Chapter 3
1032 Words
“We’re in Andalania.”
Jaune’s face twisted in shock. She was speechless. Then she let out a short, nervous laugh. No way. That’s just her story. It has to be a dream.
“Jaune?”
“I… I don’t believe you, Destine. It’s just a story, right? Just a dream. I just need to wake up.” She shut her eyes.
“It’s not a dream, Jaune. Please believe me.”
But Jaune shook her head. She didn’t want to be the butt of a prank. Sure, she loved Destine’s stories about Andalania, but she had no desire to actually live through one.
Then she felt small hands untying her, and she was suddenly yanked forward.
“What are you doing?!”
Even if she wanted to believe it was a dream, her terror was too real.
“Jaune! Don’t hurt her!” she heard Destine scream.
The only thing Jaune could do was stumble as the small creatures dragged her toward the giant bonfire. In its center sat a huge cauldron. There were stairs leading up to it, and they pushed her forward.
“Are you going to cook me?!”
“Get in!” one of them ordered, brandishing a knife.
Jaune recoiled in fear. She faced the steps leading up to the pot—big enough to fit her. “This is just a dream. Just a dream,” she repeated over and over, slowly ascending.
But no matter how many times she told herself that, the burning heat from the fire said otherwise.
“It’s just a dream…” she muttered again, desperate to believe it.
“Jaune!” Destine cried out.
Jaune finally reached the top and froze when she saw the boiling water. “No way. I’m not going in there!” she screamed, backing away—only for the tiny warriors to point spears at her.
“Jaune!” Destine thrashed against her bindings, eyes full of panic.
One of the mountain spirits walked by her, and she tripped him.
Then she kicked him hard, knocking him out, and grabbed his spear with her foot.
She used it to slice through her ropes.
No one noticed—everyone’s attention was on Jaune.
“Jaune, jump down!” she shouted as she ran forward.
The startled spirits turned and charged, but Destine fought them off one by one.
She finally reached Jaune and pulled her down. They ran into the thick forest as the mountain spirits gave chase—but their short legs kept them from catching up quickly.
They got far enough to hide.
“In here,” Destine whispered, pulling her under the roots of a huge tree.
“Destine—”
But Destine clamped a hand over her mouth as they heard the spirits passing by. They waited until the sounds faded before she looked at her twin.
Jaune’s eyes were wide, filled with disbelief.
“Jaune.”
Jaune could only stare. She couldn’t believe how calm Destine was while she felt like she was about to pass out from fear.
Suddenly, a rustle.
Jaune jumped and clung to the tree.
“Jaune, Jaune,” Destine whispered, grabbing her face and making her look at her. “Listen to me, okay? Just listen.”
Jaune nodded, still trembling.
“I know this place is scary. But trust me. Everything will be okay. I’ll protect you.”
Jaune took a deep breath, eyes locked on her sister. “Are we really in Andalania?”
Destine smiled and nodded.
“It’s real?” she asked again. “All of it? The prince… the heroine…”
She gasped. “Is it you? Are you the heroine?”
Destine nodded again, several times.
“I didn’t know how to tell you without sounding crazy,” she admitted. “So I made it into a story.”
Jaune gave a breathless laugh. “So all your stories were real? The evil king… and how you defeated him?”
Destine nodded.
Jaune covered her mouth in shock. “Then… you love Prince Andalus? That’s why you cried earlier?”
“Jaune,” Destine laughed at her over-the-top reaction.
“How did we get here?”
“A light carried us while we were asleep. Then the mountain spirits captured us.”
“And you didn’t wake me?!”
“You sleep like a rock, so I didn’t bother. Besides, I didn’t want to scare you like you just scared yourself,” she teased with a grin.
Jaune laughed hard, then looked around.
The forest was unlike anything she’d ever seen. Magical. Like a fantasy movie brought to life.
“Then we have to find your prince!” she said, shaking Destine excitedly. “I can’t wait to see his face when he sees you! He’ll be stunned, maybe even cry, thinking you’re just an illusion. He’ll reach for your face, realize it’s really you, and then—he’ll pull you in and kiss you!”
She squealed. “My brother-in-law is going to be so dreamy!”
Destine quickly covered her mouth. “Shhh! The mountain spirits are still around!”
Jaune froze. “Oops. Sorry. Got carried away.” She giggled. “So? Are we going to him? You’ve always wanted to see him again, right? This is our chance. Who knows, the light might come back and return us to our world. Where is he? In a castle somewhere?”
Destine nodded. “Yes. I really do want to see him again.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
“Jaune, don’t wander off. We need to find a town first to know where we are. This way.” She took her twin’s hand.
Jaune followed eagerly behind.
She couldn’t wait to meet the characters Destine had told her about.''
She was excited—for her sister, for herself, and for the world of Andalania.
The fear she had felt earlier had vanished, replaced with awe and anticipation.
Surely, everything would be easier now. After all, Destine was known here.
She couldn’t wait to see this world for herself.
The kind of magical place she had only ever seen in fantasy films.
- Writer
