INSIGNIAS: THE REGALIS

Sleep started pulling her as she waited for Faz’s answer. Her eyes fixated on a bright star in the sky through the wide glass window in the cafeteria. While she listened to the slow rhythm of his heartbeat humming near her ear and appreciated the warmth of his body against hers, her thoughts drifted to the days when Tessa’s group and Nate’s group met Faz and Clyne for the first time in Highfort. She couldn’t imagine being this close to him. They entered a dense forest after their short visit to a city. They didn’t encounter enemies for the whole day but Skhy seemed tense and distracted so he led them to camp in the forest. After deciding to stay near the shallow river, Skhy, Aria, and Storm gather fire woods, only for Tessa and the others to hear shouting a few minutes after they left. Without a second thought, they immediately ran toward the noise.

Tessa found Skhy facing two young men, as young as him, beneath a tall and dense tree. The shorter guy with strawberry blonde hair looked confused as his dark brown eyes gazes at Skhy and his companion. Beside him was a guy taller than him with black messy hair but light eyes; they were the color of silver metal. His determined stare seemed to spew electricity between him and Skhy. Storm and Aria stood behind Skhy looking confuse but ready to fight.

“Fa-”

“Why are you here?” The black-haired guy's voice sounded accusing and suspicious. “They ordered you to catch me.” He hissed the last statement. Tessa noticed the shorter guy inching toward him, glancing with worry at his jacket. Only when she followed his gaze that she saw dark liquid dripping from the black-haired guy’s black jacket. Were they in a fight?

“No one told me, Faz-” Skhy’s voice was soft and reassuring but the black-haired guy started glaring at him.

“Don’t call me that,” he hissed. He turned to his companion. “Let’s go. Don’t follow us or else.” Tessa looked at Skhy whose eyes undeniable showed determination and without fear. From that moment, Tessa knew that Skhy will do everything to keep the black-haired guy on the team. She also knew that he will turn their lives upside down.

“It’s the same name as my great great grandfather’s.” Tessa blinked. Faz’s voice pulled her from her memories.

“All those who wished to follow him are given the same name,” he added. His voice was low full of misery and quiet anger.

“But names are usually given at birth,” she interrupted in a quiet voice, “You didn’t wish to follow him.”

“The whole family decides.” She had a lot of questions. What were your parents thinking? Why did they want you to follow his horrible ancestor? How was your whole family murdered? Biting her lower lip to stop asking, she comforted him instead.

“No matter what your name is, you have a choice now.” His warm hand squeezed her shoulder. After a few moments of silence, he chuckled lightly.

“What?” she asked, her eyes already half-closed.

“I couldn’t imagine we’ll end up like this,” he whispered. His breath fanned the hair on top of her head. “You were so determined to protect Skhy from me when we first met; to keep me out of trouble.”

“Me neither.” He slowly helped her up. In silence and with slow steps, they returned upstairs.

“Rest.” Faz kissed her forehead, and his lips lingered, before turning to return to the boys’ room. Tessa couldn’t help but smile. Sleep came to her as she closed her eyes.

Their alarm woke her from her dreamless sleep in the early morn. The Seven was ready and waiting outside the manor at five in the morning. Most of them were sporting bruises; all bodies ached from the training the day before. Bloodshot eyes greeted knights Cora and Navi, both of them frowning at their students.

“Anika’s right,” Cora commented, “They won’t survive if they have Homer and Neus today.”

“But it’s the point of the training,” Navi said lazily, “There’s no mercy in the actual war.” Tessa wondered what they were talking about but she was too exhausted to talk. The Seven followed the two knights deep into the forest until Tessa saw tall rough pillars of black rocks on the cemented ground. The pillars lined the wide rectangular edges of the cracked floor. The area was a big football stadium. Beyond the area was a large grassy field. Under the twilight, the place looked eerie and undisturbed as if ghosts will appear if they set foot in the place.

“Space,” Cora started, “Is around us and inside us.”

“Among the 10 elementals, it is the hardest to control.” Navi walked toward the centre, followed by Cora.

“Any kind of interference affects one’s control,” Cora said. “And if that control wavers, anything -or anyone- will be thrown out somewhere.”

“Or into a void,” Navi added. Cora nodded. Void?

“Have you seen anyone controlling Space?” Tessa shook her head; her friends did too except for two.

“Levvy- a friend in the academy,” Skhy replied. Faz acknowledged what he said with a nod. Tessa remembered that short-haired girl with Eloise. Skhy and Faz had seen Eloise, Ice, and Levvy use their elementals because they knew each other.

“Of course,” Cora whispered to Navi which Tessa couldn’t hear. She wondered if Faz could hear because he had an excellent hearing ability.

“The elemental isn’t why we’re here,” Cora said afterward. “Rather, to read your opponent, predict their movements, and dodge their attacks.” Tessa glanced at Lei who looked as tired as she was. Cora and Navi’s training was as physically exhausting as the others.

“We won’t be moving,” Navi revealed. “The rocks might appear anywhere.” His sleepy expression was getting to Tessa.

“Oh,” Cora exclaimed, “This is just the first part. The second requires you to be on air.” Tessa’s face paled.

The area was divided into the south and north parts; Cora faced Nate, Lei, and Clyne, while Navi faced Faz, Skhy, Tessa, and Aria. Navi had a bored expression plastered on his face but his body was tensed. Tessa moved away from her friends to give each enough space to move. When it started raining rocks the size of a chair, Tessa’s eyes remained above as she dodge them. Instead of hitting the ground, the rocks were transported above. Eventually, she crashed against her friends one by one. It didn’t take long before the rocks started appearing from the sides and above, making Tessa squeal. Every time she dodge one, she wasn’t given time to catch her breath before running away from another rock. This is impossible.

She couldn’t track her movement but she knew that she started from the centre moving towards the edge and moved again toward her original position. Once in a while, a rock was thrown from two sides. She could hear her friends’ heavy and loud breathing like her own but she couldn’t glance at any of them without sacrificing herself. Two rocks had painfully hit her thigh and shoulder. She muttered to herself that Homer’s training didn’t help her agility at all.

“You think there’s a pattern?” she heard Faz behind her.

“I don’t know if it’s a pattern,” she replied between breaths. “But-” She didn’t get to continue what she wanted to say because she noticed a shadow in her peripheral view. She quickly dropped to the ground.

“Let’s stop.” Cora’s voice rang in her ears. When the rocks disappeared, Tessa slid to the ground, her legs shaking. Navi gestured for them to follow him to the centre; Cora did the same.

“You’re keeping your eyes on the rocks but you forgot the enemy in front of you,” Cora started. To Tessa surprise, she looked composed. It was Navi who looked frustrated.

“You also forgot that your companions are fighting near you,” Navi pointed out.

“Concentrate your focus on one thing, you’ll lose sight of the others.” Cora took a step sideward; in a blink of an eye, a rock as big as a car materialized above her and it flew toward Navi. The knight raised his left hand and the rock disappeared before it neared him. He did this without looking away from the Seven.

Tessa felt the emptiness on her surface. Using elemental heightened most of the users’ senses, and the lack of elemental dwindled her ability to sense presence and movements around her. The emptiness made her feel sad and frustrated at the same time. How long have we gone without our elementals? For her, it felt like months rather than days.

“Let’s try one more time,” Navi said, looking calmer than earlier. She could only nod.

The Seven tried three more times until Cora decided that it was enough for today. She noted that a few of them moved better than the first time but Tessa knew she didn’t make the cut.

“It’s hard,” Clyne complained. “I want to use my elemental.” The Seven rested together under the shade near the ruins, waiting for their next mentors. Cora and Navi left them while they eat lunch. Most of them had no appetite, including Tessa who wished to swim in a river.

“Did any of you try to use it?” Aria asked, giving her half-eaten sandwich to Clyne who gobbled it.

“It’s still weak,” Tessa whispered. In the darkness in her mind, a light slowly crept. She turned to Skhy.

“When do we plan to check the cave again?” Skhy and Faz glanced at each other.

“The knights keep us day and night.” It was Nate who answered.

“Tonight?” Lei suggested. Tessa had seen Lei sadly staring at the trees sometimes.

“Let’s talk after today’s last training,” Skhy said simply.

After half hour, Neus arrived looking dejected but he masked it with anger. At first, Tessa thought his feelings were directed at the Seven but his gaze seemed far away.

“We are in the dark,” he muttered. “How long are we doing to last?” Tessa glanced curiously at her friends. They were as confused as she was. Neus blinked suddenly aware that people were staring strangely at him.

“I’m sure you experienced being surrounded by mist.” His tone shifted, and all trace of his early feelings vanished. Without waiting for his students’ response, he moved. He raised his arms; suddenly, the noon sky turned darker as if a storm is coming. Tessa shivered when the cold wind embraced her. She shifted closer to Faz who was standing near her.

“Mist used by Concordians isn’t that different from Mortemians,” Neus said, “If one knows how to handle Darkness, possibilities are infinite.” Tessa blinked and the darkness swallowed her, making her gasp. She looked around but found that she was alone. Fear crept and spread inside her, making her heart beat faster and louder. She was reminded of the first time she encounter the mist after visiting Karl’s office in Cornerstone. Her opponent showed her visions of her mother’s death; the visions turned into nightmares for weeks. She looked down but she couldn’t see herself. Panicking, she started calling for her friends but she didn’t move out of fear that she might fall deeper into the darkness.

“Find them,” someone whispered near her ear, making her jump in surprise. She turned around but there was nothing but blackness.

“Calm down.” The familiar voice was soft but insistent. “Move and find them.”