Eddie gasped in disbelief. No, it can't be. He jumped onto the riverbed and dug his hands into the soil. It was parched. It was as if not a droplet of liquid had permeated it in ages.
He shook his head. "Non, non, non..."
Jon and Stella leaped into the riverbed and reached him.
"Jon, you can detect bodies of water right?" he asked. "Search for it."
Jon waved an arm. He shook his head. "No water."
"No water? Not a drop?"
Jon shook his head.
"Not here or there or underground or in the air?"
Jon shook his head once more.
"Not even in the stalactites or the walls or anything?"
"There's no water here, Eddie. Unless you count our sweat."
"So there's absolutely no healing water?"
"No. There's no water here at all."
"That means there's no cure."
Jon bit his lip. "There's none."
Eddie's breathing grew shaky. His worst nightmare had come true. The image of his friend, now lover, shattering before him filled his headspace. Her saddened voice filled his ears, asking why he failed to save her. His body trembled from head to toe. Of all the vows to her that he would break, it had to be the most important one.
His head hung low. Teardrops built up in his eyes as he stared at the desiccated ground. He whimpered, "Michelle, Michelle, je suis désolé."
"Michelle?" Stella repeated. "Isn't that your friend—"
"Leave me alone."
Jon took a step closer. "Eddie—"
"Leave me alone."
Jon and Stella took a few steps back before they walked out of his field of vision. Eddie returned his glare to the dry earth beneath him. Michelle will die. Michelle will die. I have failed her. The thoughts echoed in his mind. How could he tell her? How could he tell anyone? The scene he feared flashed before him: their weeps interweaving as her glassy eyes gazed into his for the last time; his arms cradling her fragile body as cracks formed and spread through her; him picking up fragments of what was once his companion. All of that because he decided to give a "special" Valentine's Day gift. If he could turn back time, he would replace the ring with a rose or a box of chocolates.
A heavy sigh escaped him. Every single emotion, from regret and despair to anguish and outrage, threatened to burst free. His breath shuddered. His jaw clenched. His chest grew heavy. His hands curled into fists. He had been sangfroid and restrained all his life; for once he would love to unleash the tempest stirring inside him. The air around him heated as he struggled to contain himself. He could explode at any moment. He would explode. He wanted to.
The cure is not far.
"THERE IS NO CURE!" he vociferated, screaming towards the heavens. Tears flowed from his eyes. "Head to an underground river, they said! Its waters will heal anything, they said! Nobody has made it out alive, they said! I know why they all died! I know why! Its healing waters were a lie! THEY RISKED EVERYTHING TO FIND NOTHING! NOTHING!"
He screamed and shouted as he poured out his heart. Curses streamed from the mouth that had never sworn. The ground shook as his fists pounded it with all his might. His piercing cries resonated so strongly, they shook the stalactites that hung above his head. He almost feared for his lungs with all the bawling and gasping, but in the end, he did not care. He did not care. He was hopeless. Furious. Grief-stricken. Emotional. He let loose everything that he had buried beneath his skin. While his madness grilled the atmosphere, his sorrow drizzled and dampened the soil.
Once his bout of agony finished, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and wiped his face. He turned around. His friends cowered in the corner, quivering with fear. He understood. Had he been in their position, he would have been scared himself. Not even his own parents had seen him in such a state.
"I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I just, I just..."
Eddie sighed. He did not know what to say. No amount of apologies could remove the scars they might have gotten from watching his outburst.
Stella approached him with slow steps. Her mouth was half-open as she contemplated her next words. At last, she spoke, "Do you want a hug?"
He nodded.
She knelt next to him. He buried his face in her shoulder and wept as they embraced. She patted his back in an attempt to console him. He slowed his breathing. Though it grew more stable, it was still rather shaky.
"I failed her, I failed her," he murmured. "I promised her that I will save her. I promised her that everything will be back to normal. I promised her. I never broke a promise to her."
"It's okay. You did all you can."
Jon trod hesitantly towards them, still unsure of what to say. He only stood nearby and watched. His stare wandered before lingering on the ground. He then said, "I think I know where the cure is."
They both looked at him. "You do?" Eddie asked.
"Some of your tears are glowing." Jon pointed at the soil around him. "They're forming an arrow."
Eddie and Stella stood up and glanced at the ground beneath them. The area moistened by his tears was gleaming like a diamond in the dark, its sparkles forming a pattern: an arrow. Eddie gasped; there was hope!
"Wait," Jon said, "I have an idea."
He opened his palms and swung his arms. Water gushed forth from his fingers and flooded the riverbed. A series of arrows sprang into existence, pointing in the direction of the river.
Eddie bolted at once, nearly slipping and stumbling on the wettened surface. Jon and Stella caught up with him. The three of them sprinted side by side as they followed the path. The riverbanks closed in on them as the channel narrowed. Eddie waved his right arm. Fwoom. At the river's mouth was a rock, its smooth surface free of any crevices or pores. He wondered what it was doing there—were they supposed to move it?
Once they had arrived at the mouth of the river, they climbed out of the riverbed and stood by the rock. Stella stared at the ceiling. "Look."
The two boys followed her gaze. Glowing crystals grew above them, each one a different shade of blue or green.
"They spell out something," Stella revealed. She squinted at them. "It says, 'To save the one you hold dear, shed your blood, sweat, and tears.' "
"Well I've already shed plenty," Eddie said. "Not sure if I have any left."
"I can collect them."
With a swish of his wrist, Jon extracted tears from Eddie's eyes. Eddie closed his eyelids immediately, for it felt like his eyeballs were almost yanked from their sockets.
"I can give my blood. I can heal myself anyway," Jon said. He scoped the area for a sharp stone.
Eddie reached into his bag and retrieved a pocket knife. He handed it to Jon. "Here."
"You have that in your bag?" Stella asked.
"I carry it with me everywhere, just in case."
Jon unfolded a blade from the pocketknife and slashed his arm. Blood dripped from the cut.
"I guess I'll give my sweat," Stella said.
She began jogging in her place in an effort to perspire. Eddie raised his left hand and radiated heat from it. It only took a moment for moisture to gather on her skin.
"What next?" he asked her.
Stella read the crystals once more. "We have to pour them onto the rock." She pointed at a spot on the boulder. "It should be in order: blood first, then sweat, then tears. They have to be in the same spot."
Jon waved his hand and painted the rock with his blood. He then coated it with Stella's sweat before he overlaid it with Eddie's tears. The rock gleamed greenish-blue.
"We have to strike it open," Stella said. "Water will flow from its cracks."
Jon lifted the pocketknife above the rock.
"No, not with that!" Eddie said sharply. His telekinetic hand swiped the tool from him. "This isn't strong enough. We need something heavier."
"Like what?"
Eddie lifted his gaze. "Those crystals, maybe?"
The three of them exchanged looks.
"I have an idea." Stella summoned a razor-thin shield. "Stand back."
Eddie and Jon took a few steps backward to make room. Stella swung her arm. The force field sliced the boulder. Nothing. Stella slashed the rock once more. A trickling sound could be heard, but not a droplet dripped from it. She lifted her arm and struck the boulder a third time. Soon after, they gasped.
Water gushed from the rock, its refreshing mist breathing life back into the air. The river glimmered as its lifeblood coursed through it once more. Yet, he could not help but feel like their search had not yet ended. There was something about the dullness of the water that he could not put his finger on.
Descend.
"Did you hear that?" Eddie asked.
Stella shook her head. "What did you hear?"
"The voice told me to 'descend,' whatever that means. You didn't hear it?"
"I didn't."
"Me neither."
Descend.
"The voice is talking to me again," Eddie told them. "Did you hear that?"
Jon and Stella shook their heads.
Eddie exhaled. "Maybe there's a fourth trial I have to face."
"But we passed all the trials already, right?" Stella said. "That's why we're all here."
"The voice only told me the cure was not far. It didn't say they were over."
They stood in silence. Even with water flowing before them, an air of perturbation hung in the atmosphere. Why would the voice speak to him only?
Eddie retrieved the vial before removing his bag and passing it to Jon. "Can you keep this for a while, please?"
"Where are you going?"
"The voice is telling me to 'descend.' I think I'll have to go into the river alone."
"I'll come with you—"
"No," Eddie interrupted Stella, "Grimelda told us to follow the voice. There must be a reason why it's asking only me. The two of you should just stay here."
Stella nodded in understanding. "Wait."
She extended her arms and moved her hands in a circular motion, forming a force field around Eddie's head. A scuba shield. Eddie took a deep breath. He pocketed the vial and walked along the edge of the riverbank. A whirlpool stirred in the river before revealing a path. He glimpsed his back. His teammates gave an anxious look.
"Good luck," they wished him.
"Thanks."
He then stepped into the river. As soon as both of his feet landed on the wet soil, its waters engulfed him. Eddie held his breath. As soon as he sunk below the surface, his ears perceived a soothing song echoing through the water.
Meet with her.
He obeyed. Eddie leaned his body forward, kicked the soil, and swam. The voice was growing louder. He turned his head to face the source. A feminine figure appeared a far distance from him, her mermaid tail swaying as she swam. The marine maiden?
"Hello! Marine maiden!"
She paid no heed.
Eddie sighed. He swam faster in an attempt to catch up with her. Yet, the more effort he exerted, the further away she seemed. She was fading from his sight. It was only a matter of time before she disappeared from him. He called out to her, yet his voice fell on deaf ears. He then remembered: the last time he called out to her, he sang.
Eddie took a deep breath before he rendered a tune. At once, the feminine figure stopped in her tracks. She replied to him with a song of her own. A little while later, he felt the current change as she swam in his direction. He pushed through the water as he approached her. In his head, he wondered who the marine maiden really was.
They met in the middle. The marine maiden greeted him with a grin. "You and your friends have made it this far," she said. "I'm impressed."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. I suppose you're wondering why the voice told you to meet with me?"
"Why is that?"
"That's because I'm your final trial."
She widened her smile to reveal two rows of sharp teeth. He jerked backward. What was she about to do? Eat him alive?
She chuckled. "Don't worry, dear, I won't eat you—not now, at least. That'll only happen if you fail. But before we get started, I want to know, why exactly are you here?"
"To save someone I love."
"Aww, the things people do for love," she cooed. She held out her hand. "Follow me."
He took her hand and let her drag him to a deeper part of the river. They passed through an underwater tunnel. At the other end was a shallow cavern that was laden with treasures. Crystals and pearls adorned the walls, gold and silver bedecked the floor, and strings of gems dangled from the ceiling. At the center of the cavern was a pillar, and on top of it, a bottle stood.
The marine maiden released him from her grasp. "I'll leave for a while. You can take anything you want."
She then dove into the tunnel and swam away.
Eddie shuddered, relieved that the marine maiden had left him. He scoped the room. As tempting as precious metals and stones might be, they caught almost none of his attention. What intrigued him was the bottle that rested on the pedestal. He neared it and picked it up. The bottle was made out of pure gold, while a diamond-encrusted lid sealed it shut. Words were engraved onto its surface. He read aloud, "If you crave perfection, consume this concoction."
The idea lingered in his mind. Perfection. Eddie closed his eyes as he fantasized about a flawless future. No more mistakes. No more regrets. No more humiliation. No more pressure to live up to expectations. No more disappointments from failing to reach them. No more harm would he do to his loved ones, accidental or not. The life he had been dreaming of was a gulp or two away. It was his chance. He unscrewed the lid. Its saccharine scent drew him in like a floral fragrance during the springtime. Perhaps a sip would do no harm. He tipped the bottle towards his lips. To his surprise, the bottle passed through the scuba shield.
No! his inner self objected. Remember why you're here!
He stopped before a droplet could land on his tongue. Though he desired to drink from the bottle, a nagging feeling gnawed at the back of his mind. Of course, this is the final trial. He screwed the cap back onto the bottle before he returned it to the pillar.
The marine maiden returned to the cavern. She asked him, "Did you get anything?"
"I didn't."
"You sure you don't want to?"
"Thank you for your offer, marine maiden, but there is nothing here I need."
She smiled. "Hand me the vial you've been holding."
He retrieved the vial from his pocket and gave it to her. She sang a sweet song, transforming the once-lackluster water into a glittering shade of turquoise. Healing water. She dipped his vial, filled it to the brim, and sealed it. She gave it back to him. "That should be enough to save your lover."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, dear. Now follow me; your friends are waiting for you."
They dove into the water and swam through the tunnel. Two blurry figures entered his field of vision. They waved at him.
"Eddie!"
"Jon! Stella!"
They waded towards each other. Eddie held up the vial. He rejoiced, "I got it! I got it!"
"And I got your bag," Jon said, returning it to him. "Don't worry, I made it waterproof. Just don't open it."
Eddie slung his bag across his body. He turned his head. The marine maiden beckoned. "This way," she said.
She swam through the river. The trio followed her downstream. A light shone from the other end. Once they reached its source, they halted in front of it.
The marine maiden glanced at Eddie. "I'm going to miss you," she said, her finger tracing the outline of his face. "I love your eyes, by the way. They're turquoise, like the river."
"Thank you, marine maiden."
She smiled. "It was my pleasure, dear. Now go."
The marine maiden faded out of existence. The water subsided to reveal a fractured glass window—the exit. The three of them strode towards the window.
***
Giorgino paced around the Grand Study Hall as he awaited the trio's return. He glimpsed the window from time to time. It had been more than an hour, yet no sign of the three appeared. He bit his lip. "What if they're dead? No, they'll make it out alive," he assured himself. He muttered as he marched up and down the aisles of the hall.
Meanwhile, Louis was roused from its nap by Giorgino's footsteps and constant murmuring. "Giorgino, walking around's not going to bring them back faster. You're just tiring yourself out."
"I'm not tiring myself out. I'm just calming myself down."
"Oh sure, it's working. You look as calm as a hurricane."
Giorgino crossed his arms. "Didn't Eddie tell you to be nice?"
"You call that not nice?" Louis tittered. "You're lucky you're not Eddie. He's heard worse from me."
"And he's fine with that?"
"He's used to it."
Giorgino looked at it, deadpan. "Why not you be with your fellow books or something? We've been waiting here for around ninety minutes and the only thing I've seen you do is sleep."
It huffed. "I don't find them interesting."
A swarm of books swooped in on Louis and surrounded it. Giorgino snickered. "They didn't take that too kindly, huh?"
Louis teleported away from the flock. It scoffed, "They're angry because it's true."
A low rumble rang through the hall as the door opened. Grimelda strode through the doorway, carrying three bottles of serum. She looked at Giorgino. "Are they here yet?"
He shook his head. "I'm worried about them. It's been an hour."
"You're not the only one." She set the bottles on a study table before taking a seat at it. She sighed. "The only thing we can do is wait."
"I wish we could do more than wait." Giorgino eyed the serums. "What are they for?"
"Sleeping serums for Michelle's family. As soon as the Realm Seekers return, I'll give them this. My plan is for them to teleport to Michelle's home, cure her, and then give her parents a sleeping serum. Then all of them will meet us at the MEC."
"Doesn't she have only two parents?"
"The third one's for her younger brother, just in case. I remember telling her parents not to disclose her curse to anyone else, including her brother, but that doesn't mean he's in the dark. Some kids have a knack for finding out things they're not supposed to know of."
Giorgino nodded his head in agreement. He took a seat. His silver eyes stared at the window. While his heart pleaded for the trio's return, his mind told him to expect the worst. Please come back. Please come back. If their names were to be added to the list of Medela's victims, Giorgino knew he would never be able to forgive himself. It was his fault that the ring cursed someone in the first place.
The window darkened as a broad shadow formed in the center. Giorgino and Grimelda stood up, alert. Was it them? After a few seconds passed, the dark mark split into three.
"THEY'RE BACK!" he exclaimed.
Giorgino sprinted towards the window. His eyes and smile widened as he anticipated their return. He could not believe it; they had succeeded! He glimpsed his side. Grimelda stood by him, carrying the serums in her hands. The two of them exchanged delighted glances. For the first time in centuries, three people would return from Medela, alive. A flock of books flew towards the window and formed a flight of stairs.
The window shattered. The trio appeared before them, wearing smiles of victory.
Without a second thought, Giorgino ran towards them as they descended the staircase. He enveloped them in a gigantic hug. "You're back, you're back!" he cried. "I thought we were going to lose you! You have no idea how worried I was—"
"Elder, I can't breathe," Eddie exhaled.
Giorgino released his grip. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't know what to say."
"I do," Grimelda said, the tone of her voice ordering him to step aside. She went on, "Have you got it?"
"Right here." Eddie held up the vial.
"Perfect. Now that you have the cure, take these." She handed each of them a sleeping serum. "Teleport to Michelle and give her the cure. After that, give the sleeping serums to her parents and brother. Meet us at the MEC."
"Will do." Eddie scanned the hall. "Louis!"
"Yup?"
"Take us to Michelle's room. We have a cure to deliver."
"Sure thing."
It leaped from a table and swooped towards them. Giorgino waved at them. "See you at the MEC."
"See you," Eddie beamed.
The three then disappeared in a flash.
✧ ✧ ✧
Phew, they've made it out alive! 🥳 I bet you knew the trio would get the cure, but did you expect to see Eddie break down in tears? 👀
Thank you for reading this chapter! If you liked it, please vote for it by pressing the star-shaped button on this chapter! 😉