Chapter 51 As One
The problem with going back to normal was that normal did not fit anymore.
No matter how Klishei filled her everyday life with humane things such as studying, reading, fangirling, and even going out with friends aside from Yeseus, she was now seeing things differently.
“That was a fun ride!” She exclaimed one time when they went to the park and tried the dragon ride.
“It’s just quite a bit sad that there are ruins beside the park,” she said, looking in the direction where a plain barren field was filled with broken pillars and bits of pieces of whatever civilization lived there before.
Yeseus’s response was merely a deep stare at her. “Ruins?” His voice was so soft like he had forgotten he could speak.
Klishei nodded.
It was only when they got home did Yeseus gather the courage to talk to her about it.
“About what you saw earlier, were you certain that it was just right beside the park?”
Klishei was annoyed. “For the last time, yes. Literally, like just beside the entrance and then you could see the gigantic pillars. The owner of the park is smart but a weird one. How could he have gotten the permit to build a tourist spot beside a historical place?”
Yeseus cleared his throat and handed her his phone. His screen showed an updated aerial view of the park. There were no broken pillars or scraps of historical architecture, but a flower garden.
“Huh? They have cleaned it out already?”
Yeseus shook his head. “They had nothing to clean. There were no ruins in the first place.”
The realization gripped her heart. Yeseus held her in his arms. “Klishei, you are the Phoenix and your powers are coming to life. What you are seeing is the goddess’ perspective of the past.”
From then on, Klishei started to accept that no matter what she did, she was different.
“Miss Aizal.”
Klishei’s head snapped up. Mr. Erson, her Ethics teacher, was looking at her.
“Are you with us?” he asked kindly. Everyone knew she had been “sick” for almost a week. It was her cover story for almost saving Spasio City.
“Yes,” Klishei answered. Her voice was strange to her own ears. She felt a hum under her feet. For a second, she heard the glass window rattle in their frames. “I’m here.”
Mr. Erson nodded and turned back to the board, not noticing anything. When Klishei thought she had calmed down, she saw her seatmate pull her cardigan tighter around her shoulders.
Klishei looked at her hands. She saw wisps of her breath. The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees in the three seconds that she felt distracted and annoyed.
This is bad, Klishei thought. Really bad.
Klishei took a deep breath, forcing the cold back inside her chest. The room warmed up instantly.
When the bell rang, Klishei did not walk out. She bolted out. She felt the need to take in fresh air. She needed space where she wouldn’t accidentally freeze her classmates, spot holograms of archaic buildings over the horizon, or feel the vibration of the earth.
She pushed through the double doors of the school and out into the courtyard.
She needed him, her only stable ground.
However, the moment her foot touched the grass, the wind stopped. The birds that had been chirping in the oak tree went silent. The world paused.
“Are you okay?”
The voice came from the shadow of the corner of the building. Klishei did not jump. She was not surprised to see him there because she already felt his presence—the reason why she ran out.
Yeseus stepped into the light. Tall, broad-shouldered, and possessing a pair of narrow eyes, he sported the figure of an Alpha.
“I-I did not mean to…” Klishei whispered.
Yeseus walked over to her. Usually, his presence was overwhelming to humans. It made people want to step out of his way. But to her, he was a warm fire.
“I know. It’s your first time.” His voice was soft, contrasting his sharp look. “But you triggered a power known to deities. The whole campus went quiet. You have to pull it back.”
Klishei put her hands on her chest. “I don’t know how,” she trembled. “Every time my heart beats, it feels like I’m messing something up.”
Yeseus sighed and took a step closer. He reached out, took her hands in one palm and transferred them to his chest.
“Close your eyes.”
She did.
“Don’t try to fight the goddess’s powers. Accept it and make it your own.”
The calmness in his voice soothed her. She felt it working. But she did not expect the reversing to be different.
Something snapped inside her as she heard the campus come back to life. The sound of students walking along the hallways continued as well as the playing of balls on the courts.
Amidst the pleasant day, Klishei slumped forward, exhausted. Yeseus caught her by the waist and pulled her into his chest. She felt his heartbeat hammering in his ribs.
Yeseus, in all his power as the last legendary Alpha, was terrified.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered.
“You have nothing to apologize for. We’ll figure it out. We need to get you away from here. There’s too many people, too many triggers.”
Klishei nodded weakly.