The Fire Gem

- High offense ; Low defense

- Relies on other gems for protection

Due to its high offense, it's a very vulnerable gem, and it may be harmful to others.

The Water Gem

- Low offense ; Low defense

Despite the low stats, this gem is important because it serves as the "healing gem" to it's allies and it may assist others during their offensive attacks.

The Earth Gem

- Low offense ; high defense

- The shield of it's allies although this gem has the same offense level as the water gem.

Due to its powers to control anything made of rock or soil, it may sometimes become too destructive.

The Air Gem

- Moderate Offense ; Moderate Defense

- Can give the other gems temporarily flight powers

Serves as the eye of the other gems, For, it has the ability to see the future and foresee their opponents.

The Thunder Gem

- Moderate Offense ; Moderate Defense

- Has the same stats as the air gem, although this gem has the ability to control the weather.

- Serves as the generator of the other gems since it can charge its power with electricity and transfer it to others.

The Light Gem

- High offense ; high defense

- Since it is a gem literally crafted from heaven, it has really high stats.

The bearer of this gem may grow angel wings

- Has the ability to read minds.

- Its only weakness is darkness.

The Gem of Darkness.

Extremely High offense ; Extremely High defense

- Crafted by lucifer himself and is said to be the strongest out of the seven gems.

Although it has high stats, it is considerably the most dangerous gem, For, it has the power to corrupt the gem's bearer and the other gems as well. Only the light gem is immune to the darkness's corruption.

"An evil force has risen. In order to defeat it, you must find and gather the seven Bearers."

Kaelith was jolted awake, her forehead hitting the bottom of the top bunk in the process. She rubbed her forehead in pain and sighed. She has been having the same dream every night for the past few months, and it itself was a mystery to her. It was always exactly the same, a hooded girl muttering those words, then she would see a flash of purple, which would cause her to wake up.

"Had that dream again?"

She turned around and saw Mirelle bending from her bed, her long brown hair nearly flowing down to the floor. Kaelith stared at Mirelle's hair in jealousy and felt her rough, shoulder-length silver hair.

Yes. Silver. She was born with silver hair, resulting in the other kids of the orphanage calling her an elderly child or freak. However, Mirelle didn't think so. She was Kaelith's one and only friend in the orphanage.

"How did you know?" Kaelith still kept rubbing her forehead to ease the pain. She then took her alarm clock and saw that she had woken up thirty minutes earlier than her usual time. She shrugged.

"I could tell by how your head collided with my bed." Mirelle said sarcastically before jumping off the bed and sitting next to Kaelith. She frowned when she saw Kaelith's swelling forehead. "Damn, was the dream that bad?"

"It just surprised me, that's it." Kaelith was about to rub her forehead again when Mirelle held her hand to stop her.

"Don't." she gently placed Kaelith's hand back on her lap. "It will hurt you more if you touch it. Let me get you some ice."

Kaelith smiled as she watched Mirelle walk away and disappear into the kitchen.

She remembered the first time she met Mirelle. After she was just brought to the orphanage, both of them were really shy and wouldn't say anything to each other. Even though they were roommates, each day would be spent in silence. Now, after living together for nearly ten years, the two were closer than two halves of an apple and were now called the noisiest duo in the orphanage.

One of the rules of the orphanage stated was that any child has the freedom to leave and live on their own after turning eighteen. Kaelith was seventeen, turning eighteen in a few months, and in all honesty, she didn't want to leave for two reasons.

One, Mirelle was a year younger than her, which meant that she was going to leave her alone. This was a big no-no for her, especially because of the bullies who tend to pick on them both when no superiors were around.

Two, where would Kaelith go? She had no family outside since her orphanage was her home, so leaving would just make her basically homeless... and alone.

Weirdly and strangely enough, Kaelith had no memory of her childhood before she was sent to the orphanage. She had no idea who her parents were, and there was no information of who she really was.

According to Mirelle, Kaelith was easily frightened when she was little, and the doctors said it was because of something she experienced before she met Mirelle. Since the trauma caused her to often keep herself away from everyone. The head nun named her Kaelith as in "Known", "Understood" or "Valued" which she thinks se never was. Her complicated background and unusual appearance was one of the many reasons why nobody tried to befriend her when she arrived.

Besides the fact that she had natural silver hair, her hair had a mysterious past, which just frightened everyone.

"Here."

Kaelith flinched when she felt something cold get slapped on her forehead, and then she realized that Mirelle was standing in front of her.

"What are you thinking about? Were you Daydreaming?"

"...It's nothing." She blinked when she noticed that Mirelle's pajamas were drenched as if she took a dip in the pool with her pants on.

"What happened to you? Did you step inside the toilet or something?"

Mirelle huffed at Kaelith's statement and wriggled her pants off, right in front of Kaelith. This didn't bother Kaelith since the two of them were like sisters, and seeing each other naked was a normal thing.

"I spilled some water on me while I was getting some ice from the fridge."

"Clumsy." Kaelith said with a laugh, while Mirelle slipped on a pair of neon pink shorts.

If there was one sentence that could describe Mirelle, it was that she was a pink-loving goddess of clumsiness. Even though Kaelith wasn't really a good cook and Mirelle was more experienced than her, she rarely let her touch the stove since the last time she cooked something resulted in a fire. Kaelith couldn't really understand how it happened since she was just boiling an egg. Because of that, the two of them were forced to do community services for half a year.

"Hey, Kaelith, I've got... something to tell you."

Kaelith felt Mirelle sit next to her, and she couldn't see Mirelle's expression because she was currently tying her hair into a ponytail. However, she knew that Mirelle sounded serious.

"Go ahead."

When Kaelith was done, she looked up and saw Mirelle staring down at her feet. Kaelith stared at her and saw what seemed like a guilty look in her eyes. She also noticed that Mirelle had completely changed her get-up and was now wearing her favorite leather jacket. This confused Kaelith since Mirelle only wore that whenever she was going out.

"Mirelle... what's wrong?"

"Kaelith, do you remember the day when you went out to find out more about yourself?"

Mirelle said slowly, knowing that she was touching a very sensitive topic. She was talking about the day two weeks ago when Kaelith headed to the police station, accompanied by some nuns, to hopefully find out her identity. They had assumed that Kaelith would, at least, be in the roster of missing people, but unfortunately, she wasn't. It was like she was never supposed to exist in the first place. This was done so that she'd have somewhere to go to after being released from the orphanage.

"Yeah... why?"

"Well, while you were out, this couple came to adopt a kid." Kaelith expected Mirelle to continue, but instead, Mirelle stopped and just stared right at her with the saddest expression that she had ever seen.

"What are you trying to say?" Kaelith already had an idea of what Mirelle was trying to tell her, but she didn't want to assume anything until she heard it from Mirelle herself.

"...They chose me."

Mirelle's words made Kaelith pause. She started playing with the hem of her shirt, an action she only did when she was nervous or scared.

"I'm getting adopted. They are due to pick me up in a few hours."

Kaelith blinked, taking a few minutes to absorb what she had just heard. She didn't know what exactly she was feeling since she was both happy and sad. Happy because Mirelle finally found a loving family, which she deserved after watching her parents die when she was younger and she will, at least spend the remaining years of her youth with parents by her side. It also meant that she wouldn't be left alone after Kaelith turned eighteen. Still, Kaelith couldn't help but feel sad... because she'll be left alone earlier than expected.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you earlier, Kaelith." Mirelle said, her fingers digging into Kaelith's shoulder blades, tears welling up in her eyes. "I-I didn't know how I was supposed to tell you. I thought you were going to be mad, so I-"

"It's okay, Mirelle. I'm not mad. Just... don't cry, okay? You know that I hate seeing you cry." Kaelith said while holding Mirelle's arms. Even after she said that, she was still crying. "Don't be sad. You're finally going to have a family, just like you always wanted. You should be happy!"

"But... you'll be alone." she said with a sniff, and honestly, Kaelith wasn't sure of how she was going to reassure about that since it was true.

"I was bound to be alone, anyway." she said as she gave Mirelle a big hug and let her cry on her shoulder.

"I'll be fine, Mirelle."

She hoped so.

Knowing that the two of them would be separated soon, Kaelith and Mirelle spent the whole day together. Kaelith was glad that the nuns were considerate enough to let her do whatever she wanted with Mirelle since chances of meeting with her again were slim, especially because her new parents were moving to another country.

There were times when Mirelle would suddenly break down and cry, which would make Kaelith cry too. Both of them were going to miss each other so badly, and knowing that they couldn't do anything about it just saddened them even more.

...******...

Now, they stood at the orphanage gates.

The silence between them wasn’t awkward—it was heavy. Like it knew this was the last time it could exist between them.

Kaelith kicked at the gravel absently, dragging Mirelle’s oversized luggage behind her. The wheels scraped against the ground with a hollow clatter, echoing too loudly in the quiet. Mirelle stood beside her, hands fidgeting at the hem of her shirt, the tiny keychain on her belt jingling with each nervous shift.

“We’ll see each other again…right, Kaelith?” Mirelle asked without looking up.

Kaelith's throat tightened. She hated how hopeful Mirelle sounded—like she needed to believe it, even if it was a lie.

“We will, Mirelle...” she started, but her voice faltered as the orphanage gate groaned open behind them.

A silver Cadillac pulled in, gleaming like it belonged in a different world. One without creaky bunk beds and burned egg disasters.

Kaelith swallowed hard.

“I know we will.”

Mirelle turned to her and opened her arms wordlessly. Kaelith didn’t hesitate. She pulled her in and hugged her so tightly it hurt. She didn’t care. Let it hurt. Let it leave a bruise, a mark—something to prove this moment existed.

“Promise you’ll remember me?” Mirelle whispered against her shoulder.

“I could never forget you, Mirelle,” Kaelith replied, blinking fast, trying to smile through the sting behind her eyes. “You're... you’re my whole childhood.”

“I’ll write to you,” Mirelle said, pulling away with tears in her eyes and a smile that tried too hard to be brave.

Kaelith nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak anymore.

She watched as Mirelle walked away, each step pulling something out of her. Her best friend. Her sister. Her one constant.

...Then she was gone....

...And Kaelith was alone....

...Again....

Kaelith picked at her food in silence, the leather jacket—Mirelle’s jacket—draped over her shoulders like a ghost of comfort. The sleeves were too long, the scent faintly of rose shampoo and safety. She hadn’t said a word all morning. She didn’t trust her voice not to crack.

"You've been a lot more silent ever since your friend was adopted. What was her name? Meow?"

Billy, the orphanage's bully who found pleasure in making fun of everyone, said while putting an arm around Kaelith's shoulder. Kaelith slapped away his arm, stunning him.

"Her name was Mirelle. Leave me alone."

"Don't you want some company? We'll be happy to entertain you." Billy said, flirtatiously while his friend started uncomfortably touching Kaelith's thigh. She immediately stepped on his foot, making him grunt and retreat.

"Don't touch me." She hissed at Billy, pointing at his face with her fork, which still had a piece of steak on it. "I said, leave me alone."

Kaelith shrieked when Billy suddenly grabbed her hair and tugged, making her feel like her scalp was going to tear off her head. This caught the attention of the other children, but all they did was stare. That's what they always did. Everyone was afraid of Billy because of his violent personality, and only Kaelith and Mirelle had the guts to stand up to him.

"Nobody says no to me, Kaelith." He spat, sparing a glance at his friend, before she felt her jacket being pulled off her forcefully. Kaelith fought like hell when she felt them tug at her jacket—not because she feared being undressed - but because it was Mirelle's. The last piece of her. Letting it go would feel like losing Mirelle all over again.

"Let go of me!" She screamed and thrashed, the staring of the others becoming more intense. Still, they didn't help her. They never did.

Suddenly, Billy's head slammed on the table, the combination of his scream and the sound of cracking wood catching the attention of every person in the room. Kaelith stared at the foot that was literally stepping on Billy's face and turned around to stare at its owner.

She didn't recognize the boy in the hoodie and dark shades, but she knew that he didn't like what he was seeing. His face was so concealed that she could only see some strands of his black hair, sticking out of his hood. His hands were in his pocket, making him look casual despite the situation.

"You heard the girl." The boy growled, and she was surprised by how husky his voice sounded. "Let go of her."

"Who the hell are you?" Billy managed to squeak out his words unclear due to how compressed his cheeks were.

"He's the new kid." Billy's friend whispered, which made Kaelith's ears perk in curiosity. New kid? He looked around her age, so hearing that he was a new kid made her a bit suspicious. "He came here this morning."

"Tsk, and you have the guts to go against me." Billy stood up after the boy finally released him. He made a battle stance before glaring at Kaelith.

"Stay here. I'm coming back after I beat this guy senseless." Billy charged towards the boy, who was just staring at him without worry. Once Billy was close enough, the boy grabbed his collar and did a series of martial art moves that just made Kaelith's jaw drop. Then, Billy was on the floor, coughing up blood.

By now, all the children had formed a circle around Kaelith, surprised that Billy the Bully had just been beaten up by the new kid. This scene made Kaelith smile inwardly. Oddly enough, she enjoyed Billy's suffering. The boy glared at Billy's friend through his thick shades, the latter immediately dropping Kaelith's jacket before leaving while dragging away an unconscious Billy. Then, the boy turned and glared at the circle of students. One thing was for sure, even with those shades, he still had an intimidating stare.

"What are you looking at?"

The students scattered around like a bunch of ants, which was slightly amusing to Kaelith. Everything then resumed, as if nothing had happened. For a second, Kaelith wanted to turn to the bunk bed and laugh with Mirelle like they used to—how she’d tease the guy’s dramatic entrance, how she'd call him a "wannabe vigilante." But the bunk was empty. Too quiet. Her smile faltered before it even began.

Kaelith stared at the boy as he picked up her jacket and handed it to her. She stared at him, only now noticing that there was a strange glow behind his shades, as if it came from his eyes.

"Here. They won't bother you from now on."

And he was right. Billy no longer bothered Kaelith after that, and the rest of the day was spent in peace and quiet. The boy who had saved her refused to give out his name and left immediately after she thanked him. Strangely enough, she couldn't see him around the compound.

...Later, at night,...

Kaelith was all dressed to sleep when she heard loud bangs from her door. She wanted to ignore it but frowned when the bangs became more persistent, as if the person behind that door was angry.

After a few moments of hesitation, she unlocked all five locks on her door and swung it open. She blinked when she became face to face with the hooded boy, the new kid, who had saved her earlier. She wondered why he was here and how he knew which room was hers.

"Uh, hi, what are you -"

The boy suddenly grabbed her by her throat and slammed her on the wall across her door, his teeth gritted in anger. Kaelith struggled to breathe as she clawed his arms, not understanding why he was suddenly trying to kill her after he had helped earlier.

"Who are you?" he asked with a low growl, which frightened her. His shades had fallen to the tip of his nose, and now she could clearly see his eyes. They were black. They weren't the normal brown color the human eye had. It was just solid black. It was like she was staring at an endless pit of darkness.

"I asked." He moved even closer to her, their noses nearly touching and his hot breath hitting her face. She did her best to look away from his, sickening black eyes.

"Who. Are. You?"

"M-My name is -"

"I don't want to know your name, Kaelith." The boy hissed, his eyes darkening even more, and she could tell that he was really angry. "I heard your voice in my head. You were talking to me in my sleep. I'll ask you one last time, who are you?"

"I don't know..."

Kaelith's eyes widened in fear. The last time she’d felt this helpless was—

“Kaelith, always look strong. Even if you're terrified.”

Mirelle's voice echoed in her head, unbidden, steadying her hand as it clawed at the boy’s wrist.

Before she could completely be deprived of oxygen, there was a loud explosion, causing the both of them to fly a foot from their original position. Kaelith's mouth gaped when she saw a gigantic hole in the roof, some of the wood still burning. There was a crater on the exact place where she and the boy were standing. Then, after seeing him on top of her, she realized that he had pushed her away.

Then, there was a scream. Not a human scream, but it sounded like that of a monster's, the kind that you can hear from the movies. She looked up and saw the scream's owner, which made her eyes so wide that she swore they were going to pop out of her head.

"What the heck is that?"