"Kendrick. No, you don't need to come here. No. No. Also no. Michael healed me and I slept for a few hours. Yes, I'm going to eat. Ugh, no I haven't eaten yet, I'm about to. I promise. Please don't threaten the guys. Me losing weight has nothing to do with this. Alright, I'll let them know to feed me or you'll skin them alive." I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile as I leaned against the wall just outside of my flat, talking on the phone.
The guys were inside discussing the crystal, as well as the fire outburst that happened. Michael and Jaxson were the ones to explain what had happened at the house, as well as the whole bestowing the bracelet on Michael thing I did in the car, which I barely remembered. I must have been so out of it or just barely there, and fell asleep right after.
Kendrick had called after Jaxson had given him a report of what happened. Now I was having to deal with protective Kendrick, who was ready to ditch his meeting tonight just to come check on me.
I knew he meant well and it was comforting, especially now that I knew he was my dad and not just someone I saw as a father figure, but I didn't want him putting off work on my behalf.
With everything that was going on, him missing one meeting could essentially put everything off schedule and make it even harder for him to keep up. He didn't need that added stress just because of a little fire incident, which hadn't escalated into anything major.
I'd tried checking in on Serenity and Aurora, but they both seemed to be fast asleep in my mind, neither of them responding to my call.
I secretly was just checking in to make sure they were okay and to make sure that whatever had happened back at the investigation site hadn't affected them in a negative manner.
"Alright. I won't skip my meeting, but please make sure you rest," Kendrick stressed through the speaker. I nodded as if he could see my show of agreement.
"I'll be back to my badass self tomorrow, ready for another round of epic house searching," I hummed dramatically and giggled when he groaned. "Seriously, Dad, I'm okay. Thank you for caring, as always. I love you," I whispered, hoping he understood just how much I appreciated having him in my life.
He was quiet for a few moments before whispering, "I love you more, Scarlet. Just be safe for me." He sounded close to tears, which made me blink my eyes, fighting my own urge to cry. Ah, since when did I get moved so easily?
"Bye, Dad. See you later." He bid farewell and I hung up, letting the tension out of my shoulders as I worked on cracking my neck. I slipped my phone into the pocket of my jean shorts before running my hands through my now curly locks.
I wore a white tank top, jean shorts and my fuzzy whale slippers that Ethan had picked up for me the other day when he had gone to the mall to gather materials for some communication devices he wanted to build.
I adjusted my glasses and took a moment to make sure I wasn’t going to cry for no good reason. I wondered if my breakup with Jake had been the cause of me becoming more emotional by the little things people did for me? I wonder how he's doing. Now that Rebecca's gone, I guess he doesn't have a girlfriend anymore.
I'd found out Jake had been dating her during her funeral, when I heard one of her close friends discussing how he genuinely loved her and that they were shocked that he hadn't attend the service. For PINC, it was mandatory for us to go because she had been a member of the company. But it pained my heart to hear how kind he'd been to her for years, versus in our relationship, which had felt like I'd given all of me only to get 10% in return.
It was rather weird for him not to attend her funeral, but maybe he'd passed by her grave after all of us were gone to say his goodbyes. Maybe he thought I'd be a bitch and reveal to everyone how he'd been dating me too, which would just be a load of drama none of us wanted to deal with.
"I'll just shoot him a message giving my condolences," I mumbled to myself, pulling my phone back out and quickly texting him. I figured he'd ignore it anyway, but at least it would give me some piece of mind.
I finished the text and sent it, putting my phone back in my pocket before going back inside, walking in during the middle of the guys’ current conversation.
"Well, I think that's a big problem if I can't take it off. Can I even shower with this thing? Looks rather expensive to put in water," Michael pointed out. I walked over to the cupboards near the sink to get a glass, then went over to the fridge to get some milk. We had a whole bunch of cartons in my fridge after distributing what was left from Junho's place after Makoto and her knights had departed.
We didn't want it to go to waste, so we had half brought here and the other half went to Jaxson's.
"Seeing as you hate water, I feel that's the least of your problems," Junho pointed out.
I grabbed a carton of milk and closed the fridge, picking my glass up and turning around to place them both on the kitchen island as I looked over at the guys.
Michael was the closest to me, standing at the end of the island with his wrist on display as he showed off the silver bracelet, the gold jewel still giving off a vibrant appearance.
Jaxson was standing two steps away from him, with his arms crossed, while Christian and Ethan stood to my right side, staring at Michael's wrist. Junho was sitting at the island, looking curiously at the gemstone.
Moonlight was on the sofa, curled up in a ball as he slept, seemingly unbothered by us coming home with the gemstone. It made me curious if he even knew about its significance.
Well, he WAS technically a Starlight god, so of course he knew about it, but maybe it wasn't as valuable as we were making it out to be.
"Still doesn't help me here. Don't we need to do a scan of this or something? Kinda hard to do when I can't take it off," Michael complained.
"Is it heavy?" I asked, joining the conversation as I opened the carton and began to pour myself a generous glass of 2% milk.
"Nope. Light as a feather. I'd probably forget it's there most of the time, but still." Michael looked thoughtful.
"We need more information on this. Ethan, you think you can find anything?" Jaxson asked.
"Maybe. I'll need my computer though. I would have to do an integrated search, but would rather cloak my IP for security’s sake. Can't do that with my iPad,” he disclosed.
"If the crystals are on bracelets, how would Xerxes be able to use all of them?" Christian asked.
"I doubt he knows they’re on a bracelet. None of the legends or stories about Mother Destiny and the crystals talk about them being a part of a bracelet. They could be in any shape or form. Maybe the guardian of this crystal decided the bracelet was the best place for it," Michael suggested.
"Makes sense. It's something that catches attention, but the average human wouldn't suspect it to be a powerful item because it's just a bracelet. The house we were in had a lot of vintage items and over the top outfits and jewelry, so it would simply blend in with the individual's style during that era," Jaxson added.
I walked back to the fridge, placing the carton back inside. Then I went over to the sink to wash my hands. I pulled my glasses off, placing them on the counter. Then I took a clean cloth from the top drawer and wet it.
I patted my eyes with the damp cloth, hoping it would help with the sudden burn in them. Must be a side effect of all that energy usage or something.
"So now that we have one of the crystals, now what? Is this supposed to lead us to the Stone of Awakening or do we need all five of them first?” Christian asked.
"Wouldn't they have some type of trigger? Like if one of the crystals was near the Stone of Awakening, it would have a response of some sort," Junho suggested.
"Maybe, but what kind of response?" Jaxson pondered. They were all silent as I finished patting my eyes, giving up on trying to tame the burning sensation. I wasn't using any magic so I didn't get what was going on.
On top of the burning, my chest felt weird, and my heart was beating fast, while my palms began to sweat. Damn nerves. I must have been freaking out because of the conversation going on.
"Oh dear, this has nothing to do with your nerves."
My eyes went wide and I turned my head, only to notice everything was frozen in place. The guys were completely still, their expressions stalled.
My eyes landed on an older dark-skinned woman, the familiar facial expression and soothing voice reminding me of the young woman from earlier.
Her gold eyes were still as mesmerizing as ever, but her face now displayed her age with wrinkles, and her once black hair was now grey. She wore a long yellow garment that looked almost like a robe, embroidered with weird incantations in silver and red.
What was most distracting was her beautiful wings that were spread out wide. My instincts told me she wasn't among the living anymore.
"You..." I whispered and she quietly laughed.
"I know. I've aged quite a bit, haven't I?" she whispered, walking over to where I stood. I turned my body to face her, my back to Michael and Jaxson. I stared at the woman who was now next to the fridge, only two steps from me.
"Thank you for the warning earlier." I bowed my head slightly to show my gratitude. The woman's smile widened, the same genuine smile she'd given me before she'd vanished the first time we met.
"You are rather polite for one of this generation. I imagined the youngest Elemental would have no respect for their elders,” she pointed out.
"My mother always told me that age is just a number. Regardless, the older you are, the more wisdom you carry, and that deserves respect," I explained.
The woman nodded, looking deep in thought. "Marilyn Sinclair. She raised you well. I'm not in any position to say much more, but she indeed watches over you, Elemental. For me, as an individual who has raised children of her own, I can confidently say she's very proud of you, just as I am at first glance," she revealed.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, moved by her words. "Thank you," I whispered. "Can you at least let her know that I love and miss her?"
The woman slowly nodded. "I'll ensure your message is delivered."
That made me smile. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome, my dear. Now we should not delay any longer. I cannot use much more of my magic now that the crystal has chosen its next owner,” she acknowledged.
"Did you stop time?" I asked, noticing everything was still unmoving.
She nodded. "Yes, I did. Temporarily, of course. This is the only way I'll be able to talk with you and not be interrupted with silly questions." She sighed, shaking her head. She spoke from what I felt like was from experience, making me grin with amusement at how cute her expression was.
"Is there something I need to do?" I asked. Her eyes met mine and they grew serious. She gave a slow nod.
"You must find the other crystals, and soon, Elemental. You will not have much time to waste, for the elements you care so dearly for are losing patience. Mother Starlight is rather angry with this realm, in comparison to the others," she disclosed.
"Mother Starlight? You mean Galaxy, right? Why is she angry?" I asked.
"Correct. Mother Galaxy is known by many names. Some called her Starlight, others with no knowledge of her existence refer to her as Nature. You should be able to feel why she’s angry, just as you felt the element’s pain. Look at the state of your planet. No one respects nature, let alone one another. Oceans are polluted, the air is thick with fog and smoke, and the forests are dying. Now you have shifters playing with fire they have no control over. If this all continues, this realm might experience catastrophes that no one has ever dealt with, and many lives will be lost."
"How...do I play a role in all of this?" I asked.
I understood where she was coming from, but how could one person like me stop the devastation that millions of people contributed to on the daily? Some intentional, like littering and pollution, while others weren't.
"When you collect my sisters' crystals, you'll understand what your purpose will be in this world, Elemental. You are a Visionary who will help save many lives, but you must also realize you can't save them all. Everything that will come to pass will be a part of a grand plan. Darkness is spreading, my dear, and soon the entire galaxy will be tested. When that time arrives, only five individuals can save us from the consequences of our silly actions. You will indeed be one of them,” she declared.
"How do I get stronger? And, five individuals? Who are the others?" I asked.
She chuckled. "Mother Destiny will guide you to the others. You will come in contact with them soon enough and you'll sense something different about them. You may not get along in the beginning, but with trust and understanding, you will all grow in power. That is far in the future and will all depend on whether you're able to conquer the challenges ahead."
"Are you going to challenge me now?" I asked.
"Yes. I personally don't want to, but it can't be delayed any longer. Tell Risuki that I, Monako, previous guardian of the Crystal of Dark Revelations, apologize for putting him in a sticky situation." She spoke the words with power, but her eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief, making me wonder what she was planning.
"But...can't you apologize to him? Doesn't he know that you exist?" I asked. She took two steps forward so she stood right before me. Seeing her 5'4” frame made me realize she'd gotten shorter with age.
"Mother Galaxy is the creator of these crystals. The gods are creations of Mother Galaxy and do not have any control over us. They are just as clueless as everyone else is, as to what our purpose is and the power we possess,” she hummed.
"If we collect all five crystals, what will happen? I know they're connected to the Stone of Awakening...but...well..." I trailed off, unsure how to continue.
She nodded in understanding and lifted her hand, placing it on my chest, right on top of my heart. "Everything happens for a reason, my dear. You may not understand now, but I'll give you one valuable hint." She grinned as she looked up at me, her kind eyes helping me feel less nervous about whatever challenge was approaching.
"Your heart is pure, Scarlet Sinclair, Princess of Feminara. The Stone of Awakening being within it gives you one advantage that is a great blessing."
"Which is?" I asked, unsure how having a stone in my heart benefited me, or anyone else for that matter.
"You can't be killed,” she answered.
I frowned. "Yes, I can? Just shoot me and boom, I'm dead."
Monako laughed, the soft chuckle made me give her a small smile. "Yes, a bullet can go through you and you could potentially die, but you will be revived. You can't be killed until the Stone of Awakening has completed its purpose. Once it has, such abilities of resurrection will be nullified and you will once more be vulnerable, just like any other shifter."
"Wow. Okay...but Xerxes. He wants the stone," I pointed out.
"You're correct. He wants the stone, but the only way he can have it, is through you. That is why you must not delay this search for the other crystals, though you may need a day or two of rest after this," she confessed.
"After what?" I asked.
She gave me a sad smile. "We're out of time, Scarlet, but I'll grant you a chance at closure while your men, particularly my replacement, figure out how to fix you."
"Fix me? What are you-"
I gasped as a sudden pulse of pain went through me, starting from my heart, which she still had her hand over.
My body grew rigid and I let out a whimper. I struggled to breathe but couldn't manage even a shuddering gasp. My heart wouldn't beat, as if it had lost all ability to pump blood. My vision began to blur as my consciousness plummeted into a dark abyss.
My ears picked up two things: the sound of my men shouting and a few words of advice.
Trust in yourself, Visionary Elemental, for the darkness is coming and it will leave no survivors.