My Baby Sister

 “The most unexpected people we meet on our journey become our greatest inspiration .”

                                 

 Inner Potential: An unexpected inspiration

                                   By Manvitha Mondi

For my teachers, family and friends, that nurtured my love for

writing and inspired me to write this short and sweet book

packed with action, adventure, suspense and friendship. Join me

as we take an engaging journey with twists and turns, slowly

leading to inner potential and self-discovery.

To Rafia mam, whose profound awe and admiration towards me made my heart melt and

inspired me to become a real writer at such a young age and publish a novel to make her

proud. Every word that has been written has been learned from your teaching and encouragement, mam! You pushed me to my limits and helped unlock my true potential.

                               Author’s note:

Greetings, everyone. My name is Manvitha Mondi, and I am currently 11 years old. This is my

very first book. Since I was little, writing was one of my hobbies. I wrote stories, poems and all

kinds of pieces, but I never realized that it would become my destiny to grow up and write

novels. It all started as a writing assignment in 5th grade. My teacher, Rafia mam, simply loved

what I wrote and encouraged me to write more. After doing many writing tasks in school, it just

made my heart melt to see Rafia mam feeling so proud and telling the other teachers about

me. I slowly acknowledged how much I love writing and reading, and I thought of making it the

main goal in my life. Thus, this novel. But why did I get into writing? Because of reading. This

generation has forgotten the beauty of books and the impression it leaves on your hearts. We

spend our free time watching movies, and see for ourselves the screen fading and turning

black after the credits. But, on the other hand, a book is not just papers binded together; it's a

story that can change the world. The path that we embark on is uniquely our own, and we have

the freedom to imagine every scene, and feel every emotion, understand every perspective.

The first page is a gateway to unlimited possibilities. We can slow down while reading a good

book and savor each word written. Each sentence we read becomes a thread woven into the

fabric of our imagination. Every book has a hidden life lesson that influences our personal

lives. Thus, an impression, a strong footprint is left on our hearts, and it helps us to see the

world in a different way, unlike movies. I fear that people could easily forget the art of reading,

and I’m glad you picked up this book. As a reader, I know the beautiful experience of reading,

and I ensure that you will get the same experience from my pen.

                                                             Chapter 1

On the day when I was getting my powers I was like : What on earth is

happening to me?!!!!!!!!!

Oops. Sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Monica Wilson . I am 14

years old and I am a regular person like you all. At least I used to be. I am no

longer a regular person . ( When I say “ not a regular person” I don’t mean that I

am no longer a human being and I turned into an alien ) I am a normal human

being but the only difference is that I have water powers. You don’t believe me,

do you? I don’t care whether you believe me or not. I just want to tell you how it

feels to have powers. Are you ready to hear the legendary story ? If you could

reply to every sentence I write, when you read the sentence “ Are you ready to

hear the legendary story ?” you would probably reply by scoffing and saying ,

“ Oh really ?! It’s a legendary story and you have powers?!! Wow!!!!” in a

sarcastic way. But I swear. It’s all true. I just don’t know how to tell you my

experience with water powers and how it feels to be a hero. There’s so much

that happened . I went to so many places. I don’t know where to start. I guess

I‘ll just start from the beginning when we first got our powers.

One evening , my best friend Tess and I were casually sitting on a bench

outside and hanging out. Before continuing, let me just tell you more about

Tess.How old is she? 14. The same age as me.

So let’s get the basics out of the way, shall we? First you need to know about

me. Cause I’m the narrator. So I am a person with a personality ( Obviously. Why

did I even need to write that ? Everyone has a personality. ) I am a sensitive and

emotional person. I feel things very deeply and overthink about almost

everything. I always want peace but at times, I can go out of control. I always try

to do the right thing and always read quotes . I just want to be wise and

peaceful. I like cool air and rainy weather, but I live in New York , and like city life

more than village life. I know that in villages it’s peaceful and all, and I love

peace. But I like cities more because they are bigger and…..ummm…….I don’t

know. It’s confusing.

Okay. Next is Tess . She is pretty and always gets an A+ in school. She is also

kind and brave. She’s obsessed with pastel colors. It’s been like once or twice since I’ve seen her wear a vibrant outfit. Everything she owns is pastel. That’s about it. You know I can’t explain the personality of my friend as good as I can explain myself.

                                                        Chapter 2

Tess and I were having lots of fun at the park, and this was our usual hangout

spot, so we had a habit of visiting it every evening to catch up with each other

and just enjoy the evening breeze and the fresh air. We never got bored of it,

because the speciality of this park was a lake. Thus, it was called, “Lakeview

park”. We enjoy chit-chatting while getting mesmerized by the beauty of the

lake, with its clean, blue water and its serene vibes. This park was pretty

tranquil, with less people and more nature.

Tess and I were just done chatting, and there was really nothing to talk about.

It’s not exactly that, but we both just wanted to be quiet for a while, and just be

peaceful and observe our surroundings. I looked at the pretty lake, and took

some time to appreciate the greenery . There were many crows flying in the sky,

creating a V-shape. I then looked at the people around me. One beautiful family

caught my eye. A wife and a husband were sitting on a wooden bench next to

us, and their baby was curled up in the woman’s lap, looking content and happy,

smiling adorably. All of them had shiny, silky brown hair. They all had a spark of

life in their jade green eyes, filled with enthusiasm and divine energy. The man

had a laptop with him, and he was gazing at it. Next, I assumed some family

member of their video called them. The family immediately lifted the call and

greeted the people on the phone. As they were lost in the video call, the baby

crawled out of the woman lap, and started to walk on the grass. Tess sees this

too, and lowers her eyebrows in interest to see what would happen next. The

baby giggled and she looked around at the trees and flowers. She then started

gazing at the lake, and something unexpected happened next. You see; in this

park there are no fences or anything around the lake. People seldom swim in the

lake. The baby started slowly walking towards the lake, and we watched in

horror. Then the baby fell into the lake! Yep, it really happened. I saw it with my

own eyes. Tess and I leapt into action, eager to save the baby girl, regardless of

not knowing how to swim. There was no one around, and we were the only ones

who saw this. It was up to us to save that baby. Without a second thought, we

jumped in with a splash. All this chaos caused the couple to acknowledge what

was happening. The parents realized what was going on, and they started

wailing for their child. As soon as I jumped into lake, I couldn’t breathe as my

head was completely underwater. While closing my eyes, I was able to feel the

baby underwater. I immediately held the baby and put my head up, gasping for air. Where was Tess? “Tess!” I called out. A moment after, her head appeared on the surface of the water next to me. I was relieved to have both the baby and my friend with me. Tess looked at baby. “ I’ll take it.” she says, so she carries the baby and stands on the grass. With her other hand, she reaches out to me and helps me get up. I come to the land, and all the water comes down and falls to the ground; I feel a whole lot lighter. Tess and I grin to each other, and we turn around and hand over the baby to the parents. They both smile brightly, relieved that their baby is safe. “Thank you so much. You risked both of your lives to save our child. God bless you.” The man says. “No problem.” we both say. So, feeling cold and literally shivering on the outside, but feeling warm and compassionate on the inside, Tess and I head home in soaking wet clothes, but a happy heart.

                                                                    Chapter 3

The next day, at around 5 p.m. Tess and I came back to the same park for our

evening hangout session, as you would have expected. It was kind of the same

routine for each day; sit down and talk about things. We sometimes went for a

little walk around the park, but very rarely. The weather was extra nice today. It

was windy, unlike yesterday. Though it was windy, it somehow wasn’t cold. It

was just cool and nice, and I’m not complaining, because it was quite refreshing

to sit in the windy weather in the evening, after spending hours of sweating in

the heat of the morning. Today, we decided to sit on a huge rock, along with a

beautiful view of our favorite lake, which was just beside us. After settling down,

we finally started to unwind.

A few minutes later, while we were going on talking about all sorts of things,

something unexpected happened. I want to say impossible, but I felt it, though I

still wonder if this adventure had all been an endless dream, but this was reality.

Basically, the lake pulled us inside. Yes, you heard it right. Let me explain.

While we were chatting away, I was able to catch a glimpse of the lake, and

could see a small wave curling up. With enthusiasm and curiosity, I shook Tess’

shoulder, indicating the strange sight I saw in the lake. We both just watched

and smiled, but it wasn’t long before the waves were approaching us! Yeah, we

were confused and scared. “Run!” I shouted. The water was gushing rapidly, so

we couldn’t escape and got pulled in the water by our feet. I was terrified, as I

could have drowned, but the most unusual thing saved us. A bubble. Yes, a

bubble.

While we were hanging out, Tess was wearing a pastel pink shirt and jeans. But

at that moment, inside the lake after we got pulled, she was wearing a silver

dress with long sleeves. There was some sort of bubble around her, that was

transparent with a hint of silver. The bubble was decorated with little lightning

bolts. Even I was wearing a galaxy blue dress with long sleeves. My bubble ( I

had a bubble too. I know this concept is strange, but the bubble thing will

become much clearer, I promise) was transparent with a hint of blue , decorated

with water droplets. First of all, what were these bubbles for? How come I could

breathe and swim when the bubble was there? Why did they have themes and

why were they decorated? Well, the most weird living being is about to give us

some answers about what was going on. It wasn’t just the bubbles, but I didn’t

understand how the lake pulled us inside in the first place. A spirit named Kuma is about to answer that. ( I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I feel like you still

don’t believe me, right? I know what I saw. You’ll understand as this story and

concept unfolds.)

Suddenly, some…..living thing was seen in the lake. It was hard to describe

since I didn’t have a proper look at it at first, so I don’t have an illustration of that

sight in my brain, but I do remember the way she, i.e. Kuma the spirit , looks like

now. But still, it’ll be worth it. Keep reading to find out who that spirit turned out

to be, and also how we bonded. Kuma is very important in this story. Just

continue reading please? You can’t leave me now while I’m still narrating.

                                                     Chapter 4

Of course I was still scared that the lake magically pulled us inside, but wait

until you find out what happened next. This was even more shocking than the

previous situation. Let’s get to the actual point. There was suddenly a dark,

shadowy figure. We started to get scared, so I tried to grab my bestie’s hand.

Due to our themed bubbles, we couldn’t hold each other or anything, so we just

had to stay in our own bubbles, trembling with fear. Well, it was not the best

situation. Yeah.

You know what? Slowly that figure turned into some sort of beam of light. Not

exactly a beam, because it was actually more like a spark of light than a beam

of light. You know when a bunch of fireflies come together and they don’t look

like fireflies anymore, but instead they appear as just a single light? It looked like

that. Now I know that I mentioned that this “spark of light” turned out to be

Kuma , who is a spirit. When you think of spirits you probably think about

ghosts, supernatural beings and the white colored souls walking through walls,

and here I’m talking about a spark of light named Kuma? And I call THAT a

spirit? Anyway, that’s actually what you are thinking right? Ok now. Back to the

topic.

I really mean it, and I know what I saw. It started talking to us. ( you know WHAT

started talking to us )

Here’s what it, well..she, said:

“Greetings, young heroes, my name is Kuma, and I’m a spirit. Monica and Tess,

I know that you are confused at what is happening right now. Let me explain.

You see, the reason why this is all happening right now is because you both are

the chosen ones. The world is in danger and humanity needs you both. You are

the only ones qualified for this role, because I was secretly watching what

happened yesterday. The way you both saved that baby, the compassion and

bravery made you the perfect people to do this. “

Okay. This was weird. So now this spirit, Kuma, knows how we both saved the

baby girl yesterday. She’s saying that the world is in danger, Tess and I need to

do something now, what was this even? I couldn’t help but think: Is this a

prank? Or is it a dream? Is it the unexpected reality ? What on earth was

happening to us?!! Anyway…here’s the continuation of what Kuma said.“I truly understand your confusion and hesitation into believing me, but let me

tell you guys the help that I need, and what actually happened in the past, and

the reason why the world needs you.

A few years ago, there lived a happy family. They had everything they needed

and were very content with their life. The family consisted of a couple with their

son Zaydock. A neighbor nearby grew jealous of the family living in prosperity,

as the neighbor himself was very poor. I’m not sure about the name, but he

made a plan to kill the family . Then, he could take all of the wealth for himself.

Unfortunately, the greedy neighbor’s plan was a success, but only the son ,

Zaydock, escaped and survived. The killer attacked at midnight, and Zaydock

quickly ran into the forest to save himself. He was aggrieved to learn that his

parents were no more, murdered by the killer. That very day, his agony turned

into rage. He was angry that people have become jealous of him, and according

to his perspective, the world had become broken and meaningless, killing each

other mercilessly. He wanted to exact the most cruel revenge upon humanity, so

without giving a thought to the actual good people in the world, he decided that

his main goal in life is to destroy the world, but he never thought that even the

innocent people would die. He was just too angry to think straight. I heard about

his story and even visited him, trying to talk him out of the topic and thought of

destroying the world and rebuilding it himself. He was still a kid, and his parents

were murdered, so he had a right to be angry. However, due to his anger, he had

a misunderstanding and set foot on a dark path. I coaxed him and explained

patiently that he had taken the wrong decision, and there was no need to

destroy the whole world, because good people were there too. However, he did

not listen to me and instead, he opposed me! I had no idea what to do, so I

discovered the lake in which we are talking in right now, and realized that it

could be used to train and activate powers. I am self-taught and I somehow

managed to claim my powers and try to fight Zaydock. My plan failed and I was

defeated. In fact, I died, so my spirit still lies here, and my job is to search for

more than one person to take my role. Thus, I found you both. After I died,

Zaydock discovered a poisonous crystal called Ambagi. It was dangerous, and

even capable of destroying the world. So, he buried the Ambagi in Ohio, hoping

that it will explode one day, shattering the earth into multiple pieces.Now that I

found you , a twosome of loyal friends, with teamwork, you must somehow

claim your powers to defeat Zaydock, and save the world from the Ambagi

crystal.

I’m counting on you both.”

After hearing this, my jaw dropped. What?! Did we really have to do this? I

mean, I understood that Kuma selected us because she saw how brave we were

yesterday by saving the baby, but now she was asking us to defeat this person

named Zaydock?! If you want me to be honest, I actually believed what the spirit said, because, that could have really happened, right? Killers are actually out

there in the real world, and there are also so many diamonds and crystals, so

why can't there be poisonous ones like Ambagi? However, the one thing that I

didn’t believe at that moment was about powers. Or so I thought. I was later

proved wrong.

                                 

                                                             Chapter 5

After hearing what Kuma said, I had so many emotions and thoughts entering

my head. There was one thing that was bothering me though. Why did we have

to defeat Zaydock? Can’t we tell him that he was wrong? But I also knew that

Kuma said that she explained it to him in the past, but he did not listen. (You

might be thinking the same too. This will be explored and your doubts about

Zaydock will be clarified at the very end. Anyway…)

While I continued to think about Zaydock, I also thought about really trusting this

weird spirit: Can we trust Kuma? After a moment dedicated to thinking, Tess and

I realized that Kuma vanished, so we were relieved and we immediately came up

to surface of the water, despite not knowing to swim. Our bubbles were there to

save us, so neither of us hesitated in doing this. We just worked our way up, and

successfully reached the land and got out. For a few minutes, neither of us

spoke. We were just devastated by what we heard. Plus, we were soaking wet,

just like yesterday. It took some time to dry ourselves a little and turn back into a

normal state. Tess breaks the silence by saying, “ I believe what I heard. Let’s

come back tomorrow to talk to her again.” I suddenly jerk by hearing this,

because I was just in the middle of deciding whether to trust Kuma or not, and

Tess has already jumped to a conclusion. “ So that’s it? You’re gonna follow

random strangers and get deceived by them?” I reply in a blunt way to try and

be kind. She just stays silent for a second. Then she comes back to me and

says, “But Monica, be practical. If this was a joke, how did we get pulled into the

lake, how did we see a spirit, and how did this all even happen?” She’s right.

How could have this happened? I sit in silence and continue to listen to her

opinion. She continues. “But don’t you believe her? Other than the powers thing,

I don’t find anything unrealistic about what she said. It really could have

happened, don’t you think so?” I listen to this and find myself slowly believing in

my friend, so I don’t realize it, but I find myself nodding at what she just said. We

do what Tess said. The next day we appear near the lake, go inside, and finally

follow Kuma into a mystical and mysterious world of powers.

 

                                                                Chapter 6

I know, I know. It seems like a dumb thing to do . You don’t believe me do

you ? But, believe it or not , whatever the spirit thing said, was pretty

convincing, and I know what I saw. It seemed unbelievable at first , but it turns

out to be the truth , you know , about the Ambagi and saving the world. Even

though I already experienced being a hero, I still constantly keep asking myself,

“ was I just hallucinating or perhaps was it a dream?” Well , it turns out to be a

never ending dream that is true . You know what I mean. Alright, whatever . Let’s

begin the actual story. ( I don’t like saying “ story “ because it was all true. I kind

of want to say “ non-fiction story of a girl with water powers, but that doesn’t

seem right either) So, after thinking and making a decision, the next day, Tess

and I came to the same place near the river , and went underwater. I was scared

for a moment that I would drown but at the same time, I knew that I would not

drown. We followed ‘ Kuma ‘ into a portal . At least Tess followed Kuma into a

portal. As soon as she put a toe into the portal , she was pulled into it very

quickly and let a little scream come out of her mouth. It happened in seconds,

which startled me . So I didn’t follow her inside quick enough and I was left

behind. I am actually a very sensitive person and I get scared for little things.

This has always been a problem with me. I just don’t have any courage in me

and I felt so bad for doing a stupid thing when it was about something

important: Saving the world from Ambagi. I sat on my knees and hung my head

in despair and confusion. I was alone and the portal already disappeared. But, I

felt something deep inside of me. It was a moment before I realized that it was

happiness. Deep down, I felt glad that I didn’t go inside the portal because we

never know who to trust and who we should not trust. I don’t completely trust

that thing. Who knows ? It could be an alien who is trying to kidnap us by

making us believe that we have to save the planet and the world needs us. The

fact that the dark , shadowy figure turned into a beam of light was shocking and

convincing enough for me to think that it is an alien that looks like a dark ,

shadowy figure and has the power to turn into anything it wants. It might have

created this story about ‘ Zaydock’ and this is all probably a trick . But what

about the portal? Portals aren’t real right? I know that Tess and I have already

made a decision and set aside some valuable time yesterday to think about this.

Still, I had my own opinion and thoughts. So, as a result, silly me wasn’t able to

accept that this is the unrealistic truth; and nobody can change it. As I was lost

in thought, I realized that the portal reappeared. I have just wasted 3 minutes overthinking it all. I hastily stood up and jumped into the portal because, you

know, everyone has a life and you should live it to the fullest as you only get one

life. As long as I am alive, I want to create a difference in this world and make

myself useful. I needed to do what’s best for me and the universe. The life of a

girl with water powers is very interesting. Today , this portal is about to change

my life forever.

                                                        Chapter 7

I was hesitant, but come on. As soon as I put one single toe in the portal, I was

pulled inside with a sudden swiftness. I just shut my eyes and screamed the

whole time, so it’s hard to exactly tell what I saw in the portal, you know, the

sights, but I can tell you the feels if you want, if that makes sense? To be honest,

this was pretty scary, just like a roller coaster but without the seatbelt, so I was

just thrown on all directions, and it was overall a very clumsy experience, not

exactly enjoyable or anything, but it’s also not the worst thing I’ve ever

experienced. I mean, I did go on some pretty huge rides in Disneyland.

Alright now. After the portal was done , I felt dizzy and landed with a thud. Some

lush green grass blades were prickling my face. I almost fell asleep, but I

managed to open my eyes, finding myself lying on the ground, a section in front

of an old building. Tess came running towards me, and said, “ Hey, Monica!

You’re here. This is cool. Come on!” I ran around the place with Tess, but I was

actually scared.

I mean, this was such a new place, and now we were literally going to save the

world from a poisonous crystal, and at this point I felt like this situation was

getting unrealistic, but it was all true. So, I started to explore the place with Tess.

We were walking around and saw lots of grass. Just then we came across a

strange building. It was really high and had a clock on the top. It looked like

some sort of old-fashioned, ancient building with a lot of dirt and dust. I saw a

light in the corner of my eye, and Tess and I heard it say, “ Hi there, future

saviors! “ The strange voice made us jump, until we realized that it was just

Kuma, you know, the weird spirit. In fact, I literally blurted this out at that very

moment: “ Are you an actual undead spirit?” ( I knew that Kuma could tell I was

scared of the thought that I , well , we, were literally talking to a ghost ) She said,

“ Yes, I am the one that discovered Zaydock’s heartbreaking intention , and I

also discovered that he could be stopped by powers. You know, right?”

Powers? I thought. Anyway..here’s what Kuma said next:” I tried myself to learn

how to get my rock powers working, and it worked, but I wasn’t strong enough.

While battling Zaydock, I was defeated here , so my spirit lives here and my job

is to find someone else to make up for being defeated by Zaydock” Kuma

concluded. “ What is this place even? The underworld?” Tess scoffed sarcastically, but Kuma said, “ We’re underwater” “ What!?” Tess and I said at

the same time. “ Yeah, since you now have powers, you can breathe underwater.

We need to train here and then go back to the land again for the final battle. The

Ambagi is buried in Ohio, and Zaydock has shadow powers. But hey! You guys

have powers too, but you need to activate them.” What did she say? Powers!?

Tess looked just as confused as me. I mean, I know that I’ve already talked to

you about the idea of getting magical powers in the previous chapters, but the

thing is, even though I sound like I am completely familiar with powers NOW,

that doesn’t mean I was also completely familiar with powers THEN. Actually,

during that current moment, Tess and I were still in the process of understanding

this whole concept that we have to save the world.

                                                                    Chapter 8

Alright, remember that old building I told you about? ( Of course you don’t

remember, I just told you about the conversation with Kuma the ghost. Not to

scare you, but she is a ghost, a beautiful ghost to be honest. Just look back at

the previous chapter, will you? Plus, I also told about my style of writing, and all

the feelings I am trying to convey which are actually felt at that moment, not

now. No need of a recap, toodles! Listen to this now. )

So, about the old building with a clock on the top, it was a building called “ The

clock tower “ according to Kuma. It could be used as shelter by us. We both

went inside, gripping each other’s hands tightly. The tiles on the floor really

needed cleaning, first of all. The ceiling smelled like fresh new paint, so I

assumed that they painted the ceiling in white, pretty recently. We went into a

room, and there were two beds to be seen there, especially made for Tess and

I, maybe. I was overwhelmed by how fast things were happening, and I think I

had the weight of the world on my shoulders now. Besides, I was exhausted, so

I flopped down on one of the beds. Tess did the same. Both of us dozed off and

had a good rest, that’s for sure.

For a few minutes, I didn’t fall asleep, because I was too worried. I told my

parents that I’m not gonna come back for a couple of days since I went on a

trip. I felt guilty, but how could I tell them the truth? If I told them what really

happened, my dad would be like, “ Nice joke, Monica! “ My mom would then

agree and be like, “ You are the most hilarious person I’ve ever met.” Of course

they are under the impression that I went on a trip, but if saving the world takes

more than, “ A couple of days” like how I told them, then they are definitely

going to worry about me. In the worst case, they could ask Tess’ mom about

where we went, and Tess’ mom would be like, “ No, I didn’t send them on any

trip!” Well, it's not exactly guaranteed that her mom will say that, because I’m

not sure about what Tess even told her parents. I also had so many questions. If

we need to go to Ohio to battle Zaydock and save the world, won’t the public

see what’s going on? Will this news reach the media? Will we be famous? I

imagine the president giving us an award for bravery, and the pride on my face,

the camera lights flashing, and the people clamoring front and back in the

audience. I try not to get too excited, because it didn’t even begin yet. I haven't

even got my powers activated. I know that I was a bit hesitant before, and that I

didn't believe Kuma. Especially about the powers. That’s changed a bit at that moment, but I wasn’t excited about the powers; I was excited about saving the

world and becoming famous. I was dreaming about the future so freely without

worrying about how I am going to learn how to control my powers, or at least

claim my powers. I wasn’t ready for it and was still trying to understand how we

are going to do the impossible. I stared at the ceiling above me blankly, and

realized that I should get some sleep since time passed and it was night. Tess

and I already had dinner at home. “I should stop overthinking the whole thing

and worrying so much. It’s not like we have figure out how to defeat Zaydock by

ourselves. Kuma will help.” I thought, so I turned my mind on silent mode and

had a sound sleep.

                                                             Chapter 9

The next day was simple, just like a day at home. We freshened up, ate

breakfast and then, well…we got super bored. So, we decided to take a better

look at our surroundings and take a little tour around the clock tower. That

wasn’t a fulfilling activity, but what could we do? I’m not picky or anything, but it

was kind of boring. If I was home, I would be doing homework or chatting with

my parents. Here it was different . But there’s no time for entertainment, because

I knew that we were going to start activating our powers at any moment.

Besides, the world is about to be destroyed and we are here, finding ways to

entertain ourselves and occupy our minds? Yeah..that wasn’t showcasing

responsibility upon saving the world……but…..we were bored. What else would

you want us to do? Later on in the day, I was just walking around the clock

tower and observing the rooms. There was heavy security here, and almost all

the rooms were locked on the outside. One such room caught my eye. The room

had a lilac colored door, and it was locked on the outside. I felt like somebody

was in there, and I could hear footsteps. Then, the door started rattling and the

person knocked the door from the inside. I don’t know why, but I started to

shiver and get scared. Ripples were riding up my spine, and I was getting

goosebumps. The sound and intensity of the rattling sound was increasing

gradually. I ran over to Tess, tugging on her sleeve. She didn't quite understand

what was going on, so she just followed me and saw the rattling door. Kuma

was just around the corner, so she came to us and saw this too. I panicked, and

my voice was raising. “Is it Zaydock?” I asked Kuma. Instead of Kuma, Tess

replied, “Why would it be Zaydock? He’s in Ohio.” Then Kuma immediately said,

“Calm down, it’s just Andrea!”

“Now who was this Andrea?” I thought. Even though I was confused at that

moment, later on, this “Andrea” became my best friend. At this very moment, a

compassionate person tumbled upon our journey and entered into our lives.Chapter 10

Next, Kuma fetched a key and handed it over to me so that I could open the

locked door. I turned over the key and pulled the door open. To my surprise, I

saw a tall girl. She looked around the same age as Tess and I, which is 14. She

had a long, blond braid rested on her right shoulder. One of her hands were on

the wall, and the other on her hips. I could see her panting heavily. Sweat was

trickling down her neck. Tess and I wondered who this girl was, and we watched

as Kuma said, “Sorry Andrea. I didn’t know you were in there.” Huh? Andrea

blinked in response. Then, unexpectedly, she looked straight into my eyes. She

did the same with Tess. I didn’t get it.

Andrea immediately gasped and tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks . I

could tell that she was delighted. ‘ I knew it. Kuma was right.’ She whispered to

herself. A moment later, Kuma simply went away to let us three talk to each

other and get along. Then, the girl spoke and said, ‘Hi! I’m Andrea! I know that

you’re confused so I’ll explain. Basically, the same thing that happened to you

guys happened to me. But I was stuck in this place for more than a year.” Tess

and I WERE confused. Andrea just stared at us and realized that we were, you

know , I don’t know. It was an awkward moment actually. Eventually, I

introduced myself. “ umm, Hi? I’m Monica.” I said kind of slowly. “ And I’m

Tess.”said Tess. “So you were stuck in this place for a year?” I asked her. “ More

than a year actually . Alright let me continue. So I was stuck here for more than a

year and Kuma told the story of Zaydock and Ambagi, blah blah blah, you know

what I’m talking about. Monica, you are supposed to have water powers. Tess,

you are supposed to have lightning powers. I believe that Kuma told a bit about

powers. Tomorrow I will help you both on how to claim your powers..” I was a bit

shocked when I heard that I had powers. (Not that I heard it for the first time ,

because Kuma told us about it too, but I nearly forgot that now’s the time to

finally activate our powers) Anyway..here's what Andrea said next. “I have plant

powers and I already mastered them. Your training starts tomorrow. Don’t worry

though. I’ll give you guys company.” she said. Tess and I couldn’t believe our

ears. Training? Powers? What was Andrea talking about? (We knew what she

was talking about actually, but the thing’s that, we were not ready for it to start.

Tess and I were still in the process of understanding this whole concept and

situation, but here Andrea was telling us that our training starts tomorrow, so…

yeah. You understand what I’m saying , don’t you?)

 

                                       Chapter 11

The next morning, Tess and I were made to wake up at 5. FIVE. Alright, I AM a

productive person, and I love waking up early, but not literally before the sun

rises! I usually wake up at 6, but never five. Plus, I was totally exhausted, you

know, the rattling of the door, meeting our new friend, Andrea. What a day! Also ,

it’s literally just been 3 days. Whether you realized it or not, it was just 3 days.

So, in 3 days, so much happened:

1. I was hanging out with Tess at the park.

2. The lake pulled us inside.

3. We discovered the themed bubbles.

4. Kuma came and started talking to us.

5. We finally sat down and made a decision to trust Kuma.

6. The next day, we went through the portal.

7. We discovered the clock tower.

8. We slept.

9. I woke up the next morning and explored the clock tower with Tess.

10. The door rattled and we panicked.

11. We met Andrea and she said that we need to start activating our powers.

Alright, alright. Enough with the summary. I’m gonna continue my story.

After we woke up, we were served breakfast by Kuma, including our new human

companion. While serving us breakfast, Kuma said, “Eat up girls, we have a

huge day of training!” “Umm..I’m already trained..so I have to teach them right?”

asks Andrea. Then Kuma says, “Yes, exactly. You have to guide them in the

same way I guided you with your plant powers. It’s the same procedure, connect

with your powers, learn the basics, and practice the moves! Then we can battle

Zaydock and save the world from Ambagi tomorrow..” “Shhhh!” Andrea

interrupts in between. Then Andrea continues, “I think Kuma meant that we have

to battle Zaydock next..err.. Next MONTH..right Kuma?” Tess raises an eyebrow,

and Kuma and Andrea both chuckle nervously.

                                    Chapter 12

While this conversation between Kuma and Andrea goes on, we finish our

breakfast and wipe our mouths. While I stand up to go and wash my hands, I

can feel my fingers trembling, because I know that they are gonna start the

training right away. We all finish washing our hands, and Kuma says, “ Alright

girls! Time for your day of training to battle Zaydock tomorrow.” “WHAT!?” Tess

and I say at the same time. Andrea glares at Kuma, who then says, “ I mean…

next month!” We stare at Andrea doubtfully, but she just smiles at us awkwardly.

(What is going on with them two? I mean, it’s pretty weird that Kuma and Andrea

seem like best friends, considering the fact that one is a human and one is a

ghost, but that’s not the point. My real question is: what are they hiding from us?

Anyway…..)

Tess seems to be trembling as much as me, as Andrea and Kuma patiently tell

us that Tess and I are going to train in separate rooms. Kuma is going to

accompany Tess in her training session, while Andrea is going to accompany me

in my training session. And I TRUST Andrea. I mean, she was pretty hyper ,

unlike other people I’ve met, which makes sense, because, she’s not acting like

some typical person. I can tell her intentions are pure. Andrea walks me to a

room in the clock tower. It had a wooden door, and written on it poorly with paint

is, “WARNING. DO NOT ENTER THIS TRAINING HALL.” I don’t know, but I’m

assuming that they don’t want anyone to enter except the people that are

involved in the training sessions. I opened the door and walked into the room.

What I see is utterly astonishing. The entire room was water themed, since I

have water powers ( yet to be activated ). The room had blue walls, decorated

with clear little water droplets made of glass. Andrea doesn’t look surprised. I

mean, she probably came here a million times. I roam around and take a look at

the room for some brief moments, and Andrea just patiently stands there,

waiting for me to settle down. After I was done , she asked me to sit down on

some fake grass which was surrounded by water. “Alright , Monica. It’s time to

train fast, but I don’t want you to feel rushed. You see, you were allotted with

different powers based on your personality. If you got water, that means that

you’re calm, wise, thoughtful, sensitive and an emotional person.” she said.

Then I said, “Okay, but how do I activate my powers?” Andrea said, “It’s simple.

We’re gonna do it mentally.”Looking at the confused look on my face, she continued, “Basically, what you

have to do now is meditate. Take deep breaths, close your eyes and just think

about water and why you love water. Let every sense of you feel the water.” I did

as I was told, and I pictured myself at the beach, and I could feel the cool water

touching my feet. “What do you see?” Andrea asked. I said, “I see the ocean,

and the waves are touching my toes. Oh! Another wave is coming” I drifted

away into my dream world, and I suddenly felt something. I opened my eyes to

see what it was. I was dumbstruck! Water was literally shooting out of my

fingers! I just sat there, and gasped in awe. “That’s the power of inner peace. If

you are really peaceful within, anything can happen!” Andrea winked. I raised an

eyebrow , and she said, “You basically connected to your powers mentally. Now,

you have to do it physically.” for clarity. After that, she slowly taught me how to

control the same exact water that was shooting out of my fingers just a moment

ago. I gradually learned how to control my powers and do some cool things like

lifting the water and throwing it. I could use the same method while battling

Zaydock. After Andrea taught me the basics of water powers, she left, and I

spent the next few hours learning advanced things like making the water appear

like rain. I could even create a whirlpool using my powers! I was just having a

blast, you know? After I was completely done with my training, it was nearly

evening. That’s why I decided to go outside and get some fresh air. When I

stepped outside, I saw a bench made of wood, and on the same bench , Andrea

and Tess were sitting. I sat down next to Tess. We were all very tired after our

long day of learning and practicing our new powers. I don’t know why , but I felt

like we need more time to understand this whole concept, that we need to save

the world but I still don’t know how we were able to pick it up in just one day.

Andrea, Tess and I just sat there panting. Even Andrea seemed to be tired since

she helped me train. After the brief moment, one of us finally broke the silence

and started talking. Andrea said, “You did a great job girls! You are finally ready

for the big day. After that, you won’t get all this torture and you can finally go

home and meet your parents.” (torture is a very strong word I think. This wasn’t

exactly torture because that would be rude, but if you think about it, it actually is

kind of torture. I mean, literally, they made us wake up very early today and

made us train since morning. You could just say pressure, not torture..) Anyway,

let’s just continue the real story. When Andrea mentioned the word, “parents” ,

her smile drooped. I asked, “What’s wrong?” Tess was also concerned, and she

immediately turned to face Andrea. What she told us next was shocking and

heartbreaking, and it also changed our perception about Andrea, and to be

honest, her tragic story made us feel like we were Andrea’s own sisters!

 

                                 Chapter 13

Here is what she said:

“Alright. It’s time I tell you my story.

When I was little, I loved my parents very much. I depended on them for every

single thing and they took very good care of me. I was just five years old and

suddenly my dad passed away due to a small but fatal heart attack. I became

heartbroken and very sad. My mom was the same too, heartbroken and sad. We

spent days, weeks, or perhaps months grieving. Eventually, my mom realized

that she couldn’t spend her life forever without getting a new dad for me.

Additionally, she needed to remarry as her husband was no more. With a heavy

heart and teary eyes, she arranged a marriage with some random guy. When I

saw him, he looked a bit strange based on his attitude. I wasn’t so sure about

this guy and even considered asking my mom not to marry him as I had my

doubts about him. I was young and still aggrieved by the fact that my real father

was no more , so I couldn’t think about that and didn’t tell my mother about my

thoughts on my future stepfather. This was the biggest mistake I made in my life.

Unfortunately, one day somebody told us to be careful because my stepdad was

the killer of Zaydock’s parents. We were very surprised at first, especially my

mom. I had kind of expected this because I had my doubts in advance about the

guy. One day, he threatened to kill us! That was the worst time of my life and

also the scariest. We didn’t know what to do and he also told us the reason why

he wanted to kill us, and it was just because of money. We had a lot of money,

unlike him, so he just wanted to kill us and take all the money for himself. We

didn’t know what to do and my mother tried to talk him out of the idea of killing

his own family, and she even insisted to give almost half of her monthly salaries

to him. He didn’t listen and was power-hungry and greedy. He made the threat

at midnight and we didn’t know what to do. He immediately grabbed a knife and

started chasing us. My mom and I ran for our lives and came across a pretty

blue lake. I don’t know how this happened, but the lake suddenly produced a

large wave sort of thing, and it was coming towards us! It tried to pull both of us

in. Sound familiar? It was the same exact lake that you both tumbled upon at the

park. My mom tried to save me, but I accidentally fell into the lake. My mom

survived, but she was also sad that I got pulled into the lake. She started crying

a lot, and I could hear her shout, My baby girl! Come back!” My mom also made

an attempt to jump into the water and save me, so she jumps into the lake. At

that very moment, my stepfather found us. He didn’t see me as I was underwater, but he saw my mom. My mom was just about to jump into the lake,

and the killer came behind her, and while my mother jumped into the lake, he

jumped in too because he was literally just behind my mom. So, when they both

went into the lake, he stabbed her from behind, and he still managed to stab her

underwater! My mom died in the lake while the killer drowned. However, the

same thing that happened to you guys happened to me. A plant themed bubble

saved me. I abandoned my whole life behind, and I don’t even know if my mom

is living peacefully in the afterlife or not, not knowing whether I am alive or not!

So, I was stuck in this place for eight years and I really want to work hard in

training you both and I want to finally defeat Zaydock , and pay homage to my

mom , so that she is watching this from above. May both the souls of my

parents rest in peace!

Monica and Tess, you are the first two human beings that I have met other than

my dad, mom, my stepdad and Zaydock. You are like my blood sisters. I need

you, so please be my friends and don’t leave me like my parents did!”

“We’re here for you!” Tess and I say. Andrea starts to weep, and it makes me

feel so sad, watching her feel sad like that. I realize that Tess and I are the only

ones who are there for her, and we are the only ones close to family. We

dedicate an entire minute to group hugs to make her feel better!

                                      Chapter 14

A few moments after the group hugs, Kuma appears and says, “ Hey! What’s

going on here?” ( I know that I’m making it sound like Kuma shouted at us

sternly and firmly, but actually , she just asked us casually, and she was also

confused that we were hugging) By seeing Andrea’s tear-stained face, I think

she could understand that Andrea just told us the story of her past. Kuma said,

“Hey, Tess and Monica ! I am pretty sure that you both are fully trained, and I

think you both can manage your powers now. We mostly made you train

independently, so now we must test your new skills and abilities. It’s time for the

ultimate challenge! Andrea is my most talented student, and she knows a lot of

techniques and strategies which can be used with her plant powers. I am sure

that you both also are finally familiar with your powers and can control them and

also perform complicated moves with your powers. Now, one by one, both of

you have to battle Andrea! “ Tess and I gasp at the thought of battling an

orphan, i.e. Andrea. She just told us about her dark and tragic past, and we had

so much pity and compassion on Andrea at that moment, and Kuma was

expecting us to fight her at that time?!!

However, I realised that they were doing this for our own good because we had

to battle Zaydock.

So, the next moment you could find Tess and I staring at each other, wondering

who would go first. I was too scared, so I whispered to Tess, telling her to go

first. She was a bit hesitant, but she went first for me. I could see a smirk on

Andrea’s face, and there was a spark of life in her eyes, and I think I know why.

She was waiting for this moment her entire life because she wanted to test our

capabilities, help us defeat Zaydock, save the world and pay homage to her

mom. Anyway, Andrea and Tess stood opposite to each other, ready to fight. I

could tell that Andrea was also hesitant, because she just told us that we were

like her blood sisters, and now Kuma is asking her to fight us?! Though she was

hesitant, she decided to strike first. Some vines came shooting out of her

fingers, and they were coming towards Tess . Tess was scared for a few

moments, but she managed to shoot a large lightning bolt out of her finger, and

it stroke Andrea on the shoulder. Andrea took a second to groan in pain. Tess

widened her eyes in worry, but Andrea gave a look that said: it’s okay. Just

continue, we need to battle because we need to prepare you for the final showdown, i.e. the one with Zaydock. After Tess shot her with the lightning

bolt move, Andrea stroke back by releasing some leaves along with a lot of

wind. It was kind of like a hurricane. Just like this, the battle continued for about

half an hour, they kept striking their powers, and spent time planning their next

move. Finally, Tess defeated Andrea by creating a thunderstorm that she

practiced independently in the training hall. With that one move, the battle was

over in a flash.

Next it was my turn. I was scared, and started trembling. After a few moments, I

overcame the fear and mustered enough courage to come and stand tall,

opposing Andrea. I don’t know why, but I was a bit hasty, so I decided to go

first. I selected a good move for my first move, because one is my lucky number!

I created a little whirlpool, kind of like a tornado, but with water. The whirlpool

was coming towards Andrea, and she was a bit scared for some brief moments,

and I could also see a small smirk on her face, because she was so impressed

that I scared someone like her with my powers, and she had a lot of experience

compared to me. Next, Andrea decided to create a cactus and magically

removed the needles and control them in such a way that they were coming

towards me, ready to pinch me. I acted fast, and I created a wall made of ice

which was very strong. Using that wall, I was able to block the needles of the

cactus. I don’t think I need to continue because it’s all very boring . In the same

manner, our fight continued for half an hour. I ended the battle and defeated

Andrea by creating a tsunami. (Normally, I would’ve created a larger tsunami, but

since she was our friend, I didn’t put a lot of effort in that last move, but I was

still able to take it up a notch. Actually, I decreased the size of the tsunami, but

increased the intensity of the tsunami. Because of that, I was able to

successfully defeat Andrea.) The next moment, Tess and I were found panting

and gasping for breath. Andrea could be seen smirking and grinning. I’m not

sure about Kuma, since she‘s a spirit. Her facial expressions were invisible, but I

think she was also pretty happy that we did well.

So, that is how the evening passed by, and the sun set, we all drifted into our

sleep, and I was worrying about what would happen tomorrow.

                                                               Chapter 15

The next morning, I woke up a bit late, since our training was over and we didn’t

need to wake up early (Which I didn’t know at that moment. I still thought that

we needed to train more, but later realized something surprising that Kuma said,

which you will get to know quite soon). It was just like any other day. I woke up,

freshened up and sat down to eat with Tess and Andrea. Kuma doesn’t need

food, cuz she’s a spirit. (Duh) Service here was like that of a luxury hotel:

breakfast is served right on time, clean tables, and everything is just so

productive and orderly. After we were done eating eggs and toast, Andrea

cleared her throat. I didn’t understand what was going on , so I darted my eyes

left and right, scanning the room. Kuma was a spark of light; a spirit. She didn’t

have a face like us humans, although she was once a human. Andrea was the

suspect here, and her face looked so stern and serious. I didn’t know who to

talk to, so I communicated with Tess by giving her a look that said: What on

earth is going on here? Bestie, did you do something? (Not that I regularly

suspect Tess a lot, because she’s my friend. I’m not playing the blame game

here. I was just curious, that’s it.) Tess just shrugged in response.

“Kuma has something to say. “Andrea says to us, then she immediately turns to

Kuma and whispers, rather loudly,” You say it ! I can’t do this.”

I can hear Kuma sigh; I don’t see that expression on her face, but I heard that

sound. Anyway….

Here’s what Kuma said:

“Tess and Monica, I’m gonna tell you something, so don’t freak out. I know that

you both only had one day of training, but these situations are desperate. We

must save the world quickly, because Ambagi is going to explode soon. We

must fight Zaydock ….. TODAY. Yes, I’m serious.” Tess and I open our mouths

wide in shock. Today?? Normally, if this was something like, “I only prepared for

one-day and I have to tell a speech on stage without proper preparation.” Then I

would have understood the situation, because it was my fault that I didn’t

prepare, and this was the same situation, sort of. We had to do something big

without proper preparation. But here, the case was that THEY were the ones

who didn’t give me enough time to prepare in the first place. TODAY?! REALLY?!

Besides, Andrea and Kuma were doing suspicious things, so THIS was what

they were hiding….I was broken, confused and wasn’t ready to battle Zaydock yet. 

In anger and confusion, I stormed into one of the rooms and laid my head on a pillow, still

processing this situation. I was angry on Kuma and Andrea because they just

hid something BIG from us. I took time in that room to process my feelings and

listen to my own thoughts. Here’s what happened inside my head:

Brain: I’m so angry, they hid something so big from me!

Heart: You must understand. They hid the fact that we had to battle Zaydock so

soon because they didn’t want to scare us. They had no choice but to tell us

now since the battle’s today.

Brain: I feel like you are right. I don’t understand. Shall I be angry at them or

understand? What am I supposed to do now? I’M NOT READY!

Heart: Calm down. Don’t you know how you fought Andrea yesterday? Just use

the same skills.

Brain: Fine, we’ll see what happens.

Like this , a little conversation with my brain and my heart occurred in my mind.

Though the brain and heart think so differently, they are both components of the

same thing; the mind! While my emotional consciousness makes me have an

internal conversation, my physical consciousness turns on, and I spot Tess at

the corner of my eye. She sits next to me and convinces me, consoles me, says

“ Nothing to worry about!” Blah blah blah…yada yada yada. If you have a best

friend , (Which is highly likely. Duh.) then you’ll probably know how these

conversations go. I told her how I felt about the fact that they hid such a big

thing from us, and I refused to come outside for the final preparations. “Why

should I ? It’s meaningless to prepare NOW. They gave us ONE day, expecting

that it was enough for us. Now why bother to go NOW and prepare, when they

are acting so cool, even while acknowledging that the final showdown is

TODAY?!” I said. She didn’t know how else to convince me, and left me with my

thoughts, giving me space. I was grumpy and angry at everyone, but

remembered what my bestie told me in the past. Those words echo in my mind,

and I get a flashback of that event. (I’ll tell you WHAT event)

                                      Chapter 16

Here’s what happened in the past:

One day, it was “Psychology week” at high school. Everyday, after our classes,

we had a little session where everyone would gather in the auditorium, and

selected students would prepare skits, pep talks and quotes related to

psychology the day before and perform them in the session. One afternoon,

during lunch, Tess and I were called by a teacher, Mrs. Park. We held both our

hands and walked towards her classroom together. We weren’t scared that we

could be in trouble, and that Mrs. Park would give us a lecture or scolding,

because such things barely happen at high school. All students were decent and

never really did anything wrong. We were decent because we never got in

trouble, and by “we” I mean Tess and I. Only a few people got in trouble, but

only for small things , like not completing an assignment. We also were not TOO

studious, because everyone, including me, are talkative. I mean, it’s not at all

bad to be studious; so don’t think that we were completely careless , because

we WERE studious, but also talkative. Our school isn’t as dramatic as others,

where there are people constantly getting in trouble. Anyway….

Mrs. Park had called us because she wanted us to prepare a pep talk about

being mentally well and having inner peace. We both must search on google to

memorize a speech about it. We must prepare separately and also make sure

that we both aren’t memorizing the same speech, because Mrs. Park said that

they want to hear thoughts about this topic in two different perspectives. (I don’t

wanna give away spoilers, but there’s going to be a twist about that part where I

said that we have to search on google and memorize a speech. Just saying. It’ll

become much clearer.) That day, after I went home, I needed to catch on new

concepts and reading and writing assignments. If you are a high schooler, then

welcome to the club! I mean it. We need to do homework on top of homework

on top of homework. You will understand if you really are a high schooler. I was

so focused on those that I postponed the pep talk prep to the last minute.

(That’s completely normal, I do it a lot. I postpone things to the last minute, so

this isn’t surprising I hope, especially for high schoolers. Plus, no one’s

perfect. :)) It was too late and my parents were telling me to sleep, so I didn’t

have a chance to prepare that night. Don’t think I was careless about the pep

talk or anything, in case you’re wondering. I spent the whole night worrying

about how I was gonna perform the next day. I wanted to take out my phone 

and quickly search up an easy speech to memorize and go back to sleep, but

my parents usually had a habit of staying by the door of my bedroom, listening

for any sounds of taking out my phone, getting up, or doing anything . My dad

did this most of the time. He had super-hearing. I just lay in bed trembling, and

was still trembling while waking up in the morning. Still scared, I got ready and

headed to high school to get ready for class, hoping that these classes would be

never-ending since I was dreading the moment of hearing the bell ring, and then

everyone would start their performances. Then, my name would be called out

and I would not say anything on stage, and my reputation would be spoiled, and

I could just imagine the look of embarrassment and shame on my face. As I was

imagining the impossible, (You’ll very soon understand what I mean by that),

everyone headed to the cafeteria and was eager to begin eating lunch. I realized

that was my chance, so I went to the cafeteria too and sat down next to Tess. I

was relieved to be with my best friend, and I had also been waiting the whole

day to get to her and tell her about my anxiety. “Hey. I didn’t prepare for the pep

talk. I was too busy with my other assignments and when I finally decided to

take out my phone and prepare..” I began. Tess interrupted, “Wait, what do you

mean by taking out your phone and preparing?” I was confused. So I said,“What

do you mean? Don’t we have to search up a speech on google and memorize

it?” “No, Monica! We should write a speech by ourselves and memorize it. We

need to represent our own thoughts and ideas, not search on google!” Tess said

with a chuckle. She paused to let this sink in. Then she said, “Hey, you don’t

need to memorize at all, just tell everything on the spot . Even though we didn’t

prepare anything, deep down, the reason WHY we need preparation in advance

is that we are just worried about what other people might think of us and we’re

just scared about what they might think when we represent our own ideas

without preparation. But to be honest, we do our best job WITHOUT preparing.

We know what to do, but we hide our true selves and memorize the speech

instead of telling it on our own and expressing ourselves. Monica, you can do

this!” I understood what she was trying to convey and I just said, “I’m touched.”

She smiled and I smiled back, and as Tess said, I DID do my best without

preparing!

Alright, back to what is going on NOW. I did my best without preparing, and I

expressed myself in the previous scenario. Why can’t I do the same in this

scenario? I don’t need preparation, and I don’t need to worry about what

Zaydock might think. I should just be confident and stay true to myself, and at

the final showdown I can showcase my true self, without preparing. Like Tess

said, preparation is just a fear, meaning that you are scared about others’

thoughts, so instead of showcasing what YOU know, you are preparing and

referring to other sources, not expressing your true self.All these thoughts were gushing into my mind like ocean waves, and I felt a mix

of emotions. I just ran to Tess, hugging her from behind. When she asked me

why, I just said, “Thanks for telling me that we do our best without

preparations.” She chuckled, and understood that I was talking about that past

scenario. I then took a deep breath, telling myself, “I am gonna nail the final

showdown with Zaydock. Let’s crush it!”

                                                         Chapter 17

“It’s time for the final battle!” Kuma calls out. It’s time for the final showdown. I

take a deep breath. “Alright Monica. This is going to be the biggest test of your

abilities yet. But I believe in you.” I say to myself. Tess smiles at me and grips

my hand tightly. “Let’s go save the world.” She whispers in my ear. I nod. Next, a

portal appears in front of us, and I’m assuming it leads to Ohio. (Of course it

leads there. That’s where the Ambagi Crystal is buried. We also need to battle

Zaydock there.) We all go into the portal rather quickly and as soon as we step

in it, the screaming starts. Seriously. Everyone starts screaming. Last time, it

was only me, and I was thrown on all directions. But this time, it was all of us, so

we kept bumping into each other. After this bumping nightmare was over, we

finally landed with a thud. There was no grass like last time, just mud and dirt.

This place was also giving me the creeps. It was not only muddy, but there were

trees without any leaves, only branches. I’m not sure, but this was not my idea

of a battlefield. I was thinking, maybe some gold and some armor, and a huge

arena. Our battlefield turned out to be creepy and a bit disturbing to look at , but

I can live with that. I stopped thinking about this and reminded myself that I had

come without much preparation, so I should just battle from the heart and

express my true self, as Tess said.

While we were all standing, and I was lost in thought, we heard footsteps.

Zaydock has arrived. I think he was coming slowly to create suspense. He finally

appeared, and I noticed his jade black beard and the purple-colored Ambagi in

his hand. With a deep, raspy voice, he said, “Aha, so you have come to defeat

me?”

We all were angry for what he had done, so we stared at him with fiery eyes.

“Getting angry, huh? I’m so sorry ladies, but YOU want to defeat ME? That’s just

not possible.” Zaydock said. A milli-second before Zaydock could begin his evil

cackle, Andrea strikes first by stabbing him with cactus needles. Tess and I look

at each other. Things were getting pretty intense at this moment. It’s time to get

into action. We both close our eyes, and then open them. Before I knew it, there

were lightning bolts, cactus needles, vines, and stormy clouds everywhere. It

was chaos. I looked around, took a moment to process everything, and I started

planning my first move. I combined a tsunami, whirlpool, and rain together to do

something huge. After that, I actually did it. It had a HUGE impact, and

everybody was just so shocked by how powerful that ONE move was.Everybody except Zaydock. He just chuckled as if it was nothing. We were

confused, but what happened next was simply unbelievable. Zaydock said, “I’ll

tell you a little secret, ok? Ambagi was never a poisonous crystal at all. It was a

healing crystal, but I turned it into a poisonous crystal with my shadow magic.” I

was in a dilemma after hearing this. The look of shock and disbelief was clear on

everyone’s face. I realized that Zaydock was a pretty hardcore villain. With rage

and fury, Andrea scowled at Zaydock and released some vines to tie him up to a

tree. Clever, right? “Tess, Monica ! You guys grab the Ambagi in his hand.” She

called out to us. Tess and I do as we are told and immediately run over to

Zaydock, grunting and trying to grab the Ambagi with all our might and strength,

but in vain. Through a series of grunts, Tess says, “Zaydock, give the crystal to

us! There are good people in the world too. You have a right to be angry, but

why are you making the wrong choice? Andrea experienced the same thing as

you. Her parents were killed by the same person.” After hearing this, Zaydock

gasps and widened his eyes. “Really?” He says, and he looks at Andrea. Andrea

then says, “Yes Zaydock. I know the pain of losing our loved ones. You are

actually supposed to kill the person who killed your parents, his name is

Henderson. There are good people in the world too. The thing is, Henderson

drowned in a lake, so he's dead. You don’t have to avenge anybody now. Let go

of the past.” Zaydock’s expression softens and he sincerely hands over the

Ambagi Crystal to us, and we give it to Kuma. The next moment, we hear a

voice behind us, saying, “Oh, but Henderson is not dead.” Oh no. This situation

took a huge turn now. This is a plot twist written in our destiny. Zaydock says,

“Henderson?” 

                                 Chapter 18

Oh no. What a twist. I think Andrea’s evil stepfather, and even the killer of

Zaydock’s parents named Henderson returned (I just learnt his name) ! Alright,

we got the reaction from Zaydock, but not Andrea. That part will occur very

soon. Andrea was surprised too, so she turned back to see where the

mysterious voice was coming from. She widened her eyes in dismay and

disbelief. “Stepfather?” She said slowly but firmly. There was tension in her

voice. After that, I realized what had happened , so Tess, Kuma and I turned

back to see for ourselves, the evil and merciless Henderson. I started to trigger

all those thoughts, and they conquer my mind. Both Andrea and Zaydock’s

trauma and distress was caused by this one man. I thought he was dead and

drowned in the lake, but he came back. He must have survived. Kuma, seeming

to knowingly acknowledge Andrea’s tragic backstory, raises a question that

interrogates him for the cause of his survival despite drowning. “How are you

alive?I thought you drowned!” She says. I stare at Henderson, a tall man with an

expensive suit that only the rich and luxurious can afford to purchase. He had an

evil smirk on his face, and replied, “I came out of the water, and became an

ultimate killer. I robbed a good amount of money and I came here for the

Ambagi. I heard that it doesn't have the power to only heal or destroy, but to

provide immortality. I want humanity to bow below my feet with that power.” Oh

no. Was this guy mad? I was also shocked since the Ambagi could provide

immortality, which I didn’t know. Tess was angry at Henderson and shouted,

“Oh, but why would we give the Ambagi to you?”. He just said, “Can’t say I

didn’t ask nicely, why I will grab it!” The next moment, Andrea turned to Zaydock

and said, “See, Zaydock. There is some good in the world. This man not only

destroyed both of our families, but destroyed thousands of families. His greed

for money made him do this, and he is the reason for your anger. But you can

trust us. Let us forget the idea of destroying the world, and instead join hands to

kill the real villain and avenge both of our parents.” Andrea smiled at Zaydock

and held out her hand. Zaydock started tearing up and nodded sincerely,

placing his hand in Andrea’s. Zaydock stood tall and brave, ready to kill

Henderson gruesomely. Tess and I noticed this, so the four of us went and

approached Henderson. To our surprise, as soon as we turned back, Henderson

was trying to snatch the Ambagi crystal from Kuma. Since Kuma was a spirit,

she was able to glide flawlessly and escape Henderson. I had a plan. “Guys,

before Henderson snatches the Ambagi from Kuma, let’s finish him off. 

Zaydock,you have shadow magic that is powerful, so please help us.” I say. Everybody

gives me a thumbs up, and we run from behind and I make a powerful ocean

wave, Andrea makes poisonous plants fly around him, Tess makes a

thunderstorm, and Zaydock makes a ball of shadow magic. All these moves

combined makes an impact beyond powerful, it is simply unbelievable .

Henderson falls down weakly. I spontaneously create a knife made of ice, and

hold it against Henderson’s throat. “Any last words?” I say for suspense.

Henderson replies, saying, “Spare me.” Next, Zaydock speaks, saying, “What

was that? Spare me? That cannot be done, dude. For what you’ve done, this is

the consequence.” I smirk, and happily finish him off in a flash. I just can’t

believe that it's over. I can’t believe I’ve done what I’ve done. “Kuma, we’ve

done it!” Tess calls out happily. I sigh, eager to get home and say goodbye to

this beautiful journey.

                               Chapter 19

The next moment, Zaydock quickly disconnects his shadow powers from the

Ambagi and leaves it there. (I will soon tell you what happened to the Ambagi)

We all turn to Kuma, waiting for her to carry us all home. I didn't expect all this.

You know, Henderson returning, joining hands with Zaydock, I didn't know that

this journey will take such a turn. I just felt happy and accomplished .

If we want to go home, that means it’s time for more portals. That very portal

that took us all home marked the end of this beautiful journey. I sighed, turned

back to take the very last look at this unforgettable battlefield and reflect on my

evolution, and made a slow and mindful step into the portal. That was a BIG

step. The way I have changed and evolved during this journey, the people I have

met , the places I have been to, and most importantly, the threat that I overcame

and stopped have defined me and shaped who I am today. I know that people

say that your past does not define you, but this thing that I did HAS. No matter

what, the memories of meeting Andrea, the rattling of the door, the look of the

clock tower, the warm light of Kuma and the unexpected twist of Henderson

returning and joining hands with Zaydock will always remain with me in my heart

and my life as a beautiful part of my past. For the record, sometimes, your past

DOES have the ability to define you as a person, if it’s a good past.

After we reached our city through the portal, I was relieved, and took a brief

moment to breathe in the early morning air. It was so subtle, and the sun was

just beginning to rise, and spread its warm light around our city. It was good to

be home. I really just missed the noise of the honking horns of vehicles and the

sight of the sky scrapers, nearly touching the sky. The sky is the limit, but today,

I crossed the boundaries and did something that I never thought I was capable

of. I was proud of myself. I was lost in thought and we all walked to our separate

houses. Tess’ house is just beside ours. Soon, an amazing aroma prickled my

nose. I could see a woman with thick, flowing hair in the kitchen. “Mom? Mom!”

I shouted out in joy. She smiled, and I came running towards me. We were

immersed in our embrace. “ So did you save the world?” She asked. I nodded

with teary eyes. I thought for a moment and widened my eyes. “How did you

know?” I asked with tension. “It came on the news.” She replied simply, and 

patted me on the back. “Where’s dad?” I asked, my eyes eagerly searching for

him. As soon as I said that, he immediately came out of the front door, standing

with a proud, bright smile. I hugged my dad too. As this was happening, Tess

was wondering where her parents were at. A moment after, her parents appear

in front of her, greeting her. Tess jumped in excitement and ran over to hug them

both. Suddenly, Andrea caught my eye. She doesn’t have parents, and I felt bad

for her, until this happened. Kuma came over to me. “Hey, Monica! Thank you. I

can leave the earth peacefully now, since the world is not in danger anymore.”

Kuma said. I was confused by this, and Tess was too. Both of us immediately

face Kuma, who then makes the big reveal. Here’s what she says:

“I cannot live on Earth anymore, since I’m a spirit. Thank you for everything.

Well..Congratulations on saving the world! I must go.” Tess and I are a bit sad;

Kuma was so sweet. It felt sad that she had to go back to the spirit world as she

couldn’t live in the human world. This was a bittersweet moment. Tess suddenly

looks worried for a few seconds. “What about Andrea? If you go, who’s gonna

take care of her?” She blurted out. Kuma paused for a moment and says, “We

must search for someone to adopt her and take her in.” Tess and I nod, and we

turn to look at a life-changing moment for Andrea!

A wife and husband appear on the streets, and they walk holding each others’

hands. The woman has hair which is short and blond, but also thick. She’s

wearing a white shirt, light blue jeans, and an expensive apple watch. The man

was wearing a blue shirt, white pants and a fossil watch. They both seem like

they are in some deep conversation. Suddenly, a red car comes right behind

them. The driver may not have seen the couple walking on the streets, thus, the

car was racing at a rapid pace, nearly hitting the couple. Andrea noticed these

happenings pretty quickly and spontaneously, and she leapt into action, eager to

offer her help despite the fact that she would appear strange if she used her

powers at this place. She wasn’t worried about people’s perceptions; she won’t

let that stop her. A millisecond before the rapid car could hit them, Andrea skids

and blocks the car and prevents it from moving further by planting a tree in

between the couple and the car, using her powers. The driver acknowledges the

risk of hitting the couple and stops in the middle of the road. Expectedly, this

shocks the couple so much, as they had never seen such unrealistic powers.

Both the man and woman stare at her in disbelief, continuously blinking their

eyes. The woman eventually breaks the silence, and asks, “What’s your name?”

“Andrea” she replies. The man looks around, then says, “Where are your

parents?” . “In the afterlife.” Andrea replies with a frown. “Oh my god, I’m so

sorry!” They both say. What the woman says next is shocking. “You are talented.

Thanks for literally saving our life. We were lost in our chat and the driver was

mindless. We owe you. I was thinking, well…maybe… can we …adopt you?”

She says. We all drop our jaws, and Andrea blinks for a moment to process

everything. “Yes, Yes! Please!” She blurts out. The man then says with a smile,

“Let’s take you to your new home.” Kuma says, “See! Andrea’s destiny has

changed. I can now peacefully return to the spirit world.” Andrea hears this and

shouts out, “Convey my wishes to my mom and dad in the afterlife!” Then,

before we know it, Kuma vanishes, leaving only her memories behind.

                                Chapter 20

Oh, wow. So that’s it. Kuma is gone. I can’t believe what just happened. Andrea

got adopted right in front of me, and now…Kuma left the human world. It’s sad,

because Kuma is such a good spirit. She was more than a spirit; she was a

mentor figure. She was someone who was brave; she patiently guided us

throughout this wonderful journey, being gentle and giving us space to our

feelings. You really feel the value of someone when they are gone. Kuma entered

into our life in the most unexpected way, and left in the most unexpected way.

She entered gracefully, then suddenly faded away. This was all way too

overwhelming for me to bear. Fate, what else have you got for me? However, I

was also happy that her life story ended smoothly and she was able to enter the

spirit world happily, carrying the pride with her as a mentor figure, while also

carrying the happiness of Andrea being in safe hands as a mother figure. We’ll

never forget her.

A few moments later, I see Zaydock carrying boxes and approaching a vacant

house. Tess sees this, and asks, “Zaydock, what happened?” He just replies,

“This is my new house. I’m your neighbor now.” Oh wow. I guess that’s a good

thing. A few moments ago, I started to wonder what Zaydock will do since he

now became good. He is a man, so he can live independently in his new home.

The thought of it makes me happy, and I find the corners of my lips curling up to

smile.

After all this is done, I step inside my house and flop down on the couch,

exhausted from saving the world and going through so much. I realized that for

these few days, I missed my house. Especially my favorite hangout and resting

spot, the couch. It was a royal blue color with white pillows on it, giving it a

modern look. The texture of the couch was soft, fluffy and so soothing to the

senses. I ran my hand along the royal blue couch and the white pillows, simply

devouring and savoring the moment. After that, I could see that my mom was

watching the news. The president of the United States was telling us a speech

on T.V. I watched in interest as the president spoke these words: “Yesterday,

three girls, a man and a spirit were said to save the world from a crystal called

Ambagi, while the world’s most wanted criminal, Henderson, demanded the

possession of the crystal. Zaydock was able to avenge his parents. 

To prevent the Ambagi Crystal from being misused and falling into the wrong hands, 

we have kept it safely and locked with heavy security in a museum. We would like to

thank four members who helped the government by getting rid of Henderson,

Andrea, Tess, Monica and Zaydock!”

I blinked rapidly. What? The president himself was literally addressing us on T.V.

and thanking us for killing Henderson? This is awesome and so bodacious!

Before following Kuma into the portal, I imagined becoming famous. This is a

dream come true! I was not only happy because of becoming famous and the

president appreciating us, but because the Ambagi was safe in a museum.

That’s what matters the most. Even though my work is done and we all killed

Henderson and disconnected Zaydock’s shadow magic to the Ambagi Crystal,

it is our duty to still make sure that this accident doesn't happen in the future.

But of course, nothing to worry about. The crystal was safe and sound.

  

                                                        Chapter 21

The next day, I woke up bright and early. I could feel that chill of excitement as I

brushed my teeth and adjusted my hair. I was finally done getting ready, and as I

wore my shoes, I said, “Mom, Dad! I’m going.” “Have fun!” They both replied. I

smiled to myself, took a step outside, got on my bike and started pedaling as I

was enjoying the early morning breeze. The sun has risen a few minutes ago,

and the time was 5:45 am. I felt productive and fresh, and I pedaled extra fast, in

a hurry to meet my friends. I finally reached the park , so I stepped down from

my bike carefully, payed some money, and went inside. I skipped happily until I

found Tess and Andrea seated on a wooden bench. I waved excitedly and joined

them. Andrea said, “Didn’t you guys tell me that there was a little surprise for

me? Where is it?” I smirked, and Tess looked at me and gave me a thumbs up. I

then covered Andrea’s eyes with my hands, and Tess walked her towards the

lake, ensuring that Andrea doesn’t fall. As I slowly removed my hands out of the

way, Andrea gasped in astonishment at the sight she saw. “It’s the same lake in

which Kuma lived!” She whispered to herself in joy. Yes, we led her to the same

lake in which Tess and I met Kuma. Of course Andrea was familiar with this lake

too.“It’s not over Andrea. We can still meet each other in this park and recall the

moments with Kuma. This lake is ALL we have left of her.” Tess says. Andrea

nods and says, “This journey was something, wasn’t it?” Tess and I inhale

sharply to think for a moment. “Yes.” We both say at once. We continue chatting

until we burst into tears of laughter, and our giggles and chuckles echo and fade

away in the clear blue skies of dawn.

This is what happened in just a few days. This is how I saved the world from

destruction and changed my own life. This is my story. I have been able to do

things that I never thought I was capable of. I never knew that I had the power in

me to save the world. It was all thanks to Kuma and Andrea. Not just in my life,

but almost in everybody’s life, somebody enters in the most unexpected way,

and before we know it, they become our greatest inspiration. The patience that

Kuma had to guide us and the determination that Andrea had to pay homage to

her mother, and the way Tess said that we should do things from the heart, and

lastly, the way Zaydock mended his ways and finally did some good despite

being enraged are some memories and feelings that I have carried along with

me in the rest of my journey of life. These life lessons have given me purpose in

life and they have gifted me with the strength to move on and lead a 

prosperous and meaningful life. I think I have finally found my inner potential that I have

been searching for my whole life. The people who helped me to find it in the first

place were Tess, Kuma and Andrea. They are the unexpected inspirations that I

have come across in my life. I have found the people that I have meant to be

around with. I have found my inner potential through my unexpected

inspirations. I hope you find yours.

                                               

—— THE END ———

                                                               Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my maternal grandfather, Mr. Tatarao, for supporting me by helping me

seek advice from experienced writers. He was also the one who helped me publish this book. I

am very grateful to him.

I want to thank my mother, Mrs. Sushma, for setting her household work aside and reading my

book.

Thank you Lokesh, Shoubit, and my uncle for reading this book before publishing it and telling

me your opinion .

A huge thanks to my father for reading this book and giving me suggestions for my story.

Without him, I would have not been able to craft such a complex and beautiful ending to this

story.

I really need to thank Rafia mam for encouraging me to write more and helping me

acknowledge that I was really talented. To be honest, I had written this book to make my

teacher proud.

Thus, I am immensely grateful to you all with all my heart for your invaluable support and active

engagement .