RAM FELT RELIEVED FOR A MOMENT.
But it disappeared as soon as it came. Was this the result of the twins planting the crazy device of theirs inside Ram?
"Em, calm down. Don't jump into conclusions. I think it's better if we test it again," Ram said, trying to control his panic.
Em must've felt that he was panicking, because she became more crazy.
One moment, they were inside the endless white room, another moment, outside and in the hall. They kept flickering from inside him mind to the hall again and again all the while, Em was screaming so much that Ram's ears hurt.
He had been by her side, much closer than he wished he would've been at this time.
Chandra and Sandhya appeared from their room, their postures alert, looking from side to side to see if there was any threat present around them.
When they couldn't identify one, they then glanced at Em, who was freaking out, shrieking and screaming like a small girl would after watching a horror movie.
"Em, what's wrong?" Sandhya asked, moving towards her and engulfing her in a hug.
Em babbled some nonsense, which made Sandhya's brows crease. She glared at Ram. "Did you do anything to her?" she asked.
"No, I didn't. Why are you always expecting the worst from me? Don't you think you should enquire about the situation before arriving at your conclusions?" Ram asked.
"I would've if you weren't a threat to all of us," she said.
Ram was so angry that he wanted to punish her. But he was powerless as of now. And in a way, he was a threat to their world. So many speculations were going on, with both the factions involved in it.
They didn't know whether he was a threat to them or not, possessing the abilities of the First Elder. He could be their answer, their salvation that they had been looking for, but until it's proved they decided to treat him as a danger.
Ram couldn't blame them. He tried to control his anger. "Look, what had happened till now were just speculations. As far as I am concerned, I am like a new-born baby, unable to hurt anyone. And I am sure that time will prove the same to everyone. Till then, at least, give me the benefit of the doubt. At least for the reason that your grandfather had chosen me to be his successor," Ram said.
Chandra growled. "Stop involving our Elder of Time into this mess. Who knows what had happened? And besides, you are a new-born baby? Who are you trying to fool? As soon as you got your powers, you use it to molest her," he said.
"Look, I had a crush on her and when I got a chance, I kissed her. If you were in my place, you would've done the same. Besides, if I had known that she was already engaged, I wouldn't even dare to look at her, much less kiss her. Please, don't bring your personal feelings into the current situation. Let's focus on helping Em, who for some reason was not able to access my memories," Ram said.
Sandhya frowned, seemingly in thought. She glanced and Chandra and they communicated through their eyes, the way that the couples would do, for god knows how many times it had happened right in front of him. Ram felt like he should get a girlfriend of his own.
Ram chided to himself. Now was not the time to be horny. He had Em to take care of. He had to know what's wrong with her, or with him.
"Please help me. Why she can't access my memories?" Ram asked.
Sandhya glared at him, while Chandra had a far-off look in his eyes, probably communicating with his assistant inside his mind.
Chandra blinked his eyes and then looked at Ram.
"Since when was she not able to access your memories?" he asked.
Ram thought for a moment. "She was able to access my memories…. I think she did it while we were still in that hall when the Elder of L--- that elder from the Faction of Realists appeared," he said. "And when we were talking just now, after the device being implanted inside my body, it was then that we realized that she was not able to access my memories. Do you think this has anything to do with that device?" he asked.
Chandra frowned and communicated with his assistant. All Ram could see was Chandra mumbling to himself while occasionally shaking or nodding his head. Finally, he sighed. "I don't know. It shouldn't be the case. All the previous times the devices has been implanted in others, we used their assistant to track and monitor the culprit's actions and thoughts. They were able to do so by accessing the culprit's memories. But today…" he trailed off.
Elder of Light appeared, looking like an old man who had seen much in his life, with a scar at the corner of his right eye. "You don't have to worry about that. It's just that the operation had been done just now and it's interfering with Em accessing his memories. Besides, there might also be another choice. That Ram had mastered the art of allowing which portions of his memories his assistant can access, just like the previous Elder of Time did," Elder of Light said.
Ram could feel her curiosity and it was more than that of the fake elder of light. He swallowed.
Chandra interjected. "I don't meant any disrespect you, elder. But what proof did you have for your claims," he said.
Elder of Light chuckled. "I have been alive far longer than you can even imagine. I had seen many crazier problems and also involved in providing solutions for them. With the expertise that I possess, as well as my status as an elder are the proof for my claims," she said.
Chandra coughed lightly and remained silent for some time. "What should we do now?" he asked.
"Don't worry, give them some time, let them relax and try again when they calm down," she said.
Chandra nodded his head.
But it was Sandhya who noticed it first. "You know about Ram and Em?" she asked.
The Elder of Light nodded her head. "It's not the right place to discuss. If you wished, we could do it at my place, when Ram would be monitored," she said.
Sandhya shared a look with Chandra and nodded her head.
Em and Ram did as The Elder of Light asked but Em was still not able to access his thoughts. Ram immediately commanded Em to meet inside his mind, the endless white room and there he hugged Em and consoled her as he asked her to try again.
Finally, after an hour, Em was able to access his memories.
"Tell me when I first saw Emily Roxane?" Ram asked her.
"It was when you just started your college. You were a horny teenager just then, hornier than the current Elites of the Faction of Hope. And at the time, when you had seen her, it was love at first sight for you. You had countless days of sleepless nights. You were so obsessed about her that you wrote fan-fiction about you and her in a relationship and adventure in many websites. Also…" Em went on and on and Ram was so embarrassed that he wanted to hide from this world forever.
When Ram realized that Em said all of this outside his mind, in front of Sandhya, Chandra and Elder of Light, Ram groaned. "You haven't heard any of that from Em," he said.
"We did. At least, we have some information that we could use it against you," Sandhya said, not with a playful tone, but with a threatening one.
Chandra just looked at Ram with disgust.
Elder of Light's eyes shone with god knows what, but she seemed to be scheming.
"It's already been too late. Can we go to the meeting that you promised?" Ram asked, trying to divert them from his embarrassment.
Elder of Light nodded and all of them arrived at the Parking Area.
There were many expensive and good looking cars over here, so much so that if only Ram could steal one and sell it in black market, Ram was sure that he could live the rest of his life comfortably without any worry.
Em snickered inside his mind. "Should we steal her car?" she asked, pointing towards Elder of Light.
Ram frantically shook his head and when others observed Ram, he groaned and blamed it all on Em.
Em whistled and started to admire car, completely ignoring the glare that he was sending in her direction.
Ram sighed and he observed Elder of Light's car. It was black sleek car, with powerful thrusters behind. It had the emblem of a fox in front of the car. All around the car, Ram could see few bars of lights that were seemed not to be glowing, like they were switched off at the moment.
"Why don't you lend me your power to start the car?" she asked Chandra.
Chandra mumbled something to himself, but he obliged.
Chandra placed his palm against the door where the fuel tanks opening would be there in normal cars. His arm glowed with white light that was surrounded by specks of sky blue color here and there. The whole car seemed like it came alive, the bars of light glowing with the same white light with specks of blue here and there.
Ram was fascinated by it and once they settled inside, which was even more fascinating and powerful than outside. It was more comfortable than Ram had ever imagined it to be and he sighed in content.
After he finished admiring the car, Ram asked Chandra for an explanation.
He ignored Ram.
He turned to Sandhya, a look from her was enough for Ram stop before asking the question.
When he looked towards the Elder of Light, her eyes were alight with mischief, and for a moment, she reminded Ram of Em. But in front of him, the Elder of Light was in the form of an Old man. He was thinking too much about her.
Ram shook his head and decided to ask Em about the how the car was powered.
"Let's discuss inside my mind," he said.
Em nodded.
"Your power would generated from your core, the area near your navel. Chandra used the power form his core and directed it through his hand and into the car, where a complicated circuit sucked it as much as it had been provided with and it distributed the power according to how it had been programmed. Once you master your powers enough, you would also be able to do it. Using this, we could travel long distances in a fraction of time," Em said.
Ram expected the drive to be quicker, but it was slow. Too slow for him.
Since it was taking for a long time, and Em had been scared the hell out of her A.I. chip recently, Ram decided to entertain her. By putting himself in discomfort and probably scarring the image of his favorite celebrity in his mind forever.
"Why don't you dress as Emily Roxane, and put up a Fashion Show as if you were in runaway," Ram said.
Em's eyes glowed with eagerness. "You don't mind," she asked.
Ram nodded.
And Ram was tortured with Em's portrayal of Emily Roxane, posing in ridiculous positions so much that Ram was in tears.