The Creatures Series

Third Mist

Third MistCreatures of the Mist

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##### Third Mist #####

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The unclear engulfs everything.

“What’s this?” I ask when Lulu handed me over a thick, ancient book. The cover is red, but darker. It was sewn well, since the edges are still pretty defined despite its supposed age. This book can’t be younger than a century, judging from the yellowness of the papers combined inside.

“A collection of memories,” Lulu says from behind. I pull the black ribbon that ties the book close carefully and open the cover, but I can’t smell a familiar, old scent when a soft wind tingles my face.

There is magic lingering, indeed.

The first page is blank. My fingers turn to the next page, and it also works for the next page. My right hand turns the pages fast, but all I can see are wordless, yellow papers. There is nothing in this book to read ─ not even the page numbers.

“I’ve heard a rumor of it, but I’m not very sure. How do this works?” I ask him when I already arrive at the middle.

The light is dim here as always. Four mirrors stand around the walls that form this large room. There ’ s not much furniture, but the table in the middle is quite unique ─ with dark hexagon from the upper side and lines down from the edges to a small square as the base. Lulu ’ s reflection is not the only one that ’ s dancing on the mirrors. Those mirrors also catch mine. We look like a perfect painting together.

“Does that question means you’re accepting my gift?” Lulu curves his lips and put a finger on the book. It’s like my answer determines his.

“I’m turning 23, Lulu.” I smile while pinching my eyes.

“So?” His voice sounds a little playful. The word breezes to the skin on my neck.

“That means I’m closer to my limit,” I state the obvious. He knows about this. “And if I reach that time, I will have no choice but to take over what’s supposed to be my responsibility. You know very well that I can’t go there.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to pretend like nothing happened. Come on, My Dear Arsene.”

He removes his hand from the surface of the paper, and suddenly, the book is closed by itself. It jolts open back again and the pages turn quickly like an unending abyss. Almost. Until the book stops at the double black pages that I’m pretty sure were not there when I went through it before. What happened next is very unexpected. It’s bleeding from the center binding, soaking them until the blood craves the whole black.

It doesn’t leak from the double pages, though.

“What’s going on?” I went to ask that’s because I never knew how the book really works, but I can’t since Lulu’s already gone.

The room is empty. Really empty that the mirrors and floor are even gone. Everything is dark from where I’m standing right now. And I can feel a calling from the bleeding book. It’s calling my name like how the trapping forest’s mist longs for my return. And then the leaking blood bursts out from the pages like a fountain, going up high and then rain down on me in a strong current.

I lost my sister, and every cell inside me just wants to get her back. It must be father who did it—all because of a simple request. He kidnapped her to lure me out of the shadows after hiding for so long from his radar.

Can't believe that I have to see him again, though. It has been so long since the last time I saw him. It was when I and Rekka were still seven, that father left us and mother to live alone in the harsh neighborhood. We had to stay strong and held our heads high despite the nasty rumors they made up about my family. Even when our mother almost gave up, I just couldn't.

As I step into one of the elevators in the Grand Hotel my father is heard to be staying at, I know what I'm about to face. I'm not sure if he really stays at the 31st level, but I think the ones who are sharing the same elevator as me knows where he is. They are all monsters in disguise, after all. So I ask them.

"Excuse me, where does your leader live?"

They all look at me weirdly before bursting into a massive laughter. So it looks like asking is out of question. No helping it. I'll just have to figure it out myself....using what I can remember from the last time I was here.

Facing the elevator’s buttons, my hand is hanging in the air, shaking to choose which number among the rows and rows of level which are going to take me next.

Among the buttons, some caught my eyes. The first one is ten. Is that correct? I don't think so. Thirteen? Probably not. Too much bad luck factor on the number. Twenty? I don't know. And how about thirty one? Hmm, feels familiar. Not too much of a familiar feeling, but the feeling is pretty decent. Yet I feel the same about every number. My finger lands in front of one button. Maybe this is it, but it might not be the correct one either. I have to choose something at some point, but I'm not really positive about the number. Should I press the button?

I almost passed the maximum limit of level when I look up. Half of the population inside this elevator has already gone before I even noticed it. There are some creatures left, but they all soon leave one by one while the elevator gets higher. I know by this point that I have to make a decision soon.

The elevator is clear by the time the doors slide close at level twenty. What's left is my last choice. I hurriedly push my finger on number thirty one.

When the doors slide open, it's like my feet have separated thoughts from me. They immediately lead me to a familiar corridor as if I just enter another world. Magic. That's what's causing this. I can feel it. The lighting is dim. The floor is velveted by red carpet. The walls are golden wood. Everything almost feel like frozen in time. It's not long before my feet make a stop in front of a dark wooden door. Somehow, I manage to knock without hesitation.

Footsteps are drumming inside. There's a click of an opened lock and the door soon swung open. The sight is unbelievable, though.

I am blindfolded, much because I'm afraid of being disappointed. But when I see her, I know that she's real.

"Rekka," I greet, hug her. She hugs me back.

"How did you get here?" She asks me.

"That's my line, you line stealer!" I grump playfully.

"Rukka, you know that I didn't mean to," she humps back with fake teary eyes.

I crack a smile and we giggle together.

"But seriously, though. What happened? I went back home to find you gone. Mom is so worried."

"I'm fine, everything is fine. Dad is really nice. He brought me here and even gives me a place to sta—"

"You went away by yourself? Re, what were you thinking? He could be dangerous. He's not like us huma—"

"Humans?" Rekka sounded angry by my statement when she cuts me. "We're far from being humans! Or have you forgotten of how those neighbors of ours treat us? We can never be normal humans, and never will. The society rejects us because we can never be like them. They are afraid of us, Ru. But that doesn't make us nothing. We are monsters, creatures of the mist. We are born with powers, talents, and abilities that no human can possess. We are their superiors."

I sigh and slowly speak to her. "Re, whatever father told you, it's not tru—"

"Of course it's the truth! We are half-dragons, we are creatures just like him," she insists, cutting me again.

I try to speak more slowly this time. "Re—"

"No!" She yells. "I don't care what you're saying. Even if we pretend like nothing happened, that we're just humans, it still won't change the facts that we're monsters—"

"Do you really believe in that?" I raise my voice, unable to bare her selfishness anymore. Rekka flinches by my tone. "Do you really think that we're dragons, just like father?" She stares at me, starlet. "Re, if we really just like him, then he wouldn't have left us in the first place. Why? The answer is because he never cares. He just cares about himself, that's why he left Mom and us. And just you’d think that by giving you a place to stay means that he have just started to care for you, then you're dead wrong. A monster won't change its mind in one night. And that's why we're not like him. We have Mom to get back to. Home. Now let's go." I pull her hand and start dragging her while walking towards the elevator, when suddenly I see a familiar figure approaching.

I turn back to find a place to hide, but it's too late. Father already saw my reflection from the darken window.

"Rukka, it's nice to see you here."

I turn to him carefully with an unpleasant expression.

I reply with saying, "Sorry, Father, I just don't feel the same," which earned a nudge on the side by Rekka.

"I'm still happy to see you," my father says with a wide smile.

He then suddenly hugs me, making me trapped between his arms. Rekka throws me a satisfied smile from behind. And I know that because the dark glass also reflects her.

Later that day, I find out that Rekka is already assigned to enter a special school for creatures called Central China Academy. Our father is the owner and principal of the school, apparently. And they want me to enroll along as well.

I refuse at first, of course, but since I dislike upsetting Rekka, I have no choice but to follow what she and Father want. I do this to make up what I had done for yelling at Rekka, though, not because I'm going soft on Father. I make that clear before giving my answer.

Studying in a school full of different kinds of creature is completely new to us. Even at the first day, our instructor already tells us to work together as groups. For me, she picks three other creatures, since one group can only contain four members. I'm with a sweet-looking girl called Sakura, a kind-hearted guy named Kent, and a fierce red-head, Garza. The teacher only introduces each of our names, before we jump right away into a series of test.

The test is divided into three stages. First is an intellectual test. Second is a physical test. But the hardest is the third stage, which contain the combination of the two earlier tests—spotting and shooting. The instructor prepares a certain distance targets—small and the same shade as their background—for us to shoot from a limited point.

I nearly fail to nail everything, but it finally ends after my last turn.

"Great job, Rukka. I don't know that you're so talented," praises Sakura, my new teammate.

"Yes, it's really impressive at how you nailed every target that were presented in front of you, considering that you're very new at things here," Kent adds.

I can only see the instructor gives me an approving nod from the corner of my eyes before get on with the next group that she appointed by herself.

And then I turn to my last teammate, who seems to be kept silent all the same. He seems so cold and distant, but while I'm wondering what he's thinking when looking far away in the targets, he turns his gaze suddenly. We make expressionless eye contacts for a few second before he gives me a satisfied smirk.

"Not bad," he says. That's the first time I hear him open his mouth.

In turn of my sister, I visit her first before the test to get to know who her teammates are. All girls seem nice, so I kindly introduced myself. After greeting them for a brief moment, I then head back to my own new dorm that's located quite far from the school rage.

Before I made my statement of enrolling at Central China Academy, I made some rules. First, I have to gain approval from my mother. I'd told Mom about what had happened, from Rekka's reason of disappearance up to the proposal of studying here. She hesitates at first, but eventually agrees after Father talked to her. She agreed with him about spending time more with him and gets to settle their problems while I'm staying here. Second, I don't want to be acknowledged to be his daughter. I know the effect of being known as the principal's daughter will make. I'll be treated differently, and I don't like that. This rule involves Rekka, too, because she's my sister and we have identical facial features. And third, I want to be treated equally the same as other new students, and that includes staying in a dorm located almost outside and deserted part of the school. They agree to everything this time.

This is supposed to be a peaceful day after that commotion with Rekka's disappearance. But even the very hope has to vanish after she finished taking her test.

It comes like an earthquake, strong and sudden. Everyone ran out from their rooms and out of the dorm to watch what's happening, including me. They are all gathered in front of the five-meter tall wire fences. I approach to see what's going on. It takes a lot to climb up the wires since none seems to want to give up their place from sightseeing, but I managed anyway.

Then, I see it. Skin dry, blue and pale. Pupils dilated to the shade of soulless white. Movements robotically dead. Style in ancient battle clothing. Right hands with sword while the others with shield.

A zombie troop is attacking.