Serena's POV
"Is it still far?"
"Where will we find that magic pearls?"
"I'm already tired!"
"You guys are too loud!"
"The flowers here are beautiful, infairness."
I scratch my head. It's so wrong that we are all together in one group. Everyone's starting to rant already. It's been several minutes when we entered the magical forest and we've been walking here and there but we haven't found those magic pearls yet.
"You have the whole day to find the things assign to your groups. By dawn, you should all return here. Remember, you can't use your magic powers inside the magical forest. With that, good luck and hope all of you will return before the assigned time."
That's Miss Scarlet's reminder before we enter the magical forest. Apparently, we can't use our magic powers inside. In short, magic powers doesn't function inside the forest. According to Miss Scarlet, this training will test our ability and strength to survive even without our magics. And another thing, we will be using those magic pearls on our next training.
"Can we rest first?" Calla asked and she seated at the dried branch.
I can feel my tiredness too because if I'm not mistaken, we've been walking for almost an hour.
Aya also seated at the tree near her.
"I'm already hungry." she complained.
And since I'm also tired, I seated beside Calla and Jas immediately followed.
Max and Jester were left standing. They were both expressionless. I didn't know if they are already annoyed or angry.
"Should we just do this together?" Max asked Jester.
"Better." Jester answered and he started walking.
"You can rest first. We'll be the one to find the magic pearls instead. Wait for us here or if you can, you guys can follow us." Max said and quickly run to catch up with Jester who is already far. I look at them dumbfounded. Are they serious?
"We are going down the nearest stream!" Max yelled.
"Are they serious?" I asked and look at Aya. They'll just gonna leave us here?!
Jas slowly giggled before she answers. "As you see, they already left."
"They're really like that Serena. You should get use to it." Aya said laughing.
Jas stood up and seated at the grass."Let's rest first. We'll follow after them later."
I nodded as I rest my head at Calla's shoulder. I should be thankful they let us rest. I'm just shook when they just left us here.
After we rested, we started walking. And we kept on walking. And walking. And walking. But it feels like we always return to where we came from and we aren't moving to another place.
Jas creased her brows. "Why did it seems like we already came here?"
I look at our surrounding. "Are we walking in the right way?"
Aya fixed her hair. "We should have followed Max and Jester earlier." And she pouted.
"Let's keep walking. I think we are getting there." Calla said and she started walking again.
After an hour:
"I think we walked past here already..."
"We're lost guys"
"I am tiredd!"
"We should walk here."
"No, I think we should go left"
"No, it should be right!"
"I'm sorry. I'm slow when it comes to directions"
After yet another hour:
"I am already hungry!" Aya yelled while holding her tummy.
Then Jas stopped walking. "I swear we already walked past here!" she said while pointing at the road infront of us.
"This is the right way, not there!" Calla also said while pointing at the way at her right.
I scratch my head. I think we are really lost. And the fact that we are all tired is making the situation worse.
"Here, let's walk here." Calla said and she lead the way. The truth is, we are finding the right way instead and not the magic pearls anymore. Plus Jester and Max.
We continue to walk again with Calla leading the way. Jas and Aya is just right behind her while I am at the back. I was pouting while I was kicking every stone that my eyes will see along the way. Why do magic power doesn't function here? We surely have found that magic pearls since--- But then I stopped when I tripped because of a stone that I didn't notice.
"Aww!" I fell and my knees hit the stone. "Ouch!"
"Serenaaa!" Aya quickly run to me. "What happened?"
"Ohmygod!" She started to panicked when she saw my knee bleeding.
Calla and Jas also came running to where I am when they heard me scream.
"Why? Why? What happened?" Calla asked and she gasped when she saw my situation.
I almost felt like crying. I look at my ankle and at my toes. They were both bleeding. Aya quickly held me as she let me seat in the tree near us.
"Wait," Calla took out her handkerchief. "I will wrap this on your toes to stop the bleeding."
I bit my lips as she wrap the handkerchief. Aya and Jas we're holding me. It hurts!
"Why do magic powers doesn't function here?" Jas said annoyed. "Are you okay Serena?"
I nodded. "Yes. I am fine. Don't worry. I can manage the pain." Then I smiled at them.
I stood up after that but Aya and Jas immediately stopped me.
"Wait, can you walk?" Aya asked worried. "We can wait Max and Jester here."
Jas quickly agreed. "Yeah. Let's just wait for them to find us. We can't risk you walking while injured Serena."
Calla then nodded. I look at their faces and they were all looking at me and their eyes says the same thing:
"We aren't leaving especially that you are injured"
I sigh deeply and smiled after.
"This is just a small wound guys. I can manage the pain, I swear!" I said as I look at them convincingly. "And if we will wait for Max and Jester here, we might stay here until mid night. And what if they can't find us, right?"
I smiled to hide the pain I was feeling. The truth is, my knees stings in pain but we can't stay here. I don't wanna be a burden. We are all tired. Aya is complaining since then because she's hungry and she didn't eat breakfast this morning and if we will just stay here and wait for Max and Jester to find us, I don't agree. One that I hate the most is me being a burden to others. I don't like it when others sacrifice just for my sake. It reminds me of how my Father risk his life for me and I had promised not to be a burden to anybody else since then.
Aya sigh in disapproval. "Serena.."
But I immediately cut her off. "Please? Don't worry, I can walk. As I said, this is just a small wound, swear!"
Calla narrowed her eyes at me. While Jas was raising her eyebrows at me.
"You know, let's go." I said and started walking so they can't do a thing anymore.
"What the! Wait!" I heard Calla yelled and quickly followed after me. She held my left arm while Aya held my right arm after she followed. And Jas stood infront of me, preventing me from walking further.
"Are you sure? You are honestly worrying me."
"That might hurt a lot more Serena"
"Hear us out Serena. This is for your own sake!"
I opened my mouth to answer but then before I can say anything, we heard Jester's voice at our back.
"What's happening?"
He walked near us and Max quickly followed right after him.
"It's Serena!" The three answered in chorus. I look at them unbelievably. Luh. Why does it looks like it's my fault?
"There's really no issue! I just said we'll continue walking because I am fine. This is just a small wound and I can walk." I said.
Jester is just looking at me and as usual, you can't see any expression from his face but his expression changed when he saw my wound.
"I just accidentally tripped, swear!" then I forced a smile. Why do I feel so awkward?
"Are you sure?"
I quickly nodded. Well, I can handle it right?
Jester is having a second thought but he nodded eventually.
"If that's what you said, let's get out here then. We already got the magic pearls. It's still bright here but it's actually already dark outside so we should hurry."
It's already dark? Really?
"The time runs slow here compared outside Serena that's why." Calla whispered to me like she know what I am thinking. I nodded. That explains why I felt like the time is so slow when we are walking earlier.
Max was leading the way out. He had made signs along the way and it was so stupid for us that we didn't see that. Calla was right beside me and she was supporting me.
"Good thing you guys found us. We are already tired walking back and forth but we always goes back to where we came from." Jas said breaking the silence.
"It was easy to find you because I left signs where we guys left you." Max answered.
"What the hell! So, we we're just walking right there and we didn't move to another place?!" Aya yelled in a slow voice and she even pulled the leaves along the way in annoyance.
Max laughed "This is a magical forest Aya. The surrounding changed every five minutes that's why you said you got lost but the truth is, you didn't actually. You we're just tricked. But if you'll leave signs, even if the surrounding will changed, the sign will remain there."
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Calla and me yelled in chorus.
Max laughed even more. Even Jester who is infront of us laughed too. I looked at him for a moment even if I am only seeing his back. It was my first time to hear his laugh ever since I've met him this morning. He actually knows how to laugh. Amp.
"See, told you guys we are just walking in circles earlier!" Jas exclaimed while pointing her fingers at us. "And you didn't believe in me!"
Aya quickly laughed. It's because she's the one always saying that Jas is just imagining. Calla and me laughed too. Jas has a point. We just didn't believe her.
And we continued to walk and no one talked after that. Maybe because we are all tired already.
We we're walking for almost 30 minutes already and I feel like we might not be able to return outside.
Max will always say,
"We are almost there.."
and Jas will always answers him with,
"But that was what you said a minute ago!"
I can feel my wounds stinging in pain already. I can't even walked properly even with Calla supporting me. Max, Jas and Aya is already far from us. While Jester is just infront of us as he always wait for us when he notices that we are already behind.
"Are you sure you can still walk Serena?" Calla asked worried. "How about we rest for a bit?"
"Here, let me carry you." I stopped walking when Jester seated infront of me offering his back. "I'll carry you instead so you won't struggle anymore."
I just stared at him. Is he serious? He will carry me when in fact we are all tired.
"Don't worry. We are already near."
Calla then held my shoulders. "Please Serena. I know you are struggling since earlier."
I nodded and didn't argue anymore. We'll be left here if I'll be stubborn.
"Thank you," I softly mumbled as Jester carried me at his back.
"Rest if you needed too, Serena." Jester said and look at Calla after. "You okay? Can you still manage?"
Calla nodded even if you could see at her face that she's tired already. "I think I can still manage."
"Don't worry. We're almost there. Walk first so I could look after you."
Calla nodded in response and started walking first while Jester followed after her with me on his back.
I smiled consciously. Jester was really sweet and caring. I guess I was wrong when I said he was a cold type of person this morning.
~