MAIDEN OF HOPE

Chapter 1: Flame

His eyes darted uneasily from one corner to the other; his paces awkward. The smiles and greetings from others were warm and friendly. Yet, it was because of the welcoming atmosphere that made him queasy. Everyone’s aura was true, sincere and innocent. The secure feeling, which enveloped him the moment he set foot on this land, was abnormal to him. For the entire eighteen years of his life, he lived in fear and the desperate fight for survival.

Stepping into the Grand Hall, he shielded his eyes from the sudden intensified glare of sunlight. He glanced upward and paused for a second to admire the clear-blue sky. The transparent pyramid-shaped roof shimmered slightly with the colours of the rainbow as light dispersed through it.

If only Dehemel could offer such peace to her people…

At the thought of his homeland, he remembered his purpose of coming here. His older brother had brought him to this foreign place before leaving him urgently to return to Dehemel. His order was clear: Find the Maiden of Hope. Nonetheless, he was not given a picture of her, not even a simple description; just the five words ringing in his ears.

This was supposed to be a planned mission but his brother’s sudden call from the Leading Command Centre (LCC) obstructed the whole sequence. Without him, this would be his first lone mission. He was honoured to escort the lost Maiden of Hope personally back to Dehemel. However, he could not deny that he felt abandoned as well.

Where is she?

His thoughts occupied him for an instant there until someone interrupted them.

“Excuse me; are you a new student around here?”

He blinked at the question, looking down at a girl whose uniform stood out from the rest. A blue badge on the left side of the chest indicated that she was a prefect.

“Erm… yes,” he replied hesitantly.

The girl’s emerald eyes twinkled at his answer. Her golden curls bounced as she beamed. “Ah, welcome to Glorialne Academy High School! If you need any assistance, do drop by at the Student Council. It is situated just at the left wing of the Jade Hall. We offer tours around the school for new students like you! May I kindly know your name?”

Shifting uncomfortably in his shoes, he debated on revealing his identity. He let out a sigh. He was already exposed anyway considering he had to fill in his profile for registration to enter this school. Having nothing to lose, he mumbled his name, barely audible to the girl.

~*~

Two corridors away from the Grand Hall, Lyandra Chrove gasped sharply as her head spun all of a sudden. She shut her eyes forcefully. It was something she often experienced ever since she was a child. She was only grateful no one noticed her abrupt pain. If there was one thing she hated most, it was sympathy.

Damn! The pounding in my head gets heavier and heavier these days. I seriously need a medical check-up.

Her right hand clutched the edge of her desk tightly as she tried to massage her forehead futilely to soothe the ache.

“Lyandra, are you ok?”

Not wanting to worry anyone, Lyandra disguised her discomfort. Putting up a convincing smile, she turned back from her seat to see her close friend, Emmeline Sanders. She pushed a lock of hair from her eye and willed herself to ignore the throbbing pain.

“I’m ok, Emmeline, don’t worry,” she assured her companion.

“Of course she’s ok. Heck, a girl as rough as Lyandra is immune to everything, I tell you!” teased a guy sitting in front of her. Smirking, he added, “Perhaps she’s immune to boys, too! Ooo, that might be the reason why she dates no one!”

Irritated, Lyandra hurled her bag at the boy, smacking him full on the face. To emphasize her annoyance, she shoved a fist directly at the centre of the bag, hurting him in the process.

“Shut up, Miles! Whether I date anyone or not is none of YOUR business!” she fumed. She retrieved her bag and pretended as if nothing had happened. Emmeline giggled at the two but faked a cough when she detected Lyandra’s glare on her.

Miles groaned and rubbed his nose, regretting his words. It was definitely painful, yes, but as he sneaked a peek at her, he knew it was worth the while. Her upset face was as attractive as ever. Her long, vibrant, maroon hair which was kept flowing freely matched her deep lavender eyes perfectly. Her slim and beautiful body never failed to give her excellent postures. It was really a sad thing she wasn’t a little more lady-like.

Right then, the door of the classroom swung open. Silence fell over the students in the class for they expected their teacher to have arrived. Instead, a new student stepped in. Curious glances were passed amongst one another. Was it possible for a new student to join them in the middle of the year? There was not any announcement made regarding a students-exchange programme to be carried out in the school lately.

“This is not Class 5A1?”

Strangely, everyone seemed to be too occupied staring at him to be able to answer him. Embarrassed by the stares, he was ready to leave the room when someone called out to him to confirm that he was at the right class.

When he closed the door behind him, the class returned to its normal environment. There were dialogues at every passing seat.

“He is kinda’ cute, honestly,” he accidentally overheard a girl uttering the words to her friends. Immediately, pink blushes appeared on his face. He hung his head and continued walking to the only vacant seat at the left side of the class. Reaching it, he lay his bag down on the chair and sank onto it.

“Hi, my name’s Miles Delfort. What’s your name?”

There was no response. Miles realized that Lyandra and the new student were fixing their eyes on one another in an unusual way. Her eyes belonged to one who was lost, bewildered and shocked while his were vigilant.

Thump! Thump!

Not again!

Suddenly, thousands of pictures gushed through Lyandra’s mind. The scene was no more of her classroom. Pictures after pictures played in her sight. Most of them showed wars and battles in a different time and a different place. There was bloodshed everywhere. They were all too vague to make out any details.

The process unexpectedly paused and focused on a particular image of the back of a young man. His hair was dark blue-black, long, wild and free. His body was well built due to vigorous trainings. It was obvious he was a warrior; a peculiar sword hung in its sheath on his back.

Lyandra had a clear view of him as he turned around. Having to see through a first person view, she wasn’t sure if his amazingly captivating smile he gave was meant for her. More than that, she wanted so much to ask him who he was and the reason why those visions kept appearing to her.

A burst of light signified the end of her visions.

It’s him!

“You don’t belong here,” shot Lyandra.

He was taken aback and became suspicious of her immediately. Her expression just now… it was as if she was remembering something. His instincts told him she wasn’t a normal person. Curious, why was she so familiar to him?

“Now, now, Lyandra, let’s be nice. We should welcome new friends into our life,” chided Emmeline. Facing the new student who took the empty seat beside Lyandra, she added, “Don’t mind her, she’s a little cranky today.”

He smiled coolly, deciding not to take any irrational moves. He promised himself that he would investigate her after school.

Lyandra, huh?

“My name is Flame Evenal. Nice to meet all of you,” he introduced himself.

Flame Evenal…