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Diana's P.O.V:384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOnqWeKHLY
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Five years ago,384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsYGkV3iL2
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Butterfly Island384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysABRz8sZX
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I tried rolling my tongue a couple of times to make the "rrr" sound. It's been over an hour, and Bob, with his arms folded and looking at me like I didn't know what I was doing, couldn't take it as he finally waved his hand, telling me to stop.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nLjO6yk0F
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"Okay, okay, stop," he said.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaIxXDAPvt
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"Huh?" I looked at him from where I sat. "I thought I almost had it."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLvg5uAKiG
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"There will be plenty of time to know that one character," he said as he looked down at the huge book open in front of him on the lecture stand atop the small stone dais.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpuSQT6cYY
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I take a look at the small library filled with tall bookshelves. The gray walls of the castle and the bookshelves seem to be one and the same, as if they carved the shelves on the wall. There were all sorts of books, and one thing they had in common was that they had pretty bright colours like the butterflies that flew around the room. Each colour had its own bookshelf, so that meant there were six bookcases in the circular room.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkOoyWiFw9
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Bob stood in front of me on the dais with a black board behind him. The board looked like it was etched into the stone wall, with two of the book cases that held the blue and red coloured books standing on either side. On the four edges of the board, tiny green creepers with tiny white flowers grew out, making it look decorative.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECbnjGXjXr
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The black board has the ancient alphabet written on it. We started working on that yesterday. As much as learning something new is exciting, it can sometimes be annoying, depending on who is teaching you. Bob just happens to be one of those people.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWg0M2Icji
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The language had twenty-six letters. But in this instance, Bob likes to refer to them as characters. They reminded me of Chinese characters, except that they weren't.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6iphXw0V0
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"Okay, I should say you're pretty good at pronouncing most of them," said Bob as he looked at me.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8Jpgs3XqJ
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"That's good, isn't it?" I asked as I sat on the only wooden desk in the room.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwCMZnPahX
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"It is, but I want you to practice writing them down too. Consider that homework and hand it in tomorrow morning."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKblEqDwmWV
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Homework. Great. I tried to put up a smile for him, though I felt the edges of my mouth twitch.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4Lx3WaObt
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Bob closes the book, and I know it's his cue to leave. The words on the black board were quickly erased by the green butterflies. A question soon came to mind.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWGj2r5Gwn
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"I have a question," I said, catching him off guard. He sighed.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0trdXyeP4Q
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"I thought for this lesson you weren't going to ask anything."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvTb0ls8RI
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"It's just the second session. Besides, you can't blame me for yesterday, can you?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJJGxctwCy
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He shrugged his shoulders, admitting it. My first lesson yesterday in my room was tough. It's not easy learning a new language, and I had a lot of questions that focused a lot on pronunciation.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiIxLddLF2
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"What do you want to ask, Diana?" Bob asked, his eyes squarely focused on me.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshLKX6SNnI
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"When will I be able to go home? I feel a lot better now. And I'm starting to feel this time difference between my world and yours might be a little sketchy."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQ8CVWTatZ
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"Don't worry; you'll be surprised when you get back how much time has passed. You want to leave us so soon? I thought you liked the place."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtmdfsGwhU
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"That was until you people decided I couldn't get out by keeping me hostage." I made sure to glare at him.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1v0qQcJ5MV
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"We’re doing this for your protection, Diana."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtQhUT9aB6
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"Protection from who exactly? Lord Vandell?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuON5E65eH
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Bob knew where I was going with this as he took the book from the stand and made his way down the dais. "Stella will be here shortly. Make sure you do your assignment."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWxIOGYmvU
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"Yes, I will," I answered, doing my best not to sound disappointed.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHcaklVgA0
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I could feel Bob’s eyes on me as he stopped by the door. I turned to look at him, and his expression surprised me a little. He looked a little disappointed, too.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJHPIg3Cuk
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"I know how much you want to go out there and see the place, but I can assure you that we’re doing all we can to make sure you at least get a trip around the island. Only if it's safe."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHTgO4grlk
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"And when will that be? If you ask me, the world is already a dangerous place. What makes it any different when I’m out there?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlYXZTdjWn
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Bob smiled now. He knew I was trying to coax him into telling me what was going on. "You’ll know soon enough."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3y6bTK1xrf
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I groaned as he opened the door and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I lean my chin on my hands laid flat on the desk, wondering why the world is so unfair to me. What is it about me that they have to keep me locked up here like an animal?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60eyF3P2Cn
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Besides, I feel so much better now after taking the medicine and getting a good night’s sleep. I was able to move around on my own without holding the wall, and my body ached a little less. If I had it in me, I was going to run out of the castle as soon as I woke up. The High Order must have thought of that, because when I stepped out of my room this morning, Bob and two other guards in purple robes greeted me. Yeah, they have everything covered.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnog5Z2k3yW
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Mopping on my desk isn’t going to help me get ready for the next lesson, so I lift myself off of it and head towards the only window in the room. Unlike my bedroom window, I now had a view of the town down the hill, close to the seaport. How I wish I could go there. Escaping is no option, as I could tell the guards were standing outside.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJj6yRbOQhj
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I continue to look down at the beautiful scenery below when I hear the door open behind me. I turn and find Stella walking into the room, and she isn’t alone.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7NCPjYcts
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Ryan’s lookalike cousin, Raymond, also walks in.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡki5e0vf1Mj
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"Morning, Diana," she greeted as she went up to the dais. I notice she has a big blue book in her hands. "I see you’re doing much better."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4rAgYfdWs
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"Bitter medicine works best," I said as I slowly started to get back to my desk. I turn to Raymond. "Hello," I greeted him.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoODLSgwSNe
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"Hi," he said, looking away quicker than expected. What’s his problem?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFyn9l9OMl
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"Okay," Stella says, turning to the blackboard, blinding herself from the sparks between Raymond and me. "Take your seat, Diana, so that we can begin today’s lesson."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnlMge6NVg
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I give Raymond a look before I sit back down on my desk. He didn’t even look at me. Wait a minute.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SHPkdhycp
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I turn to Stella. "Is Raymond learning with me today?" I ask.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aTEipG93m
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Stella turns to look at me, and I hadn’t realized that she had written something on the board with blue chalk. She wrote the word "Elements" in cursive handwriting. Elements? This is interesting.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgWQ4t5Z3P
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"Uh, yes, he is," Stella nervously answered, which she tried to hide with a chuckle. "He’ll be helping me with a simple exercise."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5xdbFIaDs
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"Exercise?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkuGZ4ehIy
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"Yes. Remember when you were in the maze and you had to use the stones to help fight Pug?" I gave a quick nod. "Well," she continued, "today we’ll be trying to figure out which of those stones—we call them elements—suits you best."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEdQ4gZaVh
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"I was able to use all of them," I said, as I quickly recapped the incident. "Doesn’t that mean something?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBUqgLOsLk
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"That was only because those stones were designed for you to make use of at the time. Sometimes, when you run out of energy, we use the stones as a power boost or to amplify the power that you lack. More on that later. The reason why we need to know which element works well for you is to know which is your primary or strongest element and which is your secondary."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuMCQTj5pb
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Stella turned to the book in front of her and opened it. In a flash, the six coloured stones similar to the ones I used last time floated out of the book and up in the air, forming a circle. The stones looked a little larger than before.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcA9F1iGz9N
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"I hope you can recall the elements that you used in your fight." Stella looked at me with a smile. "Could you tell me what each stone represents?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeTEjWxfke
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The first stone my eyes fall upon is the red one. "The red stone is the fire element. The blue is water. The green must be nature, since I remember using the vines to tie themselves around Pug. The orange is earth. As for the purple and the yellow, I’m not sure. All I remember is making weapons out of them, and the yellow produced a dazzling light."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VAge0c28n
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"Great, you know most of the elements. However, I should mention that the green stone not only deals with nature but also with wind, which is a part of it. For the earth stone, it not only deals with the ground itself, but whatever metals and minerals lie in it."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCGfIHXVwz
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"Metals?" I asked. "Does that mean I can create a silver spoon if I need to?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK845wzlUXR
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"Yes, but let’s not get carried away with ourselves. You need to be a natural-born wielder of the earth element to pull that off. And it takes a great amount of skill."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWkgrOKW5v
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I give a shy nod and continue to look at Stella attentively.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhggC3ob8sU
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"The yellow stone is the light element." Stella pointed it out with her finger. It broke away from the circle and floated on its own to the side. "Like in the maze, you produced a dazzling light, blinding Pug. But it can also produce lightning, which you can use to attack your opponent."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nePXENwU7
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"Lightning?" My eyes must have bulged out of their sockets because I noticed Raymond shake his head like I was some immature amateur learning something new.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UQgX9DsID
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"Yes. I’m not sure if you can recall blocking Pug’s fire bolts with your hand the first time you did it."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDed1zVf6f
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"I thought I used fire back then. And didn’t the rod bring up a shield?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWbzVTwEQl
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"Yes, well, at that point, you countered using a ball of lightening, and then you popped up the shield due to the impact."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3MWKCoR6w
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"Okay. Does the light element always bring up a shield like it did?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdWI7g0Iht
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"Yes. All other elements, when used the right way, can help you form shields and weapons of different kinds."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxTdts7bDq
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I heard Raymond mutter something under his breath, and that made me slowly turn to look at him. I can tell what he said is full of malice. He isn’t that hard to read.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCMJsVsclg
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Stella continues as if nothing is going on. "Coming to the purple stone, it will be a bit of a surprise to you." She poked at it, and just like the yellow stone, it floated away from the others and stood next to its counterpart. "This is called the shadow stone."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLerWQuK0aa
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"Shadow?" I raised an eyebrow. "If it’s a shadow stone, shouldn’t it be black?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQH6dOsDdh7
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"Yes, basically it should, but this isn’t the case because the black stone already has its own purpose. It's the same with the light stone being yellow and not white. We’ll come to the white and the black stones later."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZR7C9bdiFR
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"There are the white and black stones?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23OVNEjfXU
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"Yes. It’s where these colours, or, let me say, elements, originate from. I think you must have learned at school about how all the colours derive from the white colour."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3Je2e7g4L
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"Yes, I do. When you explain it like that, it makes sense. But as far as I know, black is the absence of colour."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZzYwUb0VP
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"Well, in this case, we aren’t just talking about colours, but elements. All this comes from a much deeper perspective, which you’ll learn about later. Now back to the stones. We’ve familiarized ourselves with them; now all we need to know is your primary element."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bUkgULL75
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With a gesture of her hand in mid-air, the purple and yellow stones grouped back together with the rest of the other stones. Stella gestured with her other hand, telling me to approach the dais. I did as instructed, and with the stones in between us, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSa64UozmBy
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"Now don’t be scared," said Stella, sounding very calm. "What we will do is a very simple exercise. I want you to reach your right hand out. Once you do, each stone will read you, and one of them will fly into your palm. That will be your primary element."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5U3RK75UO
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This seems weird. What if all the stones decide not to pick me? If they don’t, then there will probably be something wrong with me, right?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aIUSOK3t5
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Not wasting any time, I hold my right hand up, my palm facing the stones. I don’t know how long this is going to take, but the stones simultaneously start to glow like Christmas light bulbs. I bet this means they are doing their reading. Stella stood there, watching the stones. I know Raymond is looking on too, but I can’t think about him now, though I could feel his eyes pierce the back of my head like daggers.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeE5ClvCyV
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I started to feel warmth coming from the stones. It’s comforting at first, but then it starts to get hotter and hotter while the stones glow brighter and brighter. I could feel my palm get so hot that it started to hurt. I dropped my hand as I yelped in pain. It’s as if I had touched a boiling pot straight from the blazing flames of a charcoal brazier.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxTgZ4E7zd
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"Diana, are you okay?" Stella asked.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvQqnRDPBK
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I whip my hand in the air, trying to get it to cool. Later on, I held my palm up to blow air out of my mouth. It's red and throbbing with pain. I hear Raymond come close to look at my burnt palm. Stella rushed down the dais and gently took hold of my hand. She placed her palm above mine, and soon a small, colourless orb formed on my palm. I felt a cooling effect afterwards.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpWGM18JFo
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"Hold that for a while," she said. "It will help cool the hand."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3K9Yb7qhC8
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"What could have caused this?" Raymond asked.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDZ6BKHoYy
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Stella looked at the stones in front of me as I answered, "they don’t like me, that’s why."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKuqaEjB28
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"No, it can’t be that," said Stella. I noticed the look on her face as she looked at the stones. "It’s supposed to happen naturally. One of the stones should fly into your palm. The secondary stone comes afterwards."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBbkc2FjId
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The orb in my hand melted like balm, and the pain soon subsided. My palm didn’t hurt, though there was some stinging.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvo81EloLu
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"Diana, did something happen when you held up your hand?" she asked, looking at me.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPH62QogHeK
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"Nothing. I did as you said. Apart from getting burned."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeXcyZFK6A
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"Okay, we’ll try again."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmu4etI9jN
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I gulped as I didn’t find the voice to argue. What if my whole hand gets lit on fire?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVq2RiZObIu
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Stella goes back up the dais, and Raymond comes to whisper in my ear:384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQwDCWFFHN
384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkP3Gv3hkWp
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"Don’t be scared. Just relax."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4jwt1UgDt
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He soon backed away, but it’s like his essence still lingered beside me. That must be the shadow element at work. I rubbed the thought away and looked up at Stella. She gave a nod of her head, telling me to go ahead. After taking a deep breath, I held up my right palm. The stones glowed again. This is it.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPthGLbOwvb
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I felt it. The daggers at the back of my head that I had felt earlier. So, it wasn’t what I thought at first. I dropped my hand in an instant, and the pain stopped.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeeohb3ji7
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"What is it?" Stella asked.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOs6LUpsZO
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"You asked me earlier if I had felt something before," I answered. "At first I thought it was this thing you feel when people are staring at you, but I felt it again. Like daggers at the back of my head. Is that normal?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0viCxcZxBi
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"Well," Stella rubbed her hands together, "people experience different things. For some, it's so fast and simple that they don’t feel anything. Some, like you, feel the back of their heads or their palms burning. What I don’t understand is why it took so long for any of the stones to respond and fly into your hand the first time."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHL1oz0t1NE
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I shrug my shoulders. "It’s like I said. Maybe they don’t like me."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlya4CwvQBT
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Stella sighed. She looked at me like a child who didn’t like to comply with anything, finding it hopeless to try and convince me. "Let’s try this again. And this time, when your hand starts to burn, don’t drop it."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiEvDuF8xb
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"But what if I can’t take it?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTstZI8wNqz
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Stella didn’t know how to answer that, as she remained silent. If I were her, I wouldn’t know what to say either. I saw her give Raymond a warning look. I bet that's why he's here.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktwuujk7pU
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Likewise, I took deep breaths and held up my hand, and the stones glowed just like before. The feeling of daggers at the back of my head came back, and soon enough, my palm slowly started to get warm, then hot. I continued to look at the stones, hoping that one of them would fly to my hand, but they kept glowing, and the heat kept increasing with each passing minute.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQemFgfzm8r
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My palm starts to feel red-hot like before, but then I remember that I’m not supposed to drop it. Easier said than done. My left hand quickly holds the wrist of my right. I felt like I was in a furnace as my body started to feel hot.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU02MQRAByl
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The pain at the back of my head kicked up a notch, and for a second there, I felt my head jerk back like someone had grabbed my short hair and pulled. I winced in pain at both the burning on my hand and the pain at the back of my head. For how long am I going to take this?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg14KVHnaCd
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"Hold on a little longer, Diana," said Stella.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIKecCaFOZ
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It’s painful for me to even reply, as I felt a jerk in my head and my neck bent a little. I keep telling myself to hold on. But I feel like dropping my hand with each second that passes.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4EAMXR48C
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I close my eyes as I now feel the scorching heat on my hand, like it's been lit on fire. I yell. The pain is unbearable, and I just want all of this to stop.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQ47illyna
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"I can’t do it, Stella!" I cry out.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72kzd4UIXV
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I’m not sure if she said anything, but I felt my head pull back a little, and I was afraid my neck would break. Why is all this happening? I’m afraid to even open my eyes, but when I do, I see a rainbow of colours flying all around me, changing shape everywhere I look. Am I still in the library? I'm finding it hard to tell.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpO6uAKlgAe
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I try to look at the stones with my hand still outstretched, and I see them glowing brighter than before. The colours that were flying all around me came from the stones themselves. My hand is burning hot now, and I thought this was it. I can’t take it any longer. Should I still be doing this?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXJrXuSMrn
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"Accept."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexBow3Dl4m
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Who said that? Is that Stella or Raymond? It didn’t sound like any of them. Who else is here?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKP4QxGGIBY
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"Accept. Accept everything."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSh1ntOvrN
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Before I knew it, my neck bent back even more, and my head felt like it was about to split open. My whole body felt like it was on fire. Have I been thrown into the blazing fires of hell?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcdP3Pu6Ao
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I screamed in agony, and I thought I was going to die.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mwsKsyv9I
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Images soon flashed before my eyes: a line of trees, snow on the ground, and a woman with her red, blazing eyes. I'm looking into a dark, empty space, but there was someone standing there. The hooded figure turned to me, and I saw the skull face of Death. The image changes again, and I'm back home. My mum is looking down at me with a smile as she calls out my name. More images kept flashing before me, like I was reliving my entire life, some in a fast blur. Then there came flashes of images that I had never seen before. Like I had been staring at photos on a screen, the images slowed bit by bit of a place I had never seen before. The place is beautiful, filled with trees and flowers and green grass all around. This is where all the flashing stopped. I am looking at the beautiful scenery when suddenly a butterfly appears in sight and lands on my nose. I could actually feel it. Likewise, I gasp like I have been woken from a dream and realize all of this is real. The tree leaves rustled in the gentle breeze of the wind that I felt blow by. And the smell of the fresh grass is something extraordinary. Not to mention the colourful flowers of different kinds all around.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzzLad6KjS
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The butterfly takes to the air, and it’s then that I notice its colours. One wing is white with small black spots. The other is black with white spots. I have never seen such a butterfly in my life. I follow it, and as soon as I turn around, in front of me stands a tree. Likewise, I look around and feel there’s something different about it. There are other beautiful trees around, but this one seems the biggest with its strong, wide, and sturdy trunk. Not to mention that its leaves were the greenest I have ever seen.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXvOprfp0t
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The black and white butterfly continues to fly towards the tree, and I follow. As soon as I am under its huge canopy, I feel a strong aura in the air. It feels comforting. It's like when you walk through the front door of your house after such a long day and are just grateful to be home. I look around, and it’s then that I hear a few birds chirping in the tree. I look up and find birds of all types high up in branches, looking down at me. The sight of them brings a smile to my face. I look around for the butterfly, and I see it has landed on the tree’s sturdy trunk. Likewise, I walk over to it, and when I get close, I stretch out my hand and touch the tree’s trunk. The feel of its hardness under my skin was something I’ve never experienced before; it's like there’s nothing that can be compared to it. Ever. I felt something as well, like a sort of vibration. Why did I have a weird feeling like it was trying to tell me something?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8owww84uef
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"Accept," came a whisper.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63x9gTr4SY
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I almost jump in fright and look around. There’s nobody there. The leaves rustle above me, and the birds become silent.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLUiMyra7N
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"Accept everything," came the voice again. The voice is coming from behind the tree.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxzDSrQ0C3
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As though on cue, the butterfly flapped its wings and took to the air, going around the tree. I follow it, and immediately I do, I’m shocked to see what’s in front of me.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRmMTeULlg
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Behind the tree is a whole different landscape. Grey clouds filled the sky, giving the place a dull gray look. There is no grass, but hard, cracked ground like that of a very dry desert. There are also dead, thin-looking trees. I turn to look at the tree beside me, and it’s like half of the tree that I thought was so sturdy now looks shriveled up. There were thin-looking branches holding a few shriveled, dead leaves.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWe20CYJj8
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I look at the devastation in front of me, as there is nothing beautiful in sight and the endless desert land stretches out for miles. I turn to the large tree beside me, and it’s like I stood in between the living and the dead. This scenery is one I’ve never seen before. I feel like I’m in a painting where you can clearly see the demarcation between the two sides.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vkyM5Thin
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"Accept it all," came a whisper. This time, the voice came right behind me.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIIZ6boGRw
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I turn around, and I find an antique full-length mirror with a gold frame standing in between the line that separated the two sides. How did it get there? I looked in the mirror, and what spooked me was my reflection. I approach the mirror slowly, trying to understand what I’m seeing.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCdWuWsTX1
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Not only that, but I notice the scenery in the mirror is similar to the one behind me, but the reflection didn't move like I did as I approached. And her eyes were closed. I must be looking at a picture, but something told me it was a mirror.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyJULjTGdA
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When I get close, I notice the image that looks like me wearing a long dress, like those that princesses wear in fantasy movies. It’s made of the finest silk, with one half of the dress being black and the other half white. Beautiful sliver embroidery decorated both the long sleeves of the dress and the hem. Below the dress is a hue of black and white. Around the dress’ neckline were colourful tiny beads sewed in with the silver embroidery, and they had the six colours with which I am familiar.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2ffgB68Ns
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I look straight at the person in the mirror—if I can call her that—and she has her eyes closed. I wonder if she’s sleeping. She just stood there with her arms by her sides. I continue to stand there, thinking of what to do.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDUtisEVhW
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I come a little closer, and I stretch out my right hand to touch the mirror to see if all this is just an illusion. At the same time, she lifts her hand like you do when you look in the mirror. This surprises me. Is she truly my reflection?384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30qp9r4fLB
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I pause with my hand still lifted. Then, all of a sudden, her eyes flew open, and I took a step back, dropping my hand. She’s awake. Her hand is still outstretched, and I notice that she’s holding something. Whatever it is, it’s enclosed in her fingers.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBifRqicGyA
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I look at the person who looks like me, and I notice her eyes are filled with all sorts of colours swirling and dancing around in the small sphere of her irises. She looks like me, but is she me? Her hair is far longer than mine, as it reaches her shoulders, while mine is more of an afro.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSS86vzcsK
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"Accept," she said loud and clear in my voice.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlJzzo68z5
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She turns her hand to open her palm, and in it are two glowing orbs, not as big as golf balls, swirling around her palm in a circle. They glowed like precious stones as they swirled, not touching each other.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrs5xU0VnlO
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"Accept it," she urged on. "Accept it all."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsg3fkC3sQU
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I look at her and then back at the two orbs. "What is all this?" I ask. "What am I dealing with?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Coa5Voyo7
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"You will never know until you accept them," she said as she gestured at the orbs.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8ATCPFWJp
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I approach her and slowly bring out my hand, palm up. She stretches out hers, and it extends out of the mirror. She laid the two stones on my palm. They continued to swirl around, and I could feel their buzzing energy. It’s scary because I could feel my hand start to burn in an instant.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINAjP13iOY
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"What should I do now?" I asked my lookalike in the mirror.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡof891mb17s
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She smiled at me as she clasped her hands together and answered, "all that is up to you."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahHP9ZOIYD
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Before I could say anything, the orbs glowed so brightly that it’s all I can see. The next thing I know, I hear Stella calling out to me.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9KztPjbqz
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"Diana, can you hear me?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbbD748CWJ
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I open my eyes, and I’m back in the small library. I look around, hoping to see the half-good, half-bad landscape and the girl in the antique mirror, but no. I’m back on Butterfly Island.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQm2kT3IE6B
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"Are you okay?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4ndeopnTy
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I look up at the dais, and Stella is there like I left her. I turned to the door, and Raymond stood there too. He had a weird look on his face, and I started to wonder what had happened.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8J4V7TJXsq
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"I’m fine," I found myself answering.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmpaBcR0Vr
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"You can put your hand down," said Stella.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTb4AJoz77
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I hadn’t noticed that my right hand was still outstretched, and my left hand was still holding my right wrist. My hand is still burning, but not like before. I felt something move around in my palm, with my fingers enclosed in whatever I was holding. I turned my hand to open it, and there they were. Two black and white orbs dance around on my palm in circles, not touching each other.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFavsxWDcoo
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My mouth falls open, and I look up at Stella, who can’t believe what she’s seeing.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKJhWvefTT
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"Stella," I almost stammered. "What does this mean?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgIYMoCmrs
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She doesn’t answer at first as she looks at the orbs in my hand. She shakes her head and, likewise, quickly runs down the dais towards me, grabbing my hand to look at the orbs.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnEJ0PQDl3
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"This is unbelievable," she said as she looked at me in surprise. Raymond comes over to see this for himself. "The others will not believe this."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCDdQlzzXv
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"You haven’t answered my question, Stella," I said. "What does this mean?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqSf4KVGeC
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"It means you can control all six elements," she said.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zbS9t784c
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I shake my head in confusion. "What?"384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIB5b5Pf8hB
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I turn to Raymond, waiting for him to say something. I know he can’t lie to me.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDW8mhpiyW
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"It’s true," he says. "You naturally control all six."384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhTawx7LkO
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I looked down at my open palm, and the orbs continued to spin around in my hand. This is a lot to take in.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayqFkYhKe6
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I can control all six elements?8964 copyright protection380ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uaN3WsOrF 維尼

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