The Mystics Of Valenthia

0.9 The Reunion

Dedicated to EeshaFangirl for being an ardent, enthusiastic and an alert reader of my work. It means a lot!

He walked faster with every step. I had no idea where we were going or for what. All I knew was that I had to follow him wherever he was leading me.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," is all he said.

I rolled my eyes. Why do these people always talk in riddles? For once talk like normal human beings! Oh wait. They aren't normal human beings. They are Valenthians. I scoffed.

"You said something?"

"Nope," I smiled.

Soon, he opened a door to a huge room. I was.......
Surprised? Shocked? Dazed? Amazed? Astounded? These words, combined, wouldn't sum up my reaction.

"You look as if you've seen a ghost." He said.

"Well I wasn't expecting—I gesture towards the room—this." I said.

To be honest, it felt a bit anticlimactic. I mean after a place boasted of its superior race of living beings, its magic and grandeur; you don't expect a door to open up to a virtual world of video games!

"I hope you like video games, Ren." Nathan said, smiling.

I was never a fan of video games. I always thought of it as a sheer waste of time. I always preferred painting or sketching. Sometimes, dancing. Not to forget reading. Video games? Never.

"Not really but I don't mind watching you playing," I said, not wanting to be impolite.

"Right!" He said.

Nathan walked to the nearest machine and switched it on.

"Usually this place is for the younger kids who are homesick or just want to have some fun. But Mark always leaves this place open for me. He knows how much I love playing video games."

"Mark?" I asked.

"The caretaker, sort of," he answered.

"Oh. Okay."

The machine switched on to some game. I watched as Nathan manoeuvres the virtual him in the game, killing off random people and things one does in Grand Theft Auto, Vice City.

I walked towards the window looking out to the east side of the Warmage Academy. The window overlooked a garden patch. The flowers grown here are of different species, altogether.

Note to self: Learn about these plants from...well, someone.

As I closed my eyes and took in the sweet scent, I saw flashes of fire and quickly open them. I remembered my dream from last night. I hadn't filled anyone in on the dream. Possibly because I was afraid of what it really meant. It couldn't have been real, I'd told myself all day. That baby should've died due to the flames. The possibility of the baby being alive without a single burn seemed too illogical. It was just not possible, no matter what. And the fact that I saw my dad was maybe just a coincidence. Maybe I was missing him. (Though usually, I do not.) My head was whirling with too much of worrying. I tried to calm myself by taking deep breaths.

• • •

"Earth calling Florentyna Evans."
Someone shook me.

I jerked awake and sat up. Getting my bearings, I looked around and found myself in the video game parlour. Apparently, I had fallen asleep while sitting on one of the seats of the car-racing booth. I looked up at the faces staring down at me from either side of me. They belonged to Nathan and Carter.