Drip!
The cold droplet, like sweat, went to touch his temple in the early morning. Xīn felt something falling from his face, something like a wet and cold thing like droplet or sweat, as if some kind of problematic leakage had occurred during yesterday night's sudden rain but it cannot be some kind of swarm up leakage, and it is impossible to get leakage out of nowhere from the ceiling. His room's light lit up as he rushed towards the bathroom to inspect, but what he saw was tears or maybe sweat abruptly falling from Xīn's eyes; he was unaware why tears were falling from his eyes.
Xīn went through his azure coloured hair with his hands, his long little sharp eyebrows looked cool and sharp with a combination of deep black eyes that look like they conceal something inside of it and his refined body perfectly suiting his face and body figure.Running the water tap on he washed his face, Xīn took a closer look at his face where his eyebrows twitched seeing his face, which looked pale and exhausted. He got dark circles from yesterday night, at night he was just lost in thought of someone.
Outside the house the cold winds started blowing suddenly and the window of the Xīn room was wide open in the early morning where the sun was not even up yet, it was still four am. He was on the first floor in a very cozy house with a luxurious room where lights were on in his room, and…..that room was given to him by his aunt, Xīn mother's sister.
Xīn, who came closer to the window on the cold night of September, and was looking out of the window that was wide open, reluctantly said, "The wind looks strong and vigorous as if something great is gone from this world." It was like those words came out from Xīn's mouth on its own; he was unaware of what he was saying though. Maybe he got, some serious issues that he himself didn't know about yet.
When Xīn was in his own inner peace looking out of his window gazing through auspicious clouds in the morning night sky, where the moon illuminates its beauty. After a while he decided to turn off his room light. As he turned looking for his switch board, he didn't even hear that someone had entered his room. As he turned off the light. It was darkness, there was little lamp flickering in his room and in the wide open window the moon light fell in his room, there were footsteps that echoed once in his room.
Thud
An unknown person stood behind him. And from behind a voice dug into the silent atmosphere, "Hello, dear friend" a voice whispered from Xīn's back.
He was startled with sudden whispers in his ears. He turned around to look. As he retreated backward he was thinking what kind of mad person had tried to enter his room. There he saw a man in light green robes with white ribbons where he held a fan wide open with his sharp eyes that looked like red rose where his hair fell down, and maybe his eyes looked pitted against him or maybe he was just seeing things or couldn't detect his looks because of darkness.
"Who are you?" Xīn questioned in uneasiness.
Xīn was in an endless reflection of how that person had stepped in. The word he said 'dear friend' doesn't even sound like an amiable way for him, as he was just an intruder for Xīn, not a friend but rather than a stranger who dared a barge in his room.
Clack, closing his hand fan, the person kept his two hands behind and turned around to look outside the window, he said "Chill, I just entered your house to see the expectation of the future element. Am I wrong? Or aren't I allowed to see."
"What kind of nonsense is this?" Xīn said, retreating again step by step until his head touched the cold tiles on the wall of his room.
"I am speaking the truth."
Xīn was in the corner sitting at the ground of his room, as if the world had turned out completely useless to him for living. He frowned, his mouth slightly open as he clenched into his clothes, he was on a way to make a call for help like a senseless person losing control but seeing how the person looked stood stiff in a calm position, he thought for a moment and was willing to take a slow breath for a while.
"Are you from Hmā?"
The person swiftly turned and looked at him thoroughly with his sharp rose-like eyes that looked elegant and rational. Opening the fan on his hand that just minutes ago was closed, he solemnly nodded. Covering his face with fans in his hand only revealing his upper part of eyes waiting for the Xīn to speak up.
As he remembered something about this person. The person in front of him was dressed in traditional attire of ancient times. He was holding some kind wooden fan and fanning himself gracefully, and his long hair gave him an extraordinary look.
"Now I know who you are, it's a pleasure to meet you". The person before said as he sensed Xīn had understood the reason why he came here.
"H-hello" Xīn continued, "Are you also the one of the among, my grandma mentioned about? The person from the Hmā family, like element checker's" he said with a low, hesitant voice.
Element checkers is termed used for those persons who have an ability to check elemental powers and their types which they are going to belong to.
The person in front of him thought for a sec and said,"Oh, yes your grandmother did mention it to you. That's a good thing then, I won't have to go into such deep material things to explain.
Xīn felt uneasy, and remembering something he said "But my time of meeting an element hasn't come and that my elemental source hasn't activated yet"
The person in front of him thought for a moment and he walked towards the window and said. "Yeah, but it's coming soon, remember that thing. One more thing I will be waiting for you there in the High peak of the Shao mountain in the evening. For now, I will take my leave."
He flips open his fan, smiles and disappears in the air.
Swoosh
Before Xīn could even open his mouth the person before him disappeared in front of him. For a moment Xīn was unable to think that he is free from this world and can enjoy everything but after what he learned and made a deal in the past struck him like a lightning in his heart that can make it shattered into pieces. He once again glanced outside the window that was wide open and the curtains were flying, he thought of something again when his notification rang.
Ding
A message from Cloud.
"Are you awake? If you are not, I will be waiting outside of your house. After seven am."
Xīn looked at the message and went to sleep till dawn and got ready at the exact time where he met Cloud outside his house where they walked along.
***
The air in the atmosphere feels fresh as it's newly made by plants. Many people were busy decorating their clubs, does people have to squeeze through at some point also, if the corridor is also big somehow it becomes less spatial for people.
Xīn was newly joined in their Literature Club, it happened so when Cloud asked him to join the club when walking to their class and that he was in that club too. The club was refined with white colour and clear glass with a large book self on the side, in middle there is a large square table seated by different people, but an actually explicit was that they were having a meeting, right now where Xīn stayed silent what's far more to say that Xīn was called to attend the seat in meeting with literature club members.
They were discussing something like a couple dance going to be held in the next twenty nine days. It was said that they have to participate in that event but the problem was that they don't have a female member.
When Xīn heard there were no female members he was lost in shock, as if it was someone new they would probably say. What kind of a crappy club is that, having a handsome guy but not even a single girl, what kind of absurd thing is that?
The fact that this club has no members was that for two reasons, that many people talk about. First of all, although Cloud was handsome and elegant, his behaviour is somewhat like a black mamba who won't know what will happen to another person before him. But somehow he was formidable and good towards Xīn.
They were just in deep thought, then Xīn gave a suggestion.
"Why don't you guys bring female members then?"
The president of the club after hearing his suggestion was grateful but disappointingly, he said. "We can't bring, because if we are bringing a female member she needs to go under registration and checking." president of the club said.
"Registration? Checking?" Xīn asked in doubt.
"Yes, as you can see Cloud grandmother owns this whole university and doesn't let any girl come near him if any one dares to, something might happen to that girl" And it was the second thing that prohibited any girl from entering the club. When Xīn earlier heard other people talking was thought fake but not until now.
When the club president said 'something' that means something ominous might happen to them, Xīn assumed without any hesitation. As he looked towards Cloud seated next to him, arms crossed and the breeze blowing from the window behind Cloud.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Mmm"
As if everyone in the room had the same brain parts, they looked at Xīn and said something that made Xīn's soul freak out from his body.
"Why don't you become one?" the club president said.
"Y…y..you mean cross dressing?" Xīn smattered.
"Yes, exactly," the club president said, putting his hands in a hammer shape to the other flat hand.
"No," Xīn straightly rejected.
"Think over it again, and… Cloud will be the male dancer right? Cloud" Club president turned around the Cloud and said.
Cloud gazes fell into Xīn, a reluctant look. He looked at him silently. As the room also felt silent, nothing but outside ruckus.
Something was going in his mind. No….
"Alright I don't have a problem" Cloud said, giving him a white smile that appeared on his lips.
"I have to think about it."
"Okay, take your time, then for now let's do decorating."
The people left the meeting area. Everyone went by saying Xīn to accept it, but Xīn really wanted to slap them on their faces saying, heck if it's really that easy to accept it then why don't you take my place instead I will be pleased to see and learn from you guys.
Cloud lay his arm around and sleeping on it he watched Xīn, everyone was leaving the meeting room slowly, "Btw, today Autumn festival evening I will not be able to come." Cloud said with eyes that looked sad somehow.
"Huh,...ah..it's okay I am also a little busy too." Xīn said in a little disappointment, yet seriousness.
There was no sound for a moment.
Then someone called out Cloud, saying he was called by one of the professors. Cloud went out, while Xīn seated there for a while thinking something, just then a hand placed on his shoulder, "Hello, it's nice to meet you again"
Xīn flinched and looked at the back it was the …sissy guy from yesterday he has bumped into, "Oh hello nice to meet you to again"
The guy had brown hair, fairy black eyes and with extra cuteness over his face, "If you don't mind, can you help me out?"
"Agh, sorry about that," Xīn uttered.
"Mm, hmm" the guy replied casually turning to the corner side where there was black plastic tide up
He looked at Xīn and said,"Here, help me carrying one out of those two"
"Yea.." it was an awkward moment for Xīn to talk as he hasn't coped up speaking with others he rather considered them as strangers.
The corridor was as busy as always but they managed to come to the ground floor, as they were heading to the dumpster the guy asked, "You know?, you were in the hot topic of gossip list yesterday"
"...?"
"You don't know that?" As they dumped the trash on the dumpster the guy asked in little shock.
"No, I don't know," Xīn said without hesitation, "is that something I should worry about?"
The guy replied,"Not really, but you know you already earned fame in our class."
Those words were hitting Xīn like a praising arrow, as he said "What kind of fame?"
"Mm, since you really don't know let's talk a bit at the cafeteria" fixing his clothes position he was steadily asked for a better place to talk about.
Xīn thought for a moment and responded with a doubtful question, "Umm..what about the decoration going on? Aren't they need our help"
"No they don't, as we aren't practicing in Autumn festival this time, they were talking about decorating their class, not a club." The guy said putting his two hands on his pocket and taking Xīn with him started walking towards the cafeteria.
The cafeteria wasn't crowded and of course there were going to be non-familiar faces too. It was a huge cafeteria with refined wood as desk and benches, silk white curtains putted in side of window silt as decorative way but there was one time that makes it more fancy, a big fancy Chandelier hanged on the top above illuminating it's light in every side of the place and a medium size golden colour clock where you could see time, making a tick tock sound.
"What would you like to eat?" the guy in dilemma looking at the foods that they were serving.
Xīn wasn't interested in eating so he just said,"I don't wanna eat, you can have it by yourself."
The guy looked at him with confusion as if he had done something to him, "Okay then"
After the guy finished taking his food they reached out the third bench, Xīn sat near the window side and the guy seated in front of him.
"So what was 'the hot topic of gossip list' ?" he asked the guy in front of him who was eating a bun.
"It was about yesterday's incident, you know you solved the hardest question of the whole ten years and that prof. It is very nasty that anyone who dares to go against him will be dead in trouble."
"Oh.." Xīn thought and continued his words, "Does that mean I am in trouble now?"
The guy look with thought like something chaos and said,"I don't think so" he continued,"Give me your contact I will add you in group as well and you might see your fame"
He hesitated for a bit, but actually gave the number. The guy went through his phone typing and after a minute he looked at Xīn and said.
"Done."
The guy was an amiable person but Xīn was feeling something was oddly off, maybe it was long since he hadn't talked like this with someone and also because when Cloud left at that time he hadn't made any new friends. Maybe Who knows?
They talked casually after that and Xīn ended up not replying so much to the questions that guy had asked him.
After a moment of conversation he left and by the time when he reached the Shāo mountain, it was past five pm already. In the evening, the sky was vivid with an orange glow and reddish glimmer. Xīn was at the Shāo mountain where that person asked him to come.
The wind blew as the evening light started fainting little by little while climbing, Xīn kept looking back again and again at the evening sky and it was glowing very tremendously. He reached the place that was quiet and planned. But it was total silence. There was only one light green silhouette standing in front of him.
It was the person who called him. As he saw Xīn coming he flapped open his fan again and started fanning against himself. "You are here quite little early"
"Mmm, why did you call me?"
The person stopped smiling for a moment and said ,"Why hurry, we have validity of time."
After what he heard from that person's mouth Xīn clenched his hand fist and if that person was mortal he would have beaten him to death showing him the path of hell. He was irritated by this person that he wasted his precious time.
The person in front of him solemnly smiled and said."I just remembered something, oh I forgot to give my introduction…. Mm you can just call me 'Bai Shao Yao'."
Xīn thought the person before Xīn thought of him as a joke somehow.
Xīn was thinking of a way of running away from him as he knows he doesn't have any kind of powers and if he does also he doesn't know how to use them. There was only one way he was thinking of..it was to flee away from this set up trap by Bai Shao.
Bai Shao seemed to have noticed something about Xīn's behaviour so he chuckled and said,"let me guess if you are thinking of running away from here there is no way you can escape after entering this place because I have already put out the spell and created a barrier covering this vast mountain, so that you can't escape from here."
Those words struck him like a fresh lightning fallen from heaven only to hit him hard. In a nervousness and reluctantly he said,"You already know, I don't have power so why?"
Bai Shao annoyingly cited Xīn words and said."I know but you haven't noticed that your powers are awakened already."
Xīn doesn't know how to face this kind of dilemma he was given, he was in a situation like whether to run and be dead or be brave and face this bizarre situation.
"Soon the earth monsters are going to appear above the earth surface, I will be waiting on the high above, for now best of luck."
Swoosh
As the Bai Shao finished speaking he flipped open his fan and with the gusty wind the area was soon covered in dust. As dust began to clear slowly, the figure of light green silhouette disappeared
.. may be on top of a mountain peak. It was a quick movement that Xīn couldn't get to.
Before he could think of anything the ground made a movement, from there two pairs of hands appeared from the ground.
Is there going to be a Zombie raid or something?
The hands in the ground came out and it appeared to be that two people's corpses may have been dead for many years, yet they don't look like normal person corpses but rather like a powerful ancient times monarch or cultivator. A negative aura was coming from both of the corpses that Xīn could feel.
It was the first time that Xīn had fallen into some kind of bizarre situation because of someone. Xīn doesn't have any opinion about those two corpses nor does he know about when the heck his powers are awakened or may be going to.
He was in an endless thought then suddenly, he sensed something behind him. A great sound of heavy metal.
CLANG
One of the corpses attacked him with his long chain. And that he hardly manages to dodge it, somehow the chain gets hit on another corpse who was holding a sword and that corpse also manages to block the attack.
The first corpse who was holding a black sword has brown long messy hair with a gravy look, a trail of blood all over his face and torn dirty robes.
The second one has long black hair tied up like a pony tail and a chain tied all over his body. And two pairs of chains in his hands and the edges of those chains were like refined sword tips with sharp edges.