A few seconds later, Terla was again at the tea party. She got to her senses again but the scene before her kept her stunned. Everything, just everything, party guests and decorations, was all back to normal as if nothing had ever happened. She saw Mara taste her tea as a noble lady would and other noble ladies gossiped together as they fanned like butterflies. The view was too good to be true that she couldn't make up an excuse for herself. She walked past the crowd but no one cared to ask her where she had been or what had happened to the white tiger they were running from.
"What happened here?" Terla murmured.
Then she saw her sister having a nice chat with a group of ladies."Hahaha…"
"VV," Terla called out to her sister.
Violet looked at her with an incurious expression as she answered, "What's the problem?"
"What I…you saw me carried off by a divine beast!"
Violet didn't give a voice but Terla could tell the answer from her eyes, ("Seriously.")
"How…" Terla continued but
"Who is she?", she was cut off by a lady.
"My sister," "cousin," Violet answered bored.
"Oh, nice to meet you, Miss…."
"It's Terla, Terla Tanysha Ophelia." Terla greeted her back with a smile.
"VV, come along." Terla grabbed Violet's hand and pulled her to an unoccupied table.
"VV are you sure nothing happened here? You see, a divine beast, a white tiger, just came by and ruined the party and…and I was kidnapped by it."
Violet looked back at the ongoing tea party and then at Terla from head to toe as she said,
"Terla, did you fall asleep somewhere or are you making up stories to…" Violet took a serious look at Terla and then continued, "Whatever. Terla, I have no time to tend to you so if you are feeling unwell, just go back and rest. Safe trip back home." Terla was left with open lips as Violet waved her fan and returned to the crowd.
"There's no way. Mara…"
' Don't waste your time asking around, they've been brainwashed.' Ilana voiced.
"Even if they've been brainwashed, there is no way they can fix the ruined decorations in no…,"
And then Terla remembered, "Right if it was the infamous Hodgkin…but is that even possible for a person to brainwash this whole mass of people." Terla looked around, amazed at her own thought.
'It is if it was her.'
# # #
At the temple,
"High Priestess, high priestess!"
*Huff* *huff*
"How dare you interrupt! Didn't I tell you not to come in for any reason?"
"I'm sorry, Priest. I…I had to come…because…cause… the celestial stone lit ."
Hearing the words, an old man with a white beard opened his eyes from meditation.
"What?", the priest was also astonished as he looked at the old man.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Master, what could this be about? Light Goddess has not made an order since that year. Master…Master."
"Shut up!" The old High Priestess didn't have time to answer as he had to run to the stone with his frail body.
When they arrived at the stone, they were completely staggered by the golden letters written in the air.
{KILL HER!!!}
"High Priestessssss!!!!!", another bawl came again.
"What's now!"
"A report came from the tea party and…and they say, people there all have been brainwashed."
"What…?"
# # #
*sigh*
Terla threw herself into the bed still in disbelief at all that happened at the tea party.
'Her? Who would that be?'
'However strong they say Dorothy is, I'm sure this is still very far away from her capabilities.'
'Would that be …High Priestess? Mmm…hmm no way, with his old feet, he wouldn't be able to make it here even if he wanted to. Then, who else…'
'Terla, I have something for you.' Ilana appeared in front of her.
'"Yes?"
Ilana's hands glowed in green light and a glass dome appeared in her hands.
Terla was a little surprised because it was the glass dome with a dead leaf in it.
"That.."
Ilana looked at the withered leaf in sorrow as she said, 'He is my father, the former leader of earth spirits.'
"I am sorry."
'No, it's ok.' Ilana smiled at Terla with dreary eyes.
"Mmm… what is it that you were going to give."
'Please take this dome.' Ilana said as she offered the glass dome to Terla.
"Ahh?" Terla was confused as she carefully took the glass dome.
When it reached inside Terla's hands, it slowly opened and the leaf came out giving a faint green light.
Terla slowly touched the leaf and the leaf glowed brighter as it sucked Terla's consciousness in.
.
.
.
.
Terla gained her senses and an old man's figure entered her eyes. He resembled an acorn with his short and stout body dragging a lengthy deep brown beard as he wore the same acorn cap Adair had.
He gave a mighty feeling but his smile made the atmosphere calm and peaceful.
"Little girl, what do you desire in life?"
"Me? I want a lot of things in life. I am quite a big dreamer."
"Oh? Then do you believe you will make those dreams come true?"
"I…I wanna believe but I am losing hope. I want to fall in love with that man I always dreamt of, but events keep reminding me that that kind of perfect man doesn't exist in this world and even if he did exist, he wouldn't fall in love with me. I want to find that tribe with those who would give me the love and support I always wished for but my previous experiences tell me that days will never come and even if they existed they wouldn't be mine. I wish a miracle would come and find me but somehow I know there will never be such a thing."
"Hohoho, talking as if you have lived life enough. Little girl, you are still lacking. I had high hopes for you since Ilana chose you but sigh…, little girl, you are not yet ready. You can go back now."
"Oh Ilana, you're being too impatient." The old man turned around and shook his head although he has never put down his smile.
"No, wait what. I don't know what you are saying I'm not ready for but, I don't agree I'm lacking anywhere." Terla shouted to the old man.
"Oh, are you not?"
"Yes, m, no but you can't just judge someone and leave like that."
"Hmmm… not wrong. What do you want me to do." The old man turned back around stroking his long beard.
"MMm… you should at least tell me where I am lacking so that I can fix it."
"Hohoho, then this time I don't agree with you. It is something you need to find out for yourself."
"What? That's not fair."
"What's not?"
"You, I, mmm, I don't know, but I believe you shouldn't just one-sidedly judge someone and tell her out, and also, your daughter sent me here…so it is rude of you to just kick me out without proper reason."
"Hmmm…then what should I do."
"Give me another chance….I… I don't want to let her down."
The old man carefully inspected Terla as he again turned around to leave and said "Then, I will give you a chance for the sake of Ilana."
"Really?"
"You don't want it?"
"No!"
"Hmm..then you tell me what is the nature of oak?"
"The nature of oak?" Terla was speechless at the question.
The old man gave Terla a side look before continuing forward, "I have given you the chance, you are the one who can't make it."
"What? Wait!" Terla shouted but the old man's step didn't stop.
"It's…it's strength! Strength and resilience!" Hearing Terla's answer, the old man still didn't stop.
"And also wisdom!"
"Hmmm….then what's the purpose of having those abilities?"
"Huh?"
"Little girl, go now. You can come back again when you find the answers."
"You send my blessings to my daughter and grandson." the old man spoke his final words and disappeared.
Terla then gained consciousness and Ilana's voice entered her ears.
'How did it go?'
"I am sorry."
'Oh, what did that old man say?'
"MMM… he said I'm still lacking and that you're being too impatient. But he also said I can come back again if I find the answers."
'That old man. Still can't let go of his pride in this state.' Ilana sounded like she despised it but her eyes were watery.
"Oh and also he asked me to send his blessings to you and Adair."
'Hmph….what use would they have when he is already dead?'
"Lady Ilana, may I know what exactly I was supposed to get?"
'Do you know about the unique abilities spirits have?'
"Those abilities they gain when they become upper-grade?"
'Yes, but it isn't as simple as 'gaining' it because we have to go through trials and challenges to achieve it unless we succeed to someone else's abilities and it is unique because it is built upon our experiences, challenges and desires or the purpose we chose.'
"Wow, is that why everyone has different and unique abilities?"
'Mmm… you can say.'
"Then what do you mean by succeeding the ability?"
'It is when the former owner willfully offers it to you.'
"So humans can have it too?…" Terla asked with hopeful eyes.
'Yes I wanted you to take over it as his successor but look at how he ruined my good motive.'
"____"
'However, Terla, promise me one thing.'
"Yes, whatever you say!" Terla answered, determined.
'I want you to take Adair as the next successor when he has grown old enough.'
"?"
Seeing Terla's confused expression, she continued, "Don't worry, it doesn't mean you have to kill yourself or it will completely disappear from you because the ability will remain in you as long as your soul exist. It is like someone wrote a book, you read it and then you share it.'
"Oh."
'By the way, what is the question you need to answer?'
"The purpose of the nature of oak and I need to find out what I'm lacking." Terla sighed and looked at Ilana in hopes that she will tell the answer but,
'Haha, that old man.' Ilana laughed and then disappeared.
'So, I will actually have to find it out myself.'
'Purpose, the purpose of oak, what I am lacking and who is "her".' Terla walked to the window and gazed at the sky as she repeated the questions.
# # #
Days flowed quickly and the day of the Hunting Contest arrived.