Light in Dawn

Chapter Eight - Untold Secret

Do not read this chapter. Skip to the next one.

What, you're still here?

Okay then. You've ignored my warning. What happens next is your responsibility...

================================

Every night it rains.

When people lit fires to warm themselves, fighting against the cold and darkness of night, the fog that enveloped the realm would evaporate, and fall. Very often the liquefied vapour would flood the house, and escape from the cracks of doors, finally plunge five kilometres down below and reach earth, and the other realm there, underground.

That’s why Andriana’s house, like every other ones adjacent, was covered fully in waterproof mats. Dressed in a thin raincoat, the girl laid back crossed legged on her bed, her midnight blue eyes gleaming like gem in the darkness; alert and raptor-like. They were fixed on a piece of paper, sandwiched in plastic to be made waterproof, held in her gloved hands.

Andriana,

I have a favour to ask from you. Earth is facing imminent danger; the only chance to salvation lies only days away. Time is running out. I ask you to join me.

Julyan

The note was written in a rush. Andriana sat still, tapping her fingers on the paper absentmindedly, brooding. Abruptly she sprang from her bed, raced across the house until she was before the fireplace, and thrust the scrunched-up material in the flames.

And then there was a knock on the door.

She waited for twenty seconds, sauntering leisurely to the only entrance to her house. Her hands reached in her pockets where her small fruit knifes were. They weren’t just ordinary knives; they were her invention, a rare display of her concealed intelligence.

She opened the door with her opposite hand; her right hand drew the knife out simultaneously.

“Hello,” the comer greeted. Andriana’s finger froze one millimeter above one of the hidden buttons, refrained from hitting it last minute. Her right hand relaxed suddenly, falling limp by her side and was hid behind her back, still gripping her only weapon.

“You are…?”

“I take it you have received my letter?” A familiar looking boy with jet black hair and emerald eyes came into view as the light fell on him through the widening crack of the door. Julyan.

“I have,” Andriana reply stiffly despite her effort to act normal – what was the famous genius boy doing by her porch? Very reluctantly she pulled the door wider and gesture for Julyan to enter. After all, politeness was part of the characteristics of a normal person.

“Thank you.” Automatically he turned around to shut the door behind him, missing Andriana’s amazement. 

***

That a famous genius boy Julyan would be so polite took Andriana completely by surprise; she had thought someone who showered in attention since birth would be too busy feeling superior to care about such trifling things. Or such trifling people as her.

“This answer is, I’m not interested,”Andriana informed as soon as he sat down, standing by the couch opposite his, a clear sign that he was not welcomed, and she didn’t not plan to let him stay for long enough for her to prepare tea.

“But you have not considered it seriously.”

“What?”

“Here,” he rose from his seat, glanced at her with an expression like amusement, and walked straight to the fireplace. One moment he was staring into the bright flames, smiling ironically, and the next moment he held the note Andriana threw in the fire in his hand, examining the creases that were the result of her scrunching it up. “This is waterproof and fireproof. And it shows that you’ve received the note five minutes ago, threw it away three minutes ago.”

“Fingerprint sensitive?”

“Yes,” he returned to his original couch and placed the note on the table, sliding it across the table to her with a slender finger, “but that’s not the point.” He remained silent for ten seconds. “You’re afraid of attention,” he changed the topic suddenly; “you avoid fame, though you can gain it so easily with your natural genius. You aren’t an ordinary meek girl born with such a personality. You’re consciously avoiding attention. You don’t dislike attention; you despise it. So it must be…” he tapped a finger on the table, deep in thought. “Ah. Family influence. It’s your family history.”

Every one of his words hit Andriana painfully on the heart, as if he was hammering nails on it with every spoken syllable. Her mouth felt dry. Her tragic family history hadn’t been mentioned or thought of for a long time now. Avoiding attention had long since been a habit. She shut her eyes.

“Why didn’t you deny?” He asked.

“What’s the point?” She answered with a rhetorical question. “You probably have a lie detector with you.”

He smiled. “And yes, I do.”

Andriana resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“I have fame, and I know how to use it,” Julyan continued, “I can do everything with it except getting rid of it. That includes spreading it to others.”

“Is that a threat?”

“If you wish to call it that,” he shrugged.

Andriana lapsed in serious deliberation. There were so many questions she could ask about this:  what is this mission about? Why does he have to choose her? It seemed like, while he had a choice, she was left with none. Either way she would be attracting attention. It didn’t matter. At the end she thought the two most critical questions aloud.

“What will I gain from this? How long will I have to consider?”

His emerald eyes were bright, reflecting the brilliant flames. He was staring at the fire again. At last he made a sound close to a laugh. “I know I can’t expect you to think of saving the world as an honor in itself, or even as a duty.” To trouble a super genius so much in one night was strangely unnerving, “You can ask any favour from me. Anything that’s in my power will do.”

“Including – pretend you’ve never known a girl named Andriana Crystal ever in your life after we’re back?”

“You’re so confident that we’ll make it back alive?”

“Why not?”

“Then yes, to your question. That is certainly in my power.” He paused, “As for the time, you have exactly three days. Meet me in the Square, this time three days later when you’ve made your choice.”

===========================

Right now you're either extremely confused, or rolling your eyes at me, or are tempted to throw heavy, sharp, metal objects at me. As for the last one... please don't. They are actually painful.

Well it is the first of April here so...

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!

Sorry if you were expecting a chapter here. ;) NOPE. Kindly disregard this chapter. I just took part of the chapter 1 from Countdown from Three - another story that I'm working on - and just changed the names. xD

Alright I'll stop being childish and mean. Go to the next chapter. That one's legit.