But I was only home to get my backpack. I had decided on a plan.

***

I wouldn’t have to be long gone, so I told my parents that I just went out with some friends and wouldn’t be home for dinner.

But in reality, I went up to my room to grab my rucksack with the map, and drove away by myself. I could feel my eyes heating up when I jumped on the motor cycle, by the thought that Aaron should’ve been with me, but I held the tears back. This was my own decision, and right now finding the Rings to stop the attacks was more important than anything else. At least I tried to make myself believe that.

I only drove a few streets away before stopping. I was still not all secure about the motor bike, but I thought of this as a chance to get safer around it.

So, I stopped and took out the map. Made the Silver Ring show the directions for the two remaining Rings. The blue light beam was stronger than the white, but I took out a compass to determine the direction of the white light – the Sun Ring.

I drew a line from where I stood (marked on the map) in the direction the light beam showed, all out to the sea.

I then started the bike again, after packing the map and the compass back into the backpack. I started to drive further south.

The second place I had marked on the map. I stopped the motor cycle and jumped off. After this, I could determine the place…

It was a good piece of distance from the city, and around me were fields and a few farms. I took out the map and made the Silver Ring show the direction towards the Sun Ring once again.

I drew a similar line from where I was on the map out to the sea. It crossed the other line in the eastern part of Taiwan. Not in the mountains this time – actually, in the middle of a big forest.

I sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy.

After doing my homework with Alien on Friday, I went straight to the head quarter. Alone.

I missed Genie every minute of every hour of every day. It was like I had been torn apart, and one of my most important parts had been sent to a place too far away. Another had been ignoring me for a week.

This I got greatly reminded of when I was walking towards Jack’s office in the head quarter. There were no tunnels leading directly to his office, so I had to walk down the last corridors.

When turning around a corner, I nearly bumped into Aaron, Jiro, Calvin and Chun.

There was a long, awkward silence while Aaron and I just stared at each other. Me, shocked with my mouth stupidly open. Him, with no readable expressions on his face other than indecisiveness.

“Hi Miss Y8,” Jiro said in a thin voice. He skewered to Aaron.

“Hi Mr. Z11,” I nervously greeted back.

“No curtseying this time?”

“No curtseying.” I stared at the floor after answering Jiro’s question. Titling and scraping my foot silently in anxiousness.

“Not so proud either?” Calvin took part.

“Not proud.”

“Not ignoring us?” This from Chun.

“Not ignoring.”

“Getting married to your best friend?” Aaron said without emotion.

I sank a lump.

“Getting married.” I looked up at him when I said it. The next second, he stormed off.

Calvin and Chun sighed and walked after. Jiro stood awkwardly a few more seconds before following.

It was as if time stopped for me at that moment, and I didn’t know for how long I was standing in the corridor. When I finally regained control of my body, I started walking slowly.

I had lost nearly all of my courage to do what I was about to do right now, but I had to pull myself together.

My paces gained speed when I got nearer Jack’s office, and I stopped right outside the door and knocked on it a few times.

“Come in!” a voice said.

I opened the door, and Jack was sitting behind his desk. He made a gesture for me to sit down in a chair opposite him.

“It must be something important since you come to my office,” Jack said in a relaxed tone. He then leaned forward over the table to show his interest in what I had to say.

I took a deep breath.

“I have two things to say,” I began. “First… I have found the Gold Ring.” I laid my hand on the table.

Jack looked astonished at it.

“But… we haven’t seen any traces of it for many, many years!” He couldn’t believe it. He took out a magnifying glass to examine it.

“It… had a price,” I hesitated. “And that price means that I won’t work together with Mr. Z9 anymore.” I looked down. He looked up.

“It really is the Gold Ring. Well done. But… wait, what did you say? Did I hear right?”

“Yes, Master Na. You heard right. And I wouldn’t joke about this stuff,” I sighed.

“Are you sure of this?” He narrowed his eyes and looked suspiciously at me.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m sure or not. I’ve already made the decision. Collecting the Rings is important, right?” I made my voice firm. Jack smiled.

“I’ve waited so long to hear you speak like that,” he said. Then leaned back. “And that means it’s the right time to tell you why.”

I tensed up.

“You see, the one who finds and collects all of the Blazing Rings, gets the power to command over all the elements, minds of people and therefore, power to command over all Skilled people. Apart from getting incredible Skills herself, of course.” Jack looked seriously at me. I suddenly felt dizzy.

“Power to… command over… ALL Skilled people?” My voice was shattering a bit.

“Yes. Do you now understand why I couldn’t tell you this when you first found the Silver Ring? It would be overwhelming.”

“It is overwhelming. I finally thought I had a handle on it, and now…”

“Oh yes, a bit surprising it may be.”

“But I’m not… designed to rule over other people,” I protested, and sank down in the chair.

“Don’t get back to that mind of yours. And now that you’ve found the Gold Ring, you better train a lot,” Jack pointed his finger at me.

“Not before I find the Sun Ring.” I suddenly smiled without knowing why. Maybe because I was proud of myself. Or just not used to the feeling of actually having done something really great by myself.

“That can take years. You should focus on training right now.”

I shook my head, still smiling. He looked a bit irritated at me, but waited for me to speak.

“I already know where the Sun Ring is.”

His reaction was as expected. He gaped in shock and looked disbelieving at me.

“Seriously?” he whispered.

I nodded.

He got on his feet and walked around the table. Reached his hand towards me.

“Miss Wu, I’m proud to have you in our organization. You have exceeded all expectations,” he said in a formal tone. I looked surprised at him.

He shook my hand, and then followed me out. He kept walking next to me until we reached the cafeteria, where we met Ella, Hebe, Selina, Rainie and Jolin. I said goodbye to Jack, but he said that he would join us.

We moved another table next to the one the girls sat at, and Jack immediately told them what I had told him. Hebe, Ella and Selina nearly couldn’t breathe in cheerfulness because of the good news, while Jolin hugged me and Rainie kept to her usual, professional smile, but at least spent a smile on me.

Jack left us after drinking a cup of coffee, but I ordered a cake and stayed with the girls, even though Rainie had to leave us after half an hour. Apparently, she had to “render someone from another organization harmless”.

Which meant making him unable to move a single muscle for a month, according to Jolin, who said she knew Rainie’s usual style.

“But she would never kill anyone. That’s definitely not her style,” she further assured me.

Hebe, Selina and Ella left around six o’clock, and Jolin and I decided to find a place to eat dinner.

“So Genie left the country? That’s sad,” Jolin said. We were sitting at a small restaurant eating some kind of noodle dish. It tasted good.

I had just told Jolin about the Genie-situation.

“It’s more than sad. It’s life-devastating to me,” I commented. Jolin nodded.

“But what about your other friends? And how exactly did you get the Gold Ring?” she asked.

“Those two questions are actually connected. I don’t really have any other female friends – from my society – that I want to waste my time on. The three I have are pretty… ty.” It was the first time I had used such a word about Angela, Amber and Albee. But now I couldn’t think of anything more fitting.

“And fake. Act like angels toward their parents and go out and get wasted every weekend. No, I don’t want to waste time on them,” I continued, and thought about if I should tell Jolin about the real reason why I got the Gold Ring.

“So you only have guy friends?” she asked.

“Outside the Blazing Soldiers, yes. Actually. One of my best childhood friends just came back from Russia, I don’t remember if I told about him…”

“If it’s Danson, then you have.”

“Okay. It doesn’t matter anyway. I don’t have much time to be with him when I also have to train,” I said.

“Gui Gui?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve seen you train. I’ve had practise fights against you. Do you have any idea about how strong your Skills are?” Jolin looked at me with a serious look in her eyes. I hesitated.

“W-well… Jack said I was pretty good – I mean, I’ve got three of the Rings. But as I didn’t have Skills from birth, I…”

“Oh yes! You didn’t answer how you got the Gold Ring,” Jolin reminded me, changing the subject.

“It had a price,” I repeated what I had said to Jack.

“What price?” she asked me.

“A price that… means I can’t work with Aaron anymore,” I admitted.

“Why?”

“The Gold Ring has been with my friend Alien’s family for generations. And their tradition says that it can only be given to the fiancée of the oldest son.” I got a bit embarrassed, and looked down. Jolin looked shocked.

“So… you’re engaged to your friend Alien?”

I nodded.

“Seriously? You’re getting married?”

I nodded again.

“But how does that have anything to do with Aaron? Wait! Don’t tell me that…” Jolin stared at me with big eyes. I looked up and bit my lower lip.

“…you and Aaron…”

I hided my face in my arms.

“Oh. I’m so sorry.” She patted my back in a supporting way. “But why did you do it? It’s too big of a sacrifice.”

“No, it isn’t.” I looked up. The tears in my eyes were gone. “It’s just worth it. To stop the attacks. Look at the families of the victims. Look at Hebe and Sam… their engagement was broken. If a new one has to be made, I think it’s… quits.”

Jolin looked disbelieving at me.

“You’re brave,” she finally said, “but is it fair towards Aaron? Does he understand it?”

“I haven’t told him the reason why I got engaged. He only knows I’m getting married, not that it was because of the Ring. I don’t know what he’d think if he knew. Actually, I can never figure out or predict what he’s thinking. It’s different with Alien. I think… I think he’ll be a good husband.” I didn’t look Jolin in the eyes. “And this way, Aaron can go on in his life thinking that I was just a cheating who played with his feelings. It’s good that way, I think the other way would cause more harm.”

“Except that nobody would think of you as a cheating ,” Jolin smiled slightly. I looked at her with a tired gaze.

“I speculated a lot about this, okay? It may not be fair, but it’s the only way.”

“But…”

“What?”

“But are you going to find the last two Rings on your own then?” she asked.

“Yes. I know where the Sun Ring is.”

Jolin looked a bit baffled at me, but quickly returned to normal.

“If you want me to go with you, then…”

I smiled.

“No thanks. I think I’ll have to do this on my own.”

“So you’re completely done with that Aaron-guy?” Alien asked me while helping me packing my backpack.

“Of course. Why would I get engaged to you if I still had something going on with him?” I smiled in a teasing way.

“Let me drive you to the head quarter.”

Jolin and Hebe came out and helped me find a good motor cycle and pack it when Alien had driven home. I didn’t have much luggage, actually only my rucksack, and I could have that on while driving.

“And you’re completely safe around the bike?” Jolin asked.

“Completely.”

“Then good luck. Oh, and before you leave…” Hebe pulled me a bit away while Jolin fixed the last things on the motor bike.

“Are you trying to punish yourself, Gui Gui?” she silently asked me. I laughed.

“Punishing? Why should I punish myself?”

“It is damn dangerous to go on a mission alone. Even I haven’t tried it. It’s usually only top Z Coders like Rainie who do it. I can’t believe Master Na let you…”

“But what does that have to do with punishing myself?”

“Jolin told me about what you told her.”

“That sentence gives me some kind of déjà vu that probably leads back to secondary school…”

“I’m not joking. I know exactly how you’re feeling right now, having lost the most beloved person in your life. You think it’s your fault, right? You can’t let yourself have it easy.”

“Edit; it IS my fault. My choice. Listen, if I don’t find all the Rings, more relationships and families will be broken in the cruellest way possible, okay? You should know that too,” I quickly explained.

Hebe sighed, and seemed to want to protest again, but then nodded in defeat.

“But don’t come home crying if you die,” she added.

“I’ve learned not to.”

“Hey! You two! Gui Gui, you better get going if you want to be home soon. Where did you say the place was?” Jolin broke in. We walked back to her.

“Around northern Hualien. I have the exact position drawn on the map,” I said while mounting the motor cycle and making ready to take off.

“Adjust the bike right, and you’ll be there in the afternoon,” Hebe instructed. I nodded.

“See you soon.” I smiled before taking off.

As Hebe had said, I was around the destination marked on the map around 3 o’clock. The organization’s motor bikes were a bit special.

It was in the middle of a forest, and I made sure I was on the right way by making the Silver Ring light for me. The beam of light became stronger and stronger.

Suddenly, a glade opened up in front of me. I started to wonder why the Rings always had to be hidden in forests. At least it wasn’t really in the mountains this time.

In the middle of the glade was a lake. A big one. I stopped the bike.

Across the lake, I could see a temple.

This place had a strange… aura. The temple wasn’t big; but unnaturally quiet. Everything here was simply too quiet.

***

Sorry for leaving a cliff hanger… again. x|

I speculate about how I could write almost 5 pages in Word with so little happening…lol

But at least I hope you enjoyed it [:

I’m sorry I can’t update as often as I used to. Blame it on school x(

Comments are very much loved, write-supporting and life-saving :3 So are readers.

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- Blitz

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