The Elemental Chronicles Chapter 6

After I blacked out, I found myself in darkness. Then I spotted a light and ran toward it, where I saw a being of pure flame. I knew who he was immediately. “You are the ugly beast!” I exclaimed.

The being responded, “What? I am not ugly; I am beautiful!”

“Yeah, right,” I shot back.

“I am the essence of fire and a loyal warrior of the King of the universe,” he declared.

“Okay, then what is your name?” I asked.

“My name is Luminosurai, and you are my vessel,” he replied.

“No, I am not! That’s too long; I’d prefer to call you Scorcher,” I said defiantly.

“What? Whatever. Call me what you want. That is not why I brought you here,” Scorcher said.

“What?” I questioned.

“Yes, I have many questions for you,” he continued.

“I can’t answer them now, but I will later. For now…” He touched my head, and suddenly I started to shine.

“What did you do?” I asked, astonished.

“It’s a surprise. And tell Cosmo I said hello; I will burn him later,” he said before I woke up sweating.

I thought I was in my room at home, believing everything that had happened was just a dream. Then I saw Aqua sitting on my bed, which brought me back to reality.

“Blaze, you are awake,” she said, touching my face. I saw her features closely and realized she was even finer than I had thought, which made me blush.

She removed her hand and went to the wall, picking something like a board. “I hope you are ready.”

“For what?” I asked.

She hung it on the wall, and it read “First Mission.”

“Your first mission,” Aqua clarified.

“What?”

“To dress up and come out. I’ll be waiting for you,” she instructed, and then she left.

I stood up, went to the wardrobe, picked a red shirt and blue jeans—regretting some life decisions—and put them on before heading out. Aqua was waiting for me.

“First, you need to eat; follow me,” she said, and I realized I hadn’t eaten for more than a day.

“Okay,” I replied, following her.

When I entered what was supposed to be the cafeteria, my mouth dropped at the sight: an infinite amount of food was served and ready to be taken.

I grabbed a plate and started piling on food. Aqua remarked, “Boys are really gluttons,” but I pretended not to hear her. Then I heard a voice behind me.

“Hey, Blaze!”

I turned around and was taken aback; it was Axel and Stone. Axel wore a yellow Pikachu cap with a brown shirt and blue shorts, while Stone was dressed in a black top with white stripes and green jeans, though they were bandaged up.

I almost dropped my food as I turned back to ignore them, but Stone said, “Stop acting like you don’t know us! We’re here to tell you something.”

I reluctantly turned back.

Axel began, “We’re sorry for what we said and did, and we were hoping we could become your—”

He started blushing and stammering, so Stone jumped in, “We were hoping to become your friends, but we won’t lose to you. We will become stronger!”

Axel nodded in agreement.

I smirked and said, “Okay, fine, but I won’t lose to you either.” They both smiled and waved goodbye before leaving. Aqua was watching me as I devoured my food, and I felt like crying because it tasted so good. I was rushing it all down when she commented, “Boys are really pigs.”

“Shut up,” I replied.

After I finished eating, Aqua took me to a training room where I saw Cosmo, the man I respected. He was sitting down in training attire. When he saw me, he stood up and approached me.

“Congratulations on your battle; I loved that form of yours,” he said, making me blush.

“Thank you,” I mumbled.

“Okay, enough of the compliments. Time to get to training!” Cosmo exclaimed. I realized that the room that looked like a war plaza was indeed the training area.

“First, physical training: 50 pushups and 100 step-ups,” he instructed.

I looked back at Aqua, pleading for help—but she turned her head as if she didn’t know me, saying, “Good luck!” Damn you, Aqua.

NIGHT HAD FALLEN, AND I WANTED TO DIE—seriously, I mean it. Cosmo, whom I respected, was a training machine! After suffering through that torturous session, I finally managed to stand up.

“Come here and sit next to me,” Cosmo said, gesturing to a chair. I dutifully obeyed.

“I guess I should explain this to you. Firstly, what do you think of our cosmology?” he asked.

“It’s a universe with numerous galaxies in it,” I replied, treating it like an obvious answer.

“Is that what they taught you in school? Seriously, that is wrong,” he countered.

“What?”

“The truth is very complicated. Think of the whole cosmology as a tree. There are infinite branches; those branches are multiverses,” he continued.

I interrupted, “How did this get to be a tree?”

Cosmo looked at me sternly, silently warning me to shut up. I kept quiet, and he went on.

“Each branch has infinite fruits, which are universes. Each universe contains infinite dimensions, and each branch transcends the others infinitely.

“Under the branches are the Oceans of the cosmology; under that are the foundations where the roots are stationed, and beneath it all is Hell, where souls go to be reborn. Above the tree are the storms of the cosmology, containing wind and lightning, and there lies Elysium or Heaven. The heart that gives life to the whole tree is the flame of the cosmology. Around the tree is the empty void of total nothingness. That is our cosmology.”

I stared at him, disbelief written all over my face. “This has to be a lie, right?”

“Nope,” he confirmed.

“Okay, in my mind, there is so much information and too many surprises.”

“Also, our universe is the only one with elemental powers, which means our other selves don’t have this power. So when we die, we die with it,” Cosmo explained.

“Are you saying this universe is the main fruit of the tree?” I asked.

“You’re getting it! Most people would have run around screaming,” he replied.

“Even though I want to,” I admitted.

“Continuing, we are the protectors of our universe and our cosmology. During missions, you will be going to different dimensions, okay?” I shuddered at the thought of going to a dimension full of poop.

Cosmo added, “I think I’ve told you enough for now. Tomorrow, we’ll work on how to use your powers properly. For now, good night.”

I stood up and said good night too. Before I left, I remembered what Scorcher told me in my dream. “Um, a being in my dreams said I should tell you that he will burn you later. His name was, um, Luminosurai.”

I looked at Cosmo, and he smirked. “Thank you for telling me,” he said before I left for bed.

The next day, Cosmo sat on me while holding a cup of tea as I did pushups. “It’s time to teach you how to use P.E.”

“But we are already doing Physical Education!” I protested.

“Just stop. Prana Essence is the essence of your body's energy and will. First, I must teach you how to use your powers.”

“Is it my flame powers?” I asked.

“Correct. You will need to learn how to use it to battle the dark forces and not let it take control over you again.” He stood up and instructed me to stand in front of a target that had somehow appeared while I wasn’t looking.

“Focus all the heat of your body,” he said, “and in your mind, realize a ball of fire.” I concentrated, feeling warmth radiate from within me.

“FIREBALL!” I exclaimed, shooting a ball of flame at the target. It blew apart, leaving me astonished. I looked at my hands, which were engulfed in flames before they extinguished. Cosmo clapped, smiling. “Wow, Blaze! You are a fast learner.

“Okay, for the remaining days, I will teach you martial arts, P.E., and how to use your flames—all of which we will combine into a combat style for amateurs and suckers.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Are you helping me or insulting me?”

“Both,” he said, an infuriating grin on his face. I felt my urge to punch him grow stronger. So much for a role model.

Now, the night had come for the mission. After hellish, monstrous training that could have killed me, I managed to survive. In my room lay a white and red tuxedo with a flaming-shaped mask. I donned the outfit and gazed at myself in the mirror.

“Huh, I look good!” I said, flexing before the mirror. I didn’t notice Aqua enter the room and sit on my bed, snapping pictures of me until I caught the light.

I turned around to see Aqua taking photos and laughing. My face reddened. “Aqua! What are you d-d-doing here?” I stammered, stumbling backward and hitting the mirror. It shattered.

Aqua stood up, clearly surprised, as I covered my face with my hands, blushing profusely. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t sensed her presence even with my P.E. skill, AWARE OF ALL, which allowed me to feel anyone's presence within a 20-meter radius. I guessed that she had erased her presence—she must be good.

“Blaze,” she said, drawing my attention.

“Yes?” I replied.

She blushed slightly before saying, “Stop looking at me, you pervert!”

Realizing what I was doing, I said, “Sorry,” while scratching the back of my head.

“You’re ready? Let’s go!” she announced. Wearing her mask shaped like waves, she led the way out of my room.

When we reached the field, Axel was there. “Good luck on your first mission!” he said cheerfully.

I smiled back, wanting to say thank you, but Axel’s smile turned sinister as he added, “But don’t die, okay? Bye!” Then he left. He was a bit creepy.

“Are you ready?” Aqua asked, and I hesitated.

“Wait, how are we getting to the mission place?” I asked, noticing that there were no cars.

“Of course!” she exclaimed, pulling out a purple stone. I remembered it from last time. “Can we postpone this mission? I don’t feel good,” I said, trying to back out.

“Hmm, maybe not,” she said, hitting the stone against the floor. A purple vortex opened in front of us.

I attempted to sneak away, but Aqua’s water power held me in place. “Come on, let’s go!” she insisted, dragging me into the vortex.

I screamed, feeling sick as I was sucked in. When I opened my eyes, we were in a city on Earth. I wanted to cry, but nausea hit me hard. In front of us stood a building with the sign “Your Desires.”

I looked at Aqua, and she met my gaze. “Are you ready?” she asked.

I gulped and said, “Yes.” In my mind, I steeled myself for the adventure ahead. This was a new beginning—I wouldn’t back down.

With a smile, Aqua walked in first. What I saw almost made me vomit; my memory of the building’s name came flooding back, and I realized it was like a place of Sodom and Gomorrah.

**TIME TO BEGIN MISSION: EXTERMINATE DARK GENERAL DREAFUS.**

**COMMENCE.**