It will not be easy, but it would be better for me to join as someone who knows a little than nothing. The girls were snoring already. I smiled, they are probably wealthy and have tons of responsibilities but they are still among the youth who deserve pleasure and enough sleep. I don’t know what kind of storm I will face tomorrow, but I promise I will come back alive. I promised myself, Marcus and Laura, and I cannot let them down. My grandmother will be waiting for me, I need to survive here. So I began to study every detail written on the map. This is not just a simple map, Corinthians also wrote additional information on it while she e was probably studying it. There is also information about the gemstones we will be looking for.
"Eclipse... What time will the eclipse start?" I whispered.
I think it's already midnight, but the Eclipse is still not happening. I thought it would happen tonight, it looks like the morning is approaching and the said event is still not happening. Beneath the dark firmaments, I studied with the moon serving my light. Good thing I have my ability, I had it easy.
I raised my eyes to the heavens. I remember standing on the grounds with Marcus and Laura, staring up at the sky, wishing we could one day visit the Palace. And here I am, I did get in but danger immediately greeted me. It appears as if I've always been drawn to danger. I returned my focus to the gemstone information listed on the page. These stones aren't among the twelve gemstones, yet they're be popular and well-received.
"Agatha, stone with white and brown color. Alabaster, not so hard yellowish stone."
That is, every stone you find has a point. Gemstones that are not included in the list of most precious gemstones have a score. So basically, the twelve stones has high points and the stones that do not belong to the 12 has also points, however lower than those most precious gems. When the eclipse starts, the precious stones will shine to it's fullest. It'll probably won't blink like a Christmas light, however, it'll shine amidst the dark as it's different amongst any other normal stones. So during the eclipse, finding the stones will be easier. As I read the writings of Corinthians, her voice came to my mind.
Different types of gemstones and the twelve most precious gemstones. It’s not sequential, the colorless ones come first. Corinthians may not have known the color of them;
[ Emerald, Chrysolite, Chrysoprasus, Jacinth. I don't have their colors : < Greyson didn't tell me, even Nathalia. I don't want to ask the Prince either, they are too deceitful. The last time I asked Chrysler, he said he don't have time to answer my question, so no color! ]
I was minus four right away. But below it are some of the gems along with its color.
[ Sapphire - blue. Jasper - stone that is clear, have different colors, but mostly green. Sardonyx - have different colors. Chalcedony - gray or milk color. Sardius - Red. Topaz - Yellow. Amethyst - Violet.]
I rubbed my forehead, the other stones were colorless. It seems more vague for me to find. I looked for another one. I thought twelve, why did I only read eleven? I counted it again, just in case my count was wrong. But that's right, there are only 11 stones in the list. I looked at the small photographs engraved on the left side on the back of the map, there was the shape and color of the stones. Where is the other one?
"Eclipse! The eclipse is happening!" Suddenly, Greyson's cry caused the two sleeping women to wake up.
I immediately looked up at the sky, and there I saw the beauty of the moon. The Earth's shadow is on the moon. The big dark circle hides the big bright moon behind it. The moon looks like it is completely covered. The darker the sky, the darker it gets. And the dark forest where we were became even darker, until I could no longer see the others. The passing shadow of the earth obscured the bright moon, and I cannot see the moon now.
"Wow. This phenomenon is really happening, I have waited a long time for this eclipse to happen. And now it's happening!" Corinthians said happily..
"Beautiful..." was all Nathalia could say.
They said at this time the gems were already shining, it looked like it was the perfect time to use my ability. I no longer close my eyes, I am gradually getting used to opening my ability at any time without closing my eyes. Just like what I just did recently. I knew my eyes had already had a different color, because I had already seen everything present in the forest and I could hear even the slightest crackle being created from it.
"The eclipse is beautiful, but I'm seeing something more beautiful." I turned to Corinthians. And when she said that, she stared into my eyes in amazement. Even Nathalia did the same thing. At that very moment, the moonlight hit my face. Gone is the shadow of the world partially obscuring the moon. The hidden moon finally came out, and it hit my face.
"Wow ..." Corinthians' face showed surprise. Perhaps, if I could see my eyes at this time I would be amazed as well. But I never got the chance to see the color of my eyes.
"I remember something about its color..."
I looked at Nathalia. She seemed to be thinking of something that was supposed to shade my eyes. The moonlight hits the bottom of the map. And there was written the name of the gem, the eighth gem. My name is written there.
My name.
There's my name.
"I remember now! Your eyes have the same color with the Precious stone Beryl!"
Once the world I live in stopped. For a long time I have lived, I have been so happy to hear my name.
Yes, it's my name.
I am Beryl.
***
During the time the world has denied me to be happy, I have also denied the world and people my name. So hearing my name under this phenomenal occultation makes my heart go crazy. It's very precious. A total opposite of me, my name is too extravagant for someone dusty like me.
"I never expected your eyes to be this beautiful, Veluriya."
I want to hear people say my real name, but I can't even tell them. It's too precious, I want to keep it by myself. I feel like I don’t deserve to be called that name, so I let myself live as different than I really am. I let myself live under a different name, than my real name. I feel so small, I don't deserve to be called by any precious in this world. After all, I'm a thief, peasant, no one.
"Yeah, I'mma gonna say it again. I never expected your eyes to be this dazzling aesthetic."
I want to bow as Corinthians stares into my eyes. I want to cry because there is atleast one in my appearance that is beautiful.
My eyes. Its color.
"What color is it again?" Nathalia asked, "Green bluish?" she adds.
The color of my eyes is greenish -blue, is that beryl stone? That’s for sure.
"Beryl has different colors unless it's pure. But your eye color looks exactly like the gem beryl I saw, Veluriya." Said Corinthians.
I curved my lip slightly, my name was already there but they called me a different name. I don't have the courage to speak, I'm not confident enough because of my status. Once I rise up, I will shout my real name to the whole world. It's just, not now.
"The eclipse is over, look around! There must be something here!" Chrysler shouted which made us suddenly look around.
I blinked. I knew by this time my eyes were colorless, because I was looking around normally. Dark, only the light of the moon reappearing was the light in the frightening forest.
"Get down! Let's look around for a while, tomorrow, the search will begin. We'll have a month to look for the stones but we must work hard to seek faster."
Nathalia immediately jumped into the truck, followed by Corinthians. The blonde turned to me before finally getting away from the car. I was nervous, slowly losing my courage as I looked around. Fear engulfed me, my thought engulfed me that I could never go back. It's my pain, it's so easy to get rid of me.
"Hey!"
I almost jumped when someone knocked the truck hard, it created loud noise and thundered not only the woods but also my senses. My ability was revived by panic. It's becoming sharper, I feel stronger now and far beyond my sight, hearing and even sense of smell!
This is lit.
"Naive girl, get down!" It was the Prince's voice.
I turned straight to him after he knocked on the side of the truck I was riding in. He didn't even take a single glance at me, he left immediately after startling me. I was very comfortable in what I was wearing so when I got up I immediately ran and jumped out of the car. With my abilities awake, I felt good around. Chrysler is with Nathalia and Corinthians, Greyson just follows them while looking around.
And prince Zavan, the Prince is walking opposite to their direction. And there I followed. I also started searching but I made sure not to lose the presence of the ranks and the Prince so that I would know if he would return to the truck because I did not know when to return and where to meet again, but only the truck. Stupid! I followed unprepared. When someone attacks here the only thing I can do is run, atleast I'm a seer I would know if something or someone would attack me.
"If you notice something shining, tell me." I seemed to be stoned to my feet when I heard the prince's voice right in front of me.
Tho I only see his back, I can't deny how he make my heart pound loud. I was too busy looking around and thinking of things, so I didn't realize the prince had stopped and I just kept walking! Stupid self! Focus! Fortunately and I did not collide with the prince, the search for the stones had not yet begun as my life in this forest was doomed immediately.
"Do you understand?" The Prince said with baritone voice without even looking at me.
"Y-yes." I stuttered and hesitated to answer even though his words were only three letters. Focus! Focus! Focus!
The prince began to walk again. I took a deep breath before going straight. I felt the surroundings again. From my right, there is a tunnel. It looks like a little cave, and there’s a little thing shining from it.
"Precious stones glows different amongst any normal stones..."
I gasped.
"I think... I'm seeing something," I said weakly, but that didn't escape the prince. A strong grip on my arm I felt. I cried out for a moment in shock and pain but I was immediately recovered by realizing that was the Prince. How dare he!
"What? What do you see?" He questions seriously while staring seriously into my eyes.
I swallowed. How could he be this gorgeous? His golden eyes shut my appearance and blurs my mind, I feel like I'm ready to bury it in the ground anytime. That was so beautiful, twice as beautiful as my eyes. Why are his eyes turning gold?
"Say it! What?"
I blinked suddenly because he spoke again. Embarrassing! Shit! What am I doing?
"I-- I just think I saw something over there," I said as I pointed to the small cave, "Something is shining in that part." I added. There was a hint of nervousness in my voice because my voice was a little raspy, and the prince seemed to notice that because he immediately let go of my arm.
"I can't see what you can see right now, it's very dark so you'll lead us tomorrow. We'll go and get that stone from that cave." He said. I almost took my breath away when he said that. Why me? My brain didn't seem to be able to process everything he said.
"Let's get some rest for now, atleast we have somewhere to search for tomorrow." He said and walked back to the truck.
I was left just standing and not knowing what to do. Who am I to lead the Echelons? Was the prince serious about what he said? What if I'm wrong? What if there is no gemstone there? What if what I see is wrong? I'm confident with my abilities when I'm with Marcus and Laura, but not with these people. I stared again at the little cave and the glow there that they could not see. I hope my suspicion is true, I hope it is a precious stone.