Pristine Academy: The Singularity's Manifestation

The Crystalizing Notion

“Klizzette, you’re here.”

“Wilbert! It’s been a while.” A woman in her 70s gave him a warm smile in her wrinkly face, with two men beside her, young adults they were. She pulled Wilbert into a hug, patting him on the back before letting him go.

“You look as if the world just shattered on you!” Klizzette humored the man in front of her, sighing with that. “You know why I called you earlier this year.” His lips were in a taut line, “She’s upstairs.”

The elderly woman only smiled at him, although her eyebrows were furrowed upward. “I already have plans to visit. But of course, your news made me worried.”

Wilbert shook his head, almost as if he was disappointed. He opened the door wider, prompting them to enter their home. He followed them in the living room, where they settled the few things they had carried. He looked at the bags, confused why the woman had packed so lightly this time. Something inside him tells him that something went wrong. “What even happened? Isn’t she supposed not to have her abilities here on Earth?”

Klizzette shakes her head as she sighs, her sigh bringing a burden that’s heavy. “Something happened back home a few days ago.” She looks at him, her smiling face now contorted with concern. “Did the incident Patricia got into happen on the same day?”

“Yes.” Wilbert ran his hands through his burgundy hair, squeezing it slightly as he sighed. “I already talked with the parents of the girl who knew of her condition again. However… the talk this time involved more than some begging.”

“She hurt the girl, right?” The two elders in the room stared at each other, the dread lingering between them. “Yes. She did… she will explain it much better than I.” Wilbert looked at the stairs and took a deep breath. “Patricia! Grandma is here!”

They heard the telltale signs of scrambling upstairs as Patricia went down the stairs, her eyes immediately lighting up as if sparkling at the sight of her grandmother. “Grandma!” She almost tumbled down the stairs as she ran up to her grandmother, carefully not throttling her as she hugged her tightly. Klizzette laughed, her cackles echoing in the room. “Patricia! Oh my wonderful granddaughter…”

The elderly lady ran her hands through the blonde locks of the teenager in front of her, smiling widely. Albeit, a pang of concern pierced her heart as she could see the swell in her eyes. “I miss you, my granddaughter. Grandma’s here now, don’t worry.” She wipes her cheeks, even with no tears, to soothe her worried heart.

“Nickolo, Chiro,” Wilbert called the two men that was carrying the woman’s luggage. “You can settle the bags in Klizzette’s room for now.”

“Oh, no need, Wilbert.” Patricia’s father looked at her, his face wrinkling in confusion. “Aren’t you going to stay?”

This made Patricia look at her grandmother, confused at the sudden change of their arrangements that they usually do whenever her grandmother visits. Klizzette only sighs as she glides her finger in between the yellow strands of her granddaughter’s hair. “It’s… a long story. Please stay, this talk is important between us three.”

Wilbert sighed, gesturing to the two men to just settle the elderly woman’s belongings in the nearby cabinet. “There’s some food in the fridge, take some. Thank you.”

The two young men bowed at him as they left them three alone, with Wilbert taking a seat on the armchair just beside the couch where the two were sitting.

Patricia looks at her grandmother, her eyes widening in confusion… and some sort of excitement? She has always loved her grandmother, admittedly more than her father. She always had the best stories to tell, especially of her hometown. Although growing up, she realized a lot of her stories are made up due to their fantastical and imaginative features, almost impossible in this world.

However, she remained reserved. After all, both of them have hidden something that she should have known since everything went wrong in her life. Maybe she was going to take her away, as she is a curse in this family. Somewhere where she can’t hurt anyone or let anyone see the monster she is hiding. After all, she became almost a criminal, hurting her friend with whatever happened to her.

“Now… before we get into anything.” Klizzette looks at her granddaughter, “Could you tell Grandma what happened a few days ago?”

Patricia’s eyes widen before immediately looking away, rubbing her arm to calm herself. “I… I don’t know… I don’t know what happened. I can’t… I can’t explain it, Grandma.” Klizzette puts her hand on her back, “Come on, say it to me.” Patricia looks at her with her tired and wasted eyes, “Would you believe me when I say that I didn’t mean anything that happened?” She looks at her right hand, “This hand, this hand did it all.”

Klizzette’s smile was almost bitter; her innocence was eating her up. “What happened first? What did that hand do?” Patricia sighs, “It’s not what you think, Grandma… I didn’t use this hand, nor did the hand touch anything.”

“Then why are you blaming the hand?”

Patricia looks at her; her eyes are already getting glossy with imminent tears. “Tell me, Grandma. I am cursed, right? This is all a curse on me.” Her grandmother pats her back, an effort to comfort her. “Calm down first, Patricia. I still need to know what happened. Can you please tell me?”

The young lady took a deep breath, calming her trembling person. Her mind went back to what happened a few days ago, her face immediately contorting with fear. “It started on the beach, these weird diamond-looking things just appeared out of nowhere. Erin discovered my hand, and she started hurting me just to make me show my hand. I… I was so overwhelmed at that time. I didn’t know that I injured her… I didn’t know that those crystal things were sharp enough to hurt her!” She started sobbing, gripping her grandmother’s sleeves. “What is this, Grandma? Do you know anything about this? Please, tell me. I am confused, and I am tired of being one.”

Klizzette sighs, slightly glancing at Wilbert beside her. “You wouldn’t be reacting this badly if your father had just let me explain to you before.” The man moved his mouth open to speak, but chose wisely not to. Patricia looks at her grandmother, full of confusion on her face. “What do you mean, Grandma? Are my friends true about me being some sort of monster?”

“My dearie, don’t say that.” Klizzette gives her granddaughter a warm smile. “You are not a monster; if anything, you’re something much more beautiful.” Patricia heard that again, almost making her recoil. It’s the same script again. When will they learn?

Klizzette saw this reaction, nodding in understanding. Her granddaughter needs to know, and she needs to know now.

She gently grabs her right hand and rubs the back of it, revealing the crystal hand she has. “I understand why you are reacting like this. We’ve withheld important information about your identity.”

Patricia was utterly speechless; she didn’t know how to react to this. She knows that they are hiding something from her, but she doesn’t expect it to sound so big. “You seem so overwhelmed, my dear. Do you want to rest your mind first before I tell you everything?” She sighs, “I think I could use some explanation.”

Klizzette looked at her father beside her. Wilbert sighed and nodded, as if he was giving up something in his hands. The elderly woman nodded at him, “Thank you, Wilbert.”

She looks back at her waiting granddaughter, her words slowing to avoid her to be overwhelmed yet again. “You’re an elemental, Patricia, or as we call it in Thereal, a Mentiel.”

This didn’t help Patricia’s confusion at all. “Thereal? Mentiel? What is all of that gibberish?” Her grandmother puts her hands down, squeezing them a bit to calm her down. “A Mentiel is someone who has the gift of the elements. You are one because I am one and as well as your mother.” She raises her hand a bit, opening her palm. A rock materializes atop her palm, floating above it.

Patricia watches in awe as it magically appears on her grandmother’s palm. Something about it soothes her. And as it easily appears, so as it disappears. “You have the blessing of the crystals, something that is rare, giving you the power to control them at your will. That’s what you are, not a monster.”

The young woman almost felt her world just shattered in front of her, but it shattered to show what’s behind it. All of those that her grandmother told her, was it all true? That there was a world out there, full of creatures and people who could control the elements?

“Why are yours beautiful? Mine is destructive and murderous.” Klizzette gives her a faint smile and holds her shoulder. “Yours is beautiful as well, it’s very similar to your mother’s. It’s just you have experienced uncontrolled outbursts of magic.” Patricia felt a pang of both happiness and sadness at that. Her grandmother and father have always said that she was almost a replica of her mother… and now even her ability.

“There’s more to why we got here early. It’s a lot to explain, especially for someone who’s naive about the world like you.” Klizzette embraced her granddaughter, looking at Wilbert as if she has pulled him in the conversation now. “But in the short term, something has happened in the inner world that made the traveling agency of our world suspend every journey. Your father was quick enough to call me immediately before the authorities shut down the travelling appointments.”

“If I hadn’t got into this situation, you would not say anything to me, Grandma?” Patricia sounds so betrayed. Klizzette sighs, “My dear, I have been trying to, but I respect your father’s decision."

Patricia looks at her father, almost glaring at him, as if she were asking him for his reason. Wilbert sighed, “I have my reasons, Patricia. Your grandmother also understood it and has permitted me to until… recently.” He looks at her, his gaze apologetic yet resolved. “You are safer here on Earth, Patricia. At least here, I can protect you better.”

Klizzette sighed and looked at her granddaughter, caressing her cheeks. “Your father has always thought of your safety, Patricia. I have some reservations about some of his reasons, but ultimately, due to my age, it is indeed that you are safer here on Earth with him.”

Patricia still looked unsatisfied, “I still think that I need to know the reason why I am like this.” She looks at her hand, “Especially this damned hand.” Klizzette looked at her in concern, caressing her hand soothingly. “Don’t say that, my dear granddaughter. We have overlooked some consequences, but please don’t see this feature of yours as nothing but beautiful. You’re not alone. Half of my body is crystal as well; your mother’s left leg is made of crystal as well.”

The young lady looked at her, almost as if in awe. “It runs in our blood.”

Her grandmother chuckles, “You got it right.”

Patricia looks around, overwhelmed with the explanation she received. She tears up a bit, “Do I need to be in this situation for me to know all of this?”

“Unfortunately, and with all the honesty to you, my dear, yes, I’m afraid that it needed for this situation for me to say this to all of you. These things we can do right now cannot be done before. After what has recently happened, believe me when I say that you’re not possibly the only one who has suffered from this.”

Wilbert sighed, “And what do you intend to do with this?”

Klizzette looks at him, her face apologetic. “Wilbert, I am taking Patricia back with me.”