This is not the start of the story, you may want to read at the beginning through these links:
- Link for Chapter 1: Family’s happiness
- Link for Chapter 2: Headed to the darkness
- Link for Chapter 3:The Hole of Nowhere
- Link for Chapter 4: The new world
- Link for Chapter 5: The Derrare
- Link for Chapter 6: The Immortal Soul
After they say goodbye to Mr. Ford, Mia, Emma, and Gilbert go further into the Derrare.
“Gilbert, where will you go when we reach the center?” Emma asks.
“I’ll go to Earth,” Gilbert says without hesitation. “I want to explore!”
“Your parents will be very worried about your disappearance,” Emma says.
“I left a note on my bed in my room. They’ll know!” Gilbert smiles.
They keep walking deeper and deeper until they grow tired. While taking a rest, Mia takes Kitty out of her bag. She has kept it with her since the beginning of their journey in Derrare—as her lucky charm. But it doesn’t seem to bring her any luck. Axel has passed away, and she’s stuck in this crazy maze—this isn’t what luck looks like.
Just as Mia is about to throw it away, the stone opens. Inside, there’s a small wooden cross.
“The Immortal Cross—Justitia’s gift!” Mia whispers. She can feel it pulsing—fast, anxious, and warm.
“Mia, look!” Gilbert calls.
Mia looks up. A transparent figure is floating in front of them.
“Axel!” Emma cries and hugs the figure.
“How is this possible?” Mia whispers to herself.
“Are you hurt?” Gilbert asks through tears.
“Not anymore,” Axel says, smiling.
Mia walks forward and hugs Axel. A strange feeling floods her chest. Sadness? Wonder? Joy?
“Can you stay with us?” Mia asks.
“Always,” Axel smiles.
But suddenly, Axel begins to fade. Mia clutches him tighter, as if she could keep him from disappearing. Yet he keeps slipping away, like a dream fading between her fingers. The space around them fills the emptiness he leaves behind, and before long, Mia is left holding nothing but herself—lost, hollow, and trembling.
The three of them stand frozen.
“Let’s keep going,” Emma says softly.
They soon reach a dead end. But just as they’re about to turn back, they discover a small box filled with wooden letters and an instruction card. Gilbert reads aloud:
“Choose twelve letters randomly from the box. Put them in a row—the first next to the second—to reveal a clue.”
“Let me try!” Emma says. She picks the first letter: N. Then another: R.
“N-R? That makes no sense!” Emma frowns. When she finishes, the sequence reads: Nxgnfhsyfhry.
“Funny!” Gilbert says. “Lemme try.”
When he’s done, his reads: Hlamfjsiwoej.
“Still nonsense.” Gilbert sighs. “I give up.”
“I’m not giving up,” Mia says, and begins. “T-O-U…”
“That’s nonsense!” Gilbert interrupts.
But when Mia finishes, the sequence spells: TOUCHTHEWALL
“Is that… TOUCH THE WALL?” Gilbert asks.
“Maybe?” Emma says, standing up. She gently touches the vine-covered wall.
Wind begins to blow.
Everything starts spinning.
Then, all at once—stillness.
Mia, Emma, and Gilbert open their eyes. They’re now standing before a tall pedestal. A large bowl rests on top. Inside, there’s a slimy, blue liquid. A plaque beside it reads:
“Drink the liquid and say your wish out loud.”
They each drink. It’s cold and disgusting.
“We wish to return to Earth!” they say, voices bright with hope.
- The expedition is over, and the main characters can finally celebrate their victory. Yet amid the joy and laughter, one poor soul is missing—Axel.
- To learn more about their lives 11 years later and how the adventure shaped them, stay tuned for 11 Years Later — coming soon!
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