Chapter 19

The path to the Golden Star consisted of crossing the city of Dinashia, turning off through the Lundertood forest, which is the current border with the city of Neshala; once in Neshala, they had to find the secret door that led to the golden sea to cross it and thus reach the mystical Golden Star finally.

Everything seemed quite real to Chrystal until the part about finding the secret door; in the books, the door was created by the pair of lovers never to be found and could only be found by those who possessed a pure heart. There was no location, and the internet sites didn't have much information either.

The more they advanced towards the prosperous city of Neshala, the more she wondered how they would find the secret door if it existed, how they would manage to reach the other side of the sea with their friends, and if it wasn't the case... what should she tell Oliver?

She thought about bringing Oliver down from his fantasy world and telling him what was going on, bringing him back to the real world so that he would not have high expectations that she herself had raised. Maybe she should have made it clear to him that since it was a fairy tale, there wasn't much chance that it really existed, and maybe he should try to remember if the person he was meeting told him that place as a secret message or something like that.

"Is something wrong?"

Oliver noticed how thoughtful the redhead had been since they went into the forest, something was bothering her, and he was afraid that she would leave him again.

"I don't know if we can get there," she answered, letting out a sigh to look at him, "There are no concrete data on the whereabouts of that place and...

A small laugh came from Oliver's lips; he knew how unreal all his journey sounded, but he trusted that guard, The Gold Star, existed, and he had to make sure that Chrystal believed it too.

He seemed oblivious to the real world, his mother was also oblivious to the world around her and sheltered in fantasies, but this was different. Everyone in that place knew that The Gold Star existed; he still remembered a hint of terror in Elliot Craig's eyes when he knew where they wanted to escape.

Maybe...he should tell Crystal something about his life like she had.

"I didn't think you could laugh; what's so funny?"

Chrystal's words weren't reproachful, even if they sounded that way. In the time she had known the brown man, she had seen him smile very few times; she never imagined the sound of his laughter would cause butterflies in her stomach.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, covering his smile, and Chrystal avoided grimacing at not being able to see that smile, "you don't have to worry; the Gold Star exists. Where I come from, everyone knows about that place, so we'll find it."

Oliver took his hand away from his mouth and smiled at her again. He looked up at the sky full of stars, admiring their beauty. If only his mother were here...

"My mother loved to tell stories; it was a way to keep me entertained and chase away her harsh reality. She would tell of her adventures in the outside world and always promised that she would take me to see all those places someday; I always thought they were just my mother's inventions, that she possessed an imagination that I lacked."

Chrystal paid attention to the boy who was fascinated by the starry sky; this was the first time he spoke on his own about his past life.

"Her favorite story was about the two forbidden lovers who managed to escape from their families and live together for eternity; I didn't like her telling it because sometimes tears would gather in her eyes as she did it, and I hated to see her sad... but it was her favorite story and Annette's too. I guess...I supposed it was because that's how the story had been between my parents with some modifications so it wouldn't be so cruel to us as kids."

Oliver remembered all the times his mother told him stories, remembered her gestures and mannerisms. Whenever he told that story, his mother's eyes came back to life and hoped like that day when they tried to escape.

"We wanted to escape, and it was the same guard who helped us the first time; both he and my mother and all the women who were there knew that this place existed. Even...even the monsters knew about the existence of The Gold Star and were afraid of it. Many people died trying to escape to paradise."

The brown-haired boy stopped looking at the sky and turned his head towards the red-haired girl, who was expectant to his story.

"I know it sounds crazy, I didn't believe that place existed either, but after seeing how they all tried to escape and that only the three of us managed to do it, I can't doubt it. We have found similarities with the story and reality that show it is not just a crazy fantasy."

Silence reigned after Oliver finished speaking; he wasn't sure if everything he said made sense and if Chrystal Daly could understand him... he knew he had to be more explicit, that telling the story halfway wasn't right. However, Oliver didn't dare to tell the whole story; it still hurt, he still hated himself. How would Chrystal take it? His story was sadder and more dramatic than hers; could she understand that he was guilty of Colette's death, and at the same time, he wasn't? Would she flee from his side if she knew he was a murderer?

Chrystal was speechless, processing everything he said. She hoped he was confident enough to tell her about his past, but his gaze showed a deep pain that made her understand that it was more delicate and complicated than she thought. Those small fragments he let out gave her chills; he had mentioned the word escape, women, family, monsters, and guards again. Oliver was right; it sounded like a crazy story, as if helping a stranger wasn't crazy enough. She would give him time to confess everything to her and together look for a solution to the secret door. That boy appeared in her way at the right time; Chrystal wanted to convince herself that she also appeared in his life at the right time and that she would be of help when Oliver finally let out all that pain.

"This trip is completely crazy, so... I think I have to trust your family to guide us on the right path. They have so far, haven't they?"

The joy in the chestnut's green eyes had vanished, and that broke Chrystal's heart. For the last three days, the boy kept smiling at anything he found in the forest, touching everything and admiring the smallest detail of nature. Chrystal didn't ask him anything, she really wanted to, but something always seemed to hold him back. Had he been forced to live all his life quietly?

Chrystal kept explaining things to him and enjoyed his surroundings as if she was also seeing grass and worms for the first time. Oliver was happy, and so was Chrystal; she had smiled more in those three days than in her whole life, and she was grateful to the brown. She wanted to return the favor; she wanted to see that glowing smile on his face, see that sparkle of life in his eyes; she wanted to see him... alive, not like the human wreck he was when they first met.

"Your mom was a good person, right?" she asked, changing the subject a little, hoping that what she was about to say would cheer him up a little.

The boy nods slightly without hesitation; she was the nicest person he had ever met.

"My mom used to say that when a good person passes away, they become a star to continue protecting and taking care of their loved ones," says Chrystal pointing to the sky.

"R-Really?"

Oliver opens his eyes and turns his gaze to the stars.

"Really," says Chrystal.

"She still cares about me."

He whispers with a shrinking heart. She was up there watching him, helping him... had she forgiven him? Had she heard his cries? The apologies Mr. Craig forced him to recite were not in vain. This was her way of granting him her forgiveness; she had helped him get rid of that place, she had led him to Chrystal, and now she was leading them to paradise.

Tears were running down his cheeks.