The light of the rising sun wakes me up, only to recognize myself slept on the desk while working on my journal last night. A page of it was slightly crumpled and my compositions were dispersed and unreadable. The entire page was completely destroyed by my tears as I let myself break down on my entire ride. The scene outside the window, however, excites my heart. There are mountains peeking behind those raw and thick clouds of the morning of which, all were reflected by the beautiful and clear emerald coloured waters of Lake Lauter. The train passed the capital and nine cities of my own quarter by this time and now heading towards the last station— the Lauter City.
A boat ride is needed for me to proceed along the Lake towards my village—Kem, nestled at the foot of Lyons Mountain that boasts a breathtaking view of its waterfall. Every season, it offers picturesque scenery especially when you are on top of a hill. This is one of the reasons why Dia never intends to give in her life to become a protector. She will miss our town.
"Era!!"
A voice of a young boy draws my attention to the nearing dock. It's Dino, the little brother of Dia.
"Era!" Dino screams, jostling through the crowd, and runs to embrace me.
"How did you know?" I ask.
"Someone informed us you are coming home." He replies.
Obviously, it wasn't Dia but who?
"Welcome home, Era." Mister Pura comes over and hugs me. Until onto this day, the accustomed greeting of the west quarter makes me uncomfortable. Dia knows that. But I would say that they are the comfiest and homely to feeling.
"Where is Ina?" I ask him. She must know that I am coming.
"She is preparing. In your home." He answers back.
By this time, she would have gone to make sell of our own harvested crops but hearing her staying home for me soothes my mind. It reminds me of I have somebody.
I see her standing and leaning at the door. Her red silhouettes on her hair are still shining against the sun, so as her gleaming brown eyes and her radiating soft and pale skin. She is wearing her favourite dull, bleak, and faded golden-brown robe but still is blooming. Ina must have been more stunning before, so I always wonder why my father left her or us for that matter.
"Hi, sleepyhead." She holds both of my hands then hugs me, so tight that I skip breathing.
"I miss you too, Ina." I softly whisper back to answer her silent affection.
She releases her hold of me just to lock up my eyes onto hers. She grasps my cheeks. By then, I realize vague worry beneath her.
"I'm alright." I smile at her and caresses her hands on my face. "But I am hungry."
She lets out small laughs and gives thanks to my companion before we headed inside. Ina leads me straight to the dining, on which meals were prepped on the table. She prepared my favourite meals and even busy roaming around to hand me utensils. If she's excited or not that I am here, I don't know. I just watch her move for me—a once in a lifetime memory.
"What?" She asks as she noticed my gaze.
"Nothing, just- just wondering." I sigh.
"Wondering what?" She inquires, simultaneously.
"Hmm, the reason why," I utter and scoop my apparent first bite. "Why did you leave your quarter?"
Ina grew up in the South, with the Pyros, until when she went to the academy. She's a non-initiate like me and though I know that students have the right to choose their respective paths after the initiation, I am still curious about her reason for leaving her home and chose the West among the other quarters.
"I told you, I have to." She replies.
"Still...that does not count as an answer," I mumble, then her light aura turns into a serious one. She sits across mine and takes a deep breath.
"Non-potentials must not come back." She starts. "Before initiation starts, succeeding children were trained and evaluated. Our officers knew already those potentials, so as those who are not. They already knew who is the next protector of life from fire."
"What does it mean to a non-potential?"
She scoops more soup from one pot onto my bowl. "Rather than living having impliedly mocked by the society, if you have an opportunity to escape, then escape. For everybody's sake."
"Now eat. You said you were hungry."
I didn't ask any more for the next query will not be answered by her and every time I ask for it, I feel like I am offending her. I am now left with more questions, however. I want to know why potentials like Philip and Ash chose to live like us in the academy. Are they just oddly curious or do they want to escape?
The night gave way and while Ina is doing chores, I decided to go to my room. Compared to the one in the academy, my room is much cozier and more soothing to sleep with. No place can be more restful as with my favourite spot in my room– the window seat. Here, as the moon radiates everything one's eyes can see, with those small to big glitters that wink at the sphere and the distant woodlands that were drowned into deep tenebrosity which cast shadows to the Lake of Lauter, the night offers an indubitable beauty.
"I always wonder why it was so hard to call you out for dinner." Ina steps in and I curl up to give her some space on the nook to sit in. "Until when you left for the academy."
She stares at the beautiful scenery outside.
"I always eat here, you know." She speaks. "I really miss you."
"Stop it," I say to lessen the unbearable awkwardness that she is giving me.
"Era." She looks at me. It's been a while since she called me by my name. "I am sorry if I purposely make you hesitant to ask of the things that you have been secretly wanted to know. If I am making it obvious, you know, that I won't tell answers."
"Forgive me, Era."
Her tears are welling up but she managed to keep it.
"You have to understand that I want the best of all this world could give for you." She looks at the view. "I need to protect you."
"Ina," I mutter. I couldn't see this coming. The fact that we had the same thought towards each other, it is surprisingly touching.
"I didn't know what exactly happened in there. I was worried when the word came that you are coming home sooner than the others, but now that you are here, I'm relieved." She softly says.
"Do you want to know what happened?"
"No. Reliving bad memories won't help you from healing."
Ina is a good speaker, no doubt why she is a known merchant in our village.
"But If you want to tell me, I will listen."
"Then, some other time?" I state.
I don't know when will that be. If resetting is the lone word to do. I will not forget Tris, but it is just so sad to talk about it.
"Then, have a good night." Ina stands and kisses my forehead.
"Don't forget to heat up your place." She walks out of my room pointing at my fireplace.