INSIGNIAS: THE REGALIS

The white globe continued to pulsate strongly as the silence stretched. While Faz and Skhy seemed to be sizing their enemy, Nate and Clyne’s attention was on the light. At first sight, Clyne thought it looked like the Tionem sphere used to protect Lux Signifer Academy but he knew that it was different. He wondered if the globe was the same power that restricted them from using elementals in the Shadows Islands. He wondered if destroying the globe would make it easier to use their elementals and call their weapons again. The thought both excited and scared him.

“Don’t you dare touch it.” Clyne turned toward the girl they saw in The Mort who looked like Eloise. She looked like a ghost more than a living person.

“What are you doing here?” Faz emphasized the ‘you.’ He was angry at the Rosein Army for using Eloise’s face. The girl told them before that she is a clone. Clyne had no idea what it meant. He had no idea if the girl only changed her face or if she was indeed created. The thought of creating a person using magic sent a disturbing shiver on his spine.

“I asked you first,” the girl replied without taking her eyes off the glowing globe. She wasn't affected by Faz’s daunting glare.

“Are you with the Rosein Army?” Skhy asked. Clyne looked around for any presence or movement. A part of him cursed himself for walking into a trap. Several questions, however, haunted his mind. Why are they in the Noir? Did they know that we’re here? How did they know? Did the knights sense their presence?

The girl turned to look at Skhy. While her face remained void of emotions, Clyne noticed something flicker in her eyes.

“I don’t have to answer.” Faz released an exasperated groan. He took a step toward her, his fists clenched, but Skhy placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“We don’t know anything.” Skhy glanced between the girl and the bright globe. “We shouldn’t do anything rash.”

“She’s the only one here,” Faz gritted his teeth, still glaring at the girl. Clyne and Nate moved closer to them. The girl didn’t seem to care that Faz wanted to hurt her. She continued staring at the floating globe as if it was the only thing that interest her.

“He’s right, Faz.” While Clyne wanted nothing but to fight the Rosein Army, they were at a disadvantage if the people in red started appearing. But there’s no point in running if we’re already surrounded. He gulped the rising fear in his throat.

“No.” Faz’s voice became dangerously low. “We don’t even know if she’s an elemental user. And even if she is, her power is useless on this island.” There was a pause in the end but Faz didn’t continue.

Like the rest of us.

“Alyssa.” The girl flinched when Nate said the name. Clyne had forgotten that she had one. Alyssa, the pale girl, slowly turned to face them. Clyne glanced at Nate who looked like he was carefully considering his question.

“Who are you?” The girl’s mouth opened slightly, her eyes widened a bit. For the first time since they saw her on the black beach, her face showed emotion. Clyne, on the other hand, was confused by Nate’s question. They knew that the girl is associated with the Rosein Army as one of its important masters. Faz mirrored Clyne’s confusion. Skhy, however, looked calm and understanding. Clyne’s gaze returned to the girl who recovered immediately. She became expressionless again.

“You know us,” Nate continued, “But we don’t know you.” Clyne’s frown deepened. Nate looked curious. This is not the time for curiosity!

Tell yourself that, Clyne.

The girl’s blank expression never changed but there was a glint in her eyes.

“Alyssa Roseshadow. A Discoverer.” Clyne raised an eyebrow. He waited for her to tell them of her elemental but she stopped there. Discoverer? His friends, even Faz, shared his confusion.

“Discoverer?” Skhy’s unblinking eyes stared at the air. He seemed to be trying to place the word in his memory and knowledge.

“Here is different,” she said. What? “A Discover is a person who can identify the elemental, weapon, power, and quality of another.”

Clyne narrowed his eyes at her. He didn’t know there is a name for that because any elemental user could do that.

“Not like that.” She glanced at him as if she could hear his thoughts. It creeps him out. “Even just by seeing the person, or touching a person, a Discoverer could identify.” Clyne glanced at his friends. He didn’t know what to make of what she said. It felt like she was revealing a nature unknown to them. But she could be lying or bluffing. He started wondering if she was stalling them while waiting for her back-ups. He looked around, trying to feel any presence, but aside from the pulsing bright sphere, he couldn’t sense anything. He wanted to tell his friends that they had to go.

“We haven’t heard of someone like that,” Skhy carefully said, considering what she said. The girl tilted her head to the left.

“Of course. Here is different.” Where is different??? She turned.

“Go now.” Her attention had shifted again to the sphere.

“You’re letting us go?” Nate curiously asked.

“Or they’re waiting somewhere to ambush us?” Faz mockingly said.

“What does that sphere do?” Skhy asked.

“Are you going to use it in something evil?” Clyne asked but he was ready to run, not because he was a coward but because they had overstayed and because the waves of the bright globe were getting stronger and faster, insisting he touch it. If he was being honest, the only thing that was stopping him from getting closer to the light was the girl’s presence.

“So many questions.” Not looking at them, she pointed at the path they came from. “It’s safe.”

“Why should we trust you?” Faz grunted.

“You don’t have to.” Her eyes were still fixated on the pulsing sphere. Is it just me or it’s getting bigger and brighter? “Forksleigh’s father is coming.”

“Forksleigh…” Skhy’s voice trailed.

“Tessa’s father,” Faz hissed.

“We can’t face him right now, Faz,” Skhy insisted. “Let’s go.”

“Let’s take her as a prisoner,” Clyne offered even though the girl creeps him out.

The girl suddenly turned to them. She took a step forward and under her foot, the ground started turning to ice, slowly creeping toward Clyne and his friends. He gasped.

“How-”

“Come.” Nate ushered him toward the slope. Skhy had a hard time convincing Faz but when the ice started to spread in every direction, Faz shouted that he was going to find her again before climbing up the crater.

“What was that about,” Clyne muttered between heavy breaths. They were going through the tunnel to reach the cave entrance. Although they didn’t sense any presence, they still moved slowly and quietly.

“We should have fought her,” Faz said, still pissed, “She’s alone.”

“If we did, we’re popsicles now,” Skhy pointed out.

“But how is she able to use her elementals why we…” Clyne stopped there. He felt frustrated like Faz, pathetic even, that he had to run when he could fight.

“I don’t know.” Clyne glanced at Faz. He knew that his mind is racing, mentally reminding himself what he had to do to find out.

The cave was quiet. Too quiet for Clyne but they didn’t encounter anyone or anything. They reached the path closest to the entrance. Anticipation was boiling inside him. He imagined hundreds of men in red waiting outside the cave, imagined them walking toward their death and Aria and the others looking for them.

“What do you think she meant by here is different?” Nate had been silent since they left the girl in the crater. He looked lost in thought.

“I don’t know.” Clyne shrugged. “The island is different?” But despite his better judgment, Clyne was curious about a Discoverer. He knew that he shouldn’t trust her words, especially because her expression gives nothing. Still, the idea of a person who could identify anyone’s power interested him. If he was able to recognize a person’s potential before fighting just by seeing him, it would be advantageous. Does a picture qualify as ‘seeing’?

“Don’t believe her.” Faz’s voice was dangerously low again. Clyne couldn’t see him because of the darkness but he knew his friend was still trying to control his anger.

“What are we going to do?” Clyne asked.

“Tell the knights,” Skhy replied, “Immediately.” No one contradicted him.

When Clyne noticed the light at the end of the path, he didn’t know whether to sigh in relief or hold his breath in fear. Skhy rushed toward the exit, Faz followed with Clyne and Nate close behind. Instead of relief or fear, his face paled when he saw the sky.

“Oh no,” he muttered, still in shock. The light they saw was coming from the round moon hanging in the dark firmament.

“We’ve been there for almost 6 hours.” Nate’s wide eyes looked around.

“Come on. We have to run.” Skhy ran ahead and the others followed. Clyne glanced at Faz whose lips were in a thin line, jaw clenched. Clyne mirrored his expression.

The forest was harder to navigate at night. They left their backpacks in the manor, thinking that they will be back before dinner.

“Stop.” Everyone abruptly followed the command. Clyne’s heart drummed fast beats in his chest. Two figures materialized from the darkness – a pissed Neur and cold Anika.

“Where were you four?” Neur gritted his teeth. Clyne didn’t trust himself to talk.

“We found someone connected to the Rosein Army is inside a cave,” Skhy said. Neur and Anika glanced at each other.

“Are you sure?” Anika asked, her voice still cold. Clyne nodded.

“We’ll take care of it.” She turned around and took a step. “Come now.”

“No.” Anika stopped walking. “We have to take care of it now.” Faz’s defiant attitude was something Clyne is used to. But not at this. Anika turned to face them. Clyne could see the fire burning in her eyes. Among the seven knights, she seemed to be the calmest and most patient. And normal. Neur glared at Faz but he did not move as if he was waiting for Anika.

“It’s dangerous to leave them be,” Skhy explained. Anika studied them for a moment. When her calculating eyes landed on Nate, she raised an eyebrow.

“What do you think?”

What is she doing?

Nate gulped.

“We’ll follow your command.” Clyne’s mouth hanged open, surprised that Nate didn’t fight. But at the same time, he understood his fear. Even if Clyne and the others insisted on taking care of the danger, the knights would be forced to restrict their freedom. They had to find another way at another time. He glanced at Faz whose fists had turned white from clenching and Skhy whose head drooped low. They too understood their current positions. Faz wasn’t stupid, no matter how confident he is in fighting.

Anika nodded.

“Anything else you found in the cave?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Nate answered. “We just got away.” She studied the four of them before turning. Neur grunted before following her. Clyne, Faz, Skhy, and Nate glanced at each other. A silent communication started.

They had a new goal.