Mystical Realm

Chapter 7: The Farewell

"I have to, or more people will get hurt because of me!".

A flashback to the alley, when Jack came back and hugged Zuri, he slipped a note into her pocket. However, last night when her mom disappeared, as she was asked to fetch her siblings from upstairs, she quickly went to her room and grabbed her jacket and the note fell out. It read, 

"Hey beautiful, it's been a long time, we've missed you, Oliver, and Elodie as well. Don't worry, we're all doing fine. All I can say for now is that you have to go back to the realm! But knowing Zion, he won't let you go easily! The choice is yours, just say 'Jeyko' when you're ready."

Going back to the garden, Jack helped Zuri stand up then he embraced her gently and whispered, 

"Close your eyes." 

As Zuri complied, she felt the air around them shift, and even with her eyes closed, she sensed the brilliant light illuminating the space. It was a breathtaking sight, one she never grew tired of experiencing. As the light faded away, darkness enveloped them, but the familiar scent of the forest filled Zuri's senses, just as fresh as she remembered. Jack then said, 

"We've arrived. You can open your eyes now." Zuri glanced around, but in the darkness, she could barely make out Jack's face. He continued, 

"We don't have time to waste. We need to prepare you." Zuri, confused, asked, 

"Prepare me? And who is 'we'?" Suddenly, a man's voice sounded from behind Jack, saying, 

"You didn't forget about us, did you?" A serious woman's voice chimed in, 

"Quit playing! Let's go!"

Jack then grabbed Zuri by the waist and pushed her into a dark pit. As she started falling, she panicked and began to yell. But just as she was about to hit the ground, her body stopped falling and began to float in the air. Panicked, she looked up and spotted Oliver sitting on the ground, looking at her amusedly. Oliver approached her and pulled her floating body into a standing position by her arms. 

"You look exactly as we left you," he remarked. Then, as she continued to float, he added, 

"Beautiful as always, even in the hospital gown!" 

Just then, Jack and Elodie appeared from behind. Jack gently touched her hair, and she landed on her feet with a soft thud. Elodie grabbed Zuri and pulled her into a tight-back hug, exclaiming, 

"You're finally here!" Zuri turned around, her expression filled with sadness, and replied, 

"My mom, they took her! I need to find her!" Elodie took Zuri by the shoulders and reassured her, saying, 

"Don't worry, we will help you find her. But first, you need to get ready for the test!" Zuri's panic surged. 

"What do you mean? Do I have to go through all that again?" Jack approached her, his expression full of concern. 

"Not all of it, just the part you missed out on before he took you away from us," he explained. Zuri found herself in an underground maze with the three of them holding a dim light. He continued, 

"Listen, we don't have much time. We need to take you to where the test is happening!" Oliver then interrupted Jack urgently and said, 

"Remember the tunnel we crossed to get to the forest? That's where we are taking you!" Elodie looked at Zuri with a sad face. 

"Once you leave the tunnel, the test will continue for you as it did for us a year ago," she explained. 

Zuri puzzled, thought to herself, But it's only been three days! How could it have been a year for them?, Zuri couldn't help but stare at Elodie. Her hair was longer than she remembered, flowing down to her waist. She wore a striking red dress that showed off her cleavage, far from the simple attire she had seen her in before. She looked stunning, yet different