Zyczenia

Chapter 2: Back to the Past

"Huh? What is this? How do you read this?Zyc....ze...nia?"

Carsein picked up the stone, it looks very normal, except for the fact that there are writings on top of it.

"Is this the stone age? Who would write on a stone these days?"

Just then, something came to his mind.

"Wait... Zyczenia? I think I've heard it somewhere...."

***

"Hey Tia, if a stone can fulfill two of your wishes, what wish would you ask for?" A green-haired boy with emerald eyes asked.

"Weed, are you seriously kidding? How can a stone fulfill wishes? I thought you're a genius but you're common sense really is something else." A boy with hair as red as flame and clear-blue eyes retorted.

"Shut up, you dare question me about common sense when you can't even beat me in chess once? How funny." Allendis jeered. "So, Tia, what would you ask for?"

"Me? I don't really know..." the silver-haired lady replied. "To be honest, I'd rather fulfill my wishes myself rather than asking someone to fulfill it. Why do you ask?"

"Haha... I'm just curious. I recently read a book about a stone that grants wishes," Allendis started explaining. "they say two of your wishes can be fulfilled with it. Apparently that stone belongs to God Vita."

"What? Does that even exist?" Carsein asked, not believing. "If that's the case everyone can have two of their wishes fulfilled!"

"It's actually a legend. But anyone who uses it will cease to remember its very existence when their two wishes are fulfilled."

"So how did this even become a legend?" The clear-blue orbs glittered with curiosity.

"Why are you asking me so much questions, carrot?" The green-haired boy whined. "A person who used the stone wrote about the stone in his diary. When that diary was found, people started to look for the stone, but every time a person finished using the wishing stone, it disappears to thin air where no one could find it. The stone is called Zyczenia, in other words—the Wish."

***

"Ah, right. This was the stone the weed talked about."

Carsein stared at the stone in his hand, his face spelling the word 'unbelievable'.

"This grants wishes? Really? It's just a small shabby stone..." he uttered. "It looks too normal to be a stone that can grant wishes."

"I thought it would look colorful or it would be shining... or is it a fake? Is it someones prank?"

He continued to stare at the stone, and then he was about to throw it. But then something stopped him.

'What if this stone is a real deal? What if it really grants wishes?'

He stared at the stone once more, his mind filled with complicated feelings.

"Ahh, whatever!!"

In the end, he decided to keep the stone in his pocket.

***

Several days have passed since they journeyed back to the Castina Empire. The delegation will arrive back at the Empire tomorrow if nothing will happen.

Carsein laid his body down on bed. Tired from the long journey, conflicted feelings filling his heart.

"When I go back tomorrow, can I really treat her the way I used to treat her?" He mumbled, closing his eyes.

The sight of her wedding still can be seen clearly on his mind. His heart ached.

"What are you doing? You've promised her that you'll treat her how you used to when you go back to the Empire!" He shouted angrily at himself. "Would it be better if I at least confessed my feelings to her?"

He smiled bitterly, then he took out a stone from his pocket. Staring at it as he sat up.

"Hey, can you really grant wishes?" He asked the thing on his palm, silence filled in the room. "Why am I even asking this thing? Its a stone, it can't possibly answer me."

Carsein stared at the stone, reading the words written on it once again. Zyczenia. He hesitated for a moment but then he spoke up his thoughts.

"Well, I guess that this is my only hope now." Carsein muttered.

Slowly he closed his eyes.

"I wish I can go back to the past and at least confess to her, so that I won't feel this burdensome feeling of not being able to move on."

Silence filled the room once more. Nothing happened. Carsein gritted his teeth.

"Ah, of course that kind of stuff won't happen!" He threw the stone away, eyes filled with anger and disappointment. Just then a voice surprised it.

"If that's your wish, I shall grant it."

The walls and floor crumbled into pieces, the bed and furniture disappeared, the walls turned to be a clear-blue sky, just like the color of his eyes. It was as if he was brought to a different dimension. He found himself falling off from the sky.

"Wait what is this?? Why am I falling??"

Just then, he saw a giant clock as he fell, the clock spinning in an anti-clockwise direction at a very fast rate. Feathers can be seen floating all around the red-haired guy.

"What is this... why am I... getting... slee...py...?" Carsein fell into deep sleep.

"Your wish is granted."

***

"Young master! Young master, you should wake up now!"

A girl's voice interrupted his sleep. Carsein slowly lifted his heavy eyelids. He sat up, staring blankly at his surroundings. The familiar room, the familiar bed and furniture.

'Wait what?'

"Are you up now, young master? Would you like to have breakfast in your room or the dining room?" The maid asked.

"Wait, why am I here?" He asked confusedly. "I'm supposed to be at the inn, we're supposed to arrive at Castina Empire tomorrow, though. Hey, Layla, did something happen to me? I'm not supposed to be here right now."

"What are you talking about, young master? If you're not supposed to be here where else would you be?"

"I mean, I'm still supposed to be on my way back from the Kingdom of Lis—!"

'Wait, something's not right.'

Carsein got out from his bed, and looked at his collection of swords on the wall.

"Layla, did someone remove the sword that Marquis Monique and the weed gave me? Why isn't it here?"

"Marquis Monique gave you a sword, young master? That's my first time hearing it. And who is this 'weed'?"

'What?'

Just then, he saw his reflection on a sword. Something seemed off.

'Wait, why did I get shorter? Don't tell me...'

"Layla..." Carsein called out.

"Yes, young master?"

"How old am I? I mean, what year is this?"

"Oh my, did you forget your own age? You're 15 right now and this year is year 960 of the Castina Imperial Calendar."

'What?'