A Hero In The Dark

Chapter 24: The Girl On The Stone

After saying a very sincere thank you and heartbreaking goodbye to Commander Sharma, Eight leads us to the cave that he's been staying in for most of his time on Earth.

On the way, he talks about his past. He talks about Reynolds, his Cêpan, and Lola, the girl Reynolds fell in love with. He talks of Lola's betrayal and how he's been staying in the mountains for years without being found by mogs. He explains how he developed his legacies; telekinesis, shapeshifting, and teleportation. He tells us how he lost his Chest during a Mogadorian scout expedition and how he hasn't found it since.

We travelled to the Lake to which I remember being where his Chest lies and Marina searched and retrieved it.

Afterwards, he led us to the cave that he normally stays. Pixie seems familiar of it and John soon clarifies that it is the same cave he's seen in Pixie's vision.

We find the drawing displaying the ancient prophecy, once written by the Elders long ago.

There is an image of Earth, Lorien, and even Mogadore. Though Mogadore is blackened and dark. So is Lorien, but it still has a touch of green on its circular markings. Earth appears normal; as it is commonly seen.

There are a bunch of people surrounding my planet. Differentiated by colours, shapes, and numbers. It is easy to identify them as the Garde. Though there is one individual painted on the stone that is unnumbered and harder to recognize.

A girl; that much is certain. With long darkened hair. She is positioned in the center of the entire cave drawing. A thick outline resembles her thin figure though the overall image is dull. Not much colour was used and the colour that is there has seemed to have faded. There is nothing but the colour of blue surrounding her image.

"Who is that?" I ask, unable to place it from Pittacus Lore's telling.

"I don't know," Eight responds honestly. "I've spent my years in this mountain trying to figure it out, never finding an answer."

"Could it be a Garde? Number Five maybe?" asks Marina.

"We don't know if Number Five is a girl," Henri says, thinking. "Perhaps this is a human?"

"Why would it be a human?" Nine questions critically. "This is mainly a war between us Loric and the mogs. There are billions of humans on this planet; many of them could look like this one. Why include a random human in all this?"

"There has to be something special about this one," Sam adds.

I stare at the image of the unknown girl. A part of Pittacus Lore's story that is not included; that I am not aware of.

It calls to me.

Silently, I approach the drawing of the girl on the stone. I sense everyone watch my movement though my eyes are keenly fixated on the image.

I reach out to trace the figure's outline.

Just as my finger touches the cold stone, something strange happens. A flicker of light. Blue light. Encases my vision. Only for a brief second. I am almost in doubt that it happened at all.

"Emily?" John speaks from the silence. "How are you doing that?"

I don't know what he's talking about. Before I even ask, do I notice it.

The drawing. The image of the girl. What was once gray and lackluster, is now shimmering a faint blue glow.

I step away from it.

"I don't know," I answer.

We all watch the stone holding the girls image fade back to normalcy.

"Emily," Henri starts from the silence. "I think that representation of the girl is supposed to be you."