“Achoo!” Liam sneezed.
“Bless you.” Chase
said.
“Where are we going?” Ciara asked as they
trudged past the muddy puddles and damp soil. They had been walking for more
than an hour, which Ciara estimated as she counted the minutes that passed by.
"The
Northwest side of Metric,” Victor said, “We’re going to Tera Hut.”
Images outburst inside
her head. She could recall her nine-year old self listening to her classmates,
murmuring about Tera Hut and the famous old woman, who proclaimed to be the
oldest living person in Metric. A picture of little Ciara marched down the
muddy trail, sneaking glances at the little hut down by the beach. But as soon
as she reached the miniature hut, thunder crackled from the sky, and so little
Ciara retreated back.
When the recap of
memories dissolved, Ciara said enthusiastically. “A-Are you sure we’re going there?
Is the old woman from Tera Hut still alive?”
“Yes,” Victor said
proudly. “She’s my wife, you see. And she knows everyone and everything going
inside Metric.”
Ciara couldn’t keep
her excitement down. Tera Hut. I’m going
to meet the old woman for the very first time! Ciara thought.
Victor continued to
accompany the three Vixens down by the muck and slimy hills. Ciara wrapped her
arms around herself, and remained close to Liam. Despite Metric being destroyed, the old woman was still alive. But how?
Didn’t the Rein army reached her home?
Ciara stopped and
glanced to her right side. I can hear the billowing ocean ahead…Ciara looked down at her feet. The muddy
soil is turning into sand…which means, we’re near the beach.
“We’re here,” Victor
said finally, “Alright, you kids listen to me because from this point the
ground gets steeper and slipper—”
As if on cue, the
Crude Brothers bellowed, and slipped down the slick ground. She could hear them
skimming down the steep cliff, frantically screaming and yelling like they’d
ridden a roller coaster ride.
“Geez, how many
times do I have to repeat myself?” Victor yelled grumpily. Ciara took a step
forward, but a hand seized her wrist. Victor said, “Let them fall, it’s their
own fault anyway.”
Ciara closed her
eyes, and analyzed the situation using her auditory senses. The rumbling noises
interchanged into words, inputting into her cerebrum. The cliff is not lofty,
if it was, then the Crude Brothers should be dead by now. Ciara analyzed.
Two loud thuds vibrated Ciara’s ears. A puff of
smoke shrouded her. The fall isn’t critical...Ciara guessed. The sand saved them. If it was a hard ground, they
should have broken bones by now.
“Ouch!” Liam cried.
His voice distinctly clear. “Damn hell. That was an awful ride!”
Victor taunted,
“That’s what you get for not listening to my instructions!” Victor tugged Ciara’s
arm. “Follow me,”
After taking five
steps forward, Victor and Ciara paused at the border of the slippery hill.
Victor said, “Alright, the trick here is to pressurize your feet. When you glide
down, you need to balance yourself and pretend that you’re surfing. Get it?”
Ciara nodded.
“Good,”
Victor said, “I’ll go first.”
Whoosh. She could hear a loud swish
skimming down the hill, and after she counted 34 seconds, there was a soft thud landing at the bottom. The
information replayed inside Ciara’s mind. He didn’t throw his arms on his
side to balance himself….Ciara observed. He used his feet as a sliding
board. To be able to balance like
that, one must need a weighty body and enough strength to maintain the pressure
on the feet.
“See, easy as pie, right
boys?” Victor goaded.
Ciara prepared
herself, transmitting the tension on her feet, and glide down, throwing her
arms on her sides. It was extremely difficult. The wind rapidly picked up its
pace, nearly tossing Ciara out of balance because of her lightweight strength. But
with luck, Ciara managed to keep herself steady, almost controlling her pin
point pressures beneath her foot. 7 seconds before I reach the bottom.
Ciara calculated.
3
seconds.
Her hair whipped
behind her. She was getting nearer to the botto—
Ciara sprung to her feet, and crashed on
the sand, the dust reaching her eyes. Hoisting herself up, Ciara wiped the dirt
of her face and heard Victor giving her a delighted applause.
“Good,” Victor said,
“At least, you’re not injured like these two idiots here.”
The Crude Brothers grumbled
in response.
“You…should have, ugh…watch where
you’re going, Liam.” Chase clenched his teeth, and Ciara could hear him
shifting to his feet.
“Sorry,”
Liam heaved a sigh of relief, “Didn’t see it back there.”
“Well, at least
we’re here in Tera Hut,” Victor said gleefully, disregarding the Crude
Brothers.
A leap of excitement
throbbed against Ciara’s chest. We’re in Tera Hut.
Then something
startled Ciara. The blurry vision had turned into a much clearer aspect. It was
as if her vision was getting better.
The once blurry
background had become a slightly clear crystal, as if she was looking inside a
foggy aquarium glass wall. Ciara could now recognize the grayscale objects at
the background. She could see the water moving, the sand a bright white, and
the coconut trees looming above her. Though everything was still blurry.
Ciara whisked her
head to the three figures standing beside her. Her eyes widened. Ciara could
see their outlines perfectly. Everything was still blurry, but some objects
were recognizable enough. For example, Victor’s figure had the shape of an
acorn. Her heart throbbed.
Ciara looked at
Liam. He was sprawled on the floor, his face still blurry. The shape of Liam's
body was lean, and his legs were long. The darker parts were his hair and his
clothes, leaving the white part on his skin, bare chest and arms and legs.
Still, she couldn’t see whose face it was.
Liam has
dark hair, dark jeans, and dark fur. Ciara memorized.
Next was Chase.
Ciara narrowed her eyes and concentrated. Chase was sitting on the sand. Chase
was an exact replica of Liam, except Chase was shorter, with a dark fur closed
on his chest.
Chase
has dark hair, dark jeans and dark fur closing in his chest. Ciara memorized.
“What are you
staring at, Ciara?” Liam complained, and Ciara whirled around. Since she was
used to her hearing senses, it was hard to depend on her vision. It would be
better if she’d just close her eyes and pretend that she was blind again, but
with the excitement leaping in her heart, there was no way she was going to go
back.
Ciara whirled around
to survey Tera Hut. It was just a simple hut made out of bamboo and coconut
leaves. I can see it. I can finally see and interpret them! Ciara
beamed.
“Get up, you two. If you don’t come inside,
I’ll leave you two here to die!" Victor barked.
“Alright, alright,
we’re coming already. Sheesh,” Liam groaned, and Ciara smiled. In her
vision, it felt like everything had been sketched with a pencil. The faces and
the details were still blurry, but it was a good improvement. Ciara caught a
glimpse of Liam’s figure shifting toward Chase. He’s pulling him up.
“Aren’t you coming,
Ciara Plop?” Victor asked kindly. It had been a long time since her surname was
called. She was always used to Ciara, or Blind Candidate, but not Ciara Plop.
“Yes, coming…” Ciara
muttered and dragged her feet forward.
z
The inside of the
hut was warm, and it made Ciara comfortable, since she was still shivering from
the cold. The smell of warm tea filled her nose. Ciara looked up to where the
smell was. Someone is cooking... not burned or raw…Ciara thought. It
smells like fish…and boiled potatoes.
Ciara could die from
excitement. She was inside Tera’s Hut. The famous and forbidden place that was
kept in the shadows. Even after Metric had been exterminated, the house was
still here, unharmed.
“Mmn…that makes my
stomach growl,” Liam complimented the cooking.
“Yvet, I’m
home," Victor shouted, "And I brought some survivors with me.” No
response. Ciara saw Victor turning around, facing them, “My wife is busy
cooking, so you three head upstairs and change. Right door. You can use my
son's clothes.”
“Brr...T-t-hank
y-y-you!” Chase shivered.
z
Ciara had been the
last one to reach the top of the stairs. She didn’t even realize the Crude
Brothers had already climbed the stairs, and left her standing at the ground
floor. It wasn’t her fault. The improvement of her vision must be a big
mistake, and the only question was, how?
When Ciara reached
the door Victor had talked about, Ciara wiped her nose, urging not to sneeze.
She could already smell dust swarming around her. The room is abandoned. Ciara
thought. I wonder why it’s not being used.
Ciara shook her head
and touched doorknob, slowly opening, when she heard two voices echoing inside
the room. She froze, taking slow peeks at the door gap. Two figures…the
room is slightly dark because I can’t recognize the objects inside the room. She
concentrated on her hearing senses. Two boys…talking…That must be Liam and
Chase…and also, I can hear clothes shuffling and flapping.
“It’s so hot in
here,” Liam complained, and Ciara flinched when she heard his voice. “Even when
its winter, it still feels like summer.”
“You’re the one who
only feels hot. It’s freezing out here,” Chase said very loudly.
Ciara blushed. Even
with the blurry vision, she could see two boys slipping their clothes off,
leaving their top bare. Her heart pounded in her chest. This was the first time
Ciara had seen the Crude Brothers changing. It was easy to distinguish which
one was them. The tall and lanky one was Liam, and the slightly short one with
long legs was Chase.
“Should we take our
pants off?” Liam asked Chase. Ciara blushed harder. Why am I hearing this? Ciara
thought.
“What kind of question
is that, Liam?” Chase said, annoyed. “You’re soaking from top to bottom—of
course you need to change your pants.”
“Fine then,” Liam
said, “I would be better off naked than soaked.”
Ciara couldn’t
breathe from what was happening. Ciara, look away, look away! Her
conscience scream. Why is my heart pounding so loudly in my chest? I’m
blind, aren’t I?
Distracted from her
thoughts, Ciara started to panic and took a step backward, but when her right
foot touched the ground, she slipped—when suddenly, she sensed a large shadow
looming above her.
“Ouch!” Liam yelled, and Ciara
squeaked. The two of them crashed on the ground. Ciara slowly opened her eyes.
Her face landed on what she saw was a body, more like a chest. The skin was
cold and warm. The chest is hard…and I can feel abs down by the stomach…Ciara
thought and blushed. This is Liam’s body!
“S-Sorry!” Ciara
immediately stood up, feeling her heart pounding louder in her chest. Ciara saw
Liam lying on his stomach, facing her. Her eyes trailed down. Good…he still
has his pants on. Ciara sighed. The thought of Liam naked frightened her.
“You should be
careful, you know,” Liam groaned and got up. He’s still drenched in the
rain, because his skin is cold and his hair is wet, Ciara quickly analyzed.
Liam continued, “I’m not going to save you every time you fall, so take good
care of yourself, okay?”
Ciara was
speechless. What happened? A moment ago, Liam was inside the room changing, and
after that, he just saved her from the fall? I didn’t hear the sound of the
door being opened, or Liam’s movements...so how? Ciara asked herself. She
shook her head. Liam was a mysterious person, and her questions were useless,
unless Liam reveals the truth.
“Hey,
you alright?” Liam asked Ciara, and after that Ciara felt Liam’s cold hands
placed on her shoulders. “You’re not hurt, right?”
“N-No…” Ciara bit
her lip. “I-I was just coming in…when—”
“What happened,
Liam? I heard something and—”Chase said and paused, “oh,”
“I just saved,
Ciara, you know,” Liam said, “She was spying on us.”
Ciara’s face heated
up, “I-I did not!”
“Don’t lie,” Liam
teased, “I can see it on your face—”
“L-Liam!” Chase
sputtered.
“What?” Liam asked,
annoyed.
“Your pants came
off,” Chase sighed, and Ciara immediately whirled around, blocking her eyes
with her hands.
“No worries, little
brother. After all, Ciara can’t see us, so I think it’s okay for us to stay
naked,” Liam said as calmly as possible. Ciara couldn’t help, but laugh at his
theory. If Liam knew Ciara’s vision had cleared a little, she wouldn’t be
reacting like this.
Ciara heard Chase
slapping a hand on his forehead, “Liam…you idiot.”
“Well, at least I
have a beautiful body,” Liam complimented himself, “Come on, Chase, let’s see
if there are clothes that fit my size.”
Ciara closed her
eyes. She waited until the Crude Brother's body movements were gone in front of
her.
“Oh, look,” Liam
said as Ciara heard the sound of wood thumping, “These clothes really fit my
size, I guess that old man is right about fashion.”
Ciara stepped
forward and kept one hand blocked on her eyes. They’re still searching for
the clothes inside the drawers. Ciara thought. And then she sneeze.
“Bless you,” Chase
said and continued to browse the clothes. Ciara sniffed and pinched her nose.
Opening the drawers must have spread the thick dust around the air.
“Liam, I think all
of these clothes are your size,” Chase replied as Ciara sat down on the floor
and turned around. Don’t look, Ciara. Her conscience said. Chase
continued, “There’s nothing here, but boy’s clothes. See, the pants are too big
for me.”
“Well, at least it’s
big for you.” Liam said and flapped the clothes. Ciara covered her nose so the
dust won't get inside her nostrils. Liam must be trying out the clothes, Ciara
thought. What are you doing, Ciara! Why are you sitting here while the boys
are changing in front of your eyes! You need to get out! Her conscience
said.
Ciara shook her
head. She could handle this. This was nothing to the Crude Brothers and
besides, they didn’t care about her presence anyway.
“Aha!” Liam
exclaimed, “A nice fit. Man, I look like a rich guy now.”
“Maybe the one who
own these clothes belongs to a handsome guy,” Chase said, and Ciara heard
another swish and shuffling of clothes. They’re changing. Ciara
breathed. Chase continued, “The polo is too big for me, and the pants are
loose.”
Something landed on
top of Ciara’s head. It was a cloth. Ciara grabbed the cloth and skimmed her
hands on it. Short sleeves…cotton fabric. A T-Shirt, Ciara examined. And
then some shorts…men’s boxers…
“Why are you giving
me…m-men’s boxers…?” Ciara stuttered.
“Because there’s
nothing in here but loose clothes. If you wear these pants, it will fall down
on your knees.” Liam explained, “And I don’t want to see you in panties. What
if there’s an emergency case in here?”
“Alright, alright.
Quit it you two,” Chase sighed, “Let’s not get too hasty about these clothes.”
Just then, Ciara
caught a glimpse of a square object on top of the drawer. A square frame...
more like a picture frame. Ciara analyzed. Ignoring the Crude Brothers, she
slowly groped her hand and picked the picture frame. The edge of the frame was
thick, covered with spider web and dust.
The image was still
blurry, but as Ciara concentrated further, she could see the small details
inside the photo. A boy, Ciara thought. Just like reading a piece of
paper, she slowly skimmed her fingers around the dusty glass frame.
I can’t
feel the ink and the curves embed on the paper, because of the glass frame…Ciara thought. She returned the
picture on top of the drawer, and sighed. It's useless to try and read it,
not with the glass frame still on.
“Who’s that?” Liam asked and Ciara
could feel his hot breath tickling her neck. He must be leaning close to my
shoulder, Ciara thought. Liam exclaimed, “Oh, I get it! That must be the
old man’s son. See the shirt? It’s exactly the same I’m wearing right now.”
“I wonder what
happened to him.” Chase joined them.
“Who knows? Anyway,
here…” Liam placed the cloth in Ciara’s hands, and when Ciara looked up, Liam’s
figure was already standing beside the doorway. Ciara blushed. She could perfectly
see what Liam was wearing—well, not so much. The dark shirt fit his lean body,
and the dark pants hung low on his waist. Her heart raced. She had never seen
someone looking so…perfect…
Liam continued,
“Once you’re done changing, you'll be able to find us downstairs,” Liam raised
his hand in a gesture, “Come on, Chase. Let’s leave Ciara in her own privacy.”
Liam continued, “If you like, I can carry you like I used to when you were a
little kid.”
“No, thank you”
Chase said firmly, and Ciara saw the Crude Brothers shuffling toward the door.
“I think my body is already healed, guessed that Healing Swirl worked like a charm.”
When Ciara heard the
door closed, she put down her clothes on the floor, and moved to pick the
picture frame again. She recognized it, somewhere, at school. Think, Ciara,
Think, her conscience said. After a few minutes of trying to recall the
memories in her head, she gave up. It’s useless. I can’t remember that boy…
Frustrated, she put
down the picture frame and slipped on her clothes. It smelled of sweat and
lilies. The t-shirt was too big on her, and it hung low on her legs, serving as
her dress. Ciara blushed at the thought of wearing men’s boxers. Liam is
just trying to make fun of me, Ciara thought, and I won’t fall for it.
Ciara smelled the
dress. Lilies…Ciara thought...it couldn’t be…is this the boy who had
a crush on my sister?
z
When Ciara arrived downstairs, she heard the sound of
plate clanging, and the smell of roasted fish roaming around the air. Her
stomach grumbled in protest. Food was the only thing that would make her
happy.
“Ah, here she is. The beautiful Blind Candidate,” Liam
said very loudly, making Ciara blush. Liam was moving toward her and Ciara
looked away. Why am I blushing at the sight of his outfit? Ciara said to
herself. After a few seconds, Ciara felt Liam’s long and warm fingers tangling
with hers. He breathed, “That shirt is too big for you—but never mind that, it
looks good on you.” Liam gently brushed the fallen strands of her hair to the
side, “I told you, you look much prettier when your hair is out of the way.”
“I-I—”
Ciara began, but Liam had already pulled her to where Ciara saw, was a small
round table with two people sitting in it. Ciara could feel the warm heat
reaching her. There must be a fireplace behind the table…Ciara analyzed.
It was easy to distinguish the appearance of the two people at the table. The
one sitting on the right was Chase because of his slim figure, and on the left
side was the old man because of his plump size.
Liam and Ciara sat
on the table beside Chase. Ciara noticed that the old woman wasn’t here yet. Maybe
she is still busy? Ciara thought. But how can an old woman be busy when
there is nothing to do here?
“Got one question,
old man. Where’s your son anyway?” Liam blurted unexpectedly.
“Liam!” Chase
scolded.
“Hey, it’s fine to
be direct, right?” Liam said mischievously. Idiot, Ciara thought. Liam
continued, “Don’t hide it from us, old man. The room was abandoned, the clothes
smelled like flowers, and there was only one photo of him on his bedroom door,”
Liam continued, “I don’t mean to pry, but I was just curious, you know?”
“Liam,” Chase said,
this time his voice was serious, “You have no right to ask him that stupid qu—"
“—My son is not here,” Victor said gloomily,
and there was no trace of anger in his tone. “He is now in Heaven, like the
rest of his friends."
Everyone went
silent. So I was right, Ciara thought. I can remember it now…just a
little.
After that, the
silence was cut through when there were sharp sound of tap, tap coming from the
door. Ciara looked up and saw a faint outline of a petite woman. The delicious
smell of roasted vegetables grew stronger. Ciara’s eyes widened. This is the
old woman of Tera hut. I can’t believe I’m actually meeting her right now, Ciara
thought excitedly.
“Well,
well,” the old woman said, her voice deep and rough. She must be in her
eighties, or in her nineties. Ciara analyzed the old woman. Her arms are
raised up…Ciara thought, so she must be holding something...a tray of
food. If she is in her nineties, the pressure on her arms will weaken until she
can’t hold the tray anymore. But no, this woman is still strong. The tray must
be heavy because of the strong pressure on her grip.
Incredible, Ciara thought. I’ve never seen
an old woman this strong before. Her bones are still intact. Her knowledge is
extremely valuable. And her back is still straight. Who is this old woman? She
had lived through the years of war, seen Metric being exterminated, and now she
is standing in front of me.
“The old woman of
Tera Hut,” Ciara muttered, slightly astonished.
“My, my. I’m sure
quite famous around here in Metric,” the old woman said, “So what do we have
here,” she continued, “Ah, I see. We have Ciara Plop, the fisher girl; Liam
Crude, the freak, and Chase Crude, the inventor. Marvelous.”
Ciara wasn’t the
only one gaping; everyone was, except for Victor and the old woman. She
knows me, Ciara gasped, so the rumors were true. The old woman of Tera
Hut knows everything, even the outsiders. But how?
Liam was the first
one to break the silence. “W-Wait!” he stuttered, “How do you know us!?”
“Yeah,” Chase said,
“I mean, we’re not living in Metric so…”
Ciara heard a soft clang
and a thump on the table. She must be putting down the food. Then
she heard the shuffling of clothes and the moving of wooden chairs.
The old woman
chuckled, ‘Listen very carefully, my children,” and then her voice changed.
Ciara flinched. She knew that voice, even remembered it during her stay at Sore
Tower. The old woman continued using her new voice, “The reason why I know
everything is because I’m Madam Fier, the Epicenter’s Prophet.”
Ciara flinched. The
excitement quickly shattered into pieces. Madam Fier, Ciara shivered. Madam
Fier is the one who broadcast about the Candidate—the one who told Virgo about
the disabled person. Ciara tightened her hands at the edge of the table.
That was the reason why she was called the old woman in Tera Hut, why she knew
everything, why she stayed isolated in Metric. It was because she didn’t want
people to discover her identity. After the extermination of Metric, Ciara
didn’t hear the news about the Prophet anymore. Why didn’t she realize it
sooner or later?
“I know what you are
thinking, Ciara Plop,” Madam Fier said, interrupting her thoughts, “You must
have hated me now because of the things that happened to you.”
“Then why are you
here?” Liam protested, “I mean…you’re supposed to be in the Epicenter right
now…”
“I was,” Madam Fier
said sharply, “until Virgo decided to placed me in Metric so I can keep an eye
on them—you, Ciara Plop.”
“Me?” Ciara said,
trying to keep her anger down, “What do you mean?”
“Virgo always believed
that Metric was creating a rebellion to destroy the Epicenter, so she stationed
me there to report about the suspected Candidate.” Madam Fier explained.
“And did you tell
her?” Liam asked.
Madam Fier nodded,
“I’m sorry, my child. I was selfish back then, and the result was the death of
my beloved James. Since I was born with the future sight, I have the power to
interpret those who are evil, and not."
James…That
was the name of Leverie’s crush….the boy who died…the handsome boy seven years
ago...Ciara recalled.
That was the reason why the scent of lilies was familiar to her. She remembered
that Leverie loved the smell of lilies, so the boy, James, always tried to
impress her by putting cologne of lilies on his shirt.
“Why do you think it
was me?” Ciara asked.
“Because I can sense
a great power in you,” Madam Fier said gravely. “A few years back, the
Epicenter’s Specialists have been conducting a research about the fission
bombs. They wanted to create an immortal bomb that cannot be destroyed by
cutting wires, so they drain all the memories of the prisoners to create a
power source. Memories can conduct a minimum amount thermal energy, and if it
was combined with nuclear power, the result would become a power battery.”
Madam Fier continued. “Most blind people excel in visualizing thoughts in their
mind, and they need someone possessing a heavy burden in their hearts. After
all, emotions can greatly affect one’s attitude. After the Prophecy has been
made, Virgo immediately annihilated Metric, and imprisoned every disabled
people across the country.”
“Why…” Ciara
muttered. “Why only disabled people?”
“Disabled people
often have depression. They are often bullied, mistreated, and harassed. And
that’s what the Specialists want.” Madam Fier said. “Once those emotions are
combined with thermal energy, they could become the Candidate. That’s why some
disabled people die in their experimentation. The electrocution and mental
exertion process can damage the brain cells, and worse, it can end your heart beat.
But only one lived. A girl who had her eyes impaired, and acquired the precise
instinct and ability to detect her surroundings. That is you.”
Ciara swallowed.
“To hide my identity, I trapped myself inside
the hut, watching everyone from my crystal globe, until you caught my
attention.” Madam Fier said to Ciara. “You are wondering why you are the
Candidate, even though you weren’t blind at that time. But I’ll tell you this.
It’s in your destiny, child.”
“So I was destined
to become blind?” Ciara said, astounded. Madam Fier nodded.
“Yes…because I was
the one who asked Virgo to destroy Metric.”
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