Julia Lelieveld and the battle with the underworld
~2~

I softly opened the door and saw Max walking towards me. He automatically took my hand again, for which I was very grateful. Without showing it to Rob, I leaned all my weight on Max again. Luckily he was strong and seemed like he was just supporting me a little. I sat down on the bed again and Rob immediately asked how Renzo was doing.

I nodded. “He’ll recover.”

I hoped they hadn’t been listening in, but I wasn’t sure. Practitioners of the elements forming a circle and their mentor could understand each other from a very far distance. Or if they wanted to communicate in a crowd, they could talk to each other in a low whisper, while no one else could hear them.

“Julia, what happened? I know I woke up in my office with a headache and saw that there had been a fight in the library.”

Rob looked at me expectantly.

Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about that. Lucas had knocked Rob down.

I looked at Rob for a moment, but he didn’t look hurt. I assumed he was fine.

I took a deep breath, gosh where do I start?

I started by running into Tim and having to help him in the storage room. There I ran into Lucas, where he attacked me for the first time and that I could have shaken him off by using wind power. Once I was able to run and go to the library, I found out he was faster and Lucas was already there. There we had fought, where I had used fire on him. Then he ran into Renzo in the hallway. I told them they were going to fight each other, but Renzo and I fled because the others were coming too. And of course I meant the possessed boy and girl. I told them about the rooftop fight, that I was able to use the powers of Leo, Sara and Max and that’s why I stayed alive. I also told them about the leader of evil. That he appeared in the boy and what he had said. And of course that I couldn’t have done anything without Renzo. That I owed him my life.

No one interrupted me in the whole story. I looked at them one by one, but no one said anything.

I didn’t really want to think about it, but I had to talk about it anyway.

“Rob?”

He looked at me.

“I don’t think we’ll be safe for long.”

He seemed to think for a moment.

“There will certainly be more evil. Even though they are ordered by their leader not to harm you. There are always those who can’t resist. But they can’t replace you as long as you’re here.”

I looked at him uncomprehendingly. As long as we’re here? I looked around again, still not knowing where I was.

“Where are we anyway?”

“We are in my house. I live in the old house on the edge of town towards the forest.”

I still looked at him uncomprehendingly.

He got a small smile around his mouth.

“You haven’t lived here very long, of course. This house is known as the local haunted house. But of course it isn’t, but a good legend to keep strangers at a distance. This house is connected to the earth’s boundaries and therefore also to practitioners and elementors. And it is specially protected against Evil and e-warriors. They can’t feel you as long as you stay in the house.”

“How come?” I asked.

“This house, along with all the other houses connected to the Earth’s borders, was secured by ancient magic a long time ago. Practitioners can therefore feel a home from afar and know that they are safe. And because the house is connected to the earth’s boundaries and all the elements, your powers are strongest in the house.”

“Ancient magic? Geez, it just keeps getting crazier. When I think I’ve had it all, something else comes into play. Soon you’ll be saying vampires exist.”

I heard Max chuckle. I probably wasn’t the first to make this comment.

“Well girl, brace yourself, because they exist.”

Max looked at me triumphantly.

I looked at him open-mouthed. Then I looked at the others who all looked equally serious.

“No, you’re not serious right now, are you? Is everything in every fantasy story true?”

“Well, not everything, but a lot is derived from the real world.”

I looked at Rob in disbelief. First I learned two days ago that I was a practitioner of an element and that evil exists that wanted to take us out. And now I heard that everything I could hide in, where I could forget my sorrow for a while, was true!?

I saw Rob look concerned for a moment and then his expression softened.

“Don’t listen to Max, he’s just kidding.”

He nodded at Max and his smile disappeared from his face.

“Okay, sorry, maybe not a fun joke right now.”

I nodded at him, thankfully, I didn’t know if I could handle anything more than I knew now.

Geez, what were we supposed to do now?

While Rob looked a bit unsure, I heard something familiar come out of my backpack. Shit my phone! Oh god, that must be Daddy, furious that he hadn’t heard from me.

I shot up and immediately felt the pain all over my body. Sara was faster and quickly took my phone out of my bag and handed it to me.

“Julia, I don’t think this is the time to make the phone.”

I looked at Rob in disbelief.

“Family comes first.” I told him a bit too unfriendly.

I looked at the screen and saw that it was an unknown number.

I hesitated, but picked up anyway.

“With Julia.”

“Julia? You’re talking to Hannah Grotenbos, actually I expected you an hour ago?”

God, you weren’t going to mean this! I quickly looked at my watch, she was right, it was five o’clock.

“Julia?”

“Yeah, sorry I’m still here.”

“I called your father to ask if you were ill, but as far as he knew you weren’t, so I got your number. If you want you can come now, I have time.”

Everything went through my head. I had to go to her. What if she went to replace out why I wasn’t there? I felt the panic growing inside me. No Julia, keep calm.

I nodded, but only then realized she didn’t see that.

“Okay, I’m coming.”

“That’s nice Julia, I’ll see you later.”

“See you later.”

What was I going to tell her? So much has happened in the past week.

Even before Renzo and the elements arrived.

I had an argument with Bas over the weekend, so Hannah didn’t take me home. I told Sam all about Mom. I felt a spark of happiness welling up in my chest when I thought of Sam, but that was over in a moment. That little bit of happiness I felt only made me more sad. Knowing I’d missed that for so long.

“Julia!”

I shook off my thoughts. “Sorry.”

“Where were you with your thoughts? That’s the third time I’m calling you.”

“I said I’m sorry.”

I was a little tired of Rob’s bossy behavior.

“What do you mean ‘I’ll see you later’?”

Shit, I really had to leave. What an unfortunate moment.

“By that I mean I have to go away for a while.”

“You can’t just leave! Not now that all this has happened and certainly not what you look like.”

I sighed. What should I do now? I immediately believed him that he said I looked bad. Because that’s how I felt too.

I just didn’t know anymore.

Rob looked at me and saw me struggling with my own feelings.

“Who did you meet? Can’t you cancel it?”

“I’d rather not, I had an appointment at four o’clock, I can still go now.”

He nodded. “Give me your phone.”

I looked at him with suspicion. He held up his hand in confirmation. I was actually too tired to struggle and gave him my phone.

He took it and walked away.

“Are you in trouble?” asked Max.

“No, but actually I can’t cancel, then my father will replace out and what should I say?”

He nodded, Max, Sara, Leo and Kate were of course in the same situation.

They had to lie to their parents in order to practice the elements. I heard the door open again and Rob came walking towards us.

He gave my phone back.

“I’ve moved your appointment to Monday. She now thinks you’re getting tutored at school because you’re behind on your school change. I called your father right away so you don’t get in trouble.”

“Thank you.” I hoped I could explain it to my father, he knew I could learn easily. I had never been tutored. In any case, I was legally absent and there would be no annoying questions that I couldn’t answer honestly.

“What now?” I looked at Rob questioningly.

“We need to get more clarity. We are still not fully aware of what happened to Simone in the dressing rooms.”

Gosh, that seemed like days ago, when it really was only this morning.

“Yes, Simone. She had been waiting for me in the gym locker room. I didn’t realize it at first, but when she started talking about me having changed, I understood it wasn’t right. Especially when she turned and her eyes were black.” I shivered for a moment at the thought. “She said I was special, that I’m like a magnet for evil. She said I am a fifth element practitioner.”

I looked expectantly at Rob. His eyes widened when I said that.

“Did she say that? The fifth element?”

I nodded.

“Rob, what does that mean?” It was Leo.

“It’s a legend,” Rob began.

“The Elders told me about it during my Elementor training. They know it exists. There are only a handful of documents dealing with the fifth element and all of these documents are based on stories, not facts.”

He looked at me again. Like I suddenly looked different.

“Lucas also agreed, he was talking about the chosen one.”

Rob shook his head and stood up and started pacing.

“Tell me something,” I said expectantly.

“I have to consult with the Elders,” said Rob.

“What else happened?”

“Simone was right, I can summon all the elements.” I shrugged my shoulders. Somehow excused.

“How could you summon us?” It was Sarah.

I smiled at her, still grateful that she had helped me in the battle against Evil.

“Simone talked about the fifth element healing quickly, picking up emotions and having a spirit power. When I got into the situation that I couldn’t do it alone, it seemed to go on its own. Somehow I knew what to do.”

“That was the case with us too, when we felt you we knew how to link our strengths and knowledge to you.” She smiled back.

It was quiet for a while. I knew I had to tell them that the leader of Evil had been there too. I didn’t want to scare them, but they had to know. They had to prepare for what was to come. Because it was only going to get worse.

“Something happened just before Renzo and I passed out.” I found it hard to replace the right words.

They all looked at me expectantly.

“The possessed boy suddenly got up again, you didn’t see anything about him. He seemed completely human. But he was anything but human. He turned out to be the leader of Evil. He tortured Lucas and ordered him to shadow me and report back to the leader. He told me that we would meet again someday, but in his surroundings.”

I looked expectantly at Rob, as did the others. Hoping for a response, an answer. Something.

But nothing came.

“How should we proceed now?” I asked Rob.

Now he shrugged. “It’s not going to be easy. If I hear you like that, this is just the beginning. You’ll stay here tonight, we’ll talk more about it tomorrow at school. In the meantime, I’m going to consult the Elders.”

The other immediately nodded in agreement, but I didn’t want to stay at all, I wanted to go home to my father. Maybe I ran into the wrong one tomorrow and it was over.

“Sorry Rob, but I’m really going home tonight. I know you don’t want it and I’m safe here. But I’m really going home.”

He heaved a deep sigh. “I was afraid of that.” He shook his head.

He looked at Max. “Do you want to go with Julia?”

But before Max could answer. I heard a hoarse voice coming from behind us. “I’m going with her.”

I got up and saw Renzo standing in the doorway.

It was not a question or answer to Rob’s question. No, it was an announcement.

He came across stronger than I thought he would feel after the fight. He already had his backpack on his good shoulder. His other arm was still in the sling.

I nodded, glad he was doing better and glad he would come with me.

Carefully I got out of bed. I could already feel more strength in my legs.

Nobody protested. I saw Sara grab my bag and Max my coat. Gratefully I took my bag and coat.

“Thanks for everything.” They both nodded. I looked at Leo for a moment, he nodded too. Without Leo, I would have fallen off the roof and wouldn’t be here right now. He understood and smiled.

“The best I can do is take you home and pick you up in the morning.”

With his hands in the air and shaking his head, Rob stood up and grabbed his coat. Grateful that he accepted and helped us.