Chapter One: The First Glance

It was mid-autumn when '𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛' first entered the sacred school, '𝐿𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑟 𝐸𝑟𝑖𝑠', where those who were born with a superpower tend to train there, to control them and maintain the steadiness and to focus on protecting their clan with the right use of their ability.

The girl was different. Unlike those who got their first signs of having a superpower at the age of eighteen, she was already ten when hers flourished for the first time for being too emotional and angry at the same time. It made her a source of being bullied by many and called 'a scary monster'. No friends and no relatives beside her aunt, the priest '𝐼𝑟𝑒𝑛', who took care of her from childhood until she left to that school.

Those who accepted her as she was, were few. Among them, her close friend '𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖' whom she saved from being bullied and masters of the school. As they turned twenty, they were able to understand how their clan functioned and read lot of books about nature and the '𝑍𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑛' world that held the two clans in separated lands, night and light.

One day, she got out for a self-practice in the nearby forest. Her masters allowed her to train by herself to control her superpower— fire element. To control it, she had to train more on being relaxed not to get angry fast and to maintain her calm in serious situations. 𝑋𝑖𝑎𝑜𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑔 training needed the calm environment and the right relaxation.

𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛 was there for hunting. His only hobby that made him carefree from life pressure since he was about to be king on the light clan. Him and 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 had been friends from childhood and shared a lot together. As they were on their horses with the arcs, 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛 shot an arrow to catch a rabbit but fell in the practice area of 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 who directly burned it.

"Who's there!" She shouted putting her guards up and getting up in frustration. The two men ran with their horses toward the voice, finding her standing in front of the river's edge.

"Ow. Look," 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 laughed as 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛 got off his horse walking toward her.

"Don't get closer! Or I'll have to attack you," She threatened recharging her palm with a fire ball.

"Miss, please, calm down. We're here to haunt and mean no harm," The head leader spelled staring at her beautiful silhouette and cute face.

She was a ginger girl, has got a long red-orange hair reaching the end of her back with beautiful emerald-green eyes. Not so tall neither so short but enough to say cute and savage because of her fierce face expressions. 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛 lost thoughts for a while appreciating her rare beauty that he had never seen before hers.

"Who are you? What are you both doing here?" She interrogated putting her arm a little bit down as her hand was still charged with a fire ball.

"I'm 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛. The head leader of the light knights. Pleased to meet you young lady," He introduced himself forgetting about his subordinate while she referred to him doubtfully.

"Ah. This is.."

"I'm 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛. A light knight in his unit," He stared at his leader strangely in a wonder.

"Alright. Then.." She started calmly then attacked them continuously in surprise while 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛 activated his glass watery wall as she stopped widening her eyes.

"Are you crazy! Why did you attack us? Don't you know who's he!" 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 shouted madly as the young girl stared at 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛.

"Enough! Is that how we talk to young ladies?" The leader hurried to silence him.

"I apologize. I am still practicing on controlling my abilities. I didn't harm you though!" She claimed knowing she'd be in trouble if she confessed her sin. "I need to go now! Sorry again!" She shouted running back to the palace as he tried to stop her.

"You almost exposed me," 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛 turned to look at him riding his horse.

"She attacked you. Doesn't she know the rules?" 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 defended himself.

"If she knew, she wouldn't ask our names."

He felt so sad not knowing her name but hopeful to meet her again. 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 noticed that his king fell in love for the first time and smiled. 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 went back to her room for a shower finding her best friend waiting for her in a worry.

"I was practicing. But.." She paused remembering what happened.

"But what? Did you succeed in the xiaofang!" 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖 jumped out of bed waiting for good news.

"No. It's just surprising that the next light king passed by the forest with his subordinate and I attacked them because I didn't recognize him," She confessed as her friend widened her eyes.

"Wait. How did you know it was the king?"

"He used the glass watery wall. Nobody has such an ability in nobilities beside the descendants of the first one who summoned the water element, king 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑡," She explained, roaming in her thoughts.

"Did he tell you he's the king?" 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖 questioned as 𝐽𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛 denied.

"He isn't stupid. He wouldn't endanger himself and expose his identity. However, 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛, his friend almost did that. Anyway, let's forget about them."

"What if he will order his knights to look for you and imprison you?" Stupidly asked the blue-haired girl.

"He can't!" Shouted the fire diva from the bathroom.

The night arrived and the thought of him didn't escape 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛's head. She wanted to know more about his ability since she was interested in the 𝑍𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑛 elements and each one's special abilities. She kept looking through lot of books in the school's library with her friend for days until her curiosity stopped bugging.

Few days later, the palace was already prepared for that special day. The masters ordered the guardians from both clans to take over the activities from martial arts shows and dances. Half of them were going to be released out for their real duties to face life and work on keeping up with the Ziran peace. Although 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 was one of them, she had nowhere to go because her aunt was already on a mission in the night land.

"Wake up, we're late!" 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 shouted, getting up quickly as 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖 was lazy to open her eyes.

"Why? What's today?" Asked the sleepy girl.

"It's '𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝐸𝑟𝑎' day! The night and light clans' nobilities are gathering here for the rituals!" She explained changing her white robes to her red uniform as the other opened her eyes in shock.

"Does that mean those night handsome guys are coming!" Claimed 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖, getting up in a hurry as 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 rolled her eyes nodding.

Both girls were a little bit late that made their masters a little bit nervous for their carelessness. They were worried because those nobilities were hard to deal with and afraid of being schemed to take 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 away for their own purposes that claimed no good, using the reason of not being trained well and for not respecting the sacred traditions.

The Lunar Eris was a big white-walled palace that held sacred masters who devoted their lives for centuries to rise up the knights, warriors and fighters with the right control of superpowers, to give the best teaching for self-devotion and protection of the Ziran land by keeping peace between the two clans. Both night and light clans' nobilities had been sending their sons and daughters for such a sacred mission only them were born to have abilities unlike ordinary people.

"You both need a punishment!" Master 𝐿𝑢 scolded the girls when they hurried to arrive in time.

"Master, forgive us. We were exhausted that we overslept. We apologize," 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 bowed speaking calmly, followed 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖.

"The doors are about to open. I don't want those spoiled kids to make excuses and make a fuss. They keep looking for the smallest reason to fight each other," Explained master 𝐿𝑢 worriedly and turned to master 𝐽𝑖𝑛 sighing.

"We're aware, master. We'll do our best to keep them calm," Confidently, 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖 affirmed.

"You are the school guardians and it's the Peace Era day. You both need to be careful and wary so that things go smoothly and in good conditions. Those nobilities are waiting outside. Stand in your positions and let's start." As master 𝐽𝑖𝑛 explained calmly, the girls stood on the right side with the other guardians.

The doors were opening and both light and night clans young guys and girls, demons and knights entered separately in two parallel lines, facing the masters. It was a special event that came every one hundred year. 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 was excited to witness the rituals because she had been reading about it ever since she entered the Lunar Eris.

"Greetings to the great masters of the Lunar Eris," The crowd bowed as the four masters allowed them to rise.

𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖 was eying those handsome demons of the night clan and was captured by their head leader, 𝐿𝑢 𝐼𝑥𝑖𝑛. Her friend hummed to stop her from doing anything stupid. She wasn't at fault though, because the night demons nobilities were very known for their charm and attractiveness that drove many women crazy. Their eyes mostly were dark purple since they were pure-blooded nobles in their black and dark purple uniforms.

"Is that the light king you met at the forest?" She asked while 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 peaked looking at him, nodded being aware she was doomed.

"Today is a great blessed day. Without our ancestors and their sacrifices, we wouldn't live peacefully now nor see the light of a new day," Master 𝐿𝑢 began as Lu 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛 rolled his eyes to fall on 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛 and kept staring.

"I guess you took somebody's attention," 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖 whispered as her friend turned to look back directly at him. She was absent-minded for few seconds when they both took their eyes off each other at once. It was a contradictory look between two powerful worlds that contained their eyes. The sky witnessed how both hearts skipped a beat. Master 𝐽𝑖𝑛 noticed and acted as if he saw nothing because the other teacher was debating.

"Hey, 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛. Isn't she the one we've met at the river few days ago?" 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 whispered to the head leader.

"I know. Just keep quiet for now," He hushed peaking at her. He was on the clouds for few moments. He knew he had to be careful and focused since those of the night clan were watching him all the time. They never wanted him to become the next light king.