Mystical Realm

Chapter 8: The Bridge

Zuri stepped out of the tunnel and into the forest, with darkness surrounding her. She turned around, hoping to see the boys one last time, but they had vanished, and the tunnel was empty. The realization that she was now on her own hit her hard. The Realm, with its mysteries and dangers, demanded her full attention, and she was determined to understand its pull and find a way to end it.

As she moved through the forest, she felt guilty about how she'd treated Zion in the hospital. He had always been there for her, saving her from danger. But now, she had to make her choices, even if it meant leaving him behind.

She remembered his words, "I am yours, and you are mine, and we are one". What did he mean? Was it just a declaration of love, or did it mean something more? These thoughts spun in her mind as she walked further into the forest, but she couldn't dwell on them for long, she had a test to face, and her mom's safety depended on her.

Zuri wandered the forest for hours but found no one and nothing that could help. Tired, she leaned against a tree to rest. The night was cold, causing her to shiver but she knew she couldn't stop for long. The night sky seemed different. If you looked long enough, It was like the stars were so close, that you could almost reach out and touch them. The trees were so tall they seemed to merge with the sky.

She was mesmerized by the forest, remembering her past visit and the people she had met. She wondered what had happened to them, the siblings, the old man, and the little kid. Deep down, she hoped they had passed their tests and made it to the other side. Zuri was lost in her thoughts as the gentle wind rustled through the trees. Before she knew it, sleep took her.

"Maybe she's one of them!" one said. 

"Let's wake her up and find out!" replied the other. 

The voices startled Zuri awake. She stood up quickly, disoriented, the forest still in darkness. Two women took a cautious step back, eyeing her warily. 

"Who are you?" they asked. Zuri, trying to remember what she needed to do, responded with a shaky voice, 

"The test! I was in a cave!" She stumbled over her words, trying to seem genuinely frightened. The two women exchanged confused glances. 

"You were in the cave too?" They both asked at the same time. One of them continued, 

"Us too! We just got out of a tunnel!" they seemed to believe her, and she replied confidently, 

"Me too. I went through a tunnel, and now here in this forest!"

Zuri described her journey through the cave to the girls, carefully leaving out any mention of the boys or the couple she had encountered along the way. She wanted to make sure her story fit their expectations, so she painted a picture of navigating the dark and dangerous tunnels alone, relying on her instincts to find her way through.

The girls looked impressed by Zuri's tale, but when they shared their own stories, it sounded similar to the story of the siblings, Amine and Meriem. The two girls were drenched and trembling with cold. Their clothes were soaked, and their hair stuck to their faces. 

Zuri introduced herself, and the other girls followed. They were best friends, Elvina and Ariya, both the same age as Zuri's sister Zara. They wore school uniforms, which were now dripping wet. Elvina had short black hair and wore light makeup, while Ariya had long red hair styled in a ponytail. Despite their exhaustion and cold, they seemed relieved to meet someone else who understood what they had been through.

Elvina suggested they build a fire to warm up and dry their clothes. She mentioned that she often went to girls' camps during the summer and learned some survival skills there. The other girls agreed, grateful, they began gathering wood and dry leaves to start a fire. As they sat facing the fire, Ariya glanced at Elvina with a guilty expression and said,