(Chapter - 16)

  [Tori Probaho]

  “I am from Srotosshima City, where most people gifted with water powers come from. But when I was much younger, my dad had a serious quarrel with my grandpa. I don’t quite know what they quarreled about, but ever since then, we’ve lived in a different city, away from grandpa. Just me, mom, dad and my elder sister, Nodi Probahika...”

  Tori, almost at age 6, playing in their front yard with his 10-year-old sister Nodi, who has blue hair and sparkling ocean-blue eyes, just like Tori.

  “In our family, Probaho is the surname for the sons. And for daughters, it's Probahika. A unique tradition that values females highly, by providing them a more graceful, elegant last name."

  They're laughing cheerfully, kids whose hearts are full of joy. Nodi swirls her water powers around herself, enlightened blue and sparkly.

  Nodi : Tori! Look at this!

  Tori : Whoa! Sis, you're amazing!

  Nodi : Haha!

  Tori hugs Nodi playfully, with love and care.

  “She was 4 years older than me, but far more mature and responsible for her age. My name means a boat, and her name means a river. She always kept me afloat with her support. When I struggled to use my powers, she helped me. She always encouraged me and never once let me feel low. She'd defend me and protect me. I always relied on her. Just like how a small, helpless boat depends on the river’s waves to reach the shore.”

  Tori's mother, Mrs. Nishira and father, Mr. Tabir, come out of the house. Both their hair and eyes were enough to show where Tori and Nodi inherited their beautiful, striking features from. The parents, with a warm smile on their faces, call the kids.

  Mrs. Nishira : Tori, Nodi! Snacks are ready dear.

  Mr. Tabir : Come on kids, how do you still have this much energy even on the weekend? I would have rested myself to the fullest.

  Tori : Mom! Dad!

  They hug their parents, such a happy family they seem to be.

  Nodi : Me and Tori are gonna be sooo powerful one day! That's why we have so much energy!

  Tori : Yay!

  Mr. Tabir : Let's go have a break first before we can be powerful again.

  Tori+Nodi : Okay!!!

  Mrs. Nishira : Haha.

  “We were the perfect family, living quietly amongst the ordinary people. Me and sis also went to school together. Our powers were a secret kept from the ordinary, local people.”

  Tori and Nodi are ready to go to school. Their mom drops them at the school gate, before leaving she tells them something important.

  Mrs. Nishira : Listen, my sweet angels. We have really amazing powers, right?

  Tori+Nodi : Yes.

  Mrs. Nishira : But remember what I told you about it? Ordinary people won’t understand how amazing it is. They’d only be scared if they found out. So don't reveal your powers to anyone, okay?

  Nodi : Okay.

  Tori : Okay, mom!

  Nodi : See you later.

  Mrs. Nishira : Enjoy your day sweethearts.

  They wave at their mother with a smile and run into the school happily. She returns home as well.

  “Everything was going fine and well-kept from people's sight, until one day I met a boy around my age… And let the secret slip out of my hands, the biggest mistake that I had made at that time.”

  Tori was playing with some boys of his age in the playground. After some time, he sits down on a bench to rest, since he's tired from all the running. Out of nowhere, a boy of similar age appears quietly before Tori, wearing a brownish hat that nearly covers his forehead.

  Boy : Hey you. You have special powers, don't you?

  Tori : ! W-What are you talking about?

  Boy : I know you do. Only people with special powers have unique hair and look like this.

  Tori : Huh!?

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Flustered and taken aback, little Tori starts to touch his own hair. As if his mind is making a silly attempt to hide it. The boy calmly talks to Tori.

  Tori : *How does he know this?* W-Who are you? How do you know me?

  Boy : I live in this area too.

  Tori : You live here?

  Boy : Yes. Tell me, what powers do you have?

  Tori : Ah… Umm… I don’t have any!

  Boy : You're lying!

  Tori : No! *Mom said not to let any ordinary person know about my abilities. So I must not!*

  Boy : I have powers too.

  Tori : …! Huh? You have… Powers??

  Boy : Don't you believe me?

  Tori silently stares at the boy, hesitant to believe him but, a little curiosity also lingers in mind. He gulps nervously.

  Boy : Come, lemme show you.

  Tori : Whoa!

  The boy pulls Tori by his hand and takes him a bit away, where no one can see them. Tori now pulls away from the boy.

  Tori : What are you doing? Where have you brought me!?

  Boy : Shh.

  Tori : !?

  Boy : I know we aren’t supposed to show our powers to normal people. That's why I came here. No one can see us.

  Tori looks around himself, it's a small secluded spot away from the playground, surrounded with small trees and bushes.

  Tori : Then… Show me your powers now! If you really have it.

  Boy : …See it.

  The boy lowers his head, clenches his both fists and something lights up within his fists. Red, with a faint yellowish glow. Tori keeps staring intently. The boy opens his fists and fire lights up in both his palms. Tori is left in shock, to know that this boy has been telling the truth — he isn’t an ordinary kid either.

  Tori : Fire powers…

  Boy : That's right. See? I wasn’t lying like you.

  Tori : Umm…

  Boy : How old are you?

  Tori : I'm… I'm 1 month away from my 6th birthday.

  Boy : Oh. So you’re not completely 6 yet? I’m close to your age. Are you still not gonna tell me?

  Tori : Uh, I…

  Tori clenches his fists, caught between hesitation, confusion, and fear. A fear that — he doesn’t know what to do now.

  Tori : I'll think about it later, bye!!!

  As soon as he finishes his words, he runs away without looking back even once. He keeps going as fast as he can until he finally reaches the playground and runs out of breath. He's thinking about what happened anxiously.

  “The next day, that boy approached me again in the playground. He'd tell me that he wanted to show me stunts and he performed some as well, in the same spot he took me before. I still didn’t open up to him. But he continued on his path. The third, the fourth and the fifth day, I started showing genuine interest in his play. He’d make floating fireballs, fiery rings, glowing flares, and show many more tricks. And they looked totally harmless… He also seemed to feel happy whenever I was amazed to see his skills. We laughed and played together. I started to think of him as a friend, who had a secret similar to mine — the powers. I'd only ever met him at the playground, but never anywhere else… Not even once.”

  Tori and the boy are in that secluded place. The boy sits down on the grass, while Tori doesn’t sit down completely, rather on his ankles.

  Tori : Your clothes will get dirty.

  Boy : I don’t care.

  Tori : Won't your mom scold you?

  Boy : I'm here alone.

  Tori : What? How do you stay alone?

  Boy : I just do. My parents aren’t here.

  Tori : Where are they…?

  Boy : They're alive, but away. You don’t need to care about them. Do you?

  His cold and uncaring tone when he talks about his family so bluntly, makes Tori hesitate to take the topic further.

  Tori : Uh-um… No…

  Boy : Good.

  “He rarely talked about his family. I thought he was very lonely because he couldn’t cope with normal people. So, the next day was the day when I finally revealed my powers to him…”

  At the same place, Tori and that boy visit again. Today he shows his powers by creating a small, glowing blue flower of water, in his hands.

  Tori : You wanted to know right? This is my power. This was my first successful attempt at using my powers as I want!

  Boy : …

  The boy stares at the powers Tori is using.

  Tori : What do you think?

  Boy : It’s good.

  Tori : Haha.

  Tori smiles joyfully.

  “He praised my powers, but the look on his face didn’t carry the same sincerity. Something was off, which my naive, simple, innocent mind didn’t understand at that time. We still met and played around, though he seemed strangely different… He laughed less, his mind seemed a bit distant.”

  Few weeks later at the place, the boy lights a fire in a hole he dug, almost as big as him. Tori arrives and panics to see the boy standing so close to the fire. The fire is also beginning to spread slowly around the boy.

  Tori : H-Hey! Watch out!

  Tori uses his water powers to strike the fire off at once which also splashes onto the boy. He shouts in pain and falls sitting down.

  Boy : Agh!!

  As the fire goes out, Tori runs to him and grabs his shoulders, with a panicked face.

  Boy : Ow! Ugh…

  Tori : Are you alright!? Why did you stand so close to the fire?? You could've been burned!

  Boy : Why did you throw water at me!?

  He pushes Tori away from him and wraps himself in pain. Some black spots like burn appears on his skin where the water touched. Tori is startled, confused and concerned.

  Tori : To save you, why else!? *Huh? Burn spots?*

  Boy : You were gonna save a person who has fire powers from fire!? Agh!

  Tori realizes that the fire wouldn’t have harmed the boy anyway. But he doesn’t understand the reason why he has burn spots and is hurting.

  Tori : Ah-! Are you… Then why are you in pain?

  Boy : If someone with fire powers gets touched by any opposite element while using their powers, they become weak. And if the opposite element is someone else's power… Then it hurts and causes damage.

  Tori : I didn’t know that! I-I'm sorry! Oh no…

  Boy : I'll be fine, just don't touch me now!

  Tori : But you got burns because of me. You’re hurt.

  Boy : It will be gone after a bit. You can see.

  Just like he says, the burn spots fade away after a few moments. Tori sighs of relief, but guilt makes him quiet. He looks down, eyes almost teary.

  Tori : *I did something without even thinking. I'm so stupid. I hurt my friend…* I'm really… Sorry…

  The boy looks at him. They're still sitting on the ground. Tori is fidgeting his hands. After keeping silence for a moment, the boy speaks.

  Boy : There's something you can do to make up for it.

  Tori : What…?

  Boy : This city is known for its big strong wooden dam, right? It was built many years ago, but I never saw it with my own eyes. I don’t know where it is. And since I'm alone, there's no one to take me there. You once said that you know.

  Tori’s eyes light up with wonder.

  Boy : So… If you take me there to visit, we'll be equal.

  Tori : …! *He wants to visit the famous dam?*

  Tori’s face brightens up instantly. He tilts his head to the side and smiles.

  Tori : Okay! I'll take you there. Promise!

  “As promised, I took him to the dam the very next day.”

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