Ending Paradise

What's Next?

A compass that always points south, an unopenable crystal box, and a flat stone tablet within a wooden frame.

"The compass points to a significant person, North being its a right person, South being a wrong person, also known as the North Guide,"

Trevor placed the compass down, only to be immediately snatched by Charlie who thoroughly examined it. Xe pressed their thumb on the release latch and inspected the inside.

"Hey! I think it saying I'm one of the right people!" They cheered leaving the whole table to freeze, me more than the rest.

"Let me see," Mei implored, her hand outstretched across the table.

Charlie shrugged and placed the North Guide into her palms.

I watched very carefully as Mei shifted the relic around, "Still North?" She mumbled in question still turning it in circles.

Kendra plucked it out of her hands by the chain, which seemed to activate a small glow from the back of the mechanism.

The compass can only point to one person at a time, by that logic it should only point to Charlie since xe started this thing up. So why did it point to everyone it touched, more importantly, what does that glowing enchantment say. Furthermore, why does the North keep changing directions?

The enchantment was engraved in small, thin, writing and the nonchalant swinging made it even harder to read.

Kendra gently placed it back within the bag just as Trevor held up the crystal box, "This box is made of Jade, but doesn't look like anything I've ever seen,"

"So does that mean, it has an older origin?" I knew the answer but I still wanted to confirm.

"Yes. My knowledge of magic doesn't go back very far, but these engravings seem to have an alternate presentation," Trevor suggested as he rubbed his finger across one of the engravings.

We sat and watched as he cut the tip of his finger, he yanked his finger back leaving a small drop of his blood sinking into the cracks in the engraved symbols.

Its glow was soft and hardly noticeable in the daylight. But just as the light faded away the engraving faded away as if they had been erased by the blood.

Slowly Trevor attempted to move the latch. He opened the lid of the box and pulled out what looked to be an old key on a silver chain. Then pulled out a small note with two of his fingers along with a metal piece. From what I could see, it was shaped like a gear with a lightning bolt in the center.

Trevor read the note and with a small glare.

"What does it say?" Wynter asked.

Mei leaned over to see what it said for herself while everyone else awaited an answer but Trevor just slammed the piece of paper down and slid it towards the middle of the table.

"I can't read that," He frowns, his arms shaking in absolute horror.

Without hesitation, Mei wrapped her arms around him but he didn't seem to be able to comprehend what he had just seen. In his panic, Trevor just started muttering gibberish and held on close to Mei.

Charlie easily picked it up and attempted to read it only to slide it back to the center table after a glimpse of what it said.

"What even is that supposed to be? It makes my brain hurt," Charlie whined. "I've never felt so illiterate," Xe rubbed xyr temples as if to relieve the stress just looking at the note brought.

What the hell could be so disheartening about a single slip of paper? Well, at least to Trevor, I'm ninety percent sure Charlie is dyslexic but I've never actually asked.