Beyond

Karen: Liar

Though I had been telling the fairy the truth when I told her I knew what I was looking for, there was the completely separate matter of finding it.

I let out a sigh.  According to everyone I had run into in this world the Pit had taken me to, I was in Creta Se.  No one knew anyone by the name of Morgan.

Maybe he hadn't fallen into the pit at all.

Maybe when he tried to find his real home he ended up where he wanted to go, and then never came back.  Or at least, hasn't come back yet.  Maybe he can't.

Why did I still wait by the door after such a long time?

I'm not there to wait by the door.  Time can pass outside the pit while you're in it, as seen by Seraina actually having been gone.

Hopefully it goes more slowly- but that's just wishful thinking.

The beautiful valley town surrounded by mountains that leave no room for any way out because the peaks are so far into the sky it's amazing that the mountains haven't swallowed Creta Se in its entirety.  The sun hung directly above the city, it was midday exactly.

I made my way down the grassy slopes, where there were many beautiful flowers and willows leaning over mirror ponds into which they gazed into their reflections.

Behind one tree in particular were two people.

One of them was trying to shrink into herself, making subtle gestures that were weak attempts to get the young man next to her to leave her alone.

I recognized him instantly.  My feet carried my close, my brain stopped them to hide behind a tree.

"At least open your eyes, Aemi."

It was his voice.  My jaw hit the grass.  Aemi?!  The girl with him was Aemi, her black hair flowing straight, almost like a perfect waterfall over her shoulders with no spray or foam.

"I did.  Happy?"  She scooted away, looking this time like she might actually succeed in curling into a ball.

"A little."

Was that Morgan?  Was it Aemi?  Was it all an illusion, a prank laid for me by the pit to flaunt its superiority?

"So, would you like to sit?  Sorry for scaring you."

Then Aemi is sucked away by a portal.  That wasn't some fictitious Aemi.  That was in fact the one that had gone down into the Pit with me.  I was instantly swamped with guilt.

I knew that they had been friends, mostly with Morgan pushing her around, but she let him.  Either way it must have been hard for her.  I almost felt like that whole mess was mine, letting him leave and then torturing his friends left behind with his memory.

"Karen?"  Morgan's eyes locked onto my position leaning against the tree in thought.

I was at an unfortunate loss for words.

"Karen...?"  Morgan walked up to me, his dark eyes the same.

"How long have you been down here?"  I asked.

"What do you mean?"  He gives me a confused glance.

"I mean it's been three years since I let you leave the Old Castle and you haven't come back since!"  I exclaimed, pushing him back against a tree behind him.  He hits it with a satisfying thunk.

But that meant his guard wasn't up.  Which meant one of two things: either I was a bad teacher, or this wasn't Morgan, really.

"Ohh..."  He winced.  "Karen, that hurt.  But yes, I remember you, doofus.  So stop treating my like a kid, which is how I left the Old Castle."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL AEMI, HUH?"  I demanded, heat rising so quickly to my face it was making me dizzy.

"What-"  His face grew startled and scared, which was something I was used to from him.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL HER?"

I move without a second thought.  My fists slam his arms that come up swiftly to block me, but he's out of practice.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THIS HURTS SOMEONE WHO WAS FRIENDS WITH YOU BEFORE YOU LEFT, LIKE AEMI?"  I swing to his face, and suddenly everything stops.  He catches my fist.

I can feel sharp pain filling my hands like water in a cup as he squeezes.  I chose not to feel the pain.  Aemi felt worse.

"I never promised her anything."  He says, his dark eyes stern.

"You haven't found it, have you?"  I say, "Your home.  You aren't from the Pit.  So you never came back."

He lets go.  "I didn't need you to tell me that."  He sweeps his brown curls out of his face.

A portal opens behind me.  Without thinking, I take Morgan firmly by the arm and yank him through the portal with me.

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