Beyond a Reflection

Chapter 10: The Queen of Spiders

As hours passed by, the temperature became lower and lower and I'm crouching here underneath the tree tighter and tighter. The snowflakes became many more, not much distance in between them that's why it is the more crucial time for me to find another place that I could use as my shelter.

This is the best option for now. I simply took my hand from my jacket and took a peer from my frozen hand. The ice already reached my wrist but I think the spreading is slower than before. I hugged my knees and rested my head above them. Why am I here in the first place? As far as I know, I am just packing things for our retreat but this event suddenly happened and there's a huge chance right now that I am really going to turn into a human statue.

I shook my head with that thought and looked furious. What on Earth am I thinking? I don't have any plans on dying and such. I will make this a great opportunity of mine to learn about the Death to Life Charm. That's why I can't die here!

I stood up, full of passion. My blood is now leaping in me while thinking of the adventure that I will make in this world. I'm now certain that this is the most exciting part of my life. I was about to walk proudly in the middle of the snowflakes when a familiar voice out of nowhere said, "Psst." I looked around because I could hear the voice everywhere as if it was scattered around the place.

"Who are you?" I asked dumbly, waiting for a response but the voice didn't respond for a few seconds.

"Miss Witch," it said that made me stop moving after realizing who it was.

"Bubbles," I muttered my newly built nickname for the lady earlier who helped me that just vanishes suddenly like a bubble but this time, I couldn't completely see her.

"Miss Witch, I want to apologize for my rude attitude earlier. I can explain, but for now, let's get out of here." I was about to speak when suddenly someone grabbed my hand from the right and started dragging me deeper into the forest.

There was no one there but I could feel there was someone! Dragging me as far as she could. That's when I realized what kind of ability does she have. She's not a witch, a volant, or even a weredog. She's a meta. A meta like my brother Isaiah. People who don't have a district to belong. A human that possesses supernatural powers.

From here, I could see from afar a sunny part where no snowflakes raining down. We are almost there but as we run, I could feel the ice crawling up to my shoulders. I groaned but I didn't complain. I don't want to cause any burden to this lady. That's so lame.

The moment we've reached the sunny place, everything suddenly changed. The cold temperature was gone and it's back to normal. The sky now was sand-colored and there is an orange sun rising above. I could feel that that sun is smiling directly towards us. This place we are in right now has no longer trees. It's like a desert. Cactus were everywhere and just a medium-sized house in the middle, made of woods. I feel like I am now on the western side of Earth.

I was startled when I finally saw the lady holding me. She just really appear out of nowhere. My eyebrows rose when she started pointing to the part of my sweater where I hid my hand that turned into ice. I looked at it. My eyes widened when I saw it was wet and water started dripping to the sand.

I immediately took it off and to my surprise, the ice on my arm was finally melted! I even pinched it using my other hand but I just groaned when I felt pain. I heard the lady chuckle that's why I looked at her but it seems like she didn't like that look of mine. I took off my sweater, leaving me wearing a white camisole paired with my joggers.

"What's your name?" I asked her as I squeezed my sweater, water dripped on the sand, and after that, I hang it on my right shoulder.

"Venice," she said while looking on the other side, not planning to have any eye contact with me as if the moment I and her eyes will meet, she will turn into a stone statue just like Medusa's ability.

I sighed and placed my left hand on my waist and drifted my gaze. "Well, Venice, thank you for what you did back there," I paused when I felt that something was missing from my dialogue. "... for saving me twice a row."

A few minutes passed and I felt my cheeks were already red when I didn't receive any kind of response. I'm not used to these kinds of stuff that's why this is really embarrassing me.

"H-Hey, same some—" I automatically paused when I heard a sob that's why I lifted my head, and there I saw Venice, weeping.

"Hey, why are you crying?! Are you hurt?" I panicky asked and checked her up immediately but I stopped what I am doing when she finally spoke.

"N-No," she sniffled and wiped her eyes using the back of her hand.

"I'm just grateful that a witch thanked me," she said making me stare at her for a bit.

Is that a big deal?

"Huh? I don't get you. What's the deal with the witches anyway?" I asked her, losing patience.

I can't really control my temper.

She finally gathered herself together and a warm breeze of wind blew that swayed her silky shoulder-length hair. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Meta's are the lowest rank here in the Encantum. Witches— placing the first always make fun of us. That's why... that's why when I saw you earlier, I thought you are going to pick a fight that's why I took my leave immediately," she explained and looked down.

I nodded slowly while understanding what she is saying. Witches, huh? What a disgrace for my race. Maybe I'll try turning one of them into a pig.

I looked around and I felt everything is starting to get hotter than before. I could also feel my legs sweating. I looked at her when she began to sweat too.

"It's just me or the temperature started to rise?" I asked her just to continue our conversation.

This is the first time I am eager to make friends with someone. Never in my life, I have imagined this. Maybe because I can benefit from her. She is the first person I saw the moment I step a foot here in Encantum and I am sure that she will be a great help.

"You are right. We are here in the summer zone and it's most likely like a desert but it is more dangerous," she said seriously.

Then, if this is the desert zone then the area we are at earlier where snow is raining should be the winter zone? And if the winter zone could make someone freeze in an instant, then maybe I shouldn't get surprised if a sandstorm will appear here any minute. This world is really something.

"We should take our leave now. I will explain everything to you later," she hurriedly said and took my left arm and we began running.

My sweater that's been hung in my right shoulder almost fell but luckily I managed to catch it. My eyes widened when I saw something swirling in the air, unrooting the cactus and sucking it like a black hole.

It is a twister! A twister made out of sand! I was about to tell Venice when I noticed that that twister is traveling faster and faster than before but she suddenly speed up, dragging me along. I bet she felt the pressure behind us.

I suppose that if we'll be sucked there, we will be good as dead meat.

Sweat started rolling on my forehead when the temperature rises and rises as time passes by here and the twister is getting much closer and closer to us. I shrieked when my sweater was sucked by the twister tornado. I watched it swirling inside the sand and wind until it vanished from my sight.

"Venice!" I exclaimed her name but the only thing that I could see in her face was terror.

If I still got my magic inside me then maybe this is the perfect opportunity to use it and be excited because of this thrill but that magic is no longer here that's why we are completely helpless right and I think that it's lame to ask for some help that we aren't sure if there are any.

"I'm sorry! If I should've known about this earlier then this shouldn't have been happening right now!" she exclaimed and some droplets of water landed on my cheek. I unconsciously touched it and looked at Venice.

Is she crying?

I looked back at the twister tornado behind us. I took a deep breath before thinking if I should do it right now. This is the only spell that I know and took less damage and at least could buy us some time. I stuck my index finger out and started swirling it in the air and flicked, pointing towards the twisted tornado.

"Bariado!" I chanted and suddenly a transparent barrier appeared, preventing the twister from reaching us.

Venice looked back and her eyes brightened up when she saw that the twister was stuck on the other side. My eyes widened when I heard a sound of a breaking glass like it was being shattered, slowly. I vigorously looked back and saw the twister forcing its way towards us.

"Ven—" I didn't finish my sentence when I saw that we are about to enter a dark and gloomy area. It looks like we are going to set foot in another zone.

I covered my right ear when I heard the glass completely shattered. It was echoing and the sound is like located inside of my head, breaking my sanity. After that, I couldn't hear properly anymore. It was all silent.

We are only one meter away from that dark and gloomy area when Venice leaped, dragging me along. Our faces both meet the ground but I just sighed in relief knowing that the twister was now gone. I gently got up and tried hitting my ears using my wrist because everything is really silent. I looked at Venice and it looks like she is talking but I couldn't really hear her.

"Sorry, my hearing is a bit off right now," I just said without knowing what she is saying.

Her eyes widened and concern was painted on her face. She suddenly looked at her side and started turning her hands in the air over and over again as if she is finding something. I suppose that she has an invisible bag there. She looked back at me and now she is holding a shell of a snail. She handed it to me and started speaking again. I weirdly looked at her because I really can't understand a thing that she is saying but despite that, I took the shell from her.

She motioned her hands, cupping her ear. She pointed to the shell and then pointed her ear. I unconsciously put the shell in my ear and strangely, the shell was supposed to be larger than my ear but the moment I put it inside, it totally fits.

A lot of seconds passed when my eyes widened when I could finally hear something. I looked at Venice while smiling.

"I could hear!" I exclaimed joyfully.

Venice's face was in relief while clasping her hands and putting them on her chest.

"Thank God," she muttered.

I looked around and from the sand-colored sky, it was now gray as if any moment from now, the rain will pour down. The sky was full of gray clouds also and the trees here are withered. The grass was black and there are ravens flying everywhere.

It is like a dystopia.

"This is the fall zone. We should take our leave immediately before Arachne wakes up," she said and instead of running, she walked slowly.

"Arachne?" I asked her, cluelessly.

I only have limited knowledge about this world and the important details are the ones that my great-grandmother told me, but I could also barely remember it. I was seven when she vanished.

"The queen of the spiders," she whispered.

Out-of-the-blue, we stopped walking when a cold breeze of wind blew and we could hear sounds of bones cracking as if someone was having a stretch after a long sleep. I could feel my heart throbbing and fear crept into my body while imagining what Venice had said earlier.

"Shh," Venice instructed while pressing her index finger against her lips while feeling the surroundings.

"She's awake. Hold to me," she ordered and I didn't prevail over my hardheadedness and just followed her.

I hold on to her shoulders and suddenly, I saw lots of things hanging on her clothes. A small bag was located on her both sides, and some stuff hanging on her waist. So these are the things that she always carries?

We started walking slowly and I didn't dare to let go of her. I looked on my right side when I heard something walking on the dried black leaves. My eyebrows raised when I saw a giant spider, six times taller and wider than us. It has 8 eyes and its body is really furry. It has a black body and red-colored spots. Its white fangs are really looking sharp.

"Where are we heading?" I asked her in a whisper while still looking at the giant spider, silently praying that it won't catch us.

"To our house," Venice said while swallowing the lump on her throat.

My eyes widened because of what she said. "H-Here?" I unbelievably asked her.

"No, it is located in the autumn zone."

I sighed in relief because of her answer and it looks like she is already comfortable with me which is a good thing since I have no knowledge when it comes to entertaining people. I will definitely go mad when I ran into hardheaded people— like me.

I almost kissed the ground when Venice stopped walking. I looked at her to ask what's the problem but she was already trembling with fear and her face was already pale as a ghost while looking forward. I followed her line of sight to see what is she seeing and there I saw the giant spider. Its 8 eyes were staring directly at us, and it looks like we are just ants from its vision. I gulped and tighten my grip on Venice's shoulder.

Am I gonna be a spider's meal?