The Hidden Kingdom // DreamSMP

Chapter 3: Strangers

"(Y/n)?"

You swiftly turned at the sound of the familiar shaky voice.

Turning around you saw the horrified eyes of Karl as his hands went to cover his mouth.

"You're not supposed to be here." He squeaked out.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, opening them after. Walking closer to him, you hug yourself to warm up from the cold. "Yeah."

"How did you...?" Lowering his hands he pointed to the tree that once held the door, his eyes widening. "Where's the door?"

He felt his heart skip several beats at the absence of the door. He turned back to you, looking you in the eyes and placing his hands on your shoulder. "(Y/n)... How did you get here?"

Recalling the events and slightly shivering as the cold was starting to get to you, you looked him directly back in his eyes. Your voice slightly wavered due to a mix of fear, panic, and cold. "I- I don't know? There was a voice- A woman's voice. She was talking to me and the door suddenly opened a-and then I got pushed in? Then she disappeared and then the door disappeared... Is the door not supposed to disappear...?"  

He searched your eyes hoping you didn't just lie to him. He sighed and placed his backpack on the floor. "No. The door has never done that before... That's weird." He reached for the bottom of his hoodie and pulled it over his head, handing it over to you with a lopsided smile. "Well... Here you go. A skirt isn't exactly the warmest thing to wear in the snow."

Eyes placed on the hoodie he placed in your hands, you smiled slightly and put it on. "Yeah, thanks."

He nodded and reached for the uniform blazer in his backpack and putting it on. "Well uhm... I guess I could try and fix this." He thought for a moment. "Did you say you heard a woman's voice and then you were pushed in?"

"Yeah." Stuffing your hands in the large pocket, you watched as his brows scrunched up in confusion.

"Weird. A woman's voice huh?" He eyed you. "So I'm assuming you followed me into the woods...? Alone?"

Gulping in your embarrassment, you nodded. "As far as I know. Yeah.."

"Why?" He fished the key out from his pocket and searched the tree.

"Uhh.. Well.. I don't know?" Shrugging, you watched as he paused slightly before continuing to search the tree with the key still in his hand.

"Don't know?" His eyes scanned the tree and found what it was looking for. After a small 'ah hah', he stuck the key right into the bark.

"Yeah I just... Don't know. I guess it just felt like I had to?...No that's stupid. I can't exactly explain it." While cringing at your own words, Karl panicked slightly at the lack of a response from the tree.

He slowly turned around and stared as you tried to find the words to describe your reasoning. He walked closer to you as you continued to ramble on and placed both hands on your shoulders, his heart beating faster.

Brought out of your thoughts, your attention was brought to the panicked eyes of Karl, causing you to panic a bit. "Uh.. Karl?"

He let go of you and paced back and forth. "Okay so bad news. The door isn't working. I tried with the key and nothing happened." You opened your mouth to say something but were cut off. "So... We'll be stuck here until we figure something out."

Suddenly your 'panic a bit' turned into 'panic a lot' and you stared at him incredulously. "What do you mean the key isn't working?! How does it just not work anymore? How long do you think we'll be stuck for?" You paused. "Oh no."