Chapter 22 - An Unexpected Intruder

They reached the top and Serefina let out a sigh of relief. They were standing in the middle of a lightly dimed corridor. The tiny amount of light passed through a midium sized window.

Bryan went over towards a wall and Serefina noticed a lanturn kept on a marble shelf with just one tile.

Bryan lightened the lanturn with a matchstick and came back with a spark of flame inside it.

"Today I finally got to know why you always keep a matchbox with you," Kyle noted.

Bryan chuckled in reponse. "C'mon we won't wanna be late. Time's running fast, remember?"

Everyone nodded except Rhys.

"And you're doubting again," Bryan sighed.

"Can't help it," Rhys said. "You always have a surprise planned for us."

"Planned surprise?" Serefina asked.

"Yeah," Kyle began, "one time he took us to a fair and told us to wait until he convinced our parents to let us go inside by ourselves but you what he actually did?"

"What?"

"He-"

"Okay, are'nt we here to do something instead of talking?" Bryan interrupted calmly.

They started walking. After a while Serefina heard a rustle against the furry carpet beneath their feet.

"Sef, you, alright?" Bryan asked.

"Yeah," Serefina ignored the rustle but-

SCREEEEEECH!

"What was that?" Serefina flinched.

Serefina couldn't make out what was standing in front of them. But whatever it was, it was huge.

"What is that thing?" Kyle yelled.

"I wasn't anticipating this!" Bryan yelled back

SCREEEEEEEECH!

Before anything else Bryan took Serefina's hand and rushed towards the big thing's leg and he nodded to the others to follow him.

SCEREEEEEEEEECH!

They moved aside when the big thing's leg was just about to squish them.

"Stay focused. Do not get side- tracked, " Bryan warned.

"Why?' Serefina asked.

"Trust me?" Bryan stopped mid-steps to look at her with his shining green eyes.

Serefina didn't know what had took over her when she blurted out, "I do." But it felt right. She did trust him. What he had did for her so far was undescribable. But did he trust her back like she did?

Well, it clearly wasn't the correct time to ask because Bryan took off again dragging her with him.

SCREEEEEEEEEECH!

He launched towards big thing's other leg. The thing stomped making the corridor shake as if there was an earthquake striking.

Bryan held Serefina's hand tight. She turned back to look at Kyle and Rhys. Rhys held to the sword struk inside a marble tile attached to the wall. Kyle had put a hand around Rhys' free arm, her eyes shut tight.

"Yeah," Bryan whispered, "his sword can cut through anything."

Then he yelled out loud, "Rhys, you know what to do!"

"You got it!" Rhys yelled back. "Stay back everyone!" He also said something to Kyle that Serefina couldn't hear.

Rhys took out his sword from the tile and pointed towards the big thing's leg. A lightning struk from the sword's tip making the big thing lit up with fire.

Now Serefina could almost spot the huge thing. It was a-

Bryan rushed again through the gap between the big thing's legs and Serefina could see a mirror. A gaint mirror.

Before she could ask where they were going. She remembered what had she said to Bryan. She trusted him. So, she let her pass through the mirror or was it supposed to be a portal?

Serefina was in a garden. Lying on the grass. Cold breezes making her shiver everytime they striked.

"Sef!" someone yelled at her direction.

Her eyes opened without her permission. There was a...boy? He came running towards her. Before she could recognize the face-

"Serefina!"

Serefina jolted upright. She wasn't in the garden anymore. She was inside an ancient room with ivies hung all around.

She saw Kyle trying to wake her up. And beside her Bryan lied on the floor. His dark brown hair messed up. His expression showed...fear? Was he having a nightmare or something? The worst part was he didn't stir. 

"What happened to him?" Serefina asked.

"I am sorry," someone said. A lady with Scarlet hair.

"Wh-what are you saying?" Serefina asked, a wave of horror rising inside her head.

"My name is Linda Wreker," the lady said. "I am really very sorry that I couldn't-"

"Couldn't what?"

"Bryan, he...is asleep for a hundred years."