Chapter 15 - Crintona

"Well, thanks for everything today," Serefina said to Bryan when they were in Serefina's gigantic living room again.

"Don't worry about it. Anything for you-uhh I mean no problem," Bryan said rubbing the back of his neck.

Serefina didn't want to but she took off Bryan's coat and handed it to him. "Here. Forgot to give it back to you."

"Keep it."

"Why? It's yours and-"

"And you forgot I'm technically a prince. So, I have more coats in stock. Don't worry about it. Keep it."

A sudden smile curled on Serefina's lips. And Bryan returned the smile. "Thank you," she said.

"Anytime Sef," Bryan blurted out. Sef was definitely a cool name seeing that grandma Hannah always called her Serefi darling. "Sorry, I said it in a flow. I won't call you that if you don't want."

"No its totally fine. Actually I kinda like Sef." In that Bryan grinned.

"So, see you tomorrow?" Serefina said, thinking that his parents might have been worried about him.

"Yeah..." Bryan started towards the door but he again turned towards Serefina. "Will you be okay?"

That surprised Serefina. She should be asking him that. He looked extremely depressed after the conversation with Sedvie. "I'll be fine."

"'Fine' means you won't be okay," Bryan said and started towards Serefina. He was right though. The first night grandma Hannah won't be tugging Serefina inside the bed. She felt embarrassed to tell anyone this but still, it would be difficult. At that moment Bryan offered his hand. "How about I take you somewhere?"

"Where?" Serefina asked taking his hand.

"You'll see."

Serefina felt the tickling again and closed her eyes.

She was inside something pink and glittery which swirled and swirled and swirled. "What is this place?" Serefina managed to say.

"We are in Crintona," Bryan said.

"Where exactly is Crintona?"

"In a star."

"What?" Bryan had teleported them to a star?

Then the swirly pink thing cleared of leaving them standing on a white smooth surface just like soft sand and above them were billions of stars twinkling.

"Amazing right?" Bryan asked.

"It's beautiful!" Serefina said and sat on the smooth surface. "You never told teleporting could be done in space too."

"Well, this teleportation needs mastering but in my case it just happens." Bryan crouched beside Serefina on the floor. "This place always cheers me up in any situation I'm in. Hope it does work on your mood. I can understand the pain of losing someone close."

"You mean your older brother?" Serefina asked.

"Critty told you, right?"

"Yeah, she did."

Bryan nodded. "We both used to come here. Just the two of us. Even mom didn't know we came here whenever we got the chance."

"So what exactly happened to him?"

"No one knows."

That was weird. Critty was about to say something about what had happened and Bryan said no one knows. She stopped herself from thinking about that. She focused on the beautiful scenary in front of her.

Bryan brought her to his and his brother's special place. Only to cheer her up. "Thank you Bryan, I'm grateful."

"No need to be."

"C'mon, I realize your brother was very special to you so this place is also special to you and you brought me here. So, that's why I have to be grateful."

"You're special too Sef. Very special."

A slight blush formed across Serefina's cheeks.

Bryan had become a really close friend of her in just two days which was very unlikely but if unlikely meant a friend like him. Then it was worth it. Serefina thought this might be the correct time to ask the question she wanted ask for a long time. "Why won't you tell me about your conversation with Sedvie?"

Bryan didn't answer.

"Sorry, if you don't want to answer-"

"No, its not that I don't want to answer," Bryan interrupted. "Serefina believe me I want to answer every single question that is rising in your mind but...I can't."

"Why?"

"Because its not the right moment."

"What does that mean?"

Bryan sighed. "I am bound to stay silent about all this but at the right time, I'll tell you everything, I promise."

Serefina nodded. Though she wasn't getting any of it. She patiently had to wait for the right time and the right day.