CHAPTER FOUR – THE GIFTED (1/2)

Explosions sounded from different parts of the kingdom, welcoming the rise of the sun while everyone else still slept. It didn't take long before they realized, the kingdom was under attack. Panic ran about, almost as quickly as the sun rose. Except that it wasn't the sun, but the flames. The flames grew so tall, that the people thought it was morning. But it wasn't morning, for what kind of morning held a crescent moon? The soldiers ran about trying to quell the flames, while trying to help the people, but the culprit was yet to be found. There were so many explosions, that it felt like an army was attacking from different points. But how did an army sneak in, completely unnoticed?

The soldiers ran about, still unable to find any trace of the enemy. But the enemy wasn't an army, it was a single man. Out of the flames, came a masked man. Dressed like a ninja, he held two curved-ended swords and he reeked of bloodlust. Majestically, he approached the soldiers that stood before him. Unaware that they stood before death itself, they charged at the masked man with different fire-based abilities. Some coated themselves with fire, while others shot fire balls. But it all meant nothing before the masked man. In one swift motion, he cut through all the soldiers that were before him, faster than they could realize that they had been cut. He disappears into the flames again. And only after the masked man had left, did the soldiers all drop dead.

"Princess, you need to get up now," the handmaiden tapped the princess, who was still in bed. The handmaiden was rather calm, considering all the commotion that was happening outside. The princess turned, but refused to wake up. After incessant shaking from her handmaiden, the princess finally yielded.

"Liana, what is it again? It's not even morning yet," the princess slurred.

"The kingdom is under attack. Don't you think you should check it out?" Liana said.

"But we have soldiers. Let them handle it. I want to sleep!" the princess moaned like a little child. She looked just like Alice, except that her hair wasn't frosted, it was sooth black.

"Well, I want to sleep too and I can't with all this noise. I'm actually surprised you can. I guess you really can sleep through anything. The fact that it's been going on for this long, means that the soldiers are having a hard time with the enemy, probably a large army," Liana said, quite casually. Her and the princess always communicated like they were friends. Something the queen was always against.

The princess finally sat straight on her bed. She opened her fist and a golden ring of fire formed around her fingers. She stayed quiet for a while. "There's only one and he's on his way here. This will be over quickly," she said passively. In one motion, she clenched her fist, extinguishing her ring of fire. In a swirling motion, she spread her hands apart, with one above her and below, drawing a large, golden ring of fire, one bigger than her. As she closed her hands together, the ring of fire disappeared and the masked man appeared in front of her, much to his surprise. He didn't know how he got there and he immediately took guard as he realized he wasn't alone. "Considering the fact that I saved you the trip here, could you at least let me know what you want, so I could go back to sleep?" the princess asked passively again. Liana remained surprisingly calm.

"Princess Heress, I presume. You'll be coming with me," the masked man said. He dashed at her but found himself in the midst of the fire outside again. He looked around to find he was alone. Neither Heress nor Liana were anywhere in sight.

"I couldn't have you destroy my room. I still need to sleep tonight," Heress said. She created a ring of golden flames within her fingers again. As she rose her hand above her head, it began to suck in all the flames around her until all the flames disappeared. Seconds later, a large explosion was heard, way up in the sky.

"You sent the flames to the clouds?" the masked man asked, completely awestruck.

"Well, I had to take care of that first," Heress replied. "So, who are you and what do you want?" she was met with silence. The masked man readied to attack, as he rose his swords with attacking intent. "Oh, are you of the idea that you can beat me? Is this how much I'm being belittled now?" Heress said with a smirk. "Let me show you what you're up against." The masked man charged at her but stopped halfway as he felt a terrifying aura from Heress. And there and then, he felt the most powerful aura he had ever encountered. He wouldn't be able to hold a candle before her. At that realization, he dropped his swords in surrender and took of his mask.

"I am Zora, my lady," he bowed.

***

Right before Alice, atop the 'Christ the redeemer statue', stood Zora. His face was just as she remembered, but in a long amber coat and a hat. He was tall and his long brown hair peeked from the side of his hat. His hazel eyes gleamed as he walked towards Alice. "Zora, you're alive? How do I even know you?" Alice asked.

"Reincarnated, actually. Just like you," Zora said as he bowed, taking off his hat as well. "You're having memories that you can't explain, right? That's because they are not yours. They're for Heress, the goddess of whom you are her reincarnate."

"Excuse me? Did you say goddess?" Alice was flabbergasted. A huge shadow is cast from above them, forcing them to look above. Behold, the 'angel' was above them, watching with scorn in its eyes.

"It seems my presence poses a threat. We'll meet some other time, when your memories of being a queen returns and not just your time as a lady. Until then, farewell, my lady," Zora said as he let himself fall backwards off the statue. Alice chased after him, but as she got to the end, she couldn't find any trace of Zora. It was as if he was never there. Did she imagine him again? She looked up to still see the 'angel', still there. He stared at her intensively, almost as if saying 'I'm watching you'. After a few seconds, he flew away.

Alice transported herself back to her room and went straight to the mirror. "Tell me everything you know, now!" Alice demanded.

"Like Zora said, my memories are incomplete," Heress replied.

"Tell me everything you remember then."

"I am Heress, the goddess of space. You are a reincarnation of me," Heress said.

"How is that possible?"

"I can't remember, but I do know that, you are not the only one. There are other god reincarnates alive now, but I still can't remember anyone yet. But the more we bond, the more I remember."

"What do you mean, bond?" Alice asked, skeptically.

"Me… taking over your body," Heress replied, reluctantly.

"Oh my God. How did this happen? What's going to happen to me?" Alice was panicking. She had just discovered that she was stepping on a landmine that would explode, the moment she takes her feet off. But the problem was, she wasn't in control of her feet. Which means, she had no idea when she would lose everything. Without realizing, tears start to roll from her eyes. "I'm going to die, right?"

"I don't know. Or maybe, I just don't remember. But I know you triggered my consciousness by drawing your circle on the mirror. But I was always bound to happen anyway," Alice sunk into her bed as those words pierced through her head. She had caused her own doom.

"How long do I have?" Alice asked.

"I don't know. But I might know someone who does. A name has been resounding in my head since you summoned me and I'm sure it's probably been ringing in yours too," Heress said.

"The Gifted. For years now. Who is this gifted anyway? I feel as though I've met her before?" Alice said much to Heress's surprise.

"Her? How do you know it's a her?" Heress asked.

"I don't know. I just---" Alice said but was interrupted.

"When was the first time you heard that name?" Heress asked.

"Last year, I think. Around the time my powers first manifested. Why?"

"Was there a time you used your powers that you can't pick out the details?"

"How would I remember that?" Alice chuckled. But then it hit her. The incident that they were all talking about. "There was one time. There were people that claim, I saved them with my power, but I can't remember anything."

"How many of them are female?"

"Erica and …Auron." And then, memories of her and Auron ran through her head. Memories she never knew she had. She and Auron were best of friends??? How? She couldn't remember anything before now. Why? And then, words she couldn't remember saying were at the tips of her lips. "Ma'an ilal abaad," Alice muttered.

"Together forever. That was what Liana used to say to me. How do you know that?"

"It's the same thing Auron said when I first showed her my powers… Oh my God, I've had this power for a long time now. How couldn't I remember?" Alice was devastated. Memories that she didn't know existed continued to flood her memories.

"I think you know who has the answers you're looking for."