CHAPTER 2 : Kingdom of Zytheria

I quickly dragged him out of the room. I can't take any word from him again or I might get crazy.

"Don't ever show your face to me anymore!" I exclaimed before shutting the door.

I felt my knees weaken and slowly collapsed. I put my gaze back to my Grandma.

"What happened to you, Grandma?" I asked to hope that she would answer but silenced envelope the whole room.

I can feel the tears urging me to fall again but I stop them. I'll just look pathetic. After a couple of minutes, I managed to pull myself together and walk toward grandma, I gently touch her hand.

"We'll get through this Grandma. I'll save you in any way I can. I promised." I uttered before going out of the room.

I took a deep breath remembering what the old man said. He surely makes sense at all, what I saw in the book is enough proof I guessed, I just have to find it out myself.

I started to walk out of the hospital and went directly home. I quickly opened my room but my eyes widened.

"Where's the book?" I asked myself. I'm sure I left it here. I quickly glanced under my bed and thoroughly checked my cabinet. I also went out to the kitchen and the living room, maybe I put it somewhere here.

"Are you looking for this?" I quickly shifted my gaze to the familiar voice. But my eyes diverted to the thing he was holding, the book.

"You're here again. Give me that!" I tried to snatch the book from him but he just flashed a wide grin at me, damn that's a bit creepy.

"I thought you don't believe in me?" He asked.

"I don't need you. Give me that book, before I kick you out of our house!" I exclaimed.

"What a brat. You don't need me, are you sure?" He asked teasingly. I just frowned at him and make a face.

"I'm sure." I mocked him.

"Well dear, this isn't a play or whatever games you have in mind. You'll probably lose your grandmother's soul if you wouldn't listen to me. Would you take that risk?" He asked seriously.

I gulped and glanced at the book.

"Good. Now take a seat and I'll explain everything to you." He ordered but I didn't move.

"Alright if you want to stand up then just listen to my short story." He added and fitted to our couch.

"You act like you own this …"

"Ssshh, don't talk, just listen."

I frowned and when he opened the book it started to light up again.

"20,000 years ago, there's a kingdom in the middle of the forest. The Kingdom of Zytheria, where the five goddesses were living happily and taking care of their kingdom.The Goddess of Fire, Hermione.The Goddess of Wind, Eowyn.The Goddess of Forest, Land and Mountains, Fleur. The Goddess of Ocean and Seas, Aurora, and lastly The Goddess of Death and Soul, Persephone." He stops for a moment and glances at me.

"What? Go on." I grunted.

He glanced back at the book and flip the page to the next. If I'm not mistaken that's where the aura started to change.

"Then one day, Cassiopeia the Queen of The Witch came, she cast a spell when the Goddesses were sleeping and turned them into humans which made their power transferred to her. She chained them and put them in a dark jail up until now, that's when the dark started to dominate in the Kingdom of Zytheria, the wicked witch reigns until now."

Finding myself nodding in his story, that was a sad one for the goddesses. The Kingdom as well looks like a haunted mansion now.

"Are we in a freaking fairytale or fantasy movie?" I asked unbelievably.

"No. The Goddess of Death and Soul, Persephone is chained and jailed too. She's also the owner of this book, she's the only goddess who can help you to bring back your Grandmother's soul. You have to help her, as well as the other Goddesses to bring them back the powers. In order to do that, you have to defeat Cassiopeia."

"Are you freaking serious? That's ridiculous. I'm a human, and she's a witch. How am I able to defeat her? If she cast just one spell I might easily turn into a frog." I cautioned seriously that made him chuckle a bit.

"Is there something funny?" I asked.

He shook his head and focused his gaze on me.

"That's why I'm here to help you. Can you see how thick this book is?" He asked which made me shift my gaze to the book.

That seemed a hundred pages.

"You have to defeat every beast and monster you'll encounter in your adventure, Penelope. In that way, you'll be able to gain strength and once you're powerful enough, I know you can defeat Cassiopeia."

"You mean, I'll get inside of that book?" I asked unbelievably.

He nodded.

"That's insane, is that even possible? Besides, that's a hundred pages!" I exclaimed, will I fit into that book?

"There's no room for the impossible in our world. Well, if you don't want that. Just sit here and wait until your Grandma's heart stops beating."

He turned his back after saying that. But before he could leave our house…

"Wait…"

He stopped yet didn't bother to look back.

"Who are you again?" I asked.

"Let's just say, we're in the same situation. I have to save someone…" He replied, still not putting his gaze on me.

"Then why do you need my help? Can't you do that on your own? " I asked.

This time he turned his back to face me now.

"Because you're the destined human to defeat Cassiopeia."

My eyes slowly widened.

"I still don't get it. Do you think I'll be able to defeat her? And destined? Seriously? Is that written in the book? " I asked continuously.

"Well, to be honest, it depends on your will to save your Grandma, and the determination to survive. I know you can do it, you're kind of a kickass woman. And how did I know that you're the destined human to defeat her? I just know."

My brows automatically lifted.

"Should I trust you?" I asked.

"No."

"When we should start?" I asked. I felt excited at the same time nervous because I'm not that adventurous person.

"Now" He's about to flip to the next page of the book.

"Wait…"

"I want to see my grandma first. Are we traveling back to 20,000 years ago and to a different dimension?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Am I still able to come back alive? What if I failed to go back here?" I asked again.

"I told you, it depends on you. You have to survive, or you'll be a meal of a werewolf in the forest."

I gulped.

"A-are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"You have wrinkles all over your face, how would I know if you're kidding or not," I answered back.

And his white mustache is quite distracting too.

"If you don't want to save your grandmother then let's stop wasting our time here." He uttered and stands up, I rush to him and stop him with both my hands gripping tightly on his arms.

"W-wait."

I heaved a deep breath.

"I'll do it now. I'll kill that witch and bring my grandma's soul back."

"Good, we don't have time anymore. Think of your grandma's soul." He shot back.

I slowly nodded and heaved a deep breath. I can do this.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Wait am I not gonna take a bath first? Or aren't bring any food? I may not die to the creatures but I might die on hunger."I claimed.

"No, we can manage there. That's a forest after all." He retaliated.

Rolling my eyes, I motioned to go to the kitchen to grab some food but he gripped my arms tightly.

"We don't have time, Penelope." He replied intently.

"L-let me go."

Damn, why a part of me wants to back out.

He didn't listen and instead open the book in the middle of its pages.

I gulped.

"Close your eyes, Penelope." He reminded me as he drags me near to the book, a portal slowly appeared, it was like a dark moving hole. My heart was hammering fast inside my chest, there was no turning back.

I glance at the portrait where grandma was holding me in her left hand while I have a red balloon in my hands, I was six-year-old that time, and genuinely happy up until now. We're happy, our life might not be the grandest and filled with luxurious things, but we managed to laugh every day and remains contented.

Taken aback by the reality when the old man slowly wrapped his arm around my waist. My eyes widened.

"H-hey don't you dare touch me." I glared at him.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"I'm sure," I replied firmly.

"Fine, just don't regret it in the end." He threatened.

"What do you…" But before I could finish my sentence, he quickly snatch my hands and jump off the portal dragging me with him.

"Close your eyes." He whimpered but I wasn't able to do that in shock.

"Heyyy." Those were the only words that escaped from my mouth as my vision started to get blurry. It's like we're inside of a spaceship as we travel back to a different dimension. The black hole that surrounds us was moving so fast as I started to get dizzy, f*ck isn't this gonna stop?

Until the darkness slowly fades and was replaced by lights, as I fell into a bunch of dried leaves, and quickly flinch when I felt something start crawling up to my thighs.

My vision was still blurred and moving still, I tried to walk yet was losing my balance. I closed my eyes, to rest for a minute until I wasn't dizzy anymore.

That was insane.

"H-hey old man." I was ready to shout at him but to my terror…

"W-where are you hey!?"

This is not a good joke, he shouldn't leave me here.

"Don't leave me here!" I screamed, as I roamed my eyes, I'm definitely in a different place. The trees were towering over me, and I barely see the sky.

I quivered when a bunch of bats flew above me.

"I'll f*cking kill you once we met again!" I growled but hearing no response made me gulp. The silence was making me insane, only the sound of the dried leaves can be heard as I walk slowly to I don't know where.

I don't have a map with me. That old man, I'll break his neck.

My attention was suddenly caught by a tree with many fruits. That old man is right, I don't need to bring food here, but still, curse him at the side of my head for leaving me here. With smiles plastered on my face, I slowly walk towards it.

My eyes widened to see a familiar fruit, it was an apple, but my forehead creased when I realized there was a different variety of fruit as well. At a distant, it was mango, while on the other side was full of oranges. Is this even possible? Three different fruits in one tree?

Right, I forgot I was in a magical realm, shooking my head in realization, I pick the red apple near me. My mouth watered to see how red it is, this is surely delicious. Without anything, I grabbed a bite on it. Welcoming me with the sweetest taste of an apple I ever tasted in my entire life.

Maybe I'll just stay here for a moment. Or bring some food with me as travel? The latter sounds great.

Taken aback by my thought when I heard a soft growl at my back. In curiosity I quickly turn my back just to see a pair of red eyes glaring at me, his big fangs were gritting with saliva slowly dripping out of them. I trembled in terror.

His size is unrealistic compared to what I read in the book. Is he a f*cking giant wolf and the ancestor of their species?

I step back when he started to move. I can feel my knees weaken as I fell off the ground.

"N-no! Don't come near me!"