Mystical Realm

Chapter 2: The Disappearance

Zuri lays in her bed, her mind swirling with a million questions. How did she end up with Zion in that forest? Who had attacked her, and what was the meaning of the light that had absorbed her surroundings? And most puzzling of all, what was that strange creature she had seen, a guardian of the realm, as he had called it? As exhaustion finally began to claim her, Zuri felt her eyelids grow heavy, the weight of her thoughts pulling her into the depths of sleep.

She woke up the next morning with a sense of determination burning in her chest, resolved to seek out Zion and demand the answers she so desperately needed. She opened her eyes to see her sister standing in the doorway of her room, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

"Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead!" Zara exclaimed, her voice tinged with amusement.

"Looks like someone had a late night. You're lucky I didn't rat you out to Mom and Dad!" Zuri looked at Zara with a confused and panicked expression.

"Wait, what time is it? " she asked. Zara glanced at her watch before turning back to Zuri with a reassuring smile.

"It's a little past 8 AM, Zu," she replied gently.

"I can't believe I overslept," Zuri muttered, she frowned while mentally recalling the missed tasks.

"I was supposed to do the laundry, prepare breakfast, and get Zane ready for school by now." Zara with a wink said

"Don't worry, taking a break is totally normal," she said reassuringly.

"I took care of everything this morning, Zane just got on his bus. " Zuri's tense expression softened.

"Thanks, Zi, I owe you one," she said gratefully.

Zuri hurried to school, feeling a rush of adrenaline as she had never been late for her class. When she burst into her classroom, she was breathless but relieved to have made it on time. As she sat down in her seat, her eyes scanned the space where Zion had been sitting just the day before. The disappointment is as clear as daylight on her face.

Being the head of the class, she marked him absent. However, the teacher was surprised as there was no student with that name on the class roster. All her classmates looked at her with confusion and puzzled expressions. Even Luna, who had been eager to get to know him, seemed puzzled by the mention of his name during lunch period.

She was sure that Zion wasn't just in her head. She remembered seeing him, her head injury, and how she got in trouble for coming home late. It all felt so real. At the bell, Zuri hurried through the corridors of her school to the alley where all the mystery started. She searched the alley for any sign of him or clues that might lead her to the truth. However, despite her best efforts, the alley had no answers, its walls remaining silent.

As days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, Zuri found herself gradually slipping back into the familiar rhythms of her everyday life. The memory of Zion began to feel like a distant dream. As Zuri stood by her locker, Luna's excited voice broke through the chatter of the hallway, drawing her attention. With a wide grin and eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Hey, Zuri! Guess what? There's an after-school party happening later, and everyone's going to be there!" Luna exclaimed, her excitement contagious.

"Um, that sounds... interesting," Zuri replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"But I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it." With a persuasive smile, Luna reassured Zuri,

"Hey, don't even think about saying no! I'm picking you up at 7 PM on Saturday, and we're gonna have a blast!".

As Luna arrived at the Elonar family home an hour early, Zara greeted her with a warm smile,