Curse of the Unholy Crystal

Chapter 2: An Invitation from a Stranger

┍━━━━━━━♔━━━━━━━┑
CHAPTER TWO
An Invitation From a Stranger
┕━━━━━━━♔━━━━━━━┙

YELENA TAYLOR

"Surprise! We're alive!"

"I didn't know you're allowed to use magic in Mortalis."

"Walang tao kaya ginawa ko 'yon."

"Is your magic teleportation?"

"Nope. I'm a Dyogeia, a rare ability that needs a lot of practice that can use two magic. I can manipulate gravity and Space-Time."

He acts foolish most of the time, but he's clearly smart and gifted. By his explanation, I could tell it's not easy to practice another type of magic other than your own.

"We're not in Sweden."

Kinindatan niya ako at ngumiti ng malaki. "Iniba ko ang lugar. Hindi naman malalaman mg auntie mo 'yon."

Tumingin-tingin ako sa paligid. We're surrounded by trees and filled with a tranquil atmosphere.

"We're in the Isle of Valor."

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. "The Philippines may have a lot of islands, but I'm certain it doesn't have an isle named like that nor the whole world."

"Only people like us knows this island. It cannot be seen by mortal eyes and you need magic to access the entrance," he explained.

"Anong ginagawa natin dito?"

"This is where the Gate of Animus lies," sagot niya, "Gusto mong makapasok sa Animus, 'di ba? At isa pa, nagsasawa na rin ako sa Mortalis."

Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at ginabayan ako sa daan. "Let go."

"Nope. Isang maze ang daanan ng island para sa mga first time na nakapasok. Kahit sundan mo lang ako, maliligaw ka."

We walked for hours. Yet, I still can't feel we're near the gate. Nanatili akong tahimik at hinayaan na lamang si Adrian na mag-lead sa daan. Each of our steps echoed against the ground. My brunette long hair was playing in the wind, some strands of my bangs even hit my eyes at some point.

"Why is it so windy here?"

"The island is alive, Yelena. It's observing us through nature and the wind," sagot ni Adrian.

The ground's sand started to move up, some of it went through my eyes. "Ow!"

Adrian pulled me out the little hurricane of dust and moved my chin up. "Yelena. . . your contact lense melted."