Chapter 36 - Grypsin

Serefina woke up with the sunlight twitching in her eyes. She didn't remember anything of how she'd fallen asleep while talking to Bryan the night before.

She turned her head to notice her head was on Bryan's shoulder as he smiled, "Good morning, Sef."

She adjusted herself, rubbing her eyes as she murmured, "Good morning. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Well, you were sleeping so peacefully."

"But still, what if Linda already left the forest and what if-"

"Sef, relax. It's not that late you woke up."

"Then let's hurry!" She stood up dusting her dress.

Bryan stood up himself and yawned. He then stretched his hands and bent down touching his toes. "Let's go."

He started to move forward and Serefina followed. They walked between trees that didn't look as scary as they were last night.  The trees hung like they would fall any second. Their red-yellow leaves shedding like a turtle on the ground.

The area smelled like fresh monsoon. But it obviously didn't rain. Then why? But the scent was astheatically pleasing. Serefina had to admit the view was stunning.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Bryan said appearing by her side.

"Yeah, " Serefina agreed.

"But, Sef, I would definitely won't try to get blinded by the beauty."

What did that mean? Well, he did say that there are creatures in the forest that could eat them without any invitation but blinded by the beauty?

"Um,  Bryan, how long do we have to walk?" That was the question going on in Serefina's mind since they had started from the tree.

"Are you tired?" he said, clearly concerned.

"It's not that. But we have been walking for...I don't know...an hour?"

"Don't worry. It'll only take a little longer, okay? Though it feels like his body is still in good shape and not burnt."

"But Lady Soo-ha said that he was burnt to ashes and nothing is left."

"If it was the case, Linda wouldn't have come to the Time Forest to just get the ash, you know?"

"But where exactly is Grypsin. Seems like this forest is really big. How are we going to find him or Linda?"

"For that, Weswill gave me this..." He went inside his pocket and took out a circle thingi. It was as tiny as a button. On it was a man. He had pale skin, his eyes brownish grey. Beneath him was written which Serefina recognised as the 'Time Council'.

"It'll start glowing when we find it's owner," Bryan said. "This is-"

"Grypsin," Serefina recognized before he told.

"Yeah."

They both were silent as they started walking again. After a while they reached a lake that wasn't supposed to be blue. Well,  water did look blue but wasn't actually blue but this was as blue as colour dye. On the lake shined crystals. They twinkled like stras in a galaxy. Another thing that made Serefina gasp was the sky. The sky only above the lake was purple.

She looked at Bryan who was staring right in the middle of the lake. She was sure she saw a tear fall down from one of Bryan's eyes. He came back to realty after he remembered what just happened.

"Apologies, " he said as he ran a hand through his cheek. "It's just that...I am tired of losing my loved ones. First y- I mean big brother and now Grypsin. He used to take me to walks once in a while and we used to talk nonstop about the magic in Timeland."

"Bryan," Serefina reached for his hand and he gladly took it, "sometimes it's alright to let it all out. Crying in some situations is worth it."

"Thanks Sef. But you know it's not exactly the right time to cry because I think Grypsin is not too far away."

"Bryan?"

"Let's go." He smiled at her like nothing had happened. How was he that strong?

They crossed the lake by jumping on stones floating on the water. On the way not once did she realised what exactly were these shiny things.

"Stardust," Bryan said, "only found in this lake."

"Stardust? You mean real stars?"

"Kind of but more like replicas. My mom had a different kind of love for stars. She said she found father in the middle of the night underneath the stars at a very young age. Well, I'll regret that for her." He sounded frustrated.

"You don't like your dad, do you?"

"Well, it's a bit different than that I don't like him. He just never understood me like a farher should.

"I..."

"It's alright. Now that he wants me to become the Crown Prince. He's been acting suspiciously wierd."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he has never paid attention to me ever since my birth after big brother...so now he's like 'hey son, I love you the most and I'll be there for you at every step of your life!'"

"Maybe he has grown to genuinely love you?"

"I tried to force myself to think that but it doesn't make any sense. He just wants a Crown Prince and not a son."

Bryan landed on the other side of the lake as Serefina stepped on the last stone. She jumped and her feet touched the dry land.

Serefina had never known anything about her dad. Just that he wasn't there when Serefina was born. Only grandma Hannah.

"I always knew he didn't like me but I still respect him. Well, kind of thinking that he loves Kyle as he should."

"Bryan, maybe he's a person who doesn't show his affection towards you but he still loves you."

"Sef, you look for good in everyone. That's what confirms that you're my Serefina."

"Your?" Serefina wanted to here something specific from him and she didn't know why.

He inched closer.

"As I have said before Sef, you're special. And incredibly special to me."

That's what Serefina wanted him to say. She felt relieved somehow. They started walking again and Serefina looked up in the sky to see the purple fade away.

After who knows how many steps later they stood in front of a cave. It's edges curved but looked like could cut a person  in half.

"Uh...Bryan, do we have to go in?" Serefina asked even though she knew what was he going to say.

"We have to. Grypsin might be inside this. I can feel it. "

Serefina sighed looking at the darkness that stretched who knows how far.

"Sef?"

"Huh? I am totally fine! Let's go."

Serefina started towards the cave. She was trying to be brave but it was not helping.

"Sef," Bryan stopped her by her arm, "it's okay to not be brave in some situations. I know how brave you are. And that's one of the reasons I..."

"You...what?"

He cleared his throat, "Nevermind. Let's go in..."

Bryan intertwined his and Serefina's fingers and made their way inside the cave.

The darkness was starting to get uneven. An uneven that Serefina couldn't actually explain. The sound of water droplets hitting the rocks was the only thing she could hear.

And she also didn't know where exactly they were walking on. The ground was mushy yet hard as a rock. Squish! every step they took.

Then Serefina's legs stopped moving as she heard someone crying. A woman. Her legs started to shake. Bryan was right. She was trying to be brave but her mind didn't work as she wanted it to.

The crying was echoing making it sound more creepy than it already was.

"Sef, I think I know who is that," Bryan whispered. "It's okay. You said you trust me don't you?" He squeezed her hand.

"Yeah. Okay, let's move."

They continued to walk and the crying became louder every second. After a few seconds, the crying stopped.

A voice said, "Who's there?"

Serefina recognized the voice. She heard footsteps towards them. Then a small spec of fire light and sure enough, it was Linda holding a lantern only making her face visible.

"Your Highness? And Serefina?" she said. Her voice crisp from all the crying maybe.

"Linda, do you have Grypsin?" Bryan asked.

"I do..." she sighed. A tear slid down her cheek.

"Linda, I am really very  sorry."

"It...was never your fault Your Highness. Father was bound to Sedvie's wishes."

"Wait a second, " Serefina interrupted, "Grypsin is your father?"

Linda nodded.

"That means...oh my god. Linda I am sorry!" Serefina without thinking ran and hugged Linda tight. At first Linda was shocked but then she hugged her back.

"Thank you, Serefina," Linda said, "it really helped."

Serefina pulled back as Bryan made his way towards them. "My apologies for interrupting the moment but this place isn't safe. I think we should get out of here. Where's Grypsin?"

"Come with me."

Linda guided them forward and they reached a place that was even more beautiful than the forest. An area covered with crystals of every colour anyone can

imagine.

A man was laid against a blue crystal. The same man from the circle. Grypsin. Bryan's pocket started to glow as they neared him.

Bryan took out the circle and kneeled beside Grypsin and placed the glowing circle over his heart. The circle glowed even more as Grypsin's body started to dust away. Particle like dust glowed in the air as it faded away.

"What's happening?" Serefina asked.

"The circle is absorbing father's body," Linda said.

It took only a few seconds for the body to disappear, leaving the circle on the ground, still glowing. Bryan stood up and picked up the circle as he made his way towards Serefina and Linda.

"His soul is now in this emblem. Not alive but not dead too," Bryan explained. "In the Time Kingdoms,  people are turned to dust as soon as they die except the Time Council. They are people with special aura in their body which does not allow them to turn to dust. So they made these emblems for their soul to be stored inside these which means the aura as the body turns to dust."

Serefina stared at the emblem with awe in her eyes. "That means..."

"Yes, they are technically immortal."

That was really something.

"I think we should leave before something bad happens-"

Before Bryan could finish his sentence the earth started shaking and in the matter of time Serefina felt her world drifting away in the darkness.