The Way Caraval Used To Be

The truth stone

"Why are we here?" Asked Japeth.

The halls of the huge building were dark, and they had no windows. Aric tripped. Maybe he should be more careful.

"We are here to gather the ingredients for your magic pills."

No one could see the others, but he could swear Jacks smiled while saying that. Bang.

"I'm fine!" Rafal screamed. Aric couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you for all, Jacks."

"Oh, but the pills are not for you. They're for us."

Soon, a door opened. It let to a room where you could actually see. The room was full of shelves of glass recipients of powder, liquids, and parts of animals. In the middle of the room, a man was waiting for them. He was wearing a cape lined in copper leaves, and his skin was dark brown. He turned around and smiled at them.

"I've been waiting for you for ages!"

The ballroom looked a lot like the one from Valenda. The floor was pink marble. It matched the lily dress of the blonde girl standing in front of Aric.

"If you say anything, I will step on your head while I kiss your girlfriend."

Jacks's girl features were eighter too sharp to be pretty or dangerously attractive. He was apparently wanted in the North, so he couldn't go in his boy form. Same thing for the pink haired boy next to them.

"What are you talking about? You are my girlfriend, sweetie." Aric teased him. It was, in fact, fun to mess with girl Jacks. He grabbed her by the back of her neck and made her scream silently.

"We are splitting and looking for Glendora. When you see her, you tell us."

Japeth was a boy again. He was really excited. Only Aric wasn't. They nodded.

Glendora was one of the many girls there. She was soon going to marry Vengeance Slaughterwood, and the stone was a wedding gift from his mother. That's all they knew.

At first, the tall guy found her and alerted the others.

"She's here without Vengeance."

That meant they could go after her.

This was the ball before their wedding. She was wearing a blue dress with butterflies, and her red hair was up in two big buns. Her full lips arched in a smile when she asked.

"What are your names? You're so cute together."

"I'm Jacks, and this is my fiance, Aric."

"Interesting name for a girl. What house are you from?"

She was playing with a ring. The ring had a yellow stone. The truth stone.

"We're from house Youngblood."

"Both? Are you cousins?"

"Um... yeah. Kind of. He's my mother's cousin, but you can do nothing when love hits you, right, dear?"

"Aha."

Apparently, Jacks already had a story about how they met. A super weird story.

"I totally understand. My sister married my brother."

He had grabbed a drink before the conversation. Now, he wished he didn't. Japeth showed up.

"I've been looking for you." He then turned to Glendora. "Japeth. I suppose you are Glendora. By the way, you're stunning." He kissed her hand. Jacks didn't like it.

"If you would excuse us, we have to go."

He dragged Aric and Jacks away before they could say anything.

"Why did you do that? We could have explained to her the situation... Japeth, are you listening?"

Japeth seemed not to hear Jacks. He put his hand next to his mouth and spat a golden ring. Glendora's ring. Jacks squeaked.

"I love you, Japeth!"