"What do you mean only I can see it?" I asked, now very confused. I kept looking at the book. The words were there. What did they mean? They couldn't see it? "Are you playing with me?"
"Mary, it's true. Only you can see it, if it really exists. What we can see are... math and equations. Equations I didn't even know," RJ said.
"But why? Why can only I see it?"
"Maybe because of... that necklace?" Nonno unsurely said. "Tell us what the diary says."
I told them what I had read so far. But I only mentioned the parts I'd already read. It was a lot to process.
"Emerald really had a child and she hid it? Is there anything else in there?" they asked.
"Tonight, under the blue moon, a rare occurrence. The moon looks beautiful, but the feeling is miserable. Just like me. I am beautiful, I know I am. But now, I am consumed with anger and hatred. I want revenge. I want to get my baby back. Right now, the whole neighborhood is celebrating my sister's childbirth while I am here, consumed by anger. Alone." –E. I turned the page.
"Blue moon? That's the night Emerald got the book and her major," Nonno spoke.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she wished for revenge. The devil might have heard her." I continued reading the diary until I reached the last page, which looked unfinished. The handwriting was shaky, as if the writer was trembling.
"I did it. I got my child back, but the people in town are onto me now. I am making my three last spells. For myself, for future generations, and for Astrid. I have her to save, but I will make sure that every future generation will get revenge without begging, just like what happened to me." –E.
"That's her last writing," I said as I flipped through the remaining pages, only to find them blank.
"Maybe Emerald died around that time," RJ said.
"But didn't she become a ruthless queen? How could she have died by then?"
"There's a part we missed. I'm afraid everything we've been taught about Queen Emerald is wrong. This is all new to me," RJ said.
He was right. Maybe there was something more going on here.
"I just hope we can do something. Maybe go back in time or find a way to see when Emerald was still alive."
"Mary, your bag is glowing." I looked at my bag, and sure enough, light was shining from it. It was the book. I pulled it out, and suddenly the book started flipping on its own, stopping at a single page.
"Go back in time—thyme," I read the title aloud. "With the tick of thyme, you'll return to the time you desire. But be prepared for what you learn, pain is on its way."
"I think the 'thyme' here means something different than time," RJ said.
"What does this mean?"
"Thyme is a type of plant, and there's some behind our school. You have to make it, Mary," Nonno said. I continued reading.
"To return to the time you desire, drink your thyme and focus on the time. Repeat this to change or go back in time. Remember, twice the thyme for each line in your life."
"Are you going to do this, Mary?" Nonno asked. Fear was visible in my eyes, but I felt RJ's gentle touch on my shoulder, calming me. I took a deep breath, feeling steadier.
"I'll do it. I need to do this," I said, determined.
"Let's go to your school and get it."
"W-wait, can you get it? Let's just meet here at 8."
"Why?"
"I can't just leave my friends like that. Let's meet back here at 8," I said as I walked away.
"Mary, drink this... I meant to give this to you yesterday but forgot. It will make the vow void, so you can tell your friends." At that moment, I hugged him genuinely. He didn't know how much his gesture calmed my nerves. I had been ready to accept everything a minute ago, but when he handed me that drink, it made everything feel more manageable.
I messaged our group chat, telling them we should meet at Jad's place, and I headed there. It was already 5 p.m., and I knew I had a lot to explain to them. I'd kept a lot of things from them, but I had done it for our safety.
"Mary, what's up?" They all arrived at the same time.
"I-I have something to tell you," I said nervously.
"Oh, now you're finally ready to open up?" I could hear the sarcasm in Jad's voice.
"What is it, Mary? Are you okay?" Harmione stepped closer to me. I took the drink and drank it in front of them. Almost immediately, I felt a strange sensation, like something connected to my brain.
"Just a week before the school fest, I discovered something from my mother. This necklace is the same as Queen Emerald's. So, I did some things using the book, and I proved that this necklace is Queen Emerald's. I made a magior spell that could do anything, even things that haven't been discovered yet. After that, some spirits started following me. I managed to talk to them, and then there's this book—"
"Woah, Mary, slow down!" Harmione interrupted me. I paused to catch my breath. I hadn't expected to talk so fast.
"Continue. What about that book?" Reina urged.
"The night before the competition, Jad, you told me to look for a book that could help me, and I did. I read through my parents' books, and the last one I opened... well, it wasn't just an ordinary math book. It contained the hidden diary of Queen Emerald. I asked RJ for help, and he took me to his grandfather's house, where I learned a lot of things."
"Okay, stop," Reina spoke up. "A— a diary?"
"Yeah, I found out that all we learned about Queen Emerald is undeniably true Queen Emerald had a sister, and she had a child with her lover, who later became her sister's husband. The diary was full of hatred, sadness, and longing. It also had information about how Queen Emerald got her magic. She was given her powers by the devil when she asked for revenge. That's where the diary ends, and it seems like Emerald died soon after. Now, with RJ and Nonno's help, I'm going to perform a spell to turn back time and find out what really happened."
"You... you didn't tell me any of this," Micah whispered.
"I know, Micah, I'm sorry... I just had to figure everything out before I could tell you."
"That's a lot to take in," Jad said, sitting in a chair.
For a brief moment, we all sat in silence. I decided to break the silence.
"I'm telling you all this because I'll be gone for... for a while. Tonight at 8, I'm meeting RJ and Nonno to perform the spell and go back to the time of Queen Emerald."
"What?!" they all exclaimed in shock. "Why didn't you start with that?"
"Uh... anyway, I have to go. I'm just letting you know so you won't worry incase everything won't went as planned and possibly I coudn't go back."
"Won't be back?!" they all said in unison.
"I'll come with you."
"No! Jad, you can't— I'm the one with Emerald's necklace, so only I can use it."
"Then at least let me come with you to RJ's house or wherever you're going," he said, standing and walking closer to me. "Mary... I promised your mother I would protect you. I can't let you go alone. You're my cousin."
"Same here. We're friends. We're just concerned," Reina said, walking up to me.
"Yeah, Reina's right. We promised to look out for you. We'll go with you." My gaze turned to Micah, who looked upset because I'd hidden all this from her, even though I'd promised to tell her everything. At last, she looked up and spoke.
"I'm still upset... but I can't let you go alone, Mary. You're my best friend." I was touched by what she said—by what they all said.
They're the reason I keep going because they always make me feel like I'm not alone. I don't care about 'blood is thicker than water'—they are my family from another parents.