The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

"You will know later." Alva looked away.

"Why not tell me now?" She wondered what made Alva upset.

"Because I don't know how." The girl said playfully and ate more, ignoring Xinyi.

Ignoring her annoyed Xinyi. "Eh? Why are you upset and avoiding my question?"

She didn't look at Xinyi and snapped her fingers. The table and everything on it were gone. "Don't you wanna read the books here? Or learn about your world Chiji?."

Xinyi pouted. "Are you just a library custodian?"

"What just? That is an honorable job. And I'm good at it. And the best. I memorize all the books here. Ask me specific topics or genres you want to read and I'll bring the books to your lap. You want love stories like I'm Guilty, My Beauty written by JoanB?" A book popped in her palm and handed it to Xinyi.

Delight shone on Xinyi's face, looking at the pandas in the book cover, reminding her of Xionmao. Sensing the kid's avoidance and nervousness, she dropped the topic.

"Don't be offended. I mean nothing," Xinyi said. "I'm sorry. I was only expecting you to know and teach me about this time travel thingy."

Alva calmed down and tightly hugged Xinyi's arm. "Never mind. I like you. You're not haughty or acting smart. You're sweet too. But you also know that I have another job. I'm the guide here. Tell me where you want to go and I'll bring you there in a jiffy."

"You mean there are more places here?" 

"Yes. Come. I'll tour you around." Alva jumped up, and she flew on top of Xinyi. Glittering dust streamed down under her red shoes. "Why are you still there? Come."

Xinyi's eyes followed Alva's ascension. "Eh? But I can't fly." 

"Yes, you can because you are the master of this space."

"But I don't know how?"

"Your mind can control everything here. Just imagine you can fly."

"Okay. Here I go." Xinyi thought she was flying. In that instant her body floated on air. "Wow, I feel so light." She glided around the books and zoomed out with glee while Alva followed her. Xinyi merrily laughed out loud as she opened her arms wide and twirled her body around as she flew. 

They passed by shining clouds and couldn't help but try touching them. However, she only touched nothing but a cold and wet feeling in her hands. New information was added to her limited knowledge. Clouds are only nothing but mist.

Xinyi closed her eyes and felt the wind brushing off her face and body. Her knee-length dress fluttered as she flew. Alva pointed a finger to a roof. Xinyi nodded and placed her hands on her sides and zoomed down like a bullet. Her speedy drop broke into a stop just in time before touching the dome roof.

"Where are we?" Xinyi said. Both standing in mid-air. 

"This is your personal room. Let's go in," Alva descended straight into the glass roof. Xinyi gasped to see Alva's body go through it. She followed and couldn't believe she didn't feel pain or anything at all, as if the roof was only an illusion.

She found herself in a lavish and charming room full of pink-colored furnishing, including the floor. There was a queen-size bed with all pink pillows, blanket, and cover. Even the dr.a.p.es were pink. Her lips curved up, thinking this could be her predecessor's favorite color.

"Do you like the color? If not, you can change it."

"Hmm," she gave the room a good look. There were actually two colors present, pink and white, but most were pink. That made her overlook the white. Looking at these colors, she recalled something Alva mentioned earlier. "You mentioned my predecessors? So were there many Sorceresses who came before me."

"Yes. There were two and you're the third." Alva opened her palm, and a book materialized on it. "Here is a book written by the first Sorceress. She had an image drawn there. You might be interested to know about her."

"How about the one before me?"

"She didn't write a book like the first but left something for you." As soon as she's done speaking, a scroll appeared on her hand. 

Xinyi opened the scroll but couldn't read it. It was written in a foreign language. "How can I understand this? And what is this thing here?" She pointed words formed into a five-inch letter S in the middle of the scroll.

"We have books here to help you translate it." Before she would get the book, "Ah, yes, I remember now. She also left something from your world." An object appeared in her hand. It was a golden letter S-shape metal. 

"It's a match." Xinyi said in a pitch higher. 

As soon as the object settled on the s-shape on the scroll, an apparition of a blue-haired lady with angelic beauty appeared on top of the object. Dressed in a white long dress with a golden dragon belt coiling her slim waist, she stood tall with her back straight like a lofty queen standing in front of her subordinate. Ethereal lights gently rippled under her bare feet. Her hair color revealed her identity to Xinyi.

"My beloved namesake. I am honored to meet you." The lady's voice was as tranquil as a peaceful night.

Xinyi looked up to the woman's kind face. "Lady Xinyi." 

"Yes, but what you see now is only a portion of my essence I left for you. This will vanish soon, so listen well. Since you're here, I take it, you already met Skrider, passed the first test of which is learning to control your surging power, and on your way to the chameleon's lair. So some things I'm about to reveal to you won't be new to your ears," the blue-haired lady said in a voice as gentle as the soft breeze.

Xinyi pondered what the other lady said and understood the late Sorceress had time-traveled to come up with these accurate predictions.

"You might have wondered why I have chosen you among the daughters of our clan. I chose you because of your powerful soul. You were born with the rainbow-colored soul. Compared to you, I only have two, purple and red. The color of nobility and power. But having a rainbow colored soul means you're very special." She paused. 

Xinyi's mouth gaped, awestruck with what she heard but also confused. "Rainbow colored soul?" 

"Don't tell anyone about this, but only the Great King when you meet him someday. But that won't happen now. You can only go back to our world after you bring balance in this world." She paused again. "I know this is news to you, but don't ask now. Answers to your questions will unfold in its own time."

Xinyi's confusion grew but unsure if this apparition would reply if she'd asked since it didn't reply earlier. It might only be a projection of the late Sorceress which was left to explain to her. 

"Our clan has a pact with the Great King to stand as guardians of Chiji. And our fate is unavoidable. Even if I didn't choose you when you were a newborn, your soul's power will manifest in time and that would be dangerous because of your soul's color. You might call me your savior someday. Anyway, if you were sent here later, it would be harmful to you, same as the first sorceress and my predicament.

"The age difference is trivial in the eyes of the elders, but the one who will suffer will be you. Your powers will be held at bay and will stagnate as you mature. In the end, you won't receive the complete power intended for you. I experienced this difficulty when I was sent here and wished you to avoid it. This was the cause why we died earlier before we could accomplish what we were sent for."

The apparition floated down at the edge of the bed and a hand tapped on the bed while her eyes were on Xinyi. The latter was unsure of this apparition anymore, whether she could communicate with it or not. Yet, she still obeyed and sat beside it. 

The blue-haired lady caressed a palm on Xinyi's cheeks. As the hand touched, Xinyi's eyes widened. She could feel the apparition's hand smoothing her face.

"Looking at you right now proves my theory was right. By sending you here as a newborn, you already received half of the power compared to what we received when we arrived here at the age of twelve." 

The hand went to the current Xinyi's hand and squeezed it. Xinyi could feel this one too. The shock she had seconds ago turned into excitement. 

"Somehow, that enormous power inside your small body was also a dagger against you. Without learning how to control it, you could have caused chaos and the probable death of this world. That is the reason your father hid you in the Forsaken Valley for years. Those untainted spirit animals and plants I put in that place received all of your surging powers until you reach the age where you can start cultivating on your own.

"So don't be angry against your father here in Chiji. It was all in my plan to aid you after I died. He actually received a portion of my life essence too. I told him to send you there. On your twentieth birthday, you will receive your full power as the Sorceress and no one in Chiji can stand against you. That is, if you already have the crown on your twentieth birthday."

The apparition sweetly smiled, affecting Xinyi to smile back.

"Once you receive your full power, it will be easier for you to handle power matters against the abusive Chiangdas and humans alike. You will totally bring balance in this world. Now, about the task you need to accomplish here. Watch closely the things I'll show you. Understand the reason you are here."