2AM. Most people are asleep by now. The night was pencil sketch dark until a bright purple light illuminated an obscured area near Calvin's school. And from that light Calvin emerged.
Earlier they planned for Ophelia to go ahead so she could translocate Calvin after she confirms that it was safe. While Lazzi was left at their hideout to rest for a while. They figured that it's better for Lazzi to stay. When things go south, Ophelia couldn't handle two liabilities at once. "Why are we here?" Calvin asked as soon as he realized where they were.
"Shh! Lower your voice. I don't exactly have memorized this place okay? So, I had to transport you here."
"Thank God you kept my clothes this time," he quipped trying to lighten the mood between her after their little argument earlier. It was perhaps years since Calvin tried to make friends.
"Yeah, I have to save my appetite."
Calvin frowned and squinted his eyes.
"So, where's your house?" Ophelia asked with a hint of authority. It reminded him of Mrs. Rodriguez's manner of asking him questions during class.
Calvin pointed to a street ahead. "A few blocks from here."
"Good, remember. Just one suspicious thing and we're out of here. Okay?" Before Calvin could answer, Ophelia had stridden away, her white-blonde hair swaying with every step. Calvin sighed and tried to catch up with his weak legs. Naturally, knowing that he has powers to control luck, he tried to wish his legs to heal just like how he wished for the rain to stop earlier and how he asked for a distraction to escape Ortus but it didn't work. Lazzi explained back in their hideout that his power was to boost the probability of things to occur but at a certain limit.
"You can't just change the natural properties of things like change the color of leaves or create gold out of thin air." Lazzi's voice resonated on his head. "You need to bridge with Ortus to do that."
"H-hey, Ophelia, this is embarrassing but can't we just fly there?" he yelled as Ophelia had gained a good distance within a short period of time.
"No. And be quiet!"
"Why not? I mean Lazzi said you can fly."
"Shut up. I can't, okay?"
"So, you couldn't fly?"
"I can!" Ophelia snapped. "I can. But not yet, okay? I'm still trying. My Obelisk hasn't fully matured yet."
"I see." Calvin paused for a second. Maybe it was just him but Calvin was finding it difficult to befriend Ophelia. "So, you have telekinesis and you can teleport things towards you, right?"
"Yes."
"Can you teleport others away?"
"No, unless I am bridged with Ortus."
"I see. How about creating a portal of some sort?"
"I'm not as talented as Shijian to do all sort of stuff all of a sudden, okay?"
Calvin went silent for a second. "Hey it's okay. I mean even so, you have amazing skills. Unlike me, I don't even fully understand my power yet. I'm not judging."
Ophelia continued to walk but this time she tried to do it as slowly as she could.
"What happens if we Bridge?"
"I don't know." She said flatly.
Then they were quiet again. Calvin was struck with disdain. He knew when a person didn't want to talk since he himself had shut the world away. This was his karma perhaps. Now that he's trying, no one wanted to connect with him anymore. He was about to give-up when Ophelia answered.
"I literally don't know." Ophelia said after a few seconds of awkwardness. "Bridging is actually not very commonly used. It is usually reserved for problems at a planetary scale. And out of the four Obelisks, Veross is not usually involved in solving those kinds of issues, so I'm not really aware. I think Lazzi has more knowledge about that sort of thing."
"Oh, okay."
"I'm saying that because I don't want you to think I'm a bitch or something."
"What? I'm not thinking that at all." Calvin looked straight ahead. This part of the street of his was already familiar yet it feels brand new because he rarely, if not, never strolled here before during the time it's under the cloak of midnight darkness. "Speaking of him, are you and Lazzi...um...you know,"
Ophelia almost tripped. "What? Where did that—do we look like a couple? And why are you interviewing me? Didn't Lazzi answer all your questions?"
"Just asking more information, you know? Maybe some of it could help me form a plan."
"Yeah, I guess. I-I mean, I agree. You should gather more information."
"One last question, what is it like in the future?"
Ophelia bit her lip. A warm feeling began to rise from her neck up. "It's beautiful! It's full of love and joy. Every individual is living at their full potential..." She almost stopped herself as she realized the absurdity of she had just said. Almost every individual, she thought.
"Well shit. That sounds like a dream to me. That's why you want to get back to your time, huh? But wait...if that's the future, then why is Ortus doing all of these?"
"I remember him telling me that when I become an Obelisk, it's like you're in the spotlight. And when the light is shining directly in your face, you'll see everything that is dark. I think he's doing this because he genuinely believes that the light should shine on everyone."
Calvin pouted his lips. "I don't understand."
"Maybe we'll understand soon. Hey, are we near yet?"
"Yeah, there!" he pointed again, "I could already see my house."
Ophelia smiled and nodded. She thought about her family back in Gaia. She misses them so much. It has been months since she last saw her parents. She promised herself that when she gets back, she will make them proud, make the whole galaxy proud of what she had achieved.
"Here we are." Calvin said. Ophelia stared at the dainty house that was supposed to be Calvin's home. Ophelia thought it was so tiny it might have been just half the space of their powder room in Huxley's heritage castle back at Gaia. Calvin swung the metal gate open and although it didn't create an audible creak, a man around the age of late forties came and hurried towards Calvin. The man seemingly overjoyed gave Calvin a hug.
"You alright Calvin? I heard what happened in school. They said your teachers couldn't find you when the earthquake hit. I've been so worried. Where have you been?"
Calvin irked. His dad seemed to be so animated and emotional. "Dad, it's okay, you can let me go."
"No. I need something from you."
Ophelia's heart sank. She studied the man's face and realized immediately what was happening. Ophelia flicked her hands like a reflex to pull Calvin back to her side.
"Jesus!" Calvin screamed. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Let's Bridge Calvin..." she whispered, her eyes were fixed on Calvin's dad. "Bridge with me now!"
"What-why?"
Calvin, in spite of the curtain of shadows casted on his dad's face, noticed that his dad's cheekbones were sharper than usual. The well of confusion was suddenly tinted with anger and fear and it all poured out on Calvin's eyes. "What the fuck did you do?" he whispered.
His dad, no, Ortus straightened his back and perked-up his chest. "This is just a small sacrifice Calvin."
"Don't you dare use my father's voice!" he growled. "I wish you're dead! I wish you never existed!"
Ortus frowned. "Oh, poor Calvin, that's not how your—"
Ophelia tossed Ortus in the sky before he could finish. She then teleported in the air and smashed him back to the ground like a volleyball.
"Come on, we have to get out of here!" she ordered as soon as she returned to the ground. She lifted Calvin in the air and pulled him along like a human-shaped kite as she scurried away as quickly as her feet could get. Ophelia felt enraged. She shouldn't have agreed to do this. She knew this would happen but they still dared to do it.
"Look out!" Calvin screamed up in the air. But it was too late. Ophelia and Calvin fell to the ground. Tony, one of Calvin's hypnotized classmates, had tackled Ophelia from the side with brute force. Ophelia hurried and crawled towards Calvin. She managed to tap Calvin's Insignia before her beautiful hair was mercilessly pulled away.
"You're not gonna escape." Tony said flatly. Ophelia raised her arms ready to fling Tony away but someone kicked her directly in the face. Suddenly she couldn't open her left eye. Her quivering fingers felt her own blood spilling over her face.
"Ophie!" Calvin screamed. "Leave her alone Ortus!"
Ortus, skin bathed with precious blue moonlight, walked slowly towards Calvin and stepped on his chest. He looked at Calvin with such pity.
"Murderer! I hate you! You're gonna pay for that." Calvin yelled again, tear welling up on his eyes.
Ophelia groggily pushed herself up despite feeling that the world is rapidly spinning.
"I can bring your father back. Just give me your Obelisk now Calvin and all of this will work out well with you."
"Don't listen to him Calvin!"
"And what do you know, Ophelia?" Ortus retorted. "Remember you asked me what does it take to be a good Obelisk? I have the answer now. Be smart and prepare to sacrifice everything for the sake of the future."
"I see, then I'll have to sacrifice our blood ties!" Ophelia positioned her fingers like a knife and sliced the air, shooting out a mauve guillotine-shaped light. Ortus tried to dodge but still it hit him in his right arm and severed it away. Ortus yelped in the stinging pain! The cut was so clean that blood did not spew until a few seconds later. Ophelia managed to smile, realizing that that's the effect when Bridging with Veross.
"Now give me back Calvin." Ophelia tried to pull Calvin away but Tony and a bunch of other students came out of nowhere and charged towards her. She stood her ground and tossed most of them away with her Obelisk, one after another. But they kept coming back! It was like she's pushing the waves of an ocean away—it was futile. And at the periphery of her right eye, she saw Ortus slowly gaining back his arm. There's no way winning this, she thought. But then she saw Veross and she knew what to do. She dragged Ortus instead towards her and tapped her cousin's Insignia.
"I believe in you," she said looking at the confused eyes of Calvin. With the last ounce of her power, bright flashing arcs of purple lightning danced around Calvin and transported him away.