Come with us

Nicole~

Mom told him? How was that even possible? Mom was chosen years ago and based on my recent discovery, she was either dead or managed to survived and is hiding out in the village or her group was actually taken to the goddess's cave and she had left the island.

Either way, saying she told him did not make any sense.

"Is mom on the island?"

"No, she isn't." He said, staring straight into my eyes with a serious look. I didn't like that look.

"Is she alive?" I asked, my heart beating loudly against my chest. I had a small glimmer of hope that she was in fact, not dead. Maybe my set of chosen was just unlucky and happened to encounter the monster, but it did not explain why the men in the cave did what they did.

My dad nodded his head slowly and I let out a sigh of relief that I did not know I was holding in.

"How did you meet her then if she's not on the island?" I asked him and he opened his mouth to reply me but then we heard footsteps, loud, thudding footsteps getting closer to the holding center. I had to let my dad out,we needed to leave.

"Dad, stand back." I said in panic and even though he was confused, he swiftly moved away from the iron bars. I stretched my hands towards the bar in the hope that I could use the mysterious ice powers I used back in the cave but nothing came out.

"Come on." I strained as I squeezed my eyes shut as if it would help. Back in the cave, it flowed so naturally, as if I had always had it but then it just disappeared, like it was never there. It appeared when I was on the brink on death but I did not want to be on the brink of death again to use my powers.

"What are you trying to do?" My dad asked, he looked slightly concerned, "Are you okay?"

"I'm trying to use my powers to break you out, dad." I yelled, knowing how unbelievable that sounded but the footsteps were getting closer and I was getting more desperate.

"They manifested?" He asked, sounding more elated than surprised. I opened my eyes, confused as to why he was not confused about my having powers. I was going to ask him but then then a bunch of soldiers burst into the room. It gave me a sense of deja Vu.

"Let my dad go." I said to them, "I'm a chosen."

They were not listening to me though, there were six men and with my powers going awol on me, I knew I couldn't take them on. What was I going to do if they decide to execute my dad? Would I continue to be powerless and forced to watch that?

" She's over here." One of the men yelled, probably trying to communicate with his allies outside but then that sentence made me realize, they were not here for my dad, they were here for me.

Twenty women entered the cave with three men guiding them, the men did not return, instead one of the women returned with tattered clothes and a muddy appearance. It was easy to misunderstand, it was even all the more easy to misunderstand if the cave had been ventured into and all the dead bodies were found. I did not know if I could plead my case because I completely obliterated the monster so there was no body to show.

"What do you want with me?" I asked, stepping backwards and taking a defensive stance. A million things ran through my mind, I had not completely let go of my initial suspicion, it would have been impossible for that monster to exist in the cave and no one knew about it. And the monster not attacking the men? It was too suspicious to let go of.

"Come with us, the village chief wants to see you." One of the men said and I looked back at my dad. He was calm.

Why was he calm? Why didn't he try to break down the iron bars to protect me when they made their target clear?

"What does he want with me?" I asked.

"You know the secret of the cave and you survived. He just wants to have a talk with you." He was smiling.

The secret of the cave? So it wasn't a misunderstanding? They actually knew? The village head actually chose people to venture into the cave despite knowing about the creature that lived there? My blood boiled, I was furious.

"You knew?" I asked in a low voice.

"Come, quickly. We do not want to keep him waiting."

Four extra men rushed into the room. He said they were taking me to talk but they certainly did not need ten men to restrain a single girl. If they had seen the block of ice filled with blood in the cave, it would mean they saw me as a dangerous person.

"Are you going to restrain me?" I asked, glancing at each of their belts, they each had a rope and two weapons. I did not trust them, they were probably here to kill me and dispose of me quietly. My dad was still quiet and calm. He did not look worried at all. He sounded like he knew about my powers but he should have seen that I could not use them at will with what happened with the iron bar.

"Yes, we have to. It's protocol."

Well, that's a load of bull-

"Your sister was chosen two years ago. How did that make you feel?" I recognized the man from the chosen announcements two years prior, he had been overjoyed with his sister when she was as chosen. "How did it feel sending your sister to her death?"

"You understand nothing. It was for the betterment of humanity."

Betterment of humanity? It was just the woken who were being slaughtered while the men got to live long, happy and fulfilled lives.

"I will see the village chief myself." I said and they took battle stances, it was a threat. They were telling me that it was not an option, that they were not asking for my opinion or choice in the matter.

"That's not possible." He said and I scoffed.

"Who's going to stop me? You fools who don't realize that you've been frozen in place?"

They all looked down at their feet and realized that their knees down to their feet were frozen in place, encased in solid ice, they could not move.

"Bloody hell." One of them let out, another yanked at their leg but it was to no avail as he was trapped in place. Most of them drew their weapons and struck the ice in attempts to break free, but the cold seemed to continuously numb their limbs. It was almost comical how none of them noticed the ice until I said something. "What the hell is this?!" one of them shouted, his voice shivered with cold and fear. Others twisted, kicked, even clawed at the frozen prison, but it did not budge. Their breaths came out in ragged puffs, a few exchanging wild glances, desperate for answers. I could see the realization set in through the look in their eyes, they knew that this wasn't just ordinary ice. This was something else. Something unnatural. And they had no way out.

I could have stayed and watch them squirm, trying to claw their way out but I had something else to do. I used my powers to break the iron bars by freezing it and then dismantling the ice. I ran to my dad to embrace him, he smiled and received me.

"I'm so proud of you, pumpkin." He said.

I was not sure how I was able to use my powers but I was angry, so angry that I felt my hands get cold and I just channeled that energy to freeze their legs.

"About mom..." I started and he shushed me.

"Don't you think you have something more important to do right now?" He asked and I nodded. I could ask him about her later, now, I needed to see the village chief. He broke the hug and pushed me gently to the direction of the door. " Go."

"I'll see you after, right?" I asked and he nodded, smiling brightly.

I ran out of the holding cell, towards the village chiefs place. I needed to run because I did not know if my powers would disappear again once my anger dissipates. I needed it if I was going to talk to the village chief, I was not certain what I would meet there, after all.

I got to his place and flung his door open.

" You called for me, I'm here." I yelled at the courtyard. The warriors who usually guarded his place were absent, just like the holding center and I suspected that it was a trap. My hands were still cold, I could still create frost. My confidence surged.

"Nicole." A voice called from above me and I looked up, it was him. He was smiling and looked at peace, that pissed me off. "Come in. Have a cup of tea with me. Let's talk."

I used my powers to propel me to where he was, there were still no signs of the warriors.

"There are no warriors here." He said, his voice soothing and gentle, it was as if he read my mind. "I just want to talk to you."

He placed a kettle of tea on a table and beckoned on me to sit. It was a small round table and only two chairs were present, I sat on one of them and be sat on the other. He poured me a cup of tea before he poured himself one and he took a sip. There was silence for a short period before he broke it.

"Your powers finally manifested, huh?"