My Life was a Game

Chapter 20

Although it took half a day for the party to travel, the road to Santubong was smooth. They moved with three normal-looking cars and only used the land path. The cars might not look like it but they were equipped with high tech and defensive features. Following the address, they drove into a pathment that led to a valley away from the main road. The pathment slowly disappeared between the valley and the road stopped there. The location however, still a few kilometers away. How would someone be able to get there?

The group stopped and observed the area to find any hidden path but they couldn't find any. The day was getting darker and no moon was visible. The group suddenly became wary and hopped back into their cars but they couldn't find any path ahead nor did the path behind them. It was as if it disappeared, magically. No communication signal and no way out. But the group remained as calm as they could and they decided to wait for the day to come. They set the camp beside the cars.

June was a bit scared and wouldn't leave April's side. He was clinging like a little puppy that just lost his way but she needed to pee now. As much as the forest seemed scary and dark, she didn't feel any discomfort. She insisted on going alone but June worried. So, they decided for June to wait a few feet away from her. The two walked hand in hand into the wood with a flashlight. They were only a few minutes away from their group but a flash of light appeared between the tree branches.

The two looked at each other, one was excited and the other one was paled. But April gave her brother a choice to come along or go back to the group. June couldn't leave his cruel sister. As the two got closer, a small house came into view. It wasn't a ruin but a cute, clean and beautiful stone house. It looked like something out of the fairy tale book.

It was a double storeys house with a dark green roof. A blooming ivy climbed at the corner of the house while a tree size bonsai leaned closely at the other corner. The courtyard looked clean with small bushes of flowers lining on both sides of a stone pathment that led to the front door. As magical as it looked, fireflies lit the whole place in clusters. It looked like orbs of light. The place was out of the world. It was breathtaking and a mesmerizing view.

April and June were fully submerged in the magical scene when the wooden black door opened. They didn't even realize that the woman was watching them with her wide beautiful smile. The two looked like curious and innocent children in her gray eyes. She called for them after a moment.

"Aren't they beautiful? The fireflies love it here, away from the busy city."

The two finally snapped out of their trance and looked at the origin of the voice. She was the exact image April had remembered. They found her but wasn't she supposed to be a few kilometers away? The two looked at each other in confusion. The old woman gave a chuckle watching the behaviour of the two children.

"Let's go inside. We're going to have a long conversation, right? April Worthe..."

She flinched when the woman said her name naturally. She knew her identity and her purpose here. She didn't hesitate to follow her inside. She knew she would be safe in her care. June was a bit wary though. He held on her arm and looked at April with a concern expression. She reassured him before they went inside the building together.

They sat in the living room. It was a small and cozy place. The building wasn't the only cute thing in there; the table, the cushion, the tea set and everything inside the building were cute and petite. The old woman had expected them to come, so she already prepared the best refreshments she could make. She knew they would meet again after her intervention that day. The young woman was here breathing and sat in front of her. The old woman had a lot of regrets and she had enough of it. So, for once after a long time, she decided to walk out of her safe bubbles and looked for her. She would change her destiny.