§Tanya§
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"So you can produce heat...like me? That's so cool!" Trevor celebrated from my side.

We were both in Horei, sitting in Bruno's garden after deciding that we were craving some fresh magic air and unnaturally beautiful scenery.

I narrowed my eyes at him and shook my head indignantly.
"My drawing book vanished because of the stupid...power or whatever you want to call it!"

"Oh, yeah... sorry for your loss," he said dryly.

I scrunched up my face at him and pushed myself upward.

I strolled away in the distance.

I wished the light spirit would just leave my body right now.
I don't want it anymore. I don't want to be a part of this. I just want to go to school and talk with my friends and draw and learn stuff about the Earth.

Okay, maybe the world might still be in imminent danger but I wanted it to be another person inhabiting that light spirit.

It suddenly smacked me in the face and I stopped in the middle of a dense forest.

Months ago, it was I who accepted this stuff happily and easily cause I wanted to be apart of something abnormal and cool.
I remember when Trevor questioned me about it. How he was so amazed that I took everything in so easily and comfortably.

I'm barely a teenager. I might seem blunt and fierce but I was a naïve young girl. I didn't know what I was doing or thinking. I didn't get it.

Now I did and I didn't want it anymore. I just wanted my normal life back.

I sat there on the ground for a while, brooding.

When the sky turned darker and became a facinating mixture of green, gold and orange I sighed in resignation and got up.

I was so gloomy that I couldn't even appreciate the ethereal beauty of Horei.

I trudged through the forest, groping through the hanging leaves since it was after dusk.

I tried to regain my balance as some of the leaves fell off their branches and dissipated causing me to swoon.

It was an irony because the particles I inhaled gave me energy but then caused me to be dizzy.

"I'm just a kid," I sighed to myself dramatically as I felt I was nearing the garden in front of prince Bruno's palace.

"Quit the drama," a voice said from somewhere.

I jumped and found myself on the ground after I tripped.

Trevor chuckled and walked over to me with his hand out.

I took it with a scowl and he pulled me up.

We both walked together to the garden.
"I'm not being dramatic, I'm being real," I mumbled.

We both sighed surprisingly, at the same time and then paused, staring at each other.

Then we burst out laughing and smiled at each other. But soon we realized we were siblings and then scowls materialised on our faces simultaneously.

I punched him on the arm and he flinched in surprise, his mouth open in amused surprise.

Then he stuck his tongue out at me and I cackled.

"Hey guys!" Maddie yelled from afar as we emerged from the forest.

I practically heard Trevor's heart stop for a bit as a smile spread across his face.
We strolled over to the garden. They were all assembled there chatting with each other.

"Hey..." Trevor said giving her a hug and a peck on the cheek as my eyes looked anywhere but at them.

"Tanya!" Maddie said and approached me for a hug. I hugged her back and smiled sweetly. She was such an angel.

"So why're we here?" Trevor asked finally wrapping his hands around his body as a strong, chilly wind flew past causing our clothes to billow and our hair to fly around.

"Chang called us. Important stuff," Lucy informed.

As if on cue, Chang appeared in front of us.

His hair was ruffled and his tie-dye shirt was faded. He pulled the shirt downward over his sweatpants as he stared at us blankly.

"Hello spirits." His tone was monotonous and his expression was stoic.

"Sup Chang. You okay man?" Alexis asked the obvious question, scanning the unusually informal attire he donned.

Chang smiled tightly.
"I'm always fine." He waved it off.

"Where's princess Julianna?" Alexa asked, folding her arms.

I think Chang overdid the eye roll.
"She's busy with...I don't know, princess stuff? But let's all enjoy this moment that she's not around."

Well, Princess Julianna was a bit crazy though and I wasn't in a cheery mood so I could do without her today.

Chang, unlike himself, went straight to business without any bantering.

"Letting you guys see this now... it's necessary but it pains me to do so."

Chang looked round at us solemnly. Well mostly Trevor, me and the Alex twins.

"I just saw the vision in my dream and I had to wake up and show you guys. I'm sorry if I bothered you."

We told him that it was fine. From the others' answers, I could tell they'd rather stay here in Horei for the rest of the night than stay another hour in ankor and I definitely agreed with that.

He sighed and brought his hands to his face to take out a simple gold ring from his pinkie finger.

Then he flicked the ring and it grew midair to the size of circular standing mirror.

At first glance I knew it was Shu.

I just saw red but I knew it was Shu.

"You said your parents were missing and things like that?" Chang asked.

"Yeah," Trevor answered, stepping forward a bit.

Chang nodded. "Watch this."

In the screen it was red throughout but when I focused harder, I noticed that what we were actually seeing was walls made from red rocks.

The scene shifted and I stiffened.

I heard someone gasp behind me.

I watched in silence as my mother and apparently Alexis and Alexa's parents moved back and forth mindlessly, carrying boxes across the dark room like servants.

No one said a word until Chang spoke.
"I'm very sorry you guys. I don't know what Auda has planned but as we can see, it's not pretty. But I think it's necessary you know where your parents are at least. I mean...at least we can know if they're safe."

"Why the hell did he kidnap them?! What does he want to use them for, blackmail?" Alexa shreiked.

I turned to look at Trevor and he looked like he was just slapped across the face. But strangely, he didn't look surprised.

He caught me staring and gave me a tight smile as if to comfort me but there was something I saw in his eyes as he did.

He looked scared. I mean, yes of course our mother was kidnapped by an evil spirit but this looked like something else.

It looked like guilt. But what for, I had no idea.

"Good night spirits," Chang said and vanished with his mirror ring.

I didn't sleep well that night as I thought of the million ways Auda was planning to ruin our lives.

------
Humor has been scarce for some time...

I might go overboard in the next chapter with it as a result:)

I mean it was a vital part of crossroads right? And plus, things have been so horrible that joking is the last thing on their minds:(

Anyway, don't forget to vote and comment before you go<3

~Ash.