When you want to love

Chapter 5 (Chrissina)

I dash inside, gathering all the needs to stay at my cousin's manor for a bit. I scramble inside my bedroom wardrobe, looking for jeans, shorts, pants, tops and other items that may be suitable for Sethwood's damp environment. I had always wanted an excuse for going back there...except with this as an exception.

As soon as I sprint back out I see Aidan waiting for me, gesturing to try and draw the portal sigil. I light my finger like a cooking blowtorch and start to carefully trace with a fire type that burns severely, but it doesn't hurts. I blow off the charred excess of the untouched tree and swipe it to the ground.

When I finish the sigil I write out ancient ruins to where we need to go in the partly singed tree. I hold my hand out, and I feel my eyes start to glow since I can't see anymore for a few brief moments. I see a glowing orange portal summoned in front of me and I step halfway in. "I'll go first, jump in straight after me before this closes." 

I disappear from reality's surface as the portal engulfs me with a bright flash. I end up stumbling into a damp rainforest biome I recognise. Sethwood, the most lush rainforest on the continent. Dew annoyingly drops onto my head from the leaves above me, the whole atmosphere being humid and moist.

To the right was a colossal mud flat that covered the ground knee deep (40cm). Huh, that wasn't there last time... To the left was a swamp, there are no swamps in Sethwood. Confused, I searched through my memory bank of all the times I've been here. In failure, I hope for the best and try not to think about the new and different landscapes.

I brush all the dew off me as flying insects swirl around the trees, avoiding the excess water that could drown them indefinitely. I wander around the dark area, having there be a thick, wet canopy above me. I reach a body of water, a medium sized pond of sorts. I notice the distinguishing feature the pond had which had to mean the manor was...

My eyes lift up to a ginormous brick manor surrounded with a large white metal fence and gate. Wasn't the fence and gate black? I start to walk around to the gate, using my family's magic as the key. To open the gate you melt a certain spot on the gate that repairs instantly after- the bars are fireproof, however Treli fire is an exception.

The gate doesn't even swing open. Chrissina walks through the gates completely forgetting about Aidan. SNAP! A twig was steeped on, the broken remains lay on the soft grass, a heavy muddy footprint over the twig and grass. I look through the gate- Aidan walks up to the gate with muddy sneakers, having accidently stepped into a mud flat.     

"Y-You could've waited for me!" I see Aidan the slowpoke and end up melting it again to let him walk through. Aidan looks behind me, a child shorter than me taps me on the back. I swing around in fighting position to see Emily's friendly smile and wave. I let my guard down, relaxing.

"Gee! You're so tense sometimes Chrissina!" I look around, nobody's there accompanying her. I find that slightly strange that a 7 year old comes out of the manor alone when cousin Renda is very protective of her siblings.

Renda's parents had died in a cruise crash two years ago. Her fathers will contained that she gets the manor, his money, and that the servants must be loyal to her as well. Her mother gave an heirloom which actually was the matriarchs but the incident was bound to be painful for Ren. She now looks after her two sisters and one brother with utmost care and would never risk their lives... as far as I know.

Aidan and I follow Emily inside the manor. Emily had straight orange hair, green eyes an had a lot of freckles. She was currently wearing some overalls with white clothing underneath.

We hesitantly glance around, nobody's in the manor. "Where is everybody?" I ask but she doesn't reply. "Emily-" I put my hand on her shoulder but it goes straight through. I start falling into a black void until I painlessly hit the ground. The light above the hole started to close, and I scream.