Their Adventure Together 9

 

Gowri

    " Wow. " Deva said once we passed through the gateway. 

    " That's one way to see it. " Raju replied. " If I were you, I think the term remarkable is what should be applied in this situation. "

    " Oh quit bickering you two. " I quickly intervened before they started. I definitely didn't want to ruin the moment.  

   ' The Light Realm is such a nice place '  I thought. ' Surely there can be no harm here? ' I wondered if it was true. 

    " Excuse me, who are you? " a voice from behind startled me. 

    I turned around. A man wearing what looked like a kimono - you know, the type people wear in Japan - was staring expectantly at me. It would be an understatement to say that he glowed. In fact, he was shining so brightly, I had to shield my eyes to not go blind. Not to mention that he had a halo over his head.

    " Er, we're just.." I started. 

    " Visiting " finished Raju. I breathed a sigh of relief. I had panicked for a moment there.

    " You're VISITING? " asked the man, almost shouting the word ' visiting'. I winced. 

    " Can I, uh, we, get directions to meet your leader? King or something? " Deva asked, his tone sounding doubtful. 

    " KING? " shouted the man again. Deva nodded. " AH, KING! I WILL HELP YOU FORIJERS. I WILL GET A FIRL! " he continued.

    

    Raju and Deva blinked. " What did you say? " they questioned. 

    " HE MEANT " I started, pausing when I caught myself shouting. I cleared my throat before speaking again. " Um, he meant, he will help us foreigners and will get a .. a.. What was it again? "

    " A FIRL. F-I-R-L " he spelled patiently. 

    " Ah yes, a firl. " I finished proudly.

    " Quick question, " Deva asked, " What is a firl? " 

    Good one. Even I didn't know what a firl was. I turned to the man, waiting for his response. 

    " THIS IS A FIRL! " the man victoriously announced when a winged person came swooping down. 

    " Hi Grandpops! " she exclaimed happily. 

    " WHAT DID YOU SAY? " the man asked.

    " I SAID, HI GRANDPOPS! " the girl said, landing smoothly on the ground.  After the man nodded, she turned to us." Sorry. All the shouting must have been chaotic. Poor grandad. He's almost deaf you see. But he has endless patience. Not like me though. I am extremely impatient! " the girl said, smiling cheekily. 

    " I heard you asking what a Firl is. I am a Firl. " she continued before we could reply. "Firls are winged people as you may have noticed. Our wings are either black or white. It depends on your family really, if you come from elite families, your wings are black. If not, you're a white winged person, like me. Usually only royals have black wings. " she explained quickly. 

    " Firls can only be girls though. Any boy who lives in the Light Realm are Hamonos, like grandad here. " she added, pointing to the man earlier. " He's the gatekeeper. Its his duty to keep an eye out for visitors. " 

    

Raju

     I took a quick look at the firl. She wore a purple and black outfit that ended with a skirt. Her legs were covered with a tight black pants of some sort, with boots. Her wings were white. I also noticed the hilt of a sword hanging at her side. She looked like a tough fighter. Her fingers were covered with mud and scars that represented the battles she fought.

    " So... are you firls warriors or something? " I asked, gesturing to her sword. 

    She nodded. " I'm a middle-level warrior. After two years of training, I'll become a senior, like them. " she pointed to a group of firls training with shields and sword opposite us. 

    " Wow. " Deva commented, impressed. " When do you start training? " he asked.

    " We start training once we are capable to hold a sword. I started when I was 3. " she said proudly. 

    " That's cool. Now, can you help us? We need to meet your king. " I said. Then I proceeded to explain how the Balance Realm was in danger, and we needed armies to defeat Bellate and Trix. Gowri and Deva explained a few things too. When we were done, the cheeky face was gone. The girl went pale. She agreed to help us, but only tomorrow. Since it was night, she insisted we stay at a motel nearby. 

   Mental note for future reference :

• All buildings in the Light Realm are either trees, mushrooms or bushes. 
• The food in the Light Realm is DELICIOUS. 
• Hamonos are extremely patient.
• NEVER try to fight a Firl. You might as well commit suicide. 

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Their Adventure Together 8

     

Sirena

     I hadn't got slapped so hard before. The taste of blood spread through my mouth. Sure, I got slapped by my foster mom, but only once. " Mr Dark's" slap was way worse. I was sure that I was going to die. Chris jumped up to punch the man, fists ready, but was pushed down. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Aisha trembling with fear. 

    The first man grabbed the collar of my shirt and was about to give me another slap when the second boy intervened. He quickly got off the door and pressed the sharp end of the sword close to the first man's neck. His words were sharp. " Let. Her. Go. " he instructed, his voice so low, I had to strain my ears to hear it. Or maybe my ears couldn't hear well. His voice sounded familiar, like I had met him before. ' But that was impossible ' I wondered.

    The first man carried my collar higher. The boy pressed the sword now directly on his throat. " Let. Her. Go." he repeated, this time more louder than before. " I said let her go! You have gotten no orders to harass them! " he exclaimed. Mr Dark scowled and dropped me down. I breathed deeply. The slap had taken my breath away. The boy ushered the man to the door. He firmly closed the door behind him and locked it. 

    He offered his hand to help me up. " I know you're untied. I noticed it earlier. " he said, smirking. I glared at him and got up, ignoring his outstretched hand. He let his hand drop to his sides. I didn't want to trust him. " Who are you? " I asked.

Chris

    " Who are you? " Sirena asked the mysterious boy. Half his face was hidden in the shadows. I wondered if we could trust him.

    " Who are we? " the boy asked her back in disbelief. " You don't know who we are? " When Sirena shook her head, he laughed. " You're kidding " he said after laughing. When none of us replied, he straightened his face and said, " We are the Black Soldiers". " We are skilled fighters. Our enemies are always defeated. This sword, " he gestured to the sword hanging at his side, " was forged by the greatest miners in the world. It would hypnotize anyone the blade touches. But its immune to Black Soldiers, though it would still kill one if its wielder's good. " he explained.

    " We live in the Dark Realm. " he added. " But I guess you know that already. What did you come here for? You mentioned an alliance," he pointed to Sirena, " what alliance do you want? We are a neutral party. We don't fight in the politics of Vivaria and Miromar. " 

    " We know. But we still have to ask you to help. This is the war of the worlds. Bellate and Trix are trying to take over all the realms! And then they will take over Earth, where we come from. You have to help us before they come to you! " I begged.

    " Well, normally, we won't take any sides, but in this case... You mentioned Bellate and Trix? They're the one who's in this? " he asked. 

    " Um, yes. Why ? " I questioned.

    " Interesting... " he muttered softly. I stole a glance to Sirena and Aisha. They were nodding encouragingly. 

    " Do you think you can get an alliance with us? And what about the Hiddens? Have they agreed? " he asked, narrowing his eyes. 

    Oops. He was starting to get suspicious and impatient. Time for a distraction. But before that, a quick history lesson. " What are the Hiddens? " asked Sirena, raising her eyebrow.

    The boy sighed. " The Hidden are the girls that live in the Dark Realm. They are almost always covered, have magic and are super powerful. " he explained, running his hands through his hair.

    " Can we have a quick discussion? " Aisha asked him. He nodded, frowning at his watch. I was amazed. He had a watch. Perhaps they were like normal people. 

    I gathered around the girls. " So...we ask the Hiddens as well?" Aisha asked. I shrugged my shoulders. 

    " We should. The more people we have, the better. " Sirena suggested. " Though we should have knew about all the inhabitants of the Dark Realm before coming here right? " 

    I nodded. " I'm so going to kill Neil when we get back. " I muttered.

   

    " Are you done? " the boy interrupted. We turned back. 

    " Kindly take us to the palace to meet your leader. " Aisha asked bowing. 

    The boy pondered on it for a moment. "Very well. On one condition. We visit the Hidden territory first, and, only, and if only the Hiddens agree, then I will take you to my leaders. Agreed? " We nodded. "Good. Sit here quietly while I take us there." he said.

    " Wait. " Aisha caught his sleeve before he went out. " How do we know if we can trust you? " she asked. I waited for his reply. 

    " If I wanted to harm you, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be so polite. " he said shortly and went out the cart. 

    I looked at my companions. " I guess that's a yes then. "  

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Their Adventure Together 7

 

    Neil opened a portal to the Balance Realm. One by one, they made their way through the portal. When Sirena opened her eyes, she expected to find a war happening before her eyes. Fortunately, there was a beautiful sight before her. A river was flowing happily, as the birds flew above her chirping. The sun was shining, and the breeze was cool. She smiled.

    " Welcome to the Balance Realm " Neil announced. " Turn to your right and you will see the entrance to the Light Realm, and on your left is the gateway to the Dark Realm. 

       Dark Realm gateway

Light Realm entrance

    "Wow. Talk about a neutral party" Raju muttered. "So, which one are we going into first?" he asked.

    " The Light Realm? Does anyone want to go to the Dark Realm first? " Deva asked, shaking with fear. 

    " No. " Aisha disagreed. " We have to split up. " she said, ignoring her brother's shocked gasp. " You are the one who said there's no time to lose. " she said to Neil. 

     Neil frowned. " Never quote me unless I give you the permission to. " he said. After thinking about it, he agreed reluctantly. " Normally, its bad to split up, but, given the circumstances, fine. We need to get there before Bellate and Trix do. ". 

    So Aisha, Sirena and Chris left to the Dark Realm and Deva, Raju and Gowri went through the entrance to the Light Realm.  Neil made plans to wait for Asish then go to the Balance Realm's main palace to plead for help.

    Aisha

    'Sirena and Chris look brave.' I said to myself. 'Hopefully there's nothing dangerous waiting on the other side. ' I thought as we passed through the gateway. Our surroundings were dark. Gloomy. Scary. ' And cold ' I shivered and quickly put on warmer clothes. 

    " So.. where to first? " Chris asked a few minutes later. I glanced around us. Something wasn't right, I could sense it. And I was right. All of a sudden, a pack of ferocious wolves leaped out from the shadows, circling us. Their eyes were red, with thick black coats. 

    The wolves growled and bared their teeth. A few men slinked out out the shadows. They blended in perfectly in the dark. " Well, well, well, what have we got here? " one of them asked.

     I looked at them carefully. Each of them were dressed similarly, a black mask covering their faces, a black cape, a sword hanging at their side, black leggings and black boots completed their look. Everything was black, even their swords. 'Strange' I remarked softly. Before I could study them further, the men rushed forward and captured us. The last thing I felt was the world spinning as I fell down.

    

    Sirena

    Someone groaned. 'Aisha probably,' I guessed. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. Or at least I tried to. A jolt made me fall down again. We were in a wooden cart. My hands were tied behind my back. I saw Chris beside me, unconscious. Before I could wake him, another jolt, more harder than earlier, did. 

    He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. I saw his eyes widen as he realized that we were captured. He spun around, looking for Aisha. I looked for her too. I spotted her. I tried to call Chris, but my words were muffled. I was gagged. Just great. This couldn't get any worse. I thumped the bottom of the cart. 'Yes! He heard me! ' I nodded my head in Aisha's direction. Once she woke up, the three of us sat down, staring at each other. We had failed. What were we thinking?

    I scanned my surroundings to find something useful. It was dark. Really dark. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I found a jagged piece of wood. I moved myself nearer to it, and started rubbing my hands up and down, trying to cut the rope. Chris and Aisha just stared at me, not daring to make a sound. 

    After what seemed like an hour, the rope binding me was finally cut. As the last pieces of rope frayed, I heard the distinct sound of voices. The same voices from earlier. I quickly glanced at my companions. They were coming.

    The door to the cart opened, and two men stepped in. I peeped around the door before they closed it. We were in a clearing in the middle of the forest. It seemed like we had stopped for a break. The two men removed their masks, and I let out the breath I had been holding. They were normal people after all, with human faces. Before they realized I was untied, I quickly placed my hands behind my back, pretending to be tied.

    The first  man knelt down beside Aisha. The second person - who I realized was around our age, just leaned on the door, watching. The first man roughly yanked the gag off Aisha. He did the same to Chris. When he came to me, I was trembling. God knows what he would do to us. He removed my gag. I gasped for fresh air. 

    " Who are you strangers? Why intrude in our home? " he asked, his voice ringing in our ears.

    " We didn't mean to intrude. We just humbly request to meet the king. Or your leader. Whichever that you have. " Aisha said.

    " And who do you think you are, that you can request the presence of him ? " he asked. I doubted that Aisha knew what to say now. 

    " We mean you no harm. We have come to make an alliance. " I said.

    " You're taking a huge risk you know, " he sneered. I swallowed. I knew I was. I held my head up high regardless. I noticed that the second man, or boy, was amused at my boldness. For some reason, my determined look annoyed the first man. I held back a satisfied smile. I had found Mr Dark's weakness - he was too proud to be challenged. I maintained my gaze, looking in his black eyes. Seconds ticked by. ' What was he waiting for? ' I wondered. I got my answer sooner than I expected. 

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Their Adventure Together 6

     The holo-call ended abruptly. Aisha turned to look at Neil. " What is the Balance Realm? " he asked. " What else are we not supposed to know?" he added annoyed. 

    Neil didn't try to defend himself. " I was about to tell you." he pouted. " Anyways, Asish told you already. The Balance Realm has been divided into two parts, the Dark Realm and the Light Realm. We don't have time to tell you the entire history of Vivaria and Miromar you know. The Balance Realm is located half in Miromar and half in Vivaria. Though they are a neutral realm, no creatures or people EVER go there. " Neil said impatiently. " I'm never giving a history lesson again, especially to kids" he muttered while they processed the information.

    " So...we are headed there right?" asked Raju. 

    " Yes. Get your stuff. And also, get some warm clothes but, pack some casual clothes too. " Neil gave instructions as they left the table to get ready. 

    Sirena, Aisha and Gowri went to the room they shared. Aisha, the last one to come in closed the door and sighed. " So now we are going to the Balance Realm, where no creature ever went, but of course, we are going there." 

    Gowri pulled out her backpack from under her bed. " We should pack some food. So that we don't end up dying of starvation. " she suggested as she frowned at the clothes on her bed. " By the way, which scarf should I use? The grey one or the red one?" she asked. 

    " Grey. I have two grey ones. I can lend you one. " she offered to Aisha. When Aisha nodded, the three of them packed their grey beanies into their backpacks. Sirena lent the two girls one of her grey mittens - she had three pairs. (They decided on grey to recognize each other.) Then the girls packed a few T-shirts, pants, food and water. Then they cleaned their room and went downstairs solemnly. 

(The Grey Girls)

       " What took you so long? " Deva exclaimed as he spotted the girls coming down the stairs. "We've been waiting for ages!" 

    " We packed food and drinks, which, I'm sure, that neither of you packed! " Aisha retorted. " Anyways, let's go now. We're ready. " she continued, after getting the satisfaction of seeing all the boys flush with embarrassment. 

     Their small group went out the cottage, each and every one of them nervous at what they were going to face. They worried about their safety. But together, they had faith that they would make it. 

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Their Adventure Together 5

     " Let's move people. As fast as you can. " Neil ordered as the children bustled about, covering every single mirror they could find with cloth and rags, anything they had as long as the mirrors we covered. They were quite a number of mirrors in the small cottage, but soon enough, every single one of them were covered or brought down. ( Now that the mirrors are covered, no magical contact could be made. )

    After they finished clearing the lunch dishes, the entire household had a meeting. " Those two were Bellate and Trix, the most evillest twin sisters in the entire Vivaria and Miromar! Bellate is in charge of Miromar, while Trix handles Vivaria. It seems they have joined forces for a reason that I believe, is because of the 6 of you. " Neil paused for a dramatic effect. " You two, " he pointed at Sirena and Chris, " are clearly in trouble. I'm assuming that Trix wants you. Trix doesn't always interfere with her sister, but it seems fate has brought them together for this particular case. 

    "You four on the other hand, " this time he pointed at the cousins, " have already met Bellate. As you may have guessed, she is the Queen Bella you saw in the palace of Miromar. It was not a pleasant meeting, as you all know. " Sirena and Chris had been filled in on their trip to the castle, " And now, " he concluded. " We are all in terrible danger. Challenges will come, each one more worst and devastating than the other. The witches and their minions will feed on your weaknesses, your worst fears, and your loved ones. My rule? Always keep your eyes and ears open. No matter where you are. You can't trust anyone but those in this house. Don't ever let your guard down " he emphasized. " And be careful. They will do anything they can to destroy you, and nothing will stop them. " he added. 

    " Whoa, whoa whoa. Hang on a minute. Why would that, uh,  Trix lady wants us in the first place? " Chris asked, spreading his hands in front of him. " Why are we such a hazard to her plans? " he added. " I mean, I'm no evil person, but seriously, what does she want from me and Sirena? " he elaborated hastily, after receiving glares from all of them. 

    Neil rubbed his forehead and sighed. " You two are trying to stop the family curse right?" he asked. When Sirena and Chris nodded, he explained, " Trix is the one who's behind it. The black necklace, the black dress, the black lady. That's her all right. Black magic. It's all her. So obviously, I think that you are smart enough to deduct that you are standing in her way. As for the cousins, Bellate wants to be the Queen of Maromir, and since she's not a heir to the throne, she wants to kill those who are. Which is the four of you. You four are the heir to the throne, so she wants you dead. She will stop at nothing to get herself the title. So as you can see, I think we can conclude that we, are in big trouble. " he finished.

       "So, after that massive explanation, what is our plan? " asked Raju, diverting the conversation to their earlier and main topic. They were silent for a while. " I think.." Raju started when a ringing sound interrupted him. " What is that? "

    Neil rolled up his sleeve to show his black watch. " Incoming holo-call from Asish" the watch announced. The 6 teenagers gaped and blinked as the VDA's boss, Asish appeared in a hologram. Neil, who saw their reactions shrugged. " What? We are in the future you know. " he said. 

        "I have some news for you. " Asish begun. " The two realms, Miromar and Vivaria have formed an alliance. Bellate and Trix have officially joined forces. " he informed. " It is impossible for us to seek help now. If you want, we can go to the Balance Realm. It has been divided into the Dark Realm and Light Realm. Of course, usually they don't take sides in any case, so we will have to beg for their help or" he paused. " Give them something they want and need in return. " Asish finished. The connection broke, and once again silence filled their home. 

    

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Their Adventure Together 4

     " The trees were blowing wildly in the strong wind, and suddenly a storm formed right above my head. I wrapped my coat around me tighter and continued on my way.... Suddenly, lightning flashed, and a shadow danced over my head! It was so creepy.." Neil shuddered at the memory. 

        " How did the shadow look like?" Aisha asked, while grabbing a notebook and pen.

    " It was very tall, and disappeared almost after the second I spotted it. There were two men in black clothes. They disappeared, then there was a symbol.." Neil frowned. 

    " Draw it." Aisha said, pushing the notebook and pen to him. Neil started drawing. Gowri got up to get a cup of water. 

    "Here it is. It looked something like this."Neil said, showing the drawing. 

    " This was the same symbol I saw!" Aisha exclaimed. " So it must be the same people!" Aisha concluded. She opened her mouth to say more, but a shrill scream from the kitchen interrupted her. She looked at the others, and simultaneously, everyone rushed to the kitchen to find Gowri shaking, pointing at the mirror.

    

    " What is it? " asked Aisha, running to her side. She looked at the mirror, and froze. 

    " What on earth? " Raju peered at the mirror. Deva tilted his head and muttered something faintly in shock and Neil slowly backed away, as if trying to hide.

    

    In the mirror, instead of their reflection, two ladies, were looking at them intently. " So these are all of you! Finally, after so long, I, um, we have found you! " the lady in black declared triumphantly. 

    " No doubt you recognize me.." the lady in pink said, pointing to Aisha. " Dear" she finished. Aisha fumed as she was right. It was the queen of Maromir. 

    

      " We'll explain later" Raju whispered to Sirena and Chris. They nodded. " And who are you? " Raju asked to the lady in black, shadows covering her face. 

      " Hmm..it seems my prey has made some friends.." The lady in black said sinisterly to Sirena and Chris.

       " Your prey? What do you mean? We're not animals! " exclaimed Sirena. 

       " I'm Trix. Pleasure to meet your accquantaince. " Trix introduced herself. "Or not.. you might be dead the next time we pop in, right Bellate dear? " Trix added, smiling wickedly as her sister agreed.

        "Guranteed dear sister " Bellate drawled, looking at her nails. "Ah. Duty calls." Bellate waved her hand in a motion that looked like she was shooing flies to Deva, and dismissed them. The connection through their mirror was broken. 

          There was a moment of silence. Not a sound came from the cottage that accomodated 4 cousins, a boy and girl, which made 6 wild teenagers plus a young adult who turned out to be a wizard. They all turned to Neil, who was crouching undernearth the table for answers. He slowly got up, as if deliberately making them wait. They gathered around the round dining table, eager to get answers. They needed facts. Facts that hopefully would be enough to keep them alive, safe and well. For now at least.

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Their Adventure Together 3

         After setting the table for dinner, Aisha realized that she had left behind something- her blue silver bracelet that she never parted with. She ran up to her room to get it. When she approached her room door, she saw a bright blue light shining through the door hole. 

    Aisha squinted and peered under the door hole. She saw TWO masked men (or women, she wasn't sure which) , holding her bracelet. The bracelet shone brightly. One of them shoved it in a black backpack and they both disappeared in a cloud of red and purple smoke. The smoke formed some kind of symbol, so Aisha remembered how it looked like before it disappeared completely. Aisha was astonished and opened the door. But it was too late. The thieves had gone. 

    Aisha regretted not going in earlier and scaring the thieves. She crawled around her bedroom floor, desperately trying to find the bracelet. But deep down she knew it was gone. Aisha knelt and salty tears traced her cheeks. The bracelet was from her mother. Her biological mother's bracelet, the only reminder she had of her. And now it was gone. 

    Meanwhile, her cousins, was downstairs, along with Sirena and Chris. They were waiting impatiently for food. They just realized that they hadn't eaten since lunch- which was hours ago. Deva boisterously came down the stairs and plopped himself in a chair. Raju was the first to notice Aisha's absence. 

    "Where is Aisha?" he asked Gowri. 

    Gowri shrugged. " She was down earlier. Then she went up to take something. " she replied, after thinking for a moment. They waited a little longer. 

    Finally, Raju decided to go and call Aisha. " She might be in trouble" he reasoned. Eventually, all of them trooped upstairs to find Aisha. 

    They went into her room, and found her still kneeling on the floor. Raju rushed to her, Gowri at his heels. Deva surveyed the room for damage. Sirena and Chris stood awkwardly at the door-they didn't feel welcome. 

    'There are all a family, Chris and I aren't even that close. I feel out of place. I feel like an intruder. ' the thoughts rushed into Sirena's head. 

    Chris has his own doubts too. ' Sure, they are a family, they can depend on each other. But who am I? What am I even doing here? ' thoughts made their way into his heart. For a minute, he felt like an outsider. He then remembered how friendly the cousins were to him, how they had accepted him into their home. He shook his head, clearing the thoughts, which were getting more meaner each second, and focused on Aisha. 

    Tears were still falling from her eyes. Aisha was sobbing, as if her heart had been broken. ' Now I will never remember her! And she will never be able to find me if I don't have the bracelet!' she cried inwardly. Precious memories of her and her mother filled her head. All the fantasies of finally meeting her mother after years disappeared. Then came the anger. 'Who were those people? What did they think she was? A girl who was easily frightened and no confidence? ' 

    Aisha shook off her cousins' concerned hands and stood up, fiercely brushing her tears. " I WILL find that bracelet, even if I have to go to the end of the Earth to find it! " she exclaimed with determination so strong, it brought Sirena to tears - of admiration and strength. 

    She could feel Aisha's feelings, angry and fierce. She could feel it in her. Like she was Aisha. She cautiously met Aisha in the eye, and felt the anger rushing into her veins. She excused herself from the room, which was getting noisier, with the cousin's demanding to know what happened, and what Aisha meant. 

    As Aisha explained, Sirena felt that talking about her biological mother calmed Aisha. She sighed in relief. Her head was starting to spin, and she decided to ask Neil later about what she had felt. Was she magic? If so, why? Who was she, really?

    Soon, everyone, including Aisha were downstairs, peacefully eating dinner without any other surprises. Sirena was thoughtful about her feelings earlier, but she didn't say a word about it to Chris when he asked if she was okay - he said she was a bit pale, she didn't want to him to know more than what he should know. 'Anyways, I doubt Aisha would like it if I went about telling people about her feelings,' she assured herself. 

    By 9.00, the dishes and food had been cleared, and everyone was relaxing when Neil returned, knocking on the door. Aisha, who had been skimming through books to find the symbol she saw earlier in smoke, immediately jumped up from the couch to answer. She opened the door to find Neil standing before her, soaking wet. 

    " Gosh. Where have you been? " Raju questioned, resting his head on Aisha's shoulder to see the who it was. Aisha pushed his head away and beckoned for Neil to come in. 

    " Goodness, Neil. What happened to you? " Gowri asked concerned. She took Neil's coat and shoes to put for drying. " It isn't even raining here" she added, looking out the window. 

    Neil sat down and sighed. " Thankfully, my clothes are still dry" he mumbled. 

    " Hmm? Something to say Neil? " Deva asked, distractedly. He was too busy watching the football match on TV. Aisha took the remote and switched it off. Deva turned around. " What are you ..." he started when he saw Neil sitting with his wet hair and half-wet clothes. He gaped. " When did you... Why are you.." he sputtered as his cousins sighed.  How they were even related was a mystery for all of them.

    Gowri brought out some warm soup for Neil. He started drinking the soup. After a while, he put down the bowl and pushed it aside. " WELL?? WHAT HAPPENED??" the children almost deafened Neil. 

    Neil winced and rubbed his ears. " You all are going to make me deaf soon," he mumbled under his breath. " Alright. When I was walking home, I came across the most weirdest thing I have ever seen..." 

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