Elemental Empires

{Chapter 26}

"The Sangfwads.." Her mother whispered,"my baby was too weak for portal travel. It happened during the journey and when they reached Earth, my..my Princess wasn't..wasn't breathing," fresh tears slid down her cheek." My daughter is dead Miranda! My sweetheart is gone!", her mother wailed as she shook Miranda by her shoulders.

"Gone," she sobbed as Miranda clutched her mother tightly as she shook. Mia pursed her lips as she slowly backed out of the room, shaking her head.

"I..I have to tell them," Mia whispered as she broke into a run," tell them I'm still alive". She ran out of the palace, past the wilting flowers and flames, past the couple and all the way back to Venom's palace.

She ran towards the emergency exit and retracing her steps went back to the creepy room. Her footsteps bounced off the walls as she ran towards the orb.

Mia stopped, panting. The orb glinted on the table as beautiful and radiant as ever. Heart pumping Mia walked closer to it, closing her eyes she slowly reached out to touch the orb.

Her palm came into contact with the glass and she waited for the glass to melt. A few minutes passed and...nothing happened.

"Work! Come on!," Mia recoiled her palm, blew on it for luck and put it back on the surface. She waited for the orb to liquefy but still nothing happened.

"Maybe if I rub it.." Mia kneeled in front of the orb and rubbed her palm over it a couple of times still nothing happened.

"God dammit!", she threw her hands in the air in sheer frustration and sat cross-legged on the dusty floor when a dreadful thought crossed her mind.

"What if I am stuck here forever in the past?", she shook her head and absent-mindedly stared at the orb.

Where must Kira and Cathy be right now?

She saw the sunlight reflect on the orb and made it look like it was a big ball of glitter.

How many days must have passed?

The smoke enveloped the crystals inside the orb, rippling and pulsing gently.

Do the guards know that we have escaped?

The orb glowed brighter and brighter as Mia closed her eyes and suddenly the whole room went upside-down and then the walls peeled off as the shelves inflated, reached the stars before collapsing on the ground in myriads of glass shards.

Mia opened her eyes slowly.

"Did it wo-"

"Mia, come on! We found the exit," Kira's feet pounded in the room as Mia slapped herself to get rid of the dizziness.

"Oh, so you decided to clean the floor eh?," Cathy sauntered after Kira as Mia stood up and dusted herself.

"Mia, lets go-o-o!", Kira pulled Mia's hand and she started walking reluctantly, following Kira out of the room.

"Wait! Kira didn't you try to find me? ", Mia slowed down.

"We weren't playing hide and seek for your information," Cathy retorted.

Mia ignored her," Kira? I have been gone for-"

"Three minutes exactly before we came to call you!", Kira said excitedly and hurried on.

"No! I have been gone for three whole days!", Mia cried exasperatedly.

"What?", Kira asked,puzzled.

"Yes! I went to the past! Tha-that orb-", Mia started.

"Psycho," Cathy rolled her eyes and strolled to the other room.

Mia's blood boiled when no-one believed her.

"Mia are you alright?", Kira touched her forehead as Mia brushed it off.

"I'm fine," Mia said and went after Cathy as Kira followed.

They entered the passage as Mia fumed silently and then felt guilty for thinking badly about Kira. They reached a door and stopped.

"The door to the exit," Mia said.

"As if we couldn't see," Cathy said saucily.

"Hey, whats your problem!?", Mia screamed as she glared at Cathy.

"You!", Cathy said.

"You wouldn't be saying that if I told you that your beloved brother was going to kill your parents, Cath!", Mia folded her arms across her chest as Cathy's eyes widened and a shadow crossed her face.

"Why isn't it Venom's accomplice here?", Mia raised her eyebrows as beads of perspiration dotted Cathy's forehead." Say something why don't you?", Mia smiled as Kira looked in confusion between the two of them.

Cathy opened her mouth to speak and closed it immediately as all of them froze when they heard the heavy pounding of footsteps approach them

"Quick, open it!", Cathy diverted everybody's attention from herself to the door.

All of them pushed hard against it but the door wouldn't budge. Mia panted as she pushed with all her might.

"It's locked!", Kira cried frantically as she pushed with frail arms and then went off to the side, gasping for breath. The footsteps neared as Cathy gave up.

Only Mia pushed then, the footsteps were almost behind them. Mia willed for the door to open and pushed with all her strength. She closed her eyes, sweat running down her face as she pushed. There was a loud crack and Mia found herself standing outside the room.

"Woah! How'd you do that?", Kira exclaimed, examining the hole Mia had made in the door." Super Mia! Epic!", Kira patted her on the back as all three of them rushed out and made it behind some bushed in time. A handful of guards shuffled out and dispersed in different directions as the three girls exhaled in relief.