The Other World

"Maharlikha" Likha answered that made all of their eyes dragged towards the spot she stood on. Just from her recent experiences and crazy events, it was enough to send these people to the mental hospital in an instant. Silently, she prayed to the souls of her grandparents once again so they could leave some sign that this is some prank or at least prepare her for this kind of revelation.

"That is correct. Did your grandfather told you about this?" Cesare asked as he gestured Samirah to come towards the crystal orb while Enzo just kept looking at her in confusion or wonder. For a moment, she was tempted to fix his messy hair that is flying from all sorts of directions.

"No" Likha shook her head. "Well, he told me stories about fairies and heroes".

"The thing is Likha, all stories have their origins. They are real even how crazy and unbelievable they sound" Cesare began as the room faded away. Likha could feel her heart tighten in fear when she remembered this experience in the classroom yet something felt different. The walls turned into trees with leaves that twinkled like jewels. The ceiling opened to clear blue skies where large figures glide through the air. This was definitely as she turned around to take full of this scenery.

Suddenly, a firefly flew up to her face. It radiated like a shining star in the middle of the night. The longer she stared, the more it became clear to see what it is. It's a fairy. The light came from her dragonfly-like wings as the fairy twirled in front of Likha to give her a better look at her pink gumamela dress before it flew away.

"Diwatas" Enzo scoffed behind her. "These creatures are basically show-offs who always wanted to be in the spotlight". Likha laughed before she turned to Enzo to tease him. "Kinda like you?"

Once more, his dark eyes turned into the golden shade of rage just as he was about to say something, he decided to close his mouth then looked away. In an instant, his golden eyes became vulnerable before it faded to its normal color.

Likha looked around once more until her eyes settled at Cesare. Unlike her, he already has gotten used to viewing even before her yet there was a longing in his eyes. "Is this real? Are we really in Maharlikha?" Likha asked in astonishment.

"No, but a vision of it. This is what your grandfather thought it would look like and what your grandmother described it to me when she used to live there-" Cesare explained while Likha looked at him in disbelief and shock. "So you're saying my grandmother has been there!!"

"Yes and the shards. These were once part of the great Crystal that provides the flow of magic in all the realms. It became a passageway from this world to the next until they broke the Crystal. It broke the balance of magic and most entrances that lead to Maharlikha because of 'their selfishness'. I do not know why and how they did it" Cesare answered with sadness in his voice that Likha ALMOST felt pity.

"Whos they?!" Her outburst caused the vision to shake before it became stable once more. However, she heard a groan from nearby that came from Samirah. Her hands are on the crystal orb that emitted light around the room. As glorious and breath-taking the scenery may be, Samirah wasn't enjoying it as beads of sweat sipped down from her face then onto the crystal orb while she closed her eyes and concentrated on creating this image. Something clicked in Likha's head that this vision is the doing of her Muslim friend and her shard when Likha noticed the Fuschia glow from Samirah's wrist.

"Okay Samirah, that will be all" Cesare ordered that made Samirah release the crystal orb. Her eyelids flew open to reveal her amethyst eyes underneath. She took a deep breath that Likha was afraid that her new-found friend will pass out at any moment while the trees faded away to the normal study room of her grandfather. Seeing Samirah at this state, Likha is tempted to remove the green hijab to fan her friend yet she stopped herself. It is against Samirah's religion if she does so.

"You ok?" Likha asked as Enzo came near with a glass of water.

"Do you think I'm okay?" Samirah replied.

"Good point" she answered as Samirah drank the water then thanked Enzo. "You are amazing! How did you do that?"

"The power over the minds" Samirah began. "This shard helped me to create illusions and read mines yet only for a limited time". Likha helped her sit down comfortably on a chair while Enzo fanned her with a stack of papers and bills. What a convenient way to recycle overdue bills.

"They were once heroes. People from different nations" Cesare began as he sat on a rocking chair, as well, facing them. "These heroes faced the one who guarded the crystal and shattered it. As punishment, based on our resources, believed that their souls are now trapped in those very shards"

Likha stayed quiet for a moment then looked at the green shard around her neck. 'Is this true?' She thought yet she received no answers from it. Figures. When she turned to her friends, their jaws dropped until they regained their senses. It seems it was their first time hearing this statement.

"Why were they punished?" Enzo began out of the blue. "That's just unfair! They only broke just a crystal""Yes, just a crystal. A crystal that continues the flow of magic from this world to the next. Let me finish my story before you can demand answers" Cesare answered coldly that made Enzo shut his mouth tightly as he glared daggers at the old man before Cesare continued "By destroying that crystal, they disrupt the connection of all, if fortunate, most access of magic and to Maharlikha. With the shards, we can rebuild that connection for a prosperous world. With magic, we can save this world from many wars, pollution, and even from future calamities"

"So you're saying we need to combine our shards right now?" Likha asked with uncertainty in her voice. There is more to this story, something Cesare is not telling them but she couldn't quite point her finger to it.

Cesare turned to look at her with eyes gleaming with hope yet with a hint of desperation. "Not entirely here but in Maharlikha. Since the three of you have the shards, you have temporary access to that kingdom yet you're grandfather didn't know how when he still had the shard."

"Then how come he didn't give it to you when he died?! How come you weren't even there?!" she exclaimed as Samirah held her wrist to calm her down. All of a sudden, she felt soothing energy pulsed around her and knew that the Muslim is using the power of her shard once more before Cesare answered her "I was there when he died. Unfortunately, only those who are related to the heroes can hold the shard"

With that said, Cesare started to change shape while all three of them looked at their shards respectively."WE'RE RELATED?!" Samirah shouted at her shard that Likha could almost feel the soul inside it is staring at her descendant blankly. On the other hand, Enzo started to contemplate with an amber shard within his grasp, probably about his daily life decisions or something worse. Likha looked at her dead ancestor/shard hanging around her neck before she stared at the old man yet in his place is a young doctor she recognized from the hospital, the day her grandfather died and announced his death."IT WAS YOU?!"