I poured Ellie a glass of orange juice and joined her at the dinner table. She looked solemn but thoughtful, preparing herself for what she was about to say. After taking a deep breath, she began. “My brother was almost convinced he was the Lucid ever since he first became a priest.” She let out a sigh. “I don’t know why exactly . . . perhaps it had to do with his skill in curing almost any disease. I remember he was able to cure anything – even diseases that have been unheard of.”
She shook her head and looked down. “When he first proposed that he was the Lucid to us, my father was horrified. He was well aware of the fact that my brother was far from being the Lucid. He tried to convince him that curing diseases didn’t make you a god.” Ellie looked up at me. “But my brother was determined to prove something that wasn’t even truthful. It’s not like he lied or anything – he understood what was at stake if he were deemed a false Anti. He, much like every other Anti out there, truly believed he was the Lucid. Anyways, he asked for my father to be his acquaintance, but, of course, he refused. The last thing he needed was for his son to be banished from the city. After all, I was his daughter, and he knew that I couldn’t survive outside the city walls.
“So I became his last resort. Of course, I complied, although I was highly against it. But he had no friends; although he saved many families from experiencing numerous deaths, his arrogance prevented him from ever considering others as . . . equal. He might as well have been the Emperor.” Her voice began to harden. “I was cornered. I had no other choice but to become his acquaintance. And you can probably guess what happened at the Tascaque.”
I shrugged. “He didn’t win?”
“He was humiliated. I mean, his scores were no better than any other Anti-Lucid. All other Anti-Lucids end up receiving a score of 0. But because my brother’s boastfulness, he barely had the courage to show his face in the city anymore.”
I took advantage of the short break Ellie took to take in some air. “How long did he have before he was banished?”
Ellie’s voice remained harsh, almost like she was desensitized to the situation all of a sudden. “One day. The Anti-Lucids are all thrown a good-bye feast in the Empress’s palace, and then they’re kicked out of the city. My dad and I tried to look for him while we were supposed to be hunting, but there wasn’t any sign of where he went. Almost like he vanished into thin air. I’ll probably never see that kid again.”
I now understood why she refused to become my acquaintance – she couldn’t bear failing yet again. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”
Ellie gazed at me with her pale blue eyes. They popped out of her slightly pale face; a drop of color in a black and white canvas. “I know that you’re the Lucid, Darrel.” She smiled, revealing a row of white teeth. But it was in vein, for I was well aware of her preoccupied thoughts of her brother. “I don’t need any more proof than what you’ve already given me. But . . . I just can’t be your acquaintance. I can’t fail again.”
“I trust you,” I said sincerely. “All I need is for you to be there for me.” I debated whether it was appropriate to jest. “Once I figure out how to make mountains on command, there’ll be no possible way you can fail.” I realized how harsh that must’ve sounded, but Ellie didn’t seem to notice.
She was looking to her side, resting her chin on her fist. She saw that I was staring at her and gave me one of her signature weak smiles. “And I trust you. You are the Lucid, after all.”
The moon was directly above while Ellie and I sneaked through the city streets. There was no possible way we could sleep after the emotional story she just gave me.
“I want to show you something,” she said before they left the house.
I could tell that we were already on our way to the main square, the place where Sarrol’s nullification ceremony had taken place. We headed to the wall that marked the edge of the city, which embedded the door that would lead to the Teleportation Room, and beyond that, the Tärkein.
Ellie tapped a couple tiles in the ground with her feet, thumping in unison three distinct times. She waved her hand in front of the bare wall before her, its textured shadows reflecting the white light given off by the moon. At first, nothing happened. My ears strained for unusual sound among the rustling of the trees and the distant waves that crashed along the shore.
The city was eerily quiet.
“Okay,” Ellie whispered. “This entrance doesn’t stay in constant function from the inside of the city. Only from inside the Teleportation Room. We have exactly ten seconds before the doorway will solidify, so we have to run through once the signal is given.”
I was about to ask her what that signal was when I heard a soft but distinct click. Almost like someone had snapped their fingers. I looked around to see if anybody had been following them, but the city remained a silent sanctuary.
Without warning, Ellie ran through the wall. It was much like the entrance to the Tärkein. Knowing that there was a time limit, I followed Ellie almost immediately after she had disappeared through the entrance. I felt a rush of cool air and found myself at the far side of the Teleportation Room. The familiar clicking noise resonated from behind me, indicating that the entrance had been disabled, preventing any unwanted citizens from entering the Tärkein and escaping the city.
Or worse, teleporting to the Empress’s palace.
Ellie was already at the other side of the room, pushing the large ebony doors to the trading area.
Knowing that it was safe to talk, I called to her, “Wait!”
Ellie looked back at me and smiled. “Come on! The others will be waking up soon. Nobody knows about this place, and I want to keep it a secret.”
I nodded and caught up to her. “Why do you want me to see it?”
Ellie shrugged as we walked through the deserted hall which would soon be buzzing with hunters, gatherers, and the collectors. They wouldn’t dare risk entering the Tärkein during the day when other citizens would be able to see them enter the Teleportation Room, so they would have to wake up early in order to keep the entrance a secret.
“Because,” she explained, “you of all people deserve to see it.”
Our swift footsteps echoed and bounced off the stone walls. The torches remained lit, however, leaving the Tärkein in a constant warm glow. The hall seemed much larger than it did when there were hundreds or maybe even thousands of people packed inside the enclosed space.
But, after what seemed like ten minutes, we made it to the doorway, disguised as a section of the wall, which would lead us to the outside world. Ellie and I went through in unity, and I could feel our hands brush up against one another.
