۞ Secret Of Magic ۞ [ ʜᴇʀᴍɪᴛᴄʀᴀғᴛ/ʟɪғᴇ Sᴇʀɪᴇs]

9

The next days were passing similarly .
Firstly clean up after the camp and campfire. Then they were walking till the sun set, sometimes they stopped in town to buy some food and occasionally sleep through the night.

They were getting closer to The End. Gem could feel the change in the air and ground. Everything started to feel more lifeless.
Someone put their hand on her shoulder. She turned to see quite worried Pearl.
"Is something wrong?" She asked quietly, so only Gem could hear her.

Gem could lie to her but somewhere deep inside she felt she needed to tell someone about Scar .
"I'll tell you at the next break." She smiled.
"Okay.."

Gem looked at the ground. She couldn't let the darkness take another one of her friends.

---

" Is it me or does Scar's white hair streak get bigger ."

Pearl glanced at her brother and then at  Scar who was walking a few meters in front of them.

"It looks normal to me. Gem?"

Gem looked at them.
" Uh.. Same?"

" See G. Maybe you should stop staring at Scar , cuz you're starting to imagine things." She tested him.
Grian turned his head and started walking slightly faster. He mumbled something under his breath but Pearl did hear what he say.

A couple of minutes have passed and Grian was back once more.

" But you have noticed that he's been oddly quiet today.  Normally he couldn't shut up and now he didn't say a word  for the entire day."

Pearl wanted to answer him but Gem was faster.

"You have a point... I've known him for years and if he's oddly quiet it's not a good sign.."she looked at the sky.
"I'm not surprised actually."she added quite.

Gem sighed.
"We should be in the town in an hour or so."
Scar slightly turned to them.

"Maybe you should try to talk to him. For some reason he seems  to trust you." Gem said to Grian.

"You sure?"
Gem glanced at him very seriously.
"If you want to know why he's acting like that, just go and ask him." She said slightly annoyed.

Grian looked at Gem then at Scar and again at Gem.

"Maybe.." Grian said under his breath and left the girls alone. In the end he didn't ask Scar about anything.
They were walking next to each other in silence.

--------

"Welcome to the Earth Empire also known as The Crastle (idk how to spell that) Kingdom." Pearl read out loud the sign that was standing in front of the entrance.

They walked inside and no living soul was there.

"It looks -"Grian started but mid sentence Scar finished it.
"Soulless?"

"Yeah.." Grian looked at him.
He putt his hand on Scar's.
"You okay?"

Scar made an eye contact with him and smiled weakly.
"I don't know anymore..."
They looked at each other.
"Grian listen, I -"

"Guys? I think you need to see this." They heard Pearl.

"Coming!" Grian yelled back and turned to Scar.
"What you were saying?"

"Nothing important."

"If you say so."

----

"Pearl?" Grian called and a second later arrow flaw right next to him.

"Oh my void I'm sorry I thought it was another one of those creatures."
Gem ran to him.

"What's going on?" Scar asked.

Gem glanced at him.
"I think you should know..."

"The dark creatures that were attacking us before are here to, even tho is day."

Gem looked at Scar, she turned to face Pearl.
"I think we need to find somewhere to hide from them."

"Alright. We splitting up?" G asked.

"We might..."

"Actually Griba I wanted you to see this." Pearl took her brother hand and drag him to entrance to normally looking house.

She took out the compass from her bag and pointed to the wall.
It slightly started glowing.

"It's glowing. Do you think-"

"That Jimmy might be there or just here in general? I think so or at least according to the compass. He should be here somewhere."

Grian hugged her.
"Hey we're really close."

He walked to the door and knocked gently. They started at them but no one opened. They knocked again this time Pearl.
"Maybe no-one's home?"

"Maybe..."

They left and were walking the main street. Sometimes seeing Gem running around.

Grian put his hand on Pearl's arm.
"We'll find him don't worry."

" I'm not worrying about that... "
She looked at him, her eyes full of worry.
"I'm worried about you. "

"Why?"
Grian looked at her confused.

"I don't know... Just don't leave me."

Grian hugged.
"I'm not going to."he giggled.

----
Not that long later Gem came to them saying she have found a place to stay the night in. The sun was setting up the horizon.

The building had shattered and/or barricaded windows and looked like it was abandoned for some time.

"It's nothing very amazing but it's better than the streets." Gem said as they walked inside.

"That's okay." Pearl smiled and sat down on and old mattress.

Grian looked through the door and then at the girls.

"I want to tell you something." Gem said after a while. She put a small lantern she always had with herself on the floor. The room illuminated with the fire.

"Where's Scar?"
Grian asked out of blue, his eyes looked darker than usual.

Pearl felt cold chills on her back.

"I don't know. I didn't see him after we split up."
Gem said, she looks slightly worried.

"Where are you going!?"She quickly stood up as Grian opened the door.

He looked at Pearl.
"I'm going to find him. "

"Griba -"

He ran away before entire Gem or Pearl could stop him.

"HEY!" Gem yelled but it was for nothing ,Grian was gone in the darkness.