Chương 36: Book 1; Chapter 35; Lucky girl

Anniet stood speechless, not knowing what had just happened, looking from Rainee to Anthony and from Anthony to Rainee. Not knowing what he had done to receive such treatment. Anthony seemed utterly unaffected by these harsh words. Rainee broke the tension, stretching her hand to Anniet.

"Come," – she said with a warm smile as if she wouldn't have spoken so harshly just a second ago – "I will show you how to escape students." As soon as Anniet touched her hand, she felt a firm grip, and all around lost its shape, blurring into one. Next, she knew they were standing in a wide opening surrounded by rocks. People had vanished, and no noise was around them anymore.

There could be heard silent murmurs from somewhere far away in the distance, somewhere down below the hill, but because of the echo, it was difficult to say how far behind everyone was left. But it was clear that it was nowhere close by.

"Wow," that was all that Anniet could say.

"That was a proper escape! How did you do it?"

"You run very, very fast while at the same time wishing to leave everyone behind," Rainee winked at her eye. It was clear that it was not how it was done, but nevertheless, it did the trick and left everyone somewhere far away. Anniet looked around. They must have been somewhere higher in the mountains, as the weather here was cooler, and a few scrubs and stones replaced the trees. Most of this opening was taken by a lake with see-through water.

The lake was surrounded by mountains rising even higher from every other direction but this one. While Anniet was looking around, Rainee had already taken her clothes off and was walking into the lake. The water was very shallow at the beginning, but soon it got much deeper, and Rainee dived in for a swim. It looked so refreshing that Anniet was going to follow.

"If you do, you will get very cold," Rainee said without even looking back, instead diving down like a seal or fish that was born in the water. At first, Anniet was going to ignore this warning, but then had a second thought and put only her foot in the water and quickly pulled it out. No matter how many times she tried, she could not keep her foot in the water for any longer than a few seconds. Eventually, she gave up on trying and climbed a flat rock to watch Rainee swimming.

She stretched Rainee's clothes in the sunshine so they would be nice and warm when she came out. The water was very clear, and she could see Rainee even in the far distance. She must be an excellent swimmer, but again, what to wonder about there, as Rainee proved to be good at anything Anniet could think of. Rainee didn't take too long, and when she came out of the water, she didn't even have any shivers or goosebumps on her skin. On the contrary, she looked all rested and refreshed.

Rainee flattened herself down on the same rock where Anniet was sitting, waiting for the sun and wind to dry her out.

"Aren't you cold?" Anniet asked.

"No," Rainee said, "I don't get cold."

"You don't feel cold?!" Anniet was surprised.

"To get the right answer, you have to ask the right questions," Rainee smiled slightly.

"You asked if I get cold. Getting cold and feeling cold are not the same, are they? I do feel cold, but I don't get cold from feeling it. Same as I feel heat, but I don't get hot from it. You don't have to succumb to all you feel. Just as you can have your own mind in a circle of different opinions, you can also maintain, let's say, your own temperature while in different surroundings. Cold is just another sense that is pretty nice if you can feel it without getting it in."

"I have never heard anything like this before!" Anniet marvelled once more about how differently Rainee saw all around herself.

"Where did you learn it?"

"Watching, observing, reading, thinking, feeling, trying," Rainee smiled again.

"In other words, living. You cannot learn all just by studying, exercising, or trying to do what others tell you to do. Others can only advise, but you have to try yourself, to experiment, to change, and to try it your way. I have nothing against learning, but the problem with it is that it teaches you to do things in a certain way, and if you do, you think you have succeeded, and if you don't, you think you have failed. When there is never one or another.

There is no such thing as failure, and success is very relative, as if you aim for it once you reach it, there is nowhere else to go. When you seek something new while using all that is known, you will never fail or succeed, as you will never know what is around the corner. Learning this way is most effective; however, people don't call it learning, they call it messing around. They want to learn by the book. But someone had to write that book."

"I see," Anniet said, hugging her knees and looking in the distance.

"Will I ever become like you?"

"No," Rainee said, "why would you become like me? But you can become like you."

"I thought I already was like me."

"Well, think like this – it is far, far away from the truth."

"Then how do I become like me?"

"Watching, observing, reading, thinking, feeling, trying, in other words, living." Rainee repeated the same words she said before.

"Also remembering that there may be many people opposing you becoming you, but only one person really gets in the way and prevents it from becoming reality. Everyone else can only try, but without the approval of that single person, they will never succeed." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

"And that person is?" Anniet asked, already knowing what Rainee would say.

"You." Rainee confirmed her thoughts.

"But it is important for me what other people think…"

"And that is why you will get cold if you go into cold water." Rainee answered.

"Then I should stop feeling?"

"Then you will not feel if that water is cold, but it will not stop this cold from affecting you. You simply will not know why you are getting cold. A terrible choice, as it can lead to severe damage or even death." Anniet was sitting in silence for a while, thinking how all must be simple. No, how all is simple while it is just her and Rainee.

"You are so smart, you should be a general." She said eventually.

"How do you know I am not?" Rainee smiled, opening one eye to look at Anniet.

"There is only one female general and she has died," Anniet said with a little bit of sadness in her voice. Rainbow general seemed so invincible, and to realise that she had been killed like anyone else truly was mind-blowing.

"True," Rainee said, "But don't be sad, someone will take her place."

"You?"

"No, not me. How could I? I have my faithful students to look after," Rainee laughed, lifting Anniet's mood up again.

"Besides, the King has more generals than you think of, and some of them are females."

"Are you one of them?" Anniet lifted her head again.

"No," Rainee denied, "I am not."

"Shame, you would be a good leader."

"And who would be spending time with you if I were a general? Do you know how busy they are?"

"I would follow you," Anniet said firmly. Rainee didn't say anything, just smiled, trying to imagine Anniet in the King's Army.

"What made you so angry earlier?" Anniet asked.

"Why do you think I was angry?"

"You spoke harshly to Anthony."

"Did I?" Rainee asked.

"How?"

"You said that he is a fool and he should go home."

"Did I?" Now Rainee was interested. She stood up, put her clothes on, giving Anniet a grateful look for warming them up, and sat in front of Anniet with her legs crossed.

"Your mystery friend is a fascinating figure," she said, looking directly into her eyes.

"Does he make you angry or stressed?"

"No," Anniet said.

"Never. He makes me feel safe and secure. And… happy. I never had a better friend than him apart from you. Do you think he is a bad person?"

"Does the description you just gave me define a bad person?"

"No," Anniet agreed, "but he must have done something bad to become like this…"

"Doing something bad doesn't make one a bad person. Sometimes, the worst people are those who do nothing. There are many stories where the best people have done the most terrible things. It didn't make them bad. It made them cause pain and suffering for others, which in itself is the worst punishment one can receive. A person and their actions are not the same. Actions come and go, while people remain.

Actions can be done for many different reasons, and from my experience, bad actions come from a lack of knowledge and fear. Only those who try their hardest can do the most terrible things. But also, only those who try their best can do the most wonderful things. Those who don't try do neither good nor bad. In other words, they do nothing, and that in itself leads to a bad outcome only. So don't be afraid to do something and make a mistake, even if you cause harm to someone unintentionally.

If you do, you will be in fear, and only bad things will come out of it. Remember, all of us are the same powerful beings, and others had the same chance of success to avoid it as you had to harm them. Learn from your mistakes, don't ignore them. It all depends on intention, and only a person without fear can have good intentions. Everyone who hurts others intentionally is under the command of fear themselves. We all make mistakes, each and every one of us.

Just, the stronger we are, the more impact our mistakes would have on others. But if we choose to stay weak and small because of this fear, then we would be harming ourselves at least, and also those who would benefit from us if we became stronger. The secret is that there are no bad people. There are only choices and decisions based on many things that go on inside of us at that very moment.

Only those who choose to move forward will be able to find that truly good being inside of themselves created by The One himself. If your friend has done something bad, it doesn't make him a bad person; it depends on whether he is willing to do it again when circumstances dictate, or if he has moved forward, growing bigger than the reasons that made him make that mistake.

But saying that, there is not even evidence that he has done something bad, as very often people are just afraid of something they don't understand. However, if he is powerful, to overpower him would require someone even brighter than he is. That's what makes his story interesting. Come, let me have a proper look at this figure." While saying the last words, she stretched her arm and placed her hand on Anniet's chest.

"What should I do?" Anniet asked with her eyes wide open.

"Nothing," Rainee smiled.

"I would say 'think about him,' but he is all over your head and heart all the time, so even that is not needed." Anniet blushed slightly, thinking that Rainee must have seen through her a long time ago, but didn't move an inch. If Rainee wants to see what is in her heart, then it is open for her.

Even before trying, Rainee already knew that it would not work. At least not the way she would want it to. But nevertheless, she wanted to have a proper feel of him. Earlier in the day, she lost control over herself, and the dots connected, and all was gone by now, nothing left, no memory whatsoever. Not even a feeling, as it was swiped away as soon as knowledge and understanding were attached to it. That must be why she got angry. Anger wasn't her usual suit.

To know that it was expressed openly wasn't a good sign. Not even remembering it was even worse. Why would she be angry with Anthony? Oh, right, because he was that mystery person! As all is gone anyway, there is nothing to save, so why not look at what we have openly, even if it will last just a second? All that Anniet knew about him came in a full, complete picture within a moment and blasted again out in small pieces, dissolving into nothingness. Again, and again, and again. Over and over.

Every time opening Rainee's eyes and leaving her blind again, without even a memory of what it felt like to be able to see.

"Fool!" She would repeat over and over again, bringing more and more worry to Anniet's face. Until her wide open eyes couldn't be ignored any longer and drew Rainee's attention. She never stopped creating that picture of truth about Anthony from Anniet's knowledge, and that picture kept popping out every time, but somehow this girl was making more and more room in that picture. How strange. The spell was perfect and unbreakable. But despite all odds, it left this strange link.

If not Anniet, connecting this mystery person to the rest of the world, no one would be able to reach him, no matter how strong-minded. Rainee would have forgotten about him long ago without a single worry or need to remember. Such strong spells don't have these kinds of weaknesses. How come this one had? And what role did Anniet play in it? It was obvious it wasn't something in the girl herself, as Rainee could remember all about her. There were no secrets in the girl nor in her life.

And the feeling that Rainee was fully aware of why this weakness in this spell was disclosed got stronger and stronger; she just wasn't allowed to remember it. Minutes were passing, and instead of "fool" before each explosion, Rainee changed it to "of course" and slowly it grew into a smile that was getting warmer and warmer until she finally said "lucky girl" before removing her hand. Hardly several minutes had passed, but it had exhausted Rainee more than the previous training that lasted nearly two days.

Fighting against the spell had taken its toll, and she lay down again on the rock to take a rest. Now she would gladly go for sleep, but there is still a long way till they reach home.

"So?" Anniet asked after Rainee's hand was removed from her chest.

"Do you know who he is? Can you remember him?"

"No," Rainee said while looking into the clouds.

"But I don't want to know it anymore. Or rather, I don't feel a need for it. Somehow, I am glad to have these few touches that I can retain and am content with it."

"So all your efforts were in vain? You got stressed so many times, and now you are so tired."

"No efforts ever go in vain. I don't feel stressed anymore, and I don't think I will become angry over it again, but you are right, I am tired, so we'd better go home now. Otherwise, tomorrow Marcus will have to teach me how to take a rest, not vice versa. And if you come tomorrow, it would be good if you wouldn't stay as long as you did last time. There is no need to waste your time on somebody else's battle.

I can promise you there will be nothing much different from what it was last time, and you could spend your time more meaningfully, as this place provides so many opportunities. Why waste them just to watch how someone else is struggling?"