You are no longer here (2)

"I will not let that happen." Harry gritted his teeth. He pulled his wife into a hug. "I promise to protect our daughter with my life if I have to. Don't worry about anything."

Sophie knew that they had no power to do anything if the deities forcefully took Jasmine away but her husband's words reassured her.

"Ahem…" Jasmine coughed from the door, making Sophie immediately pull away.

"I just came to grab a glass of water. I definitely didn't see Mr. and Mrs. Cavendish making up for lost time really." She teased them and grabbed a glass to pour herself water while trying to make her presence unnoticeable.

Sophie pretended nothing had happened and took her hand. "My darling, how was your night?"

"I haven't slept so well in ages. I could sleep in all day but there's a bright day ahead of me and I can't wait to enjoy it." She drank her water and took in a deep breath with a smile.

"I'm glad to see you so energetic." Harry hugged her. "Would you like to accompany me for fishing later?"

"Don't steal my daughter's attention. I was just about to ask her out." Sophie grabbed her daughter's arm.

Jasmine laughed at the battle that was about to erupt. "Calm down, I will spend the day with both of you. How about we go fishing and shopping in the afternoon?"

"That's excellent. My daughter is the smartest." They agreed unanimously and hugged her.

"Anyone would have thought of this. It's just that the two of you are always either showing off your love or going crazy with jealousy for one another." She chuckled and kissed them on their cheeks. "I'll get Dahlia ready for school!"

She stopped after making the second step. Her eyes shut as she massaged her temples.

"Jasmine?"

"My darling, what happened?"

They rushed to her worriedly.

"I'm okay." She smiled at her mother. "I think I'm just excited."

Sophie froze in her tracks. This time she saw it clearly as Jasmine's eyes restored their original color. They were golden when she smiled at her!

"What did they do to her? What did those damned deities do to my Jasmine?" She lamented to her husband when Jasmine left.

"What are you talking about?" Harry frowned. "Aren't headaches normal? We will have a doctor check on her if her head still hurts."

She looked up at him in surprise. He called that normal? "Didn't you see her eyes?"

He shook his head as he thought about it. Was his daughter sad?

"She… her eyes…" Sophie didn't know how to explain it. "Anyway, I think it has something to do with that water demigod."

"Don't think about it too much. If they wanted to hurt her, she would never have returned to us alive." He reassured her, even though there was fear lingering in his heart.

Jasmine went to Dahlia's room only to be met with a commotion.

"What's going on here?" She asked the maids who were getting her ready.

"Dahlia doesn't want to go to school." One of the maids sighed. There was nothing new about this situation—Dahlia disliked school and would always find excuses to take a day off if she had the chance.

"Jasmine, can I not go? Just this once." She threw her arms around Jasmine and begged sadly.

"Okay." Jasmine gave in immediately which surprised Dahlia as well as the maids.

"You are spoiling her again." Sophie shook her head when Jasmine called Dahlia's school to help the girl take a day off.

"She had missed me. Let her enjoy her time with me today." Jasmine smiled gently.

"You have a point." Sophie relented too. She didn't want to do anything but stay with her daughter so she knew how Dahlia felt.

"Breakfast is ready." Harry announced when he was done setting the table.

"Last one to get to the dining table is a frog!" Dahlia challenged her sister to a race—after arriving at the entrance of the dining room.

Jasmine conceded with a laugh and took her seat between Sophie and Dahlia. "I'm a frog. But guess who the frog's sister is?"

"Hey!" Dahlia puffed her cheeks after being teased.

Sophie and Harry burst into laughter as the maids served their breakfast.

"You tried another country's recipe again?" Jasmine asked as she looked at her plate. The content was colorful and looked appetizing. Although it was unfamiliar, she could recognize the fruit toppings.

"What's this called?" Dahlia was curious too.

"It's called oatmeal." Sophie fed Dahlia a spoonful.

"Delicious!" The girl excitedly ate her breakfast.

To spend time with her whole family, Jasmine suggested that they all go fishing in the afternoon, so they went after playing the whole morning.

They sat on the fishing platform with small buckets beside them. They were fishing for fun but if they managed to catch some fish, they would make it for dinner.

"I caught another one!" Dahlia announced excitedly.

Jasmine patted her head and tried to bait one of her own, but she seemed to have the least luck today.

"It's glowing again." Sophie whispered to Jasmine who was beside her, referring to her necklace.

Jasmine looked down at her chest and noticed a glow behind her. She turned to see a metallic door with light shining brightly from behind it.

"What's this? I come here a lot and I've never seen this door." Sophie stood and walked towards it with Jasmine stalking behind her, while Harry and Dahlia were still distracted with fishing.

Jasmine held the necklace, her gaze dimming as she finally understood what happened. "It's the necklace. I think Goddess Alaya used it to help me reunite with my family—but it seems like it wasn't meant to last forever."

"You have to go back?" Sophie asked, her heart dropping.

"I think that's what the door means." She sighed. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't go back. The island is beautiful and everyone is friendly."

She blinked with a bitter smile. "I admit that Dairon is awfully annoying but I owe him a lot—but I really don't want to leave you, father and Dahlia."

"Jasmine?" Sophie called out. When the latter turned to look at her, she carefully considered her words. "What do you think of the demigod who saved you? Do you like him?"

"What? Why would you even think so?" Jasmine was pulled out of her trance in surprise.

"The way you speak of him. It sounds like you like the place." Sophie observed.

"The place is beautiful and I love islands. But that doesn't mean I like the owner, okay?" Jasmine patted her chest. Where did such a thought emanate from?

"I see." Sophie let out a breath.

Jasmine glanced at her. "You sound relieved."

"That's a demigod, Jasmine. He is not human and I wouldn't want him taking advantage of my daughter. I'm glad you are back and I hope you don't leave again."

Jasmine hugged her mother's arm. If only Alaya could give her the option to stay.

"Are the two of you okay?" Harry walked to them and asked. They had been away for a while.

Jasmine hugged him tightly. "Papa, if I really have to step through the door, you have to take good care of yourselves."

"What door, my dear?" Harry was confused.

Jasmine glanced at the door, then turned to look at her parents in surprise. "Can you still see it?"

When Sophie nodded, she finally realized what was strange about it. The metal door was a portal and she could see it because she had Alaya's necklace. Logically, humans shouldn't know about its existence. How come Sophie could see it?

______

What would you do if you were in Jasmine's shoes?

Rush back to Dairon's Island?

Insist on staying?