Protecting Eliana

"Young Child, Young Child, when in trouble, find the power within yourself.

Young Child, Young Child, you hold the key to knowledge and wealth within yourself.

Young Child, Young Child, all the answers you need…."

Thyestes had his head placed on his wife's belly, and before he could finish, the door to his home was busted down. Thyestes immediately put himself between the Kardia guards and Nova. "What is the meaning of this?" asked Thyestes.

Thyestes, you are under arrest for the murder of a child. Please place your hands behind your back," responded one of the guards.

Thyestes knew he was becoming a threat to the Kardia government but accusing him of a murder he could not fathom. He looked at his wife and shook his head, then began to whisper incoherently to necklace around his neck. "Alright, darling, you know what to do?" And with the snap of his fingers, the guards around Thysestes fell. "Sleep. Take a deep sleep. All of you will remember taking me to the cell and just leaving me there. See you again, Nova. I love you both." Thyestes kisses Nova and runs out. Nova quickly composes herself, then her appearance shifts, and she places herself outside of the home and into the crowd. Protecting Eliana was the most crucial mission now.

The people of Kardia wear heart-shaped lockets that record all your good and evil deeds. From birth until death, everyone around you will know whether you are a good or bad person. People could almost instantly see when you murder, steal, or lie, even if you can do it flawlessly. Well, for Eliana, she really has mastered lying to both her heart and locket. The short-legged, overly plump teen had to learn how to survive Kardia.

"Elios, you know? There is a society outside of Kardia…." Eliana stated as she tried to keep pace with the Elios and the other Kardiac High Students.

"Yeah, I know. You talk about it all the time. Look around you. It is perfect here. Kardia has no crime. You don't know what you will find out there."

Elios abruptly stopped and pointed to the large walls surrounding Kardia people separating them from the rest of the world.

"Come on! Do you not want to go outside of these walls and meet other people? Everyone looks the same, I mean except me, but we eat the same. Dress the same. We even have the same habits. We have no freedom."

"Eliana! Are we talking about this right now? In public? Remember what happened to your father?"

"You know what, tell Levkar that I went back to the main building because I am sick."

"Good one, but you know I can't lie."

"Never mind, don't say anything I will handle it when he asks."

Eliana quickly climbed the steps to the main building, furious over Elios bringing up her father. She rested her hands on the cement railing and stared at the building she would soon leave. Why would he ask her about what happened to her father? Of course,

she does not remember that man; she was not even born yet when he was arrested. He was the last man in Kardia to be charged for a crime 18 years ago. She dreams about him once in and while; however, the dreams are always the same. A dark-haired man with broad shoulders is always welcoming her through the jail bars. The cell is dark, with mold growing on the walls. Eliana sees one light in the middle of the cell, and there he stands, smiling. Eliana always walks up to the bars, but he does not move. Hearing the other students coming in from the run, she brought herself quickly back to reality. She scanned the school one last time, and the excitement of leaving the place began to hit her.

"Hey Hog, what is making you so happy?" examined Dolion.

"Oh, my Atreus! It is a snake, I see! Just slithering about." Elios steps in and puts his arm around Eliana.

"What do you see in her? Look at her! she isn't like the rest of us" Dolion scanned Elianas' body and wildly curly hair with disgust.

Elios leaned into Dolion and whispered, "Maybe I just don't like you." He grabs Elianas' hand and pulls her away, not before Levar sees her.

"Eliana, come to my office now." She swiftly walked into Levars' the office that she was all too familiar with. "Okay, what is the reasoning behind you missing the run this time?"

As Eliana scanned Levar and sat down across from him, "I was feeling a little sick." Levar looked from her locket to her face. The locket stayed the same color and didn’t indicate she was lying. He motioned her to leave, and she took her cue. The difference between Eliana and the rest of Kardia is that she lives believing the locket works for her, and they live believing the lockets work for society.

"How do you do that?" Elios said in Eliana's ear, startling her. Eliana kept walking because this is not something you want to acknowledge in Kardia. Elios wanted to know all of what Eliana could do with her locket. He has heard of legends where people were heart and mind connected that their lockets gave them powers. Kardia used to be a lot larger than it is now, but as his grandad has told him, some people adapted to the lockets. That is why there are the walls that separate us from those on the outside. The rebels who used their powers said they wanted freedom. The old war only brought destruction and death to Kardia. The government of Kardia wanted full reign over the citizens and wanted a standard to be followed, or there were consequences. Kardia eradicated the presence of the old war from existence that now lives on as legends.

That night Elios went into his family library and took out a book that has been passed down for generations. If Eliana was like the rebels, he was going to awaken her. The people of Kardia are adapting to their lockets; he could see it little by little. People were disappearing for illnesses or rehabilitation for months at a time. Sometimes they never come back. Elios knows Eliana's father had power like the rebels and the people on the outside. He believed that was why he was arrested for murder. Thyestes, who was Eliana's father, was Elios' father's best friend. Before his father passed, he told his son to protect Eliana.

The same night Elios was doing his research the essence of Thyestes decided to visit his daughter one last time. Eliana found herself in the same cell that she has always met with Thyestes. This meeting felt different. Thyestes had his hands on her shoulders and smiled warmly at her. She began to speak, but Thyestes hushed her by telling her, "Awaken yourself, young one. You are more powerful than you know." Eliana began to talk again, "Fath.." and

Thyestes quieted her down, "Darling, hush and talk with me. You are in danger. Align your mind with your heart. The locket will follow your instructions. Some people will try to remove you from existence if they know you are becoming awakened."

Looking at Thyestes, "I am not sure how to process all of this, but I don't know where to begin with aligning myself," Eliana mustered out.

"Elios will approach you tomorrow at the Willow tree after class. His family has held onto an old book that has a powerful technique. I love you, Eliana. This will be the last time I can meet you in your dreams." As quick as Thyestes was in her dreams he disappeared.

The next day after the class finished. Eliana quickly headed to the old willow tree to see Elios already waiting there. Elios explained to Eliana his family's relationship with Thyestes and why he believed it was essential to awaken herself. Listening carefully Eliana said, "What is your plan?" Elios thought she would be far more reluctant, but he welcomed her willingness. "I need you to meet me at my home tonight. Tell your mom you will be staying over for a while due to exams." Elios quickly left. Eliana went home to grab her items and left her mother a note.

That night Elios had her sitting in the middle of his room cross-legged and with her eyes closed. The ancient technique that Elios was teaching Eliana was not complex, except in terms of consistency. With Eliana's eyes closed, she needed to close her mind off to the rest of the world. Imagine roots growing from her limbs into the ground. Energy from Earth will travel up her limbs into the center of Eliana's abdomen. An opening will start at the top of her head to allow energy to come through her crown. These energies will meet centrally. The goal is to grow the center of energy for more power and balance. Eliana worked at this over the next few days, falling asleep quickly after it began. Overloaded with this new energy, she must practice.

For months Eliana and Elios would practice an hour before and after school. The gift of lying that Eliana thought she had was a gift of persuasion. Elios also found that physically he was getting stronger and could heal himself quicker. It could take years for both Eliana and Elios will take years to reach the full potential of their powers. As they get stronger, they will begin to bring too much attention, and escaping to the outside was the best choice.

Each day both teens began exploring along the wall of Kardia. They tried to not bring too much attention to themselves. It seemed that the only accessible door to the outside never opened. One day, when they were lying in wait, they watched as it opened. Dropping to the ground, they watched guards walking through. Elios realized how late it was as he looked at his watch. The guards must be switching swifts.

"We have never stayed this late. The only opportunity to slip through the doors is when it is dark and the next time they switch shifts," analyzed Eliana.

Every night they would wait for shift change, and it would never come. They brought with them two weeks' worth of rationed food and a change of clothes in two backpacks. Neither of them knew what to expect. Maybe they would find a jungle or a dessert. Nothing could prepare them for what was outside. Elios, at this point, was irritated with having to bring his backpack every night. "I don't want to say this, but should we give up…"

"Shhhh," and as quickly as Elios was giving up, Eliana was shoving her backpack onto his head and back onto the ground they were. "Are you ready?" she whispers. As soon as the last guard was out. Elios ran as fast as he could to catch the door.

Eliana began to run, and she heard, "Hey, what are you doing?" Looking behind her she sees a guard coming behind her quickly.

"Elios, you better run" still running Elios is holding out his hand and grabbed Eliana and flung her through the door behind him.

"Eliana... We made it! Bet you wished you would have run with the rest of us back at school, huh?" And with no response, he turned around to see Eliana just standing looking at a city full of people. All sorts of people were here. Eliana spotted a man levitating, while Elios saw a child disappear in thin air. They looked at each other and grabbed each other's hands. An overwhelming feeling of excitement was hitting them both. The outside was the perfect place to become awakened for Eliana and Elios.

"Well, Hello, Darling. You made it here quicker than I thought."

Eliana turned around to find a familiar face.