Chapter 28: Ethereal Stones

*'Souta*

I stared at the notes Ava had given me and sighed. A lot of it was stuff about meditation. Like a guy as hyper as me could stay still for long. Ava and the gods should've known better.

"What's bothering you now?" Purpura asked as he entered the room.

"I decided to give Ava's notes a look, but nothing really that really perks my interest."

He raised an eyebrow. "Those are the training regimen notes, right? Well, you can't expect training to be fun."

I furrowed my brow. It was hard to motivate myself if it wasn't something that interested me. I lacked Sehun's ability to do boring stuff without passing out from sheer mindnumbing-ness.

"True." I reclined my head back. "Maybe I should just sleep. It's similar to meditating, isn't it?"

Purpura laughed and ruffled my hair. "You have to stop being so lazy."

I pouted and slapped his hand away. "Don't treat me like a child."

He climbed into bed. "Well, don't act like one."

I grumbled. He sounded just like Ava. Hopefully, the other descendants of the Quartz clan weren't so annoying. Wait, was Purpura even a descendant? His origins were still a mystery.

***

"Sou, don't leave!" someone yelled.

I opened my eyes. Purpura clung to me tightly. Sweat was running down his face.

"Don't...leave me here... Take me out of here!" he screamed.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" I shouted directly into his right ear.

Purpura's eyes sprung open. He gazed down at me. Quickly he let go and pushed himself up. "What...happened?" He looked around and sighed with relief. "It... it was only a nightmare."

I tapped his shoulder. "What were you dreaming about?" I asked.

He avoided looking at me straight in the eyes. "You left me..."

'Don't say that! What kind of dream was that? Does he like me? He did kiss me the other day...'

"I did?" I asked.

He nodded. "Then the door was shut... and I was back in that room." He hugged his legs. "Back in that pitch blackness..."

I placed a hand on his back. "Relax. I am here."

He put his head against my chest. The poor guy was shaken. What did he go through in that place?

I touched my head as pain coursed throughout my body. "Gahhh!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

Purpura moved away. "Are you alright? Hey, Sou! Sou!"

**Kizuishō's PoV**

The girl smiled at me as we walked to where Xūn Yi was. Along with Xūn Yi was Alfonso who was glaring at us.

Alfonso lifted a rose-colored rapier and pointed it at the girl. "Kizuishō, move away from her!"

I stood in between them, arms held wide. "What are you doing?"

"She's dangerous!" Xūn Yi responded. "She is a member of the cursed Opal clan!"

I glanced back at the girl who was glaring at Alfonso. She summoned a small knife. "Kizuishō, move out of the way. I don't wish to fight you too," the girl ordered.

"You're coming with me for interrogation," Alfonso snapped, moving toward us."

The girl pushed me out of the way and blocked Alfonso's attack.

I stared at Alfonso, my mouth agape. My best friend, he was going to slice through me?

Alfonso held a hand toward me as he kept the girl at bay. "Sorry about that. I thought that you would move."

I chuckled as I grabbed his hand. "Thanks."

"Got ya!" the girl yelled as her knife was touching Alfonso's neck. "Drop your sword unless if you wish to go to the afterlife."

Alfonso chuckled. Flower petals danced around him, sending the girl flying. I caught her and snatched the knife from her grasp.

"Thanks," she said, not seeming to care that she's been captured. She glared at my friend. "I am not here to hurt you. I might be a member of the Opal clan but I am not your enemy!"

Alfonso turned his sword and pressed the dull side against her chin. "Give up."

"Stop it!" yelled a familiar voice. It was the ruby-eyed boy from before. "I will need her assistance for what is to come."

"Who in the world are you?"

"Calm down," Xūn Yi ordered him. "He is an acquaintance of mine."

Alfonso dropped the petals. "If you say so but don't drop your guard around these folk."

"Alf, you're too stiff when it comes to your knightly duty," I said.

"You should take your job more seriously, leaving the princess like that to help the enemy."

I realized that I was still holding on to the girl. I let go of her and smiled. "Sorry about that."

Her face was bright red. "It's fine."

Xūn Yi glared at us. "Flirting with the enemy?"

I shook my head as my face flushed. "I'm not!" I crossed my arms. "You know that there's only one person I like..."

Her face reddened too. "I...see."

I glanced at the girl. "You should come with us. We'll have Emperador explain why he saved you."

"Thanks," the girl said, smiling.

Alfonso glared at her before walking away.

What was his problem anyways? Sure we were at war with the Opal clan to the west but still...

***

Emperador told the girl and the rest of us what he and his fiancée desired. "We need your assistance in stopping the impending doom prophesized by you, Xūn Yi Quartz."

Xūn Yi's face became pale. "Where did you hear of such things?"

Emperador crossed his arms. "You must know that all tribes on the continent pay tribute to the Corundum clan. Your father decided to do so by telling us of your prediction. That's why he had you divine the future, it was our request. Would you mind saying it for the others to hear?"

I held Xūn Yi's shoulders. "It's fine to share it with others."

She nodded. "The world will be destroyed by a great darkness, in the end, all light will be extinguished. No life will be left..."

"What?" Shiina asked.

"Why is this the first I hear of this?" asked Alfonso, glancing at me.

"She didn't want to cause unnecessary worry," I responded. "Plus, it might not even be real. Wait, what does it have to do with the gathering of people?"

"We plan to ask the gods to help us," Querubín responded. She glanced at Xun Yi. "You can channel them, right?"

Xūn Yi nodded. "Though, if your plan is to have them give us power then you must know what the cost is..."

"One's own life? Yes, I know," finished Emperador as he crossed his fingers. "I am willing to do this for the sake of my child."

"Child?" I asked.

Querubín smiled as she rubbed her stomach. "The future of all life, not just our child's."

"But if you die then who will raise it?" asked Xūn Yi.

"Our parents will," Emperador answered. He gave her a sad smile. "Sadly the darkness won't end with us. My own descendants will need to destroy it. Various children throughout the ages will be granted this power but only thirteen will be worthy of being called the 'Ethereal Stones'."

"Our descendants?" asked Xūn Yi.

Querubín and Emperador nodded. "You will all need to reproduce once the gods have granted us their powers. We'll have two years once the ritual is left to live."

My face turned bright red. "Kids?"

Querubín chuckled. "Yeah. So, you better start thinking about who you'll want to spend your last days with. Thirteen of our descendants will become the 'Ethereal Stones'."

**Sou**

Ethereal Stones? Right, that had to be one of the memories of the Sage of Citrine. Seemed Davina wasn't kidding.

"Souta?" Mother called out. "Are you alright? Your friend told us that you were feeling unwell."

I touched my forehead and smiled. "I'm fine. I just had a dream about the Ethereal Stones."

Mother sat down by my side. "What did you hear?"

"It wasn't a glimpse into the future or anything like that. Remember that story you used to tell me about the hero of Citrine who gave up his life? I think that's me."

Mother furrowed her brow. "You? I clearly gave birth to you."

I laughed. "I mean as in we share the same soul. Think he was my past life."

"That explains the resemblance," Purpura said, standing by the door.

I stared at Mom. "Wait, Ma. I can explain!"

Ma sighed. "I knew of him already. Or did ya really think ya got a fast one on me? I'm not ya pa. That said, I hope ya two were just sharing a bed and nothing else."

Purpura and I turned bright red.

"We weren't doing anything else!" I said, looking away. "Besides, I got a boyfriend."

Purpura scoffed. "That he does. He's dating that pretty boy, Sehun."

Ha. Funny to hear him say that. He was more of a pretty boy than my boyfriend.

"You are?" Mother asked me. "I was sure that he was in love with Ava."

I grumbled. "We are. He's over Ava now..." 'Although, I have to admit I thought the same...'