For days after seeing the strange crystals and light Tania had been restless; she just believed that it had something to do with the disappearance of Luis.
'If I were to guess that was the exact time Luis was pursued into that forest.' She was pacing up and down in her room as her thoughts ran wild.
Suddenly she heard a knock on her door and quickly went and sat down on her bed before the person on the door who would supposedly be his mother would think she had run mad or something.
The knock came again as Tania straightened her hair.
"It's open." She said,
"Ok, darling." Her mother said as she slowly opened the door. "How are you doing today?"
"I'm okay mum."
"That's good to hear." Maya said." Guess what good news I have for you today?"
"Good news?" Tania said adjusting in her bed to create a space for her mother to sit down.
"It's about your brother."
"Did Jude win anything?"
"No silly, he got something better than that."
Jude was Tania's elder brother who had been in the Knight's training academy for two years now, once one was done with his knight training, he could decide whether to join the king's troops or become an adventurer who helped people with certain tasks.
The best graduating knights from the academy were advised to join the king's troops as they would be paid better than any adventurer but in the end, it was all their choice.
"Then what is it?"
"Your brother is done with his knight training."
"I thought that was three years?"
"So did I honey but it turns out they decided to shorten it, the king needs more troops, he fears the Goblins may Invade his kingdom soon."
"Goblins?"
"Yes darling, frightening creatures mostly green in color and very powerful when it comes to raw power.
"There was a war between our kind and theirs, I was just a little girl then. The trolls were powerful but with higher grounds and good weapons, our soldiers were able to deal a great blow on them.
"The remaining Goblins had to flee, but there are rumors that they are building their army again and planning a full-scale attack and that is what the king fears."
"Interesting story," Tania said. "What was the good news about my brother again?"
"Yes, your brother graduated with an A grade that is the best grade a knight can get.
The expected cheers and maybe a little smile from her daughter but her next question wasn't what she expected.
"So he's going to join the corrupt king's army now."
"Tania."
"What mom? You and I know that he is a corrupt ruler and easily biased king."
"But you shouldn't say things like this in the open like this."
"Mom, we are in my room, my private place."
Maya sighed, shook her head, and moved on to her next agenda.
"We want to prepare a feast for your brother tomorrow and then he can choose what he will be doing, you can even talk to him you know he listens to you very well."
"Ok, mom." Tania sighed.
Tania expected her mother to leave but instead, she just adjusted herself on the bed and Tania had a rough idea of what she was about to say.
"Tania." She called.
"Yes, mom."
"I and your father have been talking and we think you should be getting ready for courtship."
"Mom, I think we've been over this already."
"But you were only eighteen then."
"Oh, now you realize that I was only eighteen then when you wanted to force me into marriage."
"Tania."
"My point mom is that I'm still young and marriage is not something I would like to think of for now."
"Tania, you are nineteen and many of your mates either get married at this age or a year or two years after."
"Mom, they are my mates, not me, don't you think I have a say in what you and dad decide for me."
Maya had taken enough of her daughter's ranting and got up to leave.
"I know darling but I don't think your father will really listen to any of the things you just said here now," Maya said before shutting the door.
"Well that's nice, they want to force me into marriage now," Tania said after falling on her bed. "But I have something important to do tonight."
Tania waited in her room till the sun began to set, then she put on her hood and was about to head out when her mother spotted her.
"Where are you heading to darling?"
"I want to grab something in the market." She said pointing outside the door.
"This late?"
"It's something common. I want to use it for a meal, I won't be late." She said,
"Ok darling, just be careful," Maya said.
Tania headed to the market as fast as he could, her first stop was Leo's shop.
She told Leo about what she saw last night and asked if he would follow him to check it out tonight. Maybe they might find something useful for her investigation.
"Are you sure about what you saw?" Leo asked.
"Do I look like I would come here just to tell you a tale that didn't happen?"
Leo was hesitant but he later agreed to follow her, it was a risky mission but he also wanted to find out what happened to Luis.
"Ok but we have to be careful, soldiers usually patrol around there, they think Luis is still hiding in the forest.
Tania waited for Leo to slowly close up his shop, this was done to buy more time for them as the sun went down.
Immediately after Leo was done, he looked around to check if there was anybody close by watching them.
"Follow me." He said to Tania.
The forest had a main entrance but this time they were going in from the bushes and to Tania's surprise, Leo was able to find the hole easily from there.
"You've been here before." Tania figured.
"Yes, during the time Luis disappeared but I didn't find anything strange."
Tania turned to the hole in expectation of the light show.
"Where is the light or whatever you said happened here?"
"In a few minutes now." Tania said.
Soon the duo started hearing footsteps approaching them from the path made.
"What is that?" Tania whispered.
"Soldiers."
"What do we do now?"
The trees in the forest had already wilted with the dry leaves on the floor making a move was going to be a dead giveaway to the soldiers.
As the soldiers got closer Leo had no option but to pull Tania along with him into the hole.
And at that same time the three crystals in the hole lit up forming the triangle.
The duo felt like their organs were going to jump out of their body as they fell through a white space that seemed endless.
It ended with them falling on the roadside in broad daylight.
Getting up from the floor the duo couldn't believe what they were seeing.
But what they were seeing was a city with digital billboards and cars going up and down, I don't think the two have ever seen anything like it before.
"I'm sorry brother but I'll be missing your feast." Tania muttered.
******
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