Black and White

Chapter-2: Colors

 The white trace led me to the deepest part of the forest, where it got lost in nowhere. I started to feel like I was in a trap, but I knew that it would do no good of retreating at this point. I took out the stardust I had in my jacket, and I started to find any clues of traps around me. I stepped forwards slowly, checking any signs of danger. Then, I slipped into an invisible wall and got into a very different world. I was so shocked that I sprung back a few steps, and I found myself back in the dark lonely forest just before a wavy invisible wall.

I became very curious to get back into the wall, on the other side, I feared that anything there would be harmful. It was just a split of a second I've stepped into a different world. All I remembered were bright and strange things that I had never seen before. In the end, my curiosity overcame my fears, and I had decided to go back into the new world no matter what would happen to me. I held tight on my stardust and get back into the strange world. 

It was so bright and dizzy there but it couldn't stop me researching. There had been no one who could take me away from my researches since I became a scientist. I tried to make my way through the maze, but I all saw were unexplainable things. "I have to concentrate or I will die here due to a headache," I reminded myself. Suddenly, a white ray flew towards me, trying to tear me apart, but I was lucky it missed me. When I looked where it had sourced from, I saw a white girl in white standing in the distance. It seemed I was not very welcome in this new world at all, and I realized it quite fast. Since I didn't want to die, I retreated for my castle. 

At the castle, I found my new assistant waiting for me in the laboratory. He was seemed to finished reading my research paper, however, I hadn't written much at all. "So, that these fallen stars can fulfil our wish is not true at all, right?" he questioned. "Well," I told him, "I'm not sure if they fulfill wishes or not. But if someone found a fallen star, he's going to make a good fortune." My fellow surprised, "How can they make a fortune?" I smiled, "It's because I buy them." Fallen stars are very rare and expensive crystals. I'd collected them all my life but I had only sixteen of them. They are also fragile and powerful and they are responsible for the explosion in my lab three months ago. I carved those fallen stars into stardusts which allowed me to get the energy trapped inside them. 

We did a lot of work before we decided it's enough to take a rest. "Hey, I have an idea for our laboratory," he said, "Why don't you consider moving it to the Abandoned forest? Since there's no one there, there will be little damage if an accident occurs. Besides, I heard that you love walking there." I grinned, "Ok, I accept you are good at researching." I began to feel comfortable having him in the laboratory. I also considered moving the laboratory to the forest, but first I had to report it to my parents. 

"Bro!, you've missed a meal. Where've you been?" shouted my brother. He took me to the dining room, where Mom and Dad had been waiting for me. I thought I had been away from my parents lately, thus, I decided to have a meal with them. Apart from being the head of a royal family, my parents didn't enjoy long tables because they thought it was better to keep close contact, at least during meals. We, all had our business to care about so that we lost touch from time to time. 

My parents were very kind to me in any situation. They were filled with joy once I was graduated from the Shooting Star university and became a scientist. Since then, I had given all my authority of being a prince to my brother. However, Mom and Dad still let me stay at the royal castle as always. We had a chef at the castle but Mom did most of the meals for us, among them, my favourites are big apple pie and milk coffee. Dad had ever told me that Mom used to be a chef before their marriage and that they fell in love because Dad visited her restaurant quite a lot. 

"Hey, have you known? I paid a visit to the White," told my brother, calling all attention towards him. "I saw the princesses of White, she is so beautiful that I fell in love with her at first sight." My cousin went surprised by the content of the conversation. I had to explain to him, "Your big brother is always a great storyteller. When he needs reinforcement, he will call out my name or yours." He giggled looking at my big brother. "At all cost, I'm going to retain peace with White," swore my brother, "Won't you be helping me, my little bro?" I whispered to my cousin, "See? He's calling out for help." Then, I shouted to him, "At any time, my great brother." 

We had a great meal with me and my brother laughing throughout it. But I still had a deal I hadn't settle yet. I headed for my laboratory and took out the advanced toolbox I had under my table. Getting out of the castle, I met my brother and my cousin passing by. My new assistance had a lot of social skills I hadn't realized before. "Go back and look after my laboratory," I shouted him. My brother shouted back, "What? Are you ordering my little cousin?" I laughed, "Yes, I'm ordering. Fish and Chips, please."

I rushed towards the Standing forest to settle my deal. After some time, I arrived at the invisible wall which let me visit the dizzy world. I unlocked my toolbox to check what I had in it. I didn't have this toolbox for my research but to settle duals; all I had in the box were fighting tools and accessories. I took out the dark glasses and put them on. Then, I had my stardust sabre in my right hand and a short g*n at my back. When I thought I was ready for a dual, I entered the area of bright sparks. 

It wasn't as bad as my last experience, thank my glasses. My surroundings were darker and I started to see shapes of plants and boulders. What made me dizzy the last time I came was that those things have strange textures. I had to be more careful because my enemy should have prepared a trap here. "Hey!" I heard a voice behind me and I turned back suddenly. I saw a girl, a white girl standing on a little hillock waving at me. She seemed to be shocked as she saw my weapons I was wielding. "H-hi," she stunned.

"Hello, am I allowed here?" I asked as I approached her. "It was you who visited me some time ago, right? I'm sorry I attacked you. I thought it was a beast entering my -uh place," she apologized, "Are you here to arrest me?" I looked into her eyes, then I stared into nowhere, "Well, you are lucky to meet me. How long have you been here?" "Ten years, maybe. I'm not sure. I've been having food in the forest," she replied. I smiled, "How does the black food taste?" "Weird," she giggled, "but it was enough to keep me alive." I thought she was feeling better having a conversation with a black assassin. "I still want to know a few about you and this place," I told her. She took me to her little hut and answered everything I asked.

Then, I knew about her background and her reason for being here. She and I had a lot in common after all. Both of us were born royal prince and princess but we chose to become a researcher. We had a sibling each who loved us more than we did to ourselves. She was sent to spy our kingdom but she found something more interesting in the land of Black. It was this world which she called the world of colours. She explained to me about these strange textures which she called colours. Our world is made out of only two colours; black and white. The textures change according to our talent in mixing them. But in this world, there are many more choices. She introduced me to the three primary colours which she called red, yellow and blue. Then, she showed me secondary colours, which were made by mixing two primary colours. 

I was very engaged in her lecture but I thought it had been so long here. Before I returned, she was trying to say something to me but she was hesitating to say it. However, I could read it from her eyes. "Do you want to see your sister, my dear?" I asked. She was surprised to be asked that question. I continued, "I'm not sure about it at the moment because I had no tool to disguise you as a black. But I may be able to pass a note to her when I go back home." She rushed back to her building. Then, she came back to me with a photo of her and another white girl. 

I headed back to the castle for I had a few things to do, but I didn't why my feet led me to bed. After all, I had some sleep this week. I rarely sleep at all. It was since I started university. Mom was very worried about me at first. Then, I was diagnosed with a disease which makes me feeling unsleepy for a long time. But if I sleep, I sleep for a long time. Thus, before I went to bed, I had to see my brother and gave him the photo, to be exact, the copied photo. I copied it on the way I came back to the city so that I can keep the original one to myself. 

When I woke up, I found my brother by my bed. "Hello, how can I make your day?" he teased me. I replied, "You know it. Don't act like you went insane or anything." I tried to get out of my bed and check how much time I spent sleeping. "She said she will come. Now, you just have to message your angle," he told me. I gazed at the horizon, "She is not MY angle. Maybe, not until now." "Wow, you like her?" my brother almost shouted. "I thought you were joking about the White princess," I gazed at the edge of the Abandoned forest, "how did you manage to sneak up this time. They should have shut that hole you dug last time." He smiled, "I dug another. My duty is done, now. It's your turn." After a bit more conversation, I left for my laboratory. 

I told my cousin to arrange our new laboratory in the forest and I left him for my mission. As I walked through the forest, I thought about the conversation I had with my brother. "Do you think this will retain peace with White?" he asked. I replied, "I'm not sure. Do you think I should risk it?" He stared at me, "Don't try to act as you've never taken risks before. You do what you want and Mom, Dad and I always have to clean up the mess you've made." "He wasn't wrong at all," I thought as I approached the wall to the world of colours. At least, I feel comfortable getting to know they have my back. Then, I entered the coloured zone.