Noah talked to us informally, assuming people might suspect us if he spoke in a formal tone.
Knowing his personality, I knew he lied and was having fun by teasing us. Noah's playful nature often led him to adopt a more casual demeanour. His lightheartedness sometimes caused misunderstandings, like the time we almost ran into a camel on the way, unsure if he was joking or not.
Noah is pretty witty. He loves to take advantage of situations and tease people. He is quite the unserious type.
But in war, he turns exactly the opposite. He transforms into a focused and determined person. His playful nature is replaced by a serious and strategic mindset, allowing him to make quick decisions and lead with authority. Maybe that's the spirit Element. not to mention his spirit element is a wolf.
Although Lilian and Noah seem to have similar energies, Noah enjoyed making fun of me because I am unpredictable and distant. He seems to enjoy unexpected things, as far as I can tell. He must be a year older than me, if I am not mistaken. However, his demeanour towards us really made me feel like he is a older brother to us. Unlike the brothers I had, Who had fun in bullying my existence.
Time went by, and we returned to the palace. Lilian went to her dear mother to spill all the fun we had, cutting off some things that might anger her mother. She is really a mama's girl. And I went in my room to freshen up and get some sleep.
I have been staring outside the window for how long? I don't remember.
According to the novel,
Evory's birthday is one month away, Before that event, Evory used local bandits and kidnapped Lilian to harm her, but failed as Lilian got saved by Noah.
As I witnessed the scenery a few days ago at the ball, if certain things are really bound to happen, then there's a high chance Lilian will experience all of the harm if not by Evory but by someone else. I have to stick with Lilian from now on. Last time, I took my eyes off for a second, and something happened to her. I can't afford to make the same mistake again.
Poisoning and attempts to kill Lilian were Evory's regular deeds in the novel. Despite the danger, Lilian always managed to escape unharmed with the help of her loyal suitors.
"Hey, Evory.."
As I was lost in my deep thoughts, I heard a familiar voice. When I turn around, I see that it's none other than Lilian.
"If you're not occupied with anything..."
"Nope, come and sit." I patted the bed beside me. She smiles and sits. As Lilian sits down, I couldn't help but notice a hint of happiness in her eyes. It felt good to see her looking content.
I feel relieved whenever she is happy, which tells me that I'll be safe and alive for a while.
She glances over the book in my hand. "You're reading... Err about dark elements?" she asks hastately. "It's just something I picked up out of curiosity," I replied with a shrug. "I haven't really gotten into it yet, but it seems interesting." Lilian nodded, her curiosity evident as she leaned in closer to get a better look at the book.
"Yeah, they seemed very obscure." She says. Seeing her hasitant expression, I ask, "Why?"
"They are cursed", she adds as she casts a quick glance in my way. I furrow my brow, intrigued by her explanation. "Cursed? How did that happen?" I ask, leaning in closer to hear her response.
Lilian takes a deep breath before continuing, her voice filled with a mix of fascination and caution. "Legend has it that they had great strength and goodness, yet they became wicked and oppressed the weakest elements of society. They were cursed as a result. It was said to be a reminder of the consequences of abusing such immense power. In fact, I don't know how many of them are alive, but people get terrified at their mention," she says.
"How many of them are alive? You mean they are near extinct?" My question hung on the air as I try to comprehend her words. How come I never heard about their Story. It's funny how there's more than what is described in the novel.
Lilian and I spent some time reading and discovering other extinct elements.
Dark elements were beyond powerful. To satisfy their power and need, they ruled over the weakest elements especially the Water elements. But fate doesn't turn back from justice, thus, they were cursed and locked down in a dark forest by the water elements. They were forbidden from having any heir in order to make them extinct. Dark elements are the only elements that can give birth to at least one dark element besides other elements. Such as: if they have two children, one of them is born dark element. People say Their first born is always a dark element. It's as if a never-ending chain, as if they are destined to live no matter what.
While the other elements can't do such things. Their children's element can be anything.
No one knows how to break the curse. It's as if there's no way to do it.
However, there are also other elements that are nearly extinct or already extinct. Those are fairy, time, and moon elements.
Fairy elements are quite familiar with spirit elements; they can control nature and have a strong connection to the mystical realm. but fairies are considered more powerful than spirit elements. Time elements have the ability to manipulate time itself, but they are incredibly rare and difficult to control. Moon elements, on the other hand, known for their ability to manipulate tides and emotions, also possess a mysterious and enchanting energy that is closely tied to the lunar cycles.
We learned how these elements work and how they went extinct. It was natural, as those elements naturally came from dark elements. Just because the dark elements are extinct, they lose their history too. These are the most powerful element. It's surprising how the strong elements are a goner now.
After a while, Emily, my personal maid, bought us some cakes and tea. We took a break and had tea.
"I have something to give you," Lilian says excitedly. Seeing her excitement, I unconsciously got excited. "And what could it be?" I ask.
"Guess?" She says. I'm very good at guessing, but she is unpredictable. "Umm, maybe a book? Perhaps my favourite food?" I say it with a laugh. She laughs as well. Then she brings out her hand fist in front of me.
"Knock on it," she says. I do as she says.
She gives me a broad smile before showing me what she has in her hand. Two beautiful bracelets that have a white stone in the middle. I reach out to touch the bracelets, feeling the smoothness of the stones against my fingertips. "Woao, that's so pretty," I say.
"I'm glad you liked it."
"Have you been holding it since...?"
"No, I kept it beside the table. You didn't notice," she says with a laugh as she outwits me.
"How dense of me," I say.
"Now, let me help you wear it." She gently grabs my hand and says it while putting it on. "With this bracelet, you can find me whenever you want, no matter where I'm. Also, you can call me. When I'm notified, I'll come running to you," she says with a sweet smile.
The bracelet is definitely going to help me if I lose track of her. That's the best gift for my survival. if she gets lost, I can easily locate her and ensure her safety. Additionally, the ability to call her whenever I need to will provide a sense of security and reassurance in any situation.
"Now it's my turn." I say, and I help her wear the bracelet. Within a few seconds, our bracelet shakes and changes its appearance according to the elements. My bracelet shifted, becoming as smooth as crystal with swift, lace-like patterns, and at the same time, two new stones were added beside the middle stone while all the stones turned blue. Lilian's bracelet turned like flames, lace-like patterns, and dragaons, with two new stones added and turning red. Both of our bracelets look beautiful and unique in their own way.
It transformed just like the ring I bought before.
"They look so pretty," she says in awe.
If I'm not wrong, Lilian is the dragon fire element, which is the most powerful fire element. What can we expect from the female protagonist?
But seeing mine, I don't quite understand what it is. It seems full of many other element's appearances. Ice spikes, thunder waves that look like snakes, small stones that look like both fire flames and water waves... The water element... is really something.
"I like this a lot. Thank you, Lily," I say, amazed by this small yet appealing bracelet.
I sometimes address her as Lily.
"I'm happy you liked it. Let me show you how it works," she says, sitting upright.
"You have to think of me and call my name." She looks at her bracelet.
Our bracelet sparkles and trembles. Hers glows blue, whereas mine glows red. I'm startled when I hear a familiar voice in my head. 'Evory'... This is the sound of Lilian's voice.
"I heard your voice," I say, looking at her. She smiles and jumps in excitement. "Yes.".
"Unless I respond to it, it won't turn back to its previous form." She touches her bracelet, and I hear her voice again: 'Evory, I'm here.' Then our bracelets turn back to their previous colour.
"Try it," she says. I take a deep breath and call her name in my head.
'Lilian'
"Yes, I heard it! That's how you call for me, but if I don't respond, you have to think that you want to find me." she says.
I call her again, and she doesn't respond. I think of wanting to know her location. while we wait for the next thing to happen. Then our bracelet glows. I heard myself say, "In your room," and I got frightened once more. "This time, I heard my voice." I say being confused.
"Really? Maybe that's how it tells you my location. What if you still can't find me?" she says.
We both look at each other. Within a second, our bracelets get exchanged. Her bracelet's side stone shows arrows describing where she is. "That's amazing!" She says. "What are the traits of the bracelet?" I say it excitedly.
The bracelet seems to have some sort of telepathic connection. It not only glows and guides us to each other, but it also allows us to communicate through our thoughts.
"Umm. Let me think." She puts her hand under her chin, and our bracelets get switched again in the meantime, returning to their original owners. "Umm, it will help you find places and other people you want to find. It's more like a tracker. Other than that, I don't know."
"It's quite useful. I shake the bracelet and add, "On top of that, it's gorgeous."
She laughs and whispers,It was cheap too. Maybe the merchant didn't know its use."
"Really?" I say that and laugh. She laughed alongside me. "It's definitely a great find then," I reply with a smile. "I guess sometimes you stumble upon hidden gems without even realising it."
"Yeah, I guess we got lucky with a good deal," she replies, chuckling. "But hey, as long as it does its job, right?" I say as I laugh along with her.