The Dark Realm

Layla of Light

Mrs. Parker knew that if she wanted to get the Light Realm on her side she had to do more than call them. Layla went into her jewelry box and picked up a round looking object wrapped in cloth. She unwrapped it, revealing a little lepidolite* stone. She closed her hand on it and her eyes.

The stone started to glow. It got brighter and brighter, expanding to more and more of the room. Soon the entire room was cover in the gleam and so bright that you couldn't see anything. The glow started to fade and when it did it was clear to anyone, if they peeked through the door, that Mrs. Parker wasn't there.

She arrived in a grand looking hallway. It was empty. There was a door directly in front of her. She knew where it led. Her heart pounded inside her chest. She was going to see people who she hadn't seen in more than twenty years. She reached for the doorknob and pulled it open.

"Excuse me, I'm a little busy here-" A man with light brown hair said as he noticed the door open. He stopped when he saw the intruder. "Oh it's you."

"Yeah, it's me." Mrs. Parker admitted. Tears welled up in her eyes. The man stood up from behind his desk and went over to Layla. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I thought I'd never see you again." He whispered, nearly crying.

"I never planned on coming back. Not after what happened last time." Layla mumbled, hugging the man. "I missed you so much, Eric. After I left I thought that you would never forgive me."

"Of course I would. I love you, Layla. I wish you had at least visited." Eric let go of Mrs. Parker. "Why now? Why are you here now?"

Layla looked down. "I have a problem. One that I can't figure out on my own. I need your help."

Eric's face turned into a scowl. "You want my help? After you abandoned me for that, that Dark Realm scum? You haven't talked to me in years yet you come here with enough guts to ask me for help?" Eric spat at the blonde haired woman. He threw his hands up in anger.

"He's not scum! He never was! I love him."

"More than you love your own people, your own family?! He was enough to make you abandon your entire life, your entire world! Layla, you were my best friend and you abandoned me for the prince of slime. Now you come asking for my help?" Eric hissed, venom in his voice. He tried to relax by pacing and breathing heavily.

"Look, Eric, I wouldn't be here if I didn't really need your help." Layla tried to explain. Before she could explain any further he started ranting.

"See? That's exactly it. You wouldn't be here if you didn't want my help. You probably would have let another thirty or so years go by without talking to me. You're only here because you want something." Eric sat back down in his chair behind his desk. He tapped his foot, still invigorated with a mad energy. Tears started to roll down Layla's cheeks.

"You said you would forgive me."

"That was before I realized how selfish you are." Eric crossed his arms.

Layla started to get angry. "Yeah I should have come sooner! I missed you, dang it! And, yeah, it was a mistake on my part not to come back, I'll admit that! At least hear me out!"

"Why should I give you the time of day?" Eric growled. Layla smacked her hands down on the desk and leaned in close to Eric.

"Listen, mister, my daughter was kidnapped by the prince of the Dark Realm. There's not much that I can do. I need some help and it so happens that this place is opposed to the Dark Realm. Are you going to help or not?"

Eric sat shocked, trying to process the new information. "You have a daughter?" He asked, his voice cracking. Layla nodded.

"Two actually. I bet they'd love to meet you. Do you have any kids?" Layla asked, calming down.

Eric nodded. "Jason Mark and Violet Layla."

Layla's eyes grew watery again. "You named her after me?" She asked.

"Of course. Verona and I both agreed that Layla was the perfect middle name for her. She's fourteen. Jason's nineteen." Eric told her.

"You married Verona?" Layla questioned him. He nodded. Layla smiled. "You stole my best friend." Eric nodded again. He smiled too.

Now that everyone was calm Eric asked, "Your daughter was kidnapped by the prince of the Dark Realm?"

Layla nodded. "I can't take on the Dark Realm on my own. Right now all I've got is my husband and a couple of teenagers. We need more to get her back."

Eric sighed and rubbed his temple. "I understand your predicament but I can't just enlist my army to fight a war against the Dark Realm. We've been at peace with them since King Zander took the throne. Why would we jeopardize that now?"

"If my daughter stays kidnapped she will be forced to marry the prince who will take over as King. It is clear to me that he is not suited to rule. He kidnapped my daughter, Lilly, because it was quicker than taking the time to get a girl to fall for him. Do you really think that he's going to make a good leader?"

"No I guess not, but we can't just wage war on them. We've heard rumor that they were planning on attacking, but we didn't expect them to under Zander's rule. If his son his preparing to be king then that would make more sense. We might just have to attack, but we can't do anything about it until we're sure that they were planning on attacking us first." Eric told Mrs. Parker. She nodded.

"I understand."

"Listen, if it turns out that they are planning an attack, which we currently have spies working on uncovering the truth, we'll definitely help you. Give us a month." Eric stood up once more and gave Layla a hug.

"Thank you. Trust me I'll definitely visit more often. I love you, Eric." Layla said as she hugged him back. They let go and Layla walked over to the door.

"I love you too. Bye, Layla." Eric watched Mrs. Parker pull open the door and leave.

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Alright! What do you think? Who is Eric and how does he know Mrs. Parker? Will the Light Realm end up helping to rescue Lilly? Is it all in vain since Lilly can't be less than two miles away from Max? What will happen next? Tell me what you think n the comments! Thanks, bye!

*Lepidolite is a stone that comes in three main colors. Red, pink, and purple. It symbolizes peace. Lepidolite will promote a restful sleep, attract good luck, and reconcile love.