5 Chapter 4: World

"When will we tell her? When she discovered it on her own?"

"If we tell her, that's a big scandal!"

"Her life will be at stake, Cecil. It's better if she's the one who will figure it out."

"You made a good decisi---"

"Shh.. she's awake."

I slowly open my eyes. The first thing I saw is the ceiling but replaced it when a beautiful woman showed up. I realized that it was tia Celeste.

"How are you? Does your body hurt?" She asked worriedly.

She carries my cheeks and rubs them gently. She helped me sit in my bed when I get up slowly. And it's because my body hurts. I felt the pain all over my body. I don't know why it hurts. I smiled at her as a sign of thank you.

"I... I-I'm fine." I said.

I frowned when I realized that I don't remember how we get here. Did I fall asleep in the car? Why is it my body hurts?

I looked around the room. The walls are painted white. There were also furniture in the room and even a side table on the side of my bed. Tia Cecil and tia Celestia were at the end of the bed. They were looking at me seriously, observing me.

"Did I fall asleep, tia Cecil? I'm sorry..." I whispered.

I know that they heard me even when I whisper. The room is so quiet. I bowed my head slightly. But, someone lifts my head gently. It is tia Celeste. Worry and fear are in her eyes.

She's always been like this, so kind and gentle. She smiled at me as she held my hair. She has a heart-shaped face, blue-deep-set eyes, button nose, bow-shaped pinkish lips, and straight brown hair 'til her shoulders.

"No... don't feel sorry, Jasmine. You're not a burden, okay? We see you as our own." I smiled, and I nod slowly. She also smiled at me and messed up my hair.

I looked at tia Cecil, who is crossing her arms. Tia Cecil and tia Celestia have the same position.

"What happened? Why is that my body hurts."

"You fell asleep in the car. That's why you feel sore." Before she turned around and left, she said, "Oh, by the way, get up and take a bath. You stink."

I frowned. "What?"

I looked at tia Celeste when she chuckled, but she didn't say anything. Instead, tia Celestia answered my confused face.

"She's right, niña. You've been sleeping for over a day and a half." She bites her lower lip to stop herself from laughing.

My eyes went wide, and I tried to smell myself. "Tia!"

"What?" She laughed.

"Just a bit..." I whispered, and I felt my cheeks heat up. They laughed at me so, I frowned.

"But tia! I can do it! Kyaaaaaaah!" I hugged myself when tia Celestia poured the cold water at me. I don't know why they took all of my clothes and push me into the tub. I can take care of myself! They don't want to get out and insist that they will bathe me.

They ignored me! I frowned, and tia Celeste poured the shampoo into my hair. The fragrance of the shampoo filled my nose. I calmed down because of that. Tia Celestia scrubbed all of my body. She roughly scours my back, and I shout because that's so painful! Am I that dirty?

"Your hair is so smooth, dear." Tia Celeste suddenly said.

After finishing taking a bath, they let me wear the red-long sleeves dress with a slit on both sides of my dress so that the white cloth can see through.

"Why am I wearing this, tia? There's a costume party?"

Tia Celestia let me sit and face the mirror. She combs my hair and braids my hair like a crown, there's remaining hair, and she let my wavy hair fall 'til my waist.

"A costume party? What kind of party is that, niña?" She suddenly stopped combing my hair and looked at me through the mirror.

This is the strange thing about them. They do not know such things. They also do not know what Halloween is. When they visit our house, then they always wear long dresses. I never saw them wearing short shorts, pants, and t-shirts.

I remembered their expression when I went home from school. I'm wearing a dress above my knee. When they saw me, they frowned. The other day, tia Celestia almost had a heart attack when I came home wearing shorts.

"Ohh, never mind, tia," I said and smiled at her. She smiled back.

She also has blue-deep-set eyes just like her twin, pouty lips, a narrow nose, and her natural brown messy shaggy short hair 'til her shoulder.

"Your new school is kinda hard, Jas." She said.

I blink for a second. "Really? I think I can come up."

"But you need to study."

"Study? Why? Is it that hard?"

"Just study..." she smirks at me.

"Here it is!" She dropped the thick book on the table in front of me and coughed. I covered my nose because of the dusk that is flying in the air.

"The Chronicle of the Past." I read out loud while wiping the dusk in the book.

"Read that, okay? Just tell me when you finish reading the book." She said and left me. She went to the shelves.

Tia Celestia brought me to their library in their house. I did not expect that they have their library in their home. I am surrounded by shelves now. When I go around, I might get lost.

I unlocked the book, and I suddenly closed my eyes because of the light that came out of the book. I almost screamed because of that.

I slowly open my eyes. I'm thinking that maybe, I'm imagining things. Or is it because of too much reading of fantasies?

I moved the page. There's a picture of the map, and it has written at the top of the photo,

World of Wonders

Twelve kingdoms, in the World of Wonders.

They are powerful, and they are the most different creatures in the whole galaxy.

But the strongest kingdom among them all is the Kingdom of Lyonesse, King Eugenio, the ruler of this kingdom. Even in ancient times, no one can match their strength. Even for how many decades had passed, no one can match them, but seven years ago, they suddenly vanished without reason.

I suddenly screamed when tia Celestia appeared in front of me. "And no one attempted to conquer the kingdom of Lyonesse. Do you know why?"

"W-Why---"

"They will take your soul! They will take your soul if you go to that place." She said and dropped her hand on the table.

I blink for a second. I stepped back because she was so close to me. "Don't scare me like that, tia."

She laughed like a demon. She looks me straight into the eyes. My eyes went wide when the color of her eyes changed. But I close my eyes because maybe it's just my imagination.

"Jasmine, listen to me." I slowly opened them. My mouth dropped when I knew that it was not just an imagination. I knew it! The color of her eyes did change!

"This is no longer the world you grew up in." She whispered and left me. I was dumbfounded.