Tuesday, April 4th, 2044.
As a special treat, my family was going to spend a few nights at the Vermillion Lake Resort. I was super excited. I would finally get to see the lake up close, to splash in its waters. The Verdant Mountains National Park encompassed approximately 121 square miles internally of Santa Pyre's total size of 304 square miles. If you added Lava Side Island, then the total area was 311 square miles. The south-east border of the park ended just 2 or less miles above the Brown Hills Village. My suitcase was packed with three days' worth of clothes. My laptop and its accessories, save the speakers, were tucked away into my school bag, which I now placed unto my back. I left the room and made my way down to the front door.
I climbed into the backseat of our white sedan and placed my bag in front of me. I had the right window, Ameera had the left, and Daina was sandwiched in the middle. "Isn't this exciting, Daina?" I asked. She only nodded and fidgeted her fingers a bit. "Huh? Sister Daina, is something the matter?"
"Um, uh... It's nothing, really." She did not sound very convincing. A bad omen. Even Ameera looked at her funny, having noticed the change in body language and mood. I decided to drop it for the time being and motioned for Ameera to do the same.
"OK, if you say so."
"It's just a bad memory," she said. "The Lake Resort is not on my comfort list, so to speak."
"I see. Well, um, try not to worry too much, okay?"
"Yes, Brother Bill, I will." I smiled.
Mom and Dad finally came to the car. She went to the driver seat and got the car started. "Alright everyone, we are rolling." She eased us out of the driveway and drove eastward. At the edge of the village, we came to a T-junction. She turned us to the left and drove us northwards. I looked through the back window and watched as Brown Hills steadily got further and further behind, until the village itself was out of sight as Mom turned left with the road. I looked to the left and saw Mt Verdure, the highest mountain in Santa Pyre (3841 feet), and Mt Rose (3477 feet) just a little behind it, to the west of it. Lake Vermillion came into view as we drove down the road to the other side of the mountain.
We arrived at the resort at 9:30 AM. My parents booked our three-day stay.
"Let the relaxation begin!" announced Dad once we got out of the reception area.
My first act of relaxation after unpacking was to take in the fresh air and the scenic view of nature before me. The lake was huge; stretching to the west as far as the eye could not see, with lush, green mountains not higher than 3900 feet and not shorter than 1800 feet at the east, north and south. The lake itself was the embodiment of calm and purity, its water so clear in the shallower banks that you had to get the sunlight just right in order to see your reflection in it.
"Wow! It's just... majestic," said Daina in awe as she joined me on the balcony overlooking the lake. "Just as I remember it."
"You've been here, before?" I asked. Her expression instantly turned to one of grief. "Whoa! Was it something I said?"
She shook her head. "No, Billy. It's nothing really."
I did not even have to use my reading ability. I just knew there is something. "Sister Daina, please. Tell me what's wrong. I don't mean to sound pushy, but I am concerned." She looked vulnerable all of a sudden.
She sighed as the sign of giving in. "About three and a half years ago, this Lake Resort was the last place that "he" took me to." I gasped, knowing exactly who 'he' referred to. "You see that pier over there?" I looked to where she pointed and spotted it on the shore where there were boats around. I nodded. "That was where he made his move, in the dark of the night." My eyes widened. "I was threatened with a jackknife. But I think something snapped in me. I became mad, mad him, mad at the tough hand I had in life. I would've rather died than give in to him. We struggled, and then I got a hold of the knife and..."
"Please, stop!" My eyes had tears. "Don't say another word about it. It was bad enough when you almost killed yourself in front of me." She gasped. "I only have one question. Was his death an accident?"
"No..." was the single word answer. Though it was one word, it told more information than any sentence. I sighed. "Bill, I'm sorry. Some things... are just better left unchecked."
I know that much... or at least, I found out the hard way, I thought. "Let us change the subject. The lake is as majestic as you are," I said with a chuckle. I looked to see her face flush red in embarrassment.
"Oh, stop it. I'm not that beautiful," she countered. It was odd how she looked even prettier when she was embarrassed.
"Oh, but you are," I insisted. "It's the reason why..."
"The reason why what?" I hesitated, for I was on the threshold of a touchy subject. "You can't tell me?"
I sighed. "...The reason why Miss Diego picked on you. Although you probably didn't even care about that stuff, you were a threat to her popularity, or something like that."
"You... You are just saying that," she persisted.
"Would I ever lie to you without a good reason?" That did not come out right. She looked shocked. "Look, I'm sorry. Even I don't know what I mean by that. But, I can tell that you are sad. So, let me cheer you up if I can."
Daina looked as if she would cry, but a tiny, non-divine smile appeared a crack. "I know you can. You always do."
"Hmm..." I began to think, then an idea hit me. "The waning moon will be bright tomorrow night. Let's enjoy it together, just two of us. How does that sound?"
"Ah, that sounds great," she replied, a new sparkle in her eyes. "Say, how about we make it interesting? Let's spend it on the exact same pier."
"Huh!? Well, okay. Maybe it will help you get over it. It's time for some closure with the matter as a whole. I think this will truly set you free."
She gasped. "When you put it like that... Well, okay, it's a date!" With that, she left the balcony.
As I watched her go, I began feel something strange; a strange power surge in my chest. "What is this feeling? Is there something wrong with my power?" I closed my eyes before turning my head towards the lake. "It stopped. Weird. Ah, I better go join Mom and Ameera. They were going to get some food."
Later in the day, while exploring the resort, I ran into Mr. Water. "Bill, is that you?"
"Mr. Water! Hi!" I shook his hands. "How are you? What are you doing here dressed like that?" I gestured to the waiter's suit he had on. Huh? There's that odd feeling again, but much stronger this time. It's actually a little painful this time. From this point, I decided to focus on my reading ability
"Oh, I am just great. I worked part time here on weekends and holidays when I stepped in for Angelina. I'm back to working full time."
"Oh..." The mere mentioning of the name was enough to kill my mood. "Cool..."
"You really dislike my sister, don't you?"
"Do you want an honest answer?" I replied without being rude. He laughed.
"I suppose that roughly translates to a 'yes'," he chuckled calmly.
"Unfortunately." I sighed. "She is so... conceited. I don't like conceited people. She was pretty mean too. However, I told her some pretty mean things myself in return. It's not a problem if you don't like me, either. As her brother, you are entitled to take to her side."
"Wow, Bill. You are much more mature than I thought. With mirth like that, I'm pretty sure you could achieve anything. I don't dislike you, Bill. You did not judge me on the sole basis that I was her brother. You gave me a chance to prove myself. How could I possibly dislike you?"
I caught everything clearly this time. He was lying. "Well, well. Mr. Water, you really are a swell guy," I said, not wanting to draw any suspicion. "I too didn't think you wouldn't be one to hold a grudge. If I ever doubted you, then I am sorry."
"Well, I am sorry too, for my sister's actions." He did a little bow, which actually surprised me because I picked up mixed signals. It was as if my ability itself was being confused, thus confusing me! I just bowed in return. Then we shook hands again. "Well, it was nice seeing you again. But, I have a job to do. Ciao."
As he left, a chill went down my spine. What the? What just happened? I thought, trying to make sense of both the current bad feeling as well as the conversation I just had. For once, I got confirmation of his true feelings, then my reading ability just stopped working. I just don't understand… Do I need to tread carefully from here on out? Ugh, I feel a headache coming on, and I haven't had on since I got APEH.
Wednesday.
What better way was there to spend a morning at a huge lake than a nice, relaxing boat ride? I could not think of one, or rather, I was having too much fun to care! The sky was clear and the air was cool. To the left, I watched as the green shore swept by, using one hand to shield my face from the water spray and the other hand to anchor myself to the boat using a light strength enhancement.
Suddenly, out of the corners of my eyes, I saw a glimpse of what appeared to be a mansion. "Huh?" When I paid attention, I saw nothing. What? I could have sworn... I shrugged. Sometimes my amazing vision was just too good. I often saw things others did not and ended up blaming them as hallucinations of my powers.
But when the boat turned to return to the resort, I focused on Mount Verdure again. "What!?"
That was when I saw it, the mansion. It was a grand white structure attached to the slope at the side of the mountain where it could not possibly be seen from the resort. It gave me a bad vibe, for my inner clock was signaling suspicion. I felt compelled to check it out before I left the resort. It was too conspicuously located to ignore. And there was another reason. On one of the sides was a big gold 'X', which instantly caused me to remember Mr. Water's words.
"And remember, X marks the spot... but only against a green peak!"
Just what did he mean? I thought
When the boat landed at the pier, I got off and wove my way to the food court to meet with Dad. On the way, a realization came to me.
Wait, a white triangle pointing south... Now that I think about it, the three locations where Pyrium is found forms a triangle on the map! Now, let me try to piece something together using some key words. I must use my critical thinking. White… Gold… Green peak. The mansion I saw just now. I need to convince Daina to go check it out with me. Heck, I should get in touch with Tanaka and William. If what I'm thinking is true, then Daina and I…"
"Bill, you look lost in thought!" called Dad's voice, erasing my train of thought. "Keep this up, and you will turn old before your time!" He laughed at his own joke.
"Just got some things on my mind," I answered. "Thanks purchasing the boat ride for me. I had a lot of fun."
"Aw, shucks. Anything for my hard working son!" Dad placed a hand on my shoulder. "Now, are you hungry? Let's grab a bite to eat."
"Sure thing, Dad!" I replied with gusto.
Dad laughed again. "That's ma' boy!"
At the stroke of 9:55 PM, I opened my eyes. It was go-time. I slid out of bed and tiptoed to the door so as not to wake up Dad. As quietly as possible, I opened it, slid out into the cold night air and closed it back. It was a good job my Dad was a heavy sleeper anyway. He was not much of a night life person, unlike Mom and Ameera who were probably at the food court at this moment.
"Light Boost, Level Three," I whispered. I felt my muscles expand, and my body started glowing a faint blue; then I flashed forward at a speed of fifty meters per second. All the night people looked around as they felt the wind stirred up by my run, but of course they could not land their eyes on me. I reached the pier in no time flat. Ex-filtration successful, I congratulated myself as I relaxed my body. I had discovered Level Three about two Saturdays back. It was hard at first, very energy costly, but I had gotten it down somewhat. I still needed to work on it.
Through the clear light of the moon, which was nine days waning from full, I spotted Daina at the end of the pier. She was sitting with her feet over the edge, waiting patiently. "Please sit, Billy," she said monotonously as I stopped at her side. I obeyed.
We enjoyed the cool of the night in silence. I listened to the slight rippling of the water, the quiet whispers of the wind, and the calls of distant nocturnal water birds. Man, it's so peaceful out here. I could just stay here forever, I thought.
After 20 minutes of tranquility, she sighed loudly. "OK, Bill. I'm ready. Are you?"
I was lost. "Huh? Ready for what?" She just stared blankly at me. At that moment, my ability kicked in, and it was registering nothing, as if I was not looking at anybody despite Daina being right there. Something is wrong. My inner alarm bells are ringing clear as day. The stinging feeling suddenly appeared in my chest while also reminding me how I felt that time I made Daina mad. "Daina, what are you talking about?"
A presence of almost physical malice appeared somewhere behind me. "My apologies, Bill Punjabé," said an all too familiar voice, "but you must come with me now." It happened before I could even blink. I felt a strong shock connect squarely in my back, knocking the wind out of me and causing me to cough up blood. It must have been a vital spot.
"Gack!" I fought to catch my breath but I was quickly losing consciousness. As my eyes grew heavy, I saw Daina, or what I thought was her, explode into a great release of water. "Daina...!?" I uttered as my world went black.