The Heart of The Sea

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰɪᴠᴇ

"Farewell, sira. Fare well, and farewell."

The idol Aru had picked looked different every minute she saw it. One minute, she saw pointed ears. The next, perfectly rounded ones.

She walked away from the stall, the idol safe between the clothes in the bag for fear it would shatter again.

She couldn't remember the sales woman's face, and when she turned back to glance at the stall, she saw a blank spot in the ever-bustling, colourful market.

The maverick from the morning was still there in a corner, a fresh pile of newspapers in his hands.

Aru took one.

It was another copy of la speranza del sud.

SI DICE CHE LA GEMMA BLU ABBIA POTERI MISTICI COLLOCATI NELLA FAMIGERATA "SALA DEGLI DEI" DELLA PROVENZA.

Blue gem said to have mystic powers placed in Provence's infamous "Hall of the Gods".

Aru rolled up the newspaper, and ran to the willow.

—

Aiden was up in the trees, twisting his ring and talking to the spirit beside him.

Aru's heart was racing. The gem in Provence's Hall of the Gods matched the blue iridescence Kara talked about. It matched the description of the mystical powers.

Could it be that The Heart was in Provence?

She climbed up, twisting to avoid the branches, and sat beside Kara.

Kara beamed at her. "We'll be ready to leave in an hour, I think. The train might be late, but since my instincts tell me to go East, we'll take the South-East Europe train."

Her eye twitched. "We might have to visit Spain to check over there too, but I'm hoping it won't really be too long. And–"

"What if the Heart is in Provence?" Aru's voice seemed breathless and rushed, and she rolled out the newspaper.

Kara looked at it for around six heartbeats.

Her voice was quiet when she spoke.

"That's it." She said, "It's the Heart."

"Isn't it suspicious, though? The Heart being seen right when we've decided to start looking for it?" Aiden asked, his eyes darting between Kara and Aru's. "Don't you think it's a trap?"

If spirits could swallow, Kara would've. "I don't know. All I do know is that that gem needs to go back to Paranormal, because that world is dying. We're going to go to Provence."

"Are you going to agree with me, Shah?"

Aru looked away. "I think we should go to Provence."

He sighed. "Then we're going to have to catch the Amalfi-Provence train." He looked at his watch. "And if we start running now, we might reach before the last train leaves."

Running, not walking.

They ran. They managed to secure two tickets, and Aru was complaining about the price in their train cabin.

"Twenty liras for each person." She scoffed. "Daylight robbery."

"Technically, it would be nightlight robbery, since, you know, it's night." Kara said, helpfully.

Aiden snorted.

Kara floated around the cabin, occasionally looking out of the window and assessing the passing scenery.

Aru noticed a black smudge at her neck.

"Kara?"

"Hmm?"