“Well then I think it’s safe to say you are done my sister?” Earth was the first one to break the silence again, impatience growing.

 

“Yes, of course.” Storm agreed and nodded towards Ice. “It’s your turn now my sister”

 

Ice stood up and glided – floated – towards the fire. Everything within a foot near her turned to ice and when she was halfway towards the pyre she raised her hand and the fire blazed impossibly blue and everything felt arctic just like her realm would feel.

 

“I call upon thee the spirit of Jessica Jung from Death’s realm” Her voice echoed, vibrated all throughout the forest, chill increased scaring away creatures near them. Earth sighed but didn’t argue. No one argues with Ice.

 

This was no surprise from her siblings, they didn’t question her summoning. She doesn’t tell the stories from her lips not because she’s indolent but the longer she talks the more the cold spreads withering everything. Unless it is her realm she seldom talks.

 

The blue fire sizzled and grew higher almost as tall as Ice and when she put her hand down the fire followed but leaving a shape of a woman. She was like an ice sculpture, an Ice princess literally facing the Ice Queen.

 

The spirit of Jessica Jung appeared and opened its eyes, bowed down towards the four immortals. Ice stood flaccidly, like an ice statue with dark midnight blue hair and Jessica Jung started her story.

 

“My life was simple, no complications but my father wanted more for me, for both of us. He worked hard and provided me everything I needed, He sent me to school, bought me things, but one thing he wasn’t able to fulfill that landed me on Death’s realm. I’m Jessica Jung and this is my story…”

 

#4: Cold Winter Night: Fine feathers do not make fine birds

 

It always been me and my dad, I have no of memory of my mother because she left us after she gave birth to me but my father didn’t say even one bad word about her; I didn’t realize why until now. He loved her even though it wasn’t mutual, he truly loved her.

 

He says I look like her but I haven’t seen even one article of photo of her from him.  Brown hair that cascades below the shoulder blades, deep brown eyes and luminescent fair skin, that’s what I see when I look in the mirror. What I got from my dad was the waves in my hair.

 

He always tells me that I was his greatest gift, a blessing from above. I know he loves me and I love him dearly he’s all I got. I wonder why my mother would leave such a sweet man as my dad, why didn’t she try and love him.

 

My mother was a great singer, I got the talent too but I didn’t sing except when my dad would wish it after work when he goes home from a long day for driving around. He’s a taxi driver. Money, that was the reason my mother left us, even though my dad didn’t say it, I know that my mother wanted someone else who could shower her with things and lavish her with money. Love isn’t enough in the long run.

 

I was contented and happy with my life but when it was time for me to go to college father finds another work to support my studies. He wanted to send me to a prestigious university, Ivy League so I would not end up like him he would say. The only problem aside from the financial was that it was too far from home and I’d have to dorm in and just go home on the weekends. I told him it was okay to study at a community college but he wouldn’t listen to me.

 

“Daddy” I would whine.

 

He would always cut me off. “No, this is the end of discussion. I want you to have a better future Sica. Education is the only thing I could give you” He would say and I couldn’t argue with him. He was in tears when he found out I got accepted in an Ivy League, I can’t take it away from him.

 

In the morning he would drive for the Kim family, a rich and powerful family.  Mrs. Kim is a full time house wife and Mr. Kim will drive to work on his own. The eldest son Kim Joon Myung or Suho was the same age as me, he was my friend back at high school and he was the one who recommended my father into driving his brother the young one Kim Jong In or Kai to school.

 

At night he drives one of the taxis in the EXO transportation services owned by the Byun Family. Mr. and Mrs. Byun have only one son, Baekhyun. I’ve seen him only once but it wasn’t the meeting you would likely forget when you are in my place.

 

My father is to pick me up every Friday night at the bus stop near the church; it was the only place near at his workplace and not out of the way to our house. I would leave Sunday night or sometimes early in Monday morning.

 

Dad saw that my school shoes are tattered and I don’t have a proper jacket for the coming winter. He plans to give me those things on Christmas day.

 

He worked extra hard. He would put his extra tips and some of the spare money from the budget on bills and foods to save up for the pair of school shoes and parka for me. He eventually bought it and had it wrapped nicely under our mini Christmas tree at home. But I wasn’t able to use it.

 

Since my father was doing extra work, and driving he often was late at fetching me.  I would sit down on the benches outside the church or I sometimes wait inside and pray. From time to time a priest or a nun would talk to me but most of the time I would just sit and wait alone. Other times my dad would join me inside pretty much the nuns and the priest knows me and my father.

 

Friday night came; it was the opening of our holidays so I would spend the whole two week with my father before I go back to school. He promised himself that he would end work early so he could fetch me early and we would eat out together.

 

That night his last passenger was Byun BaekHyun, He couldn’t say no to this passenger because he was the owner’s son. He was riding with his friends; he fetched them near the church. He saw that I wasn’t there yet. He breathes a sigh of relief.

 

He drove and they we’re chatting animatedly and laughing at some girl that they saw and sought after. Only at the end that my father would know who she is.

 

“I’m glad I joined you guys! Let’s continue the party at our club! We have more girls there!” Park Chanyeol said and his friends yowled in excitement!

 

“Those girls are always willing to spread their legs for us. I want challenge like the girl we left” Oh Se Hoon whinned and his friends laughed. They always get the girls because of their money. They have expensive clothes, they have fine shoes and if they weren’t planning to get drunk they would have brought their cars.

 

“Are you guys sure we should just leave her? You know we could take her, what if someone finds her?” Do Kyung Soo or D.O asked his friends and then they glanced at my father who was trying not to listen to them.

 

“At the state we left her I doubt she could talk and I’ve got this driver” BaekHyun said with a devilish grin that is in contrast of his angelic face.

 

“Hey you!” BaekHyun called my father

 

“Yes Sir?”

 

“What’s your name?” He asked my father and he told him and even gave him his work ID. “Do you want to keep your job in our company?”

 

“Of course Sir”

 

“Good, just keep quiet and I’ll also pay you a good price. Are we clear?”

 

My father nodded and BaekHyun threw him heaps of money.

 

He needs that job so he promised himself he will not get himself involve in whatever BaekHyun and his friends are doing. For me, his daughter, he will overlook whatever those guys did.

 

“Nice, I like you already. I’m going to mention you to the manager to give you a raise”

 

“Thank you sir”

 

“We’re good now D.O don’t worry” BaekHyun assured him.

 

“Yeah that’s what I’m talking about!” Oh Se Hoon said.

 

It wasn’t hard for my father to get what BaekHyun and his friends did. They stole a girl’s virtue without her consent. . When father dropped them off in the club he couldn’t stomach what he had just found out. He heaved on the gutter and tried not to cry and think about the poor girl.

 

When 6pm came, he parked the taxi at the EXO transportation services garage along with the other taxis. When he was about to have his time card timed out at the Bundy clock his manager called for him.

 

“Mr. Jung it’s your daughter. She’s in the hospital” blood drained out of my father’s face. He suddenly feels light-headed.

 

“What? What happened to her?” He asked.

 

“I think you have to see for yourself.” He said and my father borrowed the taxi and drove to the hospital. The police immediately briefed him on what happened.

 

“Your daughter is found almost bleeding behind the church. The nun there recognized her and she said his father works in the EXO transportation services that why we called your office” the officer explained, a doctor walked out of a room.

 

“What happened to her?” My father asked them it was the Doctor who answered. “Head injury, she’d been hit by a rock on the head. Results confirmed she’s been multiple times maybe even by two or more people.”

 

It clicked in his head, the girl that Baekhyun and his friends we’re talking about was me, my father realized. He cried beside my bed, he brought the gift to me, he threw the money given by BaekHyun.

 

“I promise you I’ll let them pay Sica” He murmured. “I love you” he said while holding my hand.

 

My father didn’t know that that night I decided to surprise him and got home early but when I got off the bus I found BaekHyun and his friends on the shed. I immediately steer clear of them, to try not to be noticed but they saw me already. They might have decent clothes but it doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous.

 

They keep on calling me but I ignored them, I walked faster so I could reach the church. “Hey we just want to talk!” one said but I didn’t stop but they we’re much faster than me.

 

One grabbed my arm to stop me. “Don’t touch me” I said, I was looking around  to see if  there was someone I could scream help to, but the place is deserted and I was far enough from the street for the passing cars to notice me. It was the holidays and most of the stores are closed already.

 

“Miss what’s your name? Come on don’t be shy” They have already surrounded me. I was building up my voice to scream but they must have anticipated it because one of them clamps my mouth immediately.

 

I fought them, but they we’re stronger than me and I was alone, no one to help me.

 

“We won’t do anything to you that you won’t like” Baekhyun said, I recognized him on the pictures in Dad’s work place.

 

“Why are you so hard to get? Don’t you know girl’s fall at our feet? Don’t you know who we are?” He said and his friends laughed.

 

“Come on boys let’s teach this a lesson” they dragged me behind the church and did terrible things to me. They left me bleeding and the snow started to fall from the sky. I was in pain and I was cold. I pray for all of it to end.

 

My dad stayed true to his promise, he didn’t talk to the police. Even if I died that very night he kept quiet. He waited outside the club for BaekHyun and is friends, they were happy to see him he drove for them but not to their houses, he drove the taxi on the bay icy waters engulfed them.

 

---

 

“Well that was something” Earth said when Jessica stopped speaking. “Do you have anything to add Ice?” She just shook her head.

 

“Well I guess we are done here then?” Storm asked.

 

“Yes” Earth at the same time Blaze did.

 

They all turned to Ice to officially end the gathering.

 

“The meeting’s adjourned” Ice announced, as the head of the meeting her words are official. The arctic lady clapped her hands together and an old man appeared immediately with blue orbs on either side of him giving off light.

 

“Milady the carriage is waiting” The man said and bowed down. Ice nodded.

 

“Daddy…” The spirit of Jessica hasn’t been dismissed yet, Ice almost forgot about her.

 

The chauffer was confused as if not knowing the spirit, then shock followed as a flicker of recognition crossed his eyes. “Sica” He gasped and reached out towards the blue fire. Ice froze the man’s foot on the ground halting him to amble close to the immortal fire; it will kill him once in contact with his mortal body.

 

The man suddenly remembered his place with the immortals and let his hand fall to his side, but his eyes never left her daughter.

 

Ice gave the man a meaningful look and shook her head to him. The man mumbled a sorry, understanding flooded him “I don’t want to remember Milady” He said and Ice faced Jessica “Your time is up, go back to Death’s realm now!”

 

“Good bye” she said and faded. The fire was now back to its normal red. Ice walks away, the man who was Jessica’s father trailing her.

 

When Ice was gone, Blaze jumps on the now red fire and he was engulfed by it. After a few moments the fire took the shape of wings covering Blaze. Red feathers sprouted from his back that looks like fire, his skin purplish, his hair red and high with a crown of gold embellished by a lone red diamond in the center that is similar with the one on his chest. Spikes erupted along his spine and red cloth covering him from waist down.

 

Blaze has transformed in his true form and flew up the sky with a wave to his siblings and he was gone. He’s going back to the Sun or any star that he was staying at.

 

Storm left the way she came, she made a circular motion with her hand towards the ground and a small whirlwind appeared and she continued to twirl her hands and soon the small whirlwind became as tall and wide as Storm.

 

She stepped inside the cyclone and soon it disappeared in the night, deep in the woods. She’s headed back to the Pacific Ocean where her realm is. An island surrounded by typhoons as a ward to keep out unwanted visitors.

 

Earth sighed and called his assistant. “Hulder!”

 

A long gray-haired guy with leaves and twigs in them appeared a lantern in hand. The lantern contains luminescent worms. His ears are almost elven like Earth’s. He is wearing a green cloak and underneath it was a green robe with vines as his belt.

 

“Sire”

 

“Clean up this place. I need to retire, tomorrow the flowers needs to bloom and trees and plants should bear fruits. We have to prepare for the coming of winter” Earth told him.

 

“Yes. Sire” Hulder bowed but before Earth could walk out of the clearing Hulder called him. “Sire I have a question” the servant says.

 

“What is it?” Earth turned but he wasn’t annoyed, Hulder was one of his favorite servants.

 

“Why is it that all the stories you and your immortal siblings share are so…” Hulder tried to find the right words but Earth cut him off.

 

“Sorrowful, Dark, Tragic, Doesn’t end well?” He said Hulder nodded which made Earth smile wider. He was still young and new to this life, he hasn’t learned everything yet.

 

“We come alive and grow powerful because of it. We feed on suffering, hate, anger and pain, strong negative emotions. You yourself are made from them; I just gave you a tiny part of my essence that’s why you exist. Your life is connected to mine when I die you die but when you die I’m not affected, my essence would just go back to me” Earth said without a blink as if death was always a normal topic for him.

 

Which was true.

 

“Am I Kevin?” Hulder suddenly asked.

 

Earth grinned wider “Do you want to remember?” he asked.

 

“No. I don’t think I would like to remember” Hulder knew that if he remembers his past Earth will set him free and he will be sent back to Death’s realm just like Jessica, but he wouldn’t be on the paradise island but on the 13 tortures of hell maybe even on the pits of tartarus, if he was really Kevin.

 

“Then let’s leave things as it is”

 

“Yes. Sire” holder noded.

 

Earth walk through the labyrinth forest to his Ancient tree, He leaned on the tree and slowly he’s being inside it and after a few seconds he was inside the tree trunk sleeping but his soul is searching for another story to tell for the coming winter as what his siblings are also doing.