System unlocked.
"Shino!" Zyda gasped in shock. She had no idea about his business with her and besides he had never talked to him apart from the cold gazes he gave her previously in the training room. His expression was grave, veins of bitterness also appeared on his temples. His shoulders that were slightly hunched perfectly portrayed the charter on his left shoulder. For sure he had a perfect sculpture of beauty.
"You gonna pay for this!" he hissed casting her a disdained look. He closed the distance between them and cornered her on the bed.
"You ruined the academy, then you've hurt Yurie? I'll keep a close eye on you! got it?" he pointed an index finger at her, clearly boiling with anger. Then he turned to leave, but he stopped midway and warned her, "Stay away from Yurie!" he left the room slamming the door behind him.
"Y... Yurie is hurt?" she sat on the bed anxiously. She was still in shock from the sudden encounter with Shino.
"But... why?..why didn't she say anything to me....?"
The necklace suddenly hovered above her and then with silent bling, Winx appeared.
"No time for sadness. We got business to do."
"Whoosh" the duo vanished and then emerged in space.
"Welcome to Avast!. The core to your energies!" a soft female voice robotically informed.
Zyda had her body whirled and tethered in space. She felt a bit dizzy though painless. She then heard the same robotic voice in her mind, "System unlocked!" displayed on a green screen that appeared in front of her while she floated in the air. She checked her body and noticed the blue glow lines and the white hair strands that frayed on her forehead but she felt her body and had control of it.
In a blink, she was back in her room. She thought she was there for hours but in reality, they were just seconds. A screen popped up with a buzzing sound. Zyda perused the screen content.
Status: Elementalist Level 1
Cultivation Level: level 2
Physical state: weak
Skills: none
Hint: Use Avast.
Hints left: 4
Time left: 40:10secs
"Hmm.. avast?... Avast." she thought out loud, she tapped her chin slightly in thought. Zyda recalled the robotic voice that welcomed her to Avast.
"I guess I should focus on something," she quickly looked around the room in search of something to focus on.
She opted for a book, placed it on the table and focused harder on the book for some time but nothing worked.
"Not working!" she sighed frustratingly. "Maybe meditation. I hope it works," she whispered.
Zyda then sat on the floor with her legs crossed and tried to focus. Within seconds, she felt strong energy surging in her body that slowly penetrated her soul causing the transformations in her body. Like an instinct, she opened her eyes for the transformation was complete. She stared at herself in the mirror with astonishment.
"This is how I look?" she blinked at the reflection in the mirror. She caressed the white hair which had replaced her black hair. She then wiggled her fingers to test her magic, a blue light came out of them and then it vanished. She tried flicking her fingers and she was back to normal.
"I did it," she thought.
The necklace then hovered around her vigorously creating a portal for which Zyda suddenly heard a familiar male voice calling her.
"Rolam!" she called.
"Enter the portal!" the voice spoke. Zyda followed the voice.
As she approached the portal entrance, her clothes turned into metallic attire, like a shield of some sort but Zyda's weak torso could not sustain the heavy attire. A sword came into being as it rested on her right hand and automatically she held it but with difficulty due to its weight.
On the other side of the portal was a spacious room with various locked pastel black wooden doors that none knew where they led to. In the middle of the room stood a long black-haired boy with his backside facing Zyda. His hands behind his back, he was dressed in black baggy long trousers and a short-sleeved shirt. His physique was very muscular and firm.
"I'm so sorry," she tightened her grip around her sword as she apologized.
"It's ok Sis," Rolam turned to face her and smiled brightly.
"I got a lot to explain to you," he began, his expression turned solemn. "Let's train as I tell you," he stretched his left hand and a sword immediately appeared which he grabbed.
"Watch me!" he swung his sword skillfully maintaining his position in a circular motion.
He then jumped up high with his sword in hand, swirled in the air from right to left as though he was slash attacking his opponent. He danced with his sword in the air, his magic skills boosting his agility. Rolam ducked down, dodging an imaginary obstacle then landed down to the ground, a black robe that he hadn't worn landed on his shoulders majestically as his sword vanished with a hazy mist.
"....."
She was dumbstruck at his performance. Suddenly, a screen popped in front of her displaying a few lines.
Status: Elementalist level 2
Elemental points:5/100
Abilities: Blue magic
Zyda got the morale because a certain desire to level up developed in her heart.
"Your turn Zyd!" he solemnly stated taking a swift step backwards in a 'the stage is yours' manner.
Zyda did as she was asked. She stopped at the spot where her brother had been standing. She held her sword close to face, crouched slightly in an attacking posture. Then stood upright, jumped up in the air and twirled her sword right to left like Rolam did, ducked then landed on the ground with her sword brought back in front of her.
Rolam was astonished by this. He never imagined his sister copying and paste his agile moves yet she didn't use any magic.
Skills: 1
Elemental points: 10/100
"Well done sis," he chirruped.
Zyda did not believe that she could do it perfectly without aid but she did.
"Ok, Zyda there's a book I got to show you," Rolam opened one of the doors that revealed a portal that took them to a dim-lit room. It was a decent square clean room, a small dusted bookshelf with only one book in it. Rolam got the book and placed it on a small table that was placed in the middle of the room.
It was a middle-sized book of a large volume, maroon in colour and big black symbols of an unknown language written on it. Zyda stared at the symbols, they were arranged in a straight line.
"This book is encoded," explained Rolam to his sister. When Zyda glanced at the book, she saw the symbols coming in a place like a puzzle in the piece. Rolam busily explained but Zyda's mind focused on the book. She then read out the title loudly "Elemental System!"
"Are you even listening?" he asked slightly irritated at her sister's ignorance.
"The title of the book is elemental System!" she exclaimed pointing at the symbols imprinted on the book.
"Wait! how do you know?" he eyed her, doubt written on her face.
"Um...because-" she stuttered trying to explain the situation.
"Are you hiding something?"
"Yeah!..No!" she retorted.
"Spill it. For goodness I'm your bro!" he impatiently spurts the words.
"Ok then! I'll tell you. So there is this thing that is called an elemental system that tends to give me quests and when I do them I level up," she breathlessly explained.
"Woah! Can you show me?"
"Wait a sec! you're the one who gave me the necklace, then you told me to meet you in the garden."
"Wait! what necklace are you talking about?" he asked, confusion marring his face. He looked seriously confused and it didn't look like he feigned it.
"Wasn't it you?" she asked now more confused than her brother. It turned out that the Rolam who gave her the necklace was not Rolam at all. Then suddenly "swish" the Rolam who gave her the book vanished. Zyda discovered that she was all alone.
"Rolam!" All of a sudden once again she was back to her room lying on her bed, a maroon book beside her.
"What just happened?" she thought in a daze.
"Hello, Zyda! how was your lesson?" a tiny voice asked and it was none other than Winx.
"Winx where were you?" asked Zyda turning to face Winx.
"Oh! you wanna know? all along I was here in your room staring at you attending your illusional classes." Winx smiled but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes were icy cold.
"What you mean is that all along these were illusions?" shock filled her.
"Correct!" Winx pointed out nodding her head, with that Winx silently disappeared.
Zyda felt very down, back to the drawing board. She hadn't scored an ace, her brother was still missing. Her life was a rollercoaster for the umpteenth time. She landed her head on the pillow holding the memento necklace, sleep from nowhere claimed her.