"Arggg!.. My head is so hurt!…" He said while holding the back of his head.
Wh-what happen. Whe...where am I?"
Lucius said as his vision is hazy and unclear.
[Clunk!]
He tried to move but can't as he realised both his wrists and ankles bound with handcuff that making it impossible for him to move.
"Wha...what is this? Wh-why!...." he said as he was confused.
Lucius's eyes slowly focused, he look around and he was shocked to see himself in an unfamiliar small, secluded cave-like space, the entrance concealed by thick vines and foliage. And he is lying down on a soft, moss-covered bed, situated in the center of the small cave. The sounds of the party are now muffled and distant.
Confusion filled his mind as he tried to make sense of the situation.
"Ohhh? You woke up already? Thats great to hear! we can do the procedur now!" The unknown said.
Before he could process further, the voice of an elderly woman echoed through the space. Her words sent a chill down Lucius's spine, filling him with a sense of dread.
"Wh...what procedur? What's happening here?" Lucius stammered, his voice trembling with fear.
"No! Who... who are you? Why are you doing this?" he managed to choke out, the trembling in his voice betraying his fear.
The elderly women voice came out of the shadow and grinning crazily. Her silhouette, obscured by the darkness, hinted at a sinister aura that sent a fresh wave of unease through his core.
Lucius's eyes widened and almost jumps at the sudden appearance, his heart skipping a beat. as he beheld the old woman before him.
"Yo...you are...Elder?
"What... what are you doing there?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Wh-why are you doing this? Please let me go!" He said. A wave of shock washed over Lucius as the realization dawned upon him.
"What do you want from me?! Why have you chained me here?" Lucius demanded, the anger and confusion in his voice mirroring the turmoil inside him.
The old woman doesn't reply immediately. She studies Lucius with those dark, piercing eyes of hers, as if she's seeing right through him.
Then, in a voice that's surprisingly strong for someone of her age, she says, "I wanted to talk to you."
The old woman steps closer to Lucius, her eyes boring into his. "Tell me, child," she says, her voice low and serious.
"Do you know about the power that resides within you?" She said while put her hand on his head making him felt uncomfortable.
Lucius is taken aback by the woman's words.
"Power...?" he asks slowly, not quite sure what she's suddenly talking about. "What do you mean?"
The old woman smiles kindly at Lucius's confusion.
"I know you're young," she says, "and you may not understand yet. But you possess a unique power, a spark within you that I can feel."
"Wha..what?" Lucius stutter.
The old woman nods sagely, as if she can read Lucius's thoughts. "It's true," she says.
"The first I sit my eyes on you, I could see it! The power… the power that hidden from you. It's magnificient! The aura that excluded from you enough make me tremble from it"
"You carry a powerful relic within you, a relic that holds incredible power. But you haven't fully awakened it yet because the power it holds is too potent for your young body."
Lucius processes the old woman's words, his mind racing. "So... you're saying that I have this power, but I can't use it because I'm too weak?"
Lucius furrows his brow, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Bu...but I... I've tried everything," he says.
"I've meditated, focused all my energy on the relic, but nothing seems to work. I don't know how to tap into its power."
"Hermmm?..."
"Did that man who with you that day teach you that?" The old woman say sarcastically.
"yes.." Lucius said dispirited
"Hahahahahha"
"You will never be able to awaken if thats the only thing you did. Ahhh! Maybe a 100 years will do."
"Hermmm... I guess he must know it earlier (he know nothing) based on his energy that I saw inside of him that day. Did he deliberately didn't tell you? But why?"
"Wha…what do you mean?" Lucius say as hearing that old women statement left him feeling betrayal."
"Well, it just my guess, but maybe he didn't want you to awaken." (he wanted too)
"But why?" Lucius asked, furrow his eyebrow.
"Well…
"Maybeee…..
"I don't know and I don't want to know. It's not my problem right? In the first place, how would even I know? I am not a mind reader or anything!"
"Ahh! Wait!…." She said with a shocked face."
"Wh…why?.." Lucius said with confusion as she suddenly stop speaking midway.
"Where are we left just know?" The old women said while scratching her head.
"Please excuse this old lady's memory….."
"Hermmm… where is i?…"
"Ahh! I remember now!
" Ehem! let's continue..."
The old woman hums thoughtfully, her eyes never leaving Lucius's face.
"You're trying to force something that needs to come naturally," she says.
"A relic is a part of you, like your own breath. You can't force it to work, you must let it flow through you."
The old woman smiles kindly at Lucius, her eyes crinkling in the corners.
"But it's different for me cause I may be able to help you," she says.
"I possess a deep understanding of relics and their powers. If you allow me, I can assist you in awakening your relic safely and effectively using the my relic power."
"With it, you will be able to be 'A gifted'
"Isn't something you have been dream of?"
Lucius is torn. On one hand, he's desperate to tap into the power of his relic, to understand its potential. But on the other hand, he's wary of the old woman's mysterious abilities and motives. He's unsure whether he can trust her completely.
The old woman senses Lucius's hesitation and offers a gentle reassurance.
"I understand your skepticism," she says, her voice soft and soothing.
"But you have my word that I will guide you with the utmost care. My only goal is to help you awaken your relic safely and embrace the power that lies within you."
Lucius looks into the old woman's eyes, searching for any hint of deceit or malice. Finding nothing, he takes a deep breath and said:
"I...I….