2 I NOMINATE MYSELF

It was already dusk. Tala walked out from the square and searched for her residence. In her memory, it was almost a hundred of years that passed and she hadn't visited their land, but she could clearly remember the way to her residence.

Arriving in front of the door, she could not help but reminiscent her previous memory.

Her residence was not vast; around a hundred square meters. Every student of the 5th class is titled to own this kind of residence, and Tala was one of them.

Tala leisurely looked at her place recalling her previous memory. She walked in and gently touched the wall as her eyes swept through every corner of it. Tears were threatening to fall.

"Tala, are you inside?" Before her eyes shed tears, someone knocked on the door. She hurriedly walked out and saw a young man standing straight, chinned up.

Velvety hair with soft angled eyebrows paired to his oval shape face contrasting the sight of his deep green piercing eyes made him look formidable. His delicate skin harmonizing the fine greenish silk he wore.

"Adasa, what are you doing here?" Tala asked with joyous voice. The joy in her face was translucent as day.

Adasa was bewildered upon seeing the happiness in Tala's face.

"Why are you so happy? Did you miss me that much?" He chuckled sarcastically.

"Miss you?" She did not bothered about it even after realizing her unusual demeanor. Instead, Tala immediately said with an innocent smile, "Of course, I miss you a lot."

Adasa was startled upon hearing her words. He knew Tala's temper towards him, but why she was acting like this all of a sudden?

"You've vanished from the square all of a sudden. So, I came here personally to give you this invitation. We will have a meeting before tomorrow's event." Adasa changed the topic immediately. He stressed out the word 'personally', so as to let the young guardian in front of him realized the graveness of the matter.

"Oh, thank you. Sorry for troubling you," Tala said sincerely.

"I will take my leave then," Adasa waved his hand and bid farewell without much emotion. His haughty behavior towards Tala was crystal clear to her. Of course, Tala knew the reason.

One fine day, Tala caused an accident which, unfortunately, had dragged Adasa too. He shoved all the blame to Tala which earned unfavorable side to her. As a young guardian that time, Tala's pride was badly hurt.

Though Adasa was innocent, Tala couldn't leave him unscratched. So, she said that Adasa at fault too.

As a result of pointing each other, they were punished by the Head personally which engrave a bad impression to him.

From then, Adasa and Tala did not have peaceful days whenever they bumped into each other.

'Feather's Courtyard: 6:00 pm.' Tala read the letter.

'I have 10 minutes before the meeting. I should think of a way to descend to the human world to find them.' Tala thought with determination.

With her previous knowledge, Tala sat down on her bedroom and began to think of a plan.

'The golden medallion will grant me a request. Obtaining it is just as simple as walking in the park, but what will be my request?

'There are two options: first, to alter the distribution of the rewards because what the other will receive is not totally within their skills. It is just a waste of time. They need to grow stronger as soon as possible.

'Second, is to request to descend to the human world.' Of course, Tala knew that the second one is to prioritize but the first one was needed to be accomplish too before she descends.

'What should I do?

'I could not just seek Head Araw and said that I wanted to go down there. It's not like I just want to walk in a park.

'For them, sending a young guardian to survey that lands was already a heavy decision they are making.

'Sigh, even if I meet the qualifications, it will take another five years at most.'

Ten minutes had passed, but she was unable to think of a solution.

'Forget it. I will wait for an opportunity to knock for the time being. I hope there's one.'

Tala head to the meeting place; the Feather's Courtyard.

It was vast; around a thousand square meters.

Flowers were everywhere as trees stood behind. The center was a magnificent wooden gazebo adorned with flowery pots under. Its roof was made up of anahaw with some sort of silvery net to compress it. Next to it was a giant tree that covered the entire gazebo creating a refreshing sensation.

Flatten rocks with intricate design were patched to serve as a pathway and santans were planted alongside to serve as a fence.

Tala saw the other nine competitors sitting leisurely.

"Oh! Tala! You're just in time. I thought you will be late again." Sadam curled up his lips.

Tala just smiled at him making him startled for seconds.

She humbly sat next to Eya and gave her a cute smile.

Sadam was Adasa's best friend, so logically, he will hate Tala too.

In the war against demons, Tala remembered these two young men fought side by side. She admired their friendship. The trust and faith they built over the years were clear as they fought in harmony.

Worthy of being praised!

'I must help them obtain a greater height.' Tala pondered to how she would do that.

In her previous life, the two achieved a power they desired, but it wasn't enough. The war claimed their lives and everyone inside the gazebo.

"Today's meeting is about the result of the event for tomorrow. We all know that after this event, one of us will be send to the human world to spectate for 5 years. I gathered all of you to voice out your opinion through nomination." Adasa stood as his voice sounded.

The Head give them the freedom to choose. They thought of nomination as a way of fair competition.

'How did I forget this event? Oh! Stupid self,' Tala curled up her lips with distressed.

Everyone in the gazebo doesn't want to be sent to the human world because their heavenly energy will be stagnant or worst be absorb by the earthly energy and became an ordinary human.

5 years may be short, but it was enough to consume their heavenly energy until there's nothing left if not to be cautious.

Instead of spending their energy in the human world, they will highly choose to stay and further strengthen their energy. That's why, in every competition, they held a nomination for fairness.

But in Tala's mind, that was a solution to her problem. Her heart raced in anticipation to execute her plan.

"We held this nomination so that tomorrow, no one will voice out their objection." Adasa continued.

Silence came.

No one wanted to lead as they felt that it was like pushing their classmate at the edge of a cliff.

"I nominate Odie." Siya voiced out hearing no sound. They need to decide now, so the one to be sent out can prepare.

"I nominate Adasa." Tris voiced out as he stared at Adasa in front of him. They are sitting oppositely while only separated by the stone table.

He have two option: Tala or Adasa. But since Adasa was a boy, he thought that he can endure the poor environment of the outside.

"You..." Adasa was enraged upon hearing his name.

"Do you have an objection?" Eya asked as she scoffed.

"I nominate Adasa too." Aide voiced out. She was a friend of Tris, so basically, Tris decision was her decision too.

"I nominate Tala." Asul voiced out. He believed at Tala's strength and wisdom. He thought that Tala can nail it certainly than any one of them.

Tala didn't comment. It was Eya who refute. "Asul, what's the meaning of this?"

Asul opened his mouth, but he closed it when his eyes met the eyes of Tala who gave her a faint smile and nodded.

Eya followed the direction of his eyes and it fell at Tala's at ease face.

Eya puffed whilst looking at her friend.

Tala just shrugged her shoulders.

"I nominate Siya." Dose voiced out with high tone. He was a friend of Odie. Upon hearing Siya nominating Odie, his temper goes up.

'They are not really harmonious,' Tala mumbled.

"I nominate Tala," an enraged Adasa voiced out. Although he wanted to nominate Tris, he knew that his greatest nemesis was Tala.

"I nominate Tala too," Sadam threw his decision. Of course, this was his support for Adasa.

'Oh, not they, but we are not harmonious.' Tala laughed heartily upon hearing her name with utmost disdain.

"I nominate Adasa." Tala was startled upon hearing an irritated voice by her side. It was Eya, her friend.

Tala felt a soothing feeling whenever she hears Eya's voice, but it was irritation to Adasa's ear.

"I nominate Siya." Odie voiced out calmly.

Tala silently observed and listened to all of them. 'It was nice to be back.'

With her mature mindet, she suppressed her emotion without much difficulty.

"Tala, who's your choice?" A fuming Adasa asked.

"Does she need to voice it out? Look! There are a total of three who votes you, two of Tala, and two of Siya. You don't need to hear her choice, it's clear as day." Eya mockingly explained.

Adasa knew it. He wanted to argue, but he was right. Everyone in the gazebo knew that Adasa and Tala were not in a good terms.

Silence came to the gazebo.

"Realizing the silence, Tala cleared her throat and said, "I nominate..."

Everyone's eyes were fixated to her; expecting her to say the name of Adasa while Adasa's eyes fiercely fixed at her, with face seemed to acknowledge his defeat.

"I nominate...myself."