “How?” her voice was small—so unlike how she held herself, but Sian didn’t let the fact that her father was sitting right before her, witnessing her frightened self, phase her.

       Sian’s father rubbed his hands together and exhaled heavily as though he carried the world on his chest.

       “You must collect all nine EXO cards and defeat Cel Rău before he escapes because once he does, there is no telling how the world will stand up against him. A crack has already formed on the seal. It is growing larger by day.”

       Sian clenched her fists and scoffed.

       “You’re using me as a weapon?” Sian began to grow angry instead of scared.

       “Sian, there is a prophecy. Only the master of the EXO deck can defeat him. And, since you are obviously the only master of the EXO deck in over a thousand years, you are the one that will fight against him.”

       Sian got ready to take her leave.

       “I know you hated me before, but this is a whole new level of messed up,” Sian could feel tears form.

       “Sian!” her father reached out for her, but she pushed him away harshly, just wanting to be away from him—from him and everyone. “You’re the only one that can save us all. I’m sorry! I know I haven’t been the best—”

       “Sorry?” Sian didn’t care anymore. The hot tears that roamed down her cheeks knew no shame. They made themselves known. “You’re sorry for being a ing joke?” Sian asked, her cries and laughter emerging into one. “You’re sorry for never showing me love? You’re sorry that you treated me like a piece of and yet you expect me to fulfill this ty prophecy? It’s not my job to save this damned and demented world. It’s your job!” Sian screamed. “Did you really think giving me silk bedsheets would make me say, ‘Yes, Father, I’ll be your ing pawn in this game of destruction!’”

       Her face was red with rage. The veins in her neck were showing from her screams. Her bloodshot eyes continue to release tears.

       “Sian, please,” Sian’s father was getting ready to fall to his knees and beg his daughter for forgiveness if that was what it took to get Sian to listen to him.

       Sian turned her back to her father.

       “If I wasn’t the master of the EXO deck, would you have ever even considered me as your daughter before this?” Sian whispered.

       The hesitant pause from her father was more than enough.                                        

       “Fine,” Sian’s answer to her father’s pleas was short and curt.

       Though Sian now hated him, he was still her father—the father that Sian had tried to impress her entire life. The father that she longed to gain acceptance from.

       The man that was getting ready to abandon her to her ill fate was still her father.

I'm so sorry for disappearing for so long! I went on a little mini weekend trip with my best friend so she could have a break from her tough life! And, I've been so busy with fixing up my and my parents house! The roof was screwed up, so we had to buy shingles and hire people to put them up there. The ceiling in my and my parents room caved in, so we had to fix that. There's a hole in the corner of my room, so we had to rip out the carpet and some of the floor boards. My toilet is old and isn't functioning properly, so we have to replace that. The shower in my bathroom has been unusable for the past five years, so we're finally fixing that. The kitchen and hallway has disgusting stains on it, so I have to repaint those. It's just very chaotic in my life right now lol. AND, I'm going on a trip to HAWAII in ten more days! I'm sooooo excited! This has been in the works since January! I'm very excited! I'll be there for a whole week! I've got my outfits planned out and everything lol. 

And pointers or tips I should take along the trip with me to Hawaii? Like things to do and not to do and things I should bring? Anything will help!