Beyond a Reflection

Chapter 8: The Encantum

I looked at him inside the protective barrier that my grandmother put to preserve his body. This is a durable type of barrier, unlike the others that I have encountered outside before I got here, a while ago and it is cannot be removed with just a pinch of magic that's why I can't afford to put myself at stake just to touch him.

It's been 8 years since he died but he hasn't aged at all. He just looks like sleeping. His body is well preserved and his hands were turned blueish, other than that, it was pale and pure.

I blamed myself for his death. The tragedy that made my family meet its downfall. The reason why Kia hates me and why they moved out of this house. The tragedy that made my grandma really sad.

What happened 8 years ago was still fresh in my memory. It is the kind of memory that I wished I have forgotten for a long period of time but the opposite happened. It carved inside me as if I would take that memory to my deepest slumber.

It all happened 8 years ago...

It's been a few weeks since my great-grandmother Isadora hasn't back from the other world which she called— The Encantum. The portal that says will deliver you to the other world was completely sealed that exact day that's why there is no chance for her to come back and the family assumes she's already dead.

All the time, day by day, I'm sitting right in front of the mirror, hoping that my great-grandmother would miraculously come back. I could feel how the magic overflowed inside me while thinking about the thought that my grandma was probably dead.

Unconsciously, I touched my own reflection on the mirror, and suddenly, I felt the zap of green luminous electricity on the tip of my fingers the moment I touched the reflection of my fingertips but the weird thing is, I couldn't feel anything as if I went numb.

Dad, who is busy reading a magazine that day seemed to notice what happened and immediately carried me away using only his one hand and turned his back against the mirror as he hugged me. The mirror produced nonstopped currents of electricities that were going crazy all over the house, cracking figurines and appliances. The electricity inside the mirror went wild as if I triggered something in there!

My lips trembled while my eyes widen as I listen to my father's screams and terror enveloped the house as he protects me from those zaps of electricities. He is protecting me using his own body. Every time the green electricity struck his back, I can't help myself but cry.

My 15-year-old brother came inside the room together with my mom. They gasped as they saw the situation and my mother started shrieking. Isaiah immediately runs to call my grandma. The moment she entered the room, her eyes widened and struck her wand towards the roaring mirror, and miraculously, it stopped producing electricity and it is back to its original state.

The whole living room suddenly became gloomy.

I looked at my father whose back is full of strikes of the electricities. He kneeled down as he gently put me down on the floor. I just looked at him, dumbfounded. The 8-year-old me can't process what just happened. My father was zapped by millions of volts of electricities but why I'm safe? Why didn't I even have a single scratch?

My mouth was opened and tears continued flowing while looking at my poor father, nailed on the ground, not blinking. Suddenly, my mom rushed towards me and gave me a heavy slap making my face look on the other side. That slap made the whole room silent and I can't control my tears anymore.

Grandma and Isaiah were shocked about what happened and tried to stop Mom but it is futile. She is raging like a wild lion. While me, my face became emotionless as I back my stares at them. My Mom's eyes are full of resentment and despise as if she is saying that she shouldn't have given birth to a child like me. Isaiah is crying nonstop.

I looked at my father using my blurry vision. He is still kneeling on the ground, not moving an inch.

Not moving... Not blinking... Not breathing.

He died protecting me even though he shouldn't have. It's my fault. It's my fault why he died. If I hadn't touched the mirror, it shouldn't have happened.

That night, my mother and brother decided to leave the house, finally erasing our existence in their lives. I heard Grandma and my brother talking about whether they could just bring the mirror with them since it's too risky for me to have it here since the accident might happen again.

After that, I promised myself that I won't stop studying different curses until I find a curse that could bring my father back to life. Until I have discovered the Death to Life Charm— the kind of charm that can bring back the dead to life.

I'm still learning that spell and reading tons of books about it but I haven't found anything. That's how I lived my life for the full six years. I always use my magic to try random stuff, hoping that I could bring my father back. But the moment I reached my fifteenth birthday, I started coughing blood when I tried to use my magic again. That's when my grandma said that I used too much of my magic and ever since, she locked completely the body of my father in the basement so that I won't attempt to experiment with it again.

I shook my head to gather my thoughts. Even though I lost my magic and I still couldn't bring back my father to life, I won't stop finding any solutions for this. My father's death is unacceptable. That's why I'll try and try and try again even though I will meet thousands of failures, I won't give up.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't do any magic anymore. But don't worry, just rest there for a moment and certainly, I will bring you back to life... and we will be a happy family again," I muttered as I pressed my forehead against the barrier.

Maybe Mom and Isaiah will forgive me too and decided to live with us together...

When I'm done, I wrapped things up so that my grandmother won't suspect anything. I brought back all of the magic barriers that I have removed. It was another excess work but I have no complaints since it was my choice but it sure does exhaust me that much to the point that I fell asleep the moment I got to my room, and I didn't even have the chance to eat Grandma's curry.

***

It was now the day before the retreat and I'm already stressing myself out, forcing myself to listen to all the rules and regulations in the camp. They said that it will be fun and it will have a lot of activities. I'm currently now eating in the cafeteria and I don't know why I'm being accompanied with.

"I'm excited about the retreat! I could finally see Kens in casual clothes!" Maverick exclaimed while looking at the ceiling of the cafeteria as if he was already imagining me in casual clothes.

"I'm excited to b-beat your section," Vaughn said halfheartedly as if he was just forcing himself to say those words.

Finally stepping from his comfort zone, huh?

"Oh, yeah? Keep dreaming, bro," Mave confidently shot him back.

Vaughn hesitantly laid down a smirk or I guess a wince? I wasn't sure about it because he really looks trying too hard. He brushed his hair up using his trembling hands causing girls here in the cafeteria to shriek and start hitting each other as if they are already losing their sanity just because of Vaughn's charms. He also tried to wink twice but he definitely looks like he is constipated.

I feel bad for Vaughn.

"You're pretty funny," Maverick mumbled and continued eating his meal.

"What are your p-plans for the retreat, Kenny?" asked Vaughn which made Maverick stop eating and simply look at me, waiting for my answer too.

"Sleep," I shortly said and stood up to bring back the plate of my lunch.

***

I am now home and currently packing my things. According to Isaiah, it was a three-day retreat that's why I need to get ready. I don't have any plans yet and that makes it more exciting. I stood up and things that were placed above my thighs started falling. I turned around to search where my toothbrush is but the whole room was a huge mess.

The clean and dirty clothes are now combined together and my stuff was scattered on the floor. The bed was full of clothes too and my other things were already on my glass window. My eyes sparkled the moment I saw my toothbrush above my desk when I suddenly stumbled on something.

Everything went in slow motion when I was about to fall. I looked back to see where am I falling to— secretly hoping it is a cushion. But my heart's suddenly pounding really crazing when my eyes landed on my great-grandmother's mirror behind me.

Crap! I'm going to break it...

I just closed my eyes and wait for the moment of my fall but I opened my eyes again when I didn't feel anything at all. My eyes widened when I felt that I'm sluggy instead of hurt. Half of my body was soaking wet which made it weirder since as far as I know, I haven't spilled any liquid in my room. I looked around but it was dark and I saw nothing except a narrow wall. This is completely different from my room!

I tried to look up when I saw light coming from there and there it is, the only entrance of this where-ever-am-I.

Where am I in the first place? I'm just in my room a few moments ago and I'm about to crash with my great-grandmother's mirror and this happened. It all happened in a blink of an eye. Wait— I think I'm able to follow what on Earth is happening.

The scene of me falling kept repeating in my mind until I have solved the greater picture.

I looked up to the light again and I figured out that I'm inside a well. I measured how deep am I from the surface and started calculating how much time will take me to reach it. I unconsciously touched my pocket to see if I'm with my wand and I sighed in relief when I felt my wand in my pocket. I looked up again and breathe out.

I can't use magic anymore and the only thing that I could do is to rely on my physical strength. I bit my lower lip as I began climbing on the walls, or rather stones. Sure, there are brittle ones but thankfully I have reached the surface. It is already dark and there are two full moons shining brightly in the dark blue and purple-ish night sky that's why it is not obvious down there that it was already night.

My peace of mind was disturbed when I realized something. I looked at the sky again and blinked to see if I'm really seeing two moons or I am just stressed out. My mouth agape when I saw there are really two full moons shining brightly.

I looked around and my eyes started to twinkle when I saw pure green trees. It looks so natural at first but when you look at it intently, you will see how the leaves of the trees sparkle as if it is bathed with silver glitters.

This is it.

This is the most desired place I've been want to ever since I was a kid.

Encantum.

The world that lies beyond the mirror of my great-grandmother.