In the darkness, only a small figure lay on the ground, surrounded by shimmering golden water.
Strangely, it wasn't cold, but warm...
So warm, a feeling of warmth enveloped her, like being wrapped in a blanket. It gave her a feeling of comfort, safety, and peace, undisturbed by the outside world; she truly didn't want to open her eyes.
It seemed someone was lying beside her, their hand slightly large and soft, seemingly female, gently holding her small hand.
"You've worked hard. Your horoscope matches mine. This is destiny arranged for us both."
Saying this, the person moved closer, embraced the little girl, and whispered something, causing her to open her eyes, which were then bathed in light.
_______
Thach Anh opened her eyes and found herself lying on her familiar wooden bed. She gently sat up, feeling a slight ache all over her body. There were no injuries on her body, and the furniture showed no signs of a break-in.
Could it all have just been a dream?
While lost in thought, her small hand reached for a towel hanging on the rack, unaware that a liquid had already reached for it, placed it on her hand, and then disappeared.
After finishing her personal hygiene, she rushed to the living room, where steamed rice dumplings wrapped in leaves were already laid out on the table. Her favorite food, she unwrapped the leaves, revealing a soft, fragrant dumpling that made the child's mouth water.
Just as she was about to put her food in her mouth, a sudden loud noise outside startled her. Thach Anh ran to the door and saw a group of people in armor standing in two rows, and the figure of a woman approaching, then a large hand placed on her head.
Looking up, she saw both her parents, their faces unusually different from usual.
"Go play somewhere else, my dear." said Son.
"What's wrong?"- Thach Anh asked.
"It's business, you wouldn't understand." Thuy said calmly.
Obeying them, she took her food and ran out into the garden. However, with the curiosity and sensitivity of a child, Thach Anh couldn't ignore this.
After breakfast, she hurried to find her neighborhood friends to play with. At least they were the ones who couldn't use the elements yet.
Or so she thought.
Inside the thatched cottage, the couple stared at the man clad in a full brown suit of armor. The man in armor spoke in a low, deep voice.
"So, what's your opinion?" - The man in armor
"No, no matter what that man says, my mind won't change." - Son
"He's thought it over carefully. So much time has passed, why are you still so fixated on this?" - The man in armor
"Hah, it sounds like it could be easily resolved. He's probably forgotten what he did back then, hasn't he? The answer is no!" - Son
"Anyway, that girl is his granddaughter. You can't possibly prevent her from seeing her grandfather! Don't forget you're also—" - The man in armor
"Don't bring that up with me!" - Son
A soldier burst in, looking panicked.
"Report! A horde of demons is flying towards us!"
"Which direction? How many of them are there?" - The man in armor
"Heading towards Thien Quang Lake! There's a troop of demons commanded by a demon general!"
"Isn't that where Tun usually plays?" - Son
"Oh no..." - Thuy
Returning to Thach Anh, she stood far away, watching the children, all of whom could already use elemental powers. She felt truly left out.
Every time she saw children her age who could use elemental powers, she felt incredibly inferior. Perhaps fate didn't grant her elemental powers, leaving her as an ordinary person instead.
Turning to leave, a sudden scream caught her attention.
The demons, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, charged forward, causing the children to flee. How could those tiny legs possibly escape from the demons with their speed and enormous bodies? Thach Anh, terrified, turned to flee, but a demon suddenly appeared behind her, instantly throwing her far away.
Her small body rolled on the ground. Trembling, Thach Anh stumbled backward, falling again. A demon lunged at her, and she fearfully raised her hands to shield herself.
*Stab Stab Stab*
There were sounds of something piercing flesh. Thach Anh waited for the pain, but nothing happened. Instead, a thick, dark red liquid fell on her.
Trembling, she opened her eyes and saw that the demon before her had been impaled to death by mineral spikes. The demon's body slid down as the dark red liquid caused the spikes to penetrate deeper. Thach Anh quickly retreated, and the thorns softened, coldly dropping the demon's corpse to the ground.
'What just happened? Did someone save me?'- Thach Anh thought.
Then, the other demons, unafraid, charged forward to attack. The thorns seemed to have a mind of their own, brutally attacking the demons. Thach Anh was bewildered; she didn't understand why she wasn't afraid. Something was burning inside her chest.
It was hot, gradually spreading throughout her body. Golden streaks appeared on her body, and her brown eyes began to gleam with a golden light.
Under her control, the mineral thorns lashed out like whips, slicing the demons in two with a single blow. Thach Anh used her hand movements to break small pieces of the mineral, which turned into a liquid, transforming into throwing darts, which she then hurled towards the demons.
The smaller demons were all wiped out, leaving only a giant demon general carrying a massive sword on his back. He looked down at the small figure below him, gasping for breath from exhaustion.
"I can't believe you, so small, can act like a warrior. Indeed, the Metal element is different."
'Metal element? Me?' - Thach Anh thought
"Metal elements are quite common, but the Harmonic Element are very rare."
"What is he talking about... I don't understand, my head is spinning..." - Thach Anh felt dizzy.
The demon raised his greatsword to strike the girl, but immediately a sand snake lunged forward, grabbed the giant demon, and dragged him down into the river. Before he could stand up, he was submerged by the river and could not surface again.
Her vision blurred, and she fell into her mother's warm embrace. Her mother looked up at her husband with an expression of unceasing worry.
Seeing his wife's gaze, he understood the seriousness of the situation and turned to the man in armor.
"Take us to him immediately. It's time for this child to meet her family"- Son said.