Chapter 2

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Five years have passed.

One day, I was looking at the fire burning in a small pit, cooking the rice. It was just that I have nothing to do, it was almost nighttime and my playmates have already been called home by their parents. Therefore I thought I should just stare at the flame.

It was beautiful, the flame as it dance around, sway to wind and slowly devour the firewoods as it increase itself. The heat was blowing against my face, it wasn't hot, just warm enough.

Such sight made me recall of the time before I was born, when I was covered in flames. The sight of Myran turning into a fiery creature.

Somehow, before I knew it, my hand went to the space between the pot and the pit, scooping up the flames. My hand did not burn, but the flame welcomed its presence, swirling and embracing it. Adorning it like a red bracelet.

It took a while for the scene to register to my brain, my eyes opened wide and jaws turned loose. I quickly withdrew my hand, and the flame was snuff out as if someone had blown on it.

"This..." I look at my hands incredulously, and then at the glowing coals. My hand was as smooth and white as it was before, but I still could feel the residual warmth of the flames.

After I confirmed that I was unharmed, there were other things to worry about. I look at the glowing coals, started blowing it and fanning it, but it did nothing but to make ashes fly from the pit and into my nose and eyes. The coals refused to ignite.

"Damn coals." I muttered, and suddenly, fire bursted out from them like a roused beast. I flinched at the sudden turn of event and gazed at the roaring flame dumbfounded. Then I snapped out of it hearing the bumbling sounds coming from the pot.

I quickly snatched the pot from the flames and slightly drained the contents of water. Now I struggled with the flame again, this time, I was trying to put it out. Realization come into me. 'Did I just touch the pot with my bare hands?'

The pot was smoking hot, I knew, but I was not bothered, neither does my hands. 'Strange.' I thought.

Perhaps, perhaps I could control fire. At this thought, I immediately become excited. I look at the raging flames and willed it to calm down. It did. Confidence started building within me, from the knowledge that I could do something which normal people could not do.

I toned down the fire, left only the coals, and put back the pot of rice.

I went to my room with heart beating fast.

"Lauren, are you done cooking." Luke, my older brother asked.

"I am." I answered and went to my bed quickly, thinking of the events that have transpired. Then I proceed to imagine what sort of things I could do with this newfound power.

Just when I was thinking about becoming like a human torch and blasting fireballs along a group of monsters, like a child would, I felt a familiar heat gushing upon my face.

I opened my eyes and was frightened to see a ball of fire hovering before me. I hurriedly backed off to the corner of my bed eyeing the ball fire warily. I almost screamed, and then I remembered that fire could not harm me.

Seeing that the fireball did not behave violently, I let out a breath of relief and pat my stressed heart. After I calmed down, I look at the fireball. It was beautiful and tranquil, lighting up the entire room. And a thought come to me. 'Did I make that?'

There was knock in the room, and I jolted at the voice reprimanding me. "Laurel, please don't light up the oil lamp, it's still early."

"Yes!" I said and willed the fireball to vanish. The fireball was gone as though it was an illusion. But the fact that my eyes haven't yet adjust to the darkness, tells him otherwise.

I went to the door of this small room and put my ears to the door. Mother has left. I went back to the bed and tried to recall what I was thinking when the fireball appeared.

If I'm not wrong, it was about blasting things with fireballs. I tried to imagine that again. As expected, the fireball the same size of my head appeared punctually.

I immediately made it disappear so that I may not incur suspicions. For all I know, I might be In times like the middle age, doing something like this might result to me being burned in the stake. Although I'm not afraid of fire anymore because of the latest occurrence, it would do no good to be persecuted.

Thus, I contented myself with just a small fireball and making it dance along my fingertips. "This is fun." I mumbled.

An idea seized me, I started changing the shapes of the small fireball, to square, triangle rectangle, house, but it requires a lot of my concentration when shaping it into something more detailed and complex. I was trying to form a lotus when Amy head start to ache. 'No sweat.' I thought, disregarding the warning, and continued.

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It was a while later that the pain become unbearable and the lotus flame dispersed. I slumped into the bed, eyelids getting harder to open. Soon I was asleep.

In this world, eating three times a day is a luxury a family like us could not easily afford. Therefore we only eat two times, one for breakfast and one in noon to provide us strength for work.

I woke up and saw that it was still dark in the morning. The silver moon is visible in the window.

Somehow, my body feels refreshed and new. I stretched and seeing nothing better to do, I went out of the house and continued where I left my practice, shaping the flame lotus. To my surprise, I was able to easily do it, unlike before where I struggle just to make one petal.

With the lotus flower floating above my palm , I lift up my hand to the air.The morning air issued murmurs as it pass, the flame flickered, but retained its shape.

'How about this?' The lotus twisted and formed into a new shape, a knife. Why a knife you might ask, it's not like I'm gonna fight somebody. It's just the first thing that come to mind.

The knife was formed easily, the blade was of flames, and its constant movement formed ripples on the surface of the blade. The handle was crude and simple. It would take some time for me to imitate embroideries and sewn lines.

I poked my fingers to the knife, there was a slight resistance but my fingers passed through.

"I wonder." I said to myself. "If I compressed fire enough, would it become solid?"

I tried what I was thinking, although it might sound silly. The flame compressed into the size of a needle head before it could not shrink no anymore. The heat it gives off was amazing. I touched it and it surprisingly bounced off my fingers. The small glowing orb was like a firefly, spinning around the air.

Curious about what it could do, I pointed at a stone and the small orb flew towards it. Peng! The stone had formed a hole, molten residues were still glowing around the edges, and the small orb was still there in the center.

Amazed, I was silent for a while. Then I tried to find out how much flames flames I could create on my own. When I reached about ten fireballs the size of a basketball, I stopped because it might be too conspicuous. But I knew I was nowhere near my limit. I compressed the fireballs into the size of the small orb and co tinier producing more.

The result was that I could produce more than twenty three fireballs, but the fireballs I produced beyond that number is unable to be controlled by me.

I set my limit to twenty three.

I combined all the small ember orbs produced and it transformed into a single blue orb, burning intensely like the sun, the normal sized fireballs could not be compared with it in terms of brightness and heat and density.

Then i noticed that the light it was giving my off made my surroundings look as if it was the middle of the day. I made it disappear and darkness returned. Nevertheless, my heart is beating with excitement at this discovery.

I was about to turn around and return home, but I was met with pairs of bloodshot eyes, glaring at me from the darkness.

Kakakachaka!

The clattering noise the creatures made when they move made me cringe. When I saw their forms, goosebumps swells all over my skin.

Human skeletons walked clumsily towards me, their eyes never leaving my form, and their jaws clattered to form what seemed like a mocking laughter to me.

Some of their bones were twisted in the wrong way, some smaller ones fell as they move, whereupon they burn with black fire upon contact with the ground, transforming into ashes.

In the eye socket of one of the skulls, I saw small worms wriggling out. I resisted the urge to vomit, and tried to keep myself standing.

As the skeletons were about to near me, a sword made of flame appeared in my hands. The skeletons stopped and their bones shook all over. Their mouths opened and close, as if issuing a soundless scream.

The burning sword which I conjured seared ground with its heat. The blade was like a molten metal, sharp and extremely hot.

Seeing their reaction decreased my fear by half, and before I be gripped with fear again, I summoned my courage and rushed to the nearest skeleton, cleaving it with my sword as though it was made of butter. The skeleton turned into ashes.

The did the same for the other skeleton, they did offer any resistance, they did not even move. Soon they were all felled. Although I barely used any strength at all, I was tired and panting. I sat on the ground and looked up, traces of light had begun to appear over the horizon.

"What the heck are those?!" After finally relaxing, I blurted out the words I was holding back.

There are moving skeletons in this world. Before the day begun, I already learned something new.

Almost in tears, I sighed and walk back home. The busy day had started for my parents who woke up early to chop woods and cook.

"You woke up early." Allen, my father said so as he smashed down the axe. "Do be careful not to stray far away."

I nodded, thinking. 'I will definitely be careful.'

"Go wake Ilene and Luke. Tell Ilene to help your mother prepare breakfast."

"Yes."

I went to their rooms and called them out, after waking my siblings, with went to the bed to digest my latest experience. When in the midst of my thoughts, I realized that I have yet to tell this fact to my parents.

'What will I tell them.' I asked rhetorically. 'That there's a bunch of moving skeletons in the backyard?'

Surely they'd believe me, a five years old child, prone to renter the land of imaginations. It is unlikely.

But this matter concerns the safety of the family, even the entire village, whether they will believe me or not, said must tell them.

I immediately got up and went to father. Luke was ridding the wood from branches and stubs using a crude knife.

Seeing me coming, Allen turned his head and sternly reprimanded. "Lauren, did not I tell you to stay away when I'm chopping woods? The splinters might hit you!"

"Yes." I nodded. "But I have something to tell father."

"Go on." Allen continued his work. He picked up a cleaned log and positioned it vertically on the ground. Then his axe mightily swung, slotting it to two.

"I saw skeletons wandering in the farm."

Allen and Luke stopped their works, then fixed their eyes on me, looking skeptical.

"I have been wondering why you aren't like your two elder siblings, running around the backyard, playing as knights and slaying imaginary dragons. Looks like your colorful mind have awakened a bit late." Father said, chuckling heartily.

When he mentioned the part about my older brother and sister, I noticed that Luke's face turned slightly red. His eyes were suddenly focused on his work looking dedicated, but the area where he was cleaning off was already smooth without any stumps.

It seems like I have glimpsed of his dark history. Better pretend to ignore it.

"Anyway." This time, father was serious. "I'll look into this. Also, refrain from wandering too far from the house. If I find something, I'll report to the village chief."

I nodded and went back to my room with light heart.