Inside a Cave

After Thea and Riz finished their meals, drank their medicine, and cleaned their beds, they stepped out of the room. The house had a second floor, but the room lent to them was on the first. They did not encounter a single soul when they passed a long corridor and reached the living room.

They quietly opened the main door and stepped towards the front yard. The rain had stopped but the sky remained starless.

"Their front yard is similar to Gia's," Riz looked at the healthy growing herbs all over the yard. "Despite the bad weather, they can still grow medicinal herbs." 

"Sorry," Ayhan came from outside the wooden gate. There was worry in his eyes. "I can't accompany you today. Something important came up. Can you wait for twelve more hours?" 

"We can," Thea said as Riz answered, "No." 

"I will accompany you later. I promise." 

"We can wait," Thea beamed. 

"You have a promise to fulfill," Riz reminded her with a glare. 

"I'm sure Sel and Gia could come up with a solid excuse for us," Thea reasoned. "Twelve hours is not that long. If Ayhan still can't accompany us by then, we will no longer postpone our return to Daybreak Realm. I promise."

"I will accompany you later no matter what happens," Ayhan repeated with an apologetic smile. "I will see you at four in the morning. Do we have the same time?"

He showed them the sapphire jewelry on his wrist that revealed the same time as the flower bracelet Thea was wearing. "Right. Same time. I'll see you later. You can do whatever you want in our house. Treat it as your own."

"See you later," Thea agreed and pulled Riz back to the empty house. 

"You want to stay here that much?" Riz asked when they returned to the room lent to them.

"Admit it. We need more rest," Thea yawned as she settled on a bed. 

Riz lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and said, "Be grateful that I'm still a little drowsy. Once I regain enough strength, I will pull you back to Daybreak Realm." 

"Right," Thea smiled. "Let's gather all the strength that we could. We cannot rush into the deadly barrier without enough strength."

"Stop making excuses," Riz hid under the blanket. "Just sleep." 

Thea closed her eyes. Though she was also a little drowsy, she could not help but worry about Ayhan and the important matter that he had to prioritize. Her anxiety was preventing her from falling asleep. She opened her eyes and glanced at Riz. Her friend was already snoring.

She quietly slipped out of the bed and stepped out of the house. With the help of the wind, Thea followed the trace Ayhan had left behind. While talking to him earlier, Thea memorized his aura. She had a feeling that it would soon come in handy.

^###############^

Ayhan was in the depths of a nearby forest, inside a cave hidden beneath the cliff. Asuren was with him, kneeling on the ground. His arms, legs, and torso were tightly chained against the wall. His eyes were different. They were no longer green but purple and more chilling than before. 

"Ungrateful puppet!" He angrily bellowed but his gaze was not on Ayhan but on the wall. He was trying to break free from the chains, making his skin bleed. It seemed like he was being possessed by some angry spirit. "I will find a way to kill you!" 

"Thea?" Ayhan stepped away from Asuren and headed to the rocks near the entrance of the cave. Thea was hiding there while peeking at the possessed fairy. "How did you find this place?" 

"I have my ways," Thea did not move away from the rocks and kept glancing at Asuren. "What is wrong with your friend? Is he… possessed?" 

"He is," Ayhan grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the cave. "Don't worry. He will be okay in a few hours. I can still guide you to the barrier later." 

"You seem confident that he will be okay in a few hours? Does this often happen to him?" 

"I promise to tell you everything later. Right now, I need you to leave. Asuren will not be happy if he sees you in here." 

Thea understood the reluctance Ayhan was feeling. They were still strangers to each other. 

"If you need help, we will help," Thea sincerely offered. 

"I know," Ayhan said and glanced nervously back to the cave. "I'll see you later, Thea." 

"Okay," Thea stepped away from the cave. "I'll see you later." 

^##############^ 

Thea could not sleep well that night. She was worried about Asuren. Though his eyes had an ominous glare while being possessed, Thea noticed a few seconds when his eyes returned to green, and he would glance at Ayhan with fear and desperation. 

"Did you have a bad dream?" Riz asked when she saw her friend staring anxiously at the ceiling.

Thea nodded then told her friend, "It's almost four o clock. Should we wait outside?" 

"Sure. I want to stretch my legs," Riz jumped out of the bed. 

They stepped out of the house and did not wait that long for Ayhan to arrive. After five minutes, he entered the gate. Asuren was behind him. He seemed a little pale, but his eyes returned to green and had become less chilling. 

"You both look exhausted. What happened?" Riz glared at them with suspicion. "Are you in deep trouble? Do you need help? We can help." 

"It's been taken care of," Ayhan smiled. "Shall we go?" 

"Well, we do want to go home but is it truly okay to leave your house without meeting your mother?" Riz asked when Ayhan opened the gate for them to pass. 

"Mother is busy taking care of this entire village. She could not entertain you even for a few minutes," Ayhan informed them. "Don't worry. I already told her that you are returning to Daybreak Realm. There is no need for farewells. We have the same goal. We will certainly see each other soon." He pulled a small pouch from the pocket of his overcoat and gave it to Thea and Riz. "Mother prepared a few bottles of health tonic. Drink it and you will recover a bit of your strength." 

"Thank you so much," Thea took the pouch and carefully tied it to the green cloth wrapped around her waist. "Riz and I can find the way back to the barrier. You and Asuren should stay here and rest."

"We will come with you," Ayhan insisted. "Don't worry about us. We will be fine." 

^##########^