A World Of Treason and Tides

Chapter 9: Where is your world?

"You can trust me, Spark," Ryan said. But he did not try to stop me as I moved closer to the main entrance, instead continued while pouring himself a glass of water, "I was afraid something like this was going to happen. This is the reason I told you to stay away from me, but it was already too late. They already knew about you."

"I don't understand."

Everything was going over my head. I could understand he was related with the abduction of my family, but a little voice inside me said that he was not behind the incident. I sat on a couch and drank the water that Ryan had actually poured for me. Instead of cooling me down, the water seemed to burn in my throat. I wanted to go wherever my parents and my sister were taken away to.

Not knowing what to do, where to go— how to go, I rested my head on my palms. Who were the 'they' that Ryan was talking about? I had a gazillion questions.

"After you drank from the pond, you became connected to my world. The images you saw in your dreams were some of my memories from my Kingdom. You thought too much about those dreams and that deepened your connection with my country. If previously he could see traces of your whereabouts, now he was able to see you clearly."

"Who are these 'they' and 'he' Ryan?" I could not understand why he kept using pronouns.

Ryan sighed. He lowered his head and murmured, "My own." I barely heard him, but was able to decipher that Ryan knew the 'he'— maybe too deeply, too closely.

"Where is your world?"

Ryan did not answer my question. Instead, he said, "Come to Southampton with me."

"What? No." I barely knew him. How could I possibly go to an unknown city with him? But—but, what if they took my family to Southampton and not to wherever his world was?

All his previous seriousness left Ryan. He came closer to me and said, "Why, are you afraid of what I might do to you? Is that why you don't want to go with me, Spark?" Ryan angled his head and raised an eyebrow.

I could not believe him— my whole family disappeared and he was talking shit. Obviously he was- he had no reason, no emergency to go rescue his family. I huffed. Ryan had no compassion at all. Then why would he agree to help me? My eyes widened and I gulped down a lump in my throat—What if he really had some malicious intention?

Keeping aside my fears, I said to him in as firm a voice as possible, "You wouldn't dare to do any such thing." Something in his eyes flickered.

Ryan came closer and squatted in front of me so that we were face to face. "And why do you think so?" he asked in a low voice.

I clasped my hands in my lap, forced myself to bring a sweet smile on my face and said, "I thought you were different." My words came out through gritted teeth, contradicting the sugary smile on my face.

"Then come with me, Spark. I— I am sorry I was rude with you on certain occasions, and I know that, that might have caused you to think that I may have some bad intentions, and very rightly so. However, you must know when I am saying that I'll help you to get back with your family, I am saying that with all my sincerity."

Ryan's sudden apology prompted me to see him in a new light. Still...something nagged at my mind. No one would help someone they barely knew if they did not have their own agenda. Ryan had to have one too—one that had something to do with why he was not living in his 'world' or 'Kingdom' or whatever.

"I still need to think before going with you," I said.

"Fine," Ryan sighed, "But you should make your decision as soon as possible." As if I did not know that.