(The New) Power of the 8 Elements: Part One

Chapter Twenty Two: Home

"Is that an iPhone?" Nari asks, astonished.

"Yeah," I say. I sigh when I see him asking where I am. "I have to go home."

"Wait, but this is your home now."

"Unfortunately, Nari, my parents don't know about this. They'll be worried sick if I don't come home. People will start calling the police, and there will be a whole search party looking for me. I don't want to put you in danger."

"Wait..."

"I'm sorry."

"Will you come back?"

"Of course. Friends don't leave each other."

I jump off Nari's bed and run into the living room where Bellroc and Skrael sit patiently, not talking to each other.

"How was the tour?" Skrael asks.

"I have to go back," I admit. "I love it here; don't get me wrong. But my parents don't know, and they can't find out because I'm sure that we defeat the whole purpose of you guys being the "arcane" order. I will come back though."

Skrael and Bellroc look at each other. Bellroc nods.

"Alright, Phoenix, you are free to leave. Come, I'll show you the way out."

As she takes me down the hallway, I see Nari wave goodbye sadly from her room. Skrael twirls his staff around and taps it on the ground, causing him to stop floating.

"What do you do in your free time when you're with the mortals?"

"Well, I go to school, but I'm also a member of a team of people who work to—or at least try to—defeat villains. So far we have an enemy already."

"Interesting. Is that why you have that thing on your neck?"

I pull on the feathers on my armor. The virus mark is still there. It doesn't matter if I'm in monster form or demigod form.

"I didn't want to ask because I thought it would be rude, but it seems my suspicions were correct."

"Can you get rid of it?"

"Only the person who gave it to you can. That's how it works."

I sigh in disappointment.

"Can I ask something of you, Phoenix?"

I nod.

"I need your help. I've lost something very important to me. In the wrong hands, it could be very dangerous. Since you are closest to the mortals, I figured you would be able to find them for me."

"What are they?"

Bellroc pulls out a circular disc with a red ruby in the center.

"I'm not sure you know what it is, but it's-"

"-a time piece!" I say.

"How do you-?"

"-a friend of mine found one of them." I show her the piece that I have and give it to Bellroc. "My friends on the team didn't know what it was, but I decided to hold onto it in case I would need it. Seems this served a purpose after all. But...what does it do?"

"It opens up portals to dimensions. If someone got their hands on this, they would be able to open rips in the space-time continuum."

"You can control the space time continuum?"

"I am the Guardian of Time. I can see the past and the present. I can find out what is happening every second, every minute, and every hour. I can also control, teleport, and open portals to different dimensions. If I wanted to, I could restart time back to when the stars were young, but I would kill myself in the process."

"How do you manage all of that?" I say.

"Well, as the Guardian of Emotions. There is a lot less pressure on you."

"What would happen if someone did use your time pieces improperly?"

"Too many rips in The Universal Plane would open up. That kind of collision would be impossible to fix. These little things are so unpredictable. Only I can control where they transport me. However, if someone touches them, and they are charged, they could wind up anywhere in The Universal Plane, which is why I need them back."

"I'll find them."

"Bring back the other three. I suspect they are in another dimension as it is."

"I'll find them, Bellroc," I say.

"Good." Bellroc opens the mouth of the giant fortress. I see that the sun has set already. Holding my pixie dust bag, I fly out into the night sky.