Chapter 7: a new dawn

"Are you absolutely certain that he's going to be alright? I'm extremely worried. He hasn't moved a single muscle since last night," a familiar voice echoed out in the room. Following closely, the voice of an elderly woman chimed in, reassuringly saying, "Don't fret, my dear. He will be just fine. He simply needs some time to recover. Yesterday was an overwhelming experience for a young boy like him, especially witnessing his sister being taken away. It's only natural for him to be in a state of shock. Give him a little time to regain his strength, alright?" Responding with a sigh of relief, the familiar voice replied, "Alright, grandmother." My eyes remained tightly shut, rendering me unable to move any part of my body. Behind closed eyelids, all I could visualize was the haunting image of Gina being forcefully taken away, and the feeling of helplessness overwhelmed me. I struggled relentlessly, attempting to will even the slightest movement, but to no avail. Suddenly, a faint voice whispered into my ears, "You're lost, hope is gone, but you must persevere, bar'borh. Gina needs your assistance." The words reverberated in my mind, piercing through like a sharp needle, causing excruciating pain. I desperately tried to silence the torment, but it persisted, and I inadvertently let out a loud cry, "Gina!" As I propelled myself upward, my lower back leaving the surface where I had been lying. At that moment, a girl stood at the door, swiftly turning to face me. It was Amma. With an enormous smile illuminating her face, she exclaimed, "Jordan! You're finally awake!" "Yes, I'm here," I replied with a cracked voice, searching for answers. "But where is Gina? And where am I?" Amma's mood abruptly shifted as she responded, "I'm sorry, Jordan. We couldn't save Gina." Overwhelmed with sadness and growing weaker, I asked, "Where did he take her?" My voice filled with sorrow. Amma's reply was filled with uncertainty, "I don't know, Jordan. He ran into the woods." Desperation and worry consumed me as I pleaded with Amma, "Please, we have to find her. I can't bear the thought of anything happening to her." Trying to get up from the bed, I was gently pushed back by Amma, who reassured me, "I understand your feelings, Jordan. I know you want to save Gina, but first you need to focus on your treatment and regain your strength. I'll bring the medicine my grandmother instructed me to prepare for you." As Amma walked outside, I called out to her, "Oh, Amma. Where is your grandmother?" "Dead?" I exclaimed, my voice filled with disbelief. "But... but you were just talking to her, right?" I asked, my surprise evident in my tone. Amma's smile widened as she confirmed, "Yes, Jordan, you're right. I was indeed conversing with her. But let me tell you, talking to the dead is just the tip of the iceberg. We elves possess the extraordinary ability to not only communicate with the deceased but also manipulate them to fight alongside us." Intrigued by this revelation, I couldn't help but ask, "Wow, that's absolutely incredible! Why didn't you utilize that power back there, Amma?" Amma's expression turned apologetic as she explained, "I'm sorry, Jordan. I haven't fully mastered that skill yet. It's a multi-stage process. The first step involves awakening them from their eternal slumber, and then comes the art of manipulation. Currently, I can only awaken them and ask questions. I haven't yet learned how to gain complete control over their actions. If I were to attempt to make them fight for me and make even the slightest mistake in the spellcasting, the consequences could be dire." Amma explained. Feeling perplexed, I responded, "That's an incredible power, Amma. But what are the consequences?" Amma tried to divert my attention, saying, "Your abilities, Jordan, are even more extraordinary. You're the connection between life and death, capable of much more." Feeling frustrated, I questioned, "I don't understand, Amma. How can I be that connection if I couldn't save my mom, dad, and Gina?" Amma reassured me, "Jordan, please don't blame yourself for what happened. It's not your fault. And there's still hope for Gina. We can find a way to save her. Just wait here while I fetch the magical potion of strength I've prepared for you." Amma left, leaving me with a mix of hope and uncertainty.

I waited anxiously as Amma entered the room, holding two tiny bottles. One was filled with a vibrant pink liquid, while the other contained a mysterious blue substance. Amma handed me the pink potion, saying, "Here's the strength potion, Jordan. Drink it." Curiosity sparked within me, and I pointed to the blue portion, asking, "And what about this one?" Confused, Amma responded, "Oh, the blue portion is the revelation potion." Intrigued, I inquired further, "Is the pink portion safe for humans to drink?" Amma reassured me, "Of course, Jordan. It's completely safe. I wouldn't give it to you if it weren't. You have to trust me." Despite her reassurance, doubts crept into my mind, making it difficult to consume the potion. Amma pleaded emotionally, "Jordan, please, you need to drink this potion. Your strength is waning. Please." She gently rubbed my face with her left hand, looking deeply into my eyes as she moved closer. I closed my eyes, anticipating a kiss, but instead, I felt a cold substance in my mouth, tasting like lemon juice. Opening my eyes, I realized it was the magic strength potion Amma wanted me to drink. Shocked, I exclaimed, "Amma, why would you do that?" Undeterred, Amma replied, "That's the strength potion, Jordan. Come on, it's time to save Gina." With determination, she walked out of the room, urging me to follow. "Oh, I must admit, I do feel quite invigorated now, like a powerful bull. The potion wasn't so bad after all. But Amma, please, no more surprise drinks, okay?" I expressed as I followed her eagerly. Amma chuckled and asked, "Wow, Jordan, what were you thinking?" With a stammering voice, I replied, "Oh, nothing... really, Amma. Just that I don't like being forced to drink something." Amma could see through my words and playfully said, "Hey, Jordan, I can tell you're lying. You thought I wanted to kiss you again, didn't you?" My face turned red as I denied it, "Me? No, no, I don't think so." Amma persisted, "Are you sure, Jordan? Do you want me to kiss you now? Just say it, and I'll do it, I promise." I was left speechless, unsure of what to decide. Amma quickly changed the subject, saying, "Oh, it seems you don't want it after all. Gina is waiting for us." She led the way into a narrow path, and I followed, asking, "What is this place?" Amma replied, "This is the land known as 'Mace,' also known as a maze in the human world. But the creepy thing about this place is that it constantly changes directions, unlike a human maze." Confused, I questioned, "So how are we going to find Gina? What if the direction changes?" Amma reassured me, "Jordan, you don't think I'll sit back and let Gina go just like that, do you?" She took out the blue potion from her bag and poured it on a marked path. Slowly, the footprints of the beast that took Gina began to reveal themselves. I was amazed. Amma explained, "We have twenty minutes to track these footprints before they disappear." With determination, she walked along the path of the footprints, and I followed closely behind.