Everything seemed so peaceful when it happened. I'm not quite sure how to explain it. But it had a sense of serenity and also motionless. It's something, neutral. It all happened during the registration day. That was the day where I met him. Cyclone White.
If I have to be honest, this wasn't the first time I've met him. We've met before this. We've met way back when I was still young. But there was a slight confusion at the time...Apparently, my previous life was recorded inside a storybook. That book would become an artifact because of its magical properties. Long story short, one day, White and his friend Hosuke found out about the book but it was missing pages. The only fastest way to complete the missing pages was to directly see through the ending of the story. With the help of their teacher, Hosuke and White were able to enter the world of that storybook. They thought it was a mere fictional book but what they ended up was a book that put them back in time.
Time...I feel like I finally started to understand how this book came to light. It has to be the work of Nova. But what was Nova planning with this book? All I know was that the Chaos Champion Kitsuneki also had something to do with it. He was the one who put the Snow Phoenix curse on me originally. But that curse would be suppressed temporarily after I ate an Infinitum Crystal that I found by the end of my story in that storybook.
But that's enough about the past. Returning back to what I'm remembering, I've just finally set my foot at the campus for the first time along with my parents. My parent left me as they made their way to the registration area while I was supposedly preparing myself. It was over here where I met this boy. As I was making my way into the campus, all of sudden, my suppressed curse of The Snow Phoenix returns and snow started to fall all over the place. The curse made me see the world in black and white. I couldn't tell what colour it is except for black or white.
"What in the heavens?" The boy was surprised.
The snow got heavier as time went on to the point where I couldn't even see where I was going. Then, it happened. I saw a silhouette of a person standing by a few meters in front of me. I made my way to them and there he was. The person who stood still was carrying a sling bag on his shoulder. Upon closer inspection, it was a boy. Taller than me. He anxiously walked toward me, fighting through the snow. We stopped in front of each other. He was a little taller than me so I had to look a little bit above to see his face.
While I was still under the curse of the Snow Phoenix, my mind kept thinking that it was originally White and Hosuke who technically fixed the curse I had and allow me to see colour. I wanted to ask him for help but the curse prevented me from being truthful to myself. What ended up from my mouth was a cryptic message.
I asked him softly, "What's your favourite colour?"
It was a pretty simple question. But it is a very cryptic one considering that I really wanted to ask him to help me fix the curse again. Alternatively, what I want to really ask him does not go too far than what that cryptic question was relayed. But, that's what the Snow Phoenix ended up saying for me. The boy don't really know what was happening but he casually answered without thinking much.
"I...don't know...I don't really have a favourite colour, you know. Do I know you?"
I nodded but didn't say anything after that. I only kept on looking at him. The boy then asked me.
"What's your name again? I might have forgotten people that I have met. Especially if they are only an acquaintance."
Then, I finally said something, "Zenith. That's what you called me back then."
"Zenith?" He was confused. "I haven't even heard of that name before. This is the first time I ever said that name out loud."
Then I tried to give him an honest answer but unfortunately, the curse of The Snow Phoenix forced me to say something else. I ended up saying something that I never intended to.
"It's the name that you gave me, master."
"Wait...Master?!" he definitely didn't see that coming.
And that was pretty much how I met Cyclone White. Quite an interesting boy. His appearance and presence somehow affected an old curse that I assumed to have gone away. The curse made me turn into a completely different person. It suppressed most of my emotion and I wasn't even able to talk honestly to anyone without it being cryptic. As for White, he's also happened to be a classmate of mine. And I also told all of this to my best friend...Rose...who is...no longer with us...
-
"Wha-!" I gasped as I finally woke up from my deep slumber.
It seems like I was dreaming of something. I've looked around to assess the situation and realize that I'm still on the rooftop of the library in our campus. I saw Mei, Rika, Fitz, and Izzy. They were fighting against demons that Yumiko had summoned. I couldn't really tell what was going on but I assumed that they were protecting me.
I could barely hear Rika's voice, "We can't let them kidnap Zenith or you, Mei!"
Mei's voice sounded a bit muffled from my ear, "I know. We gotta keep an eye on Yumiko as well."
"I'll take care of her." Fitz's muffled voice can be heard replying to Mei.
The girls fought against the demons as well as making sure Yumiko doesn't do anything funny behind our back. The girls fought as best as they could but it looks like they were beginning to be outnumbered by the endless amount of demons that Yumiko kept summoning.
I felt bad that I couldn't do anything. I honestly felt terrible for not doing anything. I really felt like I was not there at all. My vision once again started to wander away as eternal darkness cloaks within me.
-
This time, I dreamed of another important moment. It happened at Nihon Island. Long story short, Yumiko had just betrayed White's trust once again. And to make sure Yumiko was being serious, she brought me out from a portal. Yumiko threatens White that she will kill me. White was firm until Yumiko told him about how my curse works. While The Snow Phoenix was active inside of me. Everytime I die, I will be resurrected. But I can only hold on for seven time. And this specific moment would be my last one.
During the midst of the betrayal, White finally decided to answer that cryptic question that my Snow Phoenix self had asked him. But right at the last moment of that I couldn't hear it at all...I had already lost my consciousness. And that was when the Snow Phoenix finally escapes from my body. That was also when the curse has been lifted. I died, but I would eventually be saved later on in someway I couldn't recall.
But then something different happened, I did not think I was able to remember this part of the memory. I assume it happened in between me being shot by Yumiko and me being saved by Yumiko afterwards.
I heard a voice calling for me. It was my own voice. It had the same tone of the Snow Phoenix cursed version of me. She was monotonous. She told me to get up. I am not dead yet. After that I hear his voice...I finally hear what I wanted...All this time...
"By the way...It's blue..."
Blue...that was it. That was the answer.
"Why blue?" I asked.
"It has the same colour as the things I love. The sky, the sea, lots of things...even that blue hair band you have. Even you...although...you're not blue" he laughed.
"White..." I smiled as a drop of tear started to shred.
His voice then fades away as I looked behind me and saw the cold hearted old me. The cold version of me stared at the bright and warm version of me. The two of us smiled at each other as we finally feel satisfied and come to terms with each other.
"Let's stop conflicting ourselves and we do this together." She told me.
"Of course, Zenith." I agreed.
-
Once again, I woke up from that dream and found myself still on the roof together with the others. This time however, my body felt lighter. There was no longer too much weight that prevents me from standing up. I quickly sprung up.
I inhaled as much air as I could and began to refocus myself. Before I know it, a fleeting freezing feeling encapsulates me. But...I also felt a hot burning sensation on me. Together, I release both power and completely eliminated all of the demons that was outnumbering us. Indeed, I was able to manipulate the elemental powers of the snow and ice as well as the fires and flames. Hot and Cold. My hair and iris almost changed its colour but it didn't because everything was over too quick.
"Zen...did you do that?" Izzy was the first to notice me.
Yumiko who was watching from the sidelines raised one of her eyebrows as she made a smile. She then opens a portal and went through it. She got away once again.
"Urgh. Damn it!" Fitz stomped the ground, "She got away!"
"It's alright..." I calmly told her. "We will see her again..."
"But, Zenith." Mei was worried.
I stopped Mei, "No, we need to rest up first. We'll do this when we are fully prepared."
Everyone looked at each other and they finally nodded.
While Yumiko has once again ran away from us, it didn't feel like a defeat at all this time. I felt like I have gained something new after all those that I had faced. With all of the ones I've loved and lost finally coming back to my memory...I finally started to see the rest of my blocked memories. There's no longer the old me or the new me. There's no such thing as a Zen or a Zenith. I am what I am now. They can still call me whatever they prefer and I wouldn't mind it. My name is Zenith Feathers and I will definitely end this on my own terms.
Wanna know why?
"It's because I'm the one who'll decide the ending of this story."
TO BE CONTINUED