The Downsides Of Popularity ✓

Chapter 25

AND THEN EVERYTHING GOES, DARK.

'Hello dear,' the purple-robed witch greets me, with a smile. But I pay no heed to her smiles, knowing all too well how she once fooled me with it.

'Let me guess, you're going to hand over us to your higher authorities?' I speak, bitterness noticeable on my tongue.

Ms Walker takes a deep breath in and says, 'No, I'm here to help you get out.'

'What?'

'Yep. That door behind you is sealed by not only a lock but by a spell as well. You'll need a witch's help to get through it, so I'm here to-'

'Thank you very much, but no- the last time you helped me you-', Srey interrupts me mid-way and says, 'What if she's really here to help?'

I turn my head to look at him, 'Are you serious? This lady standing in front of us is the reason why I'm stuck in this alternate reality!'

'But maybe she's changed her mind now? Shway, we can't get through the door anyways, so might as well accept her help and-'

We both fall quiet as we hear the sound of approaching footsteps of not one, but several people all at once, marching towards us, guards probably.

Ms Walker rushes towards us and before I have a chance to retort, she points her wand at the grey gate, casts a spell and we hear the gears turn. An aura radiates from the gold flourishments on the door until it unlocks and the gates finally open.

However, the Gray Hall is nothing like I imagined it would be. The Hall is enormous, with several pillars- designs carved into them in gold and the ceiling rises up to 15-20 feet above my head. The Gray Hall appears large enough to contain a million people, all at once.

'C'mon, go! Towards the armchair, now!' Ms Walker commands. Srey and I, stop gazing at the interiors of the hall, spot the high-raised armchair and start to run. But I halt for a few seconds, just to ask, 'Why are you helping me now?'

'Because what my coven is doing isn't right. We used to fulfil children's wishes before but over the past few years, if a child wants to revoke their wish, we are forced to trap them in an alternate universe so we don't lose our source of magic. I had done it once and regret it deeply- can't make the same mistakes twice- so please! Go!'

I'm stunned by how fast she speaks, but simply nod my head and run towards the armchair, as she instructed.

Srey manages to reach the armchair a few seconds before me and tries to open the front panel like Ms Carey had informed us.

'It won't budge!' Sreyansh exclaims and we hear Ms Walker warn us to step away. As soon as we move away from the panel, she shoots a spell at it, and the panel falls off rather easily, revealing a ball of orange light resembling a mini sun.

'Shweta! Touch that ball and you'll return to your world, destroying this realm!' Ms Walker tells me as she turns around to lock the gates before the guards can manage to get through.

'Destroy the realm?' I question, utterly perplexed, 'But what about you and Srey?'

'Don't worry! I'll keep him safe. Do it! There are too many guards accumulating!' Ms Walker tries to assure me as she casts and shoots spells at the door to keep the guards out.

'Shway! Do it!' Sreyansh urges me, 'We'll be fine, go! This is your chance.'

But I just stand there, dumbfounded. Too many thoughts cloud my head, preventing me from even moving a finger.

'Shway!'

'I can't!' I speak aloud, 'I can't just abandon you! You're my best frie-' I stop speaking as Srey holds my hands in his.

'There is also another Sreyansh in your world, your best friend and as far as I am concerned, I'll be fine. Ms Walker will save me, but now you have to save yourself so please-'

'But what if the Sreyansh in my world doesn't like me? The way you do? The way you just told me you do? It's not like I don't want to know what it feels like to be- to be-' tears sting my eyes as I keep talking. I don't know where the words come from, but I know they flow with truth. I do want to know what "us"- Srey and I, together would be like, feel like 'cause I know it would be very different from what I had with Utkarsh, perhaps even more than what I had with him.

'As long as a Sreyansh exists in your world, I'll always find a way to love you. Love is a pretty big word, but- you know what I mean,' Sreyansh says, ever so softly. I search for something in his eyes, and I think I find it- sincerity, so I believe him.

'Go,' he whispers.

Sreyansh lets go of my hands and turns around, briefly, 'I'll hold the fort down.'

I reach my hand out to grab his elbow. He wheels around, surprised and I plant a quick kiss on his cheek, which makes him blush, only a little.

'Thank you, for everything,' I say and let go of his arm. He simply nods, looking a little flushed before he turns to run towards Ms Walker and help her keep the doors from opening.

Suddenly, I hear a bang from the opposite end of the hall, and the three of us turn our attention to the source of the blast. As the smoke drifts away, I see a lady standing in black robes. She stands at the threshold, where the door used to be, now disintegrated. I recognise her from before, the head of the Autumnal Coven, Ms Carey warned us to stay away from. But the same woman was now looking directly at me, eyes resolute. It almost felt like she was staring into my soul.

I break eye contact with her and extend my left hand towards the tiny ball of fire, mere inches away from me. As soon as my fingers seem to touch the ball, it heats up, as if about to explode. I notice a streak of light in my peripheral vision, coming towards me- probably a spell shot by the black-robed witch.

However, my brain is unable to comprehend what happens next as everything around me seems to disappear, white light shining in my eyes from all directions, forcing me to shut my eyelids.

And then everything goes, dark.

***

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