"…Ah?"
What did I just do!? I am such an idiot.
Ok, think Zane, think. I can do it—
"Speak."
'I can't do it! She is scary.'
Yeah, I am fucked.
"Uh.. master, your daughter and I are in the same class, and I swear, she only spoke to me once. She was very polite, and I can tell, her parents especially her mother raised her well—"
"Enough. Sigh…, Hope—No, Zane, what you and Aria do with your lives were both of your choices," Envy placed her hand on my shoulder, staring straight into my eyes, and said with a genuine tone, "Your life, your choice. I will not stop you, Live your life to its fullest."
'She got it all wrong!'
"Master I swear, there is nothing going on between us."
Shit, I need to change the topic.
"A-Anyways, master, what were you doing at Frostvile Mountain that night."
"Jenna, Jenna Frostheart."
"…?" I tilted my head to the side.
What is she saying?
Jenna?
"Ugh! How dumb can you be? My name's Jenna, call me Miss Jenna when I'm off duty."
"…", I nodded intensely.
Jenna huh, It's a cute name, totally unworthy of her personality.
"Anyways, to answer your question," Miss Jenna continued, "I was searching for some clues regarding the Frostvile Museum incident. You are aware of it right?"
The Frostvile Museum incident, I can never forget it; it changed my life forever, leaving scars that still affects me today.
I remembered it clearly.
December 04, Year 5045, three years ago, my whole family went to Frostvile Museum; it was my birthday. Holding hands with Elise, we went there; it was the most joyous day of my life. I love reading, so as a present for my birthday my family took me to the museum, but little did I know, that very day would change my life forever.
My thoughts lingered in the past, remembering every detail of it.
Wandering around the Museum away from my parents, I found a vast library, it has over a million of books, I was captivated by it.
I went inside. Picked a book, and read it voraciously, losing myself in its pages.
Then…
A loud explosion shook the whole continent.
I fell, pressed under those millions of books.
I got stuck; never in my life did I imagine that I would hate books that much.
People ran, stomping on each other.
-Aaaagghhh! Save me!
-I'm burning! Mom! Dad!
All I can see and hear, was blood, bodies, and painful screams.
I hated it.
Hundreds of people died that day.
But somehow, I survived. An unknown energy surged through me, awakening a new ability to control all five Elementals.
I was born with below-average Ice Elemental control, and my skills had not yet awakened.
The Hero Association found me; they took me in, claiming that I had some kind of bizarre powers.
When I reached the Hero Association, I noticed that all my hair had turned silver, and now I could somehow see the Elemental Essence— not one, not two, but all five of them.
Something happened that evening, at Frostvile Museum.
I want to know the reasons too.
"Zane… Zane!—" Miss Jenna shook me out of my thoughts. "Are you listening?"
"…Yeah, I'm listening."
I dozed off.
That much was certain.
'Hmm.. wait, something doesn't sit right.'
I looked at Miss Jenna and asked, "Isn't Frostvile Museum at Nova? Then what were you doing at Frostvile mountain?"
"It's a long story, but in short, both incidents are connected."
"Connected? How?" I have to ask, we are getting somewhere.
Every small clue was crucial to me.
"The Experiments." Miss Jenna answered.
I knew it; those children, the men in white coats, the mutated fallen— Everything is somehow connected.
"But Zane, what were you doing in that place?"
Because of my vision.
I didn't tell Miss Jenna about my visions.
Should I tell her?
No thanks, I don't want to explain my Quantum Manipulation skill to her.
"Same reason as you, I want answers too." Looking at her, I told her directly.
Her eyes widened, curling her lips up, she asked, "Answers? About the Museum? But isn't the museum at Nova, how did you get to know that the underground facility and the museums are connected?"
'Fuck!'
Now how do I explain it to her?
I raced my brain at its top gear and soon enough a strange theory crafted in my mind.
It was strange, really strange.
Sometimes my intelligence amazed me.
"Miss Jenna, I have a theory, care to hear it?" Narrowing my eyes, I asked her with a serious tone.
"I'm listening." Resting her chin on her hand, her interest finally picked.
'Great!'
I began my theory.
We all know the basic fundamentals of Elementals, how they resonate with each other and how each kingdom possesses a dominance over one Elemental. If a person from one kingdom travels to another, then their Elemental Essence corresponding to that kingdom will weaken.
Right?
But… at Nova Academy's grounds this rule doesn't apply; none of the Elementals hold dominance over others. That's why kids from different kingdoms study at Nova. That's what makes Nova the top Hero Institute.
The reason why Nova's grounds neglect the basic fundamentals of Elementals is still unknown. But if you ask me, then, it all depends on its geographical location.
Ok.. enough about that, what I am trying to say is: Frostvile Museum is located inside the Nova Academy. And that blast had something to do with my powers, my control over all the five Elementals.
Just think about it, at Nova, all five elementals have equal dominance, and somehow that blast caught me—sending me an unknown power within me, the Hero Association taking me in, what's are the odds?
Envy—Miss Jenna listened very attentively to my lecture.
"…hmm, very interesting." She didn't seem too surprised by it. "Its exactly align with my own theory."
'Dang it!'
Of course she knew.
I kept forgetting, the person sat before me, was a professional when it comes to Elemental Essence.
Then I noticed, from the large window behind her, I could see the sun rising.
'Shit! I need to go.'
"Umm… Miss Jenna, can I go home now? My parents will be worried." I asked her, hoping she would let me free.
Oh freedom, how badly I long for it.
"Your parents?"
"Yeah, it's almost five, they will be awake soon, we ran a small café at Honeyford. They will be worried if they found me missing."
Silence.
"Yes, of course, you can— you can go," she said, her voice is now softer than before. A strange look flickered across her face, something almost… wistful. "You have parents… too. They'll be worried."
'Did she assumed, I was an orphan.'
And if I were, then, I wouldn't be too surprised if she offered me for an adoption.
'How kind of her.'
People like her, deserved to be called a Hero.
Stepping down the bed, I made my way to the window.
Creak
As the opened it, cold air brushed past my face.
Turning my head, I looked one last time towards Envy—My master.
"Thank you for everything, Master."
I took a deep breath, feeling the cold morning air. Then without hesitation, I jumped.
The wind rushed past me.
'Finally freedom!'
End of Chapter.
[A\N]: Drop your questions in the q&a. >> Review