“Aww, I’m hungry!” wailed Sasuke. He couldn’t hold much longer. Dinner had been prepared and laid out on the table before him in all its different colors. And the smell only reminded him of just how hungry he was.
“Now now Sasuke. We can’t start without the others,” Dr. Huan warned. The boy immediately shrunk back. Even though the doctor had said it in his usual gentle tone, Sasuke couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated by the more deep and authoritative voice of an adult.
“Sorry for the wait,” Futch announced as he and Luc stepped into the kitchen. The two took the remaining vacant spots at the small dinner table. Everything was ready. The dinner guests were all present, but no one made a move.
Sasuke, who was the most anxious, sat darting his eyes from one plate to the other, but he didn’t dare be the first one to start. No one made a sound. Dr. Huan blinked. He hadn’t the slightest idea what was causing the children to be so intimidated. Well, Tuta was just too polite to start eating first, but the others… Even the dragon was quiet by Futch’s side. Perhaps they were not used to having formal meals at other people’s houses.
“Well, we can start now,” the doctor urged them in a friendly tone. “Go on.”
Still, none of them made the motion to pick up their chopsticks. The children sat rolling their eyes at one another waiting for the other to start. Dr. Huan internally sighed. He wanted to laugh at the unexpected actions of his houseguests, but he thought he should just keep quiet and save them from the humiliation. Maybe, he thought to himself, he had forgotten what it was like to be a kid.
The doctor picked up his pair of chopsticks and began to eat. Warily, the children followed. At first they slowly picked the food on the table at sparse intervals, but soon the pace quickened and a regular dinner had begun. The boys had a great time, especially Sasuke, who had several extra servings of rice. Now they were sleeping peacefully in the patients’ room upstarirs or so it seems…
Luc furrowed his brows over closed eyes. An old dream was slowly replaying itself to him.
…
Slender fingers traced the intricate patterns of a stone, cold door. The boy took a deep breath. Then with all his might, he pushed the door open. Luc hurried down the long empty hallway. He was in a restricted area. Lord Hikusaak was holding a meeting here today so he had been told not to go near the place, yet…
He went on, breathing heavily from the quickened pace and partially from the fear of getting caught. In his mind he kept wondering why he was doing this and each time he did, he remembered the incident that went on yesterday.
~~~~~flashback
It was afternoon. The young true rune holder was walking back to his room after his lessons. Once again he had failed to squeeze any information out of his tutor about his idol, High Priest Sasarai. He ambled down the outdoor walkway. The sun was almost set. The smell of summer was heavy in the air, mostly due to the plants from the garden that was beside him.
Luc looked at the garden. He had always found it very soothing to look at. Beautiful plants of all kinds, colors, and possibilities from all over the world were present. Gorgeous and well taken care of, it was like a small world of its own, easy to just lose yourself into.
The boy walked along happily until something white caught his eye. It was a white cloth, draped onto the floor up ahead by the wall of the walkway. It was foreign. Luc had taken this path many times and he had never seen such an object. He slowly edged on. Upon closer inspection, he stopped when he realized it was a figure of a person in the drapery.
The young Harmonian panicked. He didn’t know what to do. He had been living the same routine life for as long as he could remember and wasn’t very susceptible to change. Minutes passed as he stood there with the cloaked figure unmoved. The sun had already set. Luc finally took a deep breath. He thought if the person hadn’t moved for so long then it could possibly be dead and he would be safe.
He moved down the darkened walkway. If he could just pass this foreign object then he could be on his way, safe and back on his routine way. He would go back to his room and the next day he would wake up and begin his studies again, day after day in the same way. When he finally reached the figure, the young Harmonian kept his eyes straight ahead. One step…two step…three step…he was almost past the strange figure until…
“Young one,”
Said a woman’s voice under the white hood. The boy froze.
“You need not be afraid of me, Luc.” The voice was calm and hardly had any tone of hostility to it, but Luc was scared. His mind was running and he wasn’t used to it.
‘Who is she?’
‘How did she know my name?’
‘What should I do?’
Before he could think anymore, the woman spoke again, “I have come to take you with me,” she rose a hand, draped with white cloth. This time the young Harmonian thought more clearly.
‘Why would I do that?’
‘I’m fine the way I am…’
“Will you come with me or not?”
“No,” Luc replied with certainty, but his voice still came out trembling. The cloaked woman raised a hand to an amused smile on her face. A swish of cloth could be heard in the silence as she did so.
“Very well, but whether this is your decision or not, this is your destiny.”
Luc tightened his lips. With his voice still shaking, this time a little bit from anger, he replied to the stranger, “How can that be my destiny? I...I belong here…”
At this point, the cloaked figure gave out a small laugh, “Oh? So you need to ascertain this by yourself? Very well, I will show the truth to you…” And the stranger told him what to do.