The Realm

CHAPTER 26: The Portals

(Daniel's Point of View)

The late pioneer had been friends with Cassandra since their childhood. Their friendship began when they built an extension of their court in Sailendra, where Cassandra's is established. They would share their food, laugh together on things that are shallow, and build dreams while lying on a field of grass and staring at the movement of clouds above.

Everything was fine until a fine young man from Sumatre came on the scene. Things were changing. There was a wall that was growing each day that by and by tore their bind apart. Amidst the rising problem, they made things work. It was after in one night at Sailendra. She would always skip to the details when we, her apprentices, ask her how they became friends and tied their bind again. She would always say that one night a great thing was taken away from them which paved the way to realize their mistakes and reconcile. That's all I know. That's all we know. It does not satisfy me with all of those times that she shared the story. There was this was a question that kept on running on my head," what was that great thing that made two different women erase the animosity between them in one night?"

After they brought back the things on how it used to be, they dreamed better and greater things for the Realm. Until Cassandra changed again. Unfortunately, she would always think of herself as a queen, while, there were times that she think she will not become one. Of the two, the late pioneer would always adjust to the situation. There were times in which she would risk her life in order to save her best friend. I will never forget the day we headed eastward for something that concerned not only Cassandra; but, likewise the Realm.

I was there. It was almost a month before she was murdered. We rushed to the border of Sailendra and Lumeria where a temple named Ethione is located. It shelters the portal in the east. There were five portals all over the Realm, in the north, east, west, south, and at the center.

The sun finally rested from illuminating the Realm, so we followed the light which led us to Cassandra. She was doing one of the forbidden things in the land, to open a portal.

We cannot hear ourselves, so we needed to shout in order to communicate with her. Plus, the light coming from the direction where Cassandra was situated was blinding. We tried to get her; but, there was a force that always threw us away when we get near her.

"Cassandra, stop this. Please talk to me," the late pioneer shouted to convince her friend to stop. It was useless. Her eyes were all white as she floated in the air like a thin leaf being carried by a strong wind.

"Get away!" a demonic voice engulfed the place. Something wanted us to leave her. It was not her, there was something inside her, something dark from outside the Realm. From that moment, we knew that a malevolent being penetrated the Realm, an Archfiend. They go by many names; evil spirits, beast, malignant creatures, monster, ghoul, and the most used; demon. In the past centuries, they tried so much to take the Realm for their ambitious goal - put humanity in vain.

I helped her to get up. "Close the passage," she whispered. Cassandra slowly touched the floor and walked towards the late pioneer Merriah. I seized the opportunity to sneak towards the altar as fas as I could. It was an unfortunate night for me because I reached the passage without getting caught. Just before I touched it, I saw Cassandra grabbing her around her neck with her right hand. Slowly, she raised the pioneer. She was choking. I decided to help her; but, when she felt that I had the plan, she frowned.

Those were hideous, the things that I saw when I touched the door of the portal. The energy that it bore threw against the wall. My head hit, so my vision turned blurry for a while. I looked harder at them and was able to distinguish their movement. Though it was blurry, I saw Cassandra, she took her hand off of the pioneer. She walked slowly and combined her demonic laugh with the noise the portal created. I crawled; but, she reached me. She was about to crash my head when she began to shout. It was as if Cassandra was winning the authority of her body. The late pioneer ran as fast as she could to reach the altar as Cassandra was struggling with the demon. With a snap, the light and the noise from the portal disappeared. Cassandra passed out.