One: The Legend of EXO (Chapter Two)
Title: One: The Legend of EXO
Rating: PG-13
When darkness descends the Dragon shall rise,
Along with twin moons and the Thief, King of Lies.
When Phoenix takes flight and sun covers sun,
When evil is vanquished, the Twelve become One.
Chapter Two
Lay sighed as he sunk into the warm, foamy water of his bath. It had been a hellish day of classes and meetings, and to top it off, he had run into his least favourite person in the school (and arguably the world). Ever since their run-in last term, both had avoided the other like the plague, so why had Xiumin been in the student council office?
He raised his right arm, the pink etching on his skin vivid beneath the bright lights of the bathroom. It was frightening, having no recollection of when and how the jagged lines had formed. However, he did remember all too vividly the day the ground had shook and the sky had flashed with green light. It was obvious that he was not the only one who had experienced it. Xiumin knew too; he was sure of it.
But so what? It was probably a freak accident, one that he could not waste time thinking about. There was campaigning to do to secure his position on the council next year, not to mention mountains of readings and assignments. Plus, his father had finally agreed to allow him to intern at the family's company for the summer, and he was not going to go unprepared.
Yes, it was best to forget it all and hope that Xiumin would leave him alone.
"Ouch!" Hot pain blossomed beneath his mark; his skin felt as if it was on fire. He submerged his entire arm in the water but it was no use. It grew worse, spreading through his body, the pain multiplying as the seconds passed. He curled into ball, screwing his eyes shut. He would do anything to make it stop...
Then accept it.
Lay looked frantically around for the source of the resonating female voice that had blasted through his pain. "Who's there?" And what exactly was he supposed to accept?
Your fate as a Chosen Knight.
The words echoed in his mind. Though the burning sensation within him faded, his mark remained a bright, angry red.
***
Chen was confused.
Not the kind of confused like he was last spring, when he had first walked into SM Academy with his tiny suitcase and worn clothes. Back then, he had felt like the country mouse who had entered the big city; everything from the school's ivy-lined walls and the students' perfectly tailored uniforms whispered of wealth and class. They were a strange lot, their friendships and enmities based on status, gossip and other irrelevant matters. He knew he would never be able to understand them, so had opted to blend into the background, content with his music and solitude.
No, this confusion was not one he could so easily ignore. Whatever happened had left its mark on him, a claw-shaped reminder on his skin whose presence lingered on the edge of his waking thoughts. His new acquaintances were just as confused as he was, and their after-school discussions always left them with more questions than answers. Even Tao, whose incredible aura-sensing skills had brought them together in the first place, had no more insight to offer.
So here he was, walking back to his dormitory with a heavy heart. Chen wasn't the religious type, but he nonetheless gazed up at the grey clouds and sent up a silent prayer. A clue, a lead, anything at all would be of help.
Without warning, a bolt of violet-edged lightning slashed across the sky. Chen watched, almost in slow motion, as it shot towards him, its tendrils of light reaching for him. He was going die; he could picture it in his head, his scorched body lying prone on the pristine lawn.
"Please don't hit me..." Chen whispered, eyes gazing at the blinding light that was getting closer and closer...
Crack!
He jumped, crying out in surprise. Somehow, he was alive, yet he had not moved an inch. The bolt of lightning had carved a fissure in the ground by his foot, a smoking gap that smelled of burnt soil. A closer look confirmed his hopes.
The crack was shaped exactly like his mark.
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