The Magic Within The Pages

Chapter 4

I realized I should have asked Lily to come with me to the garden. 

This castle feels like a confusing maze, and I truly have no idea which way to go to find the garden. 

Frustrated with myself, I kicked a small stone on the ground, expressing my anger. "Bakit ba kasi hindi ako nagpasama kay Lily?" I muttered. 

As I walked along, I noticed a figure that looked like a man. He seems to be a guard, wearing a military-style suit. 

Thinking it would be wise to ask him for directions, I approached him carefully.

"Excuse me," I said politely, "Do you know where the garden is located?"

"Yes, I'm actually heading that way too," he said with a friendly smile. 

He gestured me follow him, without hesitation I followed him quickly. 

However, he had such long strides that I had a hard time keeping up. Each of his steps seemed to cover twice the distance of mine, and I was quickly falling behind. 

"Hey, mister? Could you please slow down a little?" I called out.

"I'm trying my best to keep up with you, but I'm getting really tired."  I said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that!" he said. 

"I'll make sure to walk more slowly so you can catch up. I wouldn't want to leave you behind." he added.

When we finally reached the garden, hindi ko maiwasang ma-mangha sa ganda nito. The garden felt magical, with bright flowers blooming in every color and their sweet scents filling the air. 

Tall trees with shiny leaves offered a nice shady spot, while the soft sound of a fountain nearby added a soothing background noise. 

Butterflies fluttered elegantly from one flower to another, and the colorful petals moved gently in the light breeze, creating a scene that felt like it came straight out of a fairy tale. 

This place is so nice.

While I took in the beautiful scenery, the man suggested we explore further. "There's a hidden path over here," he said, pointing towards a vine-covered archway. 

"It leads to a secret part of the garden that not many people know about. Would you like to see it?" he said.

I hesitated for a moment. What's life without a bit of fun? So, I decided to give it a go.

As we continued to explore the garden, I couldn't help but be amazed by the things that were here. As we approached the secret garden the man had mentioned, I thought the previous garden had been beautiful, but this one was even more stunning. 

Everything here shines very brightly; the flowers come in a variety of extraordinary shapes and colors. 

Ang mga buttefly ay may iba't ibang kulay, and I even saw one with rainbow hues. There's even a castle covered in veiny leaves. 

"Wow, this is so amazing," I said. The man chuckled.

"Is this your first time here?" he asked.

I nodded, still in awe. I can hardly think straight right now because this place is just incredible. This world never fails to amaze me, and I'm starting to love it here.

The man and I started a lively conversation about many different topics. 

As we talked, I realized we had a lot in common and shared similar opinions on various subjects. It was refreshing to meet someone here in this world that shares the same interest as me. 

We chatted about everything from books and the stars, universe, and other topics. Our conversation went smoothly.

Until suddenly, the wind picked up, swirling around us.

"Are we having a typhoon?" I shouted to the guy beside me.

"What is that?" he replied, clearly confused by my question.

"Are we being attacked by the Super Rangers?" I said, hoping he would understand, considering we lived in a world filled with magic. 

The man just stared at me with a confused expression, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Does he really have the nerve to laugh right now?

"Pardon me," he said, still chuckling. "You look so funny when you're scared. And what was that you mentioned about Super Rangers? Is that a new thing now?" 

At that moment, a portal opened up, and Lily stepped through, catching me completely off guard. It felt like something out of a comic book, with someone teleporting right in front of me.

"Princess, sorry to bother you," Lily said. "Your mother is looking for you."

I turned to the guy who had helped me find my way to the garden.

"Sorry, but I need to leave now. I promise I'll come back," I said. "Let's meet again tomorrow—"

Before I could even finish what I was trying to say, the same portal that had appeared earlier suddenly reappeared in front of me. Although I couldn't recall its exact appearance, it quickly transported us back to the kingdom.

"Amara, where have you been?" My mother asked, worry etched on her face. "We've been looking for you all over the kingdom."

"I was just taking a stroll in the garden," I replied.

"Oh, okay. Are you feeling alright now?" she continued. "Next time, please bring Lily with you for safety." Her concern deepened as she added, "We can't take any chances with threats lurking outside."

I almost forgot that in the story, Amara's life is in danger because her family is the most influential and powerful in the entire kingdom of Elarnia. Their immense power has made them the target of envy, leading many people from various kingdoms to conspire against them. This jealousy has put Amara and their family at great risk, as there are those who would do anything to bring her family down.

"Lily, could you please tell me where the library is?" I asked her. 

I wanted to learn more about this world, as I only knew a little based on what I had read about the fantastical realm of Elania before I arrived here.