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Diana's P.O.V:416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrPv3dtx0U
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Five years ago,416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lkxgj6ZaX
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Butterfly Island416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kBG9qmcut
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPudW1j6eSg
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"Okay, okay, stop," he said.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPr9hSXIdFU
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"Huh?" I looked at him from where I sat. "I thought I almost had it."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqimDbxMMd
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KEvdpcEbZ
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwTIKSAHxP
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayzhnLylqH
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIi4EZJ2c9U
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDpRbPQ0TR
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"Okay, I should say you're pretty good at pronouncing most of them," said Bob as he looked at me.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SRCctJ4Pv
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"That's good, isn't it?" I asked as I sat on the only wooden desk in the room.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPb4zfoTUU
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcel6BPzXJ
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Homework. Great. I tried to put up a smile for him, though I felt the edges of my mouth twitch.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8c671qAN96
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOXQuxjKQl
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"I have a question," I said, catching him off guard. He sighed.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnqc4Plm22
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"I thought for this lesson you weren't going to ask anything."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nkvTRwVQF
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"It's just the second session. Besides, you can't blame me for yesterday, can you?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAIQTK93bR
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQGtgUXIQz
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"What do you want to ask, Diana?" Bob asked, his eyes squarely focused on me.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0hO8rzYVe
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxx4vcTnOIL
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQbXT8RJdE
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFU9oRGjNX
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"We’re doing this for your protection, Diana."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSuO2SPUa7
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"Protection from who exactly? Lord Vandell?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCa4GvKHpW
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAg16p60JJV
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"Yes, I will," I answered, doing my best not to sound disappointed.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvGzArkNNQ
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOzMKhr2Xf
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQard82qHhD
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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?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aTmyR7HgX
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZWDYlf5ci
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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?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlcnOFRs91
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9auVxRuFx
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKa5090UWz5
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqJPyYCPPc
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Ryan’s lookalike cousin, Raymond, also walks in.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjrFjPRbzV
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zQG0lzuyG
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOLLg6YPwh
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"Hi," he said, looking away quicker than expected. What’s his problem?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3fa5l2o8t
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWonEATgeF
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51HlAtxiSg
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I turn to Stella. "Is Raymond learning with me today?" I ask.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgML0JJGMh
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcFnpBHsbO
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwNRwMiWdP
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"Exercise?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbh4DjxWdCI
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNBGtf6NIG
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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?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzeK5qnhTk
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVqzLq8dL9
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7adC1GxmKu
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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?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53kkzNdq5U
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuCwt1PvkN
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtbZhGpMsg
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"Metals?" I asked. "Does that mean I can create a silver spoon if I need to?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7eB5lDjQe
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHtbCplCX9
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I give a shy nod and continue to look at Stella attentively.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzQUuoBu2J
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcwBCpZMiF
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ld0LKz3Zx
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSDRzfZqrN
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"I thought I used fire back then. And didn’t the rod bring up a shield?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZc7x47h69W
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRdHKllwp3
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"Okay. Does the light element always bring up a shield like it did?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraeHTf0nax
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"Yes. All other elements, when used the right way, can help you form shields and weapons of different kinds."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ILqqv8YRw
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAU8Dh6esi
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpbMv6M6T6
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"Shadow?" I raised an eyebrow. "If it’s a shadow stone, shouldn’t it be black?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ915pOwwNbz
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0s6rGfSRj9
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"There are the white and black stones?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWNR2tdOdb
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5paq46iDq
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzun1RnFuB
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxHcOvtUkF
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9U8xhjvXYJ
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq29K7GSNmO
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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?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoZ6NOdp3c
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TZitVhrZz
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaEyLl62Ix
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"Diana, are you okay?" Stella asked.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRfWdJCd5g
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkan6Ur2dxg
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"Hold that for a while," she said. "It will help cool the hand."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHp1gElRVc
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"What could have caused this?" Raymond asked.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg43O5PjBL
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Stella looked at the stones in front of me as I answered, "they don’t like me, that’s why."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4DpXQrTGH
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPg33zcrwt
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvmcI7J9Sb
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"Diana, did something happen when you held up your hand?" she asked, looking at me.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCpi1HaWQ9
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"Nothing. I did as you said. Apart from getting burned."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqJZlothfh
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"Okay, we’ll try again."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8AVB0K0RP
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I gulped as I didn’t find the voice to argue. What if my whole hand gets lit on fire?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrgkqy0cM8
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Stella goes back up the dais, and Raymond comes to whisper in my ear:416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bNFEj716W
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"Don’t be scared. Just relax."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArhsXaGvlj
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4wDBgPzEC
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Mcys7bj1N
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"What is it?" Stella asked.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCYRvRujcp
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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?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiMEnIsbG3
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlcbVE9MuJ
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I shrug my shoulders. "It’s like I said. Maybe they don’t like me."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTo3h82mpJn
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOEQ11y1g3
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"But what if I can’t take it?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0hMQ6O6eM
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQERGfpV4r
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtb64FyF5bw
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrVYqOKDeL
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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?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBzmeR1tfV
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"Hold on a little longer, Diana," said Stella.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3xcIGyHIQ
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeawQpoajsd
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIrUvX9rRF
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"I can’t do it, Stella!" I cry out.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVX5dzqrixt
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqqaThzzg8
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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?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5P3Xu43yX
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"Accept."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSVc0F1aFj
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Who said that? Is that Stella or Raymond? It didn’t sound like any of them. Who else is here?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpi92wblfR
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"Accept. Accept everything."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69eV7IYCV1
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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?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0c97ccZ4r
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I screamed in agony, and I thought I was going to die.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtwViXdLUB
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyj0ymONYD
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6uyjxd6UX
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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?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0JvDeLLAm
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"Accept," came a whisper.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmfB6SQRa5
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyPushEQTD
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"Accept everything," came the voice again. The voice is coming from behind the tree.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIlqOEkctO
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZRr3ND58g
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7FZckOCg3
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTk9hjKpUc
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"Accept it all," came a whisper. This time, the voice came right behind me.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElNYKU8eWg
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4kTdBnDsD
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ex966z8n0
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMUYiIy1af
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPkrKq7TGi
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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?416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8F6VwU7Pnz
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjF1Vzkbm1Q
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgDXRkeRNT
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"Accept," she said loud and clear in my voice.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSqCsOYgWG
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfIUQSQo8T
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"Accept it," she urged on. "Accept it all."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZssEcs2qCR
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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?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5USrey6I0
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"You will never know until you accept them," she said as she gestured at the orbs.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8MQi1R9Xe
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrI6Bvy7E0
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"What should I do now?" I asked my lookalike in the mirror.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3VDvZ0OcT
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She smiled at me as she clasped her hands together and answered, "all that is up to you."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRdzLw3EGG
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZFI7Ephyx
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"Diana, can you hear me?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5lOQGVbiZ
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzS57ARa2HW
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"Are you okay?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVakyAyMoS
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgP8VcjeNxQ
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"I’m fine," I found myself answering.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfc0HpStLG
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"You can put your hand down," said Stella.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwHcgcANnY
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjd2E5FzTad
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My mouth falls open, and I look up at Stella, who can’t believe what she’s seeing.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbs2Tozb6F6
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"Stella," I almost stammered. "What does this mean?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEDvA53w3z
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1qRtUyMaX
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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."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCX0iMeGiB
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"You haven’t answered my question, Stella," I said. "What does this mean?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vKbOcK9RF
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"It means you can control all six elements," she said.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBk73KuoZYg
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I shake my head in confusion. "What?"416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7jbkmV3Ys
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I turn to Raymond, waiting for him to say something. I know he can’t lie to me.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNxxkQuHa8
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"It’s true," he says. "You naturally control all six."416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyJQrXLrzY
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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.416Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDsusIamdO
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I can control all six elements?8964 copyright protection412ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMV3IUlANL 維尼

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