“You do know that, as long as things remain like this, you’ll never have peace of mind again, right? You’ll always be like this, unstable,” VinWei¹Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal) warned, now looking worried, and the monster sighed.

“I can handle it.”

“And you … You can’t even see him, right?” she went on, turning to Snow, and Snow couldn’t help stare back at her in disbelief. What had she just said?

“What are you talking about?” the monster asked, echoing his own thoughts, and VinWei looked from one to the other, an incredulous expression on her face.

“You don’t know? He can’t see you. That’s one of the ways Celestials recognize their Chosen Ones. They can only see the expression of their inner force, of their energy. They are only able to actually see the person behind it once the bond is complete. Until then all they can see is a big, scary mass of energy that mirrors the Chosen One’s true nature and potential.”

Snow’s hand was finally released, and the darkness that had been looming around him all that time quickly backed away.

“That's right. Be shocked all you want. It's a miracle he still hasn’t run away in terror, or died from a heart attack, having to deal with you on a daily basis!” she scolded him again and gave Snow an understanding smile. “I can imagine he’s all black and scary, right?”

Snow timidly nodded.

He had always been wondering if he was the only one able to see the dark monster. Apparently he was.

VinWei sighed, pulling the bag that hang from her shoulder to her front, and open it. For a moment she looked inside it, clearly searching for something. A smile touched her face when she finally found it and, holding something between her hands, she simply closed her eyes.

“Just give me a moment,” she asked and then whatever she was holding started to glow, a pure white light that spilled from between her delicate fingers.

Snow kept staring at it in amazement. She was probably using her markings, he guessed, and he couldn’t help feeling curious about what was going to happen.

When the light faded Snow eagerly peered at her hands, hoping to see what she’d done. But when she finally opened them all he could see was a delicate bracelet made of small, shiny pieces of crystal, no different from the many bracelets and other trinkets he’d seen on the vending stalls back in the market.

VinWei, however, looked fairly satisfied with her accomplishment and, giving him a renewed smile, signaled him to come closer.

Snow hesitated for a moment, expecting to hear the monster’s growl forbidding him to step forward. But, since he didn’t say anything, he curiously made his way to her, wanting to take a closer look at the glowing bracelet.

“This is just a temporary measure,” she was saying while happily inspecting her bracelet. “And I don’t know how long it will last. But it will probably make things a bit easier for you, for the time being.”

Snow looked at the bracelet in her hand but couldn’t see anything special about it.

“Your hand?”

He raised his right hand, allowing her to clasp the bracelet around his wrist, and then touched the small shiny crystals, feeling them cold against his skin. It was a pretty thing but … what was he supposed to do with it?, he wondered, looking inquisitively at her.

VinWei gave him a gently smile.

“Don’t look at me. Look at him,” she said, pointing behind him with her chin, and Snow immediately turned around, unable to believe what he’d already guessed.

And then there he was, he thought with a sigh of relief, a small smile touching his lips. The man, no longer the monster. Tall and lean like he remembered. His long, black hair tied in a single ponytail. A few shorter, wilder locks of hair falling over his forehead and framing his young face. And those blue eyes, that always looked eerily frightening when floating amongst all that darkness, finally belonging to a human face.

“Not so scary anymore, right?” VinWei asked and he automatically nodded, which left a frown of annoyance on ZaiWin²Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos).’s smooth forehead. “Though it looks frail, that bracelet is rather resistant. But you still must be careful not to break it. It should also make it easier to tell him to take a hike when he bosses you around,” she added and ZaiWin’s frowned deepened even more.

“What does that thing exactly do?” he demanded and VinWei raised her head pridefully.

“It basically acts as a shield against your freaking overwhelming influence! It’s what Tien’Elhar³Literally tien (Heaven) + el (supreme) + har (girl child). The Heavenly Beings also known as Celestials in the common language. wear until their first haehir⁴Literally hae (blessed / sacred) + hir (ceremony / ritual). Blessing Ceremony held so that Tien’Elhar may find their Chosen One., since before that they’re too immature, and it has been decided a long time ago that Tien’Elhar should only bond with their Chosen Ones after the age of six. The bracelet prevents them from finding their Chosen Ones, in case their vision awakens ahead of time . That’s why, as long as he wears it, he’ll only be able to see you the same way he sees any other man,” she explained and turned to Snow again. “I’m truly sorry that this is the only thing I can do for you. I can’t completely shield you from his influence, since for all intended purposes you have already chosen him.”

But he hadn’t!, he wanted to shout at the top of his lungs, but didn’t.

“Thank you …” he whispered instead, honestly grateful for her gift, and she smiled back at him.

“So … you’re really a boy, right?”

ZaiWin rolled his eyes and Snow blushed.

“I am,” he replied, but even so VinWei’s gaze still slid down his body, staring at the place that would most certainly clear all her doubts.

“Don’t even think about it!” ZaiWin warned and she immediately glared back at him.

“What are you talking about? You pervert!”

“Who’s the pervert here?”

“I mean … Have you checked? Just to make sure.”

“I have.”

Her eyes widened in horror.

“You have?! And you dare deny that you're a pervert?? That’s exactly why Tien’Elhar should remain safely in the Temple’s care!”

“Are you an idiot? He was naked to begin with!” ZaiWin immediately countered, making Snow blush even deeper, and VinWei turned her horrified gaze towards him.

“He was? Why?”

Snow’s face went immediately pale, the sound of people shouting filling his head, the memory of how he couldn’t breathe stuck inside the box making him dizzy.

The hand that grabbed his wrist, pulling him, made him stumble, but forced him out of those dreadful memories, returning him to the real world.

“Who cares why? Let’s go back to camp! By now ZenTar⁵Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind) is probably considering leveling the entire forest just to find us,” ZaiWin declared, towing Snow behind him, and VinWei sighed and followed them.

“And I don’t doubt for a second that he'd be capable of just that either.”

ZaiWin stopped abruptly, making Snow clash head-first against his back, but he completely ignored him, turning to look at VinWei.

“Although they all know that Snow is a Celestial, the only one who knows all the facts is ZenTar. So I’d really appreciate if you would refrain from saying unnecessary things in front of the others.”

“I won’t. But you still have a lot of explaining to do about this entire matter.”

“Since I probably won’t be able to get rid of you anytime soon, we’ll have more than enough time to catch up,” ZaiWin conceded and turned around, dragging Snow behind him again.

“Shit. The old fox is going to kill me,” Snow heard him whisper under his breath and looked up at him, at his large back, at his head, at his black coat, at the black hair dancing from one side to the other with every step he took. A man, no longer a monster. He took a deep breath and smiled at his shiny new bracelet.

Silvareiel

All bow to the mighty VinWei ?