Affinities

Chapter VIII

POV: Lyka

I knew there was something about that guy, the moment I met him when I had my lunch. Yes, he was beautiful and mysterious and very attractive. But never in my life I thought that I would meet him like this. Meeting him the first time as not a coincidence. I stared at him, no, really looked at him in the way that, yes I was so pissed off and confused that my life isn't, it's just all so, I don't even have words. 

"We need to talk." I said sternly. Walked up to him and right in front him I did my best to intimidate him. I held my breath. It wasn't easy to run down from the hill as I saw the giant arriving on this island. For a brief moment his eyes glanced around looking confused as I was then it vanished. "Yeah, I know we need to talk." He said then put his hands on my shoulder to push me back. The proximity made him uncomfortable. I could tell he was. All that smugness and confidence that was there before was replaced by seriousness at the matter at hand. 

His friend or companion took a quick look at me. "This is her, the girl that you've been stalking?" He looked at me again like I was some kind of object. "The girl that...no, I mean, you've been stalking was her, Dalia. And you never mentioned it to me, that one important detail since ever?" 

X, the guy who I met before, ignored his friend and marched toward my giant. 

"Excuse me," I walked up to X's friend. "I am not some girl. I have a name."

"Yes, you do and you're Dalia. But you may not remember me but I'm Seth." Seth, hmm..sarcastic and just like X, overconfident and full of himself. Seth followed his friend to the giant and left me standing and not waiting to continue the conversation. 

So much for 'We need to talk'. I followed them to my giant. X and Seth were prying open the panel on the giant's right leg. 

"What the hell are you doing?!" I exclaimed and tried to stop them, pushing them away. 

"I know we need to talk," X started. "but I really need to figure out you're giant since Vren may be coming here anytime soon." 

"We can all talk later but right now we need to get to our HQ." Seth chimed in. 

Fine, it was useless to stop them. Looks like they know something that I don't. 

X was configuring this circuit board of some kind on the giant's right leg when he spoke up. "Dalia, or Lyka, I'm sorry we had to meet this way but like Seth, we have sort of met before. I'm James, well you can call me James." He was still configuring the board. I got bored so I went to the water. It was futile to try talking to them. I had to trust their judgement since they know what the hell is going on. 

"Dalia-I mean Lyka! Lyka!" Seth called me. "I know all of this is confusing but do you remember anything at all?"

Remember? I raised an eyebrow. "Remember? I don't follow." I answered.

Seth sat beside me on the beach. I was playing with some sand dollar that I found. He put some sand on his hands and then poured it on his legs. "You probably know that all of this is not a coincidence." He said it bluntly and did not wait for me to reply. "I am Seth and that guy back there is James. And to put it simply we are not humans, even you are not human. The giants are called vessels and they were created for individuals like yourselves."

"Why don't you have one?" I asked. 

He smiled sheepishly. "Not everyone is like you and James, I mean the level of power. Let's just say that I didn't pass the test so I don't have one." He ended that question well more of shot down my question. I could tell he did not want to explain or probably embarrassed to the point of humiliation. 

There was an awkward silence between us. I thought of another question. "Then what are we?"

Affinities...a powerful race...

"Affinities." He replied. 

The voice within me knew. That inner voice. My dreams are memories. I am asking the wrong questions. "Where are the others?"

He was very serious. His pensive stare at the waves, his brow furrowed before answering. "There are just a few of us left in this world. The others are hiding back at our HQ in another island. Some are scattered in some hidden bases in some dessert in the Middle East."

"Why hide?" I asked but I knew the answer. 

"Obviously the world doesn't know of our existence and the rest of the world isn't ready for us." He said as a matter of fact. Which is a fact after all, is the world ready for Affinities?

I heard someone cleared their throat. It was James. "I have fixed the board." 

I just looked behind me. "I think it wasn't broken to begin with." 

He stared hard at me, his eyes squinting, annoyed by what I said. "I have fixed it to get your memories back, well some of them. I have most of my memories while you don't and we do not have time to explain everything to you." James explained it simply for his reason to 'fix'  whatever he was fixing.

I got up and walked back to the giant. He left the panel open. Obviously I do not know what I am looking at. Symbols of some kind and then my left arm started throbbing. I looked at it and saw the star glowing again. There was a flash and instantly all these hidden memories were appearing in my head. 

I am White Sky and you are Dalia. You are my owner, here to be your hand and guide you...

It wasn't an inner voice. It was the giant, the woman, White Sky. I knew from the beginning that I was different, never thought that I wasn't human. The stars, the giants, James...Seth was right, none of this was a coincidence. My name is Dalia, of the Affinities. After seeing the memories, I am finally free.

Dalia, the Elders have an unfinished task in this world and that is to protect it. Artonius has tasked me to be the light for you...

The white light disappeared. Seth and James were looking at me, expecting that I know everything. I took the first step then passed out.