William whispered to Irene, "Elaris left a scope for their fate.. But till Elise is defeated? Till then, will Larrith suffer?"
Irene whispered back, "She has lost her mind.."
Larrith asked Irene, "Are you alright now?"
Irene said, "Yes.. Alright.. But are you?"
Larrith said, "Yes.. I am alright."
Scott remarked, "I think we should rest now.. Tomorrow.. We will have to go."
Larrith said, "Oh yes.. Did Flynn go to his room?"
Larrith stood up brushing his tears quickly.
Scott said, "Yes. He left for his room.."
Irene kept aside William's hands and stood straight again.
Larrith left the room and went back to his room.
They stood there in confusion.
Scott said, "Is he happy or sad?"
Irene asked, "That's hard to say. She gave him hope.. But still their relationship is vague."
They also went back to their rooms.
Larrith laid on his bed and started thinking about her again.
He said, "The way she put her head on my shoulders..
How can she behave so harshly to me before?
I forgot her caring nature due to her behaviour.
It overshadowed her caring nature.. Hopefully.. That Elaris is back.
Am I getting distracted?
Probably she also feared it and that's why she might held back.. Is it like this or she really didn't like me and started liking me again somehow. Come on, I have to stop thinking about her.. I think I should sleep again. I am feeling so tired even after sleeping once. If she can be that harsh and distant.. I also can be the same. I won't look at her or even think of her.. Enough heartbreaks she has given me.. I won't let her do the same further."
Larrith then slept.
After a few hours, he woke up..
It was seven in the morning.
He decided to visit Rafael's room.
He went to the fourth floor and knocked at Rafael's door.
He said, "Rafael must be meditating now."
The door opened automatically.
Larrith spotted Rafael levitating in the air with a halo behind him.
Rafael slowly opened his eyes.
Rafael's halo disappeared. He came down slowly and sat on the bed.
The door closed.
Rafael said, "What happened, Larrith?"
Larrith replied, "I was just wondering… if you came to know about which gift Elise wow's talking about."
Rafael replied, "Yesterday.. Many asked me about this but I couldn't reply.. So at night, I tried to think a lot.. But still got nothing.. Elise said someone I would not expect."
Larrith sat on the sofa and said, "But was she talking about your son?"
Rafael said, "I don't think so.. I can easily think about him.. But Elise emphasises that I wouldn't expect someone to be against us.."
Larrith said, "Is it Kian?"
Rafael's eyes widened. Rafael's voice softened. "You might be correct. His behaviour was very unusual.. I trusted him for a long time.. And he suddenly going out of the castle with an illogical reason seems really off."
Larrith said, "I tried to look for Kian in the ceremony but I didn't see him.. I can't think that he's.. He's a messenger of the dark."
Rafael replied, "He's a strong sorcerer.. But you three defeated him.. I don't think he will be a problem if he comes.."
Larrith replied, "But what if he embraces the dark powers."
Rafael looked at Larrith and said, "Then I would say.. I couldn't recognise him properly."
Larrith said, "When I asked the executioner, he said that when the gates will be open.. And the assistant of the old school said that the talisman can open the gates to other planets.. And you were right.. They might not be literal gates.. But was the executioner talking about this gate?"
Rafael said, "He might be.. If she gets it.. Then it will be hazardous for us."
Larrith said, "there's another thing I want to ask.. I am getting no clue.. Why will she target the talisman if she can't use it… even after knowing that there are a very few sorcerers with that strength to withstand her absorbing force.. She might lose to those experienced sorcerers.."
Rafael replied, "You see.. A power of a sorcerers doesn't come from his experience.. It's innate. So even a child can have such a strong power. But she needs someone with that power and someone who can withstand it without dying.."
Larrith replied, "But then also.. How will she understand whom to choose?"
Rafael replied, "During the meditation.. I saw her wearing a violet locket giving out a purple light.. I suspect it was my locket that she corrupted with her dark powers. The locket could give me a knowledge about one's power.. But she stole it during the attack in the prison."
Larrith replied, "Oh! And won't you go today in the ceremony?"
Rafael replied, "Yes.. Definitely.. I will have to go.. I'll go one hour before the ceremony.. After finishing all the works in the prison and the castle."
Larrith said, "oh! And did you see anything in your meditation?"
Rafael replied, "Not at all.. I can't sense their presence in our kingdom.. They were in the forest according to the sight that Tory's messenger bird saw… And I sensed that the were in the kingdom.. But now.. They are gone."
Larrith said, "How's that possible.. Did you sense Kian?"
Rafael said, "I can't sense individual person.. I can just sense presence of darkness in our kingdom. My power is limited."
Larrith replied, "Oh.. Alright I am leaving now."
Rafael said, "Alright.. Call me when you will be leaving."
Larrith nodded and went to his room.
He started reading a green book about the stars.
Irene woke up and said, "Did I wake up early in excitement to visit the kingdom of Aetherios? Let's also wake William up."
Irene left her room and knocked at William's room.
William opener the door yawning.
Irene went inside and sat on the sofa and said, "Aren't you excited to visit the kingdom of Aetherios?"
William replied, "Yes.. I am.. I was just feeling tired.." . He yawned.
William sat on the bed.
William asked, "You are here? Is there any meeting?"
Irene replied, "No. Just came to see if you have waken up or not."
William replied, "Oh.."
Irene said, "You know.. When I was younger.. I used to think that I would marry a powerful sorcerer like me but.."
William interrupted, "But then you realised that you aren't powerful and stopped thinking about it, right.."
Irene's face tightened.
She stood up and was about to open the door.
William held her hands and said, "I am sorry.. Don't mind."
Irene said, "You always mock me.. That's not a good thing."
William replied, "Yes.. But you also mock me.. I have to neutralise your mocking."
William then held her both hands and said, "Don't take it seriously."
Irene said, "I think we all should be ready.. It's almost eight.."
Then Irene left his room and went to her room.
William closed the door.
Larrith saw that it was almost eight.
He opened his door and went to the garden.
He found the sky to be a bit foggy.
He entered the garden at the back.
He closed his eyes and smelt the fragrance of the flowers.
Someone called him from a window of the castle.
He looked above at the window. He saw Scott calling him.
Scott said from the window, "Are you all ready?"
Larrith replied, "I am ready.. I don't know about them."
Scott said, "Oh!"
Elaris, William and Irene opened their doors hearing Scott's call to Larrith.
Scott spotted them.
Scott withdrew his head from the window and asked them, "Are you all ready?"
Elaris, Irene and William replied, "Yes we are ready."
Scott said, "Alright then."
Larrith spotted them talking from the garden but couldn't hear them. He went to the castle again.
Larrith arrived the hallway of the first floor.
He didn't look at Elaris.
Scott said, "I think we should now ask Tory and Chlin."
Larrith nodded.
Flynn opened his door and asked, "So, you all are going?"
Scott replied, "Yes. Do you want to join us?"
Flynn replied, "No.. I would rather stay here. Wish you all a happy journey!"
Scott said, "Alright then."
Flynn then closed his door.
Tory and chlin came from the ground floor.
Larrith asked Tory and chlin, "You both were downstairs?"
Tory said, "Yes.. We went outside the castle for a walk. We saw you going to the castle from the garden.. So we thought you all might be ready."
Larrith said, "Oh yes, we are ready.. Let me call Rafael."
William whispered to Chlin, "Will Rafael go?"
Chlin whispered back, "He said that he would go one hour before the ceremony not now.. Larrith is calling him to open the room of portals."
William replied, "Oh! Can't Larrith open the room?"
Chlin replied, "He can.. But it's a law."
William said, "Oh.. Laws.."
Larrith called Rafael and they all then went to the ground floor.
They went towards a room with an emerald green door.
They all stood in front of the door.
Rafael closed his eyes and gatherer his both hands together.
He then opened his eyes and opened the door.
An emerald coloured oval shaped light appeared before them.
Rafael stepped aside and said, "Wish you all a happy journey."
They all bowed before Rafael.
Larrith went inside the emerald light.
He was followed by the other members.
After all of them went inside, Rafael closed the door.
Rafael spotted a golden crow flying by the castle.
He raised his eyebrows and went to see outside but it had already gone.
After entering the emerald portal, they all found themselves to be at the flat peak of a small green hill.
They all looked around.
The sky was covered by thick fog.
The sun was hidden by dark clouds.
The sun's light appeared as pinkish due to the thick fog.
They all got the fragrance of roses and Lotuses at the top of the hill.
There were other small hills around that hill.
Chlin exclaimed with joy, "What a mesmerising sight"
Tory and Larrith nodded.
Scott closed his eyes for a bit and said, "Back to my hometown!"
Scott climbed down the hill.
They followed him.
They found Scott running towards something.
They couldn't see anything further due to the fog.
They found he was running towards a lake.
The lake was just beside the hill.
They went near it.
The lake's water was crystal clear. It contained Lotuses that were still blooming.
Scott knelt down before the lake and touched the water.
He shivered.
Chlin and Tory went nearer the lake and smelt the beautiful fragrance.
Larrith smiled at the wonderful sight.
He also touched the cold water.
He then went near the other hills beside the lake.
He found rows of rose trees.
He went nearer one rose and smelt it.
He said, "Such a wonderful kingdom."
Irene and William also went towards the rose trees.
William plucked one rose and gave it to Irene.
"For my powerful sorceress.." said William and smiled.
Irene took it and smiled.
She said, "Finally you admitted.."
Larrith smiled at the sight and went to Scott, Tory, chlin and Elaris.
Irene was mesmerised by the fragrance of the red rose.
She kept it in the pocket of her robe .
William and Irene then went to them.
A white owl came flying by and it revolved the sky a few times.
Scott spotted it and smiled.
The owl came flying down and sat on Scott's right hand that served as a perch