White Queen Ascending

"Hot!! It's so hot!!" Oleander shouted as he rose from the lake, and rushed towards the land. His clothes were dripping wet, his skin was a bit reddish.

"What's happening?!" Torin asked him, as he helped Oleander out of the water.

"I dunno!! It suddenly feels as if the water is boiling!!" He replied, as he slumped into the ground. He gazed back at the lake, panick could still be seen in his eyes.

"Luciana!!! Where is Luciana?!" Torin exclaimed, worry instantly filled his heart. He intended to dive into the water, but then, the lake suddenly started boiling. Bubbles were endlessly popping, and smoke instantly surrounded the water. The temperature around fastly increased.

Torin brought Oleander and Luciana tonight in a small lake to train them. It was a normal lake, and no one could predict that such a thing could happen.

Torin and Oleander's faces were pale white, as they look at the water. They couldn't imagine Luciana being able to survive from this. They just stayed still in their places, with no intention of leaving. They just look at the lake blankly, not able to comprehend the event that's happening in front of their eyes.

The boiling intensified, the once peaceful lake, has turned into a lava like existence. The two men has forgotten the coldness of the place before. Sweat drops kept on falling from their heads. They find it hard to hear anything, besides the thumping of their hearts, that keeps on beating erratically.

~~

The long black hair of a girl is floating weightless, as she stays underwater. She couldn't hear a thing- it was void.

The girl raised her head. She looked at the light seeping into the water. It was cold, devoid of any warmth. She didn't know if there were tears in her eyes, but she is sure that she feels really sad. She felt lonely and secluded.

Her heart felt really heavy. She couldn't breathe. No, she forgot to breathe. She felt helpless. She wanted to shout, but she couldn't move her lips. She felt like a statue, slowly sinking in. Endless memories passed through her head. She hated water. She just remembered, that tonight, isn't the first time she's drowning.

'Is this my end?' she thought. Then everything around her went black.

~~

"Do you think, I've let myself suffer so much, just to let you get everything i want?" The high pitch voice of a woman echoed, as she pointed her index finger at a toddler.

"You are the successor? dream on!" She approached her, then grabbed the face of the child, burying her long fingernails on her face.

"Waaa Hurts! Feifei hurts!" The little one cried.

"Ever since you were born, you have always ruined my plans! So what if you are the successor? Fire? Doesn't fire have a nemesis too?" The woman laughed crazily, making her look scarier.

"Make it appear as an accident." She suddenly said in a cold tone, ordering the men behind.

"Yes Madame!" They said in unison.

She glanced at the girl who's body is shaking from fear.

"His lordship, definitely could not save you this time." The woman smirked.

"Mama!" The girl shouted as she saw the woman walking away from her. She tried to reach her with her little hands, but the men already lifted her up. "Mama! Mama! Feifei good! Mama!" She cried loudly, her tears pour down like a fountain.

~~

Suddenly, the lake was engulfed by a white light. To be exact, the lake was engulfed by white fire! Torin and Oleander couldn't believe their eyes. They looked at the water, that is evaporating fastly into vapor, feeling shaken inside.

"What the hell is happening?" Torin whispered.

"U-uncle, let's leave." Oleander said with trembling lips.

Torin shot a hard glare at him. "We are not leaving until we see her!"

"But, she can't be alive!" Oleander cried, and before he could even say another word, the fire abruptly intensified, fastly reaching the two. They could only close their eyes, knowing they couldn't escape. But the expected pain from it, didn't happen.

"This.." Said Torin, wide mouthed.

When Oleander heard Torin, he also opened up his eyes. The fire that envelopes them, wasn't hot, instead, it was warm. The wet clothes he was wearing, turned completely dry. And, the lake in front is no longer a body of water, but a dried up land.

There are so many unbelievable things that happened tonight, making them both amazed and horrified at the same time.

When they recovered from shock, they immediately saw the white haired girl lying down on the dry lake. She appeared unharmed, and white fire also envelopes her.

Torin instantly rushed towards her. He checked the girl carefully. And when he saw that she is alive, he sighed in relief.

Torin carefully helped her to sit. She opened her eyes, but she isn't breathing. The poor girl has blank eyes, and her body is trembling.

"Luciana, breathe." Torin softly said. "Breathe. It is fine now. Breathe, just breathe.

*Gasp!* She took in air quickly. *Cough cough* The white fire is retracting slowly.

"Good. Calm down and breathe." Torin removed his coat and covered Luciana's now, white hair again.

He lifted her up into his arms, and repeatedly hummed a sound to calm her.

When she finally fell into sleep, and is no longer releasing fire, Oleander approached them and said, "Uncle! Is Luci--"

"Enough! Let's hurry and leave first." Torin said. He isn't stupid. Although he is not sure of the entire thing, he knows that the cause of all this, is none other than the girl in his arms. He quickly ran away from the lake.

"Oleander ran faster!" He shouted. What happened tonight would definitely attract a lot of people, and he didn't want others to take the little girl away. And he was right. Just a little while after the incident, plenty of people had gathered into that lake, including some people from the revolutionary. But the three wouldn't know about it, since they have already left the place.

When they finally reached home, he put the girl down into the bed and covered her with quilt. Torin felt guilty. Perhaps, if he didn't bring her there, this wouldn't happen.

He turned around and said to the boy behind, "What happened tonight, only the three of us would know."

"Uncle.." Oleander called.

"Am I understood?" Torin asked with deep, cold voice. Making Oleander felt a bit scared.

"Yes." He replied weakly.

"Sigh, I know you're shocked with everything, and so am I. But nobody could know about this, do you understand?" Torin said with a tired voice.

"I understand." Oleander nodded his head.

"Go home first, let's stop training for a few days. Rest for a while." He instructed.

Oleander nodded, and shot Luciana one last, complicated glance, and left their house.

Torin took a chair and sat beside the bed. He brushed her hair softly. Then held the sleeping girl's small hand.

"Don't leave me." She whispered, a tear fell down on her cheeks.

Torin felt the girl tighten her hold to him. He wiped her tear away, and replied, "I won't. Just sleep. Sleep well."

'I will never leave you.' He vowed.