Chapter 5

I woke up on my bed. Weird, I dream about nothing, I thought. I got off my bed and exit my room. I saw Ash. She was wearing red tights, long-sleeve red shirt and grey gloves. She looked hideous. I tried to hold my laugh in. "What are you wearing?" I asked trying not to burst. She looked at me. "You're up early," Ash said. "I'm wearing what's inside my armour,". My eyes were watery and I was smiling really wide. "What are you smiling about?" she asked. "Pfffft… nothing. It's nothing," I said. "Excuse me for a moment,". I went inside my room and let out the biggest laugh I ever made. My stomach hurt so bad. I even snorted a little. I tried to pull myself together and went back to face Ash. "Was that you laughing?" Ash asked. "Uh no. I heard no one laughing," I said. "You were laughing because of what I'm wearing, weren't you?" Ash asked. I shook my head.

"Alright, I'll go back to my room to get my armour," she said. I nodded. After she left, I once again laughed and snorted but this time even louder. I lied down on the couch laughing so hard. "I never seen someone dressed like that!" I laughed. I was banging my fist on the couch and laughed. I managed to calm myself down but I couldn't help myself laughing again. I was laughing so hard I felt like my guts were going to come out. I wiped my tears and I saw Ash in front of me. "So it was you laughing," she said. "Because what you were wearing was hideous," I replied laughing at the end. "Whatever, kid," she said, walking towards the door. She left the house. I should have taken a picture of her in that, I thought. I crawled to the bathroom to bathe.

After taking a refreshing bath, I decided to go outside and walk around. It was a beautiful morning. I walked around a few areas until I found a little workshop for making weapons. Due to curiosity, I went inside and fiddle around with the objects in the room. Drag my finger down the round sword sharpening stone. Observing the bottle of oils. I heard someone footsteps and I turned behind. There was no one. I had a feeling that I shouldn't be here. Suddenly, someone placed a flaming sword near my neck. I could feel the heat of the sword. It was burning my neck. "Why are you here?" someone with a Chinese accent said. "I swear I stole nothing," I said. He moved the sword deeper into my neck. It burned my neck even more. I kicked his centre as reflexes. He let go of me and I ran out as fast as lightning. I touched my neck and I felt a mark. "Ash is going to notice this as soon as she sees me," I said rubbing my neck. I looked behind and he wasn't chasing me. I felt anxious. I decided to return back to my house.

I arrived at the house and immediately looked in the mirror. There was a red burn mark on my neck. "I hope he doesn't comes hunting for me," I said. I placed my face on the couch. I didn't want to go out because I fear I might see him again. I looked at the window, hoping he isn't there. "Thank goodness," I breathe out. I walked towards the window and close it with the curtains.

A few hours later, Ash came back. I curled up into a ball, hiding my neck behind my knees. "Oh hey, your back," I said. "Why are you sitting in that position? Did you do something stupid?" Ash asked. "I just like sitting in this position," I replied, hugging my knees tighter. It was written all over my face that something happened.

"You look worried. Did something happen?" Ash asked.

"N-no. Nothing happened," I said.

"Really? Why are you even sitting that way?"

"I told you….because I like it," I hugged my knees tighter.

"Fix your position,"

I put my legs down but I covered my neck with my palms. "Are you trying to choke yourself?" she asked. I shook my head. "Put your hands down," she said. "W-why should I?" I asked. "Because I said so," she replied. I put my hands down, revealing the burn mark. "What happened to your neck?" she asked.

"I just got burned," I said.

"Looks like a sword mark," Ash said.

"Why do you think it is?"

"Because it's a straight line. Did you get attacked?"

"Kind of…"

"By who?"

"I don't know. All I know is that he has a flaming sword,"

Ash looked at me, surprised. "How did you got away from him?" she asked. "I kicked his centre by reflex," I replied. "Never knew you could get away from that Tyrant," she said.

"Tyrant? He's a Tyrant?" I asked.

"You bet your ass he is. I think his named Zhin," Ash said.

"Does that mean….he'll come hunting for m-me?"

"Yeah, until you're dead,"

My blood ran cold hearing what Ash said. "U-until I'm d-d-dead?" I asked. "Until you're dead," she replied. "Oh god…this isn't going to end well," I said, curling up into a ball and hugged my knees. "Well, I can only wish you luck," Ash said, patting my back. It's the end. It's where I'm going to die. I'm only sixteen. I'm too young to die, I thought. I heard a knock from the door. "Ash, are you bringing any guest here?" I asked. "Fernando is coming over again," she replied. I looked at Ash and gave her a mocking smile. "No, it's not going to happen," she said. Ash opened the door and there was Fernando. He was looked inside the house until he noticed me. Suddenly, he pushed Ash aside and ran towards me. He pushed my neck up. "Oh dios mios! What happened to my hermanita's neck?" Fernando said. "Eh just got burned," I said. "Zhin attacked her," Ash said. Fernando hugged me real tight until I couldn't breathe. "My poor little hermanita. You okay?" he asked. "Yeah I'm fine," I said while trying to catch my breath. He let me go and patted me on the head. "You can sit here and watch us," Fernando said. "Oh cool! I appreciate that," I said, giving Ash a mocking smile and mouthing the words 'I'm going to see it all'.

It was boring. No excitement happened. Maybe because I was watching. Ash is probably pissed either the way I acted or just sitting on the couch watching their every move. I decided to go to my room.

I looked out the window. At these time, I always go outside but since Zhin is after me I had to stay in the house because I don't want myself to get killed in the dark. I won't even dare opening the window to let the breeze in. I don't give a damn about the breeze. I just don't want myself getting killed. I opened the door a little to see what those two were doing. It might be real or just my eyes playing tricks on me but I notice Fernando was touching Ash's hand. I don't think Ash noticed it. I did a mocking smile and closed the door.

I woke up. Dreaming about nothing again. It felt like I just slept and woke up. I looked out to the window to check if its daylight. I got off my bed and went outside. Ash had left the house earlier. I did my daily morning routine ( take a bath or shower and stuff ). I went out for a walk even though I was getting hunted by Zhin but maybe he doesn't show up today, hopefully. I entered a narrow alley. I was walking. Suddenly, I saw a smokey figure a few steps away from me. I rubbed my eyes and it disappeared. My eyes are playing tricks on me again, I thought. I continued walking but this time more cautious. I heard a sound of a sword being dragged across the cement. I got chills down my spine. I continued walking and ignored the sound. I felt a cold tip of a sword going down my spine. I froze in fear. Oh god, please don't tell me is Zhin, I thought. I turned behind and no one was there. Alarms were ringing in my head. I took a few steps back. My left leg got slashed out of the blues, making me collapsed to the floor. I placed my left palm on the cut so it doesn't bleed too much but it was extremely painful.

Zhin appeared in front of me placing the tip of his sword at my neck, lifting my head up facing him. My heart was beating out of my chest. "Foolish little girl, thinking she can run away from me," he said. I felt like weeping but it won't do any help. Lifting his sword up, getting ready to slash my head off. I heard a sound of a beam. Zhin looked behind and I saw a figure that looks like Ying, probably it is Ying. "I never forgotten about you," Zhin said, scaring the life out of me. Suddenly, I got dragged from the back. I looked and it was Ying. She placed her finger on her lip giving a sign that I should keep quite. Ying dragged me to a bush and put a bandage on my bleeding leg. "Are you okay?" Ying asked. "I am now. Thank you. I owe you one," I said. "You owe me nothing. It what friends do, right?" she said. I nodded.

Ying looked to see if the coast was clear. She helped me up and brought me back to the house. "Thank you, Ying. I'll never forget about what you did," I said. "No problem! Is what friends' do," Ying said. She waved at me and I waved back. After she left, I locked the doors, the window and everything that can be accessed by the outside. I lied down on the couch with my legs on the couch arms'. I looked at the bandage. This will leave a scar.

After a few hours, Ash came home. "Oh, you're home," I said. Ash looked at my foot and noticed the bandage. "What happened?" Ash questioned. "I got attacked by Zhin again," I replied. She poked my bandage and it hurt. "Ow, don't touch that!" I shouted. "Is Fernando coming over again?" I question. "Oh yea, did you notice that Fernando was holding your hand yesterday?".

"Really?" she asked.

"Uhuh, he really did. I saw it with my own eyes," I said.

"Alright, I'll try to be more alert next time,"

"Or maybe not," I whispered, giving her a mocking smile.

I sit in an upside-down position. I kept looking at my bandage. "Should I open it?" I asked. I unwrapped the bandage covered with blood. It wasn't bleeding anymore. I fixed my position and throw the bandage away. "That looks like a bad cut," Ash said. I nodded. "I'm only flesh and blood after all," I said. I returned to my upside-down position. I heard a knock of the door. Ash answered it and there's Fernando, upside-down, in my view. I waved at him. He waved back while walking towards me. He poked my left leg at the location of the wound. The pain shocked me until I fell off the couch. "Ow…" I exclaimed. "You alright, hermanita?" he asked, helping me up. "Yeah, I'm fine but next time warn me first before poking on someone's wound," I replied.

"How did you even get that wound?" he asked.

"Got attacked by Zhin, again," I said.

"Oh dios mios! You poor little thing,"

He patted my head. I felt like a pet for a minute. Getting pat on the head every time I did something. "I'll be in my room, if anyone needs me," I said, walking to my room. I shut the door behind me. I looked at the window, wanting to go out. "Eh, what could go wrong," I crawled out the window. I felt a bit concern but I just kept walking. I looked up and the stars were shinning brightly in the night sky. I stopped for a moment and stargazed. "Wow, stars are more beautiful than I expected," I said. "What could go wrong now?".

Suddenly, I got tapped on the shoulder. I looked but no one was there. I looked back to the front and Zhin was there, in front of me. I got scared and I accidentally tripped and fell back. "I spoke too soon," I said. He knelled down in front of me and held his sword horizontally on my throat. "Bad decision going out alone in the dark," Zhin said, pushing his sword deeper into my throat. Yup, like nothing can go wrong. Great! I thought. "Are you following me every where I go?" I asked. "Until I have your head on my hands," he replied. I thought I was going to be a dead girl in the dark but I knew I had to do something. Suddenly, a light bulb came off my head. Without hesitation, I gave him a hard punch in the nose, hoping to knock him out cold. He froze and fell in front of me. "Oh my, never knew I could do that," I said, poking him. I breathed out the breath of relief. "Life saved once again," I pushed Zhin to the side and I place his sword beside him.

"You alright?" a deep voice said. It didn't sound like Ash. I turned my head and I saw a man wearing an eye mask. "Yeah, I-I'm fine," I replied.

"That's a powerful punch you got there," he said.

"Even I was surprised…" I said.

"May I know who you are?"

"I'm Emily. Nice to meet you,"

"Oh, you're Emily I see. I didn't expected you like this,"

"What do you mean?"

"I expected you would look like a girl who enjoys wearing fancy things,"

"Most girls do that, but I don't. It's just not my cup of tea," I stood up.

"Wavy chestnut hair, wearing shorts, a t- shirt and emerald eyes as beautiful as the stars. You're more than I expected,"

"Don't say that. I dislike people saying things about me. It makes me feel weird,"

"Alright, I'll stop. Follow me, I think you'll like to see this,"

He floated instead of walking. I followed behind him. We arrived at the docks. He asked me to sit beside him. He pointed up and I looked up. The sky was filled with stars. My eyes sparkled. "Woah, it's so beautiful!" I squealed. "I never see anything like this!" I added. "You never see stars before?" he asked. "Never in my life," I replied. He put his hand out and a constellation shaped of a hare appeared on his hand. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. "Wow…how did you do that?" I asked. "I took the power of the stars," he said. It was the most awesome thing I ever heard. "That's so cool!" I squealed. Never knew stars were this beautiful. It's more beautiful than I imaged. "Who are you exactly?" I asked. "I am Jenos, God of the stars," he said. I could believe that he is because he does hold the power of the stars. "That interesting," I said, smiling.

"It's getting late, I better go before Ash or Fernando notice I'm outside," I said. I stood up and waved him goodbye. I ran to the front door and entered inside quietly. I didn't want to go straight to my room window because I'm afraid that Zhin has woken up from his knock out. I tried to walk into my room quietly but Ash noticed I was there. "Where did you gone to?" Ash asked. I looked at her. "Urm, just went to get some fresh air," I said, sheepishly. "Where did you get that other mark?" she asked. Oh shoot. There's another mark? I thought. I drag my finger down towards my neck and I noticed there was another mark.

"Uh…. It's nothing…?" I said, sheepishly.

"Did you get attacked again?" she asked.

"Urm….."

"Zhin attacked you again, didn't he?"

"Um… I'll be in my room,"

"Come back her, little missy!"

I zoomed into my room and locked the door behind me. I shut the window as fast as lightning. I looked outside and Zhin's body was no where to be seen. It made me worried a little.