The RavenStark Quest: Awakening

CHAPTER 21: WHICH ONE IS HOME?

"Are you insane?"

"You have gone bonkers, Liz."

"Tell me you are joking."

Three voices spoke up simultaneously.

"Calm down, guys. It is the right thing to do." I knew that they would never agree with my decision but I had to choose what I had to choose.

"Right thing to do?" Peter shouted. "Risking your life for a bunch of people you don't even know? How is this right Liz?" 

"It feels right Pete, And haven't you heard what Olisen said? If whatever he said is true I have the last piece of a real family fighting for me in here I can't let that go." I said.

"You are coming back home Elizabeth. We are leaving the first thing tomorrow. I have heard enough of their lies." Theo lowered. "And sir we are going back whether you like it or not. I don't care what Liz has decided to do but she is coming with us." He flared at Olisen.

"You don't care? Well too bad, because I am staying and you are going to respect my decision." I scowled. "And if you don't remember you were the one who wanted to come here, not me. You were the one who wanted to know more about this mystery, not me. You were the one who dragged me into this pit hole of ground breaking discoveries of myself, not me! So Theo it would be better if you stop making decisions on my behalf. I am sick of people doing that for me. Understand?"

"Stop it three of you." Christina finally spoke. She was awfully quiet when I said I would stay. "She stays."

Did she just agree? Completely out of the blue? What was happening?

"Chris, how can you say that after hearing what Olisen just said. It isn't safe for her out here." Pete went up to where Chris was standing and glared at her confused. I myself was confused, but I knew Chris would never do something without a reason so I waited for her to answer Pete's question.

"That's why Pete." He looked back at him. "The safest and the most secure place for Liz is right here. She belongs here. These people will protect her from anything and everything ten times more than we ever could. It's her choice and I am respecting it , so should you." Christina answered Peter and smiled slightly at my direction and nodded.

"We just leave her here? In an unknown twisted world filled with hundreds of mysteries?" Theo interrogated.

"You can stay if  it pleases you." Olisen said coming forward. "But unfortunately the timing between our realm and yours can be controlled only for two days. So if you stay here more than two days, the time gets restored making this present link with your world.  So in that world your present goes as it is and according to everyone you have either disappeared or lost."

"How is it even when you give us a choice there's always a motive behind it. Just like how you gave Liz a choice regarding her transformation you had a story to back up your opinion. How can we believe that you will really protect her and not manipulate her?" Peter asked suspicious.

"Because Elizabeth is the second living heir of Oliver RavenStark and the second child of our very own nature. It is my duty to protect her." Olisen was sanguine.

Christina slowly walked up to me while Peter, Theo and Olisen were having a indifferent conversation. 

"You are my best friend and you know I will always support you and your choice, but I have to ask. How can you be so sure that this is the right thing to do? To trust these people?" Christina asked looking deep.

"To be honest, I don't know Chris." I inhaled deeply. "I can't explain what I feel but whatever I feel it feels right." 

"If you are that sure about this not going south I believe you." She smiled lightly. "And by the way I decided that I am staying."

"What? But you heard what Olisen said." I indicated.

"Yes, but the advantage is I don't have parents Liz and I am pretty sure my aunt would file a police report saying I am missing a week later." Chris nudged. "And I have to be here otherwise one of these crackheads would want to stay." She said pointing at Theo and Pete who were having a really raging conversation.

"Guys. Guys." I tried grabbing their attention. "Can I have a second?"

"Listen Liz, I know you think whatever you are trying to do here feels right but what about your life on the other world? Have you thought about it?" Peter said.

"My life on the other world was a mess but needless to say it is way messier in here but I need to be here. And about my parents, well they know about all of this so I don't need to worry about that." I spoke. "But unlike me you two have a family that is expecting you."

"We also have a friend who is hell bent on staying in a twisted world." Theo scoffed.

"I will be fine, maybe not now but I will be. Chris will be by my side so there's nothing to worry about." I simpered.

"Chris is staying?!" Peter almost shouted. Just what I expected.

"She can stay but we can't? How is this fair?" Theo joined.

"She gave me a pretty good reason." I smiled. "See, this will be like an insurance that I will be okay. We will look out for each other when things doesn't go well. I promise." I looked at their worried faces and gave a slight reassuring smile.

"So you are saying ...." Peter looked sad.

"You have to go Pete, at least for my sake." I said.

Theo suddenly turned back at Olisen and questioned "If we were prone to leave Liz in here, why did we even enter it? Why not let Mr. and Mrs. Harlow bring her in themselves."

"Dessa and Aiden's arrival would draw too much attention we needed someone that we can trust but also someone that was new to this world so people wouldn't recognize them nor would they be able to identify who the chosen one is." Olisen answered.

"So you used us as a pawn?" Theo derided.

"You are barely a pawn Theo. Without yours and the others friendship Elizabeth would have never been able to live a normal life until the age of transformation. I have to thank you all for that." Olisen said grateful.

"Do we really have to leave? Can't you cook up some magic to freeze our time in the other world until we go back? You produced a baby from a bloody cauldron right?" Peter asked desperately.

"I am afraid not dear. There's nothing I can do about that." Olisen apologized.

"You don't have to worry about me Pete." I went up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Other than the fact that I am going to become into a ball of fire thingy and take part in a war which was meant for me not to fight it, everything's going to turn out perfectly fine" I assured him.

I had no idea about what was going to happen to me next but a slight appearance of fear in me would make them stay here like a bubblegum stuck under your table. Chris stays back and it was enough. Olisen said my parents are coming back too so that's good. My choice is foolhardy and had no means to the end but it is something I had to do. Will I regret it? I have no idea. But whatever happens it's on me, I can't blame anyone, not Olisen nor my friends for dragging me into this mess. I came back home, but I still couldn't figure which one is home? The place where I grew up and have these amazing friends or the place where I was magically born to kill an evil witch?!