Raymond Mark: Season 2

Chapter 80: Fear Of Unknown

PART 1: 70s

In a bustling city of the 70s, cars going up and down the street made noise as they went, people were all around that busy street. There were stalls and shops to buy food and clothes.

A lady, Aiza, was walking down the street, getting away from the crowd to her home. She was dressed as a normal citizen to not rouse any suspicion. But this lady was a member of Army 1 from Elemental Lands. She was out to Human Earth for a mission. Her mission was simply to protect the humans from any Koyaku attacks. Countless Elemental Beings came and lived on Human Earths for intervals to fulfill their duties.

She was walking down the street to her rented apartment, but she saw a man on the street walking a bit too much on the road and a car was approaching him. She jumped across the crowd and pulled that man inside with her right hand and at the same time used her left hand to go to the steering wheel just enough to provide a slight shift and avoid an accident.

The car driver did not stop and drove away no matter how many shame sounds she heard from behind. The crowd gathered around that man and checked up on him. They thanked the lady. The man she saved got up smiled, he said,

"Thanks for saving my life. I don't know how to repay you."

"Please don't worry," she said, "Anyone would have done the same. I'm Aiza by the way."

"I'm Douglas," he said. They shook hands as the crowd dispersed into their activities. "Please at least let me buy you a coffee?"

"Coffee?" she was confused, "you should go to a hospital for checkup, you were close to an accident."

"I'm fine, thanks to you," he said, "No hospital needed. But please, allow me to take you for a coffee, I insist."

"Okay."

As they went on a short but descriptive coffee break, they found out that they both were new to the city and genuine people looking for friends to pass time. With that delightful hour at the cafe, they became friends.

PART 2: I'M SORRY

After spending nearly two years on duty, Aiza felt Human Earth as her home too. She was as natural as normal humans. She was getting ready for work one morning. Just preparing her coffee and walking into the living room area to find an old man sitting quietly on the couch.

"Aren't you comfortable here?" said the old man to Aiza.

"Master Ellendun!" said Aiza in shock, "I didn't know you were coming, I could have planned something. Please forgive me."

"There is no need," said Master Ellendun, "Be at ease, no one knows where I am and what I do. But now, I just came to meet you."

"Is there an emergency?" Aiza asked.

"No, nothing like that," said Master Ellendun said, "I just think you have been here long enough, don't you want to go back?"

"I have no reason to go back," said Aiza. "I have no one to return to, but I have someone here. And I have more coming."

Aiza placed her hand on her womb and gave a small smile. Master Ellendun smiled like a happy old man and said,

"I am happy for your happiness, but it doesn't change the fact that you are living a lie. Your husband does not know about your powers, if you let it slip then it will be a problem for you and your kids. Even if it doesn't go that way, your kids still need to be with us, on Elemental Earth."

"I know," said Aiza, "but maybe humans are not so bad, they treat me nicely."

"Yes they do that to most people," said Master Ellendun, "but everyone is afraid of the unknown. And to them, we Elemental Beings are unknown."

Master Ellendun got up from his chair and said, "Anyway, I can't force you back. I'll mark you with my powers, and I will pray that you don't need to call me for help."

Just like that, Master Ellendun placed his hand on Aiza's shoulder and disappeared into nothing. Aiza fiddled with her shiny ring which was just a little bit cheaper than the happiness she felt with Douglas.

Months went by and Aiza was coming close to giving birth. Douglas was helping her with everything. He had lost his job a couple of months back at the factory. He was even shot in a crossfire between some gangsters and the police a few weeks ago. It was only a minor injury, but it was too much physically and mentally for a citizen.

Aiza could understand all the struggles Douglas was going through on a personal level. She helped him and supported him as much as she could on top of all her duties to keep any suspicious Koyaku activities in the city. As she was pregnant, the EAA also sent another person to take over, but Aiza even helped him.

Aiza was worried about one thing, she could feel the leaking Elemental Energy through her body when her belly ached. She believed it would be harder to control even more as time passed and right at the time of childbirth.

Just as Aiza was thinking, the glass of water she was holding slipped out of her hand and fell. It shattered and a piece of it impaled her feet. She felt pain as the blood came out, Douglas came running to find Aiza's hand cracked like a piece of rock and sand was dropping from it.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked.

Aiza did not even know that her hand had turned into sand. She was exposed, but she knew that she had to tell Douglas about her powers at some point, so she did not try to dodge it. She used her powers to heal her wound in her feet which frightened Douglas even more and he stepped back.

"I'm not from this planet," Aiza said, "I have powers and I came to guard this planet. I stayed longer than I was expecting to, and I fell in love with you."

Aiza tried to step closer but Douglas ran back in fear. He took out a gun from a door and pointed it at Aiza. His hands were shaking and he was sweating.

"Who are you? You're not my Aiza!"

"Douglas, please calm down," said Aiza. "There is no need for that, I mean no harm to anyone."

"Don't come near me, witch!"

Aiza tried to step closer, Douglas closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gun echoed all around the neighborhood. Douglas opened his eyes to find a hole in Aiza's face, but there was no blood. It was sand. The sand shifted to form Aiza's face again, she was unharmed.

"I am pregnant, Douglas, you'll hurt the unborn—"

"Shut up!" Douglas snapped, "My psychic told me I'd come across a witch 2 years ago, but it was you I didn't know."

Tears started falling down Douglas and Aiza's eyes. Douglas fell to his knees and let the gun go. The door was opened by neighbors and they heard police sirens nearby.

"Who fired a bullet?" asked one of the neighbors in confusion, "Are you both alright?"

Aiza went closer to Douglas and hugged him, he did not resist, he was out of action. He was conflicted about his actions and had no logic left to think or do anything. The fear of the unknown was more serious than she thought. With a heavy heart and eyes full of tears, Aiza said,

"Master Ellendun, help! Please!"

Time stopped. Everyone except Aiza was frozen, Master Ellendun walked beside her. He snapped his finger and time started to flow in reverse. The neighbors walked back into their homes and Douglas moved to his chores. His eyes did not stop the tears from rolling.

"Time to say goodbye," said Master Ellendun as he snapped his fingers.

Purple aura released from his fingers and dispersed in the air all around the apartment and even outside. Everyone in the spherical radius got a purple aura around their heads.

"They'll forget everything," Aiza said with tears in her eyes, a hand on her womb, and pain in her heart.

"I'm sorry — Aiza," said Douglas.

Right after that, Aiza and Master Ellendun dived out leaving nothing behind. Aiza could see all her belongings disappearing into nothing as she was pulled away right into a hospital in Elemental Lands.

END OF CHAPTER. TO BE CONTINUED. A NEW CHAPTER COMING EVERY FRIDAY.