"Excuse me? I'm a what?" I asked, confusion etched across my face.

"An Elucaen. Elucaens are people that not only have magical properties running through their veins, such as the ability to perform charms and enchantments, but most importantly, they have the ability to yield Elucae, one of the four elemental powers: ignis, aqua, terra, and aer---in simpler terms, fire, water, earth, and air. You will be further informed when the time comes. But in other words, since you're a Mesineux, you have the power to utlize water to your advantage, just like your grandfather; this trait has been traced back through generations and generations.

My eyes narrowed in disbelief. "I...have no idea what you just said, dad."

He sighed. "I figured as much, but I want to ask you something. Have you noticed how ever since we arrived through the portal, the places seemed a bit strange?"

I nodded. I did notice that. "Yeah, it's kind of like we're living in a whole new world."

"That's because...we are. The second we stepped through that portal, we're now in the Elucaen world. Do you remember how you corrected me because you thought I pronounced 'America' wrong?"

"I said that because we're, as of right now, in the nation of Almeria, which is more or less the Elucaen counterpart of America."

"So, you're saying...there's a completely new world that exists right in front of our eyes and we didn't even know about it?"

"Well, only humans with Elucaen blood can access these portals, which is the main gate between this world and the human world," Mom added.

"But what exactly is the purpose of telling me this now? Why not tell me about this sooner?" I inquired. The more I thought about the logic behind this, the more my head wanted to explode.

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about. What we feared, ever since you were born, will soon come to pass, and will pass, if we don't do anything about it," she responded with a grimace.

Mom paused, "...which is precisely why you can no longer continue your last year at Greek Hall."

Under other circumstances, those words would be like music to my ears...just not what I expected in this scenario. "Why?"

"We're sending you to a boarding school called Clarines Elucaen Preparatory School, or just Clarines for short."

"You're sending me away?" I asked, incredulously.

"Yes, I think that would be best for you, considering how we think it's time you know how to use your powers."

"Let me get this straight. So first you dropped a bomb that I have magical elemental powers, then tell me we're living in a new dimension in an alternate universe, and as if that was not enough, now I have to move schools in order to learn how to use my powers?" I asked, incredulously.

My mom wrapped her hands around mine. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I know this is overwhelming, but trust us on this; we just want what's best for you."

"Let me guess: the school is located far away in this world, correct?" I said sarcastically, so to say I was surprised that my answer hit the bulls-eye was definitely an understatement.

"Good guess," my grandfather laughed, "but yes, that school is one of the best Elucaen preparatory schools in the Elucaen world, located in the province of Clarines."

"Which is in..."

"Anglia, the second best Elucaen nation after Gallia, if I do say so myself," he replied proudly.

"Oh, do be quiet, Charles. The girl doesnt need to know your biased opinions," my grandmother whispered, a smile forming on her lips.

Gallia must be France, if I recalled correctly. My dad would, more often than not, pride himself in our French heritage, which was presumably where our last name came from. I always thought he was joking, but perhaps I was wrong.

"So Anglia is..." I started, hopping my dad could spare me the embarrassment and elaborate on its location.

"England," was his simple response.

I stood up. "What? You expect me to go all the way to a country I've never been to before- neither in the Elucaen nor the human world may I add- to learn in a school I've never heard of before now?" I said, not stopping to catch my breath.

Before any of them could respond, I went on, "And how can I possibly move schools, when the new semester starts in two weeks? How does that even make sense?"

"Your grandmother is mailing the headmaster as we speak."

In my haste to get my point across, I failed to notice that my grandmother did in fact slipped out of the room. "Still, isn't it a bit too last minute?"

My dad furrowed his brows. "You're right, it is last minute. But there's no reason not to try; after all, all of your ancestors learned Elucae in that school, and that was actually where I met your mother as well," he said, giving my mom a small smile as he gave her hand a squeeze.

As the gears started turning in my head, the realization finally dawned on me. "That's why you guys were so secretive about your past...you didn't want us to know."

He gave a firm nod, acknowledging my suspicions all along. I always thought they didn't want to tell us because they had some kind of dark secret; something that should never be shared with anyone, no matter what. Of course, once or twice I naturally assumed the worst, but never would I have thought it was because they were hiding a part of them from us...a part of us even.

"Well, let's say what you're saying is true, that I'm an Elucaen and can yield water to my advantage. But what makes you so sure that I am one, anyway?"

My grandfather let out a low chuckle. "Well, first of all, your parents were both one, so no doubt you are one as well."

"And Erin, have you ever noticed anything strange or did anything out of the ordinary before you started high school? Anything that has to do with water?" my mom asked.

I inadvertently rubbed my fingers along my eyebrows, finally recalling the incident.

It was during the summer before my freshman year at Greek Hall. I was hanging at the pool with Ara, but at that time our bond was as tight as earphone knots and our moments as blissful as they could ever be. Back then, we both possessed a naive innocence that had not been tainted by the nightmares of high school, a quality I wished I could take back every day of my life.

I was laying by the pool on my stomach, attempting to add some color to my fair complexion, while Ara was curled up in the shade with a book, completely content with maintaining her pale Korean heritage. So that was what we did...until I blacked out. I couldn't exactly remember what happened, or why I suddenly blacked out. When I gained consciousness, she claimed that right before I fainted, I started sprouting droplets of water from my index fingers. Naturally, I didn't believe her but then she asserted that my body started glowing an electric blue hue for a few seconds, then as it faded, that was when I started regaining my consciousness. At that time, I laughed it off and we pretended it never happened, but it did.

"I'm not completely sure, but I think I remember Ara saying that she witnessed me glowing a blue color," I admitted.

My mom clapped her hands together. "Sweetie, that's it! The glowing is precisely the sign that you are indeed an Elucaen, since it happened to all of us as well."

"But mom, can I ask you a hypothetical question? Is it strange if I can turn water into, I don't know, ice cubes out of nowhere? Just curious," I asked, suddenly remembering the events from this morning.

She gave a small nod in response. "Hypothetically, it's not strange at all, since aqua Elucaens has the ability to freeze water as well."

I had always considered these strange happenings as purely coincidental, or that it was all a dream, begging for me to wake up. I never would have thought all of this...was a reality that I was forced to face. A reality I wasn't sure I was ready for.

"Erin, look at this, "my grandfather said, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Pilaqus," he whispered softly.

Before my mind could grasp what he said, out of his fingers shot three water orbs, floating in mid air.

"Is that-" I started, completely taken aback by the sudden action.

"Yes," he nodded proudly, "this is an agua attack spell, which I learned my second year at Clarines if my memory served me well. At my command, these three balls would shoot straight at whoever or whatever my finger points to, within forty feet of course."

I gulped. "I see, that's very...interesting." Dangerous, but interesting.

As if he could sense my discomfort, my grandfather suggested, "John, why don't you take Erin and Kristi to visit Embergarde? Since it is located in Anglia, perhaps it would help if she see in person what the Elucaen world is like in that nation?"

My dad shared a look with my mom before nodding. "That's not a bad idea, father. And your portal still leads to the districts, right?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Of course it does, who do you think I am?"

Before dad could respond, my mom cut him off. "Should we tell her about it now, or wait till later? It would definitely ruin the mood..." she whispered, a bit too loud for my liking.

"Mom, I can hear you."

She made a complete turn and conversed with my grandparents, who both shook their head in return. "...it's important, she needs to know as soon as possible," I heard.

"Know what?" I inquired, getting a little impatient. Of course, no response

After what appears to them finally coming to a conclusion, my parents turned around and looked me straight in the eye. "Erin, we have to tell you something," my dad said firmly.

"Go on..." I pressed.

"Well, your grandfather and I agreed that we should tell you once we figure out a solution, especially after everything you've been told so far."

She continued, "However, your father," pausing to glare at him, "insists you must be told now, so we decided to tell you later instead."

I rolled my eyes, not at all surprised by their indecisiveness. "Then what was the point of 'telling me something' if you're not even going to tell me now? I'm sure my brain can process another dropped bomb."

"Dropped bomb? Where?" my grandfather yelped as he hugged the chair in such a peculiar manner I couldn't help but snort.

"Father, it's just a figure of speech in the human world," my dad whispered, a smile threatening to escape his lips.

My grandfather stood up and cleared his throat. "Is that so? Well, son, I need to have a quick talk with you before you leave," he said as he straightened his tie.

After the men left the room, my mom gave me a comforting smile and asked, "How are you holding up?"

"I honestly have no idea. For some reason, I'm not as surprised as I thought I would be, but at the same time, all of this hit me way too fast all at once, and I don't know if I can keep up," I replied with a sigh.

"But mom, can you tell me a bit more about the Elucaen world? Maybe it would help my understanding more?" I continued, hoping it would clear some of the confusion.

"Sure. Where to begin...well, to begin with, the Elucaen World consists of five nations, each with their own form of government. The nations are called Almeria, Anglia, Gallia, Espania, and Chysania, which are all located in their human world counterpart countries."

I cocked my head. "Counterpart?"

"For instance, Almeria is located in America, Anglia is in Great Britain, Gallia is in France, Espania is in Spain, and last but not least, Chysania is in China. Both worlds speak the same language and pretty much has the same general culture, except Elucaens are able to yield Elucae.""

"So...what you're saying is, the Elucaen nations are located in the Elucaen counterpart of those modern countries?"

"Precisely. My parents were Almerian Elucaens, while your grandparents are of Gallian descent, which is where your last name comes from I assume."

I nodded. "If grandfather is from Gallia, then why do they live in Almeria?"

"That's because I love the country, but hate the nation," a voice boomed from behind us.

"My ancestors before me was raised in Gallia their entire life, and I have been exposed to it during the duration of my youth, as well. Believe it or not, I was a government official there before I moved here, and it was the most terrible decision of my life."

"What's wrong with their government?" I asked.

"Back in the days, it was not efficient at all; a literal mess if I do say so myself. No voices were be heard, not one person was capable of cooperating, and the Eluprae did nothing to help the nation and the people. Surprisingly, it has shown great improvement over the years, but-"

"Yes, yes, we know. You still held a grudge against them," my grandmother finished, rolling her eyes.

Apparently, my grandmother has returned with the news that we shall be notified of my admission to Clarines by tomorrow morning. I had no idea how she acquired all that information within an hour, but before I could ask, her presence already vanished as quick as it came.

"So...who's ready to visit Embergarde?" Dad asked, nudging my shoulders. "Father, is the portal still located in the library on the second floor?"

"I'll take you there. I want to have a chat with my granddaughter as well," he responded, giving me a wink.

As he steered my shoulders out the room and up the spiral staircase, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Erin, we didn't mean to confuse you. But trust me, whatever happens, we will find a way through this, I promise."

I gave him a puzzled look. "Find a way through what?"

"You'll know, when the time comes. Here we are," he said at last, as we came to a stop in front of the double oak doors.

I groaned under my breath. Their ambiguous answers was starting to put me on the brink of exasperation.

The library was a fairly small circular room, with only three shelves of both books on both sides. It was a little bit bigger than our attic, but still paled in comparison to the other rooms of the house.

"We don't usually use the library that much, except for when we need to use the portal," Grandfather said, before pushing a blue button engraved on one of the books.

In a blink of an eye, a portal suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, its glow illuminating the room with a slight green hue.

Dad revealed that only people with Elucaen blood were able to access the many portals that led to the cities and towns in an Elucaen nation; however, anyone with full human blood were shielded from said portals, giving them a view that only humans were able to see.

On every door, there was a faint glowing light and the name of a town marked on it that was only available for Elucaens' eyes, in order to distinguished the difference between a portal and a normal door.They were located all throughout the Elucaen worlds, and according to my grandfather, there were even shops that sold maps with the different kinds of portals listed on them.

After saying our goodbyes, my parents and I dashed toward the entrance as the light finally engulfed us 

***

As we stumbled through a purple marble arch, I gasped in admiration; no words could even describe the sensation that I felt as my eyes beheld the magnificent sight before me. The district of Embergarde highly resembled a scene out of a fairy tale novel, making my heart flutter in joy as memories of my childhood came rushing in. There was a myriad of shops lining both sides of the one-way cobblestoned path, each shop as vividly-colored and refined as the next. Everywhere I looked, there were people in every direction, though they all seemed to be wearing quite a peculiar outfit with a bird perched on their shoulder.

"Pretty nice, huh? It's been quite a while since your mom and I last stepped foot in here," he smiled widely, yet his eyes held a tint of wistfulness to it.

I was shell-shocked; not because it was my first time visiting this beautiful place, but more so because I was actually a part of this world.

"Wow...I've never seen anything like this before. What exactly is this place?"

"Embergarde is, essentially, located at the heart of the Almerian nation, and for as long as we could remember, one of the most popular shopping districts here. It's a place where Elucaens can go to buy an assortment of things, ranging from clothing to even pets and furniture. There are also a variety of delicious restaurants and creameries, and if my memory served me well, the best ones are at the very end of this road."

From where we were standing, there appeared to be only one road, but further down, the road then splits up into different roads, which each led to a specific area of the district. People of all ages flocked the wide alley, though most were draped in a long thick cloak.

"Why are they wearing these strange cloaks in sixty degrees weather?"

He looked at me with an arched eyebrow. "Strange? Erin, these are their everyday clothing. It's just the same as ours in the human world, except people older than the age of eighteen are required to wear cloaks outlined with their elemental color to mark that they're a true Elucaen."

"So I have to wear those by the time my birthday rolls around?"

A hint of sadness flashed through his eyes, but it disappeared as fast as it came. "If you're wondering, not all of these people are from Almeria. In fact, a lot of Elucaens live in a nation that is not their birthplace."

"That's...interesting."

He had avoided the question.

I watched as the glowing globe in the sky glared with its scorching rays, its molten-gold beams splashed onto the ground before me, lighting our path with our heavy thumps against the cobble-stoned path.

"Dad, why do you address grandfather so formally?" I asked, changing the subject. It was quite peculiar how formal Dad was to his father, even if they haven't seen each other in a while. Our family was usually casual, so when I heard the formality between them, I followed his example, not sure how exactly I should address my grandfather.

"Well, I suppose its just how I've always been raised; truth be told, due to my father's government official status, there had always been this feeling of formality amongst our family, since officials have always been regarded with the most utmost respect in the Elucaen world."

Elucaens that worked in the government were, apparently, considered one of the most privileged groups of people in this world, granted with numerous benefits, which of course, stretched to their families as well, Since grandfather was an Almerian official, he had the privilege of attending any district, whereas it's shopping, government, or even schools, in all the Elucaen nations. Grandmother was also reaped with the same benefits due to the marriage law, which stated that once a person is married to an official, they are granted the same privileges as well. According to Dad, an Elucaen marriage is ostensibly 'a sacred bond between two individuals which should always be preserved for as long as possible.'

"Did grandmother use the portal to get to my supposedly new school? Was that how she managed to get an answer is that short time span?"

He gave me a knowing grin. "You're sharp-witted, kid. But yes, your grandmother used the very same portal to visit your school."

Speaking of grandmother...she was a mystery I couldn't put my fingers on; apart from giving me that sympathetic glance, we didn't even speak to each other. "Hey dad, can you tell me a bit more about your mom? Like what's her job?"

"My mother? Well, for as long as I can remember, she works part-time in a bakery a little south of our house, which really helped hone out her skills since she was an ignis Elucaen and all. She didn't exactly needed work since my father was already making a lot of money, but then again she have always been a huge advocate when it comes to food," Dad replied.

"Was that where you got your love of cooking from, dad?"

He nodded with a little smile, his eyes drifting off to the distance.

Every time Dad had that look in his eyes, I always assumed it was because he missed something. But after witnessing the expression on his face after seeing his parents for the first time in almost two decades, I realized it was not because he missed something, it was because he missed someone, or two someones in this case.

"Erin? Are you okay, sweetie?" Mom asked as she draped an arm over my shoulder.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"I guess. But what I just don't get is why you and dad didn't tell me about all of this sooner. Wouldn't I bound to figure it out at some point?"

"In all honesty, Erin, we never intended for you to find out like this, or find out ever in the first place. The thing is, " Dad began, "the worst has come to happen, just as we feared, which was why we had to visit your grandparents so they could perhaps help us find a solution.

He continued. "You see, that mark on your arm...it's no accident. "

"I know, but what does it even mean? And how does it all linked to me being an Elucean?"

"Well, as you can already tell, being able to yield Elucae is one of the best, if not the best thing that could ever happen to a person...but just not necessarily for our family. You see, nothing has been right for us, not since..."

"Not since what?"

"Not since-" he started.