Immortalia

Chapter 18 - Allegra's Betrayal

Chapter 18 – Allegra’s Betrayal

It took some time before they managed to track down Nehru. Aurora got to see a bit more of her surroundings, and from what she could tell, it didn’t seem out of the ordinary. The only thing that piqued her interest in the slightest was how happy every Immortalia seemed.

“I found the group of people who found you,” Nehru said. “Luckily, they know the area well as they like to play games there.”

“Games?” Aurora frowned.

“Just something to pass the time really… You know, for fun?”

Aurora faintly remembered how humans liked to be entertained at all times. Sometimes it was in the form of visual representation on a screen. Other times, it was in the form of socializing.

“Can they lead us to the place?” Sari asked.

Everyone loved the Queen—Aurora could see it in Nehru’s eyes and in the way that everyone acted around her. Sari might not have been the rightful heir, but the people loved her nevertheless.

“Jona,” Nehru called. “Come here.”

A young boy stepped forth, his hands behind his back. He bowed his head, and Aurora thought she recognized a small shimmer of fear. There were so many things that she didn’t understand. But she didn’t have the time to stop and ponder now.

It’d been excruciating to wait for Sari to track down Nehru. Apparently, none of them knew the place that Aurora appeared, and it was crucial to know the exact position. Sari had explained that if they got it wrong, she might end up in a entirely different place.

“The earth is held together by a magnetic pull from the two poles,” Sari said. “In order for us to make use of the portals, we need to find a specific line of magnetism. If we don’t find the correct one, you might end up on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.”

“It’s not called that anymore,” Aurora muttered. “The last president renamed everything in his favor.”

“My knowledge of the human world all comes from a book.” Sari frowned.

“It doesn’t matter.” Aurora glanced to Jona. His posture was tense as he led them through a patch of tall grass.

“So what exactly are you accusing Allegra of doing?” Sari asked.

“I believe she’s the one who opened the portal and closed it after she tempted me to go through.”

“Why would she do that?”

Aurora shrugged lightly. “I haven’t figured that part out yet. But I will get answers soon.”

“This is the place,” Jona said and pointed to a small bush.

The grass had ended, and now her surroundings seemed desolate. There was no life here. No colors to give hope. The sight made her shiver. “This is so sad,” she said.

“How so?” Sari asked before she turned around, taking something from a small satchel she’d brought along.

“It’s so… lifeless.”

Sari didn’t answer. Instead, she reached out her left hand and her blood red fingertips scratched at the air. She hummed lightly and nodded her head. “I can feel it.” Standing up, she turned to Aurora. “I think I can do this.”

In her right hand, she held a little vial of a clear liquid. She popped the lid and flung the content at a small spot inside the bush.

Aurora could hear a low mumbling, but even though she tried, she couldn’t make out the words. She watched as the familiar blue light came back, and she stared right into it just as she had before. A part of her could even hear the roar of the waterfall from the other side.