Something's Wrong With the Different Realms

Twenty-Five: Apologies

"Horizon, just make your way to me," Allaira held out an arm.

I nodded and grabbed onto her hand with great difficulty, but as soon as I did I felt a surge of cold run about my body, then when the cold disappeared and my body returned to its regular temperature, I noticed that the pain was greatly reduced.

"How did you do that?" I asked Allaira.

"I used one of my spells. I figured out which pain-subsiding spell words best through trial and error," she replied, then tilted her head to look at the tree leaning against the window. "There's a tree in here. It doesn't have a lot of natural energy so the spell won't last long. So I need you to focus on what I'm about to say next. Okay?"

I nodded my head and focused on Allaira's musical voice. "Okay."

"So you know the creature that we saw in the Zenobian town festival?"

"Yes. The one with cerise eyes and magenta hair? The same one that we say lingering around the Sheen?"

"Yes, that exact creature. Their name is Malum. And apparently, they're in track and field with me. They recently joined because they were replacing someone and I first met them during our track meet. They look a little different though, they're probably wearing a disguise. They have cropped reddish-brown hair and reddish-brown eyes and skin with natural pinkish-red undertones. But I know that it was them because, for a split second, I saw through their disguise and saw their other form, the one with the pink hair and eyes.

"And do you remember what Allurie had said about the Sheen before we went through it?"

"Not really," Horizon shook his head.

"Well... I didn't remember it either until I went to the library to conduct some research and suddenly I remembered that Allurie had said that Cassie could manipulate the portals. She said that if they didn't do that, we'd end up in the Place instead of on Earth."

Realization dawned on Horizon's face. "Now I remember."

I nodded gravely. "It's unfortunate. And—"

"Wait..." Horizon asked, stopping me from speaking. "Was that what you and Fleur were arguing about the other day?"

"Yes, actually," I answered, "but let me continue."

"Okay."

"Anyway, that foxglove-resembling creature and me finding out that Cassie controls the portal are the reasons I changed my mind about talking to you. That and my own personal self-reflection that perhaps I was being too harsh to you.

"Also, I think that foxglove-resembling creature knows that I'm other-realmly like them so I tried talking to them during practice. Oftentimes they'd ignore me but a few times I was successful but we only talked about track and field stuff. But the strange thing is that every time I try to talk to them, I start feeling the pain. The one that you were feeling just now.

"And based on your theory, I think Cassie doesn't want us talking to them. I bet it's because Malum knows something about Cassie and their experiment. So we have to talk to them. But I haven't been able to communicate with them successfully, all the times that I'd tried I either succumbed to the pain or they ran away from me."

"That makes sense," I thought aloud. "I saw them around school and I tried approaching them once but they also ran away from me. I bet they're being controlled by Cassie as well. That could be why they're always running away because they don't want to feel the pain."

"Why don't I come to one of your practices?" I suggested.

"Why?" Allaira questioned

"I know you're going to try to talk to them. It might not work but my presence might comfort you and encourage you or something," I said. "Besides, if I observe your interaction with them, I might be able to help you to form a plan so we can talk to them successfully and get the information that we need."

"Makes sense," Allaira agreed.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Yeah, and Horizon?" Allaira added.

"Hmm?" I responded.

"I'm sorry for being angry with you," she admitted. "I'm sorry for not talking to you earlier."

"I understand," I placed my free hand and patted Allaira's shoulder with it. "If I was in your place and I'd just found out that my best friend betrayed me by spilling my biggest secret, I'd feel super betrayed and I'd be extremely mad even if she had a good reason for doing what she did."

"That's good," Allaira smiled. "I hated not being able to talk to you. I hated not being able to tell you immediately that I won 2nd place. I hated not being able to tell you what the track meet was like. I hated not being able to tell you how much I miss home. About how angry I am about the fact that I was forced away from my home and family and how I was truly alone because I couldn't tell you. I hated not having my best friend to talk to."

"Me too. I missed you. And I'm sorry too," I admitted. "Even though the pain hit suddenly, I could've at least warned you of what I was about to do next when we met at the bridge. Or I could've only told the truth about myself instead of dragging you into my mess. I could've tried to hold out for longer and convinced Cassie that I needed to make a plan to tell them and then have consulted you."

"I'm still mad at what you did but what happened has already happened and we can't change that fact," Allaira stated, then laced her fingers through my hand. "At least I have my best friend back and I'm glad for it."

"Me too," I beamed at her.

I released my hand from hers and I noticed that the pain had completely disappeared. Cassie must not have deemed us apologizing to each other as a threat so they released the pain from our bodies.

"Hey Horizon," Allaira called out while I picked at the grooves of the wooden floor and wondered about Cassie's mysterious ways.

"Yeah," I answered, turning so my wide tanzanite eyes met with Allaira's almond-shaped amber ones.

"You're the only thing that reminds me of our home right now," she muttered shyly.

Instead of speaking, I just leaned over to hug her as a response. And she hugged me back.

I was glad to have my best friend back.