Time seemed to slow down. Rina didn't know how long she was in that state and she couldn't afford to care either. She was in so much pain all she could think of was absorbing the cause of her pain.
The flames slowly reduced but the heat got worse. The rate at which her body repaired itself also got slower. She had to slow down the absorption but she couldn't. Sometimes she would burn till only a part of her skeleton was left. When she was about about to burn away completely her body will repair at a faster speed. It was simply a vicious cycle.
She didn't know how long she was there. She didn't know how much time had passed.She couldn't see anymore. Her eyes had been burnt too badly.
She wished she could be numb to the pain but it was impossible. When it seemed there was no end in sight the last flame was finally absorbed.
Her chest or rather her thoracic skeleton heaved up and down. There were no organs not even a heart but she was alive. She felt the last trace of heat dissipate and then she fainted.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to open her eyes. Finally regaining her senses Rina sat and stared down at her hands. They were tender and milky white. She still had baby fat on her arms. She looked at the the crystals arranged in a circle and finally remembered.
Her body couldn't help but shiver when she remembered what she had been through. "oh you're awake."
Shin was floating munching on some sunflower seeds. She scrunched up her nose and simply thought that it was unfair. She was in a living hell and this was guy was relaxing and chewing seeds.
"It's over. What do I do next?" her hoarse voice sounded.
Shin threw his seeds aside and inspected ger body. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. He was surprised to be honest. He expected her fail or even worse disappear but she didn't. She actually survived.
"Work on the water next." Rina tilted her head. "Water element? Why that?"
"You need to cool down. Water can quench fire. Don't you feel uncomfortable?"
"Uncomfortable? Nope" she shook her head. He was taken back with surprise. She was actually fine after going through that torture. He smiled thoughtfully, "Looks like your affinity with fire is quite high."
Rina turned to look at the beautiful blue crystal, complicated thoughts running through her mind. 'If the fire was hell what will the water show me? Will be the sea? Or something worse?'
She really didn't want to continue. The whole process was excruciatingly painful and she was a bit aquaphobic. "I won't be able to leave until I absorb all these right?" Shin nodded.
"Oh yh. You have to be quick too. We don't know how long your body canlast without a soul and food and water."
Rina was dumbfounded. "My physical body? Shin what is going on. I'm getting confused!" she grabbed her soft curls in frustration.
"I can't tell for now. I don't know all the details myself. But I seem to have remembered something when you finished absorbing the fire crystal."
Rina felt like crying. What did she do to deserve this?! She sighed and walked toward the blue crystal placing her hand on it.
Her heart was seized by fear when she felt her strength leaving her body. She watched in panic as the blue crystal turned into wave and came crashing down on her in torrents.
Water rapidly entered her lungs and she couldn't breathe. She quickly held her breathe and swam not knowing the direction she was going in. Ahe finally caught her breath as her head surfaced above the water.
The sight that greeted her made her heart sink into the depths of her stomach. She was in the ocean, no land in sight surrounded by surging water and winds, waterspouts cornered her from all directions and there was a whirlpool not to far from her.
She knew it would be bad but this? This was straight out of a nightmare.