PART THREE

[NOWO's POV]

“So where are you both going?” Talaa asked.

Moha and I looked at each other and nodded a little. That is sort of a sign that we let each other trust both of them.

“We’re planning to go to the underground room, where lockers are located,” Moha said.

I nodded and said, “We believe that everything that begins in a certain place will end in the same place. With that belief, we are going back to that place. Maybe we could find any hint or answer to our question, which is how to go back to the normal HQ.”

“Are you both sure that the underground is the safe place for the both of you?” Lane asked.

I shrugged, “No one knows.” I uttered. “But we’re going to at least try. As a matter of fact, there’s really no safe place here on the other side of HQ, so what’s the point of knowing if that place is safe or not?” I added.

“Maybe we can do that tomorrow? It’s already midnight, and it’s too dangerous to walk around here,” Talaa suggested.

“Day or night is just the same. Danger is not afraid of the sun. It’s just now or never,” Moha said. “We’ll never know if we’re still alive when tomorrow comes.” He added.

“I’m afraid you both will get harmed by stubborn creatures out there,” Lane murmured. “So I’m going with you both.”

“Lane is right. I’m going too,” Talaa said.

It’s a relief that we have them on our journey. We at least have a little chance to survive in this unfamiliar world. They were right; we didn’t know what’s waiting for us below, but we are doing it now and just now. We should gather courage from no one but ourselves. Not just a little courage will do but a big one. There’s no time to feel afraid and weak. We should learn how to take it seriously, or else it will be impossible for us to get back.

Before we began heading to the underground, I gave my final stares around this unfamiliar place we are currently in, as if it is the last time I would be seeing it.

I took a deep breath and looked straight into Moha's eyes, giving him a slight nod. A signal that we need to start finding our way to get back to the place where we truly belong.

Sweet nightmare, huh?

How long will it take for us to finally wake up?

*****

[THIRD PERSON's POV]

“Headmaster, two of the orphans named Nowo and Moha were both heading to the underground.”

Those words I've just heard drew my attention. I turned around and began to face the guy named Arphen— the son of Arges, a cyclops— and Placid, the daughter of Aphrodite and Zeus. He has the ability to track down the whereabouts of the orphans by casting a magic spell on their key necklaces.

“Let them be. There's no way they could escape this world anytime sooner,” I responded to him.

“Please pardon me, Headmaster. But how sure are you about that? You knew the kind of ability they both have.”

I started walking and then stopped to give him a gentle tap on his right shoulder.

“Strong abilities yet still unable to use.” While flashing a smile from ear to ear, I tilted my head and looked at him. “A sweet nightmare isn't like a dream, Arphen. It takes a very long time to reach its end. And it hasn't even started yet.”

Without wasting too much time, I ordered Arphen to gather the centaurs that are under my power to lead Nowo and Moha here in our place.

After almost two decades of waiting, my mission to gather my chosen warriors is finally over. I'm glad that the two of them were both safe. It will be a huge problem if something bad happens to any of them.

*****

[NOWO's POV]

“Uhm...Lane?”

“Yes, Nowo dear?” She responded.

“Will you please stop hiding in my nape? You're making me feel uncomfortable.”

She began to flee away from my nape, still shaking. This time both of her hands are covering her eyes, like she really doesn't want to take a peek around this place.

“Hey, watch out!” Talaa shouted.

Lane almost bumped into a big tree while she was moving away. Talaa made a cloudlike barrier between the big tree and the little fairy.

My little guardian was supposed to be taking care of me yet it seems like she couldn't at least protect herself now. Good thing is that Talaa was so attentive that he even cast a magic spell right before Lane fell into an accident.

“Are you trying to hurt yourself?” Talaa nearly shouted, furrowing his brows.

Lane started flying towards us lowering her gaze. “I apologize for such a careless act, everyone. It's just that, I am too afraid of the dark.” She murmured with a shaky voice.

“It's okay, Lane. I believe that it's my fault for not letting you hide on my nape.” I murmured.

“No, it's alrighty. You don't need to apologize, my dear Nowo. I will try to keep my distance so that you won't feel uncomfortable.” She uttered.

I took a deep breath and answered, “Hmmm...I don't mean it that way, Lane. You can sit on my shoulder if you want. But burying your face in my nape is tickling me.”

Her smile broadened from ear to ear while flying towards me. “Yey!” The little fairy shouted after sitting on my shoulder.

Being with Talaa and Lane even just for a short period of time, made me realize that they are more likely to have the same personality as us— humans.

They care for each other and even small things can bring them joy. I guess they are not as weird as I thought they would be.

They are not scary but sweet.

Moha and I keep on walking here in the underground for like hours now, and we still haven't found where the lockers are. My legs feel heavy and tired, and I bet Moha feels the same thing too. My determination to go back home is what keeps me going, even if I don't feel well anymore.

“Let's have some rest.” Moha uttered.

“Rest?” I turned around and faced him while raising my eyebrows. “Remember what you have said before? Dangers are not afraid of anything even in the sun. What more now that it's getting so dark?”

He placed both of his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “Yes. I said that. But what can we do? Walking here for hours but still no lockers. Isn't that exhausting?”

I pressed my lips and shook my head. It never came into my thoughts that Moha would easily give up.

“So, are you telling me to stop?” I asked.

“No. I was just suggesting that maybe it's time for us to get some rest. Our strength as well as our energy are both limited, and admit it or not, we are running out of it.”

Moha has a point, so I stopped arguing with him for a while. His words woke me up and made me realize that I was being too emotional.

“Sorry.”

“It's okay, Nowo. I knew you were determined to go back to our normal HQ, but seeing your swollen feet makes me feel worried about you.”

He started moving his feet and stopped next to a big rock. The moment he sat on it, a sudden earthquake began messing the whole place. The wall behind us started splitting into two; it looks like a passage from a different location. Most of the small rocks that fall from above are sharp enough to cut our skin, but we both managed to be safe from it, through the help of our little fairies.

After a few seconds of shaking. A one-eyed man and four centaurs suddenly appeared behind the split walls, and seeing them increases my heart rate. I should learn how to hide my fear now. Even though I've never been into a fight, I badly wanted to defend Moha and myself from these creatures.

I started gathering enough courage and began to pick a few rocks near my feet. “No more running. I am not afraid of any of you anymore.”

The one-eyed man flashes a friendly wide smile on his face. “Is that the right way of greeting your superior?” He asked.

I'm completely clueless about the words he just spilled, even Moha seems to be wondering about it. I tried searching for a hint by looking at him from head to toe but failed to see anything.

“I'm the man behind the MOD stand whom you are all dying to see.” He added.

My mouth is wide open, and I can clearly feel that my heart is pumping. I didn't expect that our MOD is one of the weird creatures here in the unknown world. Though I feel like my heart is going to explode, my best friend Moha didn't show much emotion on his face and remained silent.

A few seconds later, he took a deep breath and threw his stare in the stranger's direction. “How are you going to prove it?” Moha asked.

“Your little guardians can prove it.”

Lane and Talaa start to flee near the one-eyed man who claims to be our superior in the normal headquarters. They both flash a wide smile on their faces.

“It's alrighty, my dear Nowo,” said Lane. “We both know him, and he's not an enemy,” said Talaa.

Seeing those two safely flying near him made me think that I should believe what he just said to us, but then I find it hard trusting anyone in this unknown world. Plus, the creatures standing behind him are the same ones who attacked us a while ago.

Taking a step near them, I started to throw him a glare. “If you are telling the truth to us, then why are you with those centaurs who nearly killed us both?” I asked.

He smiled at me while nodding his head. “Yes. They may be centaurs, but they are not the same creatures who tried to harm you. It might be really hard to get your trust, but you have to go with us, and I will explain everything to you once we get into a safer place.”

Those words made me raise my left eyebrow and stare at him with a blank expression. “Are you expecting us to just go with you? We need to find the lockers and leave this place immediately.” I responded.

“The lockers are right behind you.” said the one-eyed man.

We both turned around to check if he's stating the fact.

“Hey. Are you trying to trick us?” Moha started furrowing his brows. “We are not in a mood to joke around.”

“No. I wasn't trying to trick you. The lockers are placed right there...” He said, pointing his index finger somewhere behind us. “The reason why you are not seeing it is that your visions and your keys have no longer access to them.”

It may be too difficult for us to believe what he just said, that it even made me want to throw him endless questions, but then being in this world seems like everything can be possible.

“Do you know how we can gain our access back?” Moha asked.

I nodded my head, “If you really are the man behind the MOD stand, then you must know the answer to our question.”

“Come with us, and the Headmaster will tell you everything.”

“Headmaster?” I asked.

“Yes. He's the only one who can answer all of your questions.”

“What if we don't want to go with you?” Moha asked.

The man shrugged his shoulders. “Then we have no choice but to just leave you here. Though the Headmaster badly wanted to see the two of you as soon as possible, he let me give you the right to choose your own path. Either you would like to come with us or continuously try your luck around this unfamiliar world without any help and guidance.”

*****

"In this world filled with impossible things, you don't have the right to choose whether to believe or not. There's no way of escaping the fact that no person could ever survive from a strange water on their own."