Sarah touched her jade bracelet that her father gave her on her sixth birthday. He said that it was a family heirloom. As the bracelet was passed through the generations, so did the prayers and blessings from the ancestors. The jade bracelet would protect its wearer from harm.

I need all the protection I could get.

It seemed like her dream to have a peaceful life was shattered. It was just a dream. Her life was filled with uncertainty and danger instead.

The shocking revelations about her lineage nearly made her lost her mind, but when she looked at the bed across hers and saw Sheila's bruised body, Sarah knew that everything was real and she needed to do something before she ended up like Sheila. Or maybe even worse.

"Right now, you are weak," Gu said, "but you have potential to be so much more."

Sarah looked at Gu properly for the first time. Gu's golden eyes held great wisdom, befitting of a majestic naga that lived from the beginning of time. The row of sharp teeth looked like it could snap off a human head as easily as eating a soft banana.

His golden scales were shining like the sun, it would definitely blind everyone with its radiance when he regained his body. He was so enormous, she couldn't see the end of his body because it was outside the room.

Before this, she never took him seriously because never believed that he was real. Now, she finally accepted that this gigantic yet elegant spirit in front of her was real. It was final. He would be playing a great part in her life.

Gu's words suddenly held so much weight. Now that he said that she had potential, she had to believe in him. Who else could she believe in at this point? Even her parents that she deeply loved and believed in, was hiding many secrets from her.

This is crazy. But... I don't want to be beaten up. I want to live. Life sucks but I'm not ready to die yet, especially now that I need to find out what else my parents had hidden from me.

"Good. You have a strong mind, but it's not strong enough. You will live if you learn to master your power."

"Stop reading my mind!" Sarah whispered angrily at Gu.

Sheila stirred in her sleep.

"The first thing you need to master as soon as possible is telepathy. You'll disturb other people if you keep talking to me. Or they might think you're crazy."

"That's all? You said that I might be targeted and you're going to teach me telepathy? Are you trying to get me killed? I'm your partner!" Sarah hissed.

"When you are building a tower like those skyscrapers I'm seeing, you need to lay down a strong foundation before building it up. That way, the tower could endure the tides of time. The same applies to you."

"Whatever. Teach me anything, as long as I can survive." Sarah glared at Gu. This was all his fault.

Forcing a blood contract on her was bad enough, but having people targeting her only because she was his partner... that was even worse. I thought that a naga would bring good luck, not calamity!

"Instead of relying on luck, you should rely on your ability. Firstly, we need to strengthen your mind. You could endure hardship and still stay rational. However, you can't take the next step, bringing yourself out of hardship and still be calm."

Sarah's eyebrows were scrunching up. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Look closely and find the sparkling dots." Gu answered seriously.

Sarah looked at Gu in dismay. She tried placing her trust in this wise naga but he told her to find sparkling dots?

"The sparkling dots are the particles that makes up the spirits. You don't have the talent to see naturally invisible entities, so you need to work hard to successfully complete this task."

"I can see you." Sarah challenged him.

"Only because we are bonded through a blood contract. Other humans can't see me. If a human has a strong sixth sense, they'll see me as sparkling dots floating in the air." Gu explained patiently.

"What if they saw you?"

"They can't do anything because they don't have active control over their sixth sense. It's a knowledge that's long gone."

Sarah nodded her head. After Gu's explanation, it seemed more reasonable and she would do anything to survive. She touched her jade bracelet. I'll practice hard so that you won't ever break.

"That jade bracelet will only break if it sacrificed itself to protect you. Now that I'm here, you'll be fine. You should sleep. The hungry ghost festival is tomorrow. You need all your energy then."

"Why?" Sarah was curious.

"Tomorrow, the spirits from the realms of Heaven and Hell will grace the realm of living with their presence. You should know this, right? Your grandmother was of Chinese ethnicity."

"I know that," Sarah frowned, "why do I need all my energy tomorrow?"

"It's easier to for you to spot the sparkling dots with all the spirits wandering around tomorrow."

*****

This chapter is dedicated to my favourite mystery writer on Wattpad, @AnastasiaThomas089. Every time she updates a chapter, I'll feel like smashing my phone because I'm too emotionally invested in it XD

Music: Assasin's Creed Rouge Main Theme by Elista Alexandranova

If you like this chapter, please make the star turn into a golden star and comment!

Eireen x