ARAIA'S P.O.V.
I'm in awe the whole time Tony is talking, I'm just listening to him, waiting patiently for all the details that he'll tell us.
I can't believe it, all this time that I'm searching for a way to go back, he is just here and he is sure that he can help me.
I don't know if it is sorcery but there's no such thing like that in this world but he told me that there must be something with me that made me transport back into this world.
"Do you remember anything weird before you got transported here?" Alejandro looked at me and asked.
Something weird…
I tried my best to remember the exact thing that happened.
"Come to think of it, there's a shadow that's been following me ever since we got to our friend's villa, and when I followed that shadow, I got into an accident and the next thing I knew, I was transported here already." I explained.
"Hmm…" Tony looks like he is thinking of something.
"What are the things that's with you when that happened?" He asks afterwards.
"I believe I have my bag with me, but what's inside it are the ones that I always carry with me, so it shouldn't be possible that what I had in my bag was the reason for my transportation."
If one of the things I carry with me in my bag was the reason for what happened, then shouldn't it have happened sooner since I've been carrying the same stuff for how many years…
Silence filled the room.
Each one of us is thinking hard. I, too, am trying my best to remember what I had with me other than my bag that day.
If I remember it correctly, we're riding a horse, I was left alone and that's when I followed the shadow but the horse suddenly moved weirdly, I jumped on a bush then fell off a cliff?
Hmm…
Oh! That's right!
"I think I had something with me other than my personal belongings during that incident." I told them.
Their gaze landed on me.
"What is it?" Tony asks.
"A shining thing, like a gem…" Right, I saw something like that and held it before I lost my consciousness.
Alejandro and I both looked at Tony when he suddenly stood up and went to his bedside table.
He came back with a scroll. He showed us what's written on it.
"Does it look like this?"
My eyes widened, it sure looked similar to the thing that I saw!
"Yes!" I exaggeratedly said.
He held his chin and said, "Now, I'm sure that this gem helped you to go back here."
"Really?" Alejandro asks.
Tony nodded his head and started to explain everything to us.
"This is a gem that only those of royal blood can use…"
Royal blood…
"One cannot use this if they have even the slightest different blood, a couple of Bilse- or this gem was in your family's care. Bilse wasn't widely known before, but after the war ended, everything was revealed." He added.
"But, isn't it illegal to have that Bilse?" It is something very precious, if it isn't something that's widely known, then it must be either a rare item or an item that the world shouldn't know.
Does my family and ancestors keep the Bilse secretly?
Is that Bilse that dangerous…
"Can you really help us?"
I heard Alejandro talking to Tony in the kitchen.
"I just know a way about transporting to another world, but it is still Luna's responsibility to prove her lineage so she can use Biste."
"..."
That silenced us…
Until now all that we have as a proof of my lineage is through Geronimo's Information.
One time he mentioned that one of the reasons why he learned about my existence as the lost Princess was because of an incident that involved me.
He told me that there was a time when he was injured. We crossed paths, coincidentally, I also had a cut. The blood from my cut managed to reach his injury and it healed him.
He learned about that information through a book that he read before. According to him, since he loves to read, he encountered a lot of books including a story about the powers of a royal. That is when he realized who I was and he immediately told that information to Alejandro.
That healing part shocked me, Because it only means that I have the power to feel someone's injury or wound and it is dangerous.
It would be very dangerous for me and my family as well if it were found out. And I don't want that to happen although, as Luna and Alpha itself are dangerous, I don't want to put our life in any further dangerous situation because I have experienced that already and I don't want my family, especially my son, to experience that.
My son is too young to think about his own survival at this age. I want him to enjoy his youth to the fullest, I want him to smile and play with his friends and not to think about his responsibility as early as this age, so I will prove myself and will become stronger so my family, especially my son, will be able to continue living without worrying about his life every day.
"I'll do my best."
I whisper to myself. My resolve is stronger than before, I will do this, I can do this.
Alejandro glances at my direction and smiles.
"I know, honey."
It is what his eyes are telling me, I smiled back at him.
I am so thankful that I opened my heart again for him. I am thankful that despite all those challenges that we had, he still stayed by my side and let me heal myself first before pursuing me again. Unlike other men, he never rushes things with me and he's making sure that I'm ready to create a decision.
If he didn't wait for me and if I let the wall in my heart surpass what I truly feel I would not feel the overwhelming love that I and I are receiving from my family, especially my husband Alejandro.
If I didn't give him a second chance, I wouldn't be this happy and content right now. I'm really glad…
Now the only thing I need to do is to find a way to talk to the people that I left on earth. Alejandro and Tony talked for a couple of minutes before we decided to just come back tomorrow because we still needed time to prepare.
Although I really want to meet my friends already, I still can't do that because we still need to find the Biste, Tony told me that if I still remember where I left the Biste that was with me before when I was transported here, I should look for that one because I already used it so it is not stranger to me anymore.
It looks like we'll go on a journey to find that. When we got to the inn that we rented, I immediately wrote a letter for my son. I included in the letter that I will be late and I also told him everything that happened here so he won't be clueless about our absence.
I promised him that we would come back as soon as we found the Biste, once we tried it and proved that it is safe to use, we would bring him along with us.
As an heir, he has the right to explore and learn everything that we know so he won't be closed minded someday, I want him to understand things in every possible angle…
"Would it be all right to leave him alone? It could take us weeks finding the Biste. "
Alessandro hugged me from behind.
I rested my head on his chest and sigh.
"If it will take us weeks we can just go back home for a few days or weeks, that way, we will be able to spend time with our son and to rest even just for a while. We can go back searching anytime on where we stopped. "
I am against this idea of leaving our son for too long but this is my last wish in order to completely put my mind at ease.
So I hope our son understands, after all this, I promise to spend my eternity with my family here. So please… give me this chance to meet my friends…
I will not ask for any more but to meet them and say my last goodbye.
After all, I couldn't stay there for too long because I now have a responsibility here and it is not in my plan to stay there after all.
I just really wanted to meet my friends and talk to them.
I'm not asking for a whole year, even just a minute is enough for me…
And aside from introducing my family to my friends and my mom, I also want them to know that I'm now happy, unlike before, but everything that happened before was already forgotten and I'm looking forward to my future with my family now.
The day after, we're ready to depart.
Alejandro and I are using the carriage that we usually use back then to our village. We requested this carriage because we are used to this already, and we believe that this is the best carriage to ride on a long journey.
Alejandro wanted to make this trip as comfortable for us as possible.
We departed when all of us were finally ready.
I hope to find Biste and meet my friends and family on Earth…
A week had passed, we are so close to giving up because until now we are still clueless of the whereabouts of the Biste.
Should we just stop searching for it?
Alejandro held my hand.
He must have felt my sadness, he didn't say anything but he placed my head on his shoulder. If Alejandro isn't here, for sure I'll stop this search and just go back home, but Alejandro is becoming my strength right now.
The moment we stepped on the village where I was found before, and after seeing it the second time that no one's there just like the first time I came back, my thoughts of going back to earth wavered.
How would I find the Biste when no one can help me here?
I guess everyone here didn't return after all…
Alejandro held in my hand that time, I still remember everything that he said.
**
"I have something to tell you… "
I looked at him, confused.
Why is he making that sad face?
"What is it?" I asked him.
"This is about everyone here… "
Alejandro told me everything. I gasped
"What, you set this village to fire?! Why did you do that?"
He shook his head continuously while tightly holding my hand.
"I didn't do it, it was just one of my choices back then so they won't bother you anymore. You remember what I said to you before about how I talked to them about those planned incidents, right?"
I nodded
"I didn't do it, I swear! I asked Geronimo to give them money or whatever they want in exchange for not bothering you, but when Geronimo came here, the village was already gone."
"What…"
Does that mean someone burned this village? But who would it be?
**
He did tell me that after he figured out about my identity, he planned everything from the start, like how I will and up to their side, and etcetera.
But what is bothering me right now is who would burn this village down?
We already deployed a search team so we can track their whereabouts, as well as the elder's family but we can't find them, we can't find anyone.
There's no trace of refugees anywhere and there's no report about it as well.
Sometimes it's making me think that- what if those memories of me with them in this village are just a dream?
What if I'm just hallucinating and everything isn't true?
But Alejandro saw them too and he assured me that everything's real so it is impossible for them to be just an illusion, but where are they now?
It's a wonder that no one heard about this incident before and no one saw anyone coming out of this village.
I don't want to think that they are already dead because we didn't see any trace of Body here, so I believe that they're still alive, I just need to figure out where they went.
"Should we head back now?" Alejandro asked me.
We are now inside the carriage and we are supposed to go back to the inn.. We're near our home so I supposed he is referring to our home.
"Can we go back here tomorrow?" I suddenly felt like going back.
"Sure."
We should leave now and go back home but why do I suddenly feel this way? It's like something's bothering my head and telling me to go back. Maybe it's because I didn't say goodbye to the village? Yeah, that might be it.
THE NEXT DAY
"Is there anything you want to do here?" Alejandro asked me while holding my hand as soon as we stopped walking. We're now inside the village.
He accompanied me again today even though I told him that I will just look at the village for a few hours and I will go back before lunch.
"I don't… It's just that my mind is telling me to come here for an unknown reason… "
I pulled his hand and walked towards the pond near the forest.
"Where are we going?"
He asked me but my mind was focused on the thing that I saw near the pond.
I'm sure that I saw something sparkling just like the gem that was with me before when I was transported here.
Could it be the gem that I'm looking for? Is it the Biste?
We walked towards that direction and I felt some of our men followed us.
It only took us a few steps and when we're finally near the pond, I let go of Alejandro's hand and picked up the gem.
"This is it!"
I almost jumped in excitement when I saw the familiar gem that I held back then on earth.
"Really?" Alejandro's eyes widened.
I looked at him with much excitement, he hugged me tightly.
Goodness…
I can't stop the excitement that I am feeling right now, I can't believe that I am finally going to see my friends and my mother on Earth again.
"Let's show it to Tony." We agreed on it but just when we were going to leave the pond, I saw a familiar figure near us.
"Huh?"
I stopped walking and looked at it. It's on the other side of this pond but I can clearly see the face of that man. My eyes widened.
"Elder Baster?"
The man smiled at me.
"Elder!" Is it really him?!
I was about to run towards him but he walked in our direction through the pond.
"I-Is he… walking on the water?"
Someone from our men asked.
Am I seeing it right? Is the Elder Baster really walking on water?!
All of us are just staring at him, how can he do that?!
"Elder… " How…
Elder is smiling at me while walking on top of the water.
I didn't take my eyes off of him because This is so unbelievable! Just what is happening right now?
Does he have some sort of superpowers?
He reached us and stood in front of us but no one's still talking.
His appearance didn't change, hid a harmless smile and this comfortable feeling I have when I'm with him is still there.
"Elder… "
He spread his arms like he was asking for a hug. I suddenly felt emotional so I hugged him tightly.
"Araia… " He called me.
Even his voice didn't change.
"I've been looking for you, elder… "
I have so many questions right now about what happened to them, and I want to tell him that I am so sorry that Orlando died because of me but I can't make myself ask him.
I just hugged him as tight as I could, but afterwards, he's the one who lets go of the hug and caresses my cheeks.
"You've matured… " He said.
Suddenly a strong wind filled the place. The dry leaves on the ground started to dance in the air, everyone was covering their faces including me to prevent leaves and some branches that were caught in the wind to hit our face.
Why did the wind blow this strong so suddenly?
I tried to reach the elder Baster but the wind suddenly stopped.
Everyone gasped when the people in the village, including Freya, Vin, and his family appeared on the other side of the pond.
"What… Alejandro whispered.
"Welcome back, Araia." Freya mouthed.
I looked at Elder Baster, I am so confused about what is happening.
He smiled at me.
"Let me tell you what we really are."
Elder held my forehead, my eyes automatically closed when I felt a sudden force of energy coming to me.
A strange place suddenly appeared in my mind. I'm starting to see different people's lives and I can hear what they are talking about.
I saw a castle and children's playing in the garden. I suddenly felt like crying seeing these things?
Why… who are they?
But suddenly, I saw an elder.
He is talking to someone, she is so beautiful and she is wearing a beautiful dress.
Do I know her-
Is that… my mother?
They were so happy, everyone here felt happy… The place feels comfortable, I want to stay here…
Oh my family, how I wished that I would meet you, but now, I can't do anything to do that…
Even though we haven't met, I'm sure that you're happy wherever you are now. I wished for your happiness. I want to tell you that I'm now happy with my family here.
I have a son, and a loving husband. I want to talk to you and share these stories with you, but I can't…
I promise that I'll do my best, I will not waste everything from now on…
I watched them, I can hear everything, I can see everyone, yes, they are my family, I'm one of them…
The memories stopped coming.
I opened my eyes and saw Elder's smiling face.
My eyes watered.
"Elder!" I cried in his arms.
I can't believe it… They're my family!
"Hmm… " Elder caress my back.
"We're glad to see you again, princess Araia."