• “You’re kidding…right?” I laughed a loud, awkward laugh. “You must be joking. Very funny”
    Daishaw didn’t budge a bit. His eyes were focused on me. He stared, lips stretched into a thin line. There was a owl clock at the right side of the room hanging on the wall. I swear it’s ticking could be heard miles away.
    “Open the book” Daishaw ordered.
    The book? I looked down to the war book in my hands. I had a strange ocean wave going on in my guts.
    “If you say so” I tried to shrug off my nerves to prove myself that nothing was going on.
    I flipped the first page and it was blank. No big deal, it’s just like other books. I flipped the page again and it was still blank; maybe it wasn’t like other books. I placed my fingers in the center of the book and opened it. Blank. The whole book was just blank white papers from front to back no matter how many times I flip through them.
    “What…?”
    “This book isn’t from Sheir, it’s from the people of Lurid.” Daishaw informs me.
    I almost dropped the book after hearing that. “You mean this book is from the other side?” he nods. “Then how come you have it?”
    “It was owned by the man that started a war two hundred years ago. Before his death, he wrote this book and sent a messenger to bring it to my great great grandfather because they were friends in their younger days.”
    “Wait, wrote? There’s nothing here—”
    “He wrote the book like this because he knew it would get into the hands of… you” he said that with pure hate.
    I got shaken up by his assumptions. “ME? I was sent here, away from my home, and your accusing me of starting a war in your planet?!” I pounded my fists on the book. “What proof do you have, huh? Where’s you proof!”
    Daishaw didn’t’ reply, then his eyes widened and he pointed to the book.
    I looked at it and saw that the hand I pounded it with was glowing on the back. A picture was emerging from my skin, like a bright light was carving on me. As the picture formed, words on the pages began to write itself. The pages flipped from the back all the way to the front by itself and closed shut. I looked at my hand and gasped. It was the symbol from my dream, the one that the boy left on me. The symbol of a crescent moon with a slash in the center.
    “That’s the symbol.” Daishaw’s voice was oddly shaky. “Quick, give it to me,” When I didn’t respond, he said louder, “GIVE IT TO ME! THE BOOK!”
    I stood up quick. He was a completely different person. His hair was gnarled and his fingers dug into the desk. I turned and ran for the door but then he appeared before it. Teleportation. That’s the power he has. I backed up to the wall and he advanced towards me.
    “I knew you were different but I didn’t expect you were actually the one.”
    “W-what are you saying? Are you saying that you were bluffing all this time?” I gulped, my hands trembling. I gripped onto the book for reasons I don’t know why. I just know that I can’t let Daishaw have this book.
    “Of course I was. You just came here, what proof would I have that you were the one I’ve been looking for?”
    A cold, heart-wrenching realization hit me. “Lenschi says that you transport people that was brought here by accident back to their home planet. Do you… did you test them the same way you did with me?”
    He smiles wide like Cheshire the cat. “Of course. Anger or the feeling of threat reveals a persons power. It’s human nature to protect themselves. I had to do what I could to find the one I’ve searched for. In other words, you”
    “What do you want me f-for?”
    Daishaw reaches out and caresses my cheek. I flinched at the touch of his cold, wrinkly skin. “You hold the secrets of this planet. For example, this book that was unreadable for hundreds of years can now be read because of you.”
    I looked at the book. The old fabric was shredding to the hard cover. There’s hidden information that has never been read and I could be the first to reveal it’s secrets.
    “Now give me the book—”
    I rushed away from Daishaw and headed for the door, determined to escape. I reached out to the knob but grazed it as I went down. Daishaw grabbed hold of my ankles and pulled me to him. My nails clawed the red carpet as I tried to stop. He flipped me over and raised a fist over his head. I could see his eyes sparkle with insanity. His teeth were sharp and grated. I was breathing quick, my frightened pumping heart taking over my lungs.
    “I didn’t want to hurt you, but you leave me with no choice. I have to do this before you…” he didn’t finish his sentence. “If something were to happen, I will come for your head.”
    I shut my eyes as he brought down his powerful fists…
    …and opened them. I was back at the amusement park with Lenschi next to me. Ford was in front and they were talking to each other.
    “…Anyway, I hope to see you guys tomorrow at the ceremony. It’s going to be amazing!” Ford says to Lenschi.
    “It is” Lenschi replies. “I’m thinking of sleeping early just so that tomorrow comes faster.” They both laugh.
    What—wait, this happened before. What’s happening? Daishaw…where is he? How did I get back here?
    “Did you meet my shohn?”
    “No. What does he or she do?”
    Was I dreaming the whole time? I looked at my hands and saw the book with me, still clutched close to my chest.
    “He’s an analyst.” Ford replies proudly.
    “That’s amazing!” Lenschi was happy. “Analyst are one of the best kinds you can have for a shohn”
    I know this scene. I know it.
    “Do you mind me asking what Illie does?”
    Lenschi opens his mouth to talk, but I interrupt him. “I haven’t told him what my power is yet. I want it to be a secret until the day I use it. Wouldn’t that be exciting?” I looked at Lenschi and he responded with surprised eyes and an opened mouth.
    Ford laughs. “I see. Well, sorry to bother you two. I’ll be on my way now. See ya” we said our goodbyes and he went back to Ellisia.
    “Are you a mind reader?” Lenschi asks me. “Because you answered him with the same answer I was going to say.”
    “Mind reader? It’s..not that”
    “Then what?”
    I start remembering about Daishaw and the book. The symbol on my hand, I wonder if it’s still there. Lenschis’ big jacket’s sleeves covered my fingertips so I couldn’t see for myself. I was scared to look at it, anyway.
    “Let’s just head to the building” he began walking and I followed him.
    “What building?”
    “The one with a broken cardboard sword. We went through this not too long ago” he gave me a funny look.
    Oh yea, that’s right. We continued our path, my mind still corrupted. There was an ominous feeling inside of me, like the feeling when you think someone is watching you. I looked around but see nothing. Everything’s normal—for now.
    “Lenschi” I say.
    “Yea?”
    “Are there such things as time travel?”
    “Time travel? Well…that’s ancient magic. Only one person had it. A warrior, I think. It was thousands of years ago, though. No one has ever been born with it” his voice was awfully monotone.
    “Oh” I replied. “Is there a chance that someone could be born with it?”
    “Yea, but the percentage is nearly zero”
    We turned a corner and Lenschi stopped, looking around at everyone. Wait a minute. I know what happens next. How could I forget that Lenschi was sad from not having a shohn! He’s going to…he’s going to—
    “The ceremony is going to be fun!” Lenschi says with a fake cheerful voice.
    He’s going to run, to be by himself. This is the part where I try to get back to the school and I get teleported by Daishaw to his office. It’s going to happen all over again.
    “I can’t wait to see it…from afar” he says quietly.
    There was a long pause. So long, I could hear every blood in my veins crying out. I never knew how sweaty I could get. I never knew what fear felt like. I never knew death could be so close. I never knew all this would be happening to me.
    Lenschi lifts his head and I could see his eye’s water under the sunlight. “I need to be alone—”
    “NO!” I shout, he turned to me and I charged at him, weakly punching at his chest. He took all the petty blows, too shocked to do anything else. My shoulders were shaking and my knees couldn’t hold me up anymore. I clutched onto his shirt and started crying hot steaming tears.
    “Kid…” Lenschi says.
    “Don’t leave me alone. Please, don’t ever leave me alone!” I choked at my gasp of breath. “I’m scared…”
    Lenschi put his hands on my shoulder and held me, his chin rested on my head. “I’m not leaving. Who said I was leaving?” he tried laughing to brighten the mood, “Don’t worry.”
    And I felt safer. Being this close, I felt like anything bad would never go near me. The feeling of someone watching me disappeared. All that’s left was me, Lenschi, and the book I still held in my hands.

    part 1